a7 eet Commentary by Swami ChinmayanandaShe Hoy ecta Commentary by SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA @ i es Central Chinmaya Mission Trust© Copyright Reserved 2013 Central Chinmaya Mission Trust All rights reserved. No part (either whole or part) may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in aretrieval system, recorded or transmitted in any form or by any means, including but not limited to electronic and mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published by: Chinmaya Prakashan The Publications Division of Central Chinmaya Mission Trust Sandeepany Sadhanalaya Saki Vihar Road, Powai, Mumbai 400072, India Tel.: +91-22-2803 4900 Email: cemtpublications@chinmayamission.com Website: www.chinmayamission.com Distribution Centre in USA: ‘Chinmaya Mission West Publications Division 560 Bridgetown Pike, Langhorne, PA 19053, USA Tel.: 1-888-CMW-READ, (215) 396-0390 Fax: (215) 396-9710 Email: publications@chinmayamission.org Website: www.chinmayapublications.com Designed by: Chinmaya Kalpanam, Mumbai Digitized by: Chinmaya Digital Media, MumbaiPUBLISHER’S NOTE “When Param Pujya Gurudev Chinmayananda attained Mahasamadhi, Sti Krishna must have welcomed him into his abode saying, “Come, come, my beloved one. You outdid me, for I taught Geeta to one Arjuna, and you awakened many Arjunas round the globe”, remarked a devotee fondly. Such was the profound influence of Gurudev’s Geeta discourses on the audience. His talks have been compiled in this commentary - The Holy Geeta. This text of Gurudev is so popular that it has made its entry into corporate houses and five-star hotels. This edition owes its prim look to a very assiduous team — Joseph, Raju Nair, Pradeep Kharwal for executing the tedious but unavoidable task of DTP; Mr KS Rindani, Mrs Savita Chakravarty for relentless proof reading; Ramona Singh for the appealing cover design and book mark. Revamped from cover to cover, we now present the latest edition, for your joy, solace and guidance. Mumbai Central Chinmaya Mission Trust September 3, 2008Chapter Cidanr one 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 CONTENTS Title The One Song In Many Tongues The Geeta As Others See It The Essence Of The Geeta — Direct Guidance For Your Problems What Says The Geeta? General Introduction to The Bhagawad Geeta Arjuna-Grief Yoga Of Knowledge Karma Yoga Ending Action In Knowledge True Renunciation Meditation Knowledge And Wisdom The Imperishable Brahman The Royal Secret The Divine Glories The Cosmic-Form Divine Path Of Devotion The Field And Its Knower The Gunas (The Three Moods) The Supreme Spirit Divine And Devilish Estates The Three-Fold Faith Liberation Through Renunciation Pages ‘viii ix-xiv Xv-xviii xix-xxxi 1-10 11-54 55-186 187-258 259-339 340-395 396-487 488-541 542-595 596-666 667-745 746-830 831-873 874-939 940-1000 1001-1040 1041-1086 1087-1124 1125-1273THE ONE SONG IN MANY TONGUES SANSKRIT ad gafeaRcase FAs ero Tot | ae oa eto Herff aT Ba: UI 4C-8K ENGLISH Abandoning all Dharmas (of the body, mind and intellect), take refuge in Me alone; | will liberate thee from all sins: grieve not. XVII-66 FRENCH En renconcant a tous les “dharmas’-c'est a dire-toutes les passions du corps, de l'esprit et de I'intelligence, cherche |'abri seulement en moi. Je te délivrerai, de tous tes péchés: Ne te désole pas. GERMAN Gib das Ich auf (kérperlich, geistig und intellektuell), suche Obdach nur in mir; ich will Dich von allen Suinden befreien: kranke Dich nicht.SPANISH Dejando a un lado todos (tus otros) deberes (como secundarios) buscame a MI solo como tu refugio; yo te libraré de todos tus pecados- no tengas pena! POLISH Zrzeknij sie wszelkich powinnoSsci | bez wahania do mnie wrdé, A od wszelkiej uwolnie ciebie skazy. SWEDISH Uppge all Dharma‘ (i kropp, sinne och férstand) tag tillflykt i mig allena; Jag skall befria dig fran allt ont, s6rj icke. ‘Sanskritordet "Dharmas" betyder férmodligen har att man skall avsta fran all yttre paverkan och istallet férséka utveckla sjalvlakttagelse.GREEK Adnoe kaBe dyxoc Kat EUpe O€ LEVA Lovo KaTadUyto’ Ba o€ EAeuBEpWow amd OAEG TLc apaptiec! Ln OAiBeoat. NORWEGIAN Oppgi alle hellige Handlinger, og sok tilflugt hos meg alene! Jeg vil frelse deg fra alle Onder; sorg ikke! DANISH Opgiv alle hellige Handlinger, og tag Din Tilflugt til mig alene! Jeg vil frelse Dig fra alle Onder; sorg ikke! BULGARIAN Otrechi vsichki dostoinstva/na tialoto uma i intelekta/potarsi spasenie pri men: as ste te osvobodia ot vsichki grehove: nedei taguva.ITALIAN Liberandoti da ogni vincolo dei sensi, delle percezioni, delle idee, rifugiati in me solo: lo ti liberero da tutti i peceati: non crucciarti. HIJNGARIAN Megszabadulva tested, eszed ertelmed minden vagyatol, egyedtil Hozzam menektilj; én megszabaditalak teged minden biintdl; ne bankodj. RUSSIAN Tloknnys Bce xapMbI (BCe peHrHH Tesla, yMa H HHTesIeKTAa), WJM KO MHE, A OHH TBOC npHOexuure; He meuasibca, Al OCBOOOxXY Tes OT BCeX rpexoB. CZECH Zanechej vsechny bludy a uchyl se ke mné! Ja té osvobodim od vSech hiicht, netrap se.DUTCH Doe afstand van alle dharma's (van het lichaam, het verstand, en het intellect), neem toeviucht tot mij alleen; Ik zal U van alle zonden bevrijden: treur niet. FINNISH Jata kaikki ruumiiseen, mieleen ja Alyyn liittyvat ulkonaiset pyrkimykset, turvaudu yksin minuun: mina vapautan sinut kaikista synneista: ala murehdi. ROMANIAN indu-ti toate tentatiile trupului, mintii si gindirii, cauta-ti scApare doar in mine; Te voi elibera de toate pacatele: Nu te intrista.Hindi wa of at camer gael wm RR (afeaerre et aged geen &) & sere F anat | AF GS Goel ol S aR ae aa | ate Fa aR | Tamil THOT FTMsSOEMUYL UDOM AMO mMAS5s) cTerienen QHEUeenGu syeor YGeoumils : Bret 2 canon creda UTeuMMserflesfl etry LDd AGALIGLCH. mpsTCS. Malayalam Modaywdanod asPlnyers DIGDAar0 LOOEMo (IER Bae Mp Trdqaoaaieey enoescolansoa) aovojast Mdgqy WoAaDGTBA}L UTI MeHlajlF, agacm DM VoEMe (aNda fase 008 Mlacm MAE asa 1GTBHIOd Memo NSMNIR. UsToMeeasrs.. Telugu Hs. GO; BON 3603 Boe8% Dewy MOA ew odio Soars No 0 HO THD BS DPYess2y APO. ND FSS2y Deb.Kannada ey abr nve tt. Se does ai iy oon metrt Punjabi FI UH wag g awa, Hdt Hes SB. UT eT, eo ag gu oe sate HS Ut SHas age | éé Marathi ed eaten car aA ACA arora, At gen ad orca Waa an, eile ae apr, Gujarati wd nila (2s, Wis A eilEas aif) agar dak Bsatrey Vi Aa. tl BL wwrddedl @ yget salar : ails 4 52Oriya AS UG 69S ZA WI EFI! adi AS AIG AAS Ee CEIOe | Bengali were eof oifstomrel SAAT ATS OTS *1A7 1S; SHR COTATITS HH M1 BATS YS FR 1 SA SNS AT | Urdu Soi toe Se Afi in a Megan Ve (9 Abs be Us (eG Eur dew Lu bx Assamese Of Hee eof Hf SEA GPA CUR SCAT, COTTE FS FA MPS HAT LS BIRT: CATS TERA |The Geeta as others see it The Geeta is the universal mother. She turns away nobody. Her door is wide open to anyone who knocks. A true votary of the Geeta does not know what disappointment is. He ever dwells in perennial joy and ‘peace that passeth all understanding’. But that peace and joy comes not to the sceptic or to him who is proud of his intellect or learning, It is reserved only for the humble in spirit who brings to her worship a fullness of faith and an undivided singleness of mind. There never was a man who worshipped her in this spirit and went back disappointed. I find a solace in the Bhagawad Geeta that I miss even in the sermon on the Mount. When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone, I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagawad Geeta. I find a verse here and a verse there, and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies - and if they have left no visible, no indelible scare on me, I owe it all to the teaching of the Bhagawad Geeta. - Mahatma Gandhi * * * What is the message of the Geefa and what is its working value, its spiritual utility to the human mind of the present day, after the long ages that have elapsed since it was written and the great subsequent transformations of thought and experience? The human mind always moves forward, alters its viewpoint and enlarges its thought-substance, and the effect of these changes is to render past systems of thinking obsolete,x THE BHAGAWAD GEETA ot when they are preserved; to extend, to modify and subtly or visibly, to alter their value. The vitality of ancient doctrine consists in the extent to which it naturally lends itself to such a treatment; for that means that whatever may have been the limitations or the obsolescence of the form of its thought, the truth of substance, the truth of living vision and experience on which its system was built, is still sound and retains a permanent validity and significance. The Geefa is a book that has worn extraordinarily well, and it is almost as fresh and still in its real substance quite as new, because always renewable in experience, as when it first appeared in or was written into the frame of the ‘Mahabharata’. It is still received in India as one of the great bodies of doctrine that most authoritatively govern religious thinking; and its teaching is acknowledged as of the highest value if not wholly accepted by almost all shades of religious belief and opinion. Its influence is not merely philosophic or academic but immediate and living, an influence both for thought and action and its ideas are actually at work as a powerful shaping factor in the revival and renewal of a nation and a culture. It has even been said recently by a great voice that all the needs for a spiritual life are to be found in the Geera. It would be, to encourage the superstition of the book to take too literally that utterance. The truth of the Spirit is infinite and cannot be circumscribed in that manner. Still it may be said that most of the main clues are there and that after all the later developments of spiritual experience and discovery, we can still return to it for inspiration and guidance. Outside India too, it is universally acknowledged as one of the world’s great scriptures, although in Europe its thought is better understood than its secret of spiritual practice. - Aurobindo GhoseTHE GEETA AS OTHER’S SEE IT xi The Gee/a was not preached either as a pastime for persons tired out after living a worldly life in the pursuit of selfish motives, nor as a preparatory lesson for living such worldly life, but in order to give philosophical advice as to how one should live one’s worldly life with an eye to Release, Moksha and as to the true duty of human beings in worldly life. My last prayer to everyone, therefore, is that one should not fail to thoroughly understand this ancient science of the life of a householder, or of worldly life, as early as possible in one’s life. - Lokmanya Tilak * * * Among the priceless teachings that may be found in the gteat Hindu poem Mahabharata, there is none so rare and precious as this ‘The Lord’s Song’. Since it fell from the divine lips of Shri Krishna on the field of battle, and stilled the surging emotions of His disciple and friend, how many troubled hearts has it quietened and strengthened, how many weary souls has it led to Him! It is meant to lift the aspirant from the lower levels of renunciation, where objects are renounced, to the loftier heights where desires are dead, and where the Yogi dwells in calm and ceaseless contemplation while his body and mind are actively employed in discharging the duties that fall to his Jot in life. That the spiritual man need not be a recluse, that union with divine life may be achieved and maintained in the midst of worldly affairs, that the obstacles to that union lie, not outside us but within us, such is the central lesson of the Bhagawad Geeta. It is a scripture of Yoga; now Yoga is literally union; and it means harmony with the Divine law, becoming one with the Divine life, by the subdual of all outward-going energies.xii THE BHAGAWAD GEETA To reach this, balance must be gained, as also equilibrium, so that self, joined to the Self, shall not be affected by pleasure or pain, desire or aversion, or any of the ‘pair of opposites’ between which untrained selves swing backwards and forwards. Moderation is therefore, the keynote of the Geeta and the harmonising of all the constituents of man, till they vibrate in perfect attunement with the One, the Supreme Self. This is the aim the disciple is to set before him. He must learn not to be attracted by the attractive nor repelled by the repellant, but must see both as manifestations of the Lord, so that they may be lessons for his guidance, not fetters for his bondage. In the midst of turmoil, he must rest in the Lord of Peace, discharging every duty to the fullest, not because he seeks the results of his actions, but because it is his duty to perform them. His heart is an altar of love to his Lord, the flame burning upon it; all his acts, physical and mental, are sacrifices offered at the altar, and once offered, he has with them no further concern. As though to make the lesson more impressive, it was given on a field of battle. Arjuna, the warrior-prince, was to vindicate his brother’s title, to destroy an usurper who was oppressing the land. It was his duty as prince, as warrior, to fight for the deliverance of his nation and to restore order and peace. To make the contest more bitter, loved comrades and friends stood on both sides, wringing his heart with personal anguish, and making the conflict of duties as well as physical strife. Could he slay those whom he owed love and duty, and trample on ties of kindred? To break family ties was a sin; to leave the people in cruel bondage was a sin; where was the right way? Justice must be done, else law would be disregarded; but how to slay without sin? The answer is the burden of the book. Have no personal interest in the event; carry out theTHE GEETA AS OTHER’S SEE IT xiii duty imposed by the position in life, realise that Ishvara, at once Lord and Law, is the doer working out the mighty evolution that ends in Bliss and Peace; be identified with Him by devotion and then perform duty as duty, fighting without passion or desire without anger or hatred Thus activity forges no bonds, Yoga is accomplished, and the soul is free. Such is the obvious teaching of this sacred book. But as all the acts of an Avatara are symbolical, we may pass from the outer to the inner planes, and see in the fight of Kurukshetra, the battlefield of the soul, and in the sons of Dhritarashtra, enemies it meets in its progress; Arjuna becomes the type of struggling soul of the disciple, and Shri Krishna is the Logos of the soul. Thus, the teaching of the ancient battlefield gives guidance in all later days, and trains the aspiring soul in treading the steep and thorny path that leads to peace. To all such souls in the East and the West come these divine lessons for, the path is one, though it has many names, and all souls seek the same goal, though they may not realise their unity. - Dr. Annie Besant * * # The Geefa is a bouquet composed of the beautiful flowers of spiritual truths collected from the Upanishads. - Swami Vivekananda ek # I believe that in all the living languages of the world, there is no book so full of true knowledge, and yet so handy as the Bhagawad Geeta..... It brings to men the highest knowledge, the purest love and the most luminous action. It teaches self- control, the threefold austerity, non-violence, truth,xiv THE BHAGAWAD GEETA compassion, obedience to the call of duty for the sake of duty and putting up a fight against unrighteousness (Adharma)... To my knowledge, there is no book in the whole range of the world’s literature so high above all as the Bhagawad Geeta which is treasute-house of Dharma not only for Hindus but for all mankind. - Madan Mohan Malaviya eee The Geera is one of the clearest and most comprehensive summaries of the Perennial Philosophy ever to have been done. Hence its enduring value not only for Indians, but for all mankind... The Bhagawad Geeta is perhaps the most systematic spiritual statement of the Perennial Philosophy. - Aldous HuxleyTHE ESSENCE OF GEETA xv The Esssence of the Bhagawad Geeta Direct Guidance For Your Problems Topic Chapter Verses Who is God? TX 17 XVII 61 What is God’s nature? IV 6 xX 20 What is God’s function? IV 7,8 What are God’s VII 4 manifestations? xX 41 Where is God? VI 30 XV 15 What is Om? VII 11, 13 XVII 23, 24 How does confusion I 29 affect us? VIL 27 What does delusion do to us? I 7, 63 How does desire I 62 destroy us? XVI 21Xvi THE BHAGAWAD GEETA Topic Chapter Verses 10. How do passions aa 38,39 bind us? XVI 16 11. How do we control 0 61 our passion? VI 24, 25 12. How do we control anger? Vv 23 VI 14 13. How do we console the I 27 bereaved? VI 40 14. How do we help the 0 28 disillusioned? IV 35 15. How do we help the XI 8 disappointed? XVII 62 16. How do we help those IV 36 who have morally slipped? Ix 30 17. How do we help those VI 43 who have spiritually fallen? XVI 22 18. Guidance to politicians au 38 I 21 19. Guidance to businessmen IV 31 XVII 20 20. Guidance to teenagers IV 39 VI 5 21. Grand Vision of Universe XV 1, 2,3THE ESSENCE OF GEETA xvii Topic Chapter Verses 22. Right Action I 48 XVII 23 23. Increasing Efficiency Il 30 XII 16 24. Inner Peace I 71 Vv 12 25. Concentration VI 25, 26 26. Usefulness to others VI 32 XO 4 27. Joy to Oneself I 64 XVII 37 28. Object of Meditation VI 25 XVII 57 29. Preparation for Meditation VI 11, 13 30. Reward of Meditation VI 15, 22 31. Mind in Meditation VI 19, 20 32. Daily Life and Meditation VI 16, 17 33. Way to Meditation VI 24, 25 34. Perfect Person I 55 XIV 25 35. Spiritually Evolved Person v 10, 18xviii THE BHAGAWAD GEETA Topic ~~Chapter’=—S«WVerses 36. Signs of Spiritual Growth XVII 14, 15, 16 37. Signs of Spiritual Fall XIV 8, 13 38. Spiritual Stagnation XVIII 32, 35 39. Nature of Matter Xm 5,6 40. Nature of Spirit XI 12, 17 41. Approaches to VI 23 Meditation XI 8 42. Relation with God XI 43, 44 43. Way to Reach Ix 34 the Divine Goal XVII 66 44, Glory of the Geeta XVII 68, 70 45. Devotion Ix 26, 27 46. Surrender VII 19 Ix 22 47. Service Il 19 IV 20 48. Wisdom XI 27, 29 49. Self-control I 58 VI 4 50. Right Food XVII 8 51. Right Speech XVII 15 PS. : Verse numbers in Chapter XIII are as per the version of the Gee/a with 700 verses.What Says The Geeta? Stanza Themes Page Nos. Nos. Chapter - I THE YOGA OF ARJUNA-GRIEF Introduction alae 11-13 1 The Scene at Kurukshetra eta 14 2-14 Kaurava heroes; the pride of Duryodhana. 15-23 14-19 Krishna and Arjuna. The Divine Charioteer and the Royal Prince HEHEHE 9196 20-25 Arjuna’s command and Krishna’s service. 26-29 26-31 Arjuna-grief - Krishna’s silence ie 30-34, 32-36 Arjuna’s case against wat. cae 35-37 37-40. Evils of war - Arjuna’s justification wen 38-41 41-45 Consequences of the destruction of moral integrity of families. vee 42-47 46-47 Anxiety-state-neurosis of Arjuna, Krishna’s continued silence, sae ewe 48-49 Chapter - IT THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE g Crtrcers ene oss Rsoassaasaitadetecatecsdeestzactastetsticeticsaserr terry 55-56 1-3. Lord’s grace tn ee 56-60 4-9 Total Surrender. tee 61-69 10-12 Krishna-cure for the treatment of Arjuna-disease begins. wees 70-7713 14-15 16-18 19-24 25-30 31-32 33-36 37-38 39-41 42-44 45-46 47-48 49-53 54 55 56-57 58-61 62-63 64-68 69 70-72 1-2 3-4 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA Truth behind the Reincarnation Theory. Finite nature of external challenges and the call for equipoise of the mind. Nature of Real and Unreal Religious call for action. Explanation of the Transcendental Truth. Advice to end grief. Face the challenge - Dharma of Kshatriyas. Common-man’s point-of-view and arguments for fighting the war. Arise, resolve to fight. Determination with a single-pointed mind. Misconception. Suggestions for removal of misconceptions. True Worker. “Vasana-Purgation” and Self-realisation. Who is Sthitapragna? sen ae Inner experience of the Perfect. Silent sage - Language of the Perfect. Control of senses. Source of all evil. Means of deliverance. Contrast between ignorant and wise. Desirer of desires. Chapter - III KARMA YOGA Introduction. Arjuna’s confusion. Self-development through action 71-18 79-82 83-88 89-98 99-106 107-108 109-112 113-119 120-124 125-126 127-132 132-139 140-148 149-151 151-153 154-158 159-166 167-169 170-176 177-178 179-186 187-191 192-193 194-1975-8 9-11 12-13 14-16 17-19 20-21 22-24 25-26 27-29 30 31-32 33-34 35 36 37 38-39 40-41 42-43 1-3 46 7-8 9-10 WHAT SAYS THE GEETA? Action is superior to inaction. Spirit of Self-dedicated activities Social-thief. Cosmic-wheel of co-operative-action Work-fulfilled individual. Reasons for performing action. Why should the Lord work? Dynamism of life and action. Detached action. Renunciation of all actions unto the Lord. Theory of right action. Robber within. Direct message to Arjuna — “Understand Vasanas” Obstructions to higher impulse Satan of “desire-anger-emotion”. Discriminative-capacity: real and unreal. Secret fortresses of the inner enemy - desire. Advice for restraintof senses. sae Scheme of Self-discovery. Chapter - IV THE YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION IN KNOWLEDGE Introduction. History of the Supreme Secret. “Theory of incarnation” Freedom of a God-man. Purpose of the bound Infinite. A path of salvation. 198-203 204-207 208-209 211-213 215-217 218-219 221-223 224-228 229-232 233-236 237-240 241-244 244-245 246-247 248-249 249-252 252-254 255-258 259-260 261-264 265-269 270-272 273-27611 12 13 14-15 16-17 18-22 23 24-28 29-32 33-34 35-36 37-38 39 40-42 1-2 4-7 8-9 10-12 13-16 17 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA Impattiality of Life-principle. Basis for introvert and extrovert. Finer distinctions of extrovert. Technique of Self-perfection. Nature of action and inaction. Egoless action. Motive and attitude of the action of Men-of-Perfection. Methods of dissolving actions. “Right Knowledge makes every act a Yajna.” Methods of dissolving action. contd. Supremacy of Knowledge of true action. Supremacy of Knowledge cont. Wisdom destroys sin. Qualities necessary for acquiring wisdom. Arise, O Bharata. Chapter - V THE YOGA OF TRUE RENUNCIATION Introduction. Attainment of Goal through action and renunciation of action. Nature of a perpetual Sannyasi Goal of Karma Yoga and Sannyasa is the same. “Realised” in the world-of-action Work with detachment. Relationship between Knowledge and ignorance. Experience of the World-of-Truth within one-self. 277-278 278-279 280-282 283-285 285-289 289-300 300-303 303-313 313-319 320-323 323-326 327-328 330-331 334-339 340-344 344-348 348-350 350-356 357-359 359-364 365-372 372-373WHAT SAYS THE GEETA? xxiii 18-23 Methods of renunciation... ... 374-384 24-29 Liberation or Liberated... ... 385-395 Chapter - VI THE YOGA OF MEDITATION Introduction. eee 396-399 1-4 — Attainment of Yoga through “Renunciation of the sense of agency” and “Renunciation of attachment to the fruits-of-action”. 399-405 5 Potentiality of a Human. 406-409 6-9 Love for all at all times. see 410-416 10-18 “Aids to Yoga” and the attainment of Yoga. 417-434 19-23 Stages of progress of the accomplished (Yagi) 435-441 24-26 Instructions for Yoga. 442-447 27-32 Effect of the Yaga of Meditation. seen 447-457 33-36 Control of the mind by Abhyasa, see 458-468 37-40 None who strives to do good ever comes to grief. see 468-474 41-45 Stages possible on the way to Perfection. 475-483 46-47 Bea Yogi. 483-487 Chapter - VII THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM Introduction. see 488-489 1-6 Me in My Real Nature. see 490-498 7-11 Conscious Principle in matter envelopments. wee 499-504 12-15 Divine illusion - Gunas. wees 505-51016-20 21-30 6-7 8-10 11-21 22-28 1-3 48 9-10 11 12-15 16-19 20-21 22 23-25 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA Types of virtuous men - Best of them all - Jnanis wees 511-520 Delusion and Knowledge. wee 521-540 Chapter - VIII THE YOGA OF IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN Introduction. wee 541-542 Eternal Self alone is Real. eee 542-546 Nature of Identification of Individualised-ego, anes 547-548 “As you think so you become.” vee 548-551 Qualities of the Purusha (Self). vee 552-562 Supreme destination of Perfection and the means of achieving it. see 563-583 Paths to reach the Consummate Goal... ... 584-595 Chapter - IX THE YOGA OF ROYAL SECRET qateeoss (ete (0) aeaatsetoceaatetecadttadataseestaddcecssstieceairer]c7 596-597 Glory of the Art of Self-Perfection. a 598-603 Infiniteand finite, tee 604-610 “Infinite and Law of Karma” - Purusha and Prakriti. vee 611-614 Ignorance of the Supreme state of Higher Self ante 615-616 Rakshasa-culture and culture of the wise. 617-624 All worships are Self-worship. 625-632 Worship with desire. 633-634 Desireless worship. 635-637 Wrong and right methods of worship. —... ... 638-64326 27-28 29-33 34 1-3 45 6-8 9-11 12-18 19-20 21-39 40-42 1-4 WHAT SAYS THE GEETA ? “Sincerity in devotion” or “Proper offering” Spirit of devout-offering, Devotee is never destroyed. Constant Awareness - the secret of success. Chapter - X THE YOGA OF DIVINE GLORIES Introduction, eevee Knowledge of the origin of physical, mental and intellectual life. Qualities-of-beings. Tremorless Yoon stn aes Personality-treatment for the intuitive fight to deserve Buddhi Yoga and attainment of Ultimate Goal. Intellectual demand of Arjuna for constant awareness of Divine Presence everywhere. Endless variety of the Self’s manifestations. Lord’s grace. lee Methods of meditating upon the Self while living among the endless varieties of objects and beings. No end to Divine Glories. Chapter - XI THE YOGA OF COSMIC FORM Introduction. Demand of Arjuna for demonstration of the receptacle in which all names and forms have their existence and play 644-646 647-649 650-664 664-666 667-670 671-676 677-678 678-684 685-691 692-700 700-702 703-739 740-745 746-748 749-7535-8 9-13 14-17 18-24 25-31 32 33-34 35-37 38-40 41-42 43-44 45-46 47-51 52-53 54-55 3-5 6-7 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA Preparation of Arjuna for the demonstration. Glimpse of the Cosmic form reported by Sanjaya. Wonderment! Arjuna’s perception of the Cosmic-form. Arjuna’s conclusions - Description of the Imperishable Truth. Fearful form of the Infinite. Principle of Time. An Instrument in His hands. Surrender of Arjuna — “Adoration” Prostrations. Apologies for non-understanding. Prostrations. Satisfaction. Lord’s Grace in Realisation. No easy experience - Glory of the Cosmic Form. Undivided devotion. Chapter - XII THE YOGA OF DEVOTION Introduction. Unwavering devotion to the Manifest or the Unmanifest. A true devotee. A true seeker. Conditions to be followed in being a true devotee. Secret of harnessing the entire inner-man. 754-758 759-764 765-771 772-784 784-795 796-797 798-800 801-805 806-810 811-812 812-814 815-818 819-824 825-826 826-830 831-833 834-835 836-838 838-844 845-847 848-849WHAT SAYS THE GEETA? xxvii 9 Yoga of constant practice. vee 849-851 10-11. Execution of His Will - Renunciation of the fruits of all actions. 851-856 12 Conclusions about the suggested paths. 856-858 13-14 Ways of life for all seekers. vem 859-860 15 Characteristic features of a real devotee. 861-862 16 Picture of the Perfect devotee. ween 863-865 17 Awakening to the inner Spiritual nature. 866-867 18-20 Equanimity. seve 868-873 Chapter - XIII THE YOGA OF FIELD AND ITS KNOWER Introduction. sae 874-876 1-3. Kshetra and Kshetrajna - “Matter and Spirit”. vee 877-881 4-7 “What constitutes the field” - the Matter. 881-887 8-10 Description of elements of Knowledge. 888-891 11-12 Steps in aid of Knowledge. vee 892-895 13-16 “What is to be known by this Knowledge” - Description of the Eternal Truth =... 896-903 17-19 Self in one is the Self in all. 904-908 20-23 Relationship (nature) of matter and Spirit. 909-915 24-26 Paths of Self-knowledge . 916-923 27-29 Results of the possession of Knowledge of the Field and the Knower. sven 924-929 30-31 Plurality in the Self but not of the Self... 930-932 32-33 Nature of Self. sue 933-936 34-35 Function of the Spirit in the body and the fulfilment of life by realising the relationship between the Field and the Knower of the field. ween 936-939wiyau 9-10 11-13 14-16 17-18 19-20 21-27 1-3 46 7-9 10-11 12-15 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA Chapter - XIV THE YOGA OF GUNA Introduction, ste ee 940-942 Relationship between the matter and the Spirit. ween 943-951 Gunas behind the Spirit within matter. 952-953 Sattva Guna - attachment to happiness. 954-956 Rajo Guna - attachment to action. 957-958 Tamo Guna - attachment to lower nature leading to misconceptions. 959-960 Actions of the Gunas. 960-961 Symptoms of the predominance of each of the three Gunas in an individual. seve 962-967 The fruits of actions according to each of thethree Guna, ne 968-973 The functions of Gunas while they appear on the stage of the mind-intellect. 974-978 Transcendence of Gunas. see 979-984 Characteristics of the individual who has crossed over the three Gunas. wesw 985-1000 Chapter - XV THE YOGA OF THE SUPREME SPIRIT Antroduetion: tet erie seeeeee eee eects fae 1001-1002 Tree of life and its relationship with the Infinite. ses eee 1002-1007 Eetentvall Goal. tiered eeeeeee eid reeeeeaddeaee elon 1008-1003 Nature of ego (Jeeva). 1017-1020 Realisation of the Self. 1021-1024 Manifestations of the Self. vee eee 1025-1032WHAT SAYS THE GEETA? xxiK 16-17 Perishable, Imperishable and the Supreme Purusha, tn ae 1033-1036 18-20 Knowledge of true nature of the Lord. 1037-1040 Chapter - XVI THE YOGA OF DIVINE AND DEVILISH ESTATES Introduction. sos ee 1041-1042 1-3 Noble traits in a cultured man living the Hindu-way of life. 1043-1053 4 Description of the devilish nature. 1054-1055 3 Effects of the two natures. ses eee 1056-1057 6-9 The pure materialist. 1058-1064 10-11 Motives of the materialist. se 1065-1068 12-15 Attitude of the materialist towards life. .. 1069-1073 16-18 Characteristics of the materialist. 1074-1077 19-20 Evolution suffered. 1078-1079 21 Three gatewaystoHel sees 1080-1081 22-24 Path to the Goal Supreme - “Act here according to the ordinances of the Scriptures”. vse 1081-1086 Chapter - XVII THE YOGA OF THREEFOLD FAITH Introduction. 1087-1088 1-2 Three types of faith. 1089-1090 3-6 Relationship of one’s nature and one’s faith. 1091-1096 7-10 Three kinds of food. 1097-1101 11-13. Three types of sacrifices. 1102-1104 14-17 Satvic types of tapas, atte 1105-111218-19 20-22 23-24 25-28 1-3 46 7-10 " 12 13-15 16-17 18-19 20-22 23-25 26-28 29-32 33-35 36-39 40 41 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA Rajasic and Tamasic tapas. sees 1113-1114 Three kinds of charity. eee ed aie7 Eternal Reality. 1117-1119 Om Tat Sat. 1120-1124 Chapter - XVIII THE YOGA OF LIBERATION THROUGH RENUNCIATION g Cotrvers eters ese igSuassasEseeeditoceteestecsttsstistetetesettssstor tire’ 1125-1127 Disciplines in our activities - Sannyasa and Tyaga “Work - the greatest homage unto the Supreme.” 1128-1132 Krishna-way of action. 1132-1135 Types of Tyaga. seve 1135-1141 Actions constitute the insignia of life. «1141-1142 Fruits-of-action. Reaction from three types of Tyaga. vos eos 1143-1145 Five constituent parts of every action. «1146-1150 Sense of agency of the Self is an illusion. 1151-1154 “Impulse to action” and “Basis of action” 1154-1157 Threefold nature of knowledge. 1158-1161 Threefold nature of action. 1162-1165 Three kinds of doers. 1165-1172 Three types of Buddhi, = sta 1172-1177 Three kinds of Dhrifi. 1177-1181 Three types of happiness. 1181-1186 Satva is universal in all bosoms manifesting in varying degrees ses ve 1187-1189 Classification of mankind according to Swabhava and Swadharma, stews 1190-119142-44 45-46 47-48 49-50 51-52 53 54-57 58-60 61 62 63-64 65 66 67-71 74-77 WHAT SAYS THE GEETA? xd Four kinds of social-living determined by psychological characteristics. sev ee 1192-1199 Devotion to one’s own duty - attainment of Perfection. ses ee 1200-1202 Better is one’s own Dharma though imperfect. wee 1203-1206 Supreme State of freedom from action. 1207-1211 Techniques of meditation. 1212-1215 . 1216-1218 Attainment of the Eternal State. ses eee 1218-1226 You Must Fight. wee 1227-1231 Expressing through all activities is the Lord of the Universe. Enduring values of life. . 1231-1233 . 1234-1236 Surrender unto Him. Think independently and come to yourconclusions, tee 1236-1239 Four conditions for a successful seeker. 1240-1241 His divine willingness to undertake the service of His devotee. tee 1242-1247 Process of study and for communication of the sacred-books dealing with the science of life. seve 1248-1257 72-73Doubts are gone... “I shall act according to your word.” sev ee 1258-1260 What a marvellous revelation! ++ 1261-1267 78 Yogeshwara Krishna and Dhanurdbara Partha - The Symbolism Of A Way-of-Life. . 1268-1272General Introduction to The Bhagawad Geeta F the Upanishads are the textbooks of philosophical principles discussing man, world and God, the Geeta is a handbook of instructions as to how every human being can come to live the subtle philosophical principles of Vedanta in the actual work-a-day world. Shrimad Bhagawad Geeta, the Divine Song of the Lord, occurs in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata, and comprises eighteen chapters, from the 25th to the 42nd. This great handbook of practical living marked a positive revolution in Hinduism and inaugurated a Hindu renaissance for the ages that followed the Puranic Era. In the Song of the Lord, the Geesa, the Poet-Seer Vyasa has brought the Vedic truths from the sequestered Himalayan caves into the active fields of political life and into the confusing tensions of an imminent fratricidal war. Under the stress of some psychological maladjustments, Arjuna got shattered in his mental equipoise and lost his capacity to act with true discrimination. Lord Krishna takes in hand that neurotic mind of Arjuna for a Hindu treatment with Vedic truths. Religion is philosophy in action. From time to time an ancient philosophy needs intelligent reinterpretation in the context of new times, and men of wisdom, prophets, and seers guide the common man on how to apply effectively the ancient laws in his present life.2 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA If we try to digest properly the implications of the Geeta’ advice in the light of Vedic lore, it becomes amply clear how actions performed without egocentric desires purge the mind of its deep-seated impressions and make it increasingly subtle in its purification and preparation for greater flights into the Infinite Beyond. To explain this, we will just try to review a little the conception of the mind and its functions in our day- to-day life. Mind is man. As the mind, so is the individual. If the mind is disturbed, the individual is disturbed. If the mind is good, the individual is good. This mind, for purposes of our study and understanding, may be considered as constituted of two distinct sides - one facing the world of stimuli that reach it from the objects of the world, and the other facing the ‘within’ which reacts to the stimuli received. The outer mind facing the object is called the objective mind; in Sanskrit we call it the Manas, and the inner mind is called the subjective mind; in Sanskrit, the Buddhi. That individual is whole and healthy in whom the objective and subjective aspects of the mind work in unison, and in moments of doubt, the OBJECTIVE MIND readily comes under the disciplining influence of the SUBJECTIVE MIND. But unfortunately, except for a rare few, the majority of us have minds that are split. This split between the SUBJECTIVE and the OBJECTIVE aspects of our mind is mainly created by the layer of egoistic desires in the individual. The greater the distance between these two aspects of the mind, the greater the inner confusion in the individual, and the greater the egoism. and low desires which the individual comes to exhibit in life. Through the five ‘gateways of knowledge’, the organs-of- perception, all of us experience the world of objects aroundGENERAL INTRODUCTION 3 us at all moments of our waking state. The innumerable stimuli that react with our sense-organs (receptors), create impulses which reach the OBJECTIVE MIND and these impulses filter deep down to the subjective stratum through the intervening layers of individual egocentric desires. These impulses, thus reaching the SUBJECTIVE MIND of a person, react with the existing impressions of his own past actions that are carefully stored away in the subjective layer and express themselves in the world outside through the five organs of action (effectors). EARS SKIN 2 TOUCH EYES os TONGUE B __ NOSE 9 M S SMELL, a VOCAL CHORD SPEECH LEGS LEG MOVEMENT. HANDS HANDS LIFTING GENITAL ORGANS REPRODUCTION ANUS es EXCRETION DIAGRAM “A” The Diagram ‘A’ gives figuratively the design of each activity that man performs in the world outside when he consciously comes to react with a given set of stimuli. At each moment, man meets with different patterns of these stimuli, and thus constantly gathers new impressions in the ‘subjective mind’. Every set of impulses reaching it not4 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA only adds to the existing layers of impressions already in it, but also gets coloured by the quality of these vasanas hoarded within. When they are translated into action, the actions carry a flavour of the existing vasanas in the ‘subjective mind’. All of us live constantly meeting a variety of experiences; and at each incident, we perceive, react with the perceived, and come to act in the outer field. In this process, we unwittingly come to hoard in ourselves more and more dirt of new impressions. The ‘subjective mind’ gets increasingly granulated by overlapping signatures of our past moments. These granulations make the ‘subjective mind’ dull and opaque, and form, as it were, an impregnable wall between ourselves and the spiritual Divinity that shines eternally as pure Consciousness in all of us deep within the core of our personality. The theory of Vedanta repeats that reduction of the vasanas is the means of volatalising the mind. When I look into a mirror and do not see my face in it, it is not because the mirror is not reflecting the object in front of it, but because the reflected image is not perceptible to my vision due to, perhaps, the thick layer of dust on the mirror. With a duster, when I clean the mirror, the act of cleaning does not CREATE the reflection of the face, but it only unveils the reflection which was already there. Similarly, man is not aware today of his divine spiritual nature because the ‘subjective mind’ reflecting it is thickly coated with dull vasanas gathered by it during its egocentric, passionate existence in the world. To bring the subjective and the objective aspects of the mind together into a happy marriage where the ‘objective mind’ is well-disciplined to act faithfully as per the guidance of the ‘subjective’, is the Yoga pointed out in the Geeta. This is accomplished only by the removal of the dividing factor-theGENERAL INTRODUCTION 5 egocentric desires. The typical word used in the Gee/a to indicate this practical implication of Yogais self-explanatory-Buddhi Yoga. VASANA PATCHES SELFLESS I SOUND. EARS (a TOUCH SKIN I FORM. EYES TASTE TONGUE I SMELL NOSE MINDS, MINDS. VOCAL CHORD LEGS SEI FLESS ACTIVITY ENDING IN THE GENITAL ORGANS N —_—— VASANA PURGATION ANUS DIAGRAM “B” As represented in Diagram ‘B’, when this happy marriage between the subjective and the objective aspects of the mind has taken place, thereafter that equanimous Yogin becomes skilled in action,* and he, with his ‘objective-mind’, reacts intelligently and faithfully to the external stimuli; his actions become, as it were, a purgation of the already existing vasanas in his ‘subjective mind’. Thus, through intelligent action, an individual can exhaust his existing impressions and ultimately redeem his ‘subjective-mind’ from the granulations and make it more clear and crystalline. * ‘Yogah Karmasu Kousalam’— ‘Dexterity in action is Yoga’— 11,506 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA This idea has been emphasised by great commentators like Shankara, who tirelessly repeat that selfless activity, performed in a spirit of egoless adoration and reverence to the divine ideal, would ultimately result in inner purification. This, according to Shankara, is the most unavoidable prerequisite before the ‘subjective mind’ can turn inward seeking to rediscover the sanctuary of the Self, the Spiritual Reality. Spiritually viewed, the ‘subjective mind’ is thus a secret weapon in man to be used as an outlet for the existing impressions that have come to be stored up in it. But the tragedy is that an average man, in his ignorance, misuses this dangerous weapon and brings about his own annihilation. He uses it as an INLET and creates, during his selfish activities performed with low motives, a new stock of mental impressions. In order to exhaust them, nature provides new equipments (bodies), in which the same ego comes to live, repeatedly, life after life. The message of the Geefa clearly points out that actions are not to be avoided and the world-of-objects is not to be denied. On the contrary, by making use of them intelligently, we must strive selflessly, and force the very samsara to provide us with a field for exhausting our mental dirt. An unhealthy mind divided in itself, as we explained earlier, becomes an easy prey to a host of psychological diseases. Weakened in its constitution, it easily becomes a victim to all contagions. Arjuna was an average educated man, and from. the details of the Mahabharata, we know the environments in which he grew up. But for the entire Mahabharata, we would not appreciate so fully Arjuna’s mental condition, without which Krishna’s message would have fallen flat upon the readers.GENERAL INTRODUCTION 7 Therefore, the Geefa is an intrinsic part of the entire Mahabharata and the classic would have been a hotchpotch story, without pith and dignity, if Srimad Bhagawad Geeta was not in it - and the Gee/a would have been a mere philosopher’s riddle-poem without the Mahabharata background. The story and the poem together are an organic whole; each devoid of the other would be ineffectual and empty. Modern psychology exhausts volumes in describing to us the dreary results of suppression and repression of emotions. There are many moments in our lives when we KNOWINGLY suppress many of our emotions; but more often in our day-to- day life, we, UNCONSCIOUSLY, repress many of our sentiments. Repressed emotions accumulate a tremendous amount of dynamic energy which must necessarily seek a field for expression. Unless these energies are properly guided they would boomerang back to destroy the very individual. Though there are no direct explanations of any repressions of emotion in Arjuna, a careful student of the story can easily diagnose that the great hero on the battlefield came under the influence of his repressed conditions and behaved as a victim of perfect neurosis. The causes for his emotional repressions are not far to seek. A great hero, confident of his own strength, was made to live amidst the unjust tyranny of his Machiavellian cousins. At the same time, the great archer could not give vent to his nature because of the righteous policy of ‘peace at all costs’ of his eldest brother, Yudhishthira. These repressed emotions found a healthy field for expression in the severe fapas which he performed during his life in the jungles. During the last year of their lives INCOGNITO, the Pandava family had to serve as menials in the palace of the Raja of Virata. The carping injustice and the cruel indignities8 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA of the situation caused, no doubt, a lot of repression in Arjuna’s mind. But even these found a healthy field of expression in the battle that he had to wage against Duryodhana’s forces that came to challenge the Virata-might. After their long and strenuous trials, when the Pandavas at last reached their native kingdom, their tyrant cousin, with no rhyme or reason, denied them not only their right to half of the kingdom, but also all terms of conciliation. The shrewd, blind Dhritarashtra, father of the Kauravas, probably understood the psychological condition of the great warrior, Arjuna. Hence on the day previous to the great war, he sent Sanjaya, his emissary, to Arjuna with a secret message. This message, full of mischievous import, sowed the seeds of dangerous ideas in the mind of Arjuna, directing his repressed energies into wrong channels, so that he became a hapless neurotic in the face of the great challenge. We shall read in the First Chapter the very same arguments and ideas repeated faithfully by Arjuna from the message he had received the previous day from his uncle. On that fateful day when both the armies were getting into formation, Arjuna asks his charioteer, Lord Krishna, to drive the chariot to a point between the two forces, so that he may review the enemy lines. Larger in number, better equipped, more liberal in supplies and commanded by well-known personalities, the Kaurava formation, expanding itself like an ‘eagle’ stood poised to swoop down upon the smaller army of the Pandavas. This was a sight severely challenging the mental stamina of the Pandava hero. His ‘objective-mind’ under the impact of the stimuli, could not find any reaction from its ‘subjective-mind’ (Buddhi), because the shattering of these two aspects was complete due to the intervening layers of his egocentric assumptions and desire-prompted anxieties. TheGENERAL INTRODUCTION 9 dynamic forces released in his mind due to the repressions were not properly channelised, but were misdirected by the suggestions of Dhritarashtra’s words, and therefore, the greatest hero of the times, Arjuna, suddenly became a despondent, bewildered, neurotic patient. The ‘Krishna-treatment’ of this patient of psychological derangement was certainly a specific cure, inasmuch as, in the last chapter we definitely hear Arjuna declaring that all his ‘delusions have ended’. The rest of the story of how, having come into his own, he became a rejuvenated warrior of tremendous strength and valour, is quite well-known to all students of this great classic. In varying degrees, every man is a victim of this ‘Arjuna- Disease’ and the ‘Krishna-cure’ being specific, is available to all of us at all times in the philosophy of the Geesa. In the Second Chapter, which is almost a summary of the entire Geeta, Krishna indicates the two main lines of treatment. One is a ‘treatment of Idealism’ wherein Arjuna is directed to a greater Reality than his mind, ego and intellect and thereby the divorce between the ‘subjective’ and the ‘objective’ aspects of his mind is eliminated to some extent. In the second half of the same chapter, we shall read and come to understand how selfless activity will purge the existing vasanas in the individual. Arjuna being a Kshatriya, his mind was coloured by the impression of Rajo-guna (activity), and so he needed a battlefield to exhaust those impressions. Thus, we find Krishna repeatedly goading his friend with the words, “Get up and fight”. This need not necessarily mean that the Geeta is a war-mongering scripture of the ruling-class. It is a call to each one of us to get up and fight the battle of our own life, according to our own vasanas (Swadharma), so that we may exhaust them and thus gain inner purity. As we10 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA take it up stanza by stanza, for a close study of the entire Song, we shall try to see how Krishna indicates the same truth from different angles of vision and explains it in different words. OM OM OM11 Arjuna-Grief Introduction Neo other race in the world had ever harnessed so successfully the scintillating possibilities of the drama in literature for the purposes of philosophical exposition as the ancient Hindus. The Upanishads were recorded in the form of conversations between the teacher and the taught, in the quiet atmosphere of the silent and peaceful Himalayan valleys. In the Geeta, however, the highest and the best in Hindu philosophy have been reiterated, in a more elaborate and detailed dramatic layout amidst the din and roar of a total- war. Krishna gives his message of manly-action to Arjuna amidst the breathing, palpitating environment of the clash and carnage of a battlefield. The Kauravas, hundred in number, represent the innumerable ungodly forces of negative tendencies within man’s bosom, and the Pandavas, no doubt, represent the divine impulses in him. A constant Mahabharata war is being waged within every one of us at all our crucial moments of action; and in all cases, the negative forces in each one of us are larger in number and usually mightier in their effectiveness, while the inner divine army is ever lesser in number and apparently, comparatively weaker in efficiency. Therefore, every single individual, at the moment of his12 THE BHAGAWAD GEETA I inward checking up, must necessarily feel the desperations of Arjuna. The story of the Mahabharata sounds an optimistic note of hope to man that, even though the diviner impulses are seemingly less in number, if the same are organised fully and brought under the guidance of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, the Self; then, under His guidance, they can easily be ushered into a true and permanent victory over the outnumbering forces of lust and greed. The Kauravas, representing the negative tendencies and the sinful motives in a mortal’s bosom, are born as children to the old king, Dhritarashtra, a born-blind prince. He was wedded to Gandhari, who had voluntarily blinded herself by putting bandages over her eyes! Commentators are tempted to see in this, a very appropriate significance. Mind is born-blind to truth, and when it is wedded to an intellect, which has also assumed blindness, the negative instincts yoked with low motives can only beget a hundred criminalities and sins! When, upon the spiritual field of self-development within (Dharmakshetra), the lower instincts and the higher ideals array themselves, ready to fight, a true seeker (the captain of the latter), under the guidance of his divine discriminative intellect, takes himself to a point on no-man’s land between the two forces for the purpose of reviewing the enemy lines, without identifying himself with either the good or the evil in him. At that moment of his introspective meditations, the egoistic entity comes to feel a morbid desperation and feels generally incapacitated to undertake the great spiritual adventure of fighting his inner war with any hope of victory.