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SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA
INTRODUCTION
1. The Goal of Life
Man has been acknowledged to be the crown
and glory of creation. What places him on a higher
pedestal than the rest of creation is the supe-
riority of his intellect. By virtue of his intellect,
man thinks and feels, reasons and judges, analyses,
discriminates and wills. This wonderful faculty
enables him to acquire knowledge without which
man is no better than a beast.
The chief means
of acquiring Knowledge are;
(i) observation of life in general.
(ii) one's own experiences in life
(iii) books and teachers:
By the interaction of external agencies on his
mental faculties, man gains wisdom and thus not
only rises to his full stature and dignity, but enters
into the transcendental, divine life.
By observation of life one learns that life in
this world is not a bed of roses. There is no fose
20
meditation.
May God bestow upon the author all health,
Long the grity spices and the sun end
spiritual illumination and
Raivalya-Moksha !
OM TAT SAT
SD. SWAMY SIVANANDA
Minidanes donut
ode 01 dollin
ideas.19?.
guiaisinos dood
Isuatiga but solina
SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA
16 010
INTRODUCTION
1. The Goal of Life
Man has been acknowledged to be the crown
and glory of creation. What places him on a higher
pedestal than the rest of creation is the supe-
riority of his intellect. By virtue of his intellect,
man thinks and feels, reasons and judges, analyses,
discriminates and wills. This wonderful faculty
enables him to acquire knowledge without which
man is no better than a beast.
The chief means
of acquiring Knowledge are;
(i) observation of life in general
(ii) one's own experiences in life
(iti) books and teachers.
By the interaction of external agencies on his
mental faculties, man gains wisdom and thus not
only rises to his full stature and dignity, but enters
into the transcendental, divine life.
By observation of life one learns that life in
this world is not a bed of roses. There is norrose
1412:
2.
but has a hundred thorns which make one smart
with pain. One finally arrives at the conclusion
bat, as this world is full of misery, it cannot be our
permanent abode. It is more like a choultry or a
ailway waiting room, where travellers congregate
for a time and disperse immediately atter their
work is done, or their time is up. Sri Rama, we are
told in the Yoga Vasishta, went round the country
as a finishing touch to his education and visited
holy men and rivers, sacred shrines and hermitages.
As a result of his acquaintance with life, be conclu
ded that life on earth has more of misery than of
happiness, and is not worth living. He analysed
every aspect of life and established beyond a doubt
that everything that seems to us to be a source of
happiness is often an allurement, which will ulti-
mately turn out to be the womb of sorrow and
suffering. Prince Siddhartha went out into the city
and witnessed four unhappy sights, a beggar, a leper,
an old man and a corpse. Those convinced him
that man's life here is fraught with pain and misery.
To find a way out of this unhappiness caused by
poverty, sickness, old age and death, to some or
all of which human flesh is invariably subject, he
renounced all that was near and dear and set about
the mission of finding the way of deliverance, the
way that ensures for man permanent peace and life
immortal.
3
acre are few, however, of the type of Rama
and Siddhartha who can gain wisdom from an
observation of life. Nevertheless, one can grow
wise from one's personal experience. The story of
Emperor Bali in the Yogavasishta well illustrates
this point. Bali sat alone in his great Darbar. Hall
one fine morning, and began to review his".
past
life extending over several ages of crowded glory.
He reflected and deliberated, and finally asked
himself the questions. •What permanent acquisi-
tion in life have I made during these many cen-
turies ?,What is it that I can call my own, can carry
with me, when I leave this body and this world?
So far I have been eating, sleeping and procreat-
ing; in short, I have been leading the life of an
animal. How can I regard myself higher than a
beast, when my life does not warrant it For what
was I born and whence: Whither am I bound :"
Unable to solve these intricate problems of life,
Bali sought guidance from his Guru Sukra who
gave him the necessary enlightenment. Thus from
one's personal experience, man has to learn that,
so long as he leads a purely animal life, he cannot ..
claim to be human. Sooner or later, the day must
come when be sets bimself to solve the problem of
life, whence he has come, for what he has come,
and whither he should go. When he finds him-
self unequal to the task, books and teachers come
to his rescue and this is the beginning of all true
religion?
The belief that there is an All-pervading Spirit
1077072/00000
"or Almighty God from whom creation springs or
Who creates
1947-7407441
all things is universal. Observation
reveal
is that even for purely mechanical things, such
a motor car, an aeroplane, a bridge of a building,
some intelligent head and skilful hand are neces-
sary to plan and fashion them What then need be
said of
of chis wonderful universe with its multiplicity
of forms, all throbbing with life and radiating in-
form this amazing world structure! A mighty
intelligent Force, self-conscious and full of life,
must be the source of the myriads of sencient and
animatey creatures that populate the world.
Commonsense furher warrants that man, intelligent
being that he is, is essentially of the nature of that
Supreme Spirit though encased in a sheath of
martel A ray of Myself"', says Sri Krishna, "has
from m
me immemorial come down into this mor-
tal world in the form of a jiva or individual soul."
@clouds of glory do we come, from God
who out home
another name for's
or Spirit full of consciousness and
5
life, is the Supreme Source of all creation and its
final refuge or destination.
Having evolved in the course of ages through the
84 lakhs of genera, and having attained the human
level, it behoves man to
pause and reflect whither.
he is bound. To go back is certainly retrogression:
If he feels satisfied with the human state of develop..
ment and longs for nothing else, he may be said
to have arrived at the end of his journey, his final
destination. But man feels that he is so small and
insigniticant, so powerless and ignorant, so far
short of perfection in every aspect of life
that he
is restless. His cravings and strivings continue and
are bound to continue till perfection is attained in
one or all the directions in which he longs for pro-
gress. Here we may consider three distinct aspects
of life, three differeut channels through which
man's energy strives to work its way to perfection.
1. In the Mahabharata, Yudhishtira, the eldest
of the Pandava princes, was put to an oral test by
The answer was, "Every man witnesses day in and
day out hundreds of his fellow beings becoming
guests of Lord Yama. Yet with regard to himself
every one feels that he will be a notable exception
to the rule and will continue to live on. What&
6
be morgu
wonderful than this?" This wonder où
worders is, however, based on an instinctive crav-
ing in man for a perfect life or a life of immortality,
and unless this hankering is fulfilled, his strivings
willinot cease. Every individual Jeeva is a ray of,
Divinity and is immortal. Out of ignorance he iden-
tifies himself with the mortal sheath in which he is
encased, and imagines himself to be subject to birth
and death. His strivings
will not cease till his
ignorance is dispelled and he realises his heritage
of immortal existence. Absolute existence is there-
fore one of the ideals of human life and activity.
2. In the intellectual field man's energies are
directed towards the quest for ? Truth. Man wants
to know that, knowing which nothing remains to
be known. His quest therefore will not and can-
not stop till he arrives at perfect Knowledge or
Truth. Knowledge Absolute is thus another ideal
of man's life and aspirations.
3.
Lastly, every creature in this universe con-
sciously or unconsciously seeks for happiness. This
search is prompted in brute creation by instinct
and in man by his intellect. The drunkard, the
debauchee, the gambler and the murderer all strive
to make themselves happy in their own way but
their search is a subconscious search. They grope in
the dark, ignorant of the true source of happiness
7
ine right means of achieving it. They who
cousciously search for happiness realise by observa-
tion and introspection that true happiness does not
abide in the perishable objects of the world. A
thing of a day can never confer permanent happi-
ness on any person, however hard he may cling to
it. "Even if one can amass inexhaustible stocks of
sense enjoyments, the fact remains that a person
does not know how soon he or she may be obliged
to bid farewell to this world and all its enjoy-
ments. Under such circumstances,
wisdom lies in
perceiving that this world with all its allurements
cannot afford us permanent happiness. Those who
desire lasting bliss must seek for it elsewhere, and
unless this absolute happiness is attained, man's
mission in life cannot be fulfilled. Hence absolute
Bliss is the thir dideal for man. These three ideals
include all that is necessary and desirable, and have
briefly been summed up in one word SatChit Ananda.
-Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss Absolute. The
attainment of this state brings man to perfection in
all walks of life and then he is one with the Abso-
lute.
This state is variously styled Liberation,
Salvation, Emanciparion, God-realisation, self-rea-
lisation, Mukti, Moksha, Nirvana, or Kaivalya. It
is a state of perfect mental balance that can be
attained here and now, and not a speculative some-
thing beyond the grave. Faith in any creed ór per-
son is not essential. It is enough if one does not
8
deny or doubt one's own existence. This
state of perfection is man's natural heritage, and to
attain it is the purpose of life. This absolute state is
what the term "God" connotes. It is thus clear
that God involves to man and man evolves to God.
Again man is a social being and should therefore
try to better the condition of the society of which
he is a member, both by example and precept. He
should work not only for individual perfection
and emancipation but for the elevation and enno-
blement of society. Disinterested service of all
creatures under the sun, regarding them as so
many forms. of Divinity, is the highest form of
worship (Jan Y
afe ted tate fact, what we call the world
is a visible or manifest form of God. The Invisi-
ble is the source and support of the visible.
Man draws power and plenty from the Invi-
Sible and serves the visible. To be in tune with
the Infinite and work out His Will or be a pliable
instrument for the Divine power to work its way
in this universe is the higest ideal of life. The true
function
tion of every religion, properly so-called, is to
lead its yotaries to this final goal.
Gile dares
Religion or the Way of Life
The English word 'religion' is derived from a
9
latin word, which means to bind back. (Re: back
lego: I bind) This closely resembles the Sanskrit
word «Yoga,
, which means "to yoke or join to?
gether'. This binding of yoking is usually taken to
refer to the union of the individual soul of man
with the universal soul or God. Their identity is
lost sight of through ignorance and when this is
dispelled by knowledge, their essential unity is rea-
lised. The word "Dharma' is often used in place
of religion. Dharma means that which holds to-
gether or sustains. All that which contributes to
the proper ordering of the individual and univer
sal life so as to make it a concord or harmony
constitutes Dharma. All creatures in this world, all
except man, move by instinct and follow the laws
of their own being or their Swadharma. Man,
however, by a perverted use of his intellect neglects
or violates his Swadharma and involves himself
as well as the rest of creation in unhappiness and
misery. To ensure his right conduct and proper
obedience to natural laws, he is enjoined to con-
form to Dharma or righteous conduct, regulated
by moral and social laws. He is directed to work
for four objectives in life: Dharma (Righteous
ness), Artha (Prosperity), Kama (Enjoyment) and
Moksha (Liberation). The first threes pertaint
his mundane existence, and when Dharma fort
10
its basis or foundation, his worldly life or career
naturally leads him to his final destination, Mok-
sha. But when the foundation of life, Dharma, is
lost sight of, when lust and greed become the ruling
deities and man's life becomes a blackmarket,
Moksha recedes into the background. To make
sure that all the four objectives receive proper
attention and that life becomes a harmony and a
joy, religion sets lessons for its votaries according
to their special needs, to suit their particular state
of evolution, Religion is thus the way of life which
ensures for man peace and prosperity here, and
permanent happiness hereafter.
The word "Mata' which literally
means an
opinion or something well thought out is generally
used for religion. It signifies the well thought-
out scheme to enable man to achieve the goal of
life by one who has himself trodden the path and
arrived at the final destination, usually regarded as
a prophet or an incarnation.
But such religions
depend upon faith in the individuals who have for-
mulated the religions, and go by the name of"Cre-
dal Faiths". Hinduism stands on a different footing.
It does not depend upon faith or belief in an indi-
vidual or individuals, but has for its rocky founda-
tion the •Veda' which is the crystallized experience
of countless sages of yore in a transcendental or
11
cosmic state of consciousness. As it is the outcome
of the divine State, the Veda is said to be a direct
emanation from God and not the product of a
finite intellect (39744 47). That is why Hinduism
is termed Vaidica Dharmia (based on the Veda) or
Sanatana Dharma, (the most ancient Dharma);
since the Veda is the oldest scripture of the world.
Religion must cater to the needs of all its:
votaries, if it is worth the name. All men, though
endowed
with human form, are not in the same
plane of evolution, but live at different levels.
(1)
Some are in the sub-human of brute level.
Their physical life consists chiefly of eating, sleep-.
ing and procreation, like that of animals. They
have little control over lust, anger, greed and
other passions but give immediate vent to them.
Animals may, in a sense, be said to stand on a
higher level in respect of their physical life, for
there is a natural instinctive regulation of their
food, sleep and sex life. It is a deplorable fact
that man sins in each of these respects, and leads a
licentious life, regardless of all natural laws. Even
in his mental life he is worse off by comparison:
The passions of the animals are momentary and
once they give expression to them, there is an end
of them. Man's passions, on the contrary, are not
only ungoverned but they plague the individual
and those against whom they are directed probably
12
all through life. It is in regulating the physical
and mental aspects of life that man rises above the
brute level and becomes human in the true sense.
(2) when man learns to discipline his passions
and appetites and leads a moral life, he becomes
entitled to the appellation of man.
If he is not
moral, he is not a man at all"
, says Carlyle. Mo-
rality therefore constitutes the humaneness of man.
Morality oi Ethics has always a reference to man's
relationship with other individuals in society. He
must be prepared, while asserting his own rights,
to shoulder his civic responsibilities as a member of
a family, a society, a country or a nation. This is
the period for the
cultivation of human virtues
and reduction of selfishness.
(3) The final stage in the evolution of man is
the divine or Godly state, when man ceases to be
petty
and selfish and develops the cosmic vision
which embraces in its loving fold not ouly the
whole of humanity but the entire creation, ani-
mate and inanimate. He no longer strives for
personal gain of pleasure, but works for the wel-
fare of all creatures under the Sun. He will be an
instrument for working out the world-order or
cosmic scheme: of things. He cultivates divine
virtue for its own sake and is for all practical pur-
poses. God in human form. Religion sets lessons
13
to suit the needs of these three grades of human
beings.
Popular religion or the religion of the masses
attempts chiefly the physical and mental purifica-
tion of those who are yet in the animal level, and
instills into them a sense of their social responsi-
bility and
devotion to God. It consists of; (1)
regulation regarding dress, hair and other personal
observances, (2) regulations of food, sleep,drink
and sex life, (3) fasts and feasts as preliminaries tó
penance, (4) formal prayers, processions and other
festivities connected with divine worship, (5) rites
and ceremonies starting from the time of concep-
tion and going straight up to death. These seve-
ral factors are meant to discipline man's physical
and mental cravings, purify his emotions by, pur-
gation and association with higher powers through
prayer and ritual. They tend to infuse devotion
and inculcate the need for selfless service, placing
man in the rank and file of human beings. At this
stage man is in a position to review his life and
question himself concerning the whence, wherefore
and whither of it. Here true religión begins; and
he enters into the second plane of religious con-
sciousness. The first plane is that of greatest diver-
gence among the various religions of the world. To
increase the complexity, social customs, manners
superstitions,
national festivals, mythology,
legends, folklore and tradititon are all intricately
14
woven into the fabric of popular religion, so that
it has become the source of bitterness
and fanati-
cism, dreadful religious wars and bloodshed.
The second plane of religious consciousness
imparts lessons to the second grade of men, those
who are in the human or ethical level. These are
Sadhakas or aspirants who earnestly try to solve the
problem of life. All religions have the maximum
agreement on this plane. In fact, some religions
have laid all stress on the ethical aspect of life even
to the neglect of the spiritual, and have laid them-
selves open er the charge of agnosticism and
atheism. All religions have prescribed a code of
moral laws for the conduct of man in order that he
may become truly human and ultimately divine.
Unfortunately chis plane of religion is sadly neglec-
ted, nay ignored,at the present day, and this lack of
morality both in individuals and nations is at the
root of the world's unrest and misery.
Christ has
given ten simple commandments which every
Christian should obey, if he is to be a true follower
of the Galilean pilot.
Buddha has likewise laid
down a few simple moral principles which, if pro-
perly followed, lead man to the Highest. The Gita
too sets up a standard of morality and enunciates
• several virtues to be cultivated and vices to be
shunned.
The last and highest plane of religious con-
sciousness, the spiritual plane, is again an apple of
15
wund. There are divergent views regarding the
nature of the final goal and of God; His relation-
ship with man on the one hand and material na-
ture on the other; the why and wherefore of
creation, its ultimate end, man's final destiny are
all debatable subjects. But with regard to essen-
tials, all religions are one. That there is a God,
that all creatures are His children, that it is our
bounden duty to adore and worship the universal
Father, that all of us are ultimately bound to
Him, on these points there is no difference of
opinion among the religions of the world. It is
this spiritual or metaphysical plane of religion that
forms the basis of the ethical life. Without a tho-
rough knowledge of the essential uniry underlying
this diversity, self-denial, self-sacrifice and other
divine virtues find no place in man's life and con-
duct; and without perfect selfessness, detachment,
and absence of egoism, one cannot rise into the
transcendental plane or experience the Bliss
Divine. Scriptures or Holy books on religion
atrempt systematic instruction to meet the require-
ments of the votaries of their respective Faiths.
III. The Gita as Universal Scripture
The highest scriptural authority of Hinduism.or
Vaidica Dharma is the Veda, which was originally
one, but was later on subdivided into four by Vyasa
to meet the special requirements of the short-witt-
16
ted and
short-lived men of Kaliyuga. The Vedas
are so ancient and their language so difficult to
pronounce and understand that the sages have
simplified them and brought home their essential
teachings in what are called the Sastras'. Even
those are difficult for the masses, and to cater to
their needs a light scriptural literature called the
"Puranas'
and the Itihasas was composed by great
Rishis like Vyasa and Valmiki. The Puranas are
eighteen in number,
and describe in detail the
spiritual,
ethical, social and economic life of the
several races that inhabited India from the earliest
times. They are full of stories exemplifying spiri-
tual and moral truths, and the divine sport of
God Almighty through His innumerable agencies,
godly and mortal alike. The Itihasas are two, the
Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The former pre-
sents the life-history of Sri Rama and portrays
pictures of an ideal son, an ideal husband, an ideal
brother,
'an
ideal
servant an ideal friend
an ideal king and above all an ideal wife. The
Ramáyana is a galaxy of the higest ideal types of
men and women fully representing family and
social life, and no other single book in the world's
literature is comparable to it. The Mahabharata usu-
ally called the fifth Veda deals at length with the
bistory Of the Pandavas and the Kauravas, two
branches of the same family descended from King
17
Bharata. Jealous of the prosperity of the Pand
the Kauravas dispossessed them of their all in a dece-
itful game of dice and drove them into exile. After
twelve years of forest life and one year of life
incognito in the capital of king Virata, the Pan-
davas demanded back their portion of the King-
dom according to the conditions agreed upon at the
gambling match.
Duryodhana, the eldest of the
Kauravas, refused to comply with their demand
and all efforts for a peaceful settlement
'failing,
war was dealared. Arjuna, the greatest hero
of
massacred on either side, and declared to Krishna
his charioteer, his resolve not to fight. At this
point, Krishna, imparted the higest wisdom of the
Gita to Arjuna, dispelled all his doubts and nerved
him for the fight.
This small portion of eighteen chapters with
seven hundred verses, entitled the Bhagavad Gita
occurs in the Bhishma Parva, the sixth of the
eighteen sections or parvas of the Mahabharata. It
contains in brief the essentials not only of Hindu-
ism but of all true religion. But for the mention
of a few Hindu Gods and Angels in the tenth and
eleventh Chapters, there is nothing in the Gita
which is not of universal application. Men of
18
19
other faiths may substitute their own angels and
deities and they would fit in without discord. Lord
Vishnu declares that be carries on the Government
of the three worlds with the aid of the Knowledge
of the Gita; that is to say, the Gita lays down the
fundamental principles for the government of the
universe. These principles are based on natural
laws and are of universal application, irrespective
of time, country, race or religion.
That is why
the Gita is perennially interesting. Thousands of
years have elapsed since it was first imparted to
Arjuna, but men and women continue to derive
spiritual inspiration from it throughout the ages.
Swami Vivekananda has aptly styled it the Uni-
versal Scripture.
or cycle of rebirths and qualify him for liberation,
The holy Ganges which springs from the lotus
feet of Vishnu purifies one of physical dross,
whereas the holy Gita-Ganges issuing forth from
the sacred mouth ofthe Lord cleanses one of all
moral and spiritual impurities. Recitation of a
few verses of the Gita every day tends to purify
the external atmosphere as well as the physical and
mental bodies.
This will, in course of time, en-
gender a desire to understand its meaning. An
earnest and diligent study of the Gita hastens the
purification of the mind and culminates in the
application of the principles inculcated therein to
daily life and conduct. The process may be slow
but it is based on sound psychology. The
state-
As a book is the precious life blood of an au.
ment that, 'if you have a copy of the Gita in your'
thor preserved for posterity, the Gita is the life
house, you will be saved'.
may seem an exaggera-
blood of Sri Krishna. Krishna declares that the
tion, but a deep insight into human psychology
Gita is His glorious
habitatation. "I dwell in it
will reveal the great truth in it. Reverence for
with all the gods and goddesses, sacred rivers, holy
the book is responsible for its preservation. You
sages and ardent devotees". The Gita
paints a
may one day chance to open it and read a few
wonderful, transcendental, picture of the imperso-
verses.
From this insignificant seed will, under
nate God,
and he speaks with divine authority
favourable circumstances, grow upa great tree,
from the highest platform. He does not assume
the ambrosial fruit of which will make you
the tones of a dictator but guides and counsels like
immortal.
a loving father, a benign friend and a merciful, all-
knowing benefactor. It is declared that a dip in the
At the end of every Chapter of the Gita, we
are told that it is a compendium of the Upani-
sacred Gita will purge one of the dross of Samsara
shads, a treatise on the knowledge of the supreme
20
Brahman and its application to life in the form of
a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna. Each
Veda is divided into three sections: (1) The Sam-
hita
collection of sacred hymns (Mantras), (2)
Brahmans or application of the hymns to rites,
ceremonies and sacrifices. (3) Upanishads. The
word literally means "ro sit near" (God. )
The Upanishad is again the end of the Veda, the
Vedanta, and signifies the goal of all knowledge
or the highest knowledge, knowledg: pertaining
to. Parabrahma which enables its knower to sit
near or be one with Him. All the Upanishads are
compared to so many cows. Krishna is the cow:
herd milking them or extraccing their essence, and
Arjuna is the calf, the immediate instrument of
the process of milking. The nectar of the Gita is
the milk. The wise drink deep of it and become
immortal.
The cow yields milk through the instrumen-
tality of the calf, but the lions share of the milk is
utilised by others. Likewise Arjuna is instrumen-
tal in drawing out the Gita, but mankind benefits
by it.. From a study of the text, scholars note that
several verses from the Gita are quotations from
the Upanishads, cast into metrical form. A drau-
ght of this nector will, after the manner of the
•Upanishads, immortalise man or make him one
with Brahma.
21
The Knowledge of the Upanishads is theote-
tical, and unless it is translated into action in daily
life and conduct, it is dry philosophy. To make
it fruitful, it has to be practised.
Truth is not a
speculative theory to be gleaned from books or
teachers, but a practical reality that should be lived
every moment of our life and exemplified in the
minutest details of our conduct. The application
of this supreme knowledge to life is what the Gita
denominates the science of yoga, or the skilful
discharge of one's duties. In the simplest language
and in the briefest compass, the Lord has imparted
to Arjuna and to the world the highest spiritual
truths and their application to life. The dialogue
form is well adopted to anticipate and cleariup.
doubts on the intricate points of ethics and meta-
physics. The Gita has often been misconstrued
as a text-book of metaphysics, and many have
wondered at the propriety of lengthy, philosophie
cal discourses in the thick of a fight. In truth, the
Gita provides the barest minimum of metaphysical
doctrines for the basis or foundation of life, and
hastens to explain how to practise them in daily
life. Technical phraseology is scrupulously avot
ded, and words like Yoga, Karma and Kamaxte
used in their broadest sense. Though the Yorrot
the Gita is the skilful discharge of duties,
the
#ord
is used to connote any process which tends to
unite the individual soul with the Universal?
22
is in this sense that every Chapter of the Gita is
termed a Yoga.
IV. Some Queries
1. What is the Gita :
The word 'Gita' means a song. Bhagavadgita
is the song of Divinity or song celestial. It is
sung by Lord Krishna and it deals with divinity,
for the subject matter is concerned with God and
how to attain Him. The word is used in the plu-
ral at the end of each Chapter, perhaps to signify
that each chapter is a song. Possibly as it is said
co be a compendium of the Upanishads, the plural
is used to agree with the word Upanishads that
immediately follows. Like the Ramayana,
the
Mahabharatha too must have been put to the lyre
in days of yore.
st: 2.. Is it probable that there was time for such a
lengthy discourse on the eve of battle ?
The Gita consists of seven hundred verses out
of which over a hundred are taken up with ques-
tions, descriptions and reflections. The recitation
of the Gita at a moderate pace takes about an hour
and a half and Krishna's instructions to Arjuna
take about an hour and a quarter. When a thing
is written down it naturally takes a longer time
23
than the spoken word. It may be assumed that
the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna lasted
twenty to thirty minutes. Just before the battle,
a few interesting events took place. Arjuna had
his chariot placed between the two forces, and
then burst forth the glorious song celestial. Soon
after, Yudhistira went bare-footed and with joined
palms to Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Salya,his
elders and Gurus, to sue for their permission and
their blessing. He next invited to his side and offer-
ed protection to anyone in the opposite camp,
willing to join hands with him. The Pandavas
were not anxious to start the offensive. Impatient
perhaps of the delay, Duryodhana gave the com-
mand to fight and then the battle began. Thus
there was enough time for this dialogue between
Krishna and Arjuna, particularly since it was the
opening day of the fight.
3. Why was the Gita imparted on the field of
bartle ?
Our life on earth is a pitched battle. Our
body is the field of battle, the righteous field of
Kurokshetra.
We have to wage every moment of
our life a double war, with enemies within and
with enemies without. The without is 'but a refle-
ction, a grosser material manifestation of the subtle
fight within. The Puranas abound with accounts of
the fights between the Devas and the Rakshasas.
These two opposing forces symbolize the good and
24
evil forces inhcrent in man's mind as well as in the
outside world. The Pandavas and the Kauravas also
represent these good and evil forces. The Kauravas
are many and their army is vast. The Pandavas
are only five and their army is small. But, as they
stand for Dharma, the Lord is ever on their side.
Duryodhana relies upon man-power and material
resources. Yudhistira takes refuge in the Lord.
Ultimately righteousness triumphs. The forces of
evil are put to rout. However
successful the
career of evil may appear for a time, final annihi-
lation awaits it.
Bearing these principles in view,
man. has to fight the battle of life. He should
entrench himself in Dharma and seck protection
from the Lord. He may have to suffer much in
life, but he will ulimately triumph. destroying
the evil forces that assail him. Live we must, and
life means a ceaseless conflict between our lower
and higher natures. Accordingly time and again
Krishna exhorts Arjuna to fight. To run away is
cowardice and will not serve any purpose. So we
should muster up all strength and courage and
fight the battle of life, taking care to tread the path
of righteousness regardless of results.
4. How does the Gita help us ?
Centuries have elapsed since the Gita was
imparted to Arjuna. Of what worldly or heavenly
use is it to dis now? Is it merely a document of his-
25
torical importance or has it any vital lessón
for
men and women at the present time? The answer
is that the Gita is a universal scripture of perennial
interest and comes to the rescue of men and wor
men struggling for light and guidance on the innus
merable moral and spiritual problems that confront
them every moment of their life.
We know shop-keepers are generally disho
nest. They adulterate food stuffs, charge high
prices and give short weight. Are we not then
justified in cheating them a little by malpractice
when they are off their guard: Similar problems
come up for solution in the course of our daily
life and conduct as a result of conflict between the
good and evil tendencies inherent in every one of
us. How then are we to decide and tread the
right course of conduct? Arjuna has a similar
difficulty and he anticipates, perhaps, the difficulties
of short-witted human beings with their minds
clouded by passion, and unable to discriminate bet-
ween right an wrong. Arjuna had fortunately a
clear sighted Master close at hand to resolve his
doubts and point out the path. Most of us are
not so fortunate. How then are we to find our
way out of the impasse? The Lord Himself
answers the question :
In the absence of a Sadguru, we have to take
26
the guidance of a scripture which contains words
of wisdom, rules of conduct, and counsel from
sages and seers of the highest order. The Gita is
such a scripture and will solve all the problems of
Gandhiji was a devout student of the Gita.
Whenever he was in doubt with regard to any
serious problem, he would open the Gita at ran-
dom, and any page of Mother Gita would at once
dispel his doubts and give him guidance. Even at this
long distance of time, the Gita continues to inspire
earnest seekers of truth, irrespective of country,
colour or creed.
5. Who is eligible to study the Gita?
It has often been asked if women and Sudras
are eligible for the study or Parayana of the Gita.
In the Bhagavata and several other holy books, it
is authentically declared that the Puranas and Iti-
basas are specifically composed for the benefit of
women and Sudras who are not authorised to study
the Veda. In the Ramayana it is clearly stated
that all the four Varnas derive benefit from a study
of the sacred book (canto I-chap I verse 100). A
similar statement is found towards the close of
Vishnusahasranama which forms part of the Maha-
bharata. The Gita too is an integral part of the
same Itihasa and therefore it may safely be assu-
med that women and Sudras have as much right to
study it as any others.
27.
At the end of the Gita Sri Krishna declares
with Divine authority that the Gita should not be
imparted to those who are without devotion,
without penance, devoid of the spirit of service
or of an earnest desire to receive spirirual instru-
ction, and those who are jealous of Him and as
such lack faith in Him. He adds that this supreme
knowledge should be imparted to his devotees. At
the end of Chapter IX we are told that even those
who are born in sinful wombs, those who lead a
life of utter sin, women, Sudras and Vaisyas can
save themselves by firm devotion to Him. So
distinctions of caste or creed, age or sex do not bar
any one from becoming a devotee of the Lord and
all devotees are qualified to become students of the
Gita. Such being the case, it is very surprising
that some scholars, while declaring emphatically
that the Gita is the universal scripture, do not
hesitate to pronounce in the very next breath that
women and Sudras are not authorised even to touch
the Gita.
Our ancient Rishis were not selfish.
They never claimed any monopoly for any parti-
cular community or class to possess the highest
wisdom. The supreme knowledge of the Vedas
was brought home to the masses in an easily inte-
ligible form in the Puranas and Itihasas. To
deny their use and benefit to a large section of the
followers of the Vaidica Dharma is indeed the
height of ignorance and selfishness. When follo-
28
wers of other faiths study the Gita and receive not
only the approval but also the approbation of
even the orthadox Hindus, is it not deplorable
that the majority of the Hindu fold should be de-
nied the privilege extended to the votaries of other
religions
The illustrious example of Bhagawan
Vyasa taking a sudra (Suta) for his disciple and
instructing him in the mysteries of the Puranic
lore which he later on imparted to great Rishies
like Saunaka
and others conclusively establishes
the veracity of the above statement and settles be-
yond all doubt and dispute the question of Adhi-
kara or eligibility.
V. The Gospel of the Gita
There has been disputation among scholars
regarding what particular yoga the Gita teaches,
Sanyasis (Ascetics) emphatically declare that the
Gita teaches,
Gora teaches Taus diation of all actio as end the
all passages where Karma-yoga has been extolled
meant only to fix Arjuna's faith in Karma
, yoga, as he is not yet eligible for Jnana-yoga.
Advocates of Karma-yoga protest vehemently
against this view, and hold that the whole Gita is
an urge to action, and not its renunciation. A third
class favour the view that the Gita teaches only
29
surrender to God or Bhakti yoga, as is evident
from Arjuna's statement in Chapter II verse 7, and
the Lord's final exhortation to Arjuna: ( Chapter
XVIII, verse 66). In recent times, scholarship has
gone to the extent of stating that the Gita'is a
treatise on electrical engineering, Krishna represe
nting the dynamo and Arjuna the wiring and other
adjuncts. The truth is that everyone sees through
his own coloured spectacles and, like the six blind
men of the story quarrelling about the shape of the
elephant, they dispute with each other in attempts
to justify their own theory. All the three yogas,
Karma, Bhakti and Jnara, are found in the Gita!
There are several references, besides, to Patanjali
Yoga, and the Gita has successfully harmonised
these apparently different Yogas into one synthétic
whole.
Modern Psychology points out that the pris
mary functions of the mind are three, thought,
feeling and will. These may well be said to corres
pond to the three gunas of Prakrit-Sale, Rais
and Tamas. From Satva springs knowledge,
the intellectual ideal is Truth or Knowledge Abso
lute. Rajas engenders attachment and is the
source of the emotional nature.
The ideat of the
emotions is beauty. The chief characterist of
Tamas is Egoism or will, and the ideal correspons
ding to it is moral perfection or Goodness.
4004
30
in whom Satvaguna predominates are intellectual,
and tread the path of knowledge to realise Truth
or Wisdom. They who are Rajasic or emotional
tread the path of devotion, praying for darshan or
visualization of Iswara, the Perfect Beauty. Those
in whom the will predominates will follow the
moral ideal of doing good to all without expecting
rewards.
These gunas do not exist apart from one
another. The preponderance of one or the other
of the gunas determines what particular path az
individual shall follow. But the others are there
in a lesser degree. One cannot cite a greater devo-
tee than Vivekananda or a higher Jnani than
Ramakrishna, though the one is acknowledged to
be a jani of the highest order and the other a
Bhakta of the supreme type.
Jnana or Knowledge is the first and foremost
requisite to elevate man above his animal nature.:
This knowledge has to be applied to daily life and
conduct to make man first human and then divine.
We are what our actions make us.
If we behave
like beasts, we are beasts (bipeds). If we conduct
ourselves like human beings, we are men in che ;
noblest sense of the word If we act like God,
are God in human form. Right conduct in
absolute necessity for spiritual progress. Devot
to God, our Maker and benign Father, is equi
indispensable to gratify the cravings of our en
tional nature. A God to whom we can cry
31
for help and protection in danger and despair, a
God who listens with sympathy and answers our
cry of anguish is a psychological necessity to sooth
and comfort.
Paranjali Yoga or the Yoga of
breathcontrol is a potent instrument for control-
ling the mind and bringing it to a one-pointed
state. Those who are physically and mentally fit
ir practise this Yoga, may resort to it to hasten
ental concentration, but it is not indispensible.
he other three Yogas must always be there with
rying degrees of emphasis, and this is in accord-
ince with the law of our being. When perfection:
is reached by treading any of the paths, the goal
atrained is the same. Perfection is one, whether
it be perfection of Truth or Beauty or Goodness.
Truth is Beauty and Beauty is Truth, and either
of them is Goodness.
True knowledge is discrimination between
the Eternal and the temporal. This discrimination
should at once be followed by abandonment of
that which is temporal or perishable. This is the
negative aspect. The positive
aspect consists 1n
rongly attaching oneself to and loving the Eter-
or Permanent. This attachment is termed
IKTI (Devotion) or INANA (Wisdom),
eding as the Permanent is believed to bea
sonal God or an Impersonal Being. To stabilise
, knowledge is at first difficult, because of old
32
habit.
Attachment to various worldly objects
have the strength of innumerable past lives behind
it, and to undo it the counter habit of detachment
should be vigorously practised. This makes discip-
line imperative. This discipline is usually said in be
of a six-fold character (aaTfa 954 Fiaff). With
this equipment one should discharge the daily
round of duties in a spirit of disinterested service
This comprebensive YOGA may diagramatical
be represented thus.
Discrimination.
faà#
7661
119T
.? A
Mumukshutwam
or Love
Bhakti or Jnana
Dispassion; Six
fold discipline
Duty
This is the synthetic Yoga of the Gita.
A very interesting and instructive song of
Kabir illustrates this composite yoga. The song
directs an aspirant to petition the sadguru for
the alms of love. To obtain it four minor requi-
sites are mentioned. The first is wheat flour, and
he should get a bagful of flour without going to
a shop or a house.
The next is a bowlful of
water, but he should not go to a well or a river
or a tank or a tap.
The third is firewood.
But he should obtain it without going to the
forest or to a firewood depot. The fourtlits!
34
Darsan or Realisation, and it should be had with-
out going to a temple or a mosque or a holy man.
The song closes with an exhortation to the aspi-
rant to obtain the alms of love from the perfect
Master or sadguru.
The several items of the alms (frat) suggest
the process of bread-making. When, this bread
is properly baked and eaten, it leads to appease-
ment of spiritual hunger.
The most important
ingredient of bread is flour, but it cannot be
eaten in that form. It is dry and chokes the
throat. It should therefore be moistened with
water, made into a paste and rolled into a cake
or loaf. It should then be baked. Liberation
can be had only by knowledge but knowledge
alone is too dry and intellectual. It has to be
softened with the water of devotion and baked
with the fuel of disinterested duty. This bread
will satisfy the hunger of him who seeks truth,
and give him Darsan where he stands. He will
realise God and will have no need to go any
where
or. visit any one. When all these four
Bhikshas are duly obtained, the final Bhiksha of
diyine love is automatically achieved. Thus
Jnana, Bhakti and Karma harmonise to bring
about God-realisation; and when this is accom
plished; diyine or cosmic love dawns and trans-
forms the individual into the Universal.
35
The Gita and Society
Some believe that if Krishna were to preach
His
gospel in the 20th century He would not
incite Arjuna to fight, but would preach to him
the doctrine of Ahimsa. It has been pointed out
that the Gita is a Universal'Scripture, not limited
by time, place or circumstance. The confusion
arises out of an incorrect analysis of the main
issue. Arjuna is not opposed to fighting, but
only against killing his kith and kin.
The main
issue therefore is not a choice between killing and
non-killing but one of killing kinsfolk or not
killing them. Arjuna's position is that of a
Judge who is prepared to pronounce capital pu-
nishment on a criminal, but shirks doing so when
that criminal is a relation. It is again this par-
tial treatment to relatives that Krishna protests.
Law is impersonal,
and a judge should mete it
out impartially to all, whether they be friends
or foes. It is the duty of a Kshatriya to enforce
law and order, though it may mean injury to the
offendrs. In the interests of society, penal laws
have been framed and the police and the army are.
intended to punish offenders against the law, and
protect the law-abiding. When necessary, wars
may have to be fought in the interests of Dha-
rma, and if the army refuses to discharge its duty
36
on the ground that it is pledged to a vow of non-
injury, what will be the state of society? War is
indeed an evil, but perhaps on occasions a nece-
ssary evil: It was only when all peaceful means of
settlement had failed that war was resorted to by
the Pandavas as inevitable. Without such a
step society will turable to its foundations. Kri-
shna was obliged to incite Arjuna to a righteous
battle, setting aside all consideration of rela-
tionship.
Krishna does not teach only individual libera-
tion. He is emphatic on the puint that, besides
personal emancipation every Truth seeker should
strive to better the condition of society. This
is what he means by 'Loka Sangraha Karma'. In
support of his theory he cites the instances of
King Janaka and of Himself, and exhorts Arjuna
to follow their foot-steps.
Little realising that Dharma is a very subtle
and complex subject, infinite in application and
variable according to the grades of development
of the individuals or groups who follow it,
many Christian missionaries belittle Krishna
and His teaching on the grounds that He prea-
ches Killing in contrast to Christ's teaching of
love and forgiveness.
The same rule does not
apply equally to all. What is just for a boy is
not lawful for an adult. The Dharma for a
house-holder should necessarily be different
+
37
from that of an ascetic. A sanyasi should not
call anything his own but a house-holder should
have some possessions. The rule, " If a man
strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him your
left."' is good for a Sadhu or a holy man, but
cannot hold good in society where the several
members stand at different levels of evolution.
Hence arises the necessity for social law for the
protection of society.
What is good for an
individual may not be good for a society. What
is right for an ordinary member of a family may
not be right for its head. Bearing all these
differences in view separate codes of law have
been prescribed for individuals and society to
suit their particular needs. Christ preaches the
Dharma of a Sadhu while Krishna preaches the
Dharma to a military officer whose duty it isito
enforce law and order and preserve society. by
putting an end to disintegrating forces. The
one aims at individual liberation only, while the
other has in view the welfare of society also.
Thus the Gita sets forth for its followers;not
only the highest spiritual ideal of God-realisa-
tion but insists on every one contributing his
quota to the welfare of society.
Again avatars are of two kinds.
(1), Those
who come down for the spiritual uplifevor
humanity. As they come only to save, they treat
38
alike the sinful and the virtuous. Dattatreya,
Dakshinamurthi, Buddha and Christ belong 1o
this class. (2) Those that come down to esta-
blish 'Dharma or Righteousness by punishing the
wicked and protecting the good. Sri Rama and
Sri Krishna exemplify {this lype. The function
of the two types are distinct and should not be
confused.
God is both Manifest and Unmanifest, or
visible and Invisible. It is the Invisible whom
we generally call God. The Visible goes by the
name of the world. The Invisible is the source
of all power, knowledge and blessedness. The
Visible is the place to expend or distribute all
these.
Man has to draw from the Invisible and
distribute to the Visible. Through devotion he
establishes his connection with the Invisible,
and then the current flows through him to the
Visible. If he selfishly hoards, the current is
impeded. He is thereby, subject to birth and
death/and enjoys only a limited degree of
blessedness. He who is free from egoism becomes
an unimpeded channel for the divine power to
flow through. "Draw from the Invisible and
serve the Visible' in a spirit of perfect detach-
ment is the Yoga of the Gita.
This is Brahma
Vidya applied to daily life and conduct or
mstaphysics in action.
39
faad Ta fr:
TeT:
The proper method of Recital
40
Ff 1 Thus after alant and
the following prayers must be said.
Prayer to Vighneswara, for removal
of obstacles
Prayer to Vishvaksena
Prayer to Goddess Saraswati for right
understanding and retentivity
41
PRAYER TO THE GURU OR
SPIRITUAL MASTER
3
PRAYER TO VYISA, THE AUTHOR
OF THE GITA
42
6. sitesureal:
PRAYER TO SRI KRISHNA
2
3
2
43
7. margia:
IN PRAISE OF THE GITA
2
4
5
44
ANGANYASA AND KARANYASA
74: 1
45
46
'VERSES FOR MEDITATION
2
-...
47
Having
One should perform pooja and then recite the
Gita. Recitation of the flatte should then
follow and atriad should be brought to a close
with and and falante: The
whole process should be next offered up to God
in such terms as these:-
The recitation should close with "
AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD
Those who have not received initiation
from the Guru or have no time to go through the
long process detailed above may resort
to a
shorter method
After BaHat they may recite the
following verses, the lext of the Gita and lastly
the Hality Offering up the whole to God,
they should close with
48
HE HEAl LE
49
7 6
2
3
na get de la daithal
4
50
10
11:7
12
14
125895m:
97T:
SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA
CHAPTER I
THE YOGA OF ARJUNA'S GRIEF
The Kauravas and the Pandavas had must-
ered their forces on the sacred field of Kuru.
kshetra ready for battle. Dhritarashtra was sorely
afflicted and was bewailing the unhappy löt'of his
children, when the great sage, Vyisa, made his
appearance. He comforted the blind King and
offered him the gift of sight, if he desired to
witness the battle. Dbritarashtra bemoaned
that he could not bear to see kinsfolk slaughter
one another and yet desired to bave a detailed
52
report of the events of the war. Vyasa then
bestowed on Sanjaya miraculous powers of
distant vision and hearing and the power to read
the thoughts of others. He was a trusted coun
sellor of Dhritarashtra and he was appointed to
witness the battle and describe it to the old
King.
Accordingly, Sanjaya visited the scene
of operations, and
at the end of the tenth day's
fight returned to Hastinapura and reported to
Dhritarasbtra the heart-rending news that
Bhishma, the Commander-in-Chief of the
Kaurava Forces, had fought valiantly for ten
days, but was at last over-powered by the dread-
ful shafts of Arjuna and lay prostrate on a bed
of arrows. The blind old king was for a while
beside himself with grief. Sanjaya and Vidura
slowly brought him back to consciousness with
cool applications. He lamented the loss of his
great uncle for a long time and then, gradually
composing himself asked Sanjaya for the details
of the fight. Here the Gita begins:-
53
Sanjaya, what did my sons and thei
Pandavas do, who have assembled on the,
righteous filed of Kurukshetra to fight oner
another?
The sacred field of Kurukshetra derived its
name from king Kuru of the Lunar Race. Kuru
performed numerous sacrifices on this field and
propitiated the Gods. Indra, the Chief of the
Gods, favoured him with a boon that whosoever
died on that holy filed would go to heaven. For,
this very reason, Kurukshetra was fixed upon as
the proper scene of the battle. Some scholars
hold that the human body is the
sacred
Kurukshetra. The good and evil tendencies in the
mind are the Pandavas and the Kauravas; and
the battle of Kurukshetra symbolises the cons-
tant conflict in the mind between these two
opposite forces. (see Introduction section IV-3]
Srimati Ahalya Bai Holkar of Indore was a
pious and devout lady. She once heard of the :
greatness of the Gita from her Court Pandit
and desired him to read the Gita to her. No.:
sooner had the Pandit read out: the
first
quarter of the
than she bade him stop. The Pandit
astounded and locked at her with a bewildered
54
gaze. She then explained herself, "Well, Si
you read in the Chapter dealing with the great-
ness of the Gita that one verse, half of it. a
quarter of it, nay even a word of it, will serve
to liberate one from Samsara, the ever-revolving
cycle of births and deaths. This quarter of the
first verse well serves that purpose. Where
then is the need to proceed any further?" With
this observation, she expounded that portion of
the verse as she had understood it. "In every
field (Kshetra) or wherever you are, do righteous
deeds (7 7 5) Whatever body
(kshetra)
you may be in, never cease to be
righteous. Will not this simple principle, if
properly, followed, suffice to lead us to the
Highest? Why then should we worry about
seven hundred verses?''
A few scholars are of opinion
that in
opening his query with the word Dharma-
kshetre' Dhritarashtra was fondly hoping that the
holy field of Kurukshetra might have influenced
his son for good and changed his
attitude
towards the: Pandavas, so as to arrive at an
amicable and peaceful settlement with them.
But this does
not seem probable. After
the
battle has been raging for ten days,
Sanjaya
comes:
home to report the fall of Bhishma.
55
emptra grieves for the valiant heror and
sunjaya for the details of the fight. How
then can the idea arise of a changed
attitude and peaceful settlement? But the, use
of the epithet 'Dharamakshetra' may be quite;:
significant and Dhritarashtra may be supposed to
suggest cleverly that, unless the Pandavas had
played an unrighteous, foul game, they couldd
not possibly have brought down Bhishma who
was invincible even to the Gods.
11
Sanjaya said :
O Dhritarashtra, having surveyed the Pan-
dava forces arrayed in battle order, Duryodhana
approached his master, Drona and spoke thus :
O Guruji. behold this mighty host of the
Pandavas, marshalled by Dhristadyumna, son of
Drupada and your wise disciple.
- 56
Overlooking Bhishma, the Commander-in-
Chief, why should Duryodhana exhort Drona to
survey the opposing army? Is it because Dur-
yodhana had no confidence in Bhishma, or is it
because Drona was greater than Bhishma?
Bhi-
shma had at the very outset definitely made clear
the conditions under which he would fight. First
he could not and would not slay the Panda-
vas. Secondly, he would never strike a blow
at Sikhandi however hard the latter might beset
him
Lastly, he would certainly destroy the rest
of the Pandava, Forces and repay his debt to
Duryodhana. On the other hand, Drona had
never.committed himself, and he also was partial
to the Padavas. Accordingly Duryodhana, diplo-
mat that he was, tried to incite Drona against
the Commander of the Pandava army by sly insi-
nuations. Each of the epithets used to describe
Dhrishtadyumna is significant. He was the son
of Drupada, a disciple of Drona, and a man of
intelligence.
Drupada and Drona had been
boyhood-friends and fellow-disciples. In later life.
Drupada became king of Panchala while Drona
remained poor.
When the later approached
Drupada for help, the proud king insulted the
poor Brahmin. Drona calmly accepted the insult
and went to Hastinapura, where he became the
preceptor of the Pandava and kaurava Princes. .
57
After their education was complete, he desired
that Drupada should be captured and brought
alive to him by way of Gurudakshina, Arjuna
succeeded in capturing Drupada whom.he
threw at his master's feet. Drona repaid
him his insult with interest and set him
free. In utter humiliation, Drupada wished
to avenge himself on Diona, performed Putraka-
meshti, a sacrifice to beget children, and engen-
dered Dhrishtadyumna. He then requested Drona
to teach him archery. Drona was now in, a dilem-
ma. Was he to initiate Dhrishtadyumna into
the mysteries of the Art of War and thereby
enable him to cut his very throat? On the other
hand. if he refused to accept him as a disciple.
would not the world look down upon him as a
coward? Under all circumstances, "what shall-be
will be'
. It he undertook the task, his fame would
be eternal. Thus Drona became Dhrishtadyumna'$
Guru, and taught him the science of War A
pupil who cuts the throat of his master is indeed
wise and valiant! Duryodhana attempted to
incite Drona against his pupil by cunningly recalla
ing to his memory past history in a few but siguis
ficant words. If and when the leader is
conquer
ed, the armies are easily routed
58
4
11
11
mat нạ:
11
9
3172
11
(Thus marking out the Commander of the
Pandava forces as the special target of his
attack, Duryodhana proceeds to enumerate the
principal warriors in the Pandava host).
O. Master, here in this army, the following are the
only great warriors, heroes with mighty bows,
equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna. Yuyudhana
or Satyaki, a half-brother of Krishna; Virata,
59
sig of the Matsyas and father-in-law of
untnyu; the great warrior Drupada, king of.
Panchala and father-in-law of the Pandavas;
Dhrishtaketu, son of Sisupala; Chekitana, one
of the Yadava Heroes; the powerful King of
Kasi; Purujit, brother of Kunti Bhoja; Kunti
Bhoja, Kunti's adopted father; Saibya, the best
of men, father of Devika, another wife of
Yudhishtara; the valiant Yudhamanyu, and
the powerful Uttamauja; Abhimanyu, son of
Subhadra and Arjuna; and the sons of Droupadi.
To make the tale complete I shall now give you
a brief list of the important warriors in our
army. Your revered self; Bhishma: Karna; the
ever victorious Kripa, brother-in-law of Drona
and the first Guru of the Pandavas and Kauravas;
Aswathama,
son of Drona; Vikarna,
Duryodhana's brother; Bhurisravas, son of Soma-
datta, cousin brother of Bhishma. But this
does not exhaust the list of our great warriors.
There are many besides, ready to lay down their
lives for my sake. All of them are well skilled
in the use of weapons, and are accomplished in
the art of war.
60
Our army, shielded by Bhishma, is unlimited;
while that of the Pandavas, sheltered by Bhima,
is limited.
Taking the words aid, arit to mean
insufficient and sufficient, some imagine that
Duryodhana was
rather diffident about the
strength of his own forces. But from first to last,
Duryodhana never entertained the least doubt of
his capacity to conquer the Pandavas. From
the time of gathering his forces, time and again,
he encouarged his father, assuring him that even
without Drona and Bhishma (who were avowedly
partial to the Pandavas) he would, with the
help of Karna, bring down his opponents. He
made light of Bhima and Arjuna, and
never
feared them even in his dreams. His army was
eleven Akshohinis strong (hence unlimited),
while that of the Pandavas was only seven
Akshohinis strong (hence limited.) The leaders
of the Pandava forces too were few. The
whole list had been enumerated by him
7Ã 57 HOTTIT:). On the other hand the
outstanding warriors on his side were numerous
(37 7 96д:. Where then was the
cause for fear? Duryodhana was certain of
victory and dared his enemies to the fight.
61
Revered Guruji, having stationed yourselves
in your appointed places, please take special
care of Bhishma. All of you should ensure that
Sikhandi does not approach Bhishma.
Bhishma had already declared bis unwilling-
ness to fight Sikhandi. Moreover, he assured
Duryodhana that so long as Sikhandi did not
come near him, he would carry death and
destruction into the enemy's ranks. Accordingly
Duryodhana exhorted Drona to take special care
of Bhishma, in addition to his assigned duty.
12
(As Bhishma was close to Drona, be must
have overheard Duryodhana's talk with him.)
Hence, to inspire and encourage him, Bhishma
the valiant but aged, uttered a terrible war-cry
like the roar of a lion and blew his conch.
13
62
This was at once followed by the blowing of
conches and trumpets, beating of drums and
various other instruments of martial music, and
the tumult was deafening.
The Pandava forces followed suit.
Seated
high in a magnificient chariot drawn by four
white horses, Arjuna and Krishna blew their
divine conches, Devadattam and Panchajanyam
(Some interpret the, chariot to be the human
63
body and the four horses as the four Vedas or
the four Purusharthas: Dharma (Righteousness).
Artha (Wealth), Kama (Desire), and Moksha
(Liberation); Arjuna, the Jiva, and Krishna, the
Iswara, are seated in the charigt of the body.)
Bhima of terrible deeds and ravenous hunger
blew his mighty conch, Poundram. Yudhishtira
the eldest son of Kunti, sounded his conch
Anantavijayam; while Nakula and Saha-
deva blew their conches, Sughosha and Manipu-
shpaka. The King of Kasi, who was a great
bow-man; Sikhandi, the mighty archer; Dhrista-
dyumna; Virata the invincible Satyaki; Drupada;
the sons of Draupadi and mighty armed Abhima-
nyu blew their conches again and again from
all sides.
The dreadful uproar reverberated throughout
the earth and sky and rent asunder the hearts of
the Kauravas.
64
21
O King at this moment when each party was
ready to discharge weapons against the other,
Arjuna of the monkey-flag cast a glance at the
Kaurava forces, lifted up his bow, Gandiva, and
spoke thus to Krishna :
O Krishna, station my chariot in the midst
of the two opposing camps.
• 65
Arjuna had already, through spies, got infor-
mation regarding the strength of the Kaurava army
and its prominent chiefs. But this was only
secondhand knowledge. There might he unex-
pected additions or abstentions. Hence Arjuna
wanted to have a first-hand survey of the enemy's
ranks. An experienced warrior like Arjuna
should, moreover, measure his strength with that
of his foe before commencing the fight, have due
regard to time place and circumstance, carefully
observe the opponent's weak points and then
strike in such a way as to ensure success.
It is
for this purpose that Arjuna directed his chariot-
eer, Krishna, to drive his chariot a little in
advance of his own army into the centre of the
field.
24
25
I should like to have a look at all those who
are assembled here to fight for and gladden the
heart of evilminded Duryodhana and with whom
I am obliged to fight.
Sanjaya said :
O King, thus directed by Arjuna, Sri Krishna
stationed the magnificient chariot in bétween the
two hosts, in the direct view of Bhishma, Drona,
66.
and all the other Kings, and cried, "O! Partha,
behold all the Kauravas gathered here."
26.
28÷
Arjuna then surveyed both the armies and
perceived therein his own near and dear ones,
öf all degrees of relationship; teachers, uncles,
brothers, sons, grandsons, grandfathers, fathers,
fathers-in-law, brothers-in-law,
friends and
acquintances.
Having thus gazed upon his kith
and kin, he was
moved to great pity and over-
whelmed with grief. He then addresed himself
to Krishna thus:-
29
67
Arjuna said:
O Krishna, as I behold my kinsfolk gathered
here to war against one another, my mind is
dazed. All my limbs seem to lose their firmness.
My tongue is dry, my body shivers; and my hairs.
stand on end. My skin is burning and my bow,
Gandiva drops down from my hand. I am not
able to contain myself
31
• Krishna, evil omens appear everywhere. I
do not think that any good results from the
destruction of kinsmen.
32
33
68
35
O Krishna, I do not long for enjoyments,
kingdom or victory. Of what avail
are
pleasures, kingship or even life, when they for
whose sake we wish to have those things,-our
teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, uncles,
fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and
other relations, stand here ready for battle,
caring not for life or riches?
I do not desire to kill them even for the
kingdom of the three worlds, much less for this
poor earthly kingdom. I do not mind even if
they kill me.
36
O Krishna, how can we afford to be happy
after destroying the sons of Dhritarashtra,
though they are desperadoes? Their slaughter
will involve us in sin.
69
A desperado is one who sets fire to a house;
administers poison, drowns, abducts one's wife,
seizes upon property and altempts one's life,
weapon in hand. The Kauravas have been
six-fold desperadoes, as they have committed all
these six sins against the Pandavas. According
to Manu, a desperado is to be at once put to
death. But Arjuna
in his great compunction
sets aside Manu and takes his stand on another!
code of law which declares that destruction of
one's race and relations is the greatest of sins.
Therefore, O Krishna, we should not slay
the Kauravas who are our kith and kin; for how:
can we be happy after killing our near and dear
ones?
38
39
These Kauravas are blinded by their
besetting greed and fail to appreciate the
70
terrible sin resulting from destruction of the
race or betrayal of friends. But we stand on a
higher plane and clearly perceive what a heinous
sin it is to destroy wholesale one's race. Does
it not then behove usto abstain from such a
wicked deed, instead of competing with those
who are blindly ignorant?
40
When the race is exterminated, all the
ancient laws, customs and traditions belonging
to it are uprooted. When righteousness decays,
vice becomes rampant in the race.
41
When lawlessness prevails. the women of
the race go astray. This results in pollution of
the four Varnas or Castes.
Intermingling of the castes will lead both
the survivors and the destroyers of the race to
hell. Nor is this all. The ancestors, the departed
souls of the race, will fall headlong into helf,
deprived of the offerings of rice balls and holy
water.
The Pitrus or ancestors depend for their
welfare and well-being. partly at least on the
offerings made to them from time to time by
their descendants It those descendants are of
mixed blood, the offerings may not duly reach
the Pitrus or they may not be properly appeased
by the impious offerings of unholy persons. In
consequerice, the Pitrus will be deprived of their
joy in the upper worlds, and will be obliged to
come down to the nether worlds.
43
44
The slayers of the race who are responsible
for the pollution of blood. will, by those appall-
ing crimes, bring to an end the laws and tradi-
tions of family and race. O! Krishna, when the"
age-long traditions and laws are destroved, we
are told that the unrighteous men will find a
permanent lodgment in hell.
72
In ancient days, intermingling of castes was
regarded as a heinous sin. Caste was a social
order with the clear spiritual goal of God-reali-
sation for man. In these days when the spiritual
ideal has been replaced by love of bodily
comfort and sensuous pleasure, Arjuna's views
may appear ridiculous. Lust is the cause of
pollution, and this lust or desire for sensual
pleasure is the arch enemy of wisdom or spiritual
knowledge. (Chap. 3 Verse 39). From the
spiritual stand-point, to marry outside the caste
is condemned. Modern scientists who regard
merely the physical or material aspect of life
recommend inter-mingling of blood, not only
within the castes but among the different
nations. According to them, the more mingled
the breed, the better. But the wonder of it is
that even these enlightened souls try to preserve
the purity of breed amongst race-horses
and
blood-hounds.
Such purity of blood is not
perhaps desirable for men!
45
48
73
Alas ! what a dreadful sin are
we about to
commit, because of our greed for royal pleasures!
We are attempting the wholesale
massacre...of
kinsfolk. But it is not too late. I have, now
opened my eyes to the reality of things; I am
now resolved not to fight. Here I lay down my
bow and arrows. Even if the Kauravas kill me,
unarmed as I am, I do not retaliate, not
EVen
defend myself. I would rather be slain than
slay.
47
Sanjaya said:
Having spoken thus to Krishna on the battle
field, Arjuna threw down his bow and arrows
and sat in utter dejection in his chariot."
It may be asked how Arjuna's grief is a
Yoga or a means of Union with God. So long
as a man is satisfied with the existing state of
affaires, he cannot aspire. It is only when he
feels a sort of disgust with or dejection in his
present lower state that he questions himself if
there is any beller or higher life; and if there
74
be, how to attain it. It is grief that pu ges
impure emotions, softens the heart with
sympathy and prepares the mind for wisdom.
Seekers of truth like Sri Rama and Sidhartha
trod this gloomy land of despondency. Arjuna
too loses his
way in this region of doubt
and despair till the Lord points out to him the
right or the righteous way of life which ensures
for him ultimate union with God.
350
Thus in the BHAGAVAD GITA, a compendium
of the Upanishads, a treatise on the Knowledge
of the Supreme Brahman (Brahma Vidya) and its
application to life (Yoga Sastra), a dialogue
between Krishna and Arjuna, ends the first
Chapter
entitled "THE YOGA OF ARJUN!'S
GRIEF'
END OF CHAPTER I-GITA
sit :
SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA
CHAPTER II
THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE
Sanjaya said:
To Arjuna who was thus overcome with pity
and overwhelmed with grief, and whose eyes
were brimming with tears, Lord Shree Krishna,
the destroyer of a Rakshasa named Madhu,
spoke thus :
76
2
The Blessed Lord said :
O! Arjuna, why has this infatuation taken
possession of you at this critical juncure It is
unworthy of the wise. It will lead to infamy
here on earth and will deprive you of the joys
of Heaven hereafter.
3
"O! Partha, do not be unmanly. It does not
- become you. Let go this base weakness of heart,
which you miscall pity. Awake, arise and gird
up your loins, O slayer of foes."
The use of the word 'klaibyam', which literal-
ly means
"impotency', is significant. Krishna
may be having a sly hit at Arjuna for not yet
having regained his full manhood. During the
one yeat of his stay at King Virata's court in
incognito, Arjuna became a eunuch by the curse
of Urvasi, and was a dancing master in the
77
harem. Krishna reminds Arjuna that it is high
time to leave off that-aspect of his life, assert
his manhood, and fight for his rights.
Arjuna said :
O! Krishna, Bhishma, my grandfather and
Drona, my Guru, ought to be venerated by me.
How can I assail such revered souls with
arrows?
These elders are, in spite of their age, bent
upon fighting for this earth and its pleasures.
I think that it is more desirable for us to let
them live and enjoy their kingdom than kill
them and enjoy the pleasures stained with their
blood, though we may be obliged to go abegging.
78
It is difficult to forecast which is the more
probable of the two-whether we shall win or
they will conquer. The enemy too is formidable
and there is no guarantee that victory will be
ours. Even granting that we shall be triumphant,
it will be at the heavy cost of all our near and
dear ones, the sons of Dhritarashtra, and after
killing them we may not find it pleasant to
su.vive.
Arjuna now is between the two horns of a
dilemma. On the one hand, the result of the
fight is doubtful, the enemy being atleast equally
powerful if not superior. On the otherhand,
even supposing that success is guaranteed, it
must involve the slaughter of the entire family.
In either case happiness cannot be dreamt of.
7
-79
Tea ten fala are art
O! Krishna, my mind is clouded with grief
and pity. I am not able to discriminate between
the righteous and the unrighteous. In this
perplexity, I pray you for guidance. 1am
your
pupil. You are my Guru. I surrender
myself io you. Pray, decide for me the right
course of conduct.
An ancient saying runs thus: :'"If one
follows one's own intelligence, one will be
happy; by adopting his Guru's guidance, he
will be happier." Even when one is capable of
discriminating the right from the wrong, it is
better to depend upon the counsel of' elders and
well-wishers,
or Gurus.
When one is not
competent to decide what is good, it is in his
best interests to consult his Guru. A Guru is a
Seer who can decide what is truly good for his
pupil. Hence Arjuna takes refuge in the Lord
who is his friend, well wisher and Guru, A Guru
readily guides a disciple only when the latter
whole-heartedly surrenders himselfto the master.
8
80 .
I do not know how to soothe this grief
which consumes me, even' though I become the
unrivalled monarch of this entire earth or the
-supreme Lord of Heaven.
Sanjaya said :
Having spoken thus to Krishna, Arjuna
declared his decision not to fight, and then
remained silent.
10
T: 941
Ta: 11
To him, sorrowing in the midst of the two
armies, Shree Krishna addressed himself thus
with a smile of reproof as it were :
So far this introductory portion explains
the origin of the Gita, why Krishna gave such
lengthy, moral and spiritual discourses to Arjuna
81
on the battle field. Arjuna who had come ready)
to fight, was overcome with grief for the
impending death of his kinsmen. His mind was
unsettled and he was not able to decide for:
himself the proper course of conduct. So he
requested Krishna to steer his course clear of all
evil. When his friend Arjuna had thus humbly:
surrendered himself to him and begged for
enlightenment, the merciful Lord, the presceptor!
of the whole Universe, took pity on his deluded;
disciple and initiated
him into the secrets of;
right conduct and action.
Arjuna's arguments may be briefly summedi
up.
He was oppressed by the idea that he had
to kill his own kinsmen, and the results of such al
ghastly crime would be disastrous both here and
hereafter. The egoism of a doer safft the
attachment to worldly relations aHar? and
lastly the worry about results matel are the
seeds of the poisonous tree of Samasara, the;
cycle of births and deaths. Ideas of 'I and mine'
"the doer and the enjoyer', spring from ignor
rance and delude the individual into sorrow and
suffering.
Sorrow can be ended only by coming,
out of delusion. Delusion has to be dispelled
by destroying ignorance. Ignorance vanishes with
the dawn of wisdom. The only permanent cure
for all the ills of life is true knowledge. There-
82
fore the Lord begins his instruction to Arjuna
with the discrimination of the true and the false,
the real and illusory, and a proper application of
this knowledge to daily life and conduct.
Krishna combats Arjuna's arguments under
three heads : (1) Anarya Jushtam (Unworthy of
the wise), (2) Aswargyam (Incapable of taking to
Heaven), (3) Akirthikaram (ignominious). The
first is the spiritual point of view; the second is
the ethical or moral, and the third is the
material or worldly point of view. At fist, the
Lord points out that, from the highest stand-
point death is a delusion. No one kills nor is
anyone killed. The doer and enjoyer are illusory
and are true only for the gross, superficial vision.
Next he gives a lesson on the nature of sin and
the way to avoid it. By perfect indifference to
results, one puts an end both to merit and sin,
and thereby breaks through the bonds of karma
and puts an end to rebirth. The end does not
justify the means. By neglecting his own duty,
Arjuna incurs sin and will be deprived of
Heaven, Duty rightly discharged may involve
one in worldly difficulties, but heaven is assured
for such a one. Lastly even from the purely
worldly or material point of view, Arjuna's stand
leads 'him nowhere. Ignominy and infamy will
be heaped on him. So from any or all points of
83
"wiv, to fight is certainly preferable. Krishna's
arguments enclose Arjuna in three closer concen-
tric circles, coming nearer home from the imper-s
sonal to the personal.
11
The blessed Lord said :
O! Arjuna, you talk like a wise man, but act
like a fool in that you grieve for those who need
not be grieved for.
The wise grieve neither for
the living nor the dead.
Vedanta which is merely theoretical, and is
meant for others only is termed dry philosophy,
and Arjuna is a supreme example of a dry philo-
sopher. To mourn the death of near and dear
ones is but natural to man but wisdom lies in
transcending ordinary human nature.
Taking
Arjuna as a type of the common man, the Lord
instructs mankind in general through him.
other religion on earth can boast of a more
lofty philosophy than Hinduism, yet it is equally
true that none bewail the death of relatives
and
84
friends more than the Hindus. It is this tremen-
dous gulf between theory and practice that
accounts for their wretchedness. There can be
no experience without practice.
12
77:474
At no time were these kings nor you, nor I,
non-existent. All of us existed in the past, we
exist now and we shall continue to exist hereafter.
In this verse, the Lord emphasises the conti-
nuity Of life irrespective of time. Birth and
death do not mark the beginning and end of life,
but they are only mile-stones in the journey of
eternal existence. All souls connoted by the
first, second and third persons are immortal and
+ he
continuity of life is unaffected by past,
present and'future, or by birth and death.
Just as in this present life the indwelling
soul
seems to undergo various changes in the
body, during infancy, boyhood, youth and old
адс.
so does it change from one body to another.
The wise are never deluded by this change
which is only greater in magnitude than the
changes evidenced in the physical body from
birth to death. Death is only a greater. change,
and the wise who clearly perceive that the soul
is independent of the changes in one body of
the change from one
body to another, do not
grieve at all for death. Grief results only from
ignorance of the true nature of death
14
15
O! Partha! when worldly objects come into
contact with each of the five senses of knowledge,
sensations like heat and cold are produced which
in turn react on the mind, engendering pleasure
or pain. These results are short-lived as the
contacts, which produce them are momentary.
It is not possible either to perpetuate these
contacts and thereby their results of to avoid
them altogether.
The changing? seasons bring with them
excess of heat and cold. Likewise events,
pleasurable and painful, befall us as a result of
our past Karma. These cannot be avoided nor
can we escape them. Wisdom therefore liesin
enduring what cannot be cured
O! Arjuna, bear with fortitude both the ills
and good things of life. Maintain a ready balance
of mind under all circumstances
Do not be 'a
pendulum betwixt a tear and a smile'. He who
refuses to be swayed by the pairs of opposites
and is equally disposed towards pleasure and
pain, bearing both with steadfastness and forti-
tude is eligible for immortality.
The false. the transitory of that which is
nought does not exist. That which is, will never
cease to be. This truth is so simple that, per
haps on account of its simplicity, very few rea-
lise it. Only a handful recognise the gulf that
separates the true from the false, the real from
the unreal, the permanent from the transitory. or
the eternal from the temporal. The Lord sur
egests that though it is almost a truism, the
majority do not and cannot distinguish between
the
perishable body and the immortal soul.
87
17
Ma HE.
The all -pervading Atma is indestructible
and none is capable of putting an end to this
imperishable One.
18
O! Bharatha, the indwelling soul is imperish
able, immeasurable and eternal but the bodie
are perishable. Therefore fight.
19
He who thinks that the soul is the slayei
and he who imagines that it is slain, are bot
ignorant. For it neither kills nor is killed."
88
The characteristics of the Atma are now
enumerated. It is not born, nor does it die at
any time. It is not existent at one time and
non-existent at another. It is unborn, perma-
nent, eternal and without beginning.
It does
not die when the body is destroyed.
21
O! Partha, how can he who knows this Atma
to be imperishable, immortal.
unborn and
undying kill anyone or cause anyone to be slain?
22
Just as a person throws away worn out
clothes.and puts.on new. ones, so does the soul
cast off worn out bodies and enter into new ones.
23:
89
24
25
Weapons cannot cut or pierce the Atma.
Fire cannot burn it. Water cannot drench it;
nor the wind dry it. It is impossible to cut,
burn, wet or dry it. It is eternal omnipresent,
steadfast, immovable and everlasting. It is
unmanifest,
inconceivable and
immutable.
Knowing it thus, cease to bewail it.
26
(The Lord now argues from a lower point of
view). Supposing that you are not able to
differentiate the body from the soul and are not
prepared to grant anything that is not evident
to the senses, but hold with the Charwakas that
the body is the soul and that it is constantly
subject to birth and death, even then you reed
not grieve for it, O Arjuna.
YU
27
That which is born is sure to die; that which
dies will certainly be born again. This endless
process of birth and death is the inevitable law
of Nature. Why then grieve for the ineivitable?
It is a matter of daily experience that
everything that is born dies sooner or later and
new forms spring up from the dead remains of
old ones. With regard to human beings, it is a
fact that every one born will surely die one day
or other; but it cannot be proved through ocular
evidence that those who die are reborn. Other
kinds of evidence however are not wanting to
establish the truth of the proposition. In recent
times, our newspapers abound with instances of
children of tender ages displaying profound
scholarship, and narrating anecdotes connected
with past lives. Further, there are now occult
scientists who converse with the souls of depar-
ted ones through various media. All this
evidence suffices to confirm not only the doctrine
of the persistence of the soul after the fall of
the body but also that of rebirth. From the
point of view of the body which is always
У1
perishable, grief is unavailing, and from the
stand-point of the eternal soul, it is the height
of folly to mourn its loss.
28
O! Arjuna, birth and death are mysteries
and midway lies the table land of life.'. What
precedes birth or follows death, no one knows.
All creatures appear only for a short time and
then vanish. Why then grieve for them?
29
This intricate subject
is looked upon with
wonder. One speaks of it with amazement.
Another hears of it with astonishment.
Yet
none realises the truth of it.
30
42
0! Partha, the soul in every body is eternal
and indestructible; therefore you need grieve
for none.
This brings usto the close of the first
argument in which the Lord expounds the
discrimination between the soul and the body,
the eternal and the temporal. Death is the
separation. of the soul from the body. In every
creature, these two elements co-exist. Of these,
the soul is
eternal, not subject to birth and
death. The body is like a garment that is put
on. It is limited by birth and death. and is
transitory. Accordingly the union of the two
is also necessarily short-lived. The separation
I of the two is inevitable. It goes by the name
of death and causes untold misery to the
common man who lacks proper discrimination.
But what is a dreadful calamity to the gross
"uncultured mind is not such a catastrophe to the
wise discriminating mind. Therefore the wise
find no place for grief in their scheme of things.
"Tongrieve for the eternal, immortal soul is
unmixed folly. To mourn for the perishable
-body is worse still. To lament the separation
of the two is no less foolish; 'for union is always
Remporary and separation inevitable. Is it then
we don to bemoan that which is inevitable and
У3
true nature of death reveals that it does
not
involve the destruction or complete annihilation
of anything, for both matter and energy can
neither be
created nor destroyed: When
candle burns. it appears to be lost. Again when
ice melts. to water, or water evaporates to
steam, the substance seems lost to the gross eye
of flesh. But scientists declare that nothing is
lost. They prove to us that when a candle burns
or when water is converted into steam, the
substances have only undergone a change of
state, from the solid or liquid to the gaseous
condition according to the laws of Nature...All
objecis in nature undergo change every moment,
whether we are aware of it or not. Nature means
change
and every object in nature inevitably
undergoes some degree of transformation every
moment of its existenec. Infancy to boyhood,
boyhood to youth and youth to old age are all
changes. Death likewise is a •change, only a
greater change. No one grieves for the former
changes and none need grieve for the latter. No
amount of lamentation can avall.
tA few great
Yogis like Changdev and Ghoraknath tried to
immoratalise the flesh but the futility and
foolishness of the attempt was brought home to
them by the illuminating instructions of men of
wisdom like Inaneswar and Prabhulinga, so that
they desisted from their attempts. Thus laying
94
bare the secrets of life and death. the Lord
exhoris Arjuna to open the eye of knowledge
and slay grief for ever.
31
O! Partha, even from the point of view of
righteous conduct or duty, you should
not
shudder at the prospect of war. Nothing is
of war.
more desirable for a Kshatriya, one born of the
martial class, than fighting for a right cause.
The second argument based on the ethical
stand-point begins here. The Lord points out
to Arjuna that not by fighting but by abstaining
from it does he incur sin and will be deprived
of the: joys of heaven.
32
11.
11:!
A righteous
wat throws open the gates of
beaven to all the warriors participating in it.
Only a blessed few, even amongst Kshatriyas,
will have such a golden opportunity offered to
them.:
95
33
If you desist from the righteous war, y
will be neglecting your duty violating Dharm
Thereby you will incur sin and lose all yo
reputation.
Sin is of a two-fold nature (1) Sin
commission i.e. doing something wrote i
forbidden such as theft, adultery etc. (2) Sin,
omission of neglect of duty, such as not respec
ing
or maintaining parents and elders, n
punishing undesirable or dangerous elements
the family or socicly. A Kshatriya is to mai
tain law and order and enforce righteous condi
by punishing criminals and protecting the goo
It he fails to discharge his duty, he will inci
sin. One who professes allegiance to tl
doctrine of absolute Ahimsa has no right to l
a Judge or a Magistrate. If Arjuna
abstat'
from the fight, he will incur the sin of negle
of duly, a violation of Dharma,
and will ther
fore be hurled into hell.
34
96
Your infamy will be proclaimed all overthe
ith for all time to come. For one with a
sense of self-respect, death is far preferable to
nominy. Here the third argument pertaining
the worldly life begins.
Great warriors on either side who have so
ar held you in the highest esteem will now
egard you a coward. Your avoidance of the
attle will never be construed as an act of
mercy or pity but as one of cowardice of weak-
heartedness Caused by fear. Even your well
wishers will now look down upon you as a
despicable craven. What then of your life-long
enemies, Duryodhana and others? They will
use bitter language to decry and denounce your
valour and
prowess. What can be more misera-
ble than this?
97
O Partha, if you fall, you will go to heaven.
If you win, you will enjoy the kingdom of the
earth. Therefore stand up like a man and a
hero. Get ready for the fight, for to fight is the
only desirable and beneficient course of conduct
for you.
38
Unconcerned with the result ef your
actions, whether it be profit aloss, success.Ot
failure, pleasure or pain, discharge your duty.
Fight the battle, regardless of results. Main-
tain mental balance under all circumstances
Let not the ups and downs of life distrub your
calm outlook.
Follow the righteous path at
all costs. This is the
right royal road to
sinlessness.
39
98
O Partha, thus far you have been presented
with the approach of the Sankhya or Jnanayoga.
Now I shall here describe to you the attitude
of Karma-yoga or Yoga Buddhi, by means of
which you can break through the bonds of
Karma or action.
The Lord proceeds to instruct Arjuna
regarding the application of this doctrine of the
eternal and the temporal to the events of every-
day life. Metaphysical knowledge, unless applied
to life, is dry philosophy. Theory without
practice can never lead to realisation. Truth is
not something to be gleaned from books, but a
living reality and experience that manifests
itself in the common details of every-day life.
Swami Vivekananda has declared that an ounce
of practice is much better than a ton of theory.
40
In this path no effort goes waste. Even if
it is left incomplete, no adverse results follow.
Only a little practice of this Yoga will serve to
liberate one from the great fear of birth and
death.
1,
99
In the performance
of Sacrifices
and
Mantra Japa, one has to be very cautious to
follow strictly the injunctions laid down in the
scriptures. If these are. transgressed, or the
activity left half-done, the performer will have
to reap adverse results. Sometimes he may even
have to lose his life.
This path of Yoga 'is
attended with no such risks: One receives the
full benefit of what little one practises, and it is
not obligatory to prosecute it to its logica
conclusion.
Herein lies the superiority o
Karma Yoga to other paths of God-realisation
41
O Arjuna, with an effort of will; direct. yot
understanding or intellect to the goal of lif
Those who are undecided regarding their fin
destination drift like straws on the ocean '
life. Their understanding runs after a thousar
things, and is always restless.
The Buddhi, that is understanding
intellect, is the discriminating and decidi
faculty. Knowing what is good and what is ba
what is real and what is false, one should resol
upon attaining the True and discarding the Fal
The life of an individual is fashioned by t
100
ideal he sets for himself.
Smallminded men
have small ideals and their lives are necessarily
low and base. Those with high ideals live a
noble and exemplary life. Some have physical
or material happiness for their objective in life.
Others discard this life and its pleasures as
fleeting, and long for the joys of heaven; still
others, few in number, reject the delights of
heaven as not absolutely permanent and aspire
only to the eternal ineffable bliss of Moksha or
Liberation. Every life is coloured by the ideal
it sets for itself, as its activities are all directed
towards that particular end. Therefore the Lord
impresses upon Arjuna the imperative need to
settle his life's ideal at the outset.
42
44.
101
Those who are skilled in repeating without:
understanding flowery passages from the Vedas?
while ignorant of their spirit, continue to
dispute with others regarding the final destina-
tion of man. They are moved by desires for
prosperity and enjoyment here and hereafter-
They hold that there is nothing higher than the
celestial joy of heaven, to attain which they
perform elaborate rites and
ceremonies,
inextricably involving themselves in the cycle of
births and deaths. Those whose minds are swayed
by worldly desires or who hunger for enjoyment in
heaven can never attain even-mindedness, much
less enjoy the peace of Samadhi.
45
O Arjuna, those portions of the Vedas
which deal with rites and ceremonies are
concerned with Prakriti or Nature, composed of
the three Gutas, Satwa, Rajas and Tamas. So
homage to these portions of the Vedas, one will
be a slave to Prakriti. Try to rise above
Prakriti and its gunas. Establish yourself firmly
102
in Satwa Guna, transcend the pairs of opposites,
do not be concerned at all about what you lack
or what you already possess, but fix your mind
on the supreme Self.
All our troubles can be traced back to
(1) efforts to oblain what we do not possess and,
(2) attempts to preserve and safeguard what we
already have. Unless and until we thrust them-
aside,
no peace, of mind is possible. The
world's unrest and unhappiness are largely due
to the fact that men have no definite purpose in
life, but drift along like straws on the ocean.
Purposeless actions not only disturb mental
peace but cause illness and death. Singleness
of purpose and resolute will can defy death as
is evidenced in the life of Bhishma. Mathew
Arnold in his 'Scholar Gipsy' presents a similar
theme.
An Oxford Scholar during the middle
ages fell in with a band of gipsies whose secret
lore he was bent upon learning.
As a result of
his determination,.
he
maintained perennial
youth and became immortal. This was a tale of
the socalled dark ages. Our present enlightened,
civilized life the poet calls a contagious disease.
"This disease of modern life, with its sick
hurry, its divided aims, its heads overtaxed, its
palsied hearts...
He exhorts this scholar
to fly from
our
feverish
contact,
lest his
103
perennial youth should fade. "Fly, fly our
feverish contact, fly; for strong is the infection
of our mental strife." This mental strife is the
prime cause of anxiety and premature death.
46
A learned Brahmin has as little need of the
Vedas as one has for a well when there is water
everywhere.
A man of wisdom realises God everywhere
and in everything. For him the scriptures have
served their purpose which is to point out the
way to such a realisation. When there is water
everywhere, no one requires a well. Whether a
man goes to a well, river or ocean for water. he
can only take away the measure of his vessel.
Likewise one can take from the Vedas what one
is capable of receiving. Small minds have smal
ideals. They take their stand on the Karmakanda
enjoy things here and in heaven, but can neve
escape Samsara: Noble minds strive for thi
highest ideal of the Uapanishads. They realis
the Self in everything and in every place,
all
can afford to dispense with the Scriptures.
104
47
O! Partha, you are free to act and you alone
are responsible for your actions. You have no
control over the fruits of those actions. So do
not crave for result. But this should not prevent
you from the performance of your normal duties.
Results will follow in course of time. One
cannot get results just as one pleases. One
cannot cancel them, escape from them, or
mitigate them. Anxious expectation of results
will only lead to restlessness and worry. By
resignation to the Divine Will, by a readiness
to receive results as and when they fall due, one
puts an end to anxiety and care. But as long as
the desire to reap the fruits of one's actions is
there, one cannot escape rebirth. For if this
mortal body does not last long enough to enjoy
the fruits of its actions, the individual will be
obliged to enter another suitable body for the
purpose. Hence he who would put an end to
birth and death should discharge his duties
without expecting. results or rewards. This is
disinterested duty or Nishkama-Karma. But
this does not mean that one should altogether
refrain from actions.
In the first place, it is
not possible to abstain from all actions. Nor is
105
it desirable, for then one would be going back
to the Tamasic state of inanimate creation. By
offering up the fruits of one's actions to God or
by the disinterested discharge of one's duties,
one will not only be freed from care, anxiety
and restlessness but will also put an end to
rebirth.
48
O Dhananjaya, attend to your daily round
of duties, well established in Yoga; let go
attachment. In remain unperturbed and even-
minded under all circumstances, whether the
desired end is gained or not, is
Yoga. The
desire for fruit of action is attachment.
49
Far inferior to Nishkama Buddhi-Yoga is the
performance of actions with desire for fruit.
Therefore, O Arjuna, take refuge in
this
equanimity of mind. Those who hanker afier
results are poor and miserable indeed.
Some Scholars take Buddhi-Yoga to mean
Jnanayoga and declare that Karma Yoga is far
106
inferior to Jnana Yoga.
They interpret the
'HUaTTT' as referring to Arjuna's adhikara
or desert. According to them he is fit only for
Karma Yoga, but in this verse the Lord exhorts
Arjuna to take refuge in Buddhiyoga. If by
Buddhiyoga is meant Jnanayoga, Arjuna could
not have become a higher Adhikari in the
course of two verses. Moreover verses 40 to 53
deal specifically with Yoga-Buddhi, as contras-
ted with Sankhya-buddhi, fully discussed in
verses 11 to 30. The context warrants that the
word Buddhi-Yoga or Yoga-Buddhi should be
taken in mean Nishkama-Buddhi or disinterested
discharge of duties. This view is further
strengthened by the statement 740т: Ma?:
50
By adopting the desireless attitude of mind,
you will put an end to both merit and sin.
Therefore practise this Yoga which consists in a
skilful discharge of one's duties.
As seen in
verse 38, the way to remain
untainted by sin is to be indifferent to results,
but to take care that the means adopted are
honest and straightforward. Both sin and merit
enmesh the soul in Samsara. The one drags
107
down to hell, the other leads up to heaven. The
one is an iron fetter, the other is a gold one.
• Unless one shakes off both these fetters, one
cannot be free. Indifference to resultsis the
only way to break the chains. To
carry on all
our normal activities without being bound by
them is skill or dexterity in performance,
and
this is the Yoga advocated and adopted by the
Lord.]
51
•477
Having entrenched yourself in this desire-
less attitude of mind, you snap the bonds of
karma, thereby put an end to rebirth and attain
bliss ineffable. In verse 47, it is pointed out
that desire for results is the cause of rebirth. By
discarding the fruits of action,
rebirth is
automatically ended. Thus desire for fruit is
bondage, the relinquishing of fruit is liberation.
52
53
108
When the intellect frees itself from attra-
ctions and allurements of the senses, when it is
disillusioned of past or future experiences of
the senses, it is undisturbed by external agencies
or circumstances. When the intellect is thus
impervious to all conflicting tendencies, it
becomes: steady and balanced. This steadfast
equilibrium of the mind is termed Samadhi.
This is the end of Yoga. When this culmination
is reached, all striving ceases and the novice in
Yoga becomes an adept.
54
Arjuna said :
O Kesava, what are the distinguishing
marks of a person with a steadfast mind? Does
he eat, sit and talk like all of us, or does he
spend all his time absorbed in Samadhi,
unconscious of the world? Inthe former case,
is there anything special in his behaviour which
stamps him as a man of steady intellect?
109
55
7:311
O Partha, when one roots out all desires for
enjoyment on earth and hereafter in heaven,
and is content with the bliss of his own self, lie
is called a man of steadfast mind.
The wanderings of the mind are due to
desire. When by discrimination and dispassion
the mire of those illusory pleasures is crossed,
the intellect becomes steady and the bliss of the
Atma is experienced. He who thus enjoys the
Self is a man of steadfast mind.
56
95:
"TI
He whose mind is not agitated when mishaps
befall him, nor elated when fortune smiles, he
who has freed himself from attachment, fear
and anger is the man of steady intellect.
Solong as one is a prey to likes and
disliker, he will he a victim to tears
and smiler,
110
When some desire is fulfilled or something
undesirable is averted, pleasure follows. When
something desirable is missed or something
undesirable is got, pain is the result. He who
is swayed by likes and dislikes cannot enjoy
undisturbed peace. ' Fear springs from ignorance.
Any object or person whom we apprehend to be
a source of injury to our possessions, to our
near and dear ones, or to our body is a cause of
fear. The fear complex, which is deep rooted,
will not and cannot be eliminated until
ignorance is dispelled and the 'I' and Mine'
destroyed. Till then, an
earnest aspirant can
ward off fear by sheltering himself under one or
other of three distinct attitudes of mind: (1) A
devotee who has perfect faith in God may shield
himself under the dictum, "Without the sanction
of the Lord even an ant will not sting". (2) One
who believes in the justice and impartiality of the
law of causation or karma which governs the
universe can conquer fear by faith in the law
that
nothing can come to him that does not
him
belong to him. Even the gods cannot escape
- the results of their deeds, good or bad.
(3) A man of wisdom who can discriminate
between the self and the non-self cuts off his
relationship with the body. He knows that he is
the immortal self, not subject to birth, death
111
or change. He is therefore unconcerned with
whatever befalls the body. He does not know
the word «Fear'.
When one discards attach-
ment, anger and fear, one attains the state of
undisturbed mind.
57
He who is not attached to anything
and is
not overjoyed by pleasant things, nor is depre-
ssed when something untoward befails, is the ma
of steady mind.
A tortoise puts out its limbs when neces.
sary and withdraws them into its shell at will.
He who can, like the tortoise, withdraw. his
senses from their respective objects of enjoy.
ment, he who has complete control over his
senses is the man of steady mind..
112
Sensual attractions failto appeal to one
who fasts. But the desire for such enjoyments
perishes only when one realises God.
Fasting is a potentimeans of subduing the
senses. Wild animals likelions and tigers are
controlled and tamed by starvation. But star-
does not mean only abstinence from
food. It'consists in refusing to indulge the
senses in their respective objects of enjoyment
Physical fasting alone will not lead one to the
highest wisdom as is evidenced in the lives of
Buddha and Jesus. It is, however the first step
in the control of the mind. The senses are hold
in check by abstinence from enjoyment, but
they
are finally and completely conquered
aly after God realisation.
One may be a scholar, may strive for mind
control; but so long as the senses, turbulent by
nature, are not checked, they will carry the mind
tresdions into sense enjoyments. One should
113
first subjugate the senses and then fix the mind
on Me. He whose senses are controlled is a
man of steady mind.
The senses are very powerful, as they have
the force of habit of countless past lives behind
them. Unless this habit which has become
second nature is destroyed by control, the
turbulant senses will be ungovernable, and the
mind will be carried away by force of old habit.
Scholarship will not avail, much less striving
for mental stability. An anecdote connected
with Jaimini, one of the disciples of Vyasa,
illustrates this point. Jaimini once corrected
a statement of his Guru which runs as follows
"The turbulent
senses will delude even a scholar.' The pupil
who considered himself wiser than his master
corrected the text thus "fagit manila" "They
cannot delude a scholar. In his abounding
mercy, Vyasa taught his mistaken disciple the
folly of his amendment through personal experi-
ence
Jaimini was convinced of his own
ignorance and his master's wisdom, and firmly
declared: 'They will surely delude, delude,
de?
114
62
63
STET
By the mind constantly dwelling on sensuous
pleasures, one forms an association with them.
This association leads to attachment: attach-
ment begets desire; desire, when fulfilled, yields
pleasure, but when frustrated results in unhappi-
ness and sorrow;sorrow ultimately converts itself
into anger against the person who is or who is
imagined to be responsible for the trustration of
the
desire; anger gives rise to infatuation;
infatuation 10 self-forgetfulness.
This forget-
fulness destroys the sense of right and wrong
and when discrimination is lost, one behaves
like a brute and will perish.)
Gense control is the first step towards mind
control, but is not an end in itself. If it is not
supplemented with mental purification,
it
amounts to repression of instincts culminating
in mental and physical infirmity. Desires for
$01190
enjoynient constitute the impurity of
the mind, and these have their source in con-
stant
contemplation of such
enjoyments.
I15
Wisdom therefore lies in nipping them in the
bud by not contemplating them and by divert-
ing the mind on God. Association with holy
men is a potent factor in mental discipline.
The psychological stages through which a slave
to sense enjoyments passes are here graphically
presented. Lust and anger are the two vital
factors which lower man, making him either
sub-human, or inhuman, and a wise man should
guard against them by not allowing the mind in
brood upon worldly pleasures.
65
( If a man wields complete control over. th
mind and
mind and senses, and is not a victim to like
and dislikes, he will attain tranquillity of mind
though he enjoys worldly pleatures that
offe
themselves.
When such mental
tranquillity i
obtained, all his sorrows
and sufferings com
to an end, and his mind is for ever steadfast.
An interesting passage from the Kathopan
shad may well be recalled here. This body is
116
chariot. The intellect is the charioteer; the
senses are the horses yoked to the chariot, and
the mind is the reins. The soul or the indweller
of the body drives in this chariot and enjoys the
various sense-objects. If the charioteer is an
expert, he knows how to draw in the reins and
direct the horses wherever he chooses. If he is
unskilled, he lets loose the reins and the horses
go where they please. Likewise if the intellect
is pure and wise, it will keep the mind in check
and direct the senses properly. If the intellect
is impure, or full of worldly desires, the mind
is let loose and it runs away with the senses
after worldly pleasures. Therefore purification
of the intellect and control of the senses should
simultaneously stop the wavering of the mind.
For one who has not disciplined himself
and brought his mind and senses under control,
there can be no clarity of intellect. Such a one
can have no definite purpose in life; without a
definite purpose or goal inlife, no peace of
117
mind is possible and without peace of mind
Supreme Bliss cannot be experienced.
That is why Sri Tyaga Raja has sung "Santhamu
Leka Sowkhyamu Ledu" (without peace
of
mind, there can be no happiness).
67
68
As a boat without a rudder drifts helplessly
along, driven hither and thither by every wind
that blows, even so is the intellect allured by
the mind and senses, when the mind follows the
promptings of the senses. Therefore he who
firmly controls all his senses and keeps them
aloof from their countless distracting agencies
is the man of steady mind.
69
What is night to all beings is day to a self-
disciplined yogi; and what is day to all creatures
is night to the silent seer.
118
Hert the states of ordinary human beings
and that of a realized soul are contrasted. The
former are awake to the world and its pleasures
but are asleep to God: The latter is asleep in
respect of worldly matters, but is fully awake
to divine realities.
70
Rain and the waters of many rivers that
run into the ocean do not swell it or increase
its bulk. It remains for ever steady and normal.
Likewise he whose mind is steady may enjoy
worldly pleasures that come to him without the
least disturbance of mind. Enjoyment of sense
objects does not create any fresh
Samska'as or
Vasanas in his mind which retains its perfect
equanimity. Only he who is free from all
desires can attain perfect, peace.
Some suggest that the unchanging stable
quality of the ocean is not its size or magnitude,
but the saltishness of its waters.
119
71
He who is free from all desires, and moves
about without any attachment to anything, not
even his body, he in whom 'I and Mine' are
extinct attains perfect peace -Peace that
passeth all understanding."
So long as desires hold the mind, the
attachment to the body and to the objects of
enjoyment is inevitable; but once all desires are
eliminated, the feeling of 'I and Mine' will
automatically vanish. Then dawns the experi.
ence of Supreme Peace.
72
O Partha, this state is termed the Brahm
state or the state of God-Consciousness. Havin
attained this Divine or Cosmic consciousnes:
one is never a victim to delusion.
He refuses
be tempted by enjoyments here or hereafter.
a man achievs this state even at the time r
death, he will attain Nirvana or Bliss Äbsolut
120
This Chapter is the very essence of the
Gita.
Here the Lord propounds that knowledge
which, when applied to our daily conduct in
life, ensures for us peace and happiness here
and
hereafter. The theoretical and
practical
aspects of this Yoga are termed Sankhyabuddhi
and Yogabuddhi, and they
are the comple-
mentary
aspects of the Gita Yoga.
While
combating Arjuna's arguments, the Lord has
simultaneously inculcated the knowledge of
what is true and what is false, or what is perma-
nent and what is transitory.
• The
world's
misery has its root cause in giving false values to
things
of life. He who would have
everlasting bliss should turn his back upon the
illusory baubles of the world
and attach himself
permanently and steadfastly to the Imperishable
and Eternal. These are the negative and
poisitive sides of an insight into the true nature
of things or discrimination. In philosonhic
language, he
which is dispassion or renunciation of all
enjoyments earthly and heavenly, and
intense desire for emancipation or liberation.
Without indulging in the lofty language of
philosophy, the Lord has, in the simplest words
presented the highest philosophic doctrines.
Man's supreme task ahead, therefore, lies in
rejecting the transitory and accepting the
121
permanent.
Discrimination
should thus
naturally give rise to dispassion and devotion.
The misery of the world at the present day is
traceable to an entire reversal of the proper
attitude towards life, to setting wrong values
on worldly things, and ignoring or neglecting
the Eternal and the True. The fact remains
that, despite intellectual illumination, the
force of habit of countles past lives prevents
us from applying this knowledge to life and
turning our back upon the fleeting objects of
the world. Severe discipline, usually termed
safa man Hafa becomes indispensable. Well
established in the six-fold path of discipline
and discharging the duties of daily life ina
spirit of dispassion, one should firmly fix the
mind on God or on the Self. That is the way
to attain the highest bliss. This is what consti-
tutes skill in the discharge of the duties of life.
This is the Yoga propounded in the Gita-
Discrimination. Dispassion, Devotion Discipline
and Duty.
12?
Thus, in
the BHAGAVAD GITA, a
compendium of the Upanishads, a treatise on
the knowledge of the Supreme Brahman (Brahma
Vidya) and its application to life (Yoga Shastra),
a dialogue between
Krishna and Atjuna the
second Chapter
entitled
"The Yoga of
Knowledge."
END OF CHAPTER II-GITA
siT :
SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA
CHAPTER III
THE YOGA OF ACTION
Arjuna said :
O Kesava, if you think that Inana of Bud
Yoga is superior to karma, why then do:
1!
1'24
prompt me to undertake such a dreadful deed
as the slaughter of kinsmen? Instead of clearing
my problems, your words make my confusion
-worse.
Therefore I pray you, decide that
which is in my best interest and let me know.
It is enjoined in the scriptures that one
should resort to contemplation of Brahma or the
Self, after one is thoroughly equipped with the
four-fold discipline. There are two different
schools of thought, one holding that contem-
plation of the Self should be preceded not only
by the four-fold discipline but by a complete
renunciation of the daily round of duties; while
the other school maintains that essential duties
need not and should not be renounced, but that
contemplation ofthe Self may be carried on
conjointly, with a mind purified by the four-fold
discipline. So long as one is only an aspirant,
one must have recourse to one or the other means
of God-realisation, and any kind of sadhana means
action, physical, vocal or mental. Hence no
sadhaka can renounce all actions. The question
now arises whether one who has brought his
sadhana to a close and is a master of Yoga can
dispense with all actions. Here again there is a
divergence of views. Some assert that a perfect
spiritual adept is beyond the plane of worldly
activity and so he should completely renounce
125
all actions. Others declare with equal authority
and emphasis that ever
those who are above
and heyond the world nd have nothing to gain
by their actions should continue to discharge
their legitimate duties for the benefit of
humanity, for the welfare of the world at large.
In order to give his final decision on these
conflicting theories, Krishna
makes Arjuna
state the issue. Arjuna bases his question
011
Chapter II verse 49 where the Lord has declared
that Buddhi Yoga is superior to Karma. Arjuna
takes Buddhi Yoga to mean Jnana and prays the
Lord to explain the point.
O sinless one, long ago a two-fold yoga was
proclaimed by me in this world of the mortals.
The Sankhyas adopt the attitude of knowledge
and the Yogis that of action, according to their
particular bent of mind.
From this verse and from Chapter IV verse
1, it follows that the Lord propounds only one
126
yoga with two aspects. Each of these aspects
appeals to a particular type of temperament.
Those who are highly intellectual and analytical
divide prakriti into 24 aspects •and declare that
the Self is beyond and above these 24 modifica-
tions. They identify themselves with the
Supreme Self which is not the doer but only a
spectator of all the activities of the body.
Detaching themselves from the body, they root
out egoism and proceed from the artitude of the
non-doer to that of the non-enjoyer. The
Karma Yogi is not intellectual but in him the
will predominates and he adopts the
reverse
process of sadhana. He starts with Nishkama
Karma or the disinterested discharge of duries
and gradually divests himself of egoism or attach-
ment to the body. Thus he journeys from the
attitude of the non-enjoyer to that of the non-
doer. The Jnani withdraws himself from the
world and its activities and realises the Lord,
who is an atom of atoms and is seated in the
chamber of his own heart, by focussing his
purified intellect on the Self. The yogi on the
other hand tries to realise God as the greatest of
the great in
the universe at large which is a
manifested forn of the Lord, by selfless service.
He ultimately realises that all this
is verily
Brahman and he
who is a part of it is also
127
Brahman. Discrimination between the Self ar
the non-Self is indispensable to either sadhak:
The difference lies in the process of sadhan:
One is internal and the other is external. Ti
one travels from within outward, the other fro
outward within. The difference in their nam
is based on this difference in sadhana. Hen
the yoga of the Gita is said to be ofa two-fo
nature.
In fact it is one, the two aspects beir
the intellectual and the practical sides of o
fundamental truth.
FaI
By abstaining from actions altogether, o
does not attain the state of non-action; nor ci
one realise the Self by renunciation of on
duties.
The end of Karmayoga is the state of nc
action, to perform actions and yet to be out
their grip. By not undertaking any kind
activity, one cannot attain this state bul on t
contrary will approximate to the state of iner
of the inanimate creation. The culmination
Inanayoga is the realisation of the Self, a
renunciation of worldly activities is meant
128
facilitate the progress of the aspirant by afford-
ing him greater time for meditation. However
renunciation alone does not ensure God-realisa-
tion. It is only a means to an end and not an
ind in itself.
No crealure.can ever afford to be idle or
without activity even for a moment. All beings
are in the grip of Prakriti or Nature and the
three gunas of Prakriti will impel them to
work inspite of themselves.
Prakriti is composed of three gunas or
qualities, namely. Sathva, Rajas and Tamas.
They are in a state of ceaseless change or trans-
formation, and change means movement or
action. All creatures are enveloped in Prakriti.
How then can they escape the law of their
being and remain idle or without activity?
==.
129
The fool who merely restrains the senses of
action, namely the tongue, the hand, the foot
and the organs of procreation, and
excretion,
but feasts his imagination on sensuous pleasures
is a hypocrite.
The present day world abounds in imposter-
saints who try to deceive the masses by pretend-
ing saintliness. They restrain their senses of
action and this lends colour to their pretentions.
Their inward state however is one of active
indulgence in sense enjoyments. This according
to modern psychologists is a morbid condition.
The repressed instincts will break out more
powerfully in the form of mental and physical
diseases.
These imposters cannot deceive the
public for long but will ultimately deceive
themselves. They defeat their purpose and
achieve neither worldly glory nor spiritual
excellence. In this verse the importance of
mental action in determining the status of the
individual is emphasised:
It is the mind or the
inner life that is the cause of bondage or libera-
tion. In this connection Sree Ramakrishna
cites the example of a Sanyasi and a prostitute.
The former had outwardly renounced the world
but spent all his time in keeping an account of
all the customers frequenting the prostitute's
house. The prostitute, on the other hand, while
130
physically carrying on her sordid trade, employ-
ed her private hours in intensely praying to
intensely
God to save her from her sin. As a
result the Sanyasi was doomed to hell and the
prostitute was awarded the celestial bliss of
Vaikuntha.
7
He who controls his senses of knowledge
and mind, and discharges all his legitimate
duties through the senses of action in a spirit
of detachment is the man of spiritual excellence.
Asakti or attachment is two-fold.
(1)
Attachment to the fruit of action, (2) Bearing
the responsibility of doing the action, or egoism
of the doer. The senses of knowledge are
controlled by dispassion or vairagya and the
process is called Ta.
The mind is subdued by
purification or destruction of desire and goes by
the name of gurfa. A purified mind alone can
be subdued.
Thus controlling the mind and
the senses of knowledge, a Karma
Yogi should
discharge all his obligatory duties in a spirit of
dispassion or detachment through the senses of
action which are merely servants obeying the
commands of the mind. Such a yogi will attain
131
the state ot
non-action. In this verse th
state of non-action or true aar discussed full
in Chapter IV, verses 19-24, is outlined.
8
HUT: 1
• Arjuna, discharge your duties properly
Activity is superior and preferable to inertis
For an inactive person even
physical existens
is difficult.
There are three types of men. (1) Thos
that are inert and indolent. These are tamasi
(aTHf) by nature and are disinclined. i
work (2) Those that are restless.
and ca
never be idle. They require some sort of employ
ment, good, bad, or indifferent. These
ar
rajasic (Tufat) by nature and are alway
active.
(3) Those that discharge their duties i
a spirit of disinterestedness.
Their worki
regular and systemalic. They are satwic (arfat
by nature and are at a higher level of evolu
tion. That is why the Lord has said 'Action i
better
than inaction", and "Action
withou
desire for fruit is betier than action with desir
for fruit". (Inaction, action and non-action)
This point was brought home by Sri Rama
krishna when he inquired of a certain passiv.
132
good man who had come to him for spiritual
guidance and instruction, whether he knew how
to steal. .
Spirituality does not mean laziness,
One must actively strive for and achieve it.
Robert Browning sums up the posicion when he
says that an active criminal is better than a
passive gond man. The former has greater
possibilities. Only a change of direction is
needed. (Valmiki and Vemana are outstand-
ing examples.)
"O son of Kunti, all actions except those
pertaining
to worship _(sacrifice) bind the soul
to Samsara.
Therefore discharge all your
Tegitimate duties without attachment.
The word Yagna (a7) literally means wor-
ship, but is usually translated as sacrifice. All
forms of worship involve some amount of sacri-
fice Hence worship and sacrifice are not in
opposition, Consequently all actions perfor-
med in a spirit of worship or of sacrifice tend
to liberate the soul.
Every man is enjoined
certain duties according to his particular station
in life. He should serve his family, his society,
his country, his religion. and humanity at large.
133
If he carries out all these obligations in a spirit
of disinterested service of God, he is not bound
by them. That is why the Lord impresses on
Arjuna that he need not renounce his normal
duties, but should discharge them as so many
acts of worship without attachment (Chapter 18
verse 46). Again the word Yagna (45 ) has been
defined as Vishnu in a certain passage in the
Veda "at @ fast:". Vishnu means the All-per-
vading. All actions calculated to lead up to
this state can be classed as Yagna-Karma and
will help to liberate the soul from its transmigra-
tory existence.
10
In the beginning, the creator Brahma created
men together with sacrifice and said to them
"May you prosper by this, may this be the ful-
filler of all your desires."'
The celestial cow in heaven is supposed to
yield all enjoyments and fulfil all desires.
Yagna or sacrifice resembles this cow in fulfilling
the material or spiritual desires of its volaries.
II
134
11
12
May you propitiate the gods with this and
may the gods in turn gratify you.
Thus
mutually satifying each other, you altain the
highest good. Propitiated by your sacrifice,
the gods will favour you with your. cherished
enjoyments. THe who appropriates what the
gods have bestowed on him solely for his own
enjoyment without parting with a moiety of it
to them is a thief, as be appropriates to himself
what does not legitiametely belong to him.
Sacrifice to the gods through the fire is here
cited as an example. The gods are the ruling
powers of the Cosmos. Ifthey are favourably
disposed, the elements will be couducive to the
welfare and prosperity of man. If they are
135
unfavourable, adverse results will follow. So
for peace and plenty here, man should try to
please the gods by prayers and offerings.
such acts of worship man attains not only
worldly prosperity but will be awarded the joys
of heaven after death. Hence one who would
be happy here and hereafter should propitiate
the gods by sacrifices. He who fails to do in
out of selfishness is a robber and will be devoic
of happiness both on earth and in heaven.
13
"He who partakes of the remnants of
sacrifice will be free from all sins. The selfis
sinner who cooks for himself, eats only sin."
The remnants of a sacrifice are terme
Amruta
and he who drinks
becomes immortal.
or Nectar To become immotal, ar
should sacrifice. The whole of creation is
process of sacrifice on the part of God who h
confined or limited Himsel
in the
var10
objects of His
creation Man should likewi
follow in the
wake of his Maker and by se
sacrifice and self-denial evolve
to the state
Divinity. The divine
state
Is one of perfe
selflessness, and when man attains this state,
1'51
is one with God Spirituality is thus a march
from selfishness to utter selflessness. In this
verse we have another definition of sin. Sin is
selfishness. It is enjoined in the scriptures that
every house-holder should, to reduce his selfish-
ness and get rid of his sin, perform five great
sacrifices every day. The broom, the water pot,
the knife, the mortar and the fire place are
indispensible impliments in every house-hold,
and each is a source of sin. Consciously or
unconsciously,
they are instrumental in the
destruction of minute organisms. To atone for
these sins and pay off his debts wherever they
are due, the house-holder should scrifice to (1)
Brahma or the Rishis (2) The gods (3) The Pitrus
or departed ancestors (4) Fellow-men (5) Lower
orders of creation.
This
all-comprehensive
scheme of sacrifice drives home to man the
simple truth that he is not an isolated being who
can lead an independent and selfish existance of
his own, but is a small link in the universal
chain; and as such he can thrive here and here-
after only by settling his accounts with the rest
of creation. Final redemption becomes possible
only for him who has cleared all his worldly
debts and obligations. God involves to the state
of man by sacrifice and Man evolves to the state
of God only through sacrifice.
139
14
15
"Creatures evolve out of food. Rain produ-
ces food. Rain results from sacrifice. Sacrifice
is the outcome of obligatory duties. These duties
are prescribed by the Veda. The Veda is
promulgated by the imperishable Brahman.
Therefore the all-pervading Brahman is present
in every daily act of sacrifice."
Every.
act of sacrifice. reduces one's. selfish-
ness and his selflessness brings the individual
nearer God, because selflessness and divinity are.
one. 'Behind every humble act of sacrifice, a
winged angel waits to bear you up the heavenly
heights of knowledge and wisdom.
16
"O. Partha, he who does not work in unison
with this universal scheme of things is the worst
of sinners, He lives selfishly for the gratification
of his senses, and his entire life is a waste.
138
The Lord here condemns in the strongest
terms the life of a self-centred materialist. His
life is one long and entire sin and an utter
waste, because it does not avail either here or
hereafter. God expects man to work in harmony
with the rest of his creation, realising that he
is part of it. If out of selfishness he refuses to
associate himself with his brothren, he is out of
tune with the divine harmony and is thus a
discordant note.
17
"He who has cleared his debts to all, and
is content with himself, he who is not desirous
of external sense enjoyments, but realises the
bliss of the self, is free from all obligations."
Obligatory duties are for settling our
accounts. Once we pay off all our debts, noth-
ing is obligatory.
18
"Such a free soul has nothing to gain from
any one or anything in this world. He gains
139
nothing by engaging in worldly activities, nor
does he lose anything by renouncing them."
19
"So always discharge all your duties in a
spirit of detachment. One who acts disinter-
estedly will attain the Highest.
20
Great souls of the type of Janaka attained
the highest perfection by a proper discharge of
all lawful duties. But even after attaining such
a state, one should continue to carry on worldly
duties, not for one's self but for the welfare and
well-being of the world at large.
21
"What the great ones do, the others imitate.
The standard of conduct set up by them
is
followed by the masses."
140
"O Partha, there is nothing in all the three
worlds that I have not obtained or am desirous
of obtaining. Accordingly I have no obligatory
duties to discharge; yet I work actively in the
world.
Here the Lord cites his own example as one
working for the welfare of the world, though
he has no personal duties to perform.
"O Partha, if 1 for once neglect my duties
if only nut of wearisomeness or from disinclina-
tion, men would quickly tollow the example set
by me."'
Leaving aside the divine play of his early
years at Gokul and Bindavan, the rest of
Krishna's life bears ample testimony to the fact
that he strictly followed the injunctions of the
scriptures and thereby set a nable example for
others to follow. Special mention may here be
made of two instances. (1) On his way to
141
Hastinapura in the company of Narada and
other sages, the Lord
offers his twilight
prayers to the sun. (2) He explains to Vidura
the principle for which he had undertaken the
mission, though he knew full well that war was
inevitable
24
"If I cease to act, these people will perish,
for want of proper guidance. They.
become
confused and ere in their duties. I shall be heid
responsible for their confusion and consequent
destruction.
25
II
"O Arjuna, the unwise perform
actions
with attachment. The wise should likewise
discharge their duties with detachment for the
welfare of the world."
The difference between the wise and the igno-
rant does not consist in renouncing actions or
performing them, butin the method of discharging
them. The ignorant are attached to their actions
and their fruit, and thereby involve themselves
142
In bondage. The wise act with detachment and
are therefore free from the bonds of Karma.
The wise contribute to the welfare of the world
in two ways. (1) By a proper discharge of their
Juties they set an example for others to follow.
(2) As they perform pious deeds (Satkarma,
trait with pure minds, their prayers are more.
readily acceptable to God and ensure His bless-
ings for the world.
26
"A wise man should not unsettle or confuse
the minds of the ignorant who are attached to
actions. On the contrary he should try to
encourage them in the proper discharge of their
duties by setting an example to them in his own
life and conduct."
The ignorant have recourse to austerities,
charities, and pilgrimages with a view to attain
happiness here and in heaven. The wise should
never discourage them in their undertakings and
undermine their faith by preaching that God is
in our own heart and so none need go to Benaras
or Rameshwaram; that charities aud austerities
are promoted by interested parties for their own
143
advantage. He should guide them higher on the
righteous path by setting a high personal
example.
27
FAtTO Ha:!
"Actions are in every way discharged by
the gunas of Prakriti. The fool who is blinded
by egoism considers himself to be the agent of
those actions.
Egoism is the identification with the body.
To take upon oneself the responsibility for the
actions performed by the body is folly.
28
"O Arjuna, a man of wisdom who clearly
discerns the true nature of the gunas of Prakriti
and the actions which flow from them does not
become attached; for he knows that the gunas
of Prakriti act according to their own laws and
regulations.
29
ЧЕТ:
FUNT
144
"The ignorant who are deluded by thy
nas of Prakriti are attached to the gunas and
eactions that proceed from them• The all-
lowing wise should not confuse the minds of
hi dullards by preaching sermons to them far
above their understanding and attainment."
The wise teacher should set proper lessons
o his pupils to suit their menial standards and
equirements. By giving higher lessons to a pupil
la lower standard, the teacher only tends to
onfuse him.
«Renouce all actions in
Me and offer up
heir fruit to Me. Fix your mind on (Me) God.
Free yourself from all desire and attachment.
Then fight with a mind free from all feverish
anxiety and worry."
"Those who are not jealous of Me, but with
perfect faith and devotion daily tread the path
indicated by Me will certainly be freed from
she bonds of Karma.".
145
32
"Those who inspired by jealousy, disregard
my teaching and do not apply it to their daily
life and conduct, are hut fools, devoid of all
knowledge and wisdom. Know them to be lost."
Verse 30 gives the essence of Karmayoga.
Five grades of action are outlined for us in
this Chapter. I. Animal or instinctive level.
Man at this level is nearest the brute. He has
neither intelligence nor spirituality. Inertia
reigns supreme. Kumbhakarna is the ideal.
2. Asuric or satanic level. Here intellect
is well developed and worluly ambition of all
sorts is the moving force. The end is worldly
enjoyment and the means employed almost
invariably unrighteous. Ravana is the supreme
example of this type. And he is
much in
advance of Kumbhakarna. There is greater
scope for improvement. A change of direction
is what is wanted.
3. Human level. Here the end is both
worldly pro-perity and heavenly delight. Means
is just as prescribed in the scriptures. Moral
purity reigns supreme.
146
4. The divine leve!. The end is liberation
or eternal bliss of the self. The means emplo-
yed is disinterested discharge of duty (f70714
Man acts as a pliable instrument in the hands of
the almighty to work out the cosmic scheme.
He is a God
man or a Jeevanmukta.
33
"Even a wise man is obliged to act accord-
Ing to the promptings of hisown temperment or
nature. All creatures follow the impulies ot
nature, and no amount of external control or
discipline will change the course of nature."
Man can transfrom his nature by inward
self-discipline and then his nature and his con-
duct
are automatically reformed.
External
agencies
and
discipline arenfo
avail in a
man's reformation but
self-discipline imposed
from within is the key to spiritual progress and
evolution.
34
147
•Between each sense of perception and 11s
objects of appeal are rooted likes and dislikes,
or attraction and repulsion. They are the
stumbling blocks or enemies in the way of one's
by ritual progress. One should not be
enslaved
These likes and dislikes have their origin
in past tendencies, inherited from previous
lives. By the exercise of one's will, one should
avoid falling a prey to them. An aspirant
should act on principle and nol according to hist
Tikes and dislikes.
35
"One's Dharma, though apparently devoid
of merit, is preferable to another's Dharma,
however well performed. Death in the course
of discharging one's Dharma is certainly more
desirable; for another's Dharma is fraugh
with fear."
The word "Swadharma" has been variously
interpreted.
1. SWADHARMA is taken to mean one
religion. The birth and parentage of an indig
vidual are determined by his past Karma so
]
e
148
to ensure the fullest development of his
tendencies and provide, a suitable environment
for the working out ofhis Prarabdha. There-
fore the religion in which he is born affords the
maximum facility for his spiritual evolution.
A change of faith involves the soul in the pain-
ful process of undoing all his past religious
tendencies and starting afresh the cultivation of
new ones and this means waste of precious time
and energy. The present life may go futile
and he will be a victim to the great fear of
mortality.
2. By SWADHARMA is alo meant one's
own immediate duty as determined by his station
in life in his family and society. Ond's duty
may seem mean and trifling and another's may
appear grand and glorious. He may also have
the necessary talent to fulfil another's duty
better than his own, yet one should realise the
true dignity of labour and never regart any
duty as mean or contemptible. Lack of such à
realisation leads to an unhealthy spirit of com-
petition and rivalry, causing bitterness. hatred
and restlessness. Unemployment is very largely
the direct result of this spirit of competition.
Life is often compared to a game in which the
several players should be content to play their
respective parts honestly and carnestly, The
1÷9
dangers of trying to take upon oneself the duty
of another is apily illustrated by the story of
the washerman's donkey which got soundly
thrashed for taking upon itself the duty of the
dog when a thief broke into the house.
The SWADHARMA of a son is to attend to
the needs of his parents but not to leave them to
their fate and attend to social reform and
national welfare.
SANATANA DHARMA lays down rules
and regulations regarding the Swadharma of
individuals
and these go by the name of
"VARNA-ASHRAM-DHARMA." Such an
ordering of social and individual life is not
found in other religions. There they have to
adopt other ways and means of ascertaining
one's Dharma.
3. As in the case of other words used in
the Gita like Yoga and Karma, the word
Dharma(af)seems to be used in a wider sense.
From Chapter XVIII, verse 47 it is quite clear
that the Lord means by Swadharma (Faaf) the
actions that ircely flow from one's nature. By
adopting the course of conduct prompted by
one's temperament however devoid of merit
and despicable it may seem to be, one attains
specdy results in the temporal and spiritual
150
fields. On the comary, by following wavs and
means surable in other temperaments however
attractive they may appear, one may wasre this
present life and have to bu born again for the
fulfilment of the newly grafied tendencies. Even
in matters of education, experience proves that
in choo.ing subjecis like mathematies, music
and paining, one will be well acivised lo consult
natural aptiludes. Greater care should be takeri
In spiritual matteis where progress consists in
undoing the past samskaras deart or tendencies,
and cultivating new ones. The process is sure
to entail wastage of the present life, thereby
involving the aspirant in rebirth, unless he
righily employs his natural tendencies or
Swadharma. This should not be taken to be a
license or charter for evil men to sin and shelter
themselves behind this verse saying that it is
their Swadharma.
36
Arjuna said
"O Krishna, by whom is man prompted to
commit sin? Even when one is unwilling to act
151
sintully, one seems conipelled lo do so hy som
external agency. What then is the truth of it?
"Men and women, young aid old invariabl
explain away their lapses by blaming son
one else. No one is prepared or has the mori
courage to accept the full responsibility fi
doing wrong, but
always tries to thrust th
blame on others. Arjuna raises an honest doul
whether the true sinner is within or without.
37
Desire born of Rajas (Tua)
and
ange
the
resuli of thwarted
desire, incite:
individual to sin. Desire is insatiable at
it is the one great source of sin. Know it to l
the arch enemy of man."
Here the Lord declares in unmistakab
terms the origin of sin. It springs from wit
in; unconquered desire is the cause of tempt
tion and sin. It is only the ignorant who trai
le
al
Ot
bt
5,
Id
le
152
the source of sin to external causes. 'Man,
seek no more the origin of evil; thou art
thyself its orgin.
89
"O son of kunti, wisdom is enveloped in
desire, the eternal enemyof the wise.
It is
unappeasable like fire and it obscures
spiritual knowledge as smoke covers fire or as
dirt dims a mirror or as the amnion covers the
embryo in the womb."
The veil of desire which hides the sun of
Truth differs in degree or intensity from person
to person, according as his temperament is
Satvic, Rajasic or Tamasic. In the case of a
Satvic temper, this veil is thin and light like
smoke round fire, and is easily removed. In the
case of a Rajasic temper, the veil is thicker and
less penetrable. It is compared to the stains
on a mirror which have to be removed by wash-
ing, rubbing and drying. Like-wise the Raja-
sic temperament has to be purified by penance
153
and austerity. Initiation into true knowledge
suffices to illumine a Satvic mind, but a Rajasic
one has to exert itself harder and longer before
spiritual realisation is achieved. A tamasic
mind is thickly encrusted with desire and is
therefore compared to an embryo helplessly and
inextricably covered by the amnion. It is only
the fullness of time and the grace of God that
will enable the foetus to break through the
amnion and emerge from the womb. In like
manner a prolonged course of
penance is
indispensable for the purification of a Tamasic
mind.
Sri Ramana Bhagawan likens these three
temperaments to gun powder. a charcoal fire
and wet fuel. Gun powder ignites and reduces
itself to ashes by the simple application of a
lighted match. A Satvic temper receives and
realises spiritual knowledge by mere sravanam
or listening. A charcoal fire requires some
amount of trouble and exertion to kindle it.
but then it goes on steadily. A Rajasic mind
requires some discipline to start with, but very
soon it gains momentum and is progress is
steady. Sravanam alone does not suffice here,
hut it should be followed by Mananam or reflec
tion and nidhidhyasanam (fafacaram) or one-
pointed absorption. A Tamasic mind resembles
TIL
154
wet fuel. An attempt to kindle wet fudl will
perhaps result in putting out the source of fire.
If however the fuel is dried in the sun and then
set on fire, it will burn well. A Tamasic mind
has to undergo prolonged discipline and penance
before it can be purified and brought into the
direct vision of God.
Sri Upasani Baba clothes these ideas in
garments of his own. The human mind, accord-
ing in him, is a vessel to contain divine Grace.
The Grace is in every place and at all times, but
unfortunately our vessels are not empty to
receive it. We have filled them with worldly
them with
commodities or desires, and they have first to be
cleaned before they can receive the divine
Grace. Vessels which contain dry materials
like rice and dhall can be cleaned by emptying
them and wiping out the dust with a piece of
cloth.
This is the condition of a Satvic mind.
Vessels in which ghee, oil, milk or curds are
stocked require to be cleaned with soda or
soapnut and hotwater. Then they have to be
dried in the sun before they can be used for
better things. This is the case of a Rajasic
mind. A Tamasic mind resembles a vessel
containing substances like turpentine, varnish,
coal-tar and the like. It has perhaps to be
purified by fire.
From what has been said it
155
is clear.
that a Salvie mind is easily purified
and realies the Truth without much difficulty:
Il may be compared to a clear, white chimney.
or a white autumnal cloud.. A Rajasic mind is
more cloudy and harder to cleanse. The word
Rajas means "dust"
, and a Rajasic mind views
things through acloud of dust. It may be
likened 10 a
smoky chimney or a half-spent
cloud. The Tamasic mind resembles a thick,
dark, rainy cloud or a lamp black chimney.
It
has very little spiritual or true vision as the
thick veil of ignorance envelops it..
40
This enemy of Desire entrenches itself
within three enclosures, namely the senses, the
mind and the intellect. It deludes the soul
through them after veiling wisdom.
Through Tamas or ignorance it prevents
the soul from secing his source, and through
Rajas it induces him to project himself forth
through the media of the intellect, mind and
senses on objects of enjoyments. Thus the soul
is first blinded as to his source and then lured
away to worldly objects.
The senses, the mind
156
and the intellect serve a double purpose. They
are three strong-holds for desire to shelter itself
in and they are also the instruments through
which it functions.
41
42
O Partha, you must therefore control your
senses first and root out this great sinner, Desire
which destroys both knowledge and wisdom.
Control of the senses is the first step in the
conquest of Desire. The words Inana strand
Vijnana fasta have been variously explained.
Two interpretations deserve
mention.
(1) Jnana means the knowledge of the Absolute
or the Unmanifest, and Vijnana means the know-
ledge of the world or the Manifest, relative
existence, (2) Jnana is intellectual or theoreti-
cal knowledge and Vijnana is practical or
intuitive knowledge, usually termed wisdom.
H7:1
7619
157
The senses, O Arjuna,
are subtle
and
powerful. The mind is higher than the senses
and the intellect is higher than the mind, and
what is higher than the intellect is the Self.
Realising thus the Selfby the control of the
senses and the purification of the intellect,
annihilate this formidable foe, Desire.
The bulwarks within which Desire fortifies
itself are in ascending order of subtlity, strength
and importance.
Within the inmost of these,
the cave of the intellect is the throne of the
supreme Self. Some interpret He who is
beyond the intellect
as Desire. It is true
that Desire too lodges itself in the dark cave
of the intellect. As long as the intellect is
enveloped in Tamas or darkness of egoism, so
long does Desire find shelter there. The Self
also is there. By overcoming these three barriers
one has to come to grips with this enemy. The
outermost rampart is the senses, and they have
to be controlled. The innermost is the intellect,
and it has to be purified; the middle bulwark,
the mind, has no alternative but to submit.
Thus bearing down the three entrenchments,
one naturally expects to be face to face
with, the opponent. But he is too sly and
cowardly to dare fight in the open. He lurks in
darkness and not until one receives the glorious
158
illumination of the Sell can oe discover and
slay this subtle and desdly toe (Chapter 2, verse
59). By discipline and purification: Desire 1s
not rooted out but subdued. God-relisacion or
Self-realisation deals it the motral blow. In
other words, temptation dugs the foot slips of
an aspirant till he enters into God-consciousness;
and only when he is well established there, does
it cease to have any power over him.
An interesting anecdote concerning a young
disciple of Sri Ramanuja is illustrative of this
point. The young pupil wits bewitched by the
beauty of a charming duncing girl of the temple.
Inspite of hi, mister's warnings, the disciple
could not get rid of his infatuation. Her
beauty cast a spell on him. In his overtlowing
grace the guru decided to save the young
math.
One night he stond with his disciple in the
presence of Lord
Kanganatha and prayed
earnestly that He might favour them with His
dursan. The Lord appeared in His divine efful-
dunce and majestic beauly for a moment. The
disciple stood agape with wonder and admiri-
lion. The master questioned him whether he
still preferred his dancing girl to the Lord. The
discipie's ignorance was dispelled and he fell
prostrate at his
master's feet. Thenceforth he
turned over a new chapier in his life.
159
The south Indian temple architecture is
evidently intended 10 symbolize the three.
enclosures mentioned above, or the three bodies
in which the soul is encased. The third and
the inmost shrine or holy of holies is always
kept dark 10 signify the enveloping gloom oi
ignorance, and within is the small but eternal
spirk of the Soul represented by the lamp that
is never allowed to go out. "Know the body to
be the temple and the indwelling Soul the
ancient Lord'
An interesting and popular story from the
puranas entitled, "Tripurasura Samharam' (the
destruction of the three cities) aptly illustrates
the point. Three demons propitiated Lord
Brahma by severe penance and ob'ained boons
from him. Each got a ciiv which could fly and
settle down anywhere and everywhere. One
was of gold and stood in heaven. The second
was of silver and rested in middle air
and
the third was of iron and was located on
earth. All tiree were. full of demons and
all three have to be destroyed by
a single
arrow shot by an invincible hero, when all
three are in one plane. Lord Siva accomplished
this almost impossible rask with Lord Vishnu
as his arrow. The allegory may bé cleared
160
thus. The three cities are the three bodies
physical, subile, and causal and they work in the
material, the astral and the celestial worlds. The
demons within the cities are the evil tendencies
in man working havoc on all the three planes
He in whom the third eye or the eye of Know-
ledge is open alone is capable of bringing all
the three bodies into one plane by purifying
and steadying them and destroying them by the
shaft of knowledge born of Satva guna.
3т1
Thus in the Bhagavadgita, a compendium
of the Upanishads, a treatise on the know-
ledge of the supreme Brahman and its applica-
tion to life, a dialogue between
Krishna and
Arjuna, the third Chapter entitled "THE YOGA
OF ACTION."
Chapter Ill-Gita.
ST :
SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA
:
CHAPTER IV
THE YOGA OF WISDOM
1
imparied this imperishable yoga to thie
Sun-god (at the dawn of creation.) He handed
it clown to his son Manu, and Manu to his , son
Ikahwaku.

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