Dharmyaḿ Saḿvādam

Monday, 30 May 2011

Adhyāya

Being born into Sanātana Dharma, I felt that I should have the knowledge imparted in Srimad Bhagavad Gitā, which is being revered as the most sacred philosophical teaching, in our belief. But when I started reading Gitā from various sources, I found that there is a certain pattern of variation among each version of Gitā’s interpretation. The explanations varied among different philosophers for the same śloka. This was a bit mind-boggling for a nascent observer like me. I could neither understand the reason behind different school of thought, nor the age-old saying - ‘ślokas are so intricate that many meanings could be derived’ could justify these variations to me. Actually this is where youngsters like me get bored and confused as to how to proceed further and get de-motivated and disinterested and ultimately lose faith in our own scriptures. But something rather strange occurred to me one day.

I was lying down and thinking about how to proceed in cultivating Gitā for my own good. I suddenly struck upon an idea that if I will be able to understand each word of a śloka in English, then recreate the Sanśkrt śloka into English sentences without any additional adjectives or adverb or preposition or conjunction and keeping certain words like Yajña, Yoga, Karma, Dharma, Ātmā, Brahma as it is, until their meanings are explained by the Lord; then this could be a start. I felt that every word conveys a particular meaning in a sentence/verse. So as far as possible, I kept a one-to-one word match of Sanskrit words with English.

e.g.: ‘cetanā’ will always mean ‘consciousness’ for me, and never ‘mind’; as the word ‘manah’ interprets ‘mind’ for me.

Even though this path might be incorrect according to some, but as of now this method makes so much sense to me, rather than following blindly one path of a particular sect and then opposing the rest. Saying so, I am also open and whenever I will genuinely feel that this way of approaching towards the truth is wrong, I will accept and mend my ways without any ego hassles as my main aim is not to build a revolting path or to undermine other paths, but to attain Jñāna.

- Śatyanveśi Bhāradwāja

Purpose of this Research Work

I believe in not just the theoretical knowledge but also to implement them as far as possible in everyday practical situations of my life. I am always keen upon having a practical approach to every theory, may it be physics, chemistry or Lord’s teaching. And the Lord also believes so.

The purpose behind this research work is to finally come up with a hand-book for me, where the questions of my ignorant mind are answered in totality. Now my questions are not exactly same as Arjuna’s, but their answers are present randomly inside Gitā. The answers need be gathered and written down in a point-wise manner (just as a kid would do while preparing for his exams at school). This research will help me to search, find answers and memorize them sooner, to implement.

This particular work happens to be the first step towards that goal. So for me, Arjuna, Sanjay or others speech does not hold much importance and hence I have ignored most of them in this work. Once all the 17 chapters of Lord’s teachings are translated word by word. Then my research work will proceed to the second step and that is summing up all the teachings in different chapters for one particular subject.

e.g.: What should be the features of a person who is looking for transcendence?

Now the answer, to this question spans multiple chapters including the features of Sthita-Prajñā in Sāmkhya Yoga, features of Yogi in Jñāna Yoga, features of Lord’s devotee in Bhakti Yoga and some more. So my mission will be to sum up all the features described by the Lord, removing the repetition and come up with the point-wise answer so that I can follow those in my life.

I could have taken up several morality books already available in the market answering such questions, but frankly speaking I do not have the confidence in them to consider them as unadulterated form of Gitā teaching (without the author’s own additions). I would rather take years of study and come up with my own version of the teachings for my own.

So for getting the common meaning of all Sanśkrt words, I have considered multiple sources and I am deeply obliged to all those works and their authors. Some of those are as follows:

· Bhagavad-Gitā As It Is – By Swāmi Prabhupāda

· Srimad Bhagavad Gitā –with English translation and transliteration – By Jayadayāl Goyandka

· The Bhagavad Gitā with the commentary of Sri Ādi Sankarācharya translated by Swami Gambhirānanda.

· Bhagavad Gitā Audio CD – By Pandit Narendra Sharmā, Anup Jalotā

- Śatyanveśi Bharadwāja

To The Readers

This work is not claiming to be the more accurate than other works by other philosophical greats, neither is it asking others to read this and implement. This work of mine is solely intended for my own personal purpose and I would suggest all readers to read the original Gitā in Sanśkrt and imbibe your own meaning than blindly following my interpretation. I strongly believe in Lord, when He means – “whatever one aspires and motivates his actions towards that aim, he will surely achieve that in due course of time.” So if you honestly want to understand the teaching of the Lord, devote yourself towards that goal and you will see how one door after the other will sequentially open in front of you.

Believe it or not, this has happened with me.

- Śatyanveśi Bhāradwāja

Sānkhya View on why Arjuna should fight the war.

· You are grieving over those which are not worthy of lamentation and speaking the language of a Prajñā. The Panditah never laments over life which has passed or life which has not-passed.

· But certainly (it is) not (a fact) that I did not exist at any time; nor you, nor these rulers of men. And surely it is not that we all shall cease to exist after this.

· As the dehinah (embodied or ātmā) acquires

· kaumāram (teenage),

· yauvanam (youth) and

· jarā (old age) in this body,

· Similarly, (it) achieves the change of the body (to a new one).

· A dhirah (sober person) is not bewildered (by such a change).

· Sense Perceptions like heat, cold, happiness and sorrow appear and disappear. They are non-permanent. Bear them.

· The Puruṣaḥ to whom all these (sense perceptions) do not torment. One who is patient and is unaltered in happiness or sorrow is certainly eligible for amŗtatvāya (liberation).

· There exists no bhāvah (nature of being) of the asatah (unreal). There exists no abhāvah (without nature) of the satah (real). Certainly both the observation and conclusion of them are done by the Tattva-darśi (Seers of the Truth).

· That which pervades the entire body, know it to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable (ātmā).

· All these material bodies are perishable. Śarīriņah (ātmā) is said to be nityasya (eternal in existence), indestructible and immeasurable.

· One who considers this (ātmā) as the killer, and also, one who believes this (ātmā) is killed. They both do not possess knowledge. This (ātmā) neither kills nor is killed.

· This (ātmā) neither takes birth nor dies at any time. Neither this (ātmā) has taken birth nor will it born again.

· It is unborn, eternal, ever-lasting and primeval.

· The ātmā is not killed when the body is killed.

· One who knows this (ātmā) to be indestructible, eternal, unborn and imperishable, how can that Puruṣaḥ hurt anyone or kill anyone?

· As a naraḥ (Man) giving up old garments, accepts other new ones. Similarly giving up the old bodies, the dehī (ātmā) accepts different new bodies.

· This (ātmā) can

· not be cut to pieces by weapons,

· not be burnt by fire,

· not be wet by water,

· not be dried by the wind.

· This (ātmā) is

· unbreakable,

· unable to be burned,

· unable to be wetted,

· unable to be dried.

· nityaḥ (everlasting),

· sarva-gatah (all-pervading),

· sthāņuḥ (unchangeable),

· acalaḥ (immovable),

· sanātanaḥ (eternal),

· avyaktaḥ (unmanifest),

· acintyaḥ (inconceivable),

· avikāryaḥ (unchangeable)

· Therefore, thus knowing this (ātmā), you should not grieve.

· If however, you believe that this (ātmā) is perpetually, always takes birth or dies. Still then you should not grieve like this.

· Certainly death is a fact of the birth; (similarly re-)birth is also a fact of the death. Therefore you should not lament on the matter which is unavoidable.

· All beings are unmanifest in the beginning, become manifested in middle and certainly become unmanifest again when they die. Therefore what is there to lament?

· Some

· see this (ātmā) as an amazing thing,

· some describe it as amazing,

· some hear of the ātmā as amazing.

· even having heard this, some never know for sure.

· That which eternally dwells in the body (dehī or ātmā) can never be killed. This (ātmā) is in the body of everyone. Therefore you should not grieve.

· Even considering your own dharma as well, you should not hesitate, as nothing better than fighting for dharma exists for a kșatriya.

· Happy are the kșatriyas, when they get to be in a war like this, which approaches on its own, along with the open door of svarga.

· Therefore if you do not act in this dharmyam-sangrāmam, then losing your own dharma and kirti, you will incur sin.

· Also bhutāni (living beings) will speak of your akīrti forever. For a respectable man, akīrti is worse than death.

· The Mahā-rathāḥ will consider that you have fled from battlefield out of fear. Also among whom you have been popular (highly estimated), your popularity will decrease.

· Your enemies will say many hurting words (to you) while denigrating your ability. What could be more sorrowful than that?

· Either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain svarga, or you will win and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore, get up with determination and fight.

· Remaining equipoise towards

· happiness and sorrow,

· gain or loss,

· victory or defeat.

· thereafter, engage in fighting for the sake of war (yuddha).

· In this way you will never incur sin.

Buddhi-Yoga View on why this war needs to be fought.

· All this I described to you, in terms of Sānkhya, but hear this in terms of Buddhi Yoga, by being buddhi-yukta, you will be released from the bondage of karma.

· There is no loss in this effort/attempt/endeavour (associating with buddhi), there exists no diminution. Even a little of this dharma, releases (you) from great fear.

· The buddhi of those who are firmly determined in this (Buddhi Yoga) have only one (path/aim). The buddhi of those who are not determined are multi-branched and unending.

· All these flowery words are said by men with little knowledge, who are engaged in following Veda.

· Thus they say that there is nothing else. (other than svarga)

· The supreme desire of their ātmānah (Self) is to achieve svarga.

· They perform various specific activities giving (them) janma and karma results.

· And they move towards bhoga (sense enjoyment) and aiśvarya (opulence).

· For those

· who are attached to bhoga (enjoyment) and aiśvarya (opulence),

· whose ceta (consciousness) in deluded by such things,

· They can never procure Buddhi of firm determination (vyavasāya-atmikā) in Samādhi (meditative state).

· The three guņa are the subject matter of Veda. You should rise above these three modes of guņa and be transcendental to all of them.

· Be free from all dualities and always remain situated in sattva (reality or God), absolutely unconcerned about the fulfilment of desires and the preservation of what has been already attained. Be established in the self (ātmavān).

· One who knows the purpose of a well, knows the purpose of all the oceans (or, great water reservoirs), similarly the purpose behind all Veda is known to a person who has Jñāna of Brahma (i.e a brāhmana).

· Certainly you have a right to perform your Karma, but (you) never (have any rights) in its results. Never become the cause of your karma-phala. Never be attached to akarma..

· Perform your karma remaining steadfast in yoga.

· Abandoning attachments, consider success and failure as same. This evenness of mind is called Yoga.

· Discard abominable activities using Buddhi Yoga. In such buddhi fully give up all your desires.

· Those who desire the fruits of their actions are misers.

· Buddhi-Yukto (one associated with Buddhi Yoga) rids himself of both good and bad actions even in this life. Therefore engage in yoga.

· Yoga is the art/technique (Kauśalam) in all Karma.

· The person who is Buddhi-Yuktāh renounces the results of his Karma and frees himself from the bondage of birth and attains a state that is beyond all miseries.

· When your Buddhi has passed out of the dense forest of illusion at that time you will become indifferent to all that is to be heard and all that is already heard (referring to sense perceptions).

· When your Buddhi remains unmoved and is not influenced upon hearing conflicting statements of śruti (Vedas) and remains transcendental and unflinching. At that time you will achieve Yoga.

Features of a Stitha Prajña

· Arjuna asks,

· “What are the features of a sthita-Prajña who is established in samādhi?

· How does a sthita-dhīḥ (person of stabilised mind) speak, sit and walk?”

· When a man

· gives up all desires which arises from mental concoction and

· when his ātmanā (mind) finds satisfaction in ātmani (his Self - ātmā) alone.

· Then he is said to be Stitha-Prajña (in pure transcendental consciousness).

· One who remains unperturbed amid sorrows and is not elated in happiness.

· One who is free from

· Rāga (attachment),

· Bhaya (fear) and

· Krodha (anger)

· is called a Stitha-Dhiḥ Muni (a sage established in wisdom)

· He who

· has no affection anywhere,

· Achieving good or evil, neither praises nor envies.

· His Prajñā (knowledge/wisdom) is firmly established.

· One who withdraws his senses from the sense objects (just as a turtle withdraws all its limbs into its shell), his Prajñā is firmly established.

· Through restrictions the dehinah (ātmā of a Stitha Prajña) practises refraining sense-objects. Even after renouncing the sense of enjoyment, still his sense of enjoyment remains. (However) Upon experiencing the Supreme (in the process), he (eventually) ceases from (the sense enjoyment).

· While doing the effort (described above), the turbulent sense organs forcibly carry away the mind even of a vipaścitaḥ Purușa (man of discriminating knowledge).

· Keeping all those under control,

· situated in association with ‘Me-Supreme’,

· one whose senses are in full subjugation,

· his Prajñā is firmly established. (is known as a man of steady intelligence)

· When a person dwells on sense objects,

· he develops attachments for them.

· From such attachment, desire develops,

· from desire develops anger

· From anger, delusion arises and

· From delusion, bewilderment of smŗti (memory) occurs.

· When the smŗti is bewildered, Buddhi is lost.

· When buddhi is lost, his downfall occurs.

· But one

· who has become free from rāga and dveșa (attraction and repulsion),

· whose sense objects act under his control.

· one whose ātmā follows regulated freedom

· he attains the blessings (of the Supreme).

· For such blessed ones, all their sorrows are destroyed. In such a happy – conscious state, very soon his Buddhi gets fully established.

· There

· Cannot exist buddhi (transcendental intelligence), if a person is ayuktasya (not associated with Buddhi Yoga).

· One also cannot have bhavanā (the right thought process), if he is ayuktasya.

· If he is not having the right thought process (abhāvayatah), he cannot attain Śanti.

· And without Śanti, where is Sukham?

· Certainly while the senses are wandering, the mind becomes attached to them, carrying away his Prajñā (wisdom), as the wind sweeps away a boat on the water.

· Therefore one whose senses are restrained from their sense-objects, his Prajñā is firmly established.

· What is night (dark) for all living beings is awakening for a saḿyamī (self-controlled person). (Refers to transcendental consciousness).

· That which arouses (awakens) all living beings is night (dark) for a sage (self-controlled person). (Refers to sense gratification).

· As the ocean (which is) always filled, (still remains) steadily established, when (more) water enter (into it), similarly the person (who remains undisturbed) when all kāma enter (into him), achieves śanti, not who desires to fulfil desires. (kāma-kāmi).

· A person who

· has given up all desires, lives a desire-less life,

· one who is without a sense of proprietorship and

· is devoid of ego

· attains peace.

· After attaining this transcendental (brāhmi) state, a person is never bewildered. Being situated in this state when a person dies, he attains Brahma-Nirvāņam (Oneness with Brahma).

· Arjuna asked,

· “If Buddhi is better in your opinion than Karma, then why you are engaging me in this ghastly Karma (war)?

· My Buddhi is certainly bewildered by (your) equivocal statements.

· So please tell precisely one (path) through which I may excel.”

· There are two kinds of nişţhā in this loka, as previously said by Me.

· By Jñāna Yoga of Sānkhya.

· By Karma Yoga of Yogis.