Geeta Dhara – Gurukul

The last but everlasting dialogue of Lord Krishn in Bhagavad Gita which always resonates in a loving heart of true disciple to prompt the divine impulses for perfect strengthening in order to get completely prepared to combat the battle of own Mahabharat is this verse where Lord Krishn questions to dear disciple Arjun.

Lord Krishn sings:

“Have you, O Parth,
listened intently to my words and,
O Dhananjay,
is your delusion born out of ignorance dispelled?”

And Arjun answers:

“Since my ignorance has been dispelled by your grace,
O Achyut, and I have recovered discernment,
I am free from doubt and shall follow your precept.”

“Achyuth ! Because of Your grace, my passion is destroyed, I have regained my memory, I am consistent, being bereft of doubts and am ever ready to obey Your orders.”

Whereas, Arjun was perplexed at the time of reviewing both the armies, to find his kith and kin therein. He prayed:

“Govinda! How can we be happy after annihilation of our own relatives? Family tradition will be destroyed because of such a war, there will be scarcity of obsequial offerings like rice cakes and so on to the departed ancestors, hybridization or mongrelization of castes takes place. We, being wise, yet are ready to commit sin. Why do we not find a way out of committing these sins? Let the armed of Kaurava kill me, an unarmed man, in the war and that death is glorious. Govinda, I am not going to wage war.”

Saying thus he sat down at the back of the chariot.

Thus in the Bhagavad Gita, Arjun, in fact, put forward in front of Yogeshwar Krishn a series of big and small questions.

Like in chapter 2 verse 7, “Please will You tell me that practice of worship through which I can attain to the Absolute good.” In chapter 2 verse 54, “What are the attributes of an enlightened sage?” In verse 1 of chapter 3, “If in your view the way of knowledge is superior, then why do you compel me to do these terrible actions?” In verse 36 of chapter 3, “Even without wishing, under whose guidance does a man commit sin?”

In verse 4 of chapter 4, “Your birth is of recent times, whereas the Sun was born a long time back, then how can I believe that You taught yog to the Sun in the far distant past, in the beginning of this kalp?’’ In verse 1 of chapter 5, “Sometimes You praise renunciation, the way of knowledge, and yet other times you support the Way of Selfless Action. Please tell me one out of these which is final, by which I can attain to the Absolute good.” In verse 35 of chapter 6, “The Mind is very fickle. With slack efforts, what would be his lot?” In verses 1 and 2 of chapter 8, “Govinda, who is that Supreme Being, whom You have described? What is the religious knowledge? What are Lords of gods and Lord of being? Who is the Lord of sacrifice in this body? What is that action? How do You come to be known at the end time?” Thus he put forward seven questions. In verse 17 of chapter 10, Arjun has evinced curiosity, asking, ‘‘While meditating incessantly, through what feelings (emotions) do I call you to mind, to remember you ?’’

In verse 4 of chapter 11 he prayed and submitted, “I long to see the splendours that have been described by You.” In verse 1 of chapter 12, “Who is the superior possessor of Yoga among the devotees who worship you well through unvacillating attentiveness and those who worship the imperishable unmanifest Supreme Being?” In verse 21 of chapter 14, “A man who has surpassed the three natural modes is liberated of character and how can a man surpass these three modes?” In verse 1 of chapter 17, ‘‘what would be the fate of a person who engages in yagya with dedication but does not follow the procedure as laid down by the scriptures ?’’ And in verse 1 of chapter 18, “O” mighty armed! I yearn to learn separately and individually everything about the nature of relinquishment and renunciation.”

Thus, throughout the Bhagavad Gita, Arjun continued to put forward queries (The esoteric secrets which could not be asked by him were revealed by the Lord Himself.) As soon as his doubts were dispelled he was freed from asking questions and said,” Govinda! Now I am ever ready to obey your instructions.”

In truth the questions raised were for the benefit of all mankind and not just for Arjun alone. Without having these questions answered, no seeker can progress forward on the path of the highest good. Therefore, to enable a man to obey an enlightened guru and to progress on the path of the highest good, it is necessary, that one should learn the complete teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. Arjun was convinced and satisfied that all his questions had been answered and his doubts allayed.

In Chapter 11, after having revealed his cosmic form, Lord Krishn said in the fifty-fourth verse: “O Arjun … a worshiper can directly know this form of mine, acquire its essence, and even become one with it by total and unswerving dedication.” And just now he has asked him whether he is rid of his delusion. Arjun replies that his ignorance is allayed and that his understanding is restored. Now he will act at Lord Krishn’s behest. Arjun’s liberation should come along with this realization. He has indeed become whatever he had to be. But scripture is meant for posterity and the Bhagavad Gita is here for all of us to avail ourselves of.

And then finally concludes Sanjay:

“Thus have I heard the mysterious
and sublime dialogue of Vasudeo and the sage-like Arjun.”

Arjun is portrayed as a man with a noble Soul. He is a yogi, a seeker, rather than an archer set to kill. But how has Sanjay been enabled to hear the dialogue between Sri Krishn and the saintly Arjun?

“It is by the blessing of the most revered Vyas
that I have heard this transcendental,
most mysterious yog enunciated directly
by the Lord of yog Lord Krishn himself.”

Sanjay regards Lord Krishn as a master of yog-one who is a yogi himself and who is also endowed with the gift of imparting yog to others.

” The recollection of the felicitous
and marvellous colloquy between Keshav and Arjun transports me ,
O King (Dhritrashtr), to sublime joy time after time.”

We too can experience Sanjay’s bliss if we remember the sacred dialogue with perfect contentment. Sanjay then recalls the Lord’s miraculous bearing and speaks of it.

“Recalling the amazing visage of the Lord again and again,
O King, I am lost in wonder and ecstasy over and over.”

Sanjay’s rapture can be ours, too, if we incessantly keep in our minds the aspect of the cherished end. That brings us to the last verse of the Bhagavad Gita in which Sanjay states his final conclusion.

” Good fortune, conquest, splendour,
and steadfast wisdom abide wherever are Lord Krishn
and the noble archer Arjun : such is my conviction.”

Intent contemplation and firm restraint of the senses are Arjun’s bow-the legendary Gandeev. So it is that Arjun is a sage who meditates with equanimity.

So wherever Yogeshwar Krishn and he are, there too dwell the triumph after which there is no defeat, the magnificence of God, and the firmness of resolve that enables one to be constant in this inconstant world. Such is the well-deliberated judgement of Sanjay, of the seer who is gifted with celestial vision.

The great archer Arjun is no longer amidst us. But were steadfast wisdom and the glory that comes with spiritual conquest for him alone?

The Bhagavad Gita is a dramatization of a historical event that belonged to a certain time, namely the age that is known as Dwapar. This does not mean, however, that Arjun’s realization of the truth of God came to an end with the ceasing of his time.

Yogeshwar Krishn has assured us repeatedly that he abides in the realm of the heart. He exists within all of us. He is also within you. Arjun is a symbol of affectionate devotion, which is but another name of the mind’s inclination and dedication to the cherished goal.

If a worshiper is endowed with such devotion, perpetual triumph against the demeaning properties of nature is assured. With such devotion there must also always necessarily be steadfast wisdom. Rather than being confined to a certain place, time or individual, these attainments are universal-for ever and for all.

~Revered Gurudev Swami Adgadanand Jee Paramhans~
©

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Humble Wishes.
~mrityunjayanand~

Lord Krishn sings in Bhagavad Gita :

“Grieve not,
for l shall free you from all sins
if you abandon
all other obligations
and
seek refuge in me alone.”

Arjun is counselled that he has to rid himself of concern
about what category of doer he is,
whether
Brahmin or Kshatriya or Vaishya or Shudr,
and
look for shelter under Lord Krishn alone.

By doing so he will be absolved of all iniquities and afflictions.
The chosen teacher-preceptor takes it upon himself to effect
the gradual elevation of the pupil to ever more refined spiritual states
and
his release from all sins if,
instead of worrying about his position on the path of action,
the pupil single-mindedly seeks refuge in his mentor,
and
looks up to no one else but his accomplished teacher-preceptor.

All sages have said the same.
When a holy writing is rendered,
it may appear that it is for all,
but it is truly “secret teaching”- secret undoubtedly
because
it is permitted only to those
who are spiritually equipped to study
and
profit by it.
Arjun is such a deserving pupil and so it is
that
Lord Krishn instructs him so earnestly.

Now Lord Krishn himself elaborates the merits of the worthy pupil.

“This (Bhagavad Gita) which has been articulated for you
must never be made known to one who is bereft of penance,
devotion, and of willingness to listen,
as also to one who speaks ill of me.’’

Lord Krishn was a realized sage and, along with adorers,
he must also have faced some slanderers.
The Gita is not for people who speak maliciously of God.

But, then, to whom should this sacred knowledge be made known?

Lord Krishn sings:

“The one who, with firm devotion to me,
imparts this most secret teaching of my worshipers will doubtlessly
attain to me.”

And then Sri Krishn speaks about the one
who
disseminates the sacred knowledge.

“Neither is there among mankind any doer
who is dearer to me than this man,
nor will there by any in the world
who is dearer to me than him.”

The man who enlightens Lord Krishn’s devotees,
Souls who adhere to the Lord, is the most beloved of him
because he is the only source of benediction-the only highway
that leads one to God.
He is the one who teaches men to go along the right path.

“And it is my belief that I shall have been worshiped
through
the yagya of knowledge by one
who makes a thorough study
of
this sacred dialogue between us.”

The “yagya of knowledge” is that, the outcome of which is wisdom.
The nature of this wisdom has been elaborated earlier.
This wisdom is the awareness that is acquired
along with direct perception of God.
And it is with such wisdom, such awareness,
that
the dedicated and industrious disciple
of
the Bhagavad Gita will adore Lord Krishn.
This is something of which the Lord is firmly assured.

“Even he will be freed from sins
who just hears it (the Gita) with devoutness
and without any ill will,
and he will secure the worlds of the righteous.”

Even hearing the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita with faith
and
without any carping is enough to elevate one
to
a superior mode of existence,
for
by this too its sacred precepts will be inculcated in the mind.

Lord Krishn has thus said that imparting of the teachings
of
the Bhagavad Gita to the deserving is as vital as
withholding them
from
the undeserving.
Since even hearing the secret teaching of the Bhagavad Gita motivates
the worshiper to the required endeavor,
the one who just hears it will also surely attain to Lord Krishn.

As for the one who propagates the scripture,
no one else is dearer to the Lord than this man.
The man who studies the Bhagavad Gita worships Lord Krishn
by
the yagya of knowledge.

True knowledge is what issues forth from the process called yagya.
In the verses under consideration,
thus,
the Lord has pointed out the benefits of study, dissemination,
and
hearing of the Bhagavad Gita.

~Revered Gurudev Swami Adgadanand Jee Paramhans~
©

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Humble Wishes.
~mrityunjayanand~

The deed to be performed is the same-the ordained action,
the exercise of yagya.
And to gain it there must be self-surrender.

Lord Krishn sings:

“Although engaged in action whole heartedly,
one who finds refuge in me achieves
the everlasting, indestructible, final bliss.”

“Earnestly resigning all your deeds to me,
finding shelter in me, and embracing the yog of knowledge,
you should ever fix your mind on me.”

Arjun is counselled to sincerely yield
all his actions-whatever he is capable of doing-to Lord Krishn,
to rest in his mercy rather than depend upon his own prowess,
to find shelter in him, to adopt the attitude of yog,
and
always bring his mind to bear on him.

Yog means completion, unity, that which brings griefs to an end
and
provides access to God.
Its mode, too, is a unity, the exercise of yagya which is founded
on
restraint of the attacking impulses of the mind and the senses,
the regulation of the incoming and outgoing breath,
and
on meditation.
Its outcome, also, is with the eternal God.
The same is elaborated in the next verse.

“Ever resting on me, you will be saved from all afflictions
and gain deliverance, but you shall be destroyed if out of arrogance
you do not pay heed to my words .”

Thus always focusing his mind on Lord Krishn,
Arjun will conquer the citadels of the mind and the senses.

As Goswami Tulsidas has put it,
even celestial beings seated at the portals of these forts
obstinately keep the shutters ajar
as
the breezes of carnal pleasure blow in.

The mind and the senses at the core are the impregnable redoubts.
But Arjun can storm them by aiming his thoughts at God alone.
On the other hand, however, he shall be undone and deprived
of
the ultimate good if out of vanity he does not pay heed
to
Lord Krishn’s words.
The point is reaffirmed.

“Your egotistic resolve not to fight is surely mistaken,
for your nature will compel you to take up arms in the war.”

“Bound by your natural calling even against your resolve,
O son of Kunti, you will have to undertake the deed
you are reluctant to do because of your self-deception.”

His innate disinclination to retreat from the battle with nature
will
compel Arjun to set upon the task before him.

Lord Krishn next speaks on the dwelling of God.

“Propelling all living things that bestride a body-which is but
a contrivance-by his maya, O Arjun,
God abides in the hearts of all beings.”

But if God lives in our hearts and is so close to us,
why are we ignorant of his presence?

This is so because the contraptions we call body
are
driven by the power of maya,
the universal ignorance or illusion by virtue of which
we consider the unreal universe as real
and
distinct from the Supreme Spirit.
So this physical mechanism is a grave impediment
and
it takes us round endlessly through one birth after another.

Where, then, can we find shelter or refuge?

“Seek refuge with all your heart, O Bharat,
in that God by whose grace you will attain to repose
and the everlasting, ultimate bliss.”

So if we have to meditate,
we should do it within the realm of the heart.
The heart is the true abode of God.
Although God is all-pervading,
he is realized only by meditation in the realm of heart.

Lord Krishn adds:

“Thus have I imparted to you the knowledge
which is the most mysterious of all abstruse learning;
so reflect well on the whole of it and then
you may do as you wish.”

The wisdom that Lord Krishn has accorded is the truth;
it marks the sphere where the seeker has to make his quest;
and
it is also the point of attainment.
Yet the harsh fact is that God is commonly not perceptible.
Lord Krishn now deliberates upon the way out of this difficulty.

“Listen yet again to my most secret words,
indeed felicitous, that I am going to speak to you
because you are the dearest to me.”

Lord Krishn endeavours once more to enlighten Arjun.
God always stands by the seeker, f
or he is so dear to him.
Arjun is beloved of Lord Krishn
and
any benediction that the Lord bestows upon him cannot be too much.
He will incessantly exert himself for the sake of his devotee.

Lord Krishn sings:

“I give you my sincere pledge,
because you are so dear to me,
that you must attain to me if you keep me in mind,
adore me, worship me, and bow in obeisance to me.”

Arjun was exhorted earlier to seek refuge in the God
that dwells in the realm of the heart.
And now he is prompted to find shelter under Lord Krishn.
He is also told that in order to find this sanctuary
he has to listen again to the Lord’s most esoteric words.

Doesn’t Lord Krishn intend to communicate by this
that
finding shelter under a noble teacher-preceptor is indispensable
for
the seeker who has taken to the spiritual path?

~Revered Gurudev Swami Adgadanand Jee Paramhans~
©

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Humble Wishes.
~mrityunjayanand~

“Renunciation” is, as we have seen,
complete self-abnegation.
It is the condition in which the seeker abandons whatever he has
and
only then does he reach the point when no further action is needed.

Lord Krishn sings:

“He whose intellect is aloof all round,
who is without desire, and who has conquered his mind,
attains to the ultimate state that transcends
all action through renunciation.”

“Renunciation” and “attainment of the supreme state of actionlessness”
are
synonymous here.
The yogi who has reached the state of actionlessness
attains
to
the Supreme Being.

“Learn in brief from me, O son of Kunti,
of how one who is immaculate achieves
realization of the Supreme Being,
which
represents the culmination of knowledge.”

“Blessed with a pure intellect, firmly in command of the Self,
with objects of sensual gratification like sound forsaken,
with both fondness and revulsion destroyed,-“

“Dwelling in seclusion, eating frugally,
subdued in mind, speech and body,
incessantly given to the yog of meditation, firmly resigned,-’’

“Giving up conceit, arrogance of power,
yearning, ill humour, and acquisitiveness, devoid of attachment,
and
in possession of a mind at repose,
a man is worthy
of
becoming one with God.”

Lord Krishn adds:

“In this serene-tempered man,
who views all beings equally,
who abides intently in the Supreme Being,
neither grieving over nor hankering after anything,
there is fostered a faith in me that transcends all else.”

Now faith is at the stage where an outcome can ensue from it,
namely,
in the form of God-realization.

“Through his transcendental faith he knows my essence well,
what my reach is, and having thus known my essence
he is at once united with me.”

The Supreme Being is perceived at the moment of attainment and,
no sooner has this perception come about than
the worshiper finds his own Soul blessed with the attributes of God himself: that his soul is-like God-indestructible,
immortal, eternal, ineffable, and universal.

Lord Krishn said in Chapter 2
that
the Self is real, eternal, permanent, ineffable, and
of
the stuff of immortality.
But only seers have apprehended him endowed with these qualities.

So naturally the question arises as to what is meant
by
perception of the essence?

There are many who set out to make rational tabulations
of
five or twenty-five principles.
But Lord Krishn’s verdict on the problem is quite clear,
that God is the one supreme essence.
And one who knows him is the seer.
If you desire to know the truth and crave for the essence of God,
contemplation and worship are an inescapable necessity.

Here, Yogeshwar Krishn has laid down explicitly
that
one has to act in the way of renunciation, too.
As promised by him, he will expound in brief
how through constant
exercise of renunciation-through the Way of Knowledge-the worshiper who is free from desire and attachment,
and
who has an upright mind,
attains to the supreme state of actionlessness.

When the maladies of vanity, brute power, lust, wrath, arrogance,
and
infatuation-that force one down
into the ravines of nature-are rendered feeble,
and
virtues such as discernment, non-attachment,
self-restraint, firmness of will,
abiding in solitude, and meditation-that lead one to God-are fully developed and
active,
the seeker is equipped to be united with the Supreme Being.

It is this ability that is called transcendental faith
and
it is by this that the worshiper comes to apprehend the ultimate reality.
He then knows what God is and, knowing his divine glories,
he is at once merged with him.
Putting it differently, Brahm, reality, God, the Supreme Spirit,
and
Self are all substitutes for each other.
Knowing any one of them, we come to know them all.
This is the final accomplishment,
the final liberation, the final goal.

So the Bhagavad Gita is unambiguous in its view
that
in
both the Way of Knowledge or Discernment (or the Way of Renunciation)
and
the Way of Selfless Action,
the ordained deed-meditation-has to be entered upon
and
accomplished for the attainment of the supreme state of actionlessness.

~Revered Gurudev Swami Adgadanand Jee Paramhans~
©

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Humble Wishes.
~mrityunjayanand~

The conduct that takes one to God is worship, which commences in faith in the desired end. So meditation on the Supreme Being is the one true action that Lord Krishn has-divided into four steps in his system of varn.

Lord Krishn sings:

“The duties of Brahmin, Kshatriy, Vaishy,
as also of Shudr are determined by properties
that are born out of their nature.”

If a man’s nature is made up of the property of goodness, there is inner purity along with the ability to meditate and worship. If the dominating property is that of ignorance, lethargy, sleep, and insanity are the outcome, and the attempted action is at their level. The capacity of one’s natural property is his varn-his character. Similarly, a partial combination of goodness and passion constitutes the Kshatriy class, whereas a partial combination of the property of ignorance and that of passion constitutes the Vaishy class.

Lord Krishn named Kshatriy in Chapter 2 of Bhagavad Gita and said that “there is nothing more propitious for a Kshatriy than a righteous war.”(verse 31)

In Chapter 3 he said that although inferior in merit, one’s own natural calling (dharm) is the best and even meeting with death while upholding it results in good, whereas an obligation other than one’s own, even though well observed, generates nothing but dread.(verse 35)

In Chapter 4, then, he indicated that he is the creator of the four classes.
(verse 13)

Does he mean by this that he has divided men into four rigid castes determined by birth?

His answer to the question is an emphatic no, and he asserts that he has but divided action into four categories according to their inherent properties. The innate property of a being or object is a measure-a yardstick.

So the division of mankind into four varn is only a division of the one and same action into four stages according to the motivating properties.

In Lord Krishn’s words, action is the mode of attaining to the one, inexpressible God. Now, how are we to know to which property and stage we belong? This is what Lord Krishn turns to in the following verses.

“Self-restraint, subduing of the senses, innocence,
continence, mercy, uprightness, piety, true knowledge,
and direct perception of divinity are the Brahmins
province-born out of his nature.”

Restraining the mind, curbing the senses, flawless purity, mortification of mind, speech, and body to mould them in tune with the cherished goal, forgiveness, all-pervading righteousness, staunch faith in the one aimed at goal, consciousness of the Supreme Being, the awakening in the realm of the heart of the exhortations coming from God, and the ability to act according to them-are all a Brahmin ‘s obligations that arise from his own nature. It might be said, therefore, that the seeker is a Brahmin when all these merits are present in him and the commenced action is an integral part of his nature.

“Valour, majesty, dexterity, unwillingness to retreat in battle,
charity, and sovereignty are the natural province of a Kshatriy.”

Bravery, achievement of divine glory, forbearance, competence in meditation-skill in action, disinclination to run away from struggle with the material world, relinquishment of all, and domination of all feelings by feeling for the Supreme Being-are all activities born out of the nature of a Kshatriy.

“Farming, protection of cows (the senses)
and commerce are the natural province of a Vaishy,
whereas rendering service is the natural calling of a Shudr.”

Agriculture, rearing of cattle, and commerce are duties in keeping with the nature of a Vaishy. Why only preservation of cows? Should we slaughter buffaloes? Is it wrong to keep goats? There is nothing at all like all this. In the ancient Vedic text, the word “go” (cow) was used to refer to the senses.

So protection of “cows” means care of the senses. The senses are protected by discernment, non-attachment, restraint, and steadfastness. They are, on the other hand, riven and rendered feeble by lust, wrath, avarice, and attachment. Spiritual acquisition is the only true wealth. This is our one true asset and once it has been earned, it stays on with us forever.

Gradual amassing of this wealth in the course of our struggle with the world of matter or nature is trade. The acquisition of knowledge, which is the most precious of all riches, is commerce.

And what is farming?

The body is like a piece of earth. The seeds which are sown in it sprout in the form of sanskar-the merits of action: the force that is built up by all the actions in previous lives. Arjun is told that the seed (the initial impulse) of selfless action is never destroyed. Vaishy is the third step of the ordained action- of contemplation of the Supreme Being; and preservation of the seeds of divine meditation that are sown in this patch of earth-the body, while at the same time opposing hostile impulses, is agriculture.

As Goswami Tulsidas has said, whereas the wise husbandsman farms well and with care, they who are of deficient wisdom are insensible and arrogant. To protect the senses thus, to store spiritual wealth amidst the skirmishes of nature, and to always strengthen contemplation of the ultimate essence are the province of Vaishy.

According to Lord Krishn, the omnipresent God is the final outcome of yagya. The devout souls who partake of this fruit are emancipated from all sins and it is the seeds of this action that are sown by the meditative process. To protect this germ is true husbandry. In Vedic writings food means the Supreme Spirit. God is the only real sustenance-the food. The Soul is fully placated at the completion of the exercise of contemplation and never again knows any craving. Once the exercise has been brought to successful conclusion, the Soul is freed from the cycle of birth and death. To go ahead sowing the seeds of this food is true husbandry.

To serve those who have attained to a higher spiritual status, revered men of accomplishment, is the duty of Shudr. Rather than meaning “base’’, Shudr means “one with deficient knowledge.” It is the seeker at the lowest stage who is a Shudr. It is but proper that this initiate worshiper should begin his quest with rendering service. Service to men of accomplishment will in the course of time generate nobler impulses in him and he will thus gradually move up to the higher Vaishy, Kshatriy, and Brahmin stages.

And ultimately he will go beyond varn (properties of nature) and become one with God. Character is a dynamic entity. There is change in an individual’s varn along with changes in his character. So, in fact, varn are the four-excellent, good, medium, and low-stages: the four steps, low and high, which seekers who tread the path of action have to climb. This is so because the action in question is only one-the ordained action.

Lord Krishn adds:

“Commitment to his own inborn duty brings man to the ultimate accomplishment and you should listen to me on
how a man achieves perfection through dedication to his innate calling.”

The perfection that is ultimately achieved is realization of God. Lord Krishn told Arjun earlier, too, that he would reach this final goal by engaging in action-the real, prescribed action.

“By adoration of that God, who has created all beings
and who pervades the whole universe,
through undertaking of his natural calling,
man attains to final accomplishment.”

The seeker achieves final consummation through performance of his native duties. It is, therefore, essential that he should constantly keep his mind fixed on God, adore him, and proceed on his way step by step. Instead of making any gain, a junior student even loses whatever he has if he sits in a senior class. So law is that one should climb step by step. It was said by Lord Krishn earlier that yagya, charity, and penance ought to be undertaken after abandonment of attachment and fruits of action. Now, stressing the same point, Lord Krishn says again that even a partially enlightened man ought to begin from the same point: from self-surrender to God.

“Even though unmeritorious, one’s own native calling is superior
to the office of others, for a man carrying out his natural obligation
does not bring sin upon himself.”

Although inferior, one’s own obligation is better than even the well performed duties of others. A man absorbed in performing a task that is determined by his own nature does not incur sin in so far as he is not subjected to the endless cycle of “entrances” and “exits”-of birth and death. It is quite often that worshipers begin to feel disenchanted with the service they are rendering. They look at the more accomplished seekers who are absorbed in meditation and grow envious of the honour that is accorded them because of their merits. So novices at once fall to imitating.

According to Lord Krishn, however, imitation or envy can be of no avail. The final accomplishment is only by dedication to one’s own native calling, not by its abandonment.

“One’s innate duty ought not to be forsaken,
O son of Kunti, even if it is blemished,
because all actions are impaired by some flaw or the other
as fire is shrouded by smoke.”

It is but expected that the actions of the novice seeker are flawed, for their doer is yet far from perfection. But even these actions must not be given up. Moreover, there is no action that is unimpeachable. And action has to be undertaken even by one, who belongs to the Brahmin class. Imperfections-the obscuring pall of nature-are there until there is steady devotion. They come to an end only when the action natural to a Brahmin is dissipated in God.

~Revered Gurudev Swami Adgadanand Jee Paramhans~
©

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Humble Wishes.
~mrityunjayanand~

Lord Krishn sings:

“Listen to me, too, O Dhananjay,
on the threefold classification according to the properties of nature
as I make them exhaustively and respectively,
of intellect, steadfastness, and happiness.”

“That intellect is immaculate, O Parth,
which is aware of the essence,
of the way of inclination as also of renunciation,
of worthy and unworthy action, of fear and fearlessness,
and of bondage and liberation.”

In other words, the righteous, morally good intellect is that which is aware of the distinction between the way that leads to God and the way to recurrent birth and death.

He adds:

“That intellect is of the nature of passion and moral blindness,
O Parth, by which one cannot even know the righteous and the unrighteous
as well as what is worthy or unworthy of being done.”

“That intellect is of the nature of ignorance, O Parth,
which is enveloped in darkness and which apprehends
the sinful as virtuous and views everything in a distorted way.”

Intellect is graded into three kinds. The intellect which is well aware of the action that has to be engaged in and the action that has to be shunned, as well as of that which is fit or unfit to be done, is characterized by moral excellence.

The intellect which has only a dim perception of the righteous and the unrighteous action, and which does not know the truth, is dominated by passion. The perverse intellect that deems the sinful as virtuous, the destructible as eternal, and the inauspicious as auspicious, is shrouded in the gloom of ignorance.

The discussion of intellect is concluded here and Lord Krishn next takes up the three kinds of steadfastness.

“That resolute steadfastness, by which, O Parth,
one governs through the practice of yog operations of the mind,
the life-breaths, and the senses, is immaculate.”

Yog is the process of meditation, whereas the coming into mind of any impulse other than the impulse to such contemplation is moral transgression. Straying of the mind is deviation from the path of virtue. The unwavering resolution with which a man rules over his mind, breath, and senses is, therefore, of the nature of goodness. Directing the mind, the vital breaths, and the senses towards the desired goal is the morally excellent fortitude.

“That steadfastness, O Parth,
by which the avaricious man holds fast and acquisitively to obligations,
wealth, and pleasure, is of the nature of passion and moral blindness.”

Firmness of will in this case is concerned primarily with the discharging of one’s worldly duties, acquisition of wealth, and sensual pleasure, the three primary objects of material life, rather than with final liberation. The final end may be the same, but in this case the seeker aspires to fruits and desires something in return for his labour.

“And that steadfastness, O Parth,
by which the evil-minded man declines to forsake sloth, fear, worry, grief,
and also arrogance, is of the nature of ignorance.”

Lord Krishn next considers the three types of happiness-

“Now listen to me, O the best of Bharat,
on the three kinds of happiness, including the felicity,
which one comes to dwell in, by practice
and thus achieves cessation of griefs.”

That happiness is which the seeker attains to, by spiritual discipline by concentrating his or her mind on the cherished goal and this happiness is therefore a destroyer of griefs.

“That happiness which is at first like poison
but finally tastes like nectar,
for it issues forth from the lucidity of an intellect
that has realized the Self, is of an impeccable nature.”

The happiness that is come by through spiritual exercise, concentration of mind on the desired end, and in which all griefs come to an end, is bitter like venom at the commencement of worship. Prahlad was hanged and Meera was poisoned. Sant Kabir has pointed out the difference between the pleasure-loving world, that feasts and fails into unconscious slumber, and himself who stays awake shedding tears of contrition. But although this happiness is like poison at the outset, at the end it is like nectar that confers the substance of immortality. Such happiness, born out of a clear understanding of the Self, is said to be pure.

“That happiness which springs
from the association of the senses
with their objects, and which is like nectar at the beginning
but like gall at the end, is said to be tainted
with passion and moral blindness.”

The happiness obtained from the contact of the senses with their objects tastes like nectar in the course of enjoyment but like poison at the end, for this kind of happiness leads to repeated birth and death. So such happiness is rightly said to be impassioned and afflicted with moral blindness.

“That happiness which both initially and finally beguile the Self,
and which arises from slumber, lethargy, and negligence, is said to be of the nature of ignorance.”

The happiness which both in the course of indulgence and subsequently, deludes the Soul, lays one unconscious in the dark night of worldly life, and which is born out of indolence and futile efforts, is of the nature of ignorance. Lord Krishn then proceeds to recount the scope of the properties of nature that ever pursue us.

“There is no being, either on earth or among
the dwellers of heaven, who is entirely free
from the three properties born of nature.”

All beings, right from Brahma at the top to worms and insects at the lowest, are transient, mortal, and under the sway of the three properties (Sattwa, rajas and tamas). Even heavenly beings including the various external gods, are subject to the malady of these properties.

Here, Yogeshwar Krishn has taken up the subject of external gods who are influenced by the three properties of nature. Those who worship such gods, in reality worship that which is perishable and impermanent.

In Shreemad Bhagavat, sage Sukra said, that for love between male and female, the Lord Sankara and his consort Parvathi, for sound health the Ashwani Kumars (the celestial physician twins), for victory the Lord Indra (god Lord of heaven) and for material riches, Kuber (god protector of wealth), are to be worshipped. Similarly, talking of various desires at the end, he gave verdict that for fulfillment of all desires and for salvation one should worship the Lord Narayan alone.

Therefore, one should remember the Omnipresent Lord and for such accomplishment the only available means is to take refuge in an accomplished teacher, asking sincere questions and rendering service.

The devilish and divine treasures are two traits of the inner realm, out of which the divine treasures enable one to have the great vision of the Supreme Being, hence they are called divine but yet are within the influence of the three properties of nature. When the three properties of nature are pacified, the seeker too shall experience that absolute peace within. After this, such a realized sage- yogi shall have no more duties that he needs to perform and he will have attained the state of actionlessness.

~Revered Gurudev Swami Adgadanand Jee Paramhans~
©

_/l\_
Humble Wishes.
~mrityunjayanand~