Hari Aum.
This entry follows on from the last one. I'd like to briefly summarise the key points in the first three chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. This is based on the translation and commentary on the Gita by my Guru, Swami Sivananda.
Chapter 1: Arjuna's dilemma
Prince Arjuna, the great warrior, experiences serious doubts and pain while contemplating his duty. He is due to fight a war against his evil cousins, the Kauravas headed by Prince Duryodhana (see previous post). However, this will also mean that he has to kill Bhishma (his great-uncle) and Drona (his warrior-Guru), two people he loves dearly (who by an unfortunate twist of fate have been compelled to fight against him). The thought of killing them fills him with grief and dread. However, if he does not kill them, his evil cousin Duryodhana will rule the Earth and cause much misery to all.
As the battle is about to begin, Arjuna sheds tears of grief and tells his charioteer, Krishna, that he just cannot do it. He effectively develops cold feet and wants to run away. In desperation, he asks Krishna what to do.
Chapter 2: The immortal soul
Arjuna tells Krishna "I am Your disciple, teach me who has taken refuge in You!"
Now begins Krishna's teaching--when the disciple is ready and willing to listen, the Guru arrives to provide the necessary guidance.
Krishna begins by telling Arjuna that he must be courageous. He tells him that human beings are not just made up of bodies, but that their real nature is the immortal soul. The soul that never dies when the body dies. The souls that ever-exists, that is eternal and indestructible in nature.
He tells Arjuna that the spiritually-ignorant soul, identifying with the body, changes bodies life after life just as a person changes their clothes.
However, the self-realised soul who has attained one-ness with God experiences everlasting peace and wisdom and never mistakes themselves for the body.
In order to realise the self, He tells Arjuna that the senses must be controlled. Control of the senses allows meditation and thus, the experience of everlasting peace.
He says that those who are full of sensual desires cannot experience peace. He explains that when an obstacle arises in fulfilling one's desire, one becomes angry. When one becomes angry, one loses one's ability to think clearly, the ability to distinguish right from wrong. As a result, one commits wrong actions which ultimately leads to one's own destruction (as wrong actions produce suffering in accordance with the law of karma). The self-realised sage is free of desires, fear and anger. Such a one is not affected even when s/he experiences misfortune.
He tells Arjuna that he must do his duty and defeat his evil cousins because to protect people from evil is his duty as a warrior. He tells him to do his very best but with a balanced mind, a mind that is not elated by victory nor depressed by defeat. He tells him to think like a yogi, ever-calm, ever-balanced, while putting forth one's best efforts.
He utters the well-known sentence: Karman-yeva-dhi-karaste, ma phaleshu kadachana, Ma karma-phala-hetur-bhur, ma te sangostva-akarmani. The broad meaning of this is: You have the right to work (and you should work) but you should not expect any specific result from your work (the result should be left to God to decide). Basically, He is telling Arjuna to fight with full vigour, and to be equally calm whether he wins or loses the war (do your best and leave the rest to God).
Chapter 3: The importance of selfless action
Arjuna asks Krishna why he cannot give up his duty as a warrior and go in search of spiritual wisdom, to experience his immortal nature as the soul.
Krishna replies saying that each person has a unique duty in this world that must be performed.
Running away from one's duties in life will not help one to attain spiritual wisdom. He says one has to do one's duty and do it the best of one's ability-- but without craving a specific result (one can aim for a certain result, but one should leave it in God's hands as to whether or not this is achieved and remain balanced no matter what the outcome).
He tells Arjuna that, even to keep the body alive, one has to work. So the solution is not to run away from work. Rather, the solution is to work like a yogi-- without craving a result. He tells Arjuna that doing one's duty in this way is actually one of the ways to attain spiritual wisdom-- this is the path of karma yoga, selfless action (which frees one from the bonds of karma and leads to liberation). He mentions the famous sage-king, Janaka, as one example of a person who achieved realisation through this path.
Then, He tells Arjuna, that He Himself is ever engaged in desireless action to set an example to the universe. He declares that, as the Supreme Being, He is not in need of anything from anyone. Yet, He performs action to protect all creation as this would be destroyed otherwise.
He warns Arjuna that sensual/selfish desires, and the resulting anger when these are unfulfilled, prevent a person from engaging in selfless action and in fact, lead one to perform wrong actions. Therefore, He advises Arjuna to conquer desire.
He concludes His teaching on proper action by saying that one should perform one's duties as a form of worship to Him. This will enable one to attain spiritual wisdom. He states that those who do not practice this teaching due to a lack of proper understanding ruin themselves (by not attaining knowledge of their own immortal nature).
To be continued...
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
This entry follows on from the last one. I'd like to briefly summarise the key points in the first three chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. This is based on the translation and commentary on the Gita by my Guru, Swami Sivananda.
Chapter 1: Arjuna's dilemma
Prince Arjuna, the great warrior, experiences serious doubts and pain while contemplating his duty. He is due to fight a war against his evil cousins, the Kauravas headed by Prince Duryodhana (see previous post). However, this will also mean that he has to kill Bhishma (his great-uncle) and Drona (his warrior-Guru), two people he loves dearly (who by an unfortunate twist of fate have been compelled to fight against him). The thought of killing them fills him with grief and dread. However, if he does not kill them, his evil cousin Duryodhana will rule the Earth and cause much misery to all.
As the battle is about to begin, Arjuna sheds tears of grief and tells his charioteer, Krishna, that he just cannot do it. He effectively develops cold feet and wants to run away. In desperation, he asks Krishna what to do.
Chapter 2: The immortal soul
Arjuna tells Krishna "I am Your disciple, teach me who has taken refuge in You!"
Now begins Krishna's teaching--when the disciple is ready and willing to listen, the Guru arrives to provide the necessary guidance.
Krishna begins by telling Arjuna that he must be courageous. He tells him that human beings are not just made up of bodies, but that their real nature is the immortal soul. The soul that never dies when the body dies. The souls that ever-exists, that is eternal and indestructible in nature.
He tells Arjuna that the spiritually-ignorant soul, identifying with the body, changes bodies life after life just as a person changes their clothes.
However, the self-realised soul who has attained one-ness with God experiences everlasting peace and wisdom and never mistakes themselves for the body.
In order to realise the self, He tells Arjuna that the senses must be controlled. Control of the senses allows meditation and thus, the experience of everlasting peace.
He says that those who are full of sensual desires cannot experience peace. He explains that when an obstacle arises in fulfilling one's desire, one becomes angry. When one becomes angry, one loses one's ability to think clearly, the ability to distinguish right from wrong. As a result, one commits wrong actions which ultimately leads to one's own destruction (as wrong actions produce suffering in accordance with the law of karma). The self-realised sage is free of desires, fear and anger. Such a one is not affected even when s/he experiences misfortune.
He tells Arjuna that he must do his duty and defeat his evil cousins because to protect people from evil is his duty as a warrior. He tells him to do his very best but with a balanced mind, a mind that is not elated by victory nor depressed by defeat. He tells him to think like a yogi, ever-calm, ever-balanced, while putting forth one's best efforts.
He utters the well-known sentence: Karman-yeva-dhi-karaste, ma phaleshu kadachana, Ma karma-phala-hetur-bhur, ma te sangostva-akarmani. The broad meaning of this is: You have the right to work (and you should work) but you should not expect any specific result from your work (the result should be left to God to decide). Basically, He is telling Arjuna to fight with full vigour, and to be equally calm whether he wins or loses the war (do your best and leave the rest to God).
Chapter 3: The importance of selfless action
Arjuna asks Krishna why he cannot give up his duty as a warrior and go in search of spiritual wisdom, to experience his immortal nature as the soul.
Krishna replies saying that each person has a unique duty in this world that must be performed.
Running away from one's duties in life will not help one to attain spiritual wisdom. He says one has to do one's duty and do it the best of one's ability-- but without craving a specific result (one can aim for a certain result, but one should leave it in God's hands as to whether or not this is achieved and remain balanced no matter what the outcome).
He tells Arjuna that, even to keep the body alive, one has to work. So the solution is not to run away from work. Rather, the solution is to work like a yogi-- without craving a result. He tells Arjuna that doing one's duty in this way is actually one of the ways to attain spiritual wisdom-- this is the path of karma yoga, selfless action (which frees one from the bonds of karma and leads to liberation). He mentions the famous sage-king, Janaka, as one example of a person who achieved realisation through this path.
Then, He tells Arjuna, that He Himself is ever engaged in desireless action to set an example to the universe. He declares that, as the Supreme Being, He is not in need of anything from anyone. Yet, He performs action to protect all creation as this would be destroyed otherwise.
He warns Arjuna that sensual/selfish desires, and the resulting anger when these are unfulfilled, prevent a person from engaging in selfless action and in fact, lead one to perform wrong actions. Therefore, He advises Arjuna to conquer desire.
He concludes His teaching on proper action by saying that one should perform one's duties as a form of worship to Him. This will enable one to attain spiritual wisdom. He states that those who do not practice this teaching due to a lack of proper understanding ruin themselves (by not attaining knowledge of their own immortal nature).
To be continued...
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
