Advaitam and Science

OM, Purnamata purnamitam purnat purnamutachyate, purnasya purnamataye purnamevavasishyate – Bri.Up V.i.1

GITA AT A GLANCE – CHAPTER 4

This chapter explains the importance of Atma vidya.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna says that he has taught the Atma vidya to Vivaswan (the sun God) in the ancient time; Viwasvan taught this to Manu and Manu taught this to Ikshvaku and like this it was passed on generation after generation by eminent gurus.  Bhagavan Krishna clearly tells us the line of this imperishable knowledge.   But a doubt arose in the mind of Arjuna.  He asked Bhagavan how come that it is possible Krishna, you were born in this generation and how come you taught this knowledge to Vivaswan in the ancient time, probably in the beginning of the creation? As the answer Bhagavan says that, many births for mine as well as of you have passed on Arjuna, I know them all, but you do not know them.  Bhagavan says, even though I am of imperishable nature and the Lord of all beings, governing my own nature I am born by my own Maya.  And here comes the very famous slokas,

“Yada yada hi dharmasya, glanirbhavati Bharata

Abhyudthanam adharmasya tathaatmanam srujamyaham’’

“Whenever there is decline of righteousness, O Arjunna and rise of unrighteousness, then I manifest myself”

“paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya ca dushkrutam

Dharmasamsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge”

“For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age”

Next important point in this chapter is Bhagavan tells about the caste system.  It is different from the caste system which we practice now.  Bhagavan has created the caste system based on the guna and karma.  A person performs karma based on his guna and who all performs a similar karma is identified as a community.  It is purely based on guna and interest and not based on the birth in a particular community.

Karma is inevitable in this materialistic world.  All have to perform karma including Bhagavan, and so he did karma with out any expectation and also advise us to do the same.  To perform an action both mind and body has to be involved.  We normally see the physical action and do not see the mental action. If a person performs an action without the notion in the mind that ‘I am the doer’ then it is seen as INACTION IN ACTION.  Even though he performs an action he is considered as a non-doer of action, because he does not have the egoistic feeling and thinks that everything is done by nature and I am the witness.  At the same time if a person sits idle, without doing any action but at the same time manipulating and thinking of many things, and has the notion that ‘I am the doer’ then it is seen as ACTION IN INACTION.  Bhagavan says that action of the mind is the real action.  Only the action of the mind binds us and not the mere physical action.  One has to identify with the self and be a witness to one’s own actions.  When a person identifies with the Self and remain as witness for all actions then he is at peace and lead a content life.  He is not a bound person and no sin will incur him.

The next sloka in this chapter sloka 24 describes the jnana yajna

“Brahmaarpanam Brahmahavirbrahmaagnow Brahmanaahutam

Brahaiva tena gantavyam Brahmakarmasamaadhina”

‘Brahman is the oblation, Brahman is the ghee, by Brahman is the oblation poured in to the fire of Brahman, Brahman shall be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action’

A jnani identifies everything with Brahman.  A jnani feels that there is no existence apart from Brahman and for him all his actions are sacrifice to Brahman.  There are many sacrifices; among them the wisdom sacrifice is the ultimate.

A person of wisdom will see everything in him as well as himself in everything. He sees no separation or difference in anything and with himself too.  There is no other best purifier in this world than the knowledge.  Bhagavan in this chapter hails the Atma vidya and advises us to perform action for the sake of action and cut the ignorance with the sword of knowledge.

 

 

 

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