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.

 

 

 

GITA AT A GLANCE – CHAPTER 3

GITA AT A GLANCE – CHAPTER 3

 

In this chapter, Bhagavan Sri Krishna explains the importance of karma yoga.

When Bhagavan Sri Krishna explained the nature of Atma to Sri Arjuna, a doubt raised in the mind of Arjuna.  He asked Bhagavan that so far you explained the importance and the nature of Atma, you say that one has to control the senses and restrain from sense objects and one has to do the karma without expecting results; if the senses have to be controlled and attain Atma jnana and one should not expect the result, then why am I to fight this war?  I am confused by your speech Krishna said Arjuna.   If knowledge is superior to action, then why do you ask me to engage in this terrible action questioned Arjuna.

Bhagavan replies that, in this world there are two paths to attain the supreme

  1. Path of knowledge of the jnanis (Atma jnana)
  2. Path of karma of the yogis (karma yogis)

A person performs action physically and by mind.  Merely restraining the physical action will not make a person actionless nor does merely renouncing physically make a person perfect.  The mind is more important than the physical activity.    By nature, everyone is born to act either physically or mentally.  No one can remain actionless unless one trains the mind.

A deluded person does not perform any action physically but his mind is also involved and attached to the result of the action.  He will be dreaming about the sense objects.  However, a karma yogi performs actions by the organs of action and at the same time his mind is under his control.  He performs action without any attachment.

Action is superior than inaction and so one has to do their duty without any attachment.  Doing sacrifice (yagnas) is one of the duties because the creator created mankind together with sacrifice.  Man has to nourish the gods and the gods give back in return.  One is not ordained to enjoy anything without giving to gods.  Thus, man is freed from sins.  If one rejoices in the senses without giving to gods is a sinful person because that is how the wheel of action is set.

However, if a person rejoices in the self, satisfied with the self and content in the self has no action to perform, because Atma is supreme.  A Atma jnani is not dependent on anything or any object.  Therefore, Bhagavan Krishna asks Arjuna to perform action without expectation or attachment and by that way one can understand the supreme.  If one performs action without attachment, that is, doing action for the sake of the Lord, then by the purity of heart one attains self-realization.  Many Rishis have attained the Supreme by the purity of action.

Bhagavan says that, there is no action in the three worlds that should be done by me nor there is anything unattained to be attained by me, but still, I perform action; only for the reason if I do not perform any action then the others will follow it and this world will perish.  A wise man should not disturb the beliefs of an ignorant man.  Instead, he must set an example for the world to follow.

An ignorant think that ‘I am the doer’ but all the while it is the body, mind, senses and nature (prakriti) is doing the action.  Bhagavan says that ‘perform the actions for the sake of me and be centered in self -realization.  Do not take the success and failure as personal.  One must do their own duty, instead of doing the duty of others for merit or benefits.

Bhagavan says that we all have knowledge but it is enveloped by desires.  Desire leads to anger and it destroys every knowledge.  The seat of the desire is the mind, intellect and the senses.

Senses are superior; superior to the senses is the mind; superior to the mind is the intellect; superior to the intellect is the Self (Atma).  So, one has to restrain the Self by the Self and for that the desires have to be controlled.

 

GITA AT A GLANCE – CHAPTER 2

 

Chapter two and chapter eighteen are considered as big chapters in Bhagavad Gita.  Chapter two has seventy-two slokas.  This chapter is considered as the essence of Bhagavad Gita.  Bhagavan Sri Krishna begins his advice from this chapter.  In this chapter He explains the nature of the Atma and the nature of the Yogi.

In chapter one, we are able to see the dejected mind of Sri Arjuna.  Sri Arjuna said to Bhagavan Krishna that he does not feel that it is right to fight against his guru, relative and friends in the battle.  He said that he does not want to enjoy the kingdom that has the stain of blood of his near and dear ones and saying thus he put his Gandiva down and sat in his chariot.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna saw the dejected state of Arjuna.  Bhagavan understood that in spite of so much talent, skill and practice, Arjuna lacks the inner strength due to the absence of knowledge.  Arjuna is physically strong but mentally weak and understood that only knowledge can rescue him from this situation.

When a person’s mind is weakened by emotions, then his skill, talent, practice, status or money will be of no use to him.  only devotion to God can rescue him from trying situations.  It will help him to implement knowledge.  We all face similar situations like the situation of Arjuna in our life.

Sri Arjuna again requested Bhagavan to show him the right path and said that he takes refuge in Him.

Bhagavan begins His advice from the eleventh sloka.  Actually, the core of Bhagavad Gita begins from Chapter two, sloka eleven.

Bhagavan says that,” Arjuna you grieve for those who should not be grieved for; you pretend to be wise but you are not; the wise grieve not for the dead or for the living” Bhagavan speaks about the immortal nature of the Atma.  He says that “Myself, you or the soldiers who are here never die.  Only the body dies and not the Atma.  The Atma as the embodied soul (Jiva) resides in the body.  The body perishes by time, but the soul is immortal.  When the body perishes by time, the Jiva (soul) takes another body.  The Jiva or Self is imperishable (avyaya), indestructible (Avinashi), and immeasurable (Aprameya).  If it is unreal, then it will not exist.  If it is real, then it never ceases to exist.  The Self is all-pervading, immortal, changeless, and ancient.  It always exists.  The Jiva or the Self cannot be killed nor it can kill anyone.  One who thinks the other way is a deluded person.  Weapons do not cut it, water does not wet it, nor the wind can dry it.  Just as the man casts off the worn off clothes and put on new clothes, this Jiva casts off the old body and assumes a new body and that is the birth of the body.   So why do you grieve Arjuna; are you grieving for the worn off body of your guru and relatives, which is made of matter?” questioned Bhagavan Krishna.

Furthermore, Bhagavan says that whatever is born is bound to die by the inevitable action of the prakriti.  So, why do you cry for something that is inevitable.  Bhagavan tells to Arjuna to shed off all the unnecessary thoughts, because the unnecessary thoughts delude the mind.  Furthermore, the duty of a kshatriya is to fight the war; if he fails to do his duty, then the future generations will blame and curse him for failing to do the duty.  Bhagavan says that if he wins the war then he can rule the land, if not he can enjoy the heaven; if he fails to do the duty then sin will incur him.

Bhagavan tells the essence of karma yoga in sloka forty-seven and it is a very famous sloka

“Karmanyevadhikarasya ma phaleshu kadhachana

Ma karmaphala hetur bhuma te sango’stvakarmani”

‘One has the right to do the action; the result should not be their motive; at the same time, one must not be attached to inaction also’.  When our mind is fixed in the expectation of the result of a karma, we cannot completely devote our mind to do the action.  Moreover, many factors influence the result of a karma.  So, we cannot decide the result.  If we completely devote our energy in doing the action then the result will follow.  One should not perform an action reluctantly. At the same time, one should not engage in inaction also; it will make the mind dull.  If we attach our mind to the result of the karma, then we have to take birth to experience the result of that karma.  One must have an evenness of mind in both success and failure.  One must perform the action with full devotion and at the same time should not focus on the result alone.  Such a person is called a karma yogi.  Evenness of mind is called yoga.  A karma yogi is qualified for self-realization.

Arjuna asks Bhagavan that how does a man of steady wisdom and evenness of mind behave in this materialistic world.

Bhagavan answers that a man of steady wisdom and evenness of mind is satisfied ‘In the self by the self’    “Atmanyeva atmana tushtaha:”

His mind always remains peaceful and not shaken by the adversities of nature or by the dualities of nature.  He neither rejoices nor hates anything.  It does not mean that he is passive; passiveness is a negative quality.  But a yogi rejoices in his Self and he needs nothing external for his satisfaction.  He very well understands the temporary nature of the world and rejoices in himself.  He withdraws the senses from the sense organs and establishes in his Self.

When the senses are not under the control of the mind, the mind attaches with the objects; from it arises desire, which leads to anger.  Anger results in delusion and it give memory loss; which results in destruction of discrimination.  With the destruction of discrimination perishes that person.  However, a man of steady wisdom surpasses all these and attains peace and tranquillity.  Only a peaceful mind can attain knowledge, which leads to self-realization.  Whatever a worldly man see as precious is ignored by a yogi and whatever a yogi rejoices cannot be understood by a common man.  A man of wisdom remains unmoved in all circumstances and gradually he attains oneness with Brahman.  Bhagavan Sri Krishna ends this chapter two with this message.

 

GITA AT A GLANCE – INTRODUCTION & CHAPTER 1

In this series of articles, I would like to share with you the essence of each chapter of Bhagavad Gita.

This series of articles is mainly written for the devotees of Bhagavan who may not have enough time or conducive atmosphere to study Bhagavad Gita in detail in their busy scheduled life.  If this series of articles benefit them, then I consider it as a great puniya for myself.

INTRODUCTION

Bhagavad Gita comes in the Bhishma parva of Mahabharata.

The eldest son of the Kauravas, Dhritarashtara, was blind.  Therefore, the power to rule Hastinapura kingdom went to his younger brother Pandu.  After Pandu’s death it is customary that the kingdom should come to the children of pandu.  But due to circumstances, Dritharastara was made the king and when the pandu’s children, the Pandavas returned from the forest, King Dritarashtara refused to give back the kingdom and he wanted his son Duryodhana to rule the kingdom.

This injustice was opposed by Bhagavan Krishna who was the relative of both Pandavas and Kauravas, but very close to Pandavas because they followed dharma.   The Kauravas did injustice to Pandavas in many ways and refused to give back the kingdom.  Bhagavan Krishna went as a messenger of Pandavas to the Hastinapura Kingdom and requested King Dhritarashtara to give the ancestral property back to the Pandavas.  However, King Dhritarashtara refused not only to give back the kingdom, but also refused to give even a piece of land to the Pandavas. When all the dialogues failed situation demanded a battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas to decide the ruler of Hastinapura.

Bhagavan Krishna stood with the Pandavas and he became the charioteer of Arjuna in the battle field.  Arjuna was extremely talented and skilled but his knowledge was covered by ignorance.  In the battle field Bhagavan Krishna removed his ignorance with the hymn of knowledge – Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita has seven hundred slokas, divided in to eighteen chapters.  Five hundred and seventy-two slokas were spoken by Bhagavan Krishna and the rest are the slokas spoken by Arjuna and Sanjaya.

Ved Vyasa gave a unique power to Sanjaya, the charioteer of Dhritarashtara, to see the happenings in the battlefield and report the same to the blind king.  On the tenth day of the battle, Bhishmacharya, the commander of the Kauravas, and the great grandfather of Arjuna was defeated by Arjuna.  Arjuna and Bhishmacharya were so close to each other; King Dhritarashtara questioned the mental strength of Arjuna to defeat Bhishmaacharya.  He asked Sanjaya, that what gave Arjuna the power to defeat Bhishmapithaamaha.  Sanjaya said that the advice given by Bhagavan Krishna in the battle field at the commencement of the battle changed the mind of Arjuna; and Sanjaya begins to retell Bhagavad Gita on the tenth day of the battle.  This the back drop of Bhagavad Gita.

CHAPTER 1

Bhagavad Gita begins not with the words of Bhagavan Krishna or Arjuna, but with the words of Dhritarashtara.  It was the question of Dhritarashtara as a father and not as a King about the happenings in the battle field. Chapter 1 has forty-seven slokas and it explains the armies arrayed in the battle field and the depressed mind of Arjuna.

When Arjuna entered the battle field in the chariot driven by Bhagavan Krishna, he was shocked to see his near and dear ones ready to fight for a piece of land.  The army of the Pandavas was arrayed under the leadership of Dhrishtadyumna, and the Kauravas under the leadership of Bhishma.  The conches were blown as a mark of the commencement of the battle.  Bhagavan Krishna blew his Panchajanya and Bhishma his Devadutta.  Flowing them many blew their conches and the sound pierced the sky.  Seeing the men arrayed in Dhritarashtara’s side ready to discharge weapons to kill him and his brothers and realizing whom and all he has to kill to get back power and rulership, the mind of Arjuna oscillated.

Arjuna asked Bhagavan Krishna to place the chariot in the middle of the battle field so that he can see clearly who are all are desirous to fight with him and to know with whom he must fight.  As requested, Bhagavan Krishna placed the chariot in the middle of the two armies – in front of Bhishma and Drona, and the great rulers on the Earth.  Arjuna saw fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and once dear friends arrayed ready to kill him.  They all turned hostile for a piece of land.  Arjuna spoke to Bhagavan Krishna in words sorrowfully –‘My limbs fail and my mouth is parched, my body quivers, my Gandiva (bow) slips from my hand.  I do not see any good in killing my kinsmen in battle; I see no victory, kingdom or pleasure; I do not wish to kill my relatives or friends or teachers for power, though they wish to kill me.  If I kill the sons of my uncle only sin will accrue me.  They may be interested in killing me, but not me.  If I kill the men in battle, their families will perish.  It is not dharma to destroy a family.  They will suffer in many ways.  We are involved in a sin for the greed of a kingdom.  If they want to kill me, I am happy to die but I will not slay them in the battle’  Having said this Arjuna sat on the seat of the chariot with his mind overwhelmed with sorrow.

The reply of Bhagavan Krishna to the dejection of mind of Arjuna is the entire Bhagavad Gita.

Let us see the reply of Bhagavan Krishna in the next article.

 

THE ASURI SAMPAT

THE ASURI SAMPAT

The asuri sampat are the demonical values.  The demonical values are explained in the sixteenth chapter of Bhagavad Gita.  A person who has dominant Rajo guna or tamo guna will have this nature.  A person who has dominant sattva guna will have the daivi sampat (vide previous articles).  In Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan has given few asuri sampat, which we will see in this article.

1.Dambha

Dhambha is hypocrisy.  It is to pretend to be what one is not.  Pretend to be righteous, rich, educated, religious, high status etc.  These are some of the dhambha people normally like to exhibit.  Pretending to be religious or spiritual is the worst kind of hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy is a mixture of deceit and falsehood. People pretend to be someone only to receive benefits from the society and to be respected by all.  They boost false merits but in return they get only demerits.

2. Darpa

Darpa is arrogance.  People give so much value to what they have.  They identify too much with their external characters.  They forget their divine nature and think that they are what they have as mere qualification.  People identify too much with their learning, wealth, property, beauty etc and they have pride over it and it leads to arrogance. 

3. Parushyam (in speech)

Parushyam is speaking exactly the opposite to what one possess.  Boosting a poor man as a rich one, an illiterate as highly educated etc.  it is usually done with an ulterior, selfish or evil motive.  It is just pretending as an educated man and involving in robbery or cheating others.  It is very common in the present time.

4. Ajnanam

Ajnanam is ignorance.  Ignorant of what to do and what not to do.  There is absence of discrimination.  They do not know what is the right path.  Worse is they assume the wrong path as right.  They are not sure about what is real and unreal, good and evil, virtue and vice.  They misunderstand everything.  They are drowned in misconceptions.  They do not even accept other’s right view.  They will not be able to take right decisions at the right time.  They will always depend on others for decisions making. 

5. Abhimanam

Abhimanam is thinking too high about their own merits and not recognizing others merits.  They identify too much with their merits.  They expect others to praise them and talk about their greatness.  If not, they themselves will talk about their own glory.  They forget the fact that each one has their own glory.  Taking too much pride with their own merits and always identifying with their own merits is abhimanam.

6. Krodha:

Krodha is anger.  If a person identifies with their own merits and if others do not recognize them in the same way, then they get anger.  Apart from that, arrogance, jealousness, expectation all these too leads to anger.  By krodha, the mind and bhuddhi are deluded.  They hastily take wrong decisions and easily gets confused.  Sometimes, krodha leads to complete destruction.  Krodha gets manifested itself when one gets something unpleasant and when he comes across something disagreeable.

7. Ahamkara

Ahamkara is identifying themselves with their own body and mind.  It is the outcome of ignorance.  They think too great of the qualities they posses and for those which they falsely superimpose on themselves.  They expect others to respect their qualities and often demand very high price.

These are some of the asuri sampat (demonical values) given in the sixteenth chapter of Bhagavad Gita.  A person who has asuri nature cannot lead a peaceful life and cannot travel in the spiritual path successfully.