Krishna:
Again, please, Arjuna, listen to my words of great importance,which I am telling you because you like to hear ME, and because I wish your well-being.
Neither the gods, nor the great Seers know MY origins. I am the the origin of the gods and the seers.
Among men, he, who, not deceived by maya, knows ME as the unborn beginning-less Lord of all the worlds, will be freed from all sins.
The various kinds of mental states found among beings, intelligence,knowledge, clarity of mind, patience, truth, mastery of body and mind,pleasure, pain, birth , death, fear, courage, nonviolence, equality,contentment, penance, generousness, fame, notoriety, are all derived from ME.
The ancient seven Maharshis and the four Manus, are MY mental manifestations; all this creation is their progeny.
When he who knows truly this greatness and power of MINE, his yoga will be unshakable, no doubt about it.
Wise men worship ME with devotion, knowing that I am the source of all things and that all things proceed from ME. They enjoy themselves, happily thinking of ME, all senses centred on ME, and talking about ME among themselves.
To those who, thus always devoted, worship ME with pleasure, I impart the knowledge by which they could come to ME. In compassion to them. I dispel the darkness of their ignorance by the bright light of knowledge.
Arjuna:
You are the supreme brahma, the supreme abode, the holiest of holies;and all the seers, Narada the godly saint, Asitha, Devala and Vyasahave all described you as the one eternal person, resplendent first god, all-pervading , without birth.
You yourself tell me so.I believe all this you tell me. Nobody, not the devas not the asuras,know your real nature. Only You know you completely, supreme Person,the creator and lord of all beings, god of all gods, and master of the worlds.
Please tell me all your divine powers in full, by means of which you spread yourself through all these worlds.
O master of yoga, how may I, constantly thinking about you, know you? In what forms should I think of you, lord? Please tell me again in detail all your yogic powers, Krishna. I am never satisfied,hearing your invigorating words.
Krishna:
Ah! I will tell you the most important of all MY divine powers,there is no limit if I narrate all.I am the Soul abiding in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning,middle and end of all existence.
I am Vishnu among the Aadityas, the Sun among all the stars, Marichi among the wind-gods, the Moon among planets. and Saamaveda among vedas.
I am Indra among devas, Mind among senses, Life in all beings, Shiva among the Rudras, Kubera among yakshas and rakshasas, Agni among the Vasus, Meru among the mountains, Brihaspathi among chief priests,Subrahmanya among the military commanders, Ocean among the seas,Bhrigu among the great seers.
I am Om among syllables, Japa-offering among all offerings,the Himalayas among the inanimate, Banyan tree among all trees, Narada among the heavenly saints, Chitrarathha among gandharvas, Kapila among all the realized.
I am Ucchhaisravas the nectar-born among horses, Airavata among great elephants, king among men, Thunderbolt among weapons, Kamadhenu among cows, Kamadeva that inspires life, Vasuki among snakes, Anantha among nagas, Varuna of all marine life, Aryama among the ancestral spirits,Yama among all law-enforcers, Prahlada among asuras, Time among all measurable things, lion among all beasts, Garuda among birds, Wind among all the moving, Rama among all warriors, whale among fish, the Ganges among rivers.
I am the beginning, middle and end of creation, spiritual knowledge of all knowledge, rhetoric in debates, A of all letters, dwandva among compound words.
I am also the never-ending Time, the all around Support, all-annihilating Death, Birth of all future, and among women, Fame,goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswathi, Memory, Intelligence, Perseverance,Patience.
I am the Brihadsama in Samaveda, Gayathri among the metrical hymns,April among months, and Spring among seasons.
I am Dice-Game of the gamblers, Valour of the valiant, I am Victory,Perseverence, Energy of the energetic.
I am among the vrishnis Vasudeva, and of the pandavas Arjuna, Vyasaamong all saints, of all seers Ushanas.
I am the Rod of those who chastise, Diplomacy of those who strive towin, Silence of those who keep secrets, Knowledge of the learned.
Whatever is the Seed of all beings, I am that, Arjuna. There isnothing, animate or inanimate, in this world, outside of ME.
There is no limit to MY divine powers, Arjuna. This is only a summaryI nave given of MY unlimited powers.
Whatever object possesses anyexcellence, nobility or power, you can take it that it is come from apart of MY energy.Or what is the use of knowing all this,Arjuna? I encompass this wholeuniverse with a small part of MINE.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 9
Krishna:
Arjuna, since you are so patient with me, I shall impart the most esoteric knowledge, spiritual as well as worldly, knowing which you will be free from all bad influences.
It is the most important of all learnings, deepest of all secrets, the most sacred, easy to comprehend, easy to practise, and conforming to righteousness.
Not paying attention to this philosophy, people return to the mortal cycle of life and death, without ever reaching ME.
This entire world is covered by MY invisible form; all beings are contained in ME, and I am in none of them. And they are however not a part of ME.
Look, Arjuna, owing to the powerful magic of MINE: though I bear and protect the world, I am not present really in this world.
Please understand that, in the same way as the air, spreading everywhere and limitless, exists in space, so are all the beings in ME.
At the time of final dissolution, all the beings merge into MY Nature and at the beginning of creation I release them. Through the power of MY Nature, I release again and again multitudes of beings, all helpless under its grip.
And these actions do not bind ME, Arjuna, since I remain neutral as if indifferent to them. With ME presiding, Nature gives birth to animate and inanimate objects; it is due to this that the world turns around, Arjuna.
Foolish people however think that I am in this mortal body; ignorant of MY true nature, which is all-powerful and unparalleled.
These mindless people, with their futile hopes, futile deeds, futile knowledge, remain bound to their numbing demoniac and asuric nature.
The mahatmas of angelic nature, on the other hand, worship ME and ME alone, knowing that I am the source of all life. Constantly chanting MY praises, striving firmly and observing the disciplines, submitting to ME with full devotion, they worship ME, with perseverance.
Others worship ME through the sacrifice of knowledge, as the only One,or as many, or as the all-pervading, in very many different ways.
I am the Vedic Sacrifice; I am that of the Smrithis, the funeral rites for dead ancestors; I am the medicinal herbs; I am the hymns; I am the ghee; I am the fire; I am the offering.
I am the father of all worlds, the mother, grandfather, and the creator. I am all that is worth knowing, the sacred symbol OM, I am the Rik, Sama and Yajur vedas.
I am the Goal, the Nourisher, the Lord, the Witness, the Abode, the Protector, the Retreat, and the Friend. I am the Source, the Support, and the End. I contain everything, and I am the Eternal Seed.
I heat the earth, I cause the rain, and stop it; I sustain and destroy. I am the good and the bad.
Those who study the Vedas, pray for entry into the heaven, purified by partaking of the sacred soma juice offered in sacrifice to ME.
Those attaining the holy abode of gods experience all the divine enjoyments available there. After enjoying all the luxuries of the world of gods, when their accumulated merit is exhausted, they return to the world of men.
Thus those who, desirous of material enjoyments, follow the teachings of the Vedas, end up in the birth-and- rebirth cycle. Those who worship ME, dedicated to nobody else, I will look after their welfare
Even those who worship other gods, Arjuna, with devotion and faith, worship Me alone though not in the prescribed way.
It is I who accept all sacrifices, and reward them. They do not know ME truly, and so fall.
Those who worship the gods go to the gods; those who worship the ancestral spirits go to them; those who worship the demons go to them. And those who worship me come to ME.
Leaf, flower, fruit, water, whatever, if one, with devotion and purity of thought, offers, that I accept. Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you give, whatever you sacrifice, whatever penance you do, make it an offering to ME.
Thus, liberated by the true spirit of sanyas, you would be free of consequences, good and bad, of all deeds. To ME all are same; I have no hatred or partiality to anyone, whoever worships ME with devotion, is in ME, and I in them.
Even a sinner should be considered good, if he worships ME alone, and not others. Is he not on the right path!
Quickly his mind turns to righteousness, and he attains perennial peace. Arjuna, be assured, MY devotee will never perish.
Even those, of unprivileged birth, who depend on ME attain the highest state, be they women, traders, or workers. Then what to say about the pious brahmins, and devoted philosopher-kings!
Born into this ephemeral unhappy world, devote yourself to ME. Have ME in mind always, be devoted to ME, worship ME.
Composing the mind thus in full faith, you will attain ME.
Arjuna, since you are so patient with me, I shall impart the most esoteric knowledge, spiritual as well as worldly, knowing which you will be free from all bad influences.
It is the most important of all learnings, deepest of all secrets, the most sacred, easy to comprehend, easy to practise, and conforming to righteousness.
Not paying attention to this philosophy, people return to the mortal cycle of life and death, without ever reaching ME.
This entire world is covered by MY invisible form; all beings are contained in ME, and I am in none of them. And they are however not a part of ME.
Look, Arjuna, owing to the powerful magic of MINE: though I bear and protect the world, I am not present really in this world.
Please understand that, in the same way as the air, spreading everywhere and limitless, exists in space, so are all the beings in ME.
At the time of final dissolution, all the beings merge into MY Nature and at the beginning of creation I release them. Through the power of MY Nature, I release again and again multitudes of beings, all helpless under its grip.
And these actions do not bind ME, Arjuna, since I remain neutral as if indifferent to them. With ME presiding, Nature gives birth to animate and inanimate objects; it is due to this that the world turns around, Arjuna.
Foolish people however think that I am in this mortal body; ignorant of MY true nature, which is all-powerful and unparalleled.
These mindless people, with their futile hopes, futile deeds, futile knowledge, remain bound to their numbing demoniac and asuric nature.
The mahatmas of angelic nature, on the other hand, worship ME and ME alone, knowing that I am the source of all life. Constantly chanting MY praises, striving firmly and observing the disciplines, submitting to ME with full devotion, they worship ME, with perseverance.
Others worship ME through the sacrifice of knowledge, as the only One,or as many, or as the all-pervading, in very many different ways.
I am the Vedic Sacrifice; I am that of the Smrithis, the funeral rites for dead ancestors; I am the medicinal herbs; I am the hymns; I am the ghee; I am the fire; I am the offering.
I am the father of all worlds, the mother, grandfather, and the creator. I am all that is worth knowing, the sacred symbol OM, I am the Rik, Sama and Yajur vedas.
I am the Goal, the Nourisher, the Lord, the Witness, the Abode, the Protector, the Retreat, and the Friend. I am the Source, the Support, and the End. I contain everything, and I am the Eternal Seed.
I heat the earth, I cause the rain, and stop it; I sustain and destroy. I am the good and the bad.
Those who study the Vedas, pray for entry into the heaven, purified by partaking of the sacred soma juice offered in sacrifice to ME.
Those attaining the holy abode of gods experience all the divine enjoyments available there. After enjoying all the luxuries of the world of gods, when their accumulated merit is exhausted, they return to the world of men.
Thus those who, desirous of material enjoyments, follow the teachings of the Vedas, end up in the birth-and- rebirth cycle. Those who worship ME, dedicated to nobody else, I will look after their welfare
Even those who worship other gods, Arjuna, with devotion and faith, worship Me alone though not in the prescribed way.
It is I who accept all sacrifices, and reward them. They do not know ME truly, and so fall.
Those who worship the gods go to the gods; those who worship the ancestral spirits go to them; those who worship the demons go to them. And those who worship me come to ME.
Leaf, flower, fruit, water, whatever, if one, with devotion and purity of thought, offers, that I accept. Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you give, whatever you sacrifice, whatever penance you do, make it an offering to ME.
Thus, liberated by the true spirit of sanyas, you would be free of consequences, good and bad, of all deeds. To ME all are same; I have no hatred or partiality to anyone, whoever worships ME with devotion, is in ME, and I in them.
Even a sinner should be considered good, if he worships ME alone, and not others. Is he not on the right path!
Quickly his mind turns to righteousness, and he attains perennial peace. Arjuna, be assured, MY devotee will never perish.
Even those, of unprivileged birth, who depend on ME attain the highest state, be they women, traders, or workers. Then what to say about the pious brahmins, and devoted philosopher-kings!
Born into this ephemeral unhappy world, devote yourself to ME. Have ME in mind always, be devoted to ME, worship ME.
Composing the mind thus in full faith, you will attain ME.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 8
Arjuna:
What is that brahma, what is “adhyatma”, what is “karma”, what is “adhibhootham”, and what is “adhidaivam”, you spoke about just now? And what and how is “adhiyajna” here in the body? How, at the time of death, are you to be known in the quietened mind?
Krishna:
Brahma is the supreme eternal principle; its presence in the living body is what is meant by adhyatma; karma is the action of creation and its progress, adhibhootham refers to all transitory things, adhidaivam is the universal divine Form; and it is only ME that is Adhiyajna, present inside all the bodies of the living.
What is that brahma, what is “adhyatma”, what is “karma”, what is “adhibhootham”, and what is “adhidaivam”, you spoke about just now? And what and how is “adhiyajna” here in the body? How, at the time of death, are you to be known in the quietened mind?
Krishna:
Brahma is the supreme eternal principle; its presence in the living body is what is meant by adhyatma; karma is the action of creation and its progress, adhibhootham refers to all transitory things, adhidaivam is the universal divine Form; and it is only ME that is Adhiyajna, present inside all the bodies of the living.
He, who, when he discards the body at the end of his life and goes from here, remembers ME alone, will be one with ME; there is no doubt about it.
Whatever one keeps in mind at the time of death, to that he goes, shaped as he is by those thoughts.
Therefore remember ME at all times, and fight on. He, whose mind and will are dedicated to me, will certainly come to ME.
By the single-minded recourse to practice and continuous contemplation, the supreme divine presence is realized, Arjuna.
He, who constantly contemplates with full devotion in his calm mind that all-knowing, most ancient, all-controlling, all-sustaining Power, smaller than the smallest, of unimaginable form, sunlike in its radiance, and beyond all darkness, attains, at the time of death, that supreme divine Power, his life-force gathered in between the brows by the strength of his yogic practice.
What the Vedic scholars call the undecaying, what the sanyasins devoid of attachments merge into, and for what the students undergo brahmacharya, that state, I will now tell you concisely.
He, who leaves the body, remembering ME in yogic contemplation and reciting the one syllable “OM” which is the symbol of brahma, with all sensory openings closed, the mind drawn inwards, the life-energy gathered in the head, attains the highest state.
To a yogi, who thinks of ME always single-mindedly, and who practises yoga with perseverance, I am easily accessible. The great souls who have come to ME are no more subject to the series of rebirth, which is the source of all misery.
Up to the world of the creator, all the worlds are subject to change; but there is no rebirth for anyone who is come to ME.
A day of the creator is equal to a thousand yugas of this world, and so also a night, another thousand yugas, according to those who know the science of calendar.
All individuals come into being from the unknown at the start of his day and vanish into the same unknown, at the start of night.
The same horde of beings appears again and again and helplessly vanishes at the start of night, to reappear at the start of day.
Beyond this unknown is another unknown of immemorial times, which does not perish when all others do perish.
That, is the eternal unknown, which, they say, is the ultimate goal. MY state is that from which there is no return.
That supreme PERSON, inside whom is contained all existence and by whom is all this wrapped around, is accessible only through single-minded devotion.
I shall now tell you the time, departing when, a yogi returns or does not return. Fire, light, day, bright fortnight, the six months of uthharaayana: departing under the influence of the gods who symbolize these time-periods, the realized will go to brahma.
Smoke, night, dark fortnight, six months of dakshinaayana: departing when, the yogi goes to the moon’s world, and returns.
These are said to be the two all-time paths in the world; taking one, you do not return, taking the other you return. Knowing these two paths, a yogi does not err.
Therefore at all times, practise yoga, Arjuna.
Whatever merit one gets from the vedas, sacrifices, penances, and offerings of alms, is all eclipsed by this knowledge, and the yogi who knows this attains the highest state.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 7
Listen to me how, when you practise yoga with faith in ME and with devotion, you will come to know ME in full and with certainty.
I will give you the complete knowledge, theoretical as well as practical; once you know that, there will be nothing more to know!
Only one in a thousand tries to attain liberation, and of those who try and win, only someone will come to know me truly.
Nature, which is also MINE, is made of eight substances, earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, and ego. This is lower, and there is another higher Nature, the soul, and it is this Nature which keeps up the whole illusory world. Understand that it is the womb of all beings. I remain the source and the end of whole creation.
There is nothing higher than ME, Arjuna; in ME is all this attached like beads in a string. I am wetness in water, light of moon and sun, the holy syllable "OM" in the scriptures,
sound of ether, manliness of men, the pure smell in earth, heat of fire, life of all beings, and penance of those who do penance.
Arjuna, know ME as the original seed of all creation.
I am the strength of the strong, untainted by lust or greed; I am Love that is not contrary to righteousness.
All the basic attitudes of men, be they of the balanced type, or the restless or the inert, you must know, are from only ME;
I am not bound to them, they are in ME. The whole world is under the numbing influence of them and so do not recognize the eternal ME who is beyond them.
This divine magic of illusion, maaya, constituted of these three types of natural instinct, is difficult to overcome; only those who approach ME with devotion would be able to get beyond it.
The foolish evil-doing subhumans, their learning nullified by maaya, adopting demoniacal attitude, do not come to ME.
Four kinds of men, as a result of their past good deeds, come to me, Arjuna, those who suffer, those who want to get something, those seeking knowledge, and those who already know.
And of them, he who knows ME and is solely devoted to me, constantly keeping ME in mind, is the best; I am extremely dear to the man who knows, and in the same way he is dear to ME also.
They are all noble indeed; the man who knows is in MY view truly ME. Is he not with his entire mind dependent on ME as the only worthwhile goal!
At the end of several births he realizes that the whole universe is ME, "the Vasudeva", and merges into ME. Such a mahatma is very rare indeed.
Those, with their learning lost in their greed, approach other gods in accordance with their nature, and follow the prescribed rites.
Whoever worships in devotion and faith whichever form, I make his faith firm in that. He continues to worship that form with constant faith and get what he desires, which also are accorded by ME alone.
But that result, sought by these people of low intelligence, is only of short duration. Those who worship the gods go to them; those devoted to ME come to ME.
Fools consider the inscrutable ME as clear to them, because they do not know MY nature, which is eternal and beyond everything that is excellent.
Clouded by my magical illusion, I am not visible to all; the deluded people do not recognize the unborn undying ME.
I know the present past and future beings and no one knows ME, Affected by the binding pairs of like and dislike, all creatures undergo illusion at the time of creation.
Those, whose sins are ended, as the result of the good deeds they have done, and who are thus released from the illusion of like and dislike, will always be single-mindedly devoted to ME
Those, who with devotion to ME strive for liberation from decay and death, know that supreme Brahma, with all things relating to the soul, all the actions necessary for it.
And they who know ME as existing in earthly beings, gods, and sacrifices, will remember Me with devotion even at the time of death.
I will give you the complete knowledge, theoretical as well as practical; once you know that, there will be nothing more to know!
Only one in a thousand tries to attain liberation, and of those who try and win, only someone will come to know me truly.
Nature, which is also MINE, is made of eight substances, earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, and ego. This is lower, and there is another higher Nature, the soul, and it is this Nature which keeps up the whole illusory world. Understand that it is the womb of all beings. I remain the source and the end of whole creation.
There is nothing higher than ME, Arjuna; in ME is all this attached like beads in a string. I am wetness in water, light of moon and sun, the holy syllable "OM" in the scriptures,
sound of ether, manliness of men, the pure smell in earth, heat of fire, life of all beings, and penance of those who do penance.
Arjuna, know ME as the original seed of all creation.
I am the strength of the strong, untainted by lust or greed; I am Love that is not contrary to righteousness.
All the basic attitudes of men, be they of the balanced type, or the restless or the inert, you must know, are from only ME;
I am not bound to them, they are in ME. The whole world is under the numbing influence of them and so do not recognize the eternal ME who is beyond them.
This divine magic of illusion, maaya, constituted of these three types of natural instinct, is difficult to overcome; only those who approach ME with devotion would be able to get beyond it.
The foolish evil-doing subhumans, their learning nullified by maaya, adopting demoniacal attitude, do not come to ME.
Four kinds of men, as a result of their past good deeds, come to me, Arjuna, those who suffer, those who want to get something, those seeking knowledge, and those who already know.
And of them, he who knows ME and is solely devoted to me, constantly keeping ME in mind, is the best; I am extremely dear to the man who knows, and in the same way he is dear to ME also.
They are all noble indeed; the man who knows is in MY view truly ME. Is he not with his entire mind dependent on ME as the only worthwhile goal!
At the end of several births he realizes that the whole universe is ME, "the Vasudeva", and merges into ME. Such a mahatma is very rare indeed.
Those, with their learning lost in their greed, approach other gods in accordance with their nature, and follow the prescribed rites.
Whoever worships in devotion and faith whichever form, I make his faith firm in that. He continues to worship that form with constant faith and get what he desires, which also are accorded by ME alone.
But that result, sought by these people of low intelligence, is only of short duration. Those who worship the gods go to them; those devoted to ME come to ME.
Fools consider the inscrutable ME as clear to them, because they do not know MY nature, which is eternal and beyond everything that is excellent.
Clouded by my magical illusion, I am not visible to all; the deluded people do not recognize the unborn undying ME.
I know the present past and future beings and no one knows ME, Affected by the binding pairs of like and dislike, all creatures undergo illusion at the time of creation.
Those, whose sins are ended, as the result of the good deeds they have done, and who are thus released from the illusion of like and dislike, will always be single-mindedly devoted to ME
Those, who with devotion to ME strive for liberation from decay and death, know that supreme Brahma, with all things relating to the soul, all the actions necessary for it.
And they who know ME as existing in earthly beings, gods, and sacrifices, will remember Me with devotion even at the time of death.
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 6
He who does his duties without depending on results is a real sanyasin as well as a yogi; not someone who forgoes all actions, be it religious or otherwise.
You must know that what is called sanyas is actually yoga, Arjuna. Without giving up contemplation of desired objects, there can be no yoga of any kind.
For one who is on the path of yoga, action is the means. For him who has attained yoga, the means is cessation of work.
When one is not attached to sensual activities, and his fancies do not roam over them,he can be called an accomplished yogi.
Everyone should try to raise himself by his one's own efforts, never weaken oneself. Your self can be your friend, and also your enemy.
The self is your friend, if you are its master; otherwise it would behave as an enemy.
A person who is master of himself and is free of passions will not be swerved in the midst of pain or pleasure, cold or heat, honour or dishonour.
Rich in learning and experience, firm, and master of senses, he is called a true yogi, for whom, log, stone and gold are the same.
The best is he who has the same attitude to all, whether it is well-wisher or friend, foe, indifferent, or impartial, enemy or cousin, sinner or saint.
Sitting alone in solitude, the yogi, controlling self and mind, without thought of possessions or wants, should engage in meditation.
Making a steady seat for himself, in a clean place, not too high, not too low, covered with cloth and deerskin, the aspirant, restraining the mind and senses from wandering, must sit and practise meditation with full concentration in order to purify himself.
Maintaining still in a straight line, body neck and head, directing your eyes towards the tip of nose, and not looking around, remain in control of mind, calm, fearless, committed to brahmacharya, and repose your mind in full trust on ME.
Thus practising yoga with concentration, the yogi attains the highest state of peace and becomes one with ME.
Yoga is not for those who indulge in eating too much, nor for those who abstain completely. Nor is it for those who are in the habit of sleeping too much or remaining awake too long.
Yoga will banish all the sorrows of a man who is moderate in food and rest, moderate in the performance of actions, moderate in sleep and wakefulness.
When the controlled mind finds its repose in self, and when no sense-object cause any longing in him, only then can one be called a yogi.
The analogy of a yogi, who has controlled his mind and sits in meditation absorbed in the supreme soul, is that of a still flame in a wind-sheltered place.
Where the mind bridled by the practice of yoga finally comes to rest, Where the self, seeing itself in the universal soul, is happy in itself,
Where the supreme happiness is realized which is beyond senses and felt only in the mind, Where once arrived no one would swerve from truth, And having attained which, no other thing will be considered more desirable, And where you will not be shaken by the heaviest blow, That state of complete eradication of even a trace of sorrow is what is called yoga.
This yoga should be steadfastly followed without any hesitation.
Giving up all desires born of fancy, restraining all the senses through will, slowly slowly you must withdraw the mind into your self with determination, and think of nothing.
Where ever where ever the mind, fickle and never still, wanders into; from there from there it should be stopped and brought back into self. The greatest happiness comes to such a yogi who has quietened his mind of all turbulence and impurities, and become one with Brahma.
A yogi, free from all blemishes, and always practising yoga in this manner, will easily enjoy unlimited happiness and merge in Brahma. Matured by practice of yoga, he sees himself in all beings and all beings in himself, considering all as equal.
Whoever sees ME everywhere, and all things in ME, I will never fail him, or he ME.
He, who views ME abiding in all beings, will always be with ME, whatever he does a complete yogi, according to me, is one who considers all the same as himself, in joy or sorrow.
Arjuna:
Regarding this yoga, Krishna, which you are teaching as complete equanimity, I do not find any stability for it, because of the wandering nature of the mind. The mind is known to be very fickle and volatile. To hold it is as difficult as to catch a wind.
Krishna:
No doubt, Arjuna, mind is never still and is difficult to catch. But it is possible to check it, by practice and by detachment from diversionary desires. My opinion is that yoga is impossible without mind-control. With mind-control, it is possible by effort.
Arjuna:
What will happen to a man, who sincerely tries, but fails in controlling the mind before succeeding in attaining yoga? Will he not perish, like a wind-scattered cloud, having lost both
and with no support base, directionless on the path to Brahma? Please clear this doubt of mine. I find nobody else who can do it.
Krishna:
Arjuna, neither here nor in the next world will such a person perish. My friend, be assured, anybody doing a good thing will never suffer.
The fallen from yoga will go to the worlds of the good, and after staying there for a long time, would be reborn in a pious prosperous family. Or he may be born in the family of realized yogis.
Such a birth is indeed more difficult to get in this world. And there he, retaining the memory of the previous birth, tries still harder to succeed.
Involuntarily would he be drawn by the latent force of his old practice, and would long to learn yoga, mastering all literature on it.
Putting more effort into the practice of yoga, and getting rid of all faults, he, in the course of several births, will succeed and attain the highest state.
To ME a yogi is superior to those who do penance, superior to the learned; he is superior to those who do the holy rites.
Therefore be a yogi, Arjuna. Among all the yogis, I consider him the best, who devotes himself to ME in full faith, and remembers me always.
You must know that what is called sanyas is actually yoga, Arjuna. Without giving up contemplation of desired objects, there can be no yoga of any kind.
For one who is on the path of yoga, action is the means. For him who has attained yoga, the means is cessation of work.
When one is not attached to sensual activities, and his fancies do not roam over them,he can be called an accomplished yogi.
Everyone should try to raise himself by his one's own efforts, never weaken oneself. Your self can be your friend, and also your enemy.
The self is your friend, if you are its master; otherwise it would behave as an enemy.
A person who is master of himself and is free of passions will not be swerved in the midst of pain or pleasure, cold or heat, honour or dishonour.
Rich in learning and experience, firm, and master of senses, he is called a true yogi, for whom, log, stone and gold are the same.
The best is he who has the same attitude to all, whether it is well-wisher or friend, foe, indifferent, or impartial, enemy or cousin, sinner or saint.
Sitting alone in solitude, the yogi, controlling self and mind, without thought of possessions or wants, should engage in meditation.
Making a steady seat for himself, in a clean place, not too high, not too low, covered with cloth and deerskin, the aspirant, restraining the mind and senses from wandering, must sit and practise meditation with full concentration in order to purify himself.
Maintaining still in a straight line, body neck and head, directing your eyes towards the tip of nose, and not looking around, remain in control of mind, calm, fearless, committed to brahmacharya, and repose your mind in full trust on ME.
Thus practising yoga with concentration, the yogi attains the highest state of peace and becomes one with ME.
Yoga is not for those who indulge in eating too much, nor for those who abstain completely. Nor is it for those who are in the habit of sleeping too much or remaining awake too long.
Yoga will banish all the sorrows of a man who is moderate in food and rest, moderate in the performance of actions, moderate in sleep and wakefulness.
When the controlled mind finds its repose in self, and when no sense-object cause any longing in him, only then can one be called a yogi.
The analogy of a yogi, who has controlled his mind and sits in meditation absorbed in the supreme soul, is that of a still flame in a wind-sheltered place.
Where the mind bridled by the practice of yoga finally comes to rest, Where the self, seeing itself in the universal soul, is happy in itself,
Where the supreme happiness is realized which is beyond senses and felt only in the mind, Where once arrived no one would swerve from truth, And having attained which, no other thing will be considered more desirable, And where you will not be shaken by the heaviest blow, That state of complete eradication of even a trace of sorrow is what is called yoga.
This yoga should be steadfastly followed without any hesitation.
Giving up all desires born of fancy, restraining all the senses through will, slowly slowly you must withdraw the mind into your self with determination, and think of nothing.
Where ever where ever the mind, fickle and never still, wanders into; from there from there it should be stopped and brought back into self. The greatest happiness comes to such a yogi who has quietened his mind of all turbulence and impurities, and become one with Brahma.
A yogi, free from all blemishes, and always practising yoga in this manner, will easily enjoy unlimited happiness and merge in Brahma. Matured by practice of yoga, he sees himself in all beings and all beings in himself, considering all as equal.
Whoever sees ME everywhere, and all things in ME, I will never fail him, or he ME.
He, who views ME abiding in all beings, will always be with ME, whatever he does a complete yogi, according to me, is one who considers all the same as himself, in joy or sorrow.
Arjuna:
Regarding this yoga, Krishna, which you are teaching as complete equanimity, I do not find any stability for it, because of the wandering nature of the mind. The mind is known to be very fickle and volatile. To hold it is as difficult as to catch a wind.
Krishna:
No doubt, Arjuna, mind is never still and is difficult to catch. But it is possible to check it, by practice and by detachment from diversionary desires. My opinion is that yoga is impossible without mind-control. With mind-control, it is possible by effort.
Arjuna:
What will happen to a man, who sincerely tries, but fails in controlling the mind before succeeding in attaining yoga? Will he not perish, like a wind-scattered cloud, having lost both
and with no support base, directionless on the path to Brahma? Please clear this doubt of mine. I find nobody else who can do it.
Krishna:
Arjuna, neither here nor in the next world will such a person perish. My friend, be assured, anybody doing a good thing will never suffer.
The fallen from yoga will go to the worlds of the good, and after staying there for a long time, would be reborn in a pious prosperous family. Or he may be born in the family of realized yogis.
Such a birth is indeed more difficult to get in this world. And there he, retaining the memory of the previous birth, tries still harder to succeed.
Involuntarily would he be drawn by the latent force of his old practice, and would long to learn yoga, mastering all literature on it.
Putting more effort into the practice of yoga, and getting rid of all faults, he, in the course of several births, will succeed and attain the highest state.
To ME a yogi is superior to those who do penance, superior to the learned; he is superior to those who do the holy rites.
Therefore be a yogi, Arjuna. Among all the yogis, I consider him the best, who devotes himself to ME in full faith, and remembers me always.
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 5
Arjuna:
Krishna, you commend renunciation of action, and at the same time its performance. Please tell me your considered opinion on which is better of the two.
And Krishna to this:
Renunciation and performance of action both lead to fulfilment. Of the two, performance is better.
A real sanyasin is he who has no strong likes or dislikes. One who is above these opposite pairs easily frees himself of all bonds.
It is the childish who talk about sankhya-yoga and karma-yoga as different, not the learned. Whoever properly follows one gets the result of both.
Whatever position is reached by the followers of sankhya is reached by the followers of yoga also. He really sees, who sees sankhya and yoga as one and the same.
Renunciation without yoga is very difficult, Arjuna. A sanyasin practising yoga reaches the ultimate in no time.
A practitioner of yoga, his mind purified, body and senses under control, and identifying himself with all creation, is not affected, whatever he does.
A yogi who realized the truth would think that he does nothing, seeing,hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing, talking, holding, releasing, blinking, whatever, conscious that it is only the sense organs acting on their objects.
Who acts without attachment, dedicating his actions to God, will not be touched by sin, like a lotus leaf by water.
Yogis pursue without attachment their actions for self-purification, whether through body, mind or intellect, or through mere sense organs.
Such a person, not caring for results of actions, attains permanent peace.
On the other hand one, who does not practise yoga and wilfully does what he likes, would be enslaved by his obsession with results.
A self-disciplined man, mentally renouncing all actions remains at ease in his nine-gated fort, himself not doing, or causing others to do, anything.
God does not create actions or agents, nor does he award results to actions; it is only Nature that operates. He does not allot good or bad to anybody.
When intelligence is clouded by ignorance people err. When their ignorance is expelled by tue kowledge, the truth beyond will be revealed to them as if by the sun.
Their will, their mind, all their interests centered on It, fully in submission to It, all their sins blown away by knowledge, they attain immortality.
Whether it is a Brahmin, learned and trained, or a cow or elephant or dog, or a dog-eating low caste, all of them, will be same in the eyes of a self-realized man.
Here in this life are they liberated, whose mind is firmly grounded in equality.
Brahma is blemish-less and same to all, and so they also abide in Brahma.
One should not exult over getting the desired nor feel frustrated over the adverse. With a steady mind, unperturbed, and knowing the truth of Brahma, he abides in Brahma.
The joy one gets, unattached to the external senses, in one's own self, is his for ever, who becomes one with Brahma.
The sensual pleasures are sources of sorrow in the end, and are passing things. A wise man will find no pleasure in them.
Whoever is able to withstand, here before his death, the assault of lust and anger is a true yogi, and he is truly happy.
The yogi, who finds in himself happiness, entertainment and enlightenment, and who is steady in his devotion to Brahma, will be merged in Brahma.
The saints who have seen the truth, and, devoid of all blemishes, are no more subject to indecisiveness, who have full control over mind, and who are devoted to the happiness of all beings, will find eternal peace in union with the universal soul.
That peace of oneness with Brahma will embrace those self-realized sanyasins who have mastered their nature and overcome lust and angry feelings.
A yogi, in full control of senses, mind and intellect, and devoid of want, fear and frustration, who, distancing the external senses, focusing the eyes in the middle of the brows, and drawing his breath in harmony through the nose, devotes himself to the attainment of liberation, will be for ever free.
He, who understands that I am the sole receiver of all sacrifices and penances, and that I am the overlord of all the worlds, and that I am the friend of all beings, will find eternal peace.
Krishna, you commend renunciation of action, and at the same time its performance. Please tell me your considered opinion on which is better of the two.
And Krishna to this:
Renunciation and performance of action both lead to fulfilment. Of the two, performance is better.
A real sanyasin is he who has no strong likes or dislikes. One who is above these opposite pairs easily frees himself of all bonds.
It is the childish who talk about sankhya-yoga and karma-yoga as different, not the learned. Whoever properly follows one gets the result of both.
Whatever position is reached by the followers of sankhya is reached by the followers of yoga also. He really sees, who sees sankhya and yoga as one and the same.
Renunciation without yoga is very difficult, Arjuna. A sanyasin practising yoga reaches the ultimate in no time.
A practitioner of yoga, his mind purified, body and senses under control, and identifying himself with all creation, is not affected, whatever he does.
A yogi who realized the truth would think that he does nothing, seeing,hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing, talking, holding, releasing, blinking, whatever, conscious that it is only the sense organs acting on their objects.
Who acts without attachment, dedicating his actions to God, will not be touched by sin, like a lotus leaf by water.
Yogis pursue without attachment their actions for self-purification, whether through body, mind or intellect, or through mere sense organs.
Such a person, not caring for results of actions, attains permanent peace.
On the other hand one, who does not practise yoga and wilfully does what he likes, would be enslaved by his obsession with results.
A self-disciplined man, mentally renouncing all actions remains at ease in his nine-gated fort, himself not doing, or causing others to do, anything.
God does not create actions or agents, nor does he award results to actions; it is only Nature that operates. He does not allot good or bad to anybody.
When intelligence is clouded by ignorance people err. When their ignorance is expelled by tue kowledge, the truth beyond will be revealed to them as if by the sun.
Their will, their mind, all their interests centered on It, fully in submission to It, all their sins blown away by knowledge, they attain immortality.
Whether it is a Brahmin, learned and trained, or a cow or elephant or dog, or a dog-eating low caste, all of them, will be same in the eyes of a self-realized man.
Here in this life are they liberated, whose mind is firmly grounded in equality.
Brahma is blemish-less and same to all, and so they also abide in Brahma.
One should not exult over getting the desired nor feel frustrated over the adverse. With a steady mind, unperturbed, and knowing the truth of Brahma, he abides in Brahma.
The joy one gets, unattached to the external senses, in one's own self, is his for ever, who becomes one with Brahma.
The sensual pleasures are sources of sorrow in the end, and are passing things. A wise man will find no pleasure in them.
Whoever is able to withstand, here before his death, the assault of lust and anger is a true yogi, and he is truly happy.
The yogi, who finds in himself happiness, entertainment and enlightenment, and who is steady in his devotion to Brahma, will be merged in Brahma.
The saints who have seen the truth, and, devoid of all blemishes, are no more subject to indecisiveness, who have full control over mind, and who are devoted to the happiness of all beings, will find eternal peace in union with the universal soul.
That peace of oneness with Brahma will embrace those self-realized sanyasins who have mastered their nature and overcome lust and angry feelings.
A yogi, in full control of senses, mind and intellect, and devoid of want, fear and frustration, who, distancing the external senses, focusing the eyes in the middle of the brows, and drawing his breath in harmony through the nose, devotes himself to the attainment of liberation, will be for ever free.
He, who understands that I am the sole receiver of all sacrifices and penances, and that I am the overlord of all the worlds, and that I am the friend of all beings, will find eternal peace.
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 4
I taught this perennial philosophy to Vivaswan; he told it to Manu; Manu, in turn, to Ikshwaku. All the old philosopher-kings knew this philosophy transmitted through successive generations.
But it got lost in the long course of time. It is the same old teaching that I told you now. Because you are devoted to me and are my friend I have told you this greatest of secrets.
Arjuna:
Vivaswan lived a long time time back, and you are born much later. How can I believe that you first said it
Krishna:
Many births have we gone through, you and I, Arjuna. It is only that I remember all of them, but you don't.
Though I have neither birth nor death, though I am master of all that exist, I take form by my magical power of illusion, through My Nature.
Whenever Righteousness declines, and misconduct rears its head, then age after age, I create myself, to protect the good people and eliminate the evil, in order to re-establish righteousness.
Those, who understand this birth and divine activities of Mine, do not come back to this world, when they leave their bodies; they come to ME.
Many there are, devoid of all cravings, fear and anger, who have become one with Me, with full trust in Me, who have, purified by the disciplined search for knowledge, reached my state.
Whichever way people approach Me, the same way do I accept them. The paths which people take, all lead to Me
Men sacrifice to gods in order to get favourable results from their actions; quick indeed do actions in this world fructify.
The division of society into four classes is made by Me, based on people's inherent qualities and previous actions. Though I am the cause of it, know that I am not really the doer.
No action touches Me, I have no interest in its results. Who understands Me thus will never be bound by his deeds.
With this knowledge have the ancients pursued their actions in their search for salvation.
Therefore you must perform your duties as they were done by the ancients from immemorial times.
What is action, what is inaction? Even the greatest minds have been confused about it.
So I will explain to you regarding action, knowing which you would be free of all blemishes.
One must know what is action, what is bad action, and what is inaction. The course of action is indeed complicated.
Who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction: such a man is truly wise among men; he, doing all sorts of things remains focused, a yogi.
He all whose attempts are devoid of any thought of personal gain, his deeds purified in the fire of knowledge, such a one will be called a learned man by the wise.
Giving up attachment to the results of action, ever content, ever free, he is really not doing anything, even when engaged in action.
With no personal desires, his mind under control, he does not incur any guilt, when he performs his bare bodily functions.
Happy with whatever he gets by chance, taking in his stride both good and bad, envying nobody, indifferent to gain or loss, he is not bound by his past, whatever he does.
Fully detached, liberated from passions, mind engaged in acquiring knowledge, doing things only as an offering to god, all his actions are as unbinding as no action.
The act of offering, the thing offered, the one who offers, all are part of the universal soul for him; and such a man whose actions are centered on the universal soul, the Brahma, can go only to that universal soul.
The next paragraph appears quite crude and I don't know whether anybody can make any sense out of it. Yet I am leaving it as it came!
Some sacrifice to the gods; others burn away with dedication sacrifice itself in the fire of Brahma. Still others burn away the sense organs in the fire of self-control, and others burn away the objects of perception in the fire of the sense organs.
Others do burn away all the actions done by the body, and the workings of the life-forces inside the body in the fire of contemplation, sustained by spiritual knowledge.
The sacrifice which the holy men, undergoing various disciplinary routines, do, is sometimes with materials, sometimes in the form of penances, or mind-control exercises, or in the form of securing knowledge through the study of scriptures.
There are others whose sacrifice is breath-control, systematically breathing in, holding, and then out.
Others abstain from food withdrawing their life-energy from their organs. All of them understand the meaning of yajna, and become purified of all blemishes.
Partaking of the pure left-overs of sacrifice, they merge into the eternal universal truth. Even this world is lost to one who does not perform some sacrifice; what to say of the next!
Thus several types of sacrifice have been described in the holy texts. Know that they are all based on action, understanding this will lead to liberation.
Yajna in the form of knowledge is superior to the material. All work finds perfection in knowledge.
Know that this knowledge will beimparted to you, by the learned, who have realized the ultimate truth, if you approach them in humble spirit and request to be enlightened.
Knowing it , you will never again fall into such self-doubt, Arjuna. With this, you will see all beings in yourself and then in ME.
Even if you are the greatest of sinners, with the help of this raft of knowledge, you will be able to cross over the ocean of sin. In the same way as a blazing fire turns logs of wood into ashes, so the fire of knowledge turns to nothing all past deeds.
There is nothing so purifying as knowledge. One who has mastered yoga easily acquires it for himself in course of time.
A person with faith, with control over self and concentrated effort attains this knowledge. And with knowledge he gets in a short time full peace of mind.
Ignorant, having no conviction, always doubting –such a man has no future. To an irresolute person, there is neither this nor the other world.
He whose doubts are cleared by knowledge, and all actions directed towards yoga, and who is self-confident, is not bound by any of his actions, Arjuna.
Therefore, cutting off this self-doubt born of ignorance with the sword of knowledge, rise up, Arjuna, and follow this path of yoga.
But it got lost in the long course of time. It is the same old teaching that I told you now. Because you are devoted to me and are my friend I have told you this greatest of secrets.
Arjuna:
Vivaswan lived a long time time back, and you are born much later. How can I believe that you first said it
Krishna:
Many births have we gone through, you and I, Arjuna. It is only that I remember all of them, but you don't.
Though I have neither birth nor death, though I am master of all that exist, I take form by my magical power of illusion, through My Nature.
Whenever Righteousness declines, and misconduct rears its head, then age after age, I create myself, to protect the good people and eliminate the evil, in order to re-establish righteousness.
Those, who understand this birth and divine activities of Mine, do not come back to this world, when they leave their bodies; they come to ME.
Many there are, devoid of all cravings, fear and anger, who have become one with Me, with full trust in Me, who have, purified by the disciplined search for knowledge, reached my state.
Whichever way people approach Me, the same way do I accept them. The paths which people take, all lead to Me
Men sacrifice to gods in order to get favourable results from their actions; quick indeed do actions in this world fructify.
The division of society into four classes is made by Me, based on people's inherent qualities and previous actions. Though I am the cause of it, know that I am not really the doer.
No action touches Me, I have no interest in its results. Who understands Me thus will never be bound by his deeds.
With this knowledge have the ancients pursued their actions in their search for salvation.
Therefore you must perform your duties as they were done by the ancients from immemorial times.
What is action, what is inaction? Even the greatest minds have been confused about it.
So I will explain to you regarding action, knowing which you would be free of all blemishes.
One must know what is action, what is bad action, and what is inaction. The course of action is indeed complicated.
Who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction: such a man is truly wise among men; he, doing all sorts of things remains focused, a yogi.
He all whose attempts are devoid of any thought of personal gain, his deeds purified in the fire of knowledge, such a one will be called a learned man by the wise.
Giving up attachment to the results of action, ever content, ever free, he is really not doing anything, even when engaged in action.
With no personal desires, his mind under control, he does not incur any guilt, when he performs his bare bodily functions.
Happy with whatever he gets by chance, taking in his stride both good and bad, envying nobody, indifferent to gain or loss, he is not bound by his past, whatever he does.
Fully detached, liberated from passions, mind engaged in acquiring knowledge, doing things only as an offering to god, all his actions are as unbinding as no action.
The act of offering, the thing offered, the one who offers, all are part of the universal soul for him; and such a man whose actions are centered on the universal soul, the Brahma, can go only to that universal soul.
The next paragraph appears quite crude and I don't know whether anybody can make any sense out of it. Yet I am leaving it as it came!
Some sacrifice to the gods; others burn away with dedication sacrifice itself in the fire of Brahma. Still others burn away the sense organs in the fire of self-control, and others burn away the objects of perception in the fire of the sense organs.
Others do burn away all the actions done by the body, and the workings of the life-forces inside the body in the fire of contemplation, sustained by spiritual knowledge.
The sacrifice which the holy men, undergoing various disciplinary routines, do, is sometimes with materials, sometimes in the form of penances, or mind-control exercises, or in the form of securing knowledge through the study of scriptures.
There are others whose sacrifice is breath-control, systematically breathing in, holding, and then out.
Others abstain from food withdrawing their life-energy from their organs. All of them understand the meaning of yajna, and become purified of all blemishes.
Partaking of the pure left-overs of sacrifice, they merge into the eternal universal truth. Even this world is lost to one who does not perform some sacrifice; what to say of the next!
Thus several types of sacrifice have been described in the holy texts. Know that they are all based on action, understanding this will lead to liberation.
Yajna in the form of knowledge is superior to the material. All work finds perfection in knowledge.
Know that this knowledge will beimparted to you, by the learned, who have realized the ultimate truth, if you approach them in humble spirit and request to be enlightened.
Knowing it , you will never again fall into such self-doubt, Arjuna. With this, you will see all beings in yourself and then in ME.
Even if you are the greatest of sinners, with the help of this raft of knowledge, you will be able to cross over the ocean of sin. In the same way as a blazing fire turns logs of wood into ashes, so the fire of knowledge turns to nothing all past deeds.
There is nothing so purifying as knowledge. One who has mastered yoga easily acquires it for himself in course of time.
A person with faith, with control over self and concentrated effort attains this knowledge. And with knowledge he gets in a short time full peace of mind.
Ignorant, having no conviction, always doubting –such a man has no future. To an irresolute person, there is neither this nor the other world.
He whose doubts are cleared by knowledge, and all actions directed towards yoga, and who is self-confident, is not bound by any of his actions, Arjuna.
Therefore, cutting off this self-doubt born of ignorance with the sword of knowledge, rise up, Arjuna, and follow this path of yoga.
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 3
Arjuna:
You seem to be confusing me by these contradictory words, Krishna! If you think intellect is superior, then why force me to do this terrible deed?
Tell me for certain which one I should follow for my good.
And Krishna said,
Ages ago, were enunciated by me two courses in this world, the path of knowledge for the intellectually inclined, and the path of action for yogis.
By just not starting any work, will nobody attain inner peace. Nor will anybody achieve anything by renouncing.
Nobody can even for a second remain completely inactive; he will be forced involuntarily by his natural impulses to act.
A foolish person who restrains his senses, all the time gloating in his mind over the sensual objects will be called a hypocrite.
On the other hand he who controls his mind first and then does his duties, is much superior. Certainly do your work; action is better than inaction. You cannot even live without work.
All work, other than for development of spirit, ("yagna", defined later with its multiple senses) is restrictive and binding.
Life comes from food, and food from the god of rains, and the god's powers come from sacrificial worship, and sacrifice from action.
For one however who finds joy in himself, is content with himself as he is, and in himself happy, there is nothing left to do.
Many a person like king Janaka has attained the highest, by work alone. And for the sake of keeping the world in order, you have to be active.
The ego-deluded man thinks that he is acting, when actually all actions are the work of the laws of nature.
Leave to ME all your actions with a dedicated spirit, and without worry fight on, Arjuna, not caring for self or possessions.
Even a learned man acts in accordance with his nature. All creatures follow the dictates of Nature; what is the use trying to repress?
Better one's own duty with defects, but suited to your nature, than somebody else's, even when well-done. Death doing your duty is preferable; doing somebody else's duty is dangerous!
Arjuna :
Then how is it that people commit sin against their will, pulled as it were by force?
Krishna:
Lust it is, Anger it is, born out of the dynamic principle of Nature. It is all-devouring and very destructive, and is the enemy in this attempt for self-control.
Just as fire is enveloped by smoke, mirror by dust, foetus by placenta, so is the knowledge of the knower enveloped by this property of nature in the form of lust , difficult to fill or satisfy.
So Arjuna, first you must control the senses and then eliminate this soul-destroying enemy of all knowledge.
You seem to be confusing me by these contradictory words, Krishna! If you think intellect is superior, then why force me to do this terrible deed?
Tell me for certain which one I should follow for my good.
And Krishna said,
Ages ago, were enunciated by me two courses in this world, the path of knowledge for the intellectually inclined, and the path of action for yogis.
By just not starting any work, will nobody attain inner peace. Nor will anybody achieve anything by renouncing.
Nobody can even for a second remain completely inactive; he will be forced involuntarily by his natural impulses to act.
A foolish person who restrains his senses, all the time gloating in his mind over the sensual objects will be called a hypocrite.
On the other hand he who controls his mind first and then does his duties, is much superior. Certainly do your work; action is better than inaction. You cannot even live without work.
All work, other than for development of spirit, ("yagna", defined later with its multiple senses) is restrictive and binding.
Do your work with detachment.In the beginning, the creator created human beings along with yagna, and told them:"you multiply with the help of this, It will fulfil all your desires.
You serve the gods with this, and let the gods serve you in return, thus mutually serving, you will both get the best.
The gods pleased with your work will give whatever you seek. Whoever enjoys these gifts, without giving them back their due, is verily a thief.
Whoever eats his share after doing his duty will be rid of all sins. They, who cook only for themselves, eat only sin!
Life comes from food, and food from the god of rains, and the god's powers come from sacrificial worship, and sacrifice from action.
Action comes from the dictates of Scriptures and the scriptures from the universal soul.
Therefore, the all-pervading Brahma itself is based on devoted action.
Whoever, self-indulgent and leading a sinful life, does not follow this cycle, lives in vain, Arjuna.
For one however who finds joy in himself, is content with himself as he is, and in himself happy, there is nothing left to do.
There is nothing for him to gain, whether he works or not He does not depend on anything in the world for his happiness.
Therefore do without attachment all your duties. Such a personattains the ultimate.
Many a person like king Janaka has attained the highest, by work alone. And for the sake of keeping the world in order, you have to be active.
Whatever a leader does is followed by others, his criterion is accepted by them. In all the three worlds, there is nothing I have to work for, yet I continue to act. If I do not engage in action without respite, Arjuna, the people will follow that example.
The world will come to a halt if I do not act and I will be the cause of social turmoil. And I would be destroying the whole creation.
What the ignorant, attached to action, do, the wise man must do with detachment, in order to keep life going.
One should not confuse the ignorant work-bound people, but should help them by doing all things with dedication.
The ego-deluded man thinks that he is acting, when actually all actions are the work of the laws of nature.
He who knows the truth that these are merely the workings of sense organs impinging on the outside objects, Arjuna, will not be affected by them, He, who on the other hand is confused by the inherent properties of Nature, identifies himself with the mechanical workings of sense-organs.
One who knows the complete truth should not confuse those with partial knowledge.
Leave to ME all your actions with a dedicated spirit, and without worry fight on, Arjuna, not caring for self or possessions.
Those who behave in accordance with this view of mine, with full dedication and with no malice, will be freed of all sins. And those foolish men, completely ignorant of any thing, who don't do so in utter disregard of my teaching, Arjuna, are lost souls.
Even a learned man acts in accordance with his nature. All creatures follow the dictates of Nature; what is the use trying to repress?
The senses are merely attracted and repelled by the sense-objects. You should not be enslaved by them; they both are the enemies of progress.
Better one's own duty with defects, but suited to your nature, than somebody else's, even when well-done. Death doing your duty is preferable; doing somebody else's duty is dangerous!
Arjuna :
Then how is it that people commit sin against their will, pulled as it were by force?
Krishna:
Lust it is, Anger it is, born out of the dynamic principle of Nature. It is all-devouring and very destructive, and is the enemy in this attempt for self-control.
Just as fire is enveloped by smoke, mirror by dust, foetus by placenta, so is the knowledge of the knower enveloped by this property of nature in the form of lust , difficult to fill or satisfy.
Its seat is said to be the senses, mind and intellect; through these, eclipsing knowledge, it deludes beings.
So Arjuna, first you must control the senses and then eliminate this soul-destroying enemy of all knowledge.
The senses are beyond matter, mind beyond senses, intellect beyond mind and beyond that is the ultimate truth.
Thus, realizing this truth which is beyond intellect, controlling self by self, destroy, oh brave warrior, this difficult-to-catch enemy in the form of lust.
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 2 - Part II
What I have been saying is Sankhya philosophy. Now I will tell you what Yoga teaches. With the knowledge of this, you will be freed of all the bonds of your past actions. In following this, whatever begun never gets lost, and no obstacle can stop its progress. A little of this will protect you from the greatest of fears.
Arjuna, for a practical mind, there can be only one philosophy of life, a theoretical mind branches out endlessly in many directions.And there are ignorant people who talk of the Vedas in flowery language, they, full of greed, seeking heaven for enjoyment and prosperity, perform all sorts of rituals. Those whose minds are obsessed with enjoyments and luxury will not be able to concentrate on any one practical course.
Vedas, deal with worldly desires; you must rise above them, Arjuna! Be above these pairs of pleasure and grief, be self-possessed,self-confident, and do not worry about acquiring and maintaining wealth. For a brahmana who knows, all the Vedas are only of as much use as a well when there is water everywhere.
Your duty is to act, not worry about result. Do not engage in action just for the result; do not be attached to inaction either. Steadfast in the practice of yoga, act without attachment, composed in successor failure. Equanimity is what yoga is. Far inferior is action to yoga which is based on understanding. Take refuge in intellect; pitiable are those who hanker only after results. An intelligent man does not worry about past actions, good and bad.
Therefore, Arjuna, practise yoga. Yoga is nothing but skill in action. Wise men, not caring about the result of past actions, and thus free of the bonds of life,reach the highest state of happiness. When the mind moves out of the jungle of ignorance, you will be above all that has been heard or still to be heard. And when, undistracted by the Vedas, your mind stands firm and focused, then will you attain yoga.
Arjuna: How do you define a man of focused mind, how will such a man behave, standing, walking or talking?
Krishna: When a person gets rid of all passions from his mind, and finds happiness in himself, then he is said to be a focused man. Not dejected in trouble, disinterested in pleasures,devoid of passion and anger, and of few words- such a one is called a focused man. Who is detached from all things, not over-joyed in gain, nor dejected in loss, his mind is focused. When he withdraws his senses from sense-objects, like a turtle which draws its limbs in from all sides, then he is really focused.
Sense-objects can be kept away, if one abstains; but the appetite remains. The appetite also will go, when you realize the ultimate truth. The senses forcefully pull the mind of even the most learned man, and make him restless, however much he strives. Control all of them, and rest with full trust in me. He whose senses are under control, such a man's mind is focused.
If a man thinks always of sensual pleasures, he gets addicted to them. From addiction comes passion and from passion,anger. Anger leads to confused mind, and from it, erratic memory.Memory- loss means death of all thinking power and that is the end of existence. Your mind will become unruffled and clear, if you master your self and enjoy objects with senses under control. All sorrows end when the mind is unruffled. One will be able to think properly, when the mind is clear.
No learning is possible for the undisciplined, no thinking, and no peace of mind for unthinking man. How can there be any happiness for a disturbed soul? If one's mind is subject to the vagaries of the senses, it pulls one's intelligence out of course,like a wind which scatters a ship. Therefore, it is a man whose senses are under control that can be said to be of steady mind. When it is night for others,then yogi remains awake. And where the others are awake, that is the yogi's night.
The man who gives up all passions, has no desires,no possessiveness, and who is not ego-centric, he attains ultimate peace.This is the highest spiritual state; having reached it, none falls into confusion. Even if it is only at the time of death, he becomes one with the universal soul.
Arjuna, for a practical mind, there can be only one philosophy of life, a theoretical mind branches out endlessly in many directions.And there are ignorant people who talk of the Vedas in flowery language, they, full of greed, seeking heaven for enjoyment and prosperity, perform all sorts of rituals. Those whose minds are obsessed with enjoyments and luxury will not be able to concentrate on any one practical course.
Vedas, deal with worldly desires; you must rise above them, Arjuna! Be above these pairs of pleasure and grief, be self-possessed,self-confident, and do not worry about acquiring and maintaining wealth. For a brahmana who knows, all the Vedas are only of as much use as a well when there is water everywhere.
Your duty is to act, not worry about result. Do not engage in action just for the result; do not be attached to inaction either. Steadfast in the practice of yoga, act without attachment, composed in successor failure. Equanimity is what yoga is. Far inferior is action to yoga which is based on understanding. Take refuge in intellect; pitiable are those who hanker only after results. An intelligent man does not worry about past actions, good and bad.
Therefore, Arjuna, practise yoga. Yoga is nothing but skill in action. Wise men, not caring about the result of past actions, and thus free of the bonds of life,reach the highest state of happiness. When the mind moves out of the jungle of ignorance, you will be above all that has been heard or still to be heard. And when, undistracted by the Vedas, your mind stands firm and focused, then will you attain yoga.
Arjuna: How do you define a man of focused mind, how will such a man behave, standing, walking or talking?
Krishna: When a person gets rid of all passions from his mind, and finds happiness in himself, then he is said to be a focused man. Not dejected in trouble, disinterested in pleasures,devoid of passion and anger, and of few words- such a one is called a focused man. Who is detached from all things, not over-joyed in gain, nor dejected in loss, his mind is focused. When he withdraws his senses from sense-objects, like a turtle which draws its limbs in from all sides, then he is really focused.
Sense-objects can be kept away, if one abstains; but the appetite remains. The appetite also will go, when you realize the ultimate truth. The senses forcefully pull the mind of even the most learned man, and make him restless, however much he strives. Control all of them, and rest with full trust in me. He whose senses are under control, such a man's mind is focused.
If a man thinks always of sensual pleasures, he gets addicted to them. From addiction comes passion and from passion,anger. Anger leads to confused mind, and from it, erratic memory.Memory- loss means death of all thinking power and that is the end of existence. Your mind will become unruffled and clear, if you master your self and enjoy objects with senses under control. All sorrows end when the mind is unruffled. One will be able to think properly, when the mind is clear.
No learning is possible for the undisciplined, no thinking, and no peace of mind for unthinking man. How can there be any happiness for a disturbed soul? If one's mind is subject to the vagaries of the senses, it pulls one's intelligence out of course,like a wind which scatters a ship. Therefore, it is a man whose senses are under control that can be said to be of steady mind. When it is night for others,then yogi remains awake. And where the others are awake, that is the yogi's night.
The man who gives up all passions, has no desires,no possessiveness, and who is not ego-centric, he attains ultimate peace.This is the highest spiritual state; having reached it, none falls into confusion. Even if it is only at the time of death, he becomes one with the universal soul.
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 2 - Part I
To Arjuna, grief-stricken, overwhelmed by pity, eyes filled with tears, Krishna spoke these words. "Why has this confusion come to you at this critical juncture? It is ignoble, no good for the other world either, and it will only give you a bad name. Don't be foolish; it does not suit you. Give up this petty weakness, come, get up, Arjuna."
Arjuna :
"How can I in a battle shoot arrows at Bheeshma and Drona,who deserve all respect and worship from me! It is better to go begging than killing these great men!. Who wants the blood-stained gains got from killing one's elders? I really don't know what is better, to win or to lose! Those standing there are our cousins, after killing whom we would not care to live at all.
I am very much confused, and don't know what I should do. Tell me what you consider the best for me. I will be your student, do instruct me. I don't see how I can get over this sense-numbing sadness of heart, not by possession of a prosperous kingdom without parallel, not by the over-lord-ship of all the gods of heaven!"
Concluding, he said, I am not going to fight this war, and fell silent.
And Krishna, his face beaming as if with a latent smile, looked at Arjuna thus grieving in front of the armies, and spoke: "Arjuna, you pity those who need no pity, and talk words of wisdom. Wise men never pity the dead or the living. It is not that I, you, and all these princes here were never there, nor that we will cease to exist after this.
Just as one's body goes through boyhood, youth, and old age, it takes another form in death. A wise man never worries over it.
The bodily sensations of heat and cold, and pain and pleasure, come and go, they are transitory and should be endured by you.
He is really immortal, whom these do not vex, for whom pain and pleasure are both the same. A non real thing can never exist, nor can a real thing ever cease to exit.
That is affirmed by all thinkers. That which pervades all this we perceive is indestructible, none can destroy it.
Other things are the ephemeral bodies of the soul, which is eternal and inscrutable.
So Arjuna, do fight by all means.If anybody thinks that the soul kills or is killed, he does not know anything.
The soul never kills, nor is it killed. It is never born, nor ever dies; it does not appear and disappear.
Without beginning,without end, eternal and existing from immemorial times, it does not die, when the body is killed.
Whom and how can anyone who knows this soul as one without birth or death, eternal and unchangeable, kill or cause to kill?
Just as a person throws away his old clothes and takes up new ones, so does the soil discard its worn-out body for a fresh new one.
No weapon can cut it, no fire can burn it, no water can wet it, and no wind can dry it.
It is verily immune to cutting, burning, wetting or drying, it is of immemorial time, all-pervading, eternal, unchanging, It is beyond senses and thought, and is immutable.
Knowing this, nobody should pity him.Now if you think that continuously the soul is born and then dies, even then you should not pity it.
For anything born is death certain,and for the dead, birth is certain why feel sorry about something inevitable!
Nobody knows for certain the beginning, or the end of created things. We know only the middle.
What is the good crying over it? People look at life as a wonder, they talk about it as a wonder,they listen to it as wonder, but still nobody knows anything about it.
The soul in all bodies can never be killed. No sense in feeling pity for any being.Also you should consider your duty, and not waver.
For a Kshatriya,there is no greater good than fight a righteous war which is a gate to Heaven. A Kshatriya should be only happy to get such an opportunity.
And if you do not fight this righteous war, it will be a sin.
You would fail your duty, and get a bad name. Moreover, they will talk ill of you for ever; and for a person held in respect, bad name is worse than death.
The other brave warriors will think that you have run away in fear from the battle, in the eyes of those who respect you, you will become cheap. And your enemies will say all sorts of unspeakable things about you, and question your skill.
Can anything be more horrible!
Killed you go to heaven, winning you get a kingdom. So get up and be ready to fight. Indifferent to pain and pleasure, gain and loss, success or defeat.
This way you will not incur any sin.
Arjuna :
"How can I in a battle shoot arrows at Bheeshma and Drona,who deserve all respect and worship from me! It is better to go begging than killing these great men!. Who wants the blood-stained gains got from killing one's elders? I really don't know what is better, to win or to lose! Those standing there are our cousins, after killing whom we would not care to live at all.
I am very much confused, and don't know what I should do. Tell me what you consider the best for me. I will be your student, do instruct me. I don't see how I can get over this sense-numbing sadness of heart, not by possession of a prosperous kingdom without parallel, not by the over-lord-ship of all the gods of heaven!"
Concluding, he said, I am not going to fight this war, and fell silent.
And Krishna, his face beaming as if with a latent smile, looked at Arjuna thus grieving in front of the armies, and spoke: "Arjuna, you pity those who need no pity, and talk words of wisdom. Wise men never pity the dead or the living. It is not that I, you, and all these princes here were never there, nor that we will cease to exist after this.
Just as one's body goes through boyhood, youth, and old age, it takes another form in death. A wise man never worries over it.
The bodily sensations of heat and cold, and pain and pleasure, come and go, they are transitory and should be endured by you.
He is really immortal, whom these do not vex, for whom pain and pleasure are both the same. A non real thing can never exist, nor can a real thing ever cease to exit.
That is affirmed by all thinkers. That which pervades all this we perceive is indestructible, none can destroy it.
Other things are the ephemeral bodies of the soul, which is eternal and inscrutable.
So Arjuna, do fight by all means.If anybody thinks that the soul kills or is killed, he does not know anything.
The soul never kills, nor is it killed. It is never born, nor ever dies; it does not appear and disappear.
Without beginning,without end, eternal and existing from immemorial times, it does not die, when the body is killed.
Whom and how can anyone who knows this soul as one without birth or death, eternal and unchangeable, kill or cause to kill?
Just as a person throws away his old clothes and takes up new ones, so does the soil discard its worn-out body for a fresh new one.
No weapon can cut it, no fire can burn it, no water can wet it, and no wind can dry it.
It is verily immune to cutting, burning, wetting or drying, it is of immemorial time, all-pervading, eternal, unchanging, It is beyond senses and thought, and is immutable.
Knowing this, nobody should pity him.Now if you think that continuously the soul is born and then dies, even then you should not pity it.
For anything born is death certain,and for the dead, birth is certain why feel sorry about something inevitable!
Nobody knows for certain the beginning, or the end of created things. We know only the middle.
What is the good crying over it? People look at life as a wonder, they talk about it as a wonder,they listen to it as wonder, but still nobody knows anything about it.
The soul in all bodies can never be killed. No sense in feeling pity for any being.Also you should consider your duty, and not waver.
For a Kshatriya,there is no greater good than fight a righteous war which is a gate to Heaven. A Kshatriya should be only happy to get such an opportunity.
And if you do not fight this righteous war, it will be a sin.
You would fail your duty, and get a bad name. Moreover, they will talk ill of you for ever; and for a person held in respect, bad name is worse than death.
The other brave warriors will think that you have run away in fear from the battle, in the eyes of those who respect you, you will become cheap. And your enemies will say all sorts of unspeakable things about you, and question your skill.
Can anything be more horrible!
Killed you go to heaven, winning you get a kingdom. So get up and be ready to fight. Indifferent to pain and pleasure, gain and loss, success or defeat.
This way you will not incur any sin.
Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 1
When the warring cousins, Pandavas and Kauravas, met in the holy land of Kurukshethra, Duryodhana approached Drona and spoke these words.
"Sir, see the great army of Pandu's sons, led by Bheema, all of them as brave as Bheema and Arjuna themselves, Great warriors they are indeed, Drupada and his son, the sons of Subhadra and Droupadi , and so many other heroes.
Let me, for the record, list our excellent leaders, you yourself, Bheeshma, Karna, and so many others staking their lives for my sake.
They are masters of various weapons, and all skilled in warfare. Still our army, led by Bheeshma, seems to me somehow lacking, while theirs is not so. Please take your proper places and protect Bheeshma."
At that moment to his great joy, Bheesma blew his horn with a loud war-cry. Immediately, it was followed by the blowing of horns and beating of drums, filling the air with tumultuous sound.
Then in their grand chariot, drawn by milky-white horses, stood Krishna and Arjuna, and blew their god-gifted horns, soon followed the sounds of horns blown individually by everyone in the Pandava army, which reverberated through sky and earth, and tore through the hearts of Duryodhana's army.
Seeing that the the opposite side was ready and the war was about to start, Arjuna lifted his mighty Gandiva bow and addressed Krishna thus.
"Krishna, please stop for a while the chariot in between the two armies. I would like to have a close look at these people, with whom I have to fight. They have all turned up to please this evil-minded Duryodhana."
So spoken to, Krishna halted the chariot in the middle between the armies ranged on either side, in front of Bheeshma, Drona and all other great leaders, and said. " See, there they stand all the Kauravas, your foes."
And Arjuna saw standing before him all his cousins, and felt a great sense of pity. Overcome by sorrow, he said.
"I am feeling weak, my mouth is drying up, I am trembling and my hairs stand on end. My bow is slipping from my hands, and my whole skin seems to burn. I cannot stand, I feel dizzy.
All around I see bad omens. I see no good in killing my own people. I am not after victory. I do not want power or pleasures.
What's the use of kingdom, enjoyments or life itself! They, my
teachers sons and other dear ones, for whom we want kingdom enjoyments
and pleasures stand there, unmindful of their wealth and life.
Even if they want to kill me, I do not want to kill them.
Not for all the three worlds,then why for this earth. What satisfaction would I have in killing these cousins of mine? The only result I see is accumulation of sin. After all, they are our cousins.
We should not kill them. How can anybody be happy after killing his own people? It may be that they in their greed do not see the great harm in ruining our ancient family and the sin of hurting friends.
Krishna, Why can't we, who know better, draw back from this sinful action? Family destroyed, all the ancient sacred duties of the family perish. With that, the family will be overtaken by lawlessness, the women lose their character.
With the women lost, will spread promiscuousness. It is the certain path to hell for the family and the ruiners of family!
The souls of the dead will perish, deprived of food and water offerings. Because of all these reasons, the duties of caste and family will be broken and this leads to eternal life in hell, they say.
Oh! By trying to kill our own people, we are about to commit a great sin, in our greed for power and wealth!
It would be better for me, I think, if they, weapons in hand, attack and kill me, without me retaliating or lifting up arms"
Saying this, Arjuna in deep sorrow, dropped his bow and arrows, sat down on the floor of the chariot.
"Sir, see the great army of Pandu's sons, led by Bheema, all of them as brave as Bheema and Arjuna themselves, Great warriors they are indeed, Drupada and his son, the sons of Subhadra and Droupadi , and so many other heroes.
Let me, for the record, list our excellent leaders, you yourself, Bheeshma, Karna, and so many others staking their lives for my sake.
They are masters of various weapons, and all skilled in warfare. Still our army, led by Bheeshma, seems to me somehow lacking, while theirs is not so. Please take your proper places and protect Bheeshma."
At that moment to his great joy, Bheesma blew his horn with a loud war-cry. Immediately, it was followed by the blowing of horns and beating of drums, filling the air with tumultuous sound.
Then in their grand chariot, drawn by milky-white horses, stood Krishna and Arjuna, and blew their god-gifted horns, soon followed the sounds of horns blown individually by everyone in the Pandava army, which reverberated through sky and earth, and tore through the hearts of Duryodhana's army.
Seeing that the the opposite side was ready and the war was about to start, Arjuna lifted his mighty Gandiva bow and addressed Krishna thus.
"Krishna, please stop for a while the chariot in between the two armies. I would like to have a close look at these people, with whom I have to fight. They have all turned up to please this evil-minded Duryodhana."
So spoken to, Krishna halted the chariot in the middle between the armies ranged on either side, in front of Bheeshma, Drona and all other great leaders, and said. " See, there they stand all the Kauravas, your foes."
And Arjuna saw standing before him all his cousins, and felt a great sense of pity. Overcome by sorrow, he said.
"I am feeling weak, my mouth is drying up, I am trembling and my hairs stand on end. My bow is slipping from my hands, and my whole skin seems to burn. I cannot stand, I feel dizzy.
All around I see bad omens. I see no good in killing my own people. I am not after victory. I do not want power or pleasures.
What's the use of kingdom, enjoyments or life itself! They, my
teachers sons and other dear ones, for whom we want kingdom enjoyments
and pleasures stand there, unmindful of their wealth and life.
Even if they want to kill me, I do not want to kill them.
Not for all the three worlds,then why for this earth. What satisfaction would I have in killing these cousins of mine? The only result I see is accumulation of sin. After all, they are our cousins.
We should not kill them. How can anybody be happy after killing his own people? It may be that they in their greed do not see the great harm in ruining our ancient family and the sin of hurting friends.
Krishna, Why can't we, who know better, draw back from this sinful action? Family destroyed, all the ancient sacred duties of the family perish. With that, the family will be overtaken by lawlessness, the women lose their character.
With the women lost, will spread promiscuousness. It is the certain path to hell for the family and the ruiners of family!
The souls of the dead will perish, deprived of food and water offerings. Because of all these reasons, the duties of caste and family will be broken and this leads to eternal life in hell, they say.
Oh! By trying to kill our own people, we are about to commit a great sin, in our greed for power and wealth!
It would be better for me, I think, if they, weapons in hand, attack and kill me, without me retaliating or lifting up arms"
Saying this, Arjuna in deep sorrow, dropped his bow and arrows, sat down on the floor of the chariot.
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