VERSE 52 OF SAMKHYA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER TWO

SAMKHYA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF KNWLEDGE

VERSE NUMBER 52

Text in Transliteration;

yadaa te moha kalilam buddhir vyatitarishyati

yadaa gantaasi nirvedam srotavyasya srutassya cha

Text in English:

When your understanding transcends the taint of delusion, then shall you gain indifference to things heard and those yet to be heard.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

   After transcending the taint of delusion, the yogi is able to understand and distinguish between Atman and ‘Parkriti’, the Real and the unreal, the Being and the becoming. The Truth in Itself is realized. The phenomenal existence is then evaluated for what it is worth. The inquirer evaluates the dream. He does not attribute one value to the dream that he has heard already and waits to attribute another value to the one that remains to be related to him. A Brahma-jnani hears of the scientific discoveries that have been so far made. He classifies them all as the various modifications of the phenomenal universe as cognized by the intellect which is itself a phase of the fleeting phenomenon. The new discoveries that remain to be recounted to him will also be brushed aside with the same remark. Events like the Mahabharata war present themselves as great and consequential to ordinary people. But the Brahma-jnani views them with utter indifference. The evolution and involution of the universe itself are meaningless to him.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S. RADHAKRISHNAN:

   Scriptures are unnecessary for the man who has attained the insight. See II, 46; VI, 44. He woh attains the wisdom of the Supreme passes beyond the range of the Vedas and the Upanishads, sabdabrahmaativartate.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

                        The mire of delusion is the identification of the Self with the not-Self. The sense of discrimination between the Self and the not-Self is confounded by the mire of delusion and the body is taken as the pure Self. When you attain purity of mind, you will attain to indifference regarding things heard and yet to be heard. They will appear to you to be of no use. You will not care a bit for them. You will entertain disgust for them. (Cf. XVI.24)

Comments by the blogger:

A seventy-five years old advocate who has seen all in the profession sits with total indifference when, in the bar, a few neophytes argue a question of fact or law. Of course, he is ready to explain the same if he is approached, otherwise, he shows total indifference. A ninety-year-old man sits with total indifference to the property disputes going on among the young sons of the opposite house where the father has died recently.

Total indifference is attained even here by ordinary average persons of long experience.

If there is a dispute and quarrel going on between two motor bike drivers, there comes a crowd of onlookers to the place, but the petty shop owner on the roadside is totally indifferent. Because he has seen umpteen number of accidents in that corner and he could not care the less if the quarrel degrades into a free for all.

Saint Sri Ramakrishna once went to attend a ceremony. He had to pass a few minutes there. The worldly conversation between two persons felt like pouring poison on his ears. He was a saint always immersed in deep Samadhi, and all that was spoken about the world and all that is yet to be spoken have no relevance or interest to him! He later said that it was very difficult to be a witness to such a worldly conversation.

To a person who has attained self-knowledge even the Vedopanishadic utterances will not be of any interest. When deep samadhi is attained, things heard and yet to be heard about this worldly life has no value whatsoever.

Something like this has already said by the Lord that to a Brahmin who has attained self-knowledge, all the Vedas would be of the same use as the well at a place inundated with water everywhere.

The Lord puts the same thing, the Greatness of the attainment of the knowledge about one’s Atman in various words and various alluring ways. He is a Great Teacher indeed.

Once again, let it be said, this kind of speaking for Great men and the Lord is possible only in the Hinduism. Not any one of the worlds religions has declared the time and stage at which when the Scriptural utterances of that religion becomes indifferent to the practitioner! This is because of the strength of knowledge and courage of conviction indeed!