THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER 06, DHYANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF MEDITATION, VERSE NUMBER 09

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER 06

DHYANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF MEDITATION:

VERSE NUMBER 09

Text in Transliteration:

suhrn mitraaryudaaseena madhyastha dveshya bandhushu

saadhushv api cha paapeshu samabhdhir visishyate

Text in English:

He stands supreme who has equal regard for friends, companions, enemies, neutrals, arbiters, the hateful, the relatives, saints and sinners.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

It is but natural for an orndinary man to react differently with people in varying levels of attainments and relationship. They are not normal human beings if they did not behave appropriate to the worth of the persons they contact. They are not normal human beings if they did not behave appropriate to the worth of the persons they contact. But the yogi’s angle of vision is different. To him the whole world is a stage. Beings in it are all different manifestations of the same Divinity. As the actors of the different characters in a drama are all viewed alike by the stage manager, the yogi has nothing but a benign attitude even to those hostile to him. his supremely benevolent attitude is the greatest gift made by him to the conflict-ridden humanity.

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AS QUOTED BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

When seen from the plains the grass on the lawn and the deodar tree on the border of the lawn present strikingly contrary pictures. But if they be seen from the peak of a mountain they would all blend into one even verdure. Similarly the earth-bound man views one as a sovereign and anthe as a sweeper, one as father and another as son, and so on. But after intuiting God, these differences vanish. There is no more of the good and the bad, the high and the low, God-perception alone prevails everywhere.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

He excels: He is the best among the Yogarudhas.

Samabuddhi is equanimity or evenness of mind. A Yogi of Samabuddhi has equal vision. He is quite impartial. He is the same to all. He makes no difference with reference to caste, creed or colour. He loves all as his own self, as rooted in the Self.

A good-hearted man does good to others without expecting any service from them in return.

Udasina is one who is quite indifferent.

A neutral is one who does not join any of the two contending parties. He stands as a silent spectator or witness.

The righteous are those who do righteous actions and follow the injunctions of the scriptures.

The unrighteous are those who do wrong and forbidden actions, who injure others and who do not follow the scriptures.

Comments by the blogger:

This verse is preceded by the verse number 8 wherein Sri Krishna says, “That yogi is steadfast who is satisfied with knowledge and wisdom, who remains unshaken, who has conquered the senses, to whom a clod, a stone and a piece of gold are the same. Here in this verse (9) the clod, a stone and a piece of gold replace friends, companions, enemies, neutrals, arbiters, the hateful, the relatives, saints and sinners.

What is important is that a yogi should first shed the worldliness and then personal ego to the extent of being the same both friends and enemies and etc.

The question is whether a person can have such an attitude in life. Certainly it’s not easy or possible for the majority of us. Then the question arises then why should we read the Gita. Well, it is first to give credence to the fact that there have been are people who have similar attitude. That in itself is a model for us to follow. The other thing is that if there are people who could conduct their lives after this fashion there must be a possibility at least to follow their model to a certain extent in our lives. Another thing is to know there have been and are such great souls to whom a clod, a stone, a piece of gold, friends and enemies are the same. That is a great inspiration for us. We tend to take, in course of time, the good and bad and the dvandvas as of equal value.

When there is a kind of life, we tend to evolve gradually inwardly. That is why we should read the Gita. Gita will guide us in our most difficult situations. And Gita should be included in the School Curriculum. Gita should be studied and taught while one is still young. Young girls and boys should be taught Gita’s essence. Gita should form part of the syllabus for students at schools and at colleges. By the time they leave the college they should be thorough in their grasp of Gita.

Like yoga Gita is for all. Anybody can practise the teachings of Sri Krishna if only one shed the gross selfishness and psychic ego.