THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER 12, VERSE 20, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12

VERSE NUMBER 20

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

ye tu dharmyaamrrtam idam yathoktam paryupaasate

sraddadhaanaa matparamaa bhaktaas te ‘teeva me priyaah

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

ye = who: tu = indeed: dharmayaamrrtam = immortal dharma: idam = this: yathaa uktam = as declared: paryupaasate = follow: sradda dhaanaah = endued with Sraddha: mat paramaah = regarding me as their supreme: bhaktaah = devotees: te = they: ateeva = exceedingly: me = to me: priyaah = dear.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

They, verily, who follow this immortal dharma described above endued with Sraddha, looking upon Me as the Supreme Goal, and devoted—they are exceedingly dear to Me.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI  CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Sraddha is the common factor to all the forms of spiritual practices. It is therefore linked here with the path of Bhakti or devotion. On the ground of his holding the Lord as the Supreme Goal, the devotee does not abandon work. He holds fast to the practice of dharma. Mukti and Immortality being the outcome of the practice of dharma, it is here equated with Immortality. It is also called the Sanatana Dharma. He who conforms to dharma never comes to grief or destruction. Being both an ardent devotee and a staunch practicer of dharma, he is the dearest to the Lord.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Bhakti is of two kinds—the Vaidika bhakti and the Prema bhakti. To conform to the injunctions in the Scripture, to chant the name of the Lord as many times as prescribed, to fast and pray to go on pilgrimage, to perform ritualistic worship with the aid of the enjoined materials—all these belong to the former kind. Earnest pursuance of these means leads the devotee ultimately into the latter, the Prema bhakti, in which there is no place for any kind of earthly attachment. The Bhakta gives himself over entirely to the Lord. This whole-hearted offering is graciously accepted by the Lord and the devotee becomes His own.

 PS: Srimat Swami Chidbhavananda:

The path of Karma in the first six chapters and the path of Bhakti in the second six get united here. In the following six chapters the path of Jnaana remains to get united with these two.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

sraddhadhaana: (those) with faith. Before the experience arises the soul must have faith, which carries with it consent of mind and life. For those who have experience, it is a matter of sight: for others, it is faith, a call or a compulsion.

When we see the One Self in all things, equal-mindedness, freedom from selfish desires, surrender of our whole nature to the Indwelling Spirit and love for all arise.  When these qualities are manifested, our devotion is perfect and we are God’s own men. Our life then is guided not by the forces of attraction and repulsion, friendship and enmity, pleasure and pain, but by the single urge to give oneself to God and therefore to the service of the world which is one with God.

PS: Dr.S.Radhakrishnan:

In the words of Tulsidaas:

“Grant me, O Master, by thy grace

To follow all the good and pure,

To be content with simple things:

To use my fellows, not as means but ends

To serve them stalwartly, in thought, word, deed;

Never to utter a word of hatred or of shame:

To cast away all selfishness and pride:

To speak no ill of others: To have a mind at peace,

Set free from care, and led astray from thee

Neither by happiness nor woe;

Set thou my feet upon this path.

And keep me steadfast in it,

Thus only shall I please thee, serve thee right.”

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

The Blessed Lord has in this verse given a description of His excellent devotee.

Amrita Dharma: Amrita is the life-ging nectar. Dharma is righteousness or wisdom. Dharma is that which leads to immortality when practised. The real devotees regard Me as their final or supreme refuge.

A great truth that should not go unnoticed is that the devotee, the man of wisdom and the Yogi have all the same fundamental characteristic.

Priyo hi Jnaninotyartham (I am exceedingly dear to wise man) (VII.12) has thus been explained at length and concluded here thus, Te ativa me priyah (they are exceedingly dear to Me).

He who follows this immortal Dharma as described above becomes exceedingly dear to the Lord. Therefore, every aspirant who thirsts for salvation, and who longs to attain the Supreme Abode of the Lord should follow this immortal Dharma with zeal and intense faith.

iti sreemad bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu brahmavidyaayaam

yogasaastre sree krrshnaarjuna samvaade bhaktiyogo

naama dvaadaso ‘dhyaayah

In the Upanishad of the Bhagavad Gita, the knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme, the science of Yoga and the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, this is the twelfth discourse designated:

                                                  THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

Comments by the blogger:

We have seen before about the saying, “If you take one step toward God, He takes ten steps toward you!”

Well, what is the requirement for salvation or emancipation is Sraddha or Faith in God. But the pulls of this illusory world will try its level best to get us astray. Nature is a great con man or woman! Sri Bhagavan Krishna calls the illusory pulls of this world as ‘mama maayaa!’ or in other words ‘My Illusion!’ So in the face of Maya close up we have no defence or we think nothing will save us and we have no choice and we should surrender our self to Maya. So faith in God must arise in us owing to the working out of our Prarabtha Karma. It is Prarabtha Karma which decides our status and position and rank in the society in each and every birth. Prarabtha Karma is the sum total of our Karma we were party to arise. There are other two types of Karma, Sanchita Karma and Agama Karma. Sanchita Karma is the accumulation of Karma in many incarnations and one small part of the accumulated Karma will join us in each birth and we have to work out both Prarabtha Karma and Sanchinta Karma in the current incarnation. On the other hand, Agami Karma is different from Sanchita Karma. We need not work out in one incarnation all the Sanchita Karma in this incarnation. Agami Karma is the karma which arises because of some of our actions and for which we immediately have to pay by working out in the current incarnation itself. Our Swadharma is determined by our Prarabtha Karma in the earlier incarnation. So the guna or attitude or character of a person in the present incarnation is determined by the sum total of the Prarabtha Karma in the earlier or previous incarnation. So Faith is a matter of Prarabtha Karma. If we worshipped God in whatever form in the preceding birth or incarnation, that facet of our character will roll out in the current incarnation so we will pay greater attention towards the attainment of Oneness with our Maker. This is how one person starts to pray to God and conduct himself as a devotee of stronger nature in comparison with one’s preceding birth or incarnation while another person questions with vigour the very existence of God! In the same family, one person is a God-fearing person and his or her brother or sister is fond of calling himself or herself as a Rationalist! So every devotee evolves through many an incarnation. So we all should have been a Rationalist in one incarnation or the other. This is why we cannot and should not disapprove of those who exhibit no faith in God. For the staunchest Rationalist will worship God in some incarnation. For everyone comes here to the earth’s plane for walking the path of any one of the four kinds of Yoga as described in Srimad Bhagavad Gita stoutly towards God realisation. All sensual pleasures are nothing but various rungs in the ladder and the uppermost rung signifies emancipation. This rule is the rule for all irrespective of one’s religious feelings and faith. All should come back here till total emancipation. Simply because one religion says there is only one chance for Man to work out his salvation it will not stop that man’s reincarnation! If there is only one birth as the two major religions of the world posit God would not have given such an illusory pull to Nature or Prakrity. The more you think along this logic the greater is the realisation that Man has to come back to the earth’s plane repeatedly and not one more re-incarnation but hundreds of incarnations till one arrives at self-realisation. If we have the faith of the kind as posited in verse 20 of this chapter so much better it would be to lose ourselves in glorifying and worshipping the Lord.  

  

THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12, VERSES 18 AND 19, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OR DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12         

VERSES 18 AND 19                                                                                                                  

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION (VERSE 18):

samah satrau cha mitre cha tathaa maanaapamaanayoh

seetoshna sukha duhkheshu samah sangavivarjitah

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

Samah = the same: satrau = to foe: cha = and: mitre = to friend: cha = and: tathaa = also: maana apamaanayoh = in honour and dishonour: seta ushna sukha duhkeshu = in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain: samah = the same: sanga vivarjitah = free from attachment:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION (VERSE 19):

tulya nindaa stutir maunee samtushto yena kenachit

aniketah sthiramatir bhaktimaan me priyo narah

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

tulya nindaa stutih = to whom cnsure and praise are equal: maunee = silent: samtushtah = contented: yenakenachit = with anything: aniketah = homeless: sthiramatih = steady-minded: bhaktimaan = full of devotion: me = to me: priyah = dear: narah = (that) man.  

TEXTS IN ENGLISH: (VERSE 18):

He who is the same to foe and friend and also in honour and dishonour, who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, who is free from attachment,

TEXT IN ENGLISH: (VERSE 19):

To whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, steady-minded, full of devotion—that man is dear to Me.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA: (for both verses)

Day and night are inevitable on earth, but in the blazing sun, they have no place. Friendship and enmity are but natural among fellow beings, but in the fervour of the divine love of God, these differences vanish of their own accord.

An illicit love in the initial stage is mindful of shame and social decorum. But when it deepens into open familiarity all sense of shame is set aside. There is some similarity between this and the divine love of God, which pays no heed to honour and dishonour. While the former leads the fallen one to depravity, the latter elevates the devotee into the Sublime. The worldly people are flippant both in honouring and dishonouring a devotee of God. But unconcerned that he is with these passing phases, the devotee goes headlong in his love of the Maker.

To the one subject to body-consciousness, the feeling of cold and heat is natural with the change of climate. But to the one given to divine ecstasy born of Bhakti, this feeling does not come.

The feeling of pleasure and pain is concomitant with the feeling of cold and heat. When the attachment to the body is overcome, these feeling disappear as a matter of course.

A worldly man with a talent for music sings to receive the applause of the public. He derives pleasure in the praise and pain in their censure if any. But when a Bhakta sings the glory of the Lord, he is indifferent to the censure and the praise of the people. His activities are likely to be exposed to public remarks. But he remains dead to all their observations and goes his own divine way.

The devotee prefers to be silent. If at all he talks, it would be about the Lord and nothing else. His training the tongue in this way is equivalent to the practice of silence.

A person unexpectedly and hurriedly returning home on some important business, reconciles himself with any means of transport that is immediately available. He is not much worried if there be any lack of amenities and facilities in the travel. The Bhakta’s position in the world is very much like this. Communion with God is his sole concern. He is therefore content with anything worldly that comes his way in his earthly sojourn.

To a hurrying traveller sitting accommodation in any of the railway coaches is sufficient. The Bhakta, the Godward pilgrim on earth does not claim any residence as his home. He holds on to the ideal:-

“Have thou no home. What home can hold thee, friend?

The sky the roof; the grass thy bed;”

The devotee seeks nothing but God. He is therefore steady-minded. He gives himself completely to God. So he becomes the favourite of God.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED  BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Do not allow worldly thoughts and concerns disturb your mind. Discharge your duties as and when they present themselves to you. But fasten your mind ever at the feet of the Lord.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN (for both verses):

Aniketah: no fixed abode, homeless. Though he fulfils all social duties, he is not tied to any family or home. As these souls exist, not for this family or that social group but live for mankind as a whole, they do not have a settled home. They are free to move wherever their inspiration takes them. They are not chained to one place or confined to one community. They are not tied to the past or obliged to defend an unchangeable authority. The welfare of humanity as a whole is their constant concern. These samnyaasins may appear in any social group. Cp. Mahabharata: “He who is clothed with anything, who is fed on any food, who lies down anywhere him the gods call a Braahmin.”

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA: (for verse 18):

The ordinary man of the world is ruled by the pairs of opposites, honour and dishonour, cold and heat, and pleasure and pain; but a Yogi or sage or a devotee (Bhagavata) has a balanced mind. He has poise or equanimity. He who does wrong to others is a foe. He who does good to others is a friend.

The devotee or the sage has no attachment for objects of any kind.

SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA FOR VERSE 19:

He is neither elated by praise nor pained by censure. He keeps a balanced state of mind. He has controlled the organ of speech and so he is silent. His mind also is serene and silent as he has controlled the thoughts also. He is quite content with the bare means of bodily sustenance. It is said in the Mahabharata (Santi Parva Moksha Dharma): “Who is dressed in anything, who eats any kind of food, who lies down anywhere, him the gods call a Brahmana or a liberated sage or Jivanmukta”

He does not dwell in one place. He has no fixed abode. He is homeless. He regards the world as his dwelling place. His mind is ever fixed on Brahman. (Cf. VII.17; IX.29; Xii.17)

Comments by the blogger:

What has been enjoined on a consummate devotee in verses 18 and 19 are out of reach of ordinary devotees, like me, who only worship God with a mental list of wants and needs and for their fulfilment. For Sri Krishna’s expectations in these two verses is a tall order. These things are possible only to those devotees who worship the Lord for the sake of  Devotion without any expectation. According to Srimat Swami Bhaskarananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, America, “The path of Devotion enables the emotional person to have direct vision of Personal God or Ishvara. The emotion love, which is abundantly available in everyone, is skilfully used as a means to attain God-vision. Love in human beings is usually present as ‘selfish love.’ If selfish love can somehow be sublimated and directed towards God, it becomes an effective means of God-realization.” Thus only when the ordinary and selfish kind of Devotion is sublimated and directed towards God, the Devotee can be the same to foe and friend, and also in honour and dishonour, the same in cold and heat and in pleasure and pain and can be free from attachment, and to whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent, content with anything, HOMELESS, of a steady mind and full of devotion. Not every bhakta or devotee can fulfil these tall orders.

Srimat Swami Bhaskarananda further says, “Bhakti Yoga disciplines consist of maintaining physical and mental purity (shaucha), prayer (praarthanaa), chanting of God’s holy name (japa), the singing of devotional songs (gita), and the adoration and worship of God (puja or Upasana)... Encouragement is given to developing special mental attitudes that generate a feeling of closeness to God. The attitudes are ‘shaanta’ or a serene and dispassionate attitude, ‘daasya’ or the attitude of a servant, ‘sakhya’ or the attitude of a friend, ‘vaatsalya’ or the attitude of a mother towards her child, and ‘madhura’ or the sweet attitude of a loving wife towards her husband... one should understand very clearly that in this madhura attitude the devotee is not even aware of his  or her body or sex. This is entirely a spiritual relationship. Other than these attitudes, the devotee can also look upon God as his father or mother and himself as the child. With the help of these attitudes, ... the devotee’s love for God becomes more and more mature. This love gradually purifies his mind and enables him to have the vision of the Personal God or Ishvara.”

Srimat Swami Vivekananda says in his San Fransico address, “We will understand more clearly if we once get rid of the idea that religion consists in doctrines. One idea of religion has been that the whole world was born because Adam ate the apple, and there is no way of escape. Believe in Jesus Christ—in a certain man’s death! But in India, there is quite a different idea. There religion means realisation, nothing else. It does not matter whether one approaches the destination in a carriage with four horses, in an electric car, or rolling on the ground. The goal is the same. For the Christians, the problem is how to escape the wrath of the terrible God. For the Indians it is how to become what they really are, to regain their lost Selfhood...”

So, only when the simple form of love for God is sublimated and directed towards God one can fulfil the daunting tasks verses 18 and 19 have laid down.

But one should not get discouraged. Like any other Yoga prescribed in Gita by Sri Krishna, Devotion of the type described in verses 18 and 19 is a matter of evolution. I have been worshipping Lord Siva in His Linga form for more than twenty years. But I have not evolved into the kind of devotee as described in the two verses stated above. But I will come, after my death, here on to the earth’s  plane as a staunch Bhakta and likewise in the course of my births and deaths, at a given point I would blossom and evolve into the kind of Devotee as enjoined by the Lord of Gita in the above-said two verses and attain Moksha. But I have no illusion whatsoever that I am too much attached to this world, though not for my own sake but on behalf of my darling wife and two nice daughters, I will have to come back here an umpteen number of times.

Everyone’s birthright, according to Srimat Swami Vivekananda, is the attainment of Moksha or that state whereupon after the attainment of that stage or state, we will not be compelled to return to the earth’s plane.

THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12 AND VERSE NUMBER 17, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12

VERSE NUMBER 17

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

yo na hrrshyati na dveshti na sochati na kaankshati

subhaasubha parityaagee bhaktimaan yah sa me priyah

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

yah = who: na = not: hrrshyati = rejoices: na = not: dveshti = hates: na = not: sochati = grieves: na = not: kaankshati = desires: subha asubha parityaagee = renouncing good and evil: bhaktimaan = full of devotion: yah = who: sah = he: me = to me: priyah = dear.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

He who neither rejoices nor hates nor grieves nor desires, renouncing good and evil, full of devotion, he is dear to Me.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

The worldly people rejoice obtaining things pleasing to the senses, but the lover of God does not behave as they do. They hate them who create unwanted situations, but the devotee pays no heed to bad people and unpleasant situations. He does not grieve when he is deprived of worldly possessions nor does he desire to procure them for his personal enjoyment. His intense devotion to the Lord admits no other desire into his heart. He is free from the notions of good and evil, even as an innocent baby is. A devotee with these excellences is endearing to the Lord.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

God’s presence cannot be felt in that heart which is given to attachment, aversion and fear.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

What is described in verse 13 is dealt with at length in this verse.

He does not rejoice when he attains the desirable objects. He does not hate when he gets the undesirable objects. He does not grieve when he parts with his beloved objects. He does not desire the unattained.

Subhasubhaparityagi: Here is a further description of Sarvarambhaparityagi of verse 16. He who has renounced good and evil actions which produce pleasure and pain is a devotee of the Lord. Such a devotee or knower of Brahman, who is My own Self, is dear to Me. (Cf. VII.17; IX.29)

Comments by the blogger: 

He who does not rejoice on obtaining anything which gives for otherworldly people enjoyment, and does not grieve on obtaining anything which gives for otherworldly people unpleasant feelings, he who has no desires, he who renounces the good and evil for My sake that person is dear to Me, says Sri Krishna. So such a person who is dear to God does not go into raptures when he gets something productive of the worldly joy nor does he fathom the depths of sorrow when something unpleasant happens to him, and he who does not desire for some worldly thing and who renounces all things productive of both good and evil IS DEAR TO ME, SAYS SRI KRISHNA IN THIS VERSE. He is a Karma Yogi like Mahatma Gandhi.

According to Mahatma Gandhi, all of us have our appointed tasks, as Brahmins or Kshatriyas, Vaisyas or Sudras. Anyone who does his work without hope of reward and in a disinterested spirit is a bhakta of God. The second chapter contains verses describing a ‘sthitaprajna’. They describe the state of mind of a yogi living absorbed in a mystic world. This Chapter XII describes, in our ordinary language, the state of mind of a ‘bhakta’ or devotee.

Srimat Swami Vivekananda says in his speech in San Fransisco, America, “ How to worship God? We will understand more clearly if we once get rid of the idea that religion consists in doctrines. One idea of religion has been that the whole world was born because Adam ate the apple, and there is no way of escape. Believe in Jesus Christ—in a certain man’s death!

But in India, there is quite a different idea. There religion means realisation, nothing else. It does not matter whether one approaches the destination in a carriage with four horses, in an electric car, or rolling on the ground. The goal is the same. For the (Christians), the problem is how to escape the wrath of the terrible God. For the Indians it is how to become what they really are, to regain their lost Selfhood...

Have you realised that you are spirit? When you say, ‘I do’, what is meant by that—this lump of flesh called the body or the spirit, the infinite, ever blessed, effulgent, immortal? You may be the greatest philosopher, but as long as you have the idea that you are the body, you are no better than the little worm crawling under your foot! No excuse for you! So much the worse for you that you know all the philosophies and at the same time think you are the body! Body-gods, that is what you are! Is that religion?

Religion is the realisation of spirit as spirit. What are we doing now? Just the opposite, realising spirit as matter. Out of the immortal God we manufacture death and matter, and out of dead dull matter we manufacture death and matter, and out of dead dull matter, we manufacture spirit...

If you can realise Brahman by standing on your head, or on one foot, or by worshipping five thousand gods with three heads each—welcome to it!... Do it any way you can! Nobody has any right to say anything. Therefore, Krishna says, if your method is better and higher, you have no business to say that another man’s method is bad, however wicked you may think it.

Again, we must consider, religion is a matter of growth, not a mass of foolish words...All these people fighting about what God's nature is—whether He has three heads in one body or five heads in six bodies. Have you seen God? No...And they do not believe they can ever see Him. What fools we mortals be! Sure, lunatics!

Each one thinks his method is best. Very good! But remember, it may be good for you. One food which is very indigestible to one is very digestible to another. Because it is good for you, do not jump to the conclusion that your method is everybody’s method, that Jack’s coat fits John and Mary. All the uneducated, uncultured, unthinking men and women have been put into that sort of straitjacket! Think for yourselves. Become atheists! Become materialists! That would be better. Exercise the mind!... What right have you to say that this man’s method is wrong? It may be wrong for you. That is to say, if you undertake the method, you will be degraded; but that does not mean that he will be degraded. Therefore, says Krishna, if you have knowledge and see a man weak, do not condemn him. Go to his level and help him if you can...”

Well, friends, it takes a lot of religious spine and spiritually enshrined moral authority to speak like this in America! This is what we mean by taking the bull by its horns or meeting the lion in its den! The same Americans now spend millions of dollars to convert the poorest of the poor in India to their BRAND of idea about God!

For your information, friends, I can relate how a second-grade teacher lived according to this sloka or verse: I studied at a Jesuit School from 6^th standard to 11^th standard, staying at the Hostel for the school situates some 60 kilometres away from my native village. In the school, there worked an unassuming and a very humble teacher approaching his retirement stage, by name, Nallamuthu. Well though run by the Jesuit Brotherhood, they employed both Christian and Hindu Teachers. What is special about Mr Nallamuthu, the ideal teacher, was that he had not taken leave of absence from his work including the casual and medical leave! Well, when I cleared Tenth Standard Mr.Nallamuth, the ideal teacher, was chosen for the Tamil Nadu Government’s ‘Superb Teacher’ award. The whole school celebrated the incident. Mr.Nallamuthu was retiring that year. And the school authorities held a huge function in honour of Mr.Nallamuthu. And only in this function, I came to understand what a rare soul Mr.Nallamuthu was; for one speaker spoke that Mr.Nallamuthu was famous for not having availed even paid holidays in his entire period of service as a teacher. And then he went on to relate one anecdote about the great teacher: when the teacher had been young, his wife died! Death had called at his door in midnight. The greatest of teachers, Mr Nallamuthu grieved over the demise of his beloved wife, but in the morning he sent words through telegraph to important relatives and apart from that he spoke to various people in his neighbourhood and made arrangement for the cremation of his beloved wife’s body in the evening after school hours! Having made this arrangement, the greatest of teachers, Mr.Nallamuthu attended school as though nothing had occurred in the family. Just nobody in school knew about the bereavement till the school hours ended in the evening!

Well, we often read in the News Papers about the rape of the schoolgirls by their own teachers. Or on how the teachers indulge in what is described in the Indian Penal Code as outraging the modesty of a woman! There are teachers who go on strick, indefinite or otherwise, on such materialistic demands like lack of emoluments or salaries! When Mr Nallamuthu worked, the even the senior-most second-grade teachers were paid something around two hundred and fifty rupees! No family planning was known in those days. Even teachers used to have a large family. They had to be fed and clothed, the children had to be educated, and the teachers themselves had to dress in accordance with the demands of their august calling! We never knew any teacher complaining about the insufficiency of salary!

Gandhiji also lived out this verse or sloka in his life. But we should know there were so many unsung heroes and Karma Yogis, mostly among the teaching community in those golden days! And I am speaking about the 1970s!    

                                                                                                                                                       

THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12, VERSE NUMBER 16, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12

VERSE NUMBER 16

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

anapekshah suchir daksha udaaseeno gatavyathah

sarvaarambha parityaagee yo madbhaktah sa me priyah

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

Anapekshah = free from wants: suchih = pure: dakshah = expert: udaaseenah = unconcerned: gatavyathah = untroubled: sarva aarambha parityaagee = renouncing all undertakings: yah = who: mad bhktah = my devotee: sah = he: me = to me: priyah = dear.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

He who has no wants, who is pure and prompt, unconcerned, untroubled, and who is selfless in all his undertakings, he who is thus devoted to Me, is dear to Me.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

That man is free from wants who does not seek after sensual pleasures. He becomes pure to the extent he rids himself of all sensual pleasures. When the thought, word and deed of a man are not contaminated by sensuality he is established in purity. To be prompt in the discharge of duty is possible only for him who lives a disciplined life. Even a very grave crisis, suddenly sprung upon him, does not confuse his understanding; he handles it promptly as he ought to. Worldly people behave in one way towards friends and in quite another way towards foes. But the devotee of the Lord is unconcerned whether those he deals with are friends or foes. He behaves in the same simple and straightforward manner with one and all. His dealings being clean he remains untroubled by their consequences. Serving the Lord being his sole motive, he is selfless in all his undertakings. He has everything to dedicate to the Maker and His beings; he has nothing to ask of them. therefore he is dear to the Lord.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

He who is not deceived by his own mind—a person such as he alone, gains access to the divine presensce of the Lord. The point comes to this: an attitude free from guile and deceit and a devotion true to the core—these are the means to take one Godward.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

He renounces the fruits of all his actions. His acts are skilled, daksha, pure and passionless. He does not lose himself in reverie or dream but knows his way in the world.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

He is free from dependence. He is indifferent to the body, the senses, the objects of the senses and their mutual connections. He has external and internal purity. External purity is attained through earth and water (washing and bathing). Inner purity is attained by the eradication of likes and dislikes, lust, anger, jealousy, etc., and through the cultivation of the virtues—friendship (towards equals), compassion (towards those who are inferior) and complacency (towards superiors).

Daksha: Prompt, swift, and skilful in all actions; expert. He is able to decide rightly and immediately in matters that demand prompt attention and action.

Udasina: He who does not take up the side of a friend and the like (in a controversy); he who is indifferent to whatever happens.

Gatavyathah: He who is free from pain. He is not troubled even if he is beaten by a wicked man. He is not pained or afflicted by any result of any action or any happening.

Sarvarambhaparityagi: He habitually renounces all actions calculated to secure the objects of enjoyment, whether of this world or of the next. He has abandoned all egoistic, personal and mental initiative in all actions, mental and physical. He has merged his will in the cosmic will. He allows the divine will to work through him. He has neither preference nor personal desire and so he is swift, prompt and skilful in all actions. The divine will works through him in a dynamic manner.

Such a devotee is My own Self and so he is very dear to Me.

Comments by the blogger:

This is how Mahatma Gandhi thought his people should live.

The whole of his policy of economy rounded on the motto do it yourself and spin. The spinning wheel was to him a great source of self and Self-fulfilment. He did not want for his people any competition for economic achievements. It was only when Gandhiji started to fast that he came to realize that how much-unwanted things he had been eating! We must not think from this that he was a glutton and ate eighteen-course meals every day! What he ate was the demands of his industrious body to go through life. He was very active and as such in need of normal food habits. Gandhiji went to England to participate in the Round Table Conference. As part of this programme, he had a meeting with the king of England. The Mahatma had been attired in his minimal way and when he had emerged from the meeting with the king, the pressmen surrounded him to ask him questions. One of the questions related to the way the Mahatma was attired. For Winston Churchill had called Gandhiji as a half-naked fakir. Even in England Gandhiji was attired in his Dotti and a cotton towel around his trunk. So the question from one of the pressmen, “Mr.Gandhi, how did you feel in your dress in the presence of the king?” was only natural. And pat came the reply from Gandhiji, “No problem. The king was elaborately attired and it was enough for both of us!”

Even the two-course meal he ate daily seemed to him too much when he had taken to fasting as a way of protest against the British Raj and sometimes against the activities of his own people. The Mahatma had few wants. Those wants were like that of a beggar! Minimum clothes, minimum food and lots and lots of activities throughout the day! Apart from all these things, he wanted, above all, Independence for his Motherland. Thus the Mahatma’s needs were more on behalf of his country and the suffering masses.

Gandhiji was both pure and prompt. Both inwardly and outwardly Gandhiji was pure and he did not tell any half-truths or downright lies in his Autobiography. He did not suppress anything important that had happened in his life. So he was so pure as to be called a hermit. And he was very prompt. The Mahatma was an ambidextrous writer. He could write with both hands. In those days letter writing ate lots of his time. He wrote replies to each and every letter he received. So he had to write much. As and when his right hand became very tired and continuous writing was a painful experience, the Mahatma would simply shift the pen to his left hand and would continue with his writing! He was very prompt in replying to the Mails he received every day. Letter correspondent was a very important daily activity and part of his duty. It was mainly through letters the Great Man held a personal relationship with numerous people all over India belonging to various walks of life. Apart from this, he had to write for his journals like, ‘The Harijan’.

The Mahatma could be described as an epitome of unceasing activity and at the same time unconcerned in his personal life and expectations. He worked for the emancipation of his Motherland. In the famous book, “Freedom at Midnight” a scene would be described: Mahatma Gandhi and two of his co-workers were taking a mud bath. When some people faithful to the British Raj came to meet the Mahatma and when they found Gandhiji and two of his followers covered from head to foot in thick mud, they cracked jokes among themselves, “Here is the man who is supposed to get India its freedom!” Gandhiji was always unconcerned and untroubled by the daunting duty as the Father of the Nation and the Architect of India’s freedom.

Gandhiji was selfless in all his ceaseless activities. When India, at long last, won its freedom the Mahatma was nowhere to be seen in Delhi. He had gone to the small village where Hindu-Muslim clashes and lots of blood-letting took place. By the sheerness of the Mahatma’s presence in the troubled village, peace and harmony had come to the village!     

Mahatma Gandhi was a devotee incomparable.

Thus the Father of India lived out this Verse and his life is a standing testimony to all of us to follow.

                                                                                                                                                       

THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12, VERSE NUMBER 15, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12

VERSE NUMBER 15

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

yasmaan no ‘dvijate loko lokaan no ‘dvijate cha yah

harshaamarshabhayodvegair mukto yah sa cha me priyah

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

Yasmaat = from whom: na = not: udvijate = is agitated: lokah = the world: lokaat = from the world: na = not: udvijate = is agitated: cha = and: yah = who: harsh amarsa bhaya udvegaih = by (from) joy, envy, fear and anxiety: muktah = freed: yah = who: sah = he: cha = and: me = to me: priyah = dear.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

He by whom the world is not afflicted and whom the world cannot afflict, he who is free from joy, anger, fear and anxiety—he is dear to Me.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

The life of a devotee causes harm to nobody in the world. Directly or indirectly, everything good emanates from his life and nothing evil. Some of his doings may sometimes seem painful to others, but even in such actions intrinsic good alone prevails. What the surgeon does to the patient and the teacher to the pupil may appear hurtful, but in effect they are wholesome. A devotee in the position of Arjuna is obliged to bring about a carnage. But ultimate good to the world is contained in that seeming evil. Again, whatever harm befalls a devotee from the world is not viewed by him as an injury. Sterling is his mind which accepts all afflictions as blessings in disguise come from the Highest. Prahlada is the model of the super-devotee.

What is the sort of self-culture that brings forth this genuine frame of mind in the devotee? The rest of this stanza gives the answer to this question. One should not feel joyous when one comes at things pleasant; for, that mind which is a victim of joy is also a potential victim of misery. A strong mind, on the other hand, remains unaffected by joy and sorrow. A devotee is he who conquers anger and envy which are his twin enemies. Every time he is overcome by either of these, the stamina of his mind declines. The wind of anger or envy may toss the creeper of the mind of the ordinary man, but the mind of the devotee stands like a stalwart tree unperturbed by it. He is too strong to be affected by such petty feelings. Fear is worse than death, which can only rob a man of his body; whereas the former wrecks the entire personality. The frightened man is a heap of empty sensation; nothing worthy emanates from him. The devotee knows no fear and so divinity beams out of him. Anxiety is another mental disease which eats into the stamina of a man. The devotee takes all happenings as divine dispensation and there is nothing to be disturbed about. The devotee who is made up of such sterling qualities is claimed by the Lord as His own.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA  PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA  

That man wastes his own time and energy who always engages himself in recounting the worth of the others. For, in doing so, he neither gains in building his own character nor in getting fixed in the glory of the Lord.

                                                                                                                                                      

 COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

He is not a source of grief to any; no one can make him feel grief.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Harsha: Joy, the exhilaration of the mind when one obtains an object of desire. This is indicated by hair standing on end, tears flowing down the face, etc.

Amarsha: Anger. Some say that it is a mixture of jealousy and anger.

Udvega: Anxiety, worry, sorrow, discomfiture.

The knower of Brahman or the devotee of the Lord never injures any creature in thought, word and deed. He gives security of life to all creatures. Therefore, no creature is afraid of him. The sage feels that the world is his body, his own Self. How can he be afraid of the world then? He never hurts others and is not hurt by the words or deeds of others.

The mental modifications of joy, envy, fear and anxiety leave the sage or devotee of their own accord, just as the beasts and birds leave the forest when it is on fire.

Such a sage or devotee is dear to Me. How can I describe him?

Comments by the blogger:

The Poet Rabindranath Tagore was known for his love of nature. But his father was beyond any compare. It is said the birds did not fly away from him. Moreover, he would feed the birds as a daily ritual and the birds would fly down the branches of trees to eat grains off his extended hand! The very beasts did not have any problem with him!

The author of ‘An Autobiography of a Yogi’, Srimat Swami Yogananda describes two occurrences in his life with his guru or Master: one day both the Guru and the disciple were sitting on the bank of a river and as usual Yoganandaji would put questions and the Master would explain and answer his cheela’s questions. At that time, a cobra came slithering towards them! The snake passed between them unagitated even as the Master clapped his hands above the head of the venomous creature! Yogananda describes that the cobra would strick at anyone making the slightest move. But his Master was clapping his hands rhythmically! There is a comfort zone for any wild creature. It depends upon the size and stature of the particular beast. For example, a tiger or a lion would attack a human being if he happens to be within the zone of comfort, say fifty yards. If the person happens to be within the comfort zone of the tiger or the lion the beast would feel threatened and attack the human being mostly in self-defence. Otherwise, if the particular man was standing well out of its comfort zone, the beast would like to escape from the man! For a cobra which must be six foot long would strick at anyone within say three metres. I have had an anecdote to describe: when I was a small boy I was walking on the top of the bund of a big reservoir. On either side were prickly bushes and trees. I was going singing a song, quiet carefree and just half a metre from my left foot there was a terrible cobra coming from one side of the bank and crossing over to the other side. I had happened to be well within its comfort zone and my reflexes saved me, for I had turned and started to run away from the cobra. But after taking several quick steps I turned to look at the snake. I will never forget the experience; for, the lengthy best had risen up with its hood a full one and half a metre from the ground level. But seeing me turning to see him, the snack made a dash FOR LIFE to the other side of the bank of the reservoir! I was a small boy, but the snake was afraid of me! But in the episode described by Srimat Swami Yogananda, his Guru clapped his hands over the passing head of the mighty cobra. Obviously, the beast did not feel threatened in the presence of the great Master, Srimat Swami Yukteshwarar Giri. And in the same Autobiography another episode is described by the hermit: as it had happened one night the Master asked his disciple to lie with him in his own bed. It was a great privilege for Yoganandaji. But there was no peace of mid as mosquitoes were droning near the ears of the disciple and would not let him fall asleep. The disciple did not dare make a move and try to swipe the blood-suckers for he did not want to disturb his Master.  When it became increasingly impossible to withstand the pricks of the mosquitoes the disciple wondered how came his Master did not make a move. Was he actually sleeping? But no snoring sound came from the Master! So the disciple decided to touch the Master’s hand to verify if he had fallen asleep. Well, the Master did not make any movement. This made the disciple check whether the Master was sleeping or not. So he touched the Master’s nose and there was no breathing sound and the gushing of the air from the nostrils of the Guru was completely absent! The agitated disciple went to the extent of doubting if the Master was alive or not. So he touched the nose of the Master once again! This time lots of air came out of the nose and mouth of the Guru! For, the Master started to laugh like anything! When inquired by the disciple whether the mosquitoes had not worried him, the Master laughed even more and said that he had gone into Samadhi and as such was not bothered by the mosquitoes! Obviously, the Master had wanted to teach the disciple that if one entered into Samadhi no worldly afflictions would bother him!

Mr Morarji Desai, the former Prime Minister of India had been interviewed by the English Weekly, namely,  The Week. In the interview the late PM of India described his experience with the Maharishi, namely Sri Ramana Maharishi: according to the former PM, he was sitting with the Great Master under a tree and talking about exalted things when a sparrow almost fell on the lap of Sri Ramana Maharishi and started to cry out its grief. The former PM was sitting there bewildered by the incident. The Maharishi did not utter any word but gently took hold of the sparrow and held it in His hands. And then He turned up to see the branches of the tree and then the bird left Him. When the bewildered Mr.Morarji Desai asked for an explanation, the Magarishi explained that the sparrow was disturbed by a kite and once it fell down on His lap the kite had flown away! Winding up the episode, Mr Morarji Desai said that it showed that the Great Magarishi knew the language of the birds!

Likewise, in one of His jaunts into the forest, Srimat Swami Vivekananda had an experience with a grisly tiger which had been coming his way at the twilight and the Swami continued to sit unperturbed. A thorny bush was between the tiger and the Swami. The wildcat had come up so near to the Swami that he could see the flashing of the eyes of the beast. But the Swami did not try to escape from the wildcat. And the tiger, which had seen the Swami only when it had come very near to the Swami stood a while staring at the Swami and then TURNED AND WALKED SILENTLY BACK!

So the real sages and seers were completely in union with Nature that they do not pose any danger even to the wild beasts let alone the fellow human beings! Thus he who is not afraid of the world and whom the world is not afraid of is very dear to the Lord. Such sages are always free from the illusory pulls of Nature and as such are freed from worldly joy, anger, fear and anxiety!  

THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12, VERSES 13 AND 14, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTERS NUMBER 12

VERSES 13 AND 14

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

VERSE 13

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

adveshtaa  sarva bhootaanaam maitrah karuna eva cha

nirmamo nirahamkaarah samaduhkhasukhah kshamee

SANSKRI WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

Adveshtaa = not hating: sarva bhootaanaam = of (to) all creatures: maitrah = friendly: karunah = compassionate: eva = even: cha = and: nir namah = without mineness: nir ahamkaarah = without egoism: sama duhkha sukhah = balanced in pleasure and pain: kshamee = forgiving.

VERSE 14

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

Samtushtah = contented: satatam = ever steady in  meditation: yogee = practitioner: yataatmaa = self-controlled: drrddha nischayah = possed of firm conviction: mayi arpita mano buddhih with mind and intellect dedicated to me: yah = who: madbhaktah = my devotee: sah = he: me = to me: priyah = dear.

VERSE IN ENGLISH:

VERSE 13

He who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from the feeling of ‘I and mine,’ even-minded in pain and pleasure and forbearing.

VERSE 14

Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled and possessed of firm conviction, with mind and intellect fixed on Me, he My devotee is dear to Me.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

The feeling of oneself as alien to others is born of ignorance. An aggressive form of this feeling is hatred, capable of creating poison in the system. This destructive feeling therefore has no place in the wholesome life of a devotee.

Mere avoidance of hatred is not sufficient. Stones and stone-like people do not hate; but they are none the better for it. Life should take a positive turn. Feeling oneself friendly to all is the mark of a devotee’s life.

Careerists often cultivate friendship with all, with the base motive of self-advancement. But a devotee of God is he who has nothing to seek, but everything to give. He is so compassionate that he ever promotes the welfare of the others.

Of all forms of egoism, the spiritual egoism is the most dangerous one. If one develops the egoistic feeling that he is rendering spiritual help to others, he can hardly ever get out of that harmful quagmire. A true devotee is always free from the feeling of ‘I and mine.’

Resulting from his benign service to others, a devotee may lose his possessions, may even be put to hardship. But that ordeal causes him no pain. When the world happens to speak highly of his exemplary life and work, he derives no pleasure from that praise. He is even-minded in the midst of these occurrences.

It is not unoften that a devotee is put to unwarranted affliction by the ignorant and wilful ones. But in such a trying circumstance a genuine devotee is always forbearing.

Contentment, bliss and buoyancy ever mark a yogi for their own. Being established in yoga, self-control and disciplined life become part and parcel of his being. In matters spiritual he is not wavering; he is one of firm conviction. His refined feelings and his clarified understanding are all centred on the Lord. As the needle of a compass always points to the north, the faculties of the devotee are ever intent on Him. Such a devotee is ever dear to Him.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Does the Lord attach any value to the wealth and property dedicated to Him? Nothing whatsoever. The Lord bestows His grace on that devotee only who has an inordinate love and devotion for Him. The Blessed Lord attaches all importance to devotion, discrimination and detachment from worldliness.

 COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

In these verses, the Gita mentions the qualities of a true devotee, freedom of spirit, friendliness to all patience and tranquillity.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA: (To verse 13)

Lord Krishna gives a description of the nature of a Bhagavata or a sage in the following eight verses. These eight verses are called “Amritashtakam”.

The devotee who is established in God bears ill-will to none. He looks on all with love and great compassion. He regards all beings as himself. He does not hate even a  single being, not even the creature which gives him intense pain. He who entertains mercy towards suffering people and tries to relieve their sufferings is a man of Karma. He puts himself in the position of the sufferer and feels the pain himself. Mercy is a divine attribute. God is all-merciful. If you wish to hold communion with the Lord, and if you desire to attain Godhead, you must also become all-merciful.

The perfect devotee offers full security of life (Abhayadana) to all beings. He is a Paramahamsa Sannyasi. The devotee only can really understand the mysterious ways of the Lord. He beholds the Lord everywhere. He sees the Lord in all creatures. That is the reason why he has equal vision. He is like the sun or the river.  The sun sheds its light equally on a palace or a cottage. Anyone can drink the water of a river. A river quenches the thirst of cows as well as tigers and lions. The idea of ‘mine-ness’ and ‘I-ness’ never arises in the devotee’s mind. He has no sense of ‘mine’ and ‘thine’. He is indifferent to pleasure and pain. He is not attached to pleasant objects. He does not hate the objects that give him pain. He is as forgiving as the earth. He is not affected a bit when anybody insults, abuses or beats him.

VERSE 14

He knows that all that comes to him is the fruit of his own actions in the past and so he is ever contented. He does not endeavour to attain the finite or perishable objects. He fixes his mind and intellect on the Supreme Being or the Absolute, attains eternal satisfaction and stands adamant like yonder rock, amidst the vicissitudes of time.

Contentment ever dwells in the heart of My devotee. Like the ocean which is ever full, his heart is ever full as he has no cravings. He is ever cheerful and joyous. He has a feeling of fullness whether or not he gets the means for the bare sustenance of his body. He is satisfied with a little thing and he does not care whether it is good or not. He never grumbles, complains or murmurs when he does not obtain food and clothing which are necessary for the maintenance of the body. His mind is ever filled with Me through constant and steady meditation.

Yogi: He who has evenness of mind always. He has controlled all the senses and desires. With a firm determination, he has fixed his mind and intellect on Me in a spirit of perfect self-surrender. He is endowed with a firm conviction regarding the essential nature of the Self. He who has the knowledge through Self-realisation, “I am Asanga Akarta Suddha Satchidananda Svayamprakasa Advitia Brahman” (unattached, non-doer, pure, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, self-luminous, non-dual Brahman) is a sage of firm determination. He has given to Me exclusively his mind (the faculty that wills and doubts) and the intellect (the faculty that determines). He is dear to Me as life itself. Such a comparison falls far short of the reality.

The same thing which was said by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in chapter VII.17, “I am very dear to the wise and he is dear to Me,” is here described in detail.

Comments by the blogger:

Hating even your enemies will bring you more miseries. This is why I am not hating my two enemies. Hating His creatures is anathema to God’s will. But, on the other hand, loving all especially your own enemies will bring extraordinary spiritual power to understand the mysteries of life. I can vouch for that.

The devotee must be friendly and compassionate to all. This is the obverse of the philosophy above-noted. Not hating any creature automatically means you love all your enemies. The milk of human love must include both Man and Beast. Love has two sides. One is not hating anyone. This is putting the same thing that you must love all in the reverse.

Anyone who loves God and worships Him regularly will have a minimum of wants. Where there is ego that person’s worship of the Lord will not carry much weight. An egotistic worshiper who only worships God and is unattainably haughty and egotistical when it comes to dealing with fellow human beings is an idiot. His worship of the Lord will not bring him any peacefulness and other blessings which are the forte of real and humble worshippers of God.

The worshipper must be balanced in pleasure and pain. It is easier said than done. The whole of your life is pleasure and pain and one’s philosophy of life depends mostly on how you put up with pain and pleasure. Take any worldly activity it will bring you either of these two, pain or pleasure. All beings, Man and Beast, endeavour throughout there lives in relentless search of Pleasure. The irony is that in the materialistic life you come across more pain even through pleasure;  even the lovable thing or state has the seed of pain hidden in it. For example,  for those who have not a child for many years after their marriage, and just when they have left all hope a baby boy is born. The couple is beside themselves with joy. Since the baby boy is a very late arrival to the family, they, the husband the wife would not leave the boy to walk on the earth! All their lives now go around the blessed boy. So their life has changed totally. This is pure joy, of course. But in this pleasure is hidden pain. You may ask how come. Just imagine what will be their condition if the boy takes to ill? The couple’s life would become unhinged. There lurks pain even in the worldly things of pleasure.

One must exercise forgiving tendency. Nothing is more beautiful than the act of forgiving. Only the human beings can forget and forgive and thereby partake some of the power of the Lord Master Himself.

Contentment is a boon. I have never prayed for any bonanza. All my prayers would be hinged on one thing, that our minimal wants should be satisfied so that I can concentrate on serving the Lord with greater joy.

Meditation is a Yogic Science. Both the arts of Meditation and Concentration are the immortal spiritual devices the Hinduism has contributed to the world forever. One could meditate if he has his minimal needs are fulfilled. When Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was asked by some visitor as to why the great Master did not concentrate on the impoverished people and teach them to indulge in Yoga and Worship and Meditation, the Master replied that when one’s basic needs are not fulfilled God realisation for one is not possible.

Swami Chidbhavananda has said that mind thinks while intellect decides. And Sri Bhagavan wants both the faculties to be devoted to Him even for the average householder so that there would not be any avarice and the householder will train his thoughts more frequently on God and Godly Things.

Such a devotee is dear to God.  

                                                                                                                                                      

THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12, VERSE NUMBER 12, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12

VERSE NUMBER 12

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

sreyo hi jnaanam abhyaasaat jnaanaad dhyaam visishyate

dhyaanaat karmaphala tyaagas ytaagaac chaantir anantaram

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

Sryyah = better: hi = indeed: jnaanam =  knowledge: abhyaasaat = than practice: jnaanaat = than knowledge: dhyaanam = meditation: visishyate = excels: dhyaanaat = than meditation: karma phala tyaagah = the renunciation of the fruits of the actions: tyaagaat = from renuncitation: saantih = peace: anantaram = immediately.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

Better indeed is knowledge than (formal) Abhyasa; better than knowledge is meditation; better than meditation is the renunciation of the fruit of action; peace immediately follows renunciation.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Ritualistic religious practice is called Abhyaasa. Many a man does it mechanically without any feeling behind it. With him it is a social habit involuntarily picked up, falling in line with what the others are doing. A conventionally pious man goes to the temple, stands before the symbol of the Deity, pays homage with folded palms, turns round on all directions palms remaining folded as they are, prostrates before the Deity and goes home with the thought that he has discharged his duty to the Maker. He knows nothing of the principles underlying his actions.

There is another man who is not given to this habitual formalism, but who knows theoretically that the cognition of the Divinity should commence at the temple, but that it should not end there. That adoration ought to be extended in all directions to aught that is. This second man’s act of understanding the principle is better than the first man’s act of ignorantly observing a formality.

A third man sits at appointed hours and meditates on the truth that it is Divinity that is manifesting Itself as the various beings that he contacts every day. What this man does is better still because he attempts to get fixed in the truth that he has intellectually grasped.

A fourth man gives a practical shape to his understanding by devotedly sharing with others whatever good things he has procured by his personal efforts. Because of the renunciation that he practises, this man stands foremost among the sadhakas.  Heartfelt abhyaasa, right knowledge and good meditation are all implicitly contained in this holy act of his.

That peace immediately follows renunciation is self-evident. A few dogs fight among themselves for a few pieces of bread strewn about. Evidently, there is no peace among them. Elsewhere a crow calls its comrades to share some scattered rice. They flock and eat peacefully because of their spirit of mutual help which is equivalent to the spirit of renunciation. This is an objective example. Subjectively a yogi can feel how much peace and exuberance there are in giving away and sharing with others, than in grabbing and jealously keeping things all to oneself. Renunciation is the key to a higher life.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

A kite snatched a piece of meat from a butcher’s shop and flew to a branch of a tree to feast on it. But immediately ensued a scramble when some other birds swooped to loot it. The kite flew from tree to tree, but there was no escape from the raiders. To avoid this botheration it let go the meat and perched quietly upon a bough. A sage who saw this scene learnt a lesson from the kite—Tranquitlity is born of renunciation.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

Sridhara interprets jnaana as aavesa or directing the spirit towards God and dhyaana as being full of God, bhagavadmayatvam, and this is completed in the spirit’s full possession of God Himself. Cp. Soorya Gita: “Devotion is better than knowledge and desirless action is better than devotion. He who realizes this principle of Vedaanta is to be regarded as the best man.” Devotion, meditation and concentration are more difficult than renunciation of the fruits of action, karmaphalatyaaga. This latter destroys the sources of unrest and brings about an inner calm and peace, which are the very foundations of spiritual life. The bhakti emphasis leads to the subordination of knowledge and meditation to the devout mind and consecration of knowledge and meditation to the devout mind and consecration of all works to God.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Theoretical or indirect knowledge of Brahman gained from the scriptures is better than the practice (of restraining the modifications of the mind or worship of idols or self-mortification for the purpose of control of the mind and the senses) accompanied with ignorance. Meditation is better than theoretical knowledge. Renunciation of the fruits of all actions as a means to the attainment of supreme peace or Moksha is merely eulogised here by the declaration of the superiority of one over the other to encourage Arjuna (and other spiritual aspirants) to practise Nishkamya Karma Yoga, to create a strong desire in them to take up the Yoga of selfless action, in the same manner as by saying that the ocean was drunk by the Brahmana sage Agastya even the Brahmanas of this age are extolled because they are also Brahmanas.

Desire is an enemy of peace. Desire causes restlessness of the mind. desire is the source of all human miseries, sorrows and troubles. Stop the play of desire through discrimination, dispassion and enquiry into the nature of the Self; then you will enjoy supreme peace.

Renunciation of the fruits of action is prescribed for the purification of the aspirant’s heart. It annihilates desire, the enemy of wisdom. The sage, too, renounces the fruits of actions. It has become natural to him to do so.  

                                                                                                                                                      

THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12 AND VERSE NUMBER 11, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12

VERSE NUMBER 11

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OR DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

athai tad apy asak to ‘si kartum madyogam aasritah

sarva karma phala tyaagam tatah kuru yataatmavaan

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

atha = if: etat = this: api = also: asaktah = unable: asi = (thou) art: kartum = to do: mad yogam = my yoga: aasritah = refuged in: sarva karma phala tyaagam = the renunciation of the fruit of all actions: tatah = then: kuru = do: yataatmavaan = self-controlled.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

If you are not able to do even this, then taking refuge in Me, abandon the fruits of all action with the self-subdued.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Among virtues, unselfishness is the most paying. Godhood is the reward for complete self-abnegation. When the sadhaka established in unselfisheness meditates on God, he hastens his union with Him. But selfishness dies hard. It persists in many an unknown subtle form and causes hindrance to meditation. That hindrance has to be eliminated by Abhyaasa-yoga. Failing in that, all actions inherent in man may be performed for the glory of the Lord. But if the selfishness be so deep-rooted that a man does not desire to get out of it, or is incapable of outgrowing it, even for him there is a way out.

The earth-bound man is not prepared to abandon the fruits of his actions. Rather he he wants to gather more and yet more fruits of his work. He ought with him if he lived a life of self-control. He must be told next that more profit would come to him if he relied on God. Thirdly he must be induced into the belief that by offering a portion of his income to God and through God to His children, his income is bound to be multiplied. He learns by experience that selfishness is more paying when it is based on self-lessness. An effort at abandoning the fruits of action is to be instilled into the ordinary man gradually in this way. In course of time he comes to learn that supramundane life omes of self-denial and not of self-seeking.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:  

You cannot remain without doing work. Your inborn nature forces you to work. Therefore let your activities be carried on well. But if they were done without attachment, they take you Godward. Be not affected by the pleasure and pain ensuing from your activities. Associate them all with Iswara. Prepare yourself in this way for union with Him.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

madyogam aasritah: taking refuge in my wondrous power—Sreedhara.

If you cannot dedicate all your works to the Divine, then do the work without desire of the fruit. Adopt the yoga of desireless action, nishkaamakarma. We can renounce all personal striving, resign ourselves completely and solely to God’s saving power, submit to self-discipline and work, abandoning all thought of reward. One must become like a child in the hands of the Divine.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

This is the easiest path. If thou art unable to perform actions for My sake, if thou canst not even be intent on My service, if thou art, unable to practise the Bhagavata Kharmas, if thou wishest to do actions impelled by personal desires, then do thou perform them (for your sake from a sense of duty) renouncing them all in Me and also abandon the fruits of all actions, at the same time practising self-control.

In verse 8 the Yoga of meditation is prescribed for advanced students; in verse 9 the Yoga of constant practice; if one finds that, too, to be difficult, the performance of actions for the sake of the Lord alone has been taught in verse 10; and now those who cannot do even this are asked to abandon the fruits of all actions.

Madyogam: My Yoga. Surrendering all actions and their fruits to Me is My Yoga.

Yatatmavan: The man of discrimination who has controlled all the senses, who has withdrawn the senses from sound, touch, form, taste and smell.

Now the Lord eulogises the renunciation of the fruits of all actions in order to encourage the aspirants to practise the Yoga of renunciation of fruits of actions.

Comments by the blogger:

From verse 8 onwards the Great Lord makes increasing margins for the inability of the Sadhakas or Practitioners. Even a human mother would get angry sometimes. But the Sri Bhagavan never shows any impatience with His disciple, Arjuna. He gives multiple choice in the way Arjuna should behave and act to realise Him.

THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12, VERSE NUMBER 10 BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12

VERSE NUMBER 10

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

abhyaase ‘py asamartho ‘si matkarmaparamo bhava

mad artham api karmaani kurvan siddhim  avaapsyasi

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MENING IN ENGLISH:

abhyaase = in practice: api = also: asamarthah = not capable: asi = (thou) art: matkarma paramah = intent on doing actions for my sake: bhava = be: mad artham = for my sake: api = also: karmaani = actions: kurvan = by doing: siddhim = perfection: avaapsyasi = thou shalt attain.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

If you are unable even to practise Abhyasa-yoga, be you intent on doing actions for My sake; even by performing actions for My sake you will attain perfection.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Force of habit is too strong to be altered or curbed; it drags the man along its own way. Even such a bent can be turned to advantage. While the bent is allowed to have its sway, it is utilized in the service of the Lord. A talkative man for example, may go on talking of God instead of worldly things. An active man may work hard for the glory of his Maker and not for mammon. When he becomes an instrument of the Lord in this way, no work taints him. His mind becomes gradually purified. Godhood is reached.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

When a man changes his attitude he is freed from bondage. Whatever work takes place through man is actually the work of the Lord. “Lord, You have Your work done by me. In ignorance, I feel ‘I am the doer.’ May I be only an instrument.” The attitude of this kind emancipates the aspirant.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

If the concentration is found difficult on account of the outward tendencies of the mind or our circumstances, then do all actions for the sake of the Lord. Thus the individual becomes aware of the eternal reality.

Matkarma is sometimes taken to mean service of the Lord,  pooja or worship, offering flowers and fruits, burning incense, building temples, reading scriptures, etc.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Even if thou doest mere actions for My sake without practising Yoga thou shalt attain perfection. Thou shalt first attain purity of mind, then Yoga (concentration and meditation), then knowledge and then ultimately perfection (Moksha or liberation). Serving humanity with Narayana Bhava (feeling that one is serving the Lord in all ) is also doing actions for the sake of the Lord. Such a service should go hand in hand with the worship of God and meditation.

If you are not able to practise the Yoga of meditation mentioned in verse 8 or the Yoga of constant practice mentioned in verse 9, hear the glorious stories connected with the Lord by attending religious discourses conducted by the devotees of the Lord, sing Kirtan and the praises of the Lord.

Pratise the nine kinds of Bhagavata Dharma (the nine modes of devotion), viz., (1) hearing the Lilas (glorious and divine sports) of the Lord (Sravanam), (2) sing His Names (Kirtanam), (3) constant remembrance of the Lord and constant repetition  of His Names and Mantras (Padasevanam), (5)offering flowers in worship (Archanam), (6) doing prostration to the Lord (Vandanam), (7)becoming His servant (Dasyam), (8) friendship with Him (Sakhyam), (9) doing total self-surrender to the Lord (Atmanivedanam). Cf. III.19; XI.55)

Comments by the blogger:

In verse 8 the Lord urges Arjuna to fix his mind on Him only, his intellect in Him, (then) Arjuna shalt no doubt live in the Lord alone thereafter.

In verse 9 the Lord says to Arjuna that if he is unable to fix his mind steadily on the Lord, then by the Yoga of constant practice he should seek to reach Him. (Abhyasa Yoga is recommended by the Lord here. But I wrote in my comments to this verse about the Raja Yoga. I regret my lack of concentration, friends).

God wants us to fix our minds on Him only. And the Lord wants Arjuna to also fix his intellect in Him. This yoga is not easily attainable to all, so the Lord allows a wide margin for the inability of the Sadhakas or Practitioners to constantly and steadily fix Arjuna’s mind on the Lord and thus practise Abhyasa Yoga. But the thing is that even this Yoga could prove unattainable for us and the Lord once again allows us wider margin and urges us to do all actions for the sake of the Lord. And He assures that even by doing actions for His sake the Practitioner could attain Him!

Doing actions for the sake of the Lord alone is not so very easy as the Lord puts it for ordinary men like me. That is why the Lord’s Karunya is showered on the true devotees and the Lord says what He has said in verse 11.

The Lord takes care of the last man who has real devotion but unable to exercise diligence in the practice of Yoga mentioned in verses 8 and 9. This is the beauty of the Hindu Scriptures. Even the last man is not left out. No business of calling all the human beings as sinners and calling upon them to indulge a lifelong penance! No Hindu Saint will address  the people in his speech as “O, Sinners!”

In this verse, the Lord asks us to carry out the day-to-day activities not for our selfish sake but for the sake and in the name of the Lord. The Mind becomes pure when we indulge in actions only for the sake of the Lord. This does not mean we should go to the temple in the early morning and leave it only in the late evening! Any acts demanded by one’s Svadharma or an individual’s natural duty not for one’s sake but for the sake and in the name of the Lord. But in fact, this kind of indulging in the day-to-day activities of ours in the name and only for the sake of the Lord is not so very easy! So one should pray to the Lord for some spiritual power so that one could do actions for the sake of the Lord only.

When one practises this and acts for the sake of the Lord alone one’s mind is completely purified. In their mighty Commentaries, Shankarar and Ramanujar differ from one another and give a different kind of explanation to the phrase in this verse in which the Sri Bhagavan says that Arjuna should be intent on doing actions “FOR HIS SAKE”. While Adi Shankarar explains “for my sake” as the activities one has to do according to as one’s Svadharma, but Sri Ramanujar says “for my sake” means doing actions like building temples, growing gardens in the temple, sweeping the floor of the temple, lighting lamps in the temple, sprinkling water on the floor, drawing kolam, collection of flowers in the garden of the temple, offering worship, chanting God’s Holy Names, going around the temple in the form of daily worship, eulogising the Lord and offering worship to Him. You should indulge daily in such activities. The readers may exercise their own discretion and interpret both the Achariyas’ commentaries and act accordingly.    

THE HOLY YOGA, CHAPTER NUMBER 12, VERSE NUMBER 09, BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 12

VERSE NUMBER 09

BHAKTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DEVOTION:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

atha chittam samaadhaatum na saknosi mayi sthiram

abhyaasa yogena tato maam  icchaa ‘ptum dhanmjaya

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR  MEANING IN ENGLISH:

atha = if: chittam = the mind: samaa dhaatum = to fix: na = not: saknoshi = (thou) art able: mayi = in me: sthiram = steadily: abhyaasa yogena = by the yoga of constant practice: tatah = then: maam = me: iccha = wish: aaptum = to reach: dhanamjaya = O Dhananjaya.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

If you are not able to fix your mind steadily on Me, O Dhananjaya, then seek to reach Me by Abhyasa-yoga.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Staunch is that devotion of the sadhaka which does not deviate from the Lord. Wavering is that devotion which oscillates between God and the world. Through constant practice, the mind has to be weaned away from the world. It is Abhyaasa-yoga which is practised ceaselessly until the mind is permanently reclaimed from baseness. The impossible can be made possible through constant practice. Nature can be changed by nurture, it being the most effective means.

SRIMAT SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AS QUOTED BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

A man was rearing a pet dog allowing it an undue indulgence. One day when he was conversing with a learnd visitor the dog, as was its wont, jumped on to the lap of its master and licked his face. “That is no good,” observed the newcomer. The remark produced a salutary effect on the man who decided then and there to train the dog properly. Thenceforth, he gave a knock every time the dog jumped up to lick his face. The sagacious animal was not slow to find out that the master did not approve of that act. It changed its habit accordingly. Similarly the unwanted desire is a wretched dog that man has fondly reared. It dominates over him and depraves him woefully. Repeated blows in the form of counter-thoughts and ideas are the only way to rectify it.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

If this spiritual condition does not arise spontaneously, we must take up the practice of concentration, so that we may gradually fit ourselves for the steadiast directing of the spirit to God. By this practice, the Divine takes gradual possession of our nature.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Abhyasa Yoga: Abhyasa is constant practice to steady the mind and fix it on one point; the practice of repeatedly withdrawing the mind from all sorts of sensual objects and fixing it again and again on one particular object or the Self. The constant effort to separate or detach oneself from the illusory five sheaths and identify oneself with the Atman is also Abhyasa. If you are not able to fix your mind and intellect wholly on the Lord all the time, then do it for some time at least. If your mind wanders much, try to fix it on the Lord through the continuous practice of remembrance. Resort to the worship of the images of God, feeling His Living Presence in them. This will also help you.

Why did Lord Krishna address Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya here? Surely there is some significance. Arjuna conquered many people and brought immense wealth for the Rajasuya Yajna performed by Yudhishthira. For such a man of great powers and splendour, it is not difficult to conquer this mind and obtain the spiritual wealth of knowledge of the Self. This is what Lord Krishna meant when He addressed Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya.

Comments by the blogger:

“Fix your mind on Me alone, let your thoughts dwell in Me”, says the Great Lord to Arjuna. Well, this is a form of meditation. Seated in the Lotus pose on a place which is not very high or very low and having prepared the place somewhat on a raised level than the adjoining land contiguous to the raised platform,  we must fix our mind on the Lord with either closed eyes or with the eyes fixed on the space between our two eye-brows. This is the posture suitable for practising Yoga every day for a long time. Why the Lotus pose? Because the Lotus pose makes our whole body relax and thus suitable for performing the practice of meditation for any length of time. In this posture the backbone, our neck and the head form one straight line. This is important. This is how the dormant serpent power or the spiritual power behind the testicles or vagina, in the system of Yoga known as  Raja Yoga, is raised slowly and steadily stage by stage. Like a coiled-up snake in a state of hibernation, this power usually remains asleep. A coil is called Kundala in Sanskrit. Kundalini, according to Srimat Swami Bhaskarananda belonging to Sri Ramakrishna Math, America, means something which is coiled up, such as a snake. Raja Yoga helps one to awaken one’s Kundalini power through meditation and other spiritual practices. There are several stages starting from behind the testicles or vagina. The consciousness and the serpent power which is dormant behind the private parts is known as Moolaadhaara. From this stage, the consciousness and serpent power must be raised to the next stage, by name, Svaadhishthaana. We should know that the serpent power is raised up along the straight backbone. From Svaadhishthaana the power and consciousness is raised up to Manipura. From Manipura the power is raised through Sushumna Nadi or Channel, then is the stage which is known as Anaahata. Then there is a channel known as Idaa Channel and on the right is Pingala Channel. Then our spiritual power is raised to the stage known as Vishudda. It is behind our throat. Between our eyebrows is Aajnaa chakra and the last stage is Sahasraara which is in the centre of our head.    

When the spiritual power is raised to Sahasraara there is complete enlightenment and emancipation is simultaneous.

 The Lord calls Arjuna as Dhanajaya or O, the winner of wealth. Its significance is explained by Srimat Swami Sivananda.

This is how the embodied one prepares oneself for the attainment of the plenitude.