VERSE 8 OF CHAPTER 2, SAMKHYA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE

HOLY GITA

CHAPTER 2, VERSESE 8:

SAMKHYA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE:

VERSE NUMBER 8:

Text in Transliteration:

na hi prapasyaami mamaa ‘panudyaad

   yach chokam uchchosanam ffddham

araayua huoomaav asapatnam rddham

    raajyam suraanaam api cha ‘dhipatyam

Text in English:

I do not find any remedy to the grief that parches my senses, though I were to gain unrivalled and prosperous monarchy on earth or even sovereignty over the celestials.

Comment:

According to Swamy Chidbhvananda of Thiruparaithurai, at the outset Arjuna put forth the argument that the living and the departed would be adversely affected if the impending war were waged. But it was only a cloak to hide the depression within himself. When the Lord sympathetically diagnosed his mind, the bare truth came out. He further says that the relationship between Arjuna and Sri Krishna is unique. The mother’s love, the father’s care, the master’s discipline, the king’s protection and God’s grace- a sweet combination of all these is found in the attitude of Sri Krishna towards Arjuna. Therefore the latter freely opens his heart and pours out his pitiable case to the benign protector.

The real problem with Arjuna is a crisis of circumstances. Since he is of good benign heart, he is struck with grief which parches his senses. Without the help of the senses, he is unable to weigh the propositions and pros and corns that are staring him in the face. Because, the senses have been overwhelmed by his grief over having to kill his own kinsmen! Without putting it at the outset, he relates the Sri Krishna as to what according to him would ensue if the war was waged in which the Kauravas would meet with wholesale destruction. He harbours this kind of love and affection for the villainous kinsmen. That itself is a taint. And Sri Krishna has already called it unmanliness. There could be no better word to describe the cause of the despondency of Arjuna.

But this kind of situation is faced with by all of us. Life throws up good and wealth and enjoyment in our path. if we are attracted towards the wealth and its enjoyment, then the concomitant responsibilities of having to bear the burden of safe-keeping and increasing multi-fold the wealth and further compulsion of its enjoyment leave us little time to ponder over life, God, His creations and our goal in life. The earth is not permanent. It is made of three gunas like us and is in a state of constant flux. Nothing here is permanent. But, within this fluxing universe, we can seek “sreyes” or the good and enrich our lives here and at the same time script our salvation. Salvation of self-realisation is the goal, and the existence on the face of the planet Earth is ephemeral and impermanent. In the midst of such tumultuous seeking of the perishable wealth, those who are austere in their habits and outlook and see their impecunious circumstances as not a lowly existence but an adornment so we could take a giant leap towards our Creator while prosecuting the impermanent life here on this ephemeral plane!

Arjuna’s despondency provides the Lord an excellent chance and opportunity to summarise the Upanishads and give us their quintessential essence. Those who are Mohammedan need only to study the Holy Quran. And the Christians know well the Holy Bible comprise their scriptures. But only the Hindus do not know which one book or scriptural writing comprises the essence of the Hinduism which is a way of life. For them it may be safely said that the Holi Bhagavat Gita comprises the quintessential essence of Hinduism. This is not my words. This is the way many an able commentator has adumbrated. So far as Swamy Chidbhavananda is concerened if the whole of Upanishadic writings could be compared to a cow, Bhagavat Gita represents its milk. To drink a glace of milk, one need not go to the extent of keeping a cow and care for it which is not possible in the modern gadget-driven lifestyle. But, even now we must take a spiritually daily rest by going through the Holy Gita with unflinching faith and devotion. That would be enough for the average Hindu! Upanishads , Gita and Brahma Sutra are assigned the name of PRASTHANATRAYAM OR THE THREE AUTHORITIES.  AMONG THEM, THE HOLY COMPRISES EVERYTHING IN THE OTHER TWO! SO ONLY THE DAILY STUDY OF GITA IS A MUST. IT IS NO PROBLEM IF WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO SPEND AN HOUR OR SO EVERYDAY FOR THE PERUSAL OF GITA. EVEN TEN MINUTES REGULAR PERUSAL OF GITA WOULD STAND US IN GOOD STEAD. IT WILL TAKE CARE OF OUR RELIGIOUS NEEDS! THE POINT IS REGULARITY. AT THE VERY LEAST ONE VERSE PER DAY FOR TEN MINUTES WOULD STAND A HINDU IN GOOD STEAD THROUGH OUT THE TUMULT OF LIFE.  WE HAVE NO REASON TO FEEL ANGRY OR DISATISFIED WITH THE WORLD. WE HAVE TO TAKE THE GOOD ALONG WITH THE BAD. WE HAVE TO TAKE THE ROUGH WITH THE SMOOTH. SHADE ALONE CANNOT FORM THE WORLD, SUNSHINE ALSO IS A MUST. THE WORLD COULD NEVER BECOME FULL AND FULL OF JUSTICE. THOSE WHO TRY TO CHANGE THE WORLD WOULD ONLY KISS AND BITE THE DUST. THE TRICK IS TO WORK OUT OUR SALVATION WITHIN THE PARAMETRES OF THIS INCOMPLETE WORLD, WHERE THERE IS MUCH INJUSTICE AND BAD AND UGLY. THIS IS GOD’S WORLD, MADE FOR WORKING OUT OUR SALVATION. A STUDENT JOINING IN A SCHOOL SHOULD NOT TRY TO CHANGE THE MANAGEMENT AND REARRANGE IT, BUT MUST STUDY HIS LESSIONS STUDIOUSLY AND GET GOOD GRADES SO HE MAY PROSPER IN LIFE. THIS WORLD HAS BEEN COMPARED BY SRI RAMAKRISHNA PARANHANSA AS A SCHOOL FOR OUR GRADUATION.