THE HOLY GITA
CHAPTER NUMBER 08
AKSHARA BRAHMA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF THE IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN:
VERSE NUMBER 11
Text in Transliteration:
yad aksharam vedavido vadanti
visanti yad yatayo veetaraagaah
yad icchanto brahmacharyam charanti
tat te padam samgrahena pravakshye
Text in English:
That which the knowers of Veda call the imperishable, and into which enter the Sanyasins, self-controlled and freed from attachment, and desiring which they lead a life of continence, that I shall declare to you with brevity.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:
Nature is the Veda come from God; Scripture is the Veda come from the Enlightened Ones. Both of these forms of the Veda complement each other. The knowers of the Veda by either way, state that the Imperishable Brahman is the substratum of the perishing universe.
Sanyasins (monks) are they who are not tainted by worldly desires and who live the rigid life of continence.
Through Brahmacharya or continence, the physical energy in man gets converted into spiritual energy. The faculty of understanding gets keen thereby. Intuition is the outcome of that exalted discipline.
SRI RAMAKRISHNA AS QUOTED BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:
He who wants to become spiritual should not lustfully look at even the picture of a woman. Spirituality is not where lust is. The sadhaka or Practitioner established in Brahmacharya (continence) develops a faculty known as medha which promotes his spiritual knowledge.
COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:
See Katha Upanishad., II, 15. “The word which all the Vedas rehearse, and which all austerities proclaim, desiring which men live the life of religious studentship—that word to thee I briefly declare.” Thesists look upon it as the highest heaven “the highest place of Vishnu.” Vishnoh paramam padam.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:
The same ideas are expressed in Kathopanishad. Yama (the God of Death) said to Nachiketas, “The goal which all the Vedas speak of, which all penances proclaim and wishing for which they lead the life of celibacy, that goal (world) I will briefly tell three. It is Om,” Satyakama the son of Sibi questioned Pippalada, “O Bhargavan, if someone among men meditates here until death on the syllable Om, what world does he obtain by that?” Pippalada replied, “O Satyakama, the syllable Om is indeed the higher and the lower Brahman. He who meditates on the higher Purusha with ths syllable Om of three Matras (units) is led up by the Sama-verses to the Brahmaloka or the world of Brahma”. Prasopanishad.
Pranava or Om is considered either as an expression of the Supreme Self or Its symbol like an idol (Pratika). It serves persons of dull and middling intellects as a means for realising the Supreme Self.
Chant Om three times at the commencement of your meditation; you will find concentration of mind easier.
Comments by the blogger:
Continence or Celibacy is part of the Indian Spiritual culture. The Vedopanishadic seers and saints found out the greatness of understanding that comes to one who practises studiously continence. The faculty called Medha develops in such continent persons. This gives them greater freedom to practise meditation. The kundalini power, (the serpent power that exists in every one of us behind the private parts) gets easily lifted to other stages of understanding and wisdom till the power is raised to the head which gives one complete self-emancipation is made that more easier for those who develop the faculty medha due to studious practice of continence.
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