ESSENCE OF BHAGAVAT GITHA-CHAPTER-XI

CHAPTER- XI

YOGA OF VISION OF UNIVERSAL FORM

Arjuna after the Lord’s exposition of His Divine Glories- requested to see His Divine form.



Bhagavan began to describe the multifarious divine forms, colors, and shapes.

In Him you can see-Twelve sons of Aditi, Eight Vasus, Eleven Rudras, two Aswinikumaras and 49 maruts ( wind Gods ).

In Me the entire creations both animate and inanimate beings reside.
However, you cannot see Me in these human eyes- I will give you the divine eyes.

Arjuna saw the Supreme Deity possessing many mouths, eyes, decked with divine armaments, wielding many divine weapons, wearing divine garlands and cloths-full of wonders, infinite faces on all sides.

If there were the appearance of thousand suns at a time that would hardly approach the splendor of the lord.

Arjuna saw at one place the whole universe with its manifold divisions.

Arjuna saw in His body all gods, Brahma sitting on His lotus seat, Siva and all risis.

He saw the Lord with numerous arms, bellies, mouths, eyes. He saw neither the beginning nor the end of the form.

He saw the Lord as the Supreme indestructible, ultimate refuge and Protector, eternal imperishable Being.

He saw the the Lord filling the entire space between earth and heaven and on all sides. Seeing the stupendous form all three worlds feel greatly alarmed.

Arjuna saw the hosts of gods entering in Him, multitude of maharishis and sadus chanting – Let there be peace, extolling You by your nama and excellent hymns.

Lord seeing Your form reaching heaven, effulgent multi colored, having its mouth wide open and possessing large flaming eyes, Arjuna was almost frightened and lost control.

Seeing your faces frightful because of their teeth and flaring like the fire at the time of universal destruction, Arjuna was bewildered.

Arjuna saw all the sons of Dhrutharashtra entering in Him, and all Guaravas entering in Him.

Lord Your terrible splendors are burning the entire universe filling it with radiance.

Arjuna said- You are the primal Deity, the most ancient person, ultimate resort of this universe, you are the knower of the knowable and the highest abode, it is You who pervade the universe, assuming endless forms.

You are Vijaya, Yama, Agni, and the moon-God, Brahma-Hail you a thousand times, salutations, repeated salutations to you.

You are of infinite prowess, my salutations to you from before and from behind.

You are the Father, nay the greatest teacher of this moving and unmoving creation, and worthy of adoration.

Having seen the wondrous form of Lord, Arjuna felt transported with joy, at the same time his mind tormented by fear. Arjuna requested the lord to assume His form of Vishnu with four arms and abode of the universe.

Lord said to Arjuna- in this mortal world I cannot be seen in this form by any one other than you.

Bhagavan said that the form of His is exceedingly difficult to perceive, neither by study of Vedas not by penance, nor rituals.

Through single minded devotion I am be seen in this form-he who performs all his duties for My sake, depends on Me, is devoted to Me, has no attachment and free from malice towards all beings reaches Me.

R.Jagannathan.

YOGA OF DIVINE GLORIES

CHAPTER- X

YOGA OF DIVINE GLORIES

No one- neither Gods nor great sages know the secret of my birth. For all of them I am the prime cause in all respects.

I am birth less and without beginning and standing as the Supreme Lord of the universe-un affected by changes, undeluluded among men.

Reason, right knowledge, unclouded understanding, forbearance, veracity, control over the senses and mind, joy and sorrow, evolution and dissolution, fear and fearlessness, ahimsa, fame and obloquy, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity-all these diverse trends emanate from Me alone.

The seven great sages, their four elders, 14 manus were born of my will.

I am the source of all creation and everything in the world moves because of Me. Those who no this secret worship me constantly and finally reach me.

In order to shower my Grace on them, I, dwelling in their heart, dispel the darkness born out of ignorance.

I am the transcendent eternal, the supreme Abode, the greatest purifier, divine purusha, the primal deity, unborn and all pervading.

There is no limit to my magnitude.

I am the universal self-seated in the heart of all beings; I alone am the beginning and middle and the end of all beings.

I am the Vishnu- among 12 sons of Aditi and the sun among the luminaries; I am the glow of the Maruts and the moon among the stars.

I am the Samaveda, I am the Indira, I am the mind, and I am the consciousness in living beings.

I am Siva, I am the Kubera, I am the lord of Fire, and I am the Meru Mountain.

I am the chief Prajapati, I am Skanda-chief warrior, and I am the ocean.

I am Brigu, I am the syllable OM, I am the sacred Mantra and I am the Himalaya.

I am the Aswatha tree, I am among the celestial sages-Narada, among the celestial musicians- hitraratha and the great siddha sage Kapila.

I am the celestial horse Ucchaisrasva, the mighty elephant Airavatha and among the king, I am above all. I am the best weapon-the thunder bolt, I I am Kamadenu-the celestial cow, among the serpents- Vasuki, I am Anantha-the serpent God, I am Ary7ama and Yama, I am Time, I am lion, and I am the Garuda.

I am the beginning and end of all creations, of sciences, I am the science of soul or metaphysics, in disputants, and I am the right type of reasoning.


Among the sounds represented by the first letter I am A, of different kinds of compounds in grammar, I am the copulative compound, I am verily the endless Time, I am the sustainer of all-having my face on all sides.

I am the destroying death that snatches all and the origin of all that shall be born. Among the women, I am Kirti, Sri, Smriti, Medha, Dhrti, and Ksama.

I am the Srutis, I am the Brahatsama, I am the Gayathri, I am the month of Margasira and I am among the six seasons-Vasantham.

I am gambling among deceitful practices, I am the glory of all glorious, victory of the victorious, resolve of resolute, goodness of good.

I am Krishna among the Vrsnis, Vyasa among the sages and Sukracharya among the wise.

I am the subduing powers in rulers, righteousness who seek to conquer, custodian in the shape of reticence, wisdom of the wise.

I am the seed of all life, no limit to my divine manifestation. I stand holding the entire universe by a fraction of my Yogic power.

Thus, ends the tenth chapter entitled-The Yoga of Divine glories-The Science of Brahma, the scripture on yoga.

R.Jagannathan.

YOGA OF SOVEREIGN SCIENCE AND SECRET

YOGA OF SOVEREIGN SCIENCE AND SECRET

The knowledge of Nirguna and Saguna aspects of Divinity is a sovereign science, a sovereign secret, very holy, very easy to practice and ever lasting.

The entire universe is Jagan Mayam- permeated by Me and every thing rests in Me Yet I am not present in them.

I am apart from worldly things-standing aloof though all these things obey my order.

During the Kalgam at the end of kaliyuga all beings enter in Me and at the time of creation they are send by Me back.

Again and again I release all these things subject to their own nature.

Due to yoga maya, many ignorent and arrogant people with vain hopes, futile actions and fruitless knowledge have embraced fiendish, demonical and delusive nature.

But Great souls knowing Me very well as the prime source of all lives worship Me.

Constantly chanting my name and glories they with firm resolve united with Me through mediation, worship Me with single minded devotion.

I am the vedic ritual, i am the sacrifice, I am the offering to the departed, I am the herbs, medicines, food ,grains, sacret formula, I am the fire, the sustainer, ruler of the universe, purifier, OM, and the three vedas-ruk, yajur, sama.

i am the supreme goal, supporter, witness, abode, refuge, well-wisher, orgin and end, final resting place, store-house.

I radiate heat as sun, rain as indira, immortality as well as death, being and non-being.

Those who enjoyed the heaven like world return to this world as mortals once the punya exhausted.

Those devotees who worship Me with love and affection with single minded are united with me and never born again.

I am the enjoyer and lord of all sacrifices.

Those who are vowed to other Gods go to that god, those who vowed to the manes go to the manes and those who vowed with spirits reach the spirits and those who worship Me alone come to Me.

What ever you do, what ever you eat, what ever you offer as oblation to the sacret fire, whatever you besow as a gift all reach Me.

With your mind established in the yoga of renunciation, you will be freed from the bonds of karma and never born again.

I am equally present in all things-none close or farther from Me.

Those- women, vaisyas, labour class and people born in low caste all are equal to me and I accept their offerings and give them their Supreme Goal.

Fix your mind on Me, devoted to Me, worship Me and entirely depend on me-they will come to Me

Thus Lord Offers us a very simple method to reach Him. This chapter is the most practical approach for salvation and can be followed by all irrespective of caste, rich or poor, men or women.


R.Jagannathan

YOGA OF ATTAINTMENT OF SALVATION

CHAPTER- VIII
ESSENCE OF BHAGAVAT GITA

YOGA OF ATTAINTMENT OF SALVATION

Lord Krishna explains the yoga of the Indestructible BRAHMA. Revealing that one attains whatever one remembers at the end of one's life, The Lord explains the utmost importance of the very last thought at time of death. He gives information on the creation of the material worlds as well as establishing a distinction between them and the spiritual world. Here he explains the light and dark paths in regards to leaving this material existence, the destination to which they each lead to and the reward received by each.

Arjuna raises the question of Absolute, Spirit, Karma and matter and Devine intelligence and asks Krishna (Brahma, Adyatma, Karma, Adhibhuta and Adhidaiva)

Lord said: The supreme indestructible is Brahma, one’s own soul is adhyatma and the discharge of spirits, which brings forth the existence of beings, is called karma.

All perishable objects are Adhibhuta; the shining Purusha (Brahma) is Adhidaiva and in this body I Myself dwelling as the inner witness, I am Adhiyajna.

He who departs from the body, thinking of Me alone even at the time of death-attains Me.

At the time of death, if one thinks differently he will attain that.

Think of Me at all times and do your duty and you will surely reach me.

He who with his mind disciplined through meditation and thinking of me alone attains the Supreme divine bliss.

Having the power of yoga firmly held the life breath in the space between the two eyebrows even at the time of death and with steadfast mind full of devotion- such a man reaches that supreme divine purusha.

I shall tell now about the Supreme goal- God who is the embodiment of Truth, knowledge and bliss which the veda terms as indestructible, which striving recluses free from passion enter, and desiring the celibates practice Brahmascharya.

Having closed all the doors of the senses and firmly mediating on me chanting OM and dwelling on Me- he reaches the supreme goal.

Great souls who have attained the highest perfection, having come to me are no more subjected to rebirth.

All embodied beings emanate from the unmanifest at the cosmic day; at the cosmic nightfall, they merge into the same subtle body of Brahma.

Beyond this unmanifest there exists a Supreme Divine person who never perishes..

The eternal Supreme Purusha is attainable only through exclusive devotion.

At all times be steadfast in yoga in the form of equanimity, realizing this profound truth, doubtless transcends all the rewards prescribed in the Vedas as well as to the performance of sacrifices, austerities and charities and attain the Supreme state.

R.Jagannathan.

KNOWLEDGE OF JNANA AND VIJNANA

CHAPTER- VII
KNOWLEDGE OF JNANA AND
VIJNANA

Hardly one among thousands of men strives to realize Me. Even among them, some rare one knows me in reality.

The material nature of My lower part is eight folds- Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, Mind, Reason, and Ego.

My Higher part or spiritual nature is in the form of Jiva.
The prakriti consists of these two parts. I am the source of creation and they disappear in me.

I am the sapidity in water, light of the moon and fire in the sun. I am the sacred syllable- OM in all the Vedas, the sound in ether and the manliness in men.

I* am the pure odour in the earth and the brilliance in the fire and I am the life in all beings and the austerity in men of ascetics.

I am the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of intelligent and glory of all glorious.

I am the mighty of the might, free passion and desire, whatever other entities they are born-satva, rajas and tamas-know them all as evolved from Me alone, in reality neither do I exist in them nor they in Me.

These three- fold mayas-satva, raja and tama gunas and fails to recognize Me, delude the whole world- I am standing apart from these and I am imperishable.

Those who constantly remember me and surrender unto me alone able to cross this Maya.
Those whose wisdom is carried away by these Maya and those who embraced the demonic nature cannot see Me.

Four types of devotees worship M-the seeker of worldly possessions, the afflicted, seeker of knowledge, and the man of wisdom.

Among them, the best is man of wisdom. He establishes identity with Me, exclusively devoted to Me, and he is extremely dear to me.

Though all of the above are noble, the man of wisdom is My very self, his mind and intellect merged in Me and is firmly established in Me.

Those whose wisdom is carried away by various desires, prompted by their own nature worship other deities ignorant of Me- the supreme among them.

What ever form my devotee chooses to worship Me- I appear before him in that form.
Those who gain the fruits of worshipping other deities are perishable but those who come to Me it is everlasting.

I am not manifest in those devotees who are veiled by yoga Maya.

I know all beings- the past, present and the future but they cannot see Me.
Many people due to delusion in the shape of pairs of opposites born of desire and hatred are falling a prey to infatuation.


Those who are freed from the above- worship Me with firm devotion and having taken refuge in Me and strive for deliverance from old age and death- know the Absolute-the totality of jivas embodied in the souls, and karma as well as My- integral part - the unmanifest Divinity-those who are possessed steadfast mind Know Me- the Supreme Being and come to Me.

R.Jagannathan.

THE YOGA OF SELF CONTROL

CHAPTER VI

THE YOGA OF SELF CONTROL

Lord Krishna reveals Yoga of Self Control and the exact process of practicing such yoga. He explains in detail the difficulties of the mind and the procedures by which one may gain mastery of their mind through yoga, which reveals the spiritual nature of a living entity.

Lord says that he who does his duty without expecting the fruits of action is both a Sankhya Yogi and a Karma Yogi or Sanyasi.

Sanyasam is another form of yoga and those who have not given up the thoughts of world is not a yogi.

Disinterested action is the first step of the ladder to climb up to Karma yoga.
For such a man absence of all thoughts of the world is said to be the way to Moksha.

One should lift oneself by one’s own effort and should not degrade oneself: for one’s own self is one’s friend and one’s own self is one’s enemy.

The supreme sprit is rooted in the knowledge of the self-controlled man whose mind is perfectly serene the midst of pairs of opposites, such as cold and heat, joy and sorrow, honor and ignominy.

The yogi whose mind is seated with Jnana (Nirguna) and Vijana, who is unmoved under all circumstances, whose senses are completely mastered and to whom earth, stone and gold are alike is nearer to God.

He who looks upon well wishers and neutrals as well as mediators, friends and foes, relatives and objects of hatred, the virtuous and the sinful with the same eye stands Supreme.

Living in seclusion all by himself, the yogi who has controlled his mind and body and is free from desires and void of possessions should constantly engage his mind in meditation.

Having places firmly his seat in a spot which is free from dirt and other impurities with sacred Tharby ( Kusa grass )deer skin and a cloth spread thereon and below another neither very high not low.

In addition, occupying that seat concentrating the mind and controlling the functions of the mind and senses, he should practice yoga for self-purification.

Holding the trunk, head, and neck straight and steady, remaining firm and fixing the gaze on tip of his nose without looking in other direction.

Firm in the vow of complete chastity and fearless, keeping himself perfectly calm and the mind held in restraint and fixed on me the yogi should sit absorbed in Me. Thus, the yogi of disciplined mind attains everlasting peace and bliss.

Yoga is neither for him who over eat not for fasting. Too much, sleep not ceaselessly awake,

Yoga is for a man who regulated his diet and recreation, actions and sleep and awakening, free from yearning of all enjoyments.

Yogi, whose mind becomes still and in which realizing God through subtle reason, the soul rejoices only in God, he does not reckon any other gain as greater than and established in which he is not shaken even by the heaviest of sorrows, completely renouncing all desires arising from thoughts of the world, restraining the senses from all sides, he attains tranquility.

He, who sees in me present in all things and all beings existing within Me, never loses sight of Me and I never lose sight of him.

He who looks on all as one and looks upon joy and sorrow of all in similar eye such a yogi is deemed the highest of all.

The mind is very unsteady, turbulent, tenacious and powerful; therefore, I consider it as difficult to control as the wind- said Arjuna.
Bhagavan said: the mind is restless no doubt, and difficult to curb but it can be brought under control by repeated practice of meditation and by the exercise of dispassion.

Yoga is difficult of achievement for one whose mind is not subdued; by him, however who has the mind under control and ceaselessly striving, it can be easily attained through practice.

Arjuna asked Krishna- what becomes of the soul who though endowed with faith has not been able to subdue his passion and whose mind is diverted from yoga at the time of his death and who thus fails to reach perfection in yoga.

Bhagavan said: there is no fall for him either here or hereafter. For none who strives for self-redemption ever meets with evil destiny.

He who has fallen from yoga obtains the higher worlds to which men of pious deeds alone are entitled and having resided there for countless years, takes the birth in the house of pious and wealthy men though it is difficult.

He automatically regains in that birth of the spiritual insight of his previous birth; and through that, he strives harder than ever for perfection in the form of God realization.

The yogi is superior to the ascetics; he is regarded as superior to those well versed in sacred lore, of all yogis, he who devoutly worships Me with his mind focused on Me is considered by me to be the best yogi.

Thus, lord Krishna tells the world to observe meditation and qualified Karma Yoga, which will lead to eternal bliss, peace of mind and self-control.

IF EVERY ONE PRACTICES THIS YOGA, THERE WILL BE NO THREAT OF WAR, NO DESPARITY BETWEEN RICH AND POOR AND WE CAN SEE ALROUND DEVELOPMENTS OF ALL NATIONS.

R.Jagannathan.

KARMA VAIRAGYA YOGA

CHAPTER- 5

THE YOGA OF ACTION AND RENUNCIATION

KARMA VAIRAGYA YOGA

Lord Krishna delineates the concepts of action with detachment and renunciation in actions explaining that both are a means to the same goal. Here He explains how salvation is attained by the pursuance of these paths. Further Lord Krishna places before Arjuna the glories of Sankhya yoga and Nishkama Karma yoga and Dhyanayoga or meditation with devotion.

Arjuna asks Lord to specifically which of the two yogas is better –Sankhya yoga and Yoga of action

The yoga of knowledge and the yoga of action both lead to supreme bliss. However, the yoga of action is superior to yoga of knowledge.

The karma yogi neither hates nor desires and is free from the pairs of opposites.

One who firmly adheres in either of the yogas gets the fruits of both-God realization.

Without Karma yoga, Sankhya yoga is difficult to accomplish: where as the Karma yogi keeps his mind fixed on God reaches Brahma in no time.

Karma yogi who has fully conquered his mind and mastered his senses with pure heart and who has identified himself with the Self of all beings remains untainted though performing action.

The Sankhya yogi however, firmly believes that his senses that are moving among their objects like-seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, drinking, walking, sleeping , breathing, speaking, and opening and closing of eyes.

He who acts offering all actions to God and shaking off attachment; remains untouched by sin as the lotus leaf by water.


The Karma yogi perform action only with his senses, mind, intellect and body withdrawing the feeling of mine in respect of them and shaking off the attachment, simply for the sake of purification.

Offering the fruits of actions to God, the Karma yogi attains everlasting peace in the shape of God-realization whereas he who works with a selfish motive, being attached to the fruit of actions through desire, gets tied down.

The self-controlled Sankhya yogi doing nothing himself and getting nothing done by others rests happily in God.

God determines not the doer ship not doings of men or even their contact with the fruit of actions; but it is the nature that functions

The present God does not receive the virtue or sin of anyone. Knowledge is enveloped by Maya and it is that beings are constantly falling a pray to delusion.

Those whose mind and intellect are wholly merged in Him, who remain constantly established in identity with Him, and having finally become one with Him- their sins being wiped out by wisdom reach the state whence there is no return

The wise look with the same eye on Brahman endowed with learning and culture, a cow, an elephant, dog, and other things.

He, whose mind remains unattached to sense objects, derives through meditation the satvic joy, which dwells in the mind-that man having completely identified himself through meditation with God-enjoys eternal bliss.

He alone who is able to stand in this very life against the urges of lust and anger- he is a yogi and he alone is a happy man.

Shutting out all thoughts of external enjoyments with gaze fixed on all space between the eyebrows, having regulated the prana and the apana breaths flowing within the nostrils, he who has brought his sense, mind and intellect under control such a soul intent on liberation and free from desire, fear and anger is ever liberated

Having known Me in reality as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of All the worlds, and the disinterested friend of all beings- My devotee attains peace and heaven

R.Jagannathan.