Bhagavad Gita- 108 Talks by Swami Sandeep Chaithanya

This is the last page of the 'Gita 108 days' book. Thanks for your kind suggestions and encouragements. Special Pranams to Swamiji. SOBG will be publishing this.

108. Integration of action and spirituality is essential

Sri Krishana is the Lord of all yogas (yogeswara) and He personifies spirituality. Arjuna, (Parthan) the warrior with the bow and arrows exemplifies the action. When these two are in harmony, prosperity, victory, affluence and appropriate justice will result. When the action is not well connected with spirituality, world will be chaotic. It appears that United States has Parthan and no yogeswara while India has spirituality and no Parthan. What we need is the harmonious integration of the worlds. Take out all the possibilities in us to better the life of human race. When we work together, there will be no room for atom bombs or wars.

Arjuna declares that his inner self has got awaken by the wisdom of discrimination. He already had that light in him; the Lord facilitated the process, that’s all. Arjuna assures the Lord that he will follow His advice; that is to live life in accordance with nature. Once we decide to act in harmony with the nature, how can those actions create a dissonance?

Bhagavad Gita takes us to the inner meanings of the great statement (mahavakya) – tat tvam asi – (that thou art). Out of the eighteen chapters of the GIta, the first six chapters analyse and expound on ‘tvam’ (i.e., you- thou). Six chapters in the middle of the book deal with ‘tat’ (i.e., that – the supreme self). Final six chapters describe how the two (tat and tvam) are integrally connected (asi) to each other. Through scriptural erudition, we must develop the conviction: ‘that is you’ and from there evolve to realize: ‘I am Brahman’ (aham brahma asmi). All our activities must be aimed at realizing this ultimate wisdom.

107. The Lord’s feet are the feet of life itself

Feet of life are the Lord’s feet indeed. Meaning of ‘going to the Lord’s feet’ is to accept life completely and wholeheartedly as it is presented before us. Only when we break away from the unimportant stuff we will be able to accept the supreme. Serving God is to know God. The Lord didn’t ask us to make a lot of temples, but he asked us to know ‘I’ through self inquiry with the help of scriptural knowledge. We should propagate the scripture and at least our family members should be directed to this path of inquiry. Bhagavan says that he who teaches scriptures well and introduces ‘me’ to others is very dear Him. There is nothing nobler than this knowledge transfer. Supreme worship is to learn the scriptures without wavering from dharma. If some one even listens to the scriptures without jealousy, he will get benefited as well.

One should listen to the scripture with one pointed concentration. There is no point in listening mechanically. Hearing should be followed by analytical thinking of the subject. Learn the word meanings and the purport so that all delusions end. We are the ‘chosen’ ones even to get opportunity to listen to the scriptures. That’s why Gita warns that the scriptures should not be advised to people with no devotion and penance, people who do not serve others and to those who are jealous of other people’s prosperity. It must be imparted to only those who are really interested. Some people think that Sudras and women are not entitled to Brahma vidya, the knowledge supreme. The Lord has clearly stated who do not deserve this knowledge. Here the cast, religion, clan or sex of a person does not matter. Those who do not make an effort to know should not be imparted of this ‘secret’. Thapass (penance) is the pursuit one undertakes cheerfully. They know that it is the service to the Lord to serve the country and devotion to the people is the devotion to the supreme self. Those who do not serve others do not serve the nature. Those who are jealous to others when they prosper is indeed envious to none other than the Lord.

106. What are the duties fit to be discarded?

Bhagavan assures us that ‘if you discard all duties (dharmas) and seek refuge in me, I shall redeem you from all sins; don’t worry’. This sloka, one of the most prominent in the Gita has created a lot of confusion. Some people follow it literally as an excuse to abandon all responsibilities and avoid taking up a job or taking care of the family. They believe that the Lord wants them to stay in a monastery or as a freeloader near a temple.

Dharma is the essential quality of a thing without which the thing is not. For example, if you remove the heat and light from fire, it will cease to be fire. Thus the universe is borne by Brahman. All values that take us to Brahman are dharma for us. Rejecting Brahman is not being referred here. Bhagavan advises us to ‘know me, the one and only Brahman through meditation’. Here knowing is surrendering. Gita wants us to get rid of the notion of ‘I am doing’ in the activities of our body (Sarira dharma)- seeing, hearing, thinking, etc. If I don’t have anything as ‘my own’, there is nothing to be discarded. This is akin to empowering someone who is watching the sky through the window to get out of the room enabling him to enjoy the open sky. Here there is not duality. Discarding dharma here is getting rid of the doer-ship.

A sin is the deed that would create an inferiority complex. A thought of lament “Oh, this has become my fate” is a sin. To surrender in the Lord is to live and accept a life of reality without indulging in imaginary life. This surrender is like a wave realizing that ‘I am the ocean’. This is the only aim one should entertain in life as all other prostrations are futile. Whomever we prostrate and surrender to, do it with the attitude of surrendering unto the supreme consciousness. Bhagavan didn’t ask us to surrender ourselves to a temple, a priest or an idol. To become a devotee is to realize that ‘I am not a separate entity from the universe’. Any injury to the universe is affecting me. It is my duty to preserve and to take care of this universe. When the Lord says ‘you are dear to me’, it means that the relationship between you and the nature is symbiotic. It is your love towards all beings in nature that makes you my favourite. This can be achieved only through knowledge- not merely by going to temples every morning after taking a bath and applying sandal paste on the forehead.

105. Gita is giving freedom to do as we please

Bhagavad Gita gives us the unlimited freedom to do as we please. Bhagavan tells us that he is going to divulge the secret of all secrets. Then he asks us to analyze and critique his advises and then to follow the path of our choice. He spreads before us all the facts and figures and empower s us to pursue as we feel in the light of knowledge. Thus he encourages us to bring about all the possibilities latent in us.

All the likes and dislikes of the world are within us. We should look at the world as we look at the mirror. The universe is a reflection of our self. Only with the eyes of wisdom can we see this. Only the one who has had seen enough of the sunrises, moon and flowers would be able to say that he doesn’t need another birth. Even Swami Vivekananda said that he would like to take birth again in the holy land of India. We came through this universe and it has been kept ready for us to experience. When we contemplate with reverence the paths we traversed, we get to deserve certain imageries. Through meditation we can travel through the paths we passed. Meditation is like learning to ride a bicycle. While learning, we need to follow the rules without any compromise. No one will ride a bike free hand during the training period. Once mastered the feat, one can ride the cycle anyway he chooses- with or without hands on the handle bar. Once we master the art of meditation, we can try to seek new possibilities. Then we need not sit down at one place to meditate. Those who have attained the wisdom of self knowledge will be always in a state of meditation. This is achieved through knowledge and through tough experiments. Don’t be obstinate about the path and thus forgetting the goal. Also, don’t be repentant about the wrong doings in the past. Don’t foster the thought “I would have done such and such in my time, but now I am incapable”. Whenever we pursue the path of self knowledge, do it with diligence (Sradha). That is of paramount importance. Swami Tapovanam used to say “those who pursue self inquiry sitting at home should not try to imitate the yogi who is meditating sitting in the forest or vice versa”. A house-holder with discriminatory intellect embraces the world without selfish intentions considering it as his dharma and thus he reaches his goal.

104. There is no status higher than the Motherhood

Motherhood is the highest status- a sannyasi needs to bow down only to his mother. A mind getting ready to meditate pays obeisance to the mother, father and the guru. Then pray to the earth as it sustains the myriad types of lives in it. For the effulgence and energy, bow down to the sun, moon and the stars. Then remember all the various life forms to get the divine vision of their essence. Remember the cow and banyan tree before meditation– they give out the best by accepting the least useful stuff from nature (milk, after consuming grass and oxygen after accepting carbon dioxide).

Before sitting down for meditation, have a resolve in mind that I will not waver from the attempt to know and realize the Truth and I will not recede until reach the goal. All actions must begin in meditation. It is the feeling of awe and surrender to those unknown hands which prepared us ready to take up this endeavour. It requires high level of vigil to observe the activities of mind with the mind. If one cannot sit in a yoga pose such as pathamasana for meditation, they can sit in a chair or by stretching the leg. But do not cheat yourselves in the path of self inquiry. Doubts emanating from the peaceful mind lead us to the path of truth. But doubts of an agitated mind will lead us to diseases. All actions become crazy deeds when done without awareness. One should develop full knowledge on actions undertaken.

Just as we observe the external world, see the inner world of mental actions as well. Know sound and silence. When you start observing the mind, it becomes powerful. A mind that is not observed is like a closed room. Within this universe, one can accept anything as the guru. A book, a person, ocean or a leaf- whatever you want. Guru’s function is that of an alarm clock to help people wake up on time. That is all one needs from a guru. If that person is not capable of waking you up, do not accept him as your guru. Likewise, don’t hesitate after accepting a guru. Submit completely to accept his guidance. Religion, teachers and gurus are all exist because of various issues and problems are there in people’s life and they typically like it that way. They want to conduct elaborate rituals (worship, homa, etc.) to ‘solve’ issues for you. Don’t go after such people.

103. Everything gets purified in knowledge

Gita makes everything an auspicious undertaking (yagna). In the fire of self control, the senses are sacrificed. A vision is also a yagna. We should not add color to it as we sacrifice it in the fire of knowledge. Accepting the universe in the fire of knowledge is indeed yagna and in knowledge everything gets sanctified. Most holy is the knowledge itself. Some people ask – is it not beneficial to serve the poor and feed the hungry than engaged in teaching of the Gita. Those who want to serve the destitute always want them to exist and indirectly they love problems. Knowledge transfer is the attempt to nurture a culture that will ensure that no destitute is produced. This leads to permanent liberation.

Our creations are all in the spirit of yagna and when there is a hindrance to this attitude, even an unscrupulous person will be annoyed. In order to rise above desires, we should reinvigorate our mind with the intellect that has acquired knowledge from scriptures. Don’t go with the whim and fancy of the thoughts and emotions and do not denigrate yourself. Biggest sin is to indulge in and worry about the insignificant events, issues and thoughts of the past. One cannot become a sannyasi or a yogi without discarding wishful thoughts. A sannyasi is one who undertakes work without wishing for results. He does not harbour thoughts of hatred; he doesn’t desire anything; he has discarded thoughts of sense gratification; he has no feeling of duality. It is a simple life.

Karma and knowledge (jnana) are not different for a sannyasi. One attains the goal through karma what can be achieved through jnana. They are mutually supportive to each other. Karmas are to be done as per our innate nature and it is para-dharma (other’s duty or unnatural) even to think that we are separate from the supreme. Don’t think that I am this body, thoughts or emotions. Even to say that “I am killing” is unnatural and para-dharma. I don’t ‘own’ the work (no doer-ship) and we are truly blissful in nature. We can experience this through meditation.

102. Questions arise, meditation begins.

It is necessary to have the inquiry in to what is happening in my own inner mind. In human minds the dharma-adharma conflicts (virtuous vs. non-virtuous) are occurring incessantly. We are fighting against ourselves in these conflicts. When a question arises in the mind, meditation begins. There is no point in dwelling on what happened in the past. What is the purpose of me undertaking this now? In my mind what are the noble (Pandawas) and ignoble (Duryodhanas) aspects of my actions that are at odds with each other? When emotions lead our actions, Duryodhanas are in control. When our thoughts are in control of our actions, Pandawas are in charge. Brahman is the aim for a sadhaka where Universe is the bow and the self is the arrow. Gita is the lesson of this archery that a guru teaches to his disciple. Entering of Krishna and Arjuna in to the chariot is akin to birth of a child. White horses symbolize the pure self, the consciousness. The glory of the body is that in it resides the power of discrimination and the Lord himself.

Panchajanyam (born out of five), the official conch used by Sri Krishna in the battle field represents the people who consider the world of five senses (sound, touch, taste, form and smell) to be real. The Lord uses their bodies to extol the virtue of dharma by rescuing them from the ignoble tendencies. Once He plays through us, everything that comes out of us will be virtuous. We should just allow Him to use us as his flute. In order to make melodious music, there shouldn’t be anything inside the bamboo piece. When we say that the sound of panchajanyam trembles the world and the sky, it means that voice of dharma will remain beyond time and space. Arjuna asks the Lord- who is making me do sinful deeds even though I don’t want to. Desires of various kinds are the reason behind these deeds. World becomes prosperous with the help of people with no selfish desires. People with selfish desires annihilate the world. Those who have no desires attain peace easily. “All our actions undertaken for our contentment must enable others to be happy” so said Sri Narayana Guru. Let this be our motto.

101. Truth is effortless to attain

Truth is easy to attain. It is effortless and uncomplicated. We keep failing, trying to open the lock which does not exist. We make the simple things complex by over analyzing and explaining. Those who have attained Brahama doesn’t lament about anything. He has no desire either. As he has a vision of equanimity over all creatures, he is blessed with great devotion. One should get liberation now in this life and not after death. Enter the realm of the Lord by analysing the principles (thava-vichar) in devotion. For this one need not visit temples and it doesn’t depend on the size of the sandal wood or vermillion marks on the forehead. One need not call out His names to surrender unto Him. It is being aware of the consciousness that is behind all intellectual constructions. During meditation, in the solitude, one comes to know these by diving deep in to the inner self. Submit all activities unto Him. It is the state when our hands (actions) are harmonized with our mind and intellect. One need not bring in a different God with a name and form in this quest. Don’t think of another thing while pursuing one activity. While cutting vegetables there is no need to chant the Lord’s name. Don’t think of anything else. Give your full attention to the act of cutting vegetables. When we give full attention to our activities we are getting more and more aligned with the supreme self. This will lead to attaining the serene and supreme self. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that even if he decides not to take part in the war, due to his pride and ego, the nature will force him to go through with it. That is because Arjuan’s innate tendencies are those of a warrior. Everyone is destined do actions in accordance with the natural qualities and tendencies (vasanas). It appears as if all living creatures are mechanized toys moving and acting about with the Lord at the centre, working as the controller. We can see the world in four different ways. First one (vasthu-drishty) is to see it as such, as it appears- a lady, a man, a book, a table, etc. Second is the image we attaché to each (pratheeka drishty)- as a mother, a father, Holy Gita, a dining table, etc. Third is the divine vision (divya drishti), to see everything as the glory of the Lord. Fourth vision is the supreme vision (param divya drishti). That is to realize that the glory of the Lord is nothing but ‘me’. Bhagavad Gita guides and enables us to attaining this evolutionary growth.

100. Worship is executing own duty

Those who worship the omnipresent supreme self by well executing their own duties (dharma) attain success. It is nobler to undertake own duties- however ineffective they may seem- than to do other’s karma. It is ignoble to discard own karma with the excuse that it cannot be done well or by assuming that it may result in something bad. One can find fault with any action one way or other, but don’t discard your duties succumbing to your cynical mind.

Who is eligible for attaining supreme bliss? He remains in solitude armed with the strength of pure intellect controlling his mind, discarding all the dualities such as likes and dislikes. He eats modestly to keep his bodily functions active and he remains revelling in a realm beyond names and forms. His words, mind and actions are well aligned and they support each other. He is in meditative mood where there is no doer-ship or enjoyer-ship. He has no compulsion, arrogance, lust or anger and he has no sense of ‘i-ness’. Such a yogi attains supreme bliss.

In order to carve out an idol out of a mere stone, what we do is to remove the unnecessary portions of the stone that is not part of the idol. Ego takes us away from nature and stops us from attaining the absolute. We are afraid of getting aligned with the nature due to the fear that we may loose something. Gita advises us to keep the mind peaceful by avoiding confusing mayhems in our life.

When we categorize people based on action, with their innate tendencies guiding them, there are no life-long brahmana or life-long sudras. When one meditates in the morning, he is a brahmana. When he undertakes trade activity later in the day, he is a vysya. When he fights for the country, he is indeed a kshatriya. When he is doing work for the societies benefit, he is a sudra. Everyone has all these four qualities. This is the message we must learn from Mahatma Gandhi’s life.

99. Kara-nyasa (Treasure to be held in hand)

Some of the stanzas of the Gita have been classified as ‘kara-nyasa’, treasure that is always to be held in ones own hand. We should become Gita by invoking kara-nyasa to express as kara-chalanam (work by own hands).

We meditate and invoke the blessings of the sage Vyasa as the one who imparted this knowledge. We seek the blessings of sages to attain the intellectual prowess to comprehend this knowledge. Let Gita be the words we speak. Let our speech be guided by the scriptures and let Goddess Saraswathi revel on our tongue. Meditate upon Sri Krishna, the supreme self, imagining Him as seated in the heart, at the centre of everything.

Gita originates with the lines that say about our state of being. “talking like learned men, but keep lamenting about that which is not worthy of concern” This is the root cause of all our problems. Men of wisdom do not mourn. Real strength is in discarding dharma as well as adharma, surrendering unto ‘that’ ultimate reality. This doesn’t mean that we should discard work, family and the house to pursue the higher truth. We should not take the momentary things to be real and eternal. Gita has given us the foundation peg, the assurance that the Lord will rescue us from all transgressions. Let us tie down ourselves to this peg of assurance.

Science does not interfere with the ultimate truth. Fire does not burn it. Water cannot wet it. Wind does not dry it up. Self is eternal, omniscient and unfaltering. Everything in the universe is the Lord’s various forms. Stanzas (shloka) 23 and 24 in chapter2; 5th shloka of the chapter-11 are to be chanted with meditation directing our attention towards the fingers and the heart. Our words, mind and actions must be guided by this knowledge. Shlokas from the Gita must become protective armours and weapons in our quest.

Ashtotthara-namavali (108 holy names) includes all the various aspects of the Holy Gita. Once we evolve ourselves to become the Gita itself, the compilation of the Lord’s name is verily ours and it is there for the purpose of worshipping the Self.

98. Sudra (working class) is the protector of dharma.

For a Brahmana (scholars or priestly class), it should be natural to have the qualities such as self control, tranquility, penance, cleanliness, patience, straightforwardness, knowledge, experience and care. For the kshatriya class, (warriors and protectors), courage, valour, braveness, cleverness, charity, authority, and able to fight without receding are the expected qualities. Protecting cows, looking after farming and trade are the duties of Vysya (farmers and tradesmen) class. To serve everyone is the duty of Sudras.

Sudras are entitled to attain the goal dharma (duty) and Vysyas, the arthha (wealth). Kshatriyas are entitled to kamas (aspirations) and the Brahmanas to moksha (liberation). Gita is not talking here about the birth rights of any class; everyone attains their chosen rightful path in accordance to their innate tendencies. A businessman (Vysya) becomes a Brahmana as he embarks on spiritual inquiry. There is nothing in the universe that is not under the spell of qualities (guna). When one executes their duties well, following the right path, he attains the supreme state.

It is the rajasic urge (dhrithi) to pursue dharma, arthha and kama without caring for the ultimate goal moksha. It is the tamasic urge to be sleepy, fearful, sorrowful, proud, brutal and mentally dull.

Although it may appear to be toxic in the beginning, bliss born out of self awareness evolves in to divine nectar in the end. This is satvic joy. On the other hand, the rajasic delight is nectar-like in the beginning turning into poison later. Rajasic delight results when sense objects merge with sense organs. Tamasic joy is delusive beginning till the end. Slumber, lethargy and foolishness are the cause of tamasic elation.

97. Be aware of the knowledge and ignorance simultaneously

Wisdom is to be aware of knowledge and ignorance at the same time. Satvic intellect is existent when we are able to know vividly what is activity and improper activity; work and forbidden work; fear and fearlessness and the bondage and liberation. It is like cutting jackfruit: in order to avoid the glue from sticking to your hand, we should smear oil in our palms before cutting the jackfruit. Not to understand this properly is rajasic intellect and to mis-comprehend this is tamasic intellect.

Drithi is the courage to pursue and complete intelligent activities already undertaken inspired by the words of the Lord. Mind is aligned; pranas (life forces) are fully awakened and the sense organs are at their best. This is in the satvic realm and it is the ability to rise to the occasions and to express the intellectual dexterity.

‘Om’ represents satvic knowledge; ‘tat’ the satvic karma and the ‘sat’, symbolizes the satvic doer. Life force is the subtlest form of karma. Wherever there is life, there is action. When we take the air inside with the Om meditation, it is the satvic knowledge. All activities under the influence of Om become satvic karmas. All activities undertaken with great difficulty and under the influence of desires and ego are rajasic karmas. All activities undertaken carelessly, without thinking about the future or how they will affect others originate in ignorance and they are tamasic karmas. A satvic doer is one who takes up work without attachment or pride in the activity. He reacts equally to positive and negative results. A rajasic doer is addicted to sense pleasures and he lusts for favourable results. He is stingy, unhygienic and he would even torture others to get his way. He is happy and miserable at the same time. A tamasic doer is the one who is lazy, sloppy, uncivilized and he has a mind that is illogical. He takes up work reluctantly and disturbs others in the process. They insult others and create troubles for people around them.

96. Be aware of the knowledge and ignorance simultaneously

Wisdom is to be aware of knowledge and ignorance at the same time. Satvic intellect is existent when we are able to know vividly what is activity and improper activity; work and forbidden work; fear and fearlessness and the bondage and liberation. It is like cutting jackfruit: in order to avoid the glue from sticking to your hand, we should smear oil in our palms before cutting the jackfruit. Not to understand this properly is rajasic intellect and to mis-comprehend this is tamasic intellect.

Drithi is the courage to pursue and complete intelligent activities already undertaken inspired by the words of the Lord. Mind is aligned; pranas (life forces) are fully awakened and the sense organs are at their best. This is in the satvic realm and it is the ability to rise to the occasions and to express the intellectual dexterity.

‘Om’ represents satvic knowledge; ‘tat’ the satvic karma and the ‘sat’, symbolizes the satvic doer. Life force is the subtlest form of karma. Wherever there is life, there is action. When we take the air inside with the Om meditation, it is the satvic knowledge. All activities under the influence of Om become satvic karmas. All activities undertaken with great difficulty and under the influence of desires and ego are rajasic karmas. All activities undertaken carelessly, without thinking about the future or how they will affect others originate in ignorance and they are tamasic karmas. A satvic doer is one who takes up work without attachment or pride in the activity. He reacts equally to positive and negative results. A rajasic doer is addicted to sense pleasures and he lusts for favourable results. He is stingy, unhygienic and he would even torture others to get his way. He is happy and miserable at the same time. A tamasic doer is the one who is lazy, sloppy, uncivilized and he has a mind that is illogical. He takes up work reluctantly and disturbs others in the process. They insult others and create troubles for people around them.