Equanimity – GITA 2: 41 March 12, 2009

|| Shree Hari ||
Ram Ram
II 2:41 II

vyavasayatmika buddhir, keha kuru-nandana
bahu-sakha hy anantas ca, buddhayo ‘vyavasayinam

“O Joy of Kurus (Arjuna), in this blessed path (attainment of equanimity), the intellect is determinate and one-pointed; whereas the intellect of the undecided (ignorant man moved by desires) is divided endlessly in many diverse directions.”

Comment
Equanimity is attained by the one who has only one and single goal. Many goals are due to the presence of desires only.

From Gita Prabodhani in Hindi pg. 45 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

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Chapter 2, Verse 41 is as follows;

Vyavasaayaatmikaa = resolute
BuddhiH = determination / intellect
Ekaa = single
Iha = here
Kuru-nanadan = O joy of Kurus! / O Arjuna!
Bahu-ShaakhaaH = many branched
Hi = indeed
AnantaaH = endless
Cha = and
Buddhayah = thoughts
A-Vyavasaayinaam = of an irresolute
English translation:-
O joy of the Kurus! For the one who is resolute in mind and intellect, there is only one decision to make, which is gradual progression to the realisation of the Self. However, many branched and endless are the thoughts of an irresolute.
Our science teacher, while performing an experiment in Optics, had once demonstrated us that by focusing of Sun-rays through a convex lens one can burn a piece of paper. Then he suddenly made a startling but a very subtle comment, “If you focus your mind and intellect, then see what you can achieve in life.” It had a lasting impression on many of us.
Later on, I came across a matching verse 37 in chapter 4 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, wherein Lord Krishna has advised Arjuna, “As a blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduces all actions to ashes.”
Knowledge and ignorance seem to co-exist in every human being. When knowledge is invoked, ignorance automatically recedes. `Sattvaat Sanjaayate Gnyaanam’ i.e. from `Sattva’ Guna knowledge arises. The awakening of the knowledge of the Self completely eradicates ignorance. Thus knowledge destroys all unfulfilled residual desires and all actions driven by unending desires in search of earthly acquisitions and enjoyments.
A person, who is competent with many skills but is not outstanding in any one, is treated as `A jack of all trades, but master of none’. He is normally called as a `handyman’ i.e. a man who does odd jobs or various small tasks but nothing so concrete and praise-worthy.
Due to his extra-ordinary ability to concentrate on any object and on any given task, Arjuna is renowned to be the best archer and the best disciple of Guru Dronaachaarya. Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna of his brilliant track record. The use of word `Kurunandana’ in this verse implies that Arjuna would lose the very joy of his life, if all his future actions are motivated by the unfocussed irresolute mind rather than being propelled by the well focussed resolute intellect.
In essence, Lord Krishna communicates to Arjuna that all his actions should no longer be dictated by the whims and fancies of his mind. The unfulfilled desires of his mind will certainly drive his physical body to action; however, every such action initiated by Arjuna must have a prior sanction of his intellect, otherwise it is bound to result into unpredictable, undesirable and unpleasant consequences for him.
In Upanishad there is a nice illustration in the following verse;
“Mano Hi Dvividham Proktam, Shuddham Cha A-Shuddham Eva Cha;
A-Shuddham Kaama-Sankalpam, Shuddham Kaama-Varjitam”
It means, a human mind is of two types. One is pure that is devoid of any selfish desires, while the other one is impure that is in constant pursuit of ad infinitum desires.
Such a pure mind devoid of any selfish desire is a pre-requisite for the activation of well focussed resolute intellect. Obviously the intellect cannot be focussed on any mundane goal.
Then how to focus your intellect? This has been nicely illustrated in verse 8 of chapter 8, wherein Lord Krishna has clarified, “With the mind not wandering after anything else, made steadfast in the constant practice of unity with the Self, he who meditates on the Resplendent Supreme, Being, finally reaches Him.”
Thanks & Best Regards,
Shrikant Joshi
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Note:
Is it important to learn by rote the Bhagavath Geetha? I think that is meant for a practice. It is verily the user manual of our life. I have not seen anyone learning any user manual by rote or even try to do so; however expensive the item may be. What you say Sadhaks?

Siva
In response to the above question, I have the following observations;
In ancient times, when there was no Internet, no mobile telephones, no wired land-line telephones and no printed books, the only way to communicate and pass on the accumulated knowledge from one generation to the next, was by means of Shruti i.e. by carefully listening and Smruti i.e. by memorising. Therefore, learning by rote was the only option in those times.
The obvious question is, `Do you need to learn anything by heart in the 21st century’?
Certainly it is no longer mandatory. However, it does not negate memorising. A song that you like and enjoy listening to, you end up in memorising it. Why? Simply because it gives you immense pleasure and it enriches your life. It goes without saying that the poem, on which the song has been composed, has to be an outstanding one.
In contrast, a User Manual or a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is written by a supervisory level person, who is not expected to motivate or energise a user beyond basic information and utility of the device.
From my personal experience, I can guarantee that the Song of Lord Krishna is indeed worth memorising. A verse well recited with `Shraddhaa Bhaava’ certainly acts like an amplifier that generates the deep `Bhaava’ intended behind the written text and offers you an elevated understanding that is coupled with a satisfaction much beyond words.
What I want to communicate, has been very nicely conveyed in a famous Marathi song sung by Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, “Shabdaa Vaachuna KaLale Saare, Shabdaanchyaa Pali Kadale” i.e. I have understood all that is beyond description of words from you, without you spelling out a single word to me.
I hope and trust that it helps to remove the stigma and blemish of learning by heart and may God bless all of us!
With Best Wishes,
Shrikant Joshi
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ભુતલ ભક્તિ પદારથ મોટુ, બ્રહ્મ લોકમાં નાહીં રે..– નરસિંહ મહેતા March 12, 2009

ભુતલ ભક્તિ પદારથ મોટુ, બ્રહ્મ લોકમાં નાહીં રે,
પુણ્ય કરી અમરાપુરી પામ્યા, અંતે ચોરાશી માંહી રે … ભુતલ

હરીના જન તો મુક્તિ ન માગે, જનમો જનમ અવતાર રે,
નિત સેવા નિત કિર્તન ઓચ્છવ, નિરખવા નંદકુમાર રે … ભુતલ

ભરત ખંડ ભુતલમાં જન્મી જેણે ગોવિંદના ગુણ ગાયા રે,
ધન ધન રે એના માત પિતાને, સફળ કરી જેણે કાયા રે … ભુતલ

ધન વૃંદાવન ધન એ લીલા, ધન એ વ્રજના વાસી રે,
અષ્ટ મહાસિદ્ધિ આંગણીયે ઉભી, મુક્તિ છે એમની દાસી રે … ભુતલ

એ રસનો સ્વાદ શંકર જાણે, કે જાણે શુક જોગી રે,
કંઇ એક જાણે પેલી વ્રજની ગોપી, ભણે નરસૈંયો જોગી રે … ભુતલ

- નરસિંહ મહેતા

સમય મારો સાધજે વ્હાલા, કરું હું તો કાલાવાલા.-સંત ‘પુનીત’ March 12, 2009

સમય મારો સાધજે વ્હાલા, કરું હું તો કાલાવાલા.

અંત સમય મારો આવશે ત્યારે, નહીં રહે દેહનું ભાન,
એવે સમય મુખે તુલસી દેજે, દેજે જમના પાન….. સમય મારો.

જીભલડી મારી પરવશ થાશે, ને હારી બેસું હું હામ,
એવે સમય મારી વ્હારે ચડીને રાખજે તારું નામ…… સમય મારો.

કંઠ રુંધાશે ને નાડીઓ તુટશે, તુટશે જીવનદોર,
એવે સમય મારા અલબેલાજી, કરજે બંસરીશોર. ….. સમય મારો.

આંખલડી મારી પાવન કરજે, ને દેજે એક લ્હાણ,
શ્યામસુંદર તારી ઝાંખી કરીને, ‘પુનીત’ છોડે પ્રાણ. ….. સમય મારો.

સંત ‘પુનીત’

Supreme Reality that lies far beyond this materialistic world. March 12, 2009

|| Shree Hari ||
Ram Ram
II 2:42-43 II

yaam imaam pushpitaam vaacham, pravadanti avipaschitah
veda-vada-rataah paarth, naanyad asteeti vaadinah
kaamaatmaanah svarga-paraa, janma-karma-phala-pradaam
kriyaa-visesa-bahulaam, bhogaishvarya-gatim prati
“O Partha (Arjuna), those who are obsessed by desires, who look upon heaven as the supreme goal, and they are devoted to the letter of the Vedas, performing many rites for fulfilling desires. They argue that there is nothing else (except to enjoy the pleasures). These unwise people utter flowery (show-off type, pleasant) speeches, recommending many rituals of various kinds for the attainment of pleasure and prosperity, with rebirth as the fruit of their actions.”

From Gita Prabodhani in Hindi pg. 45 – 46 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

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Chapter 2, Verse 42 is as follows;

Yaam = which
Imaam = this
PuShpitaam = flowery
Vaacham = speech
Pravadanti = utter
A-vipashchitaH = the unwise
Veda-Vada-RataaH = rejoicing in the words of the Vedas
Paartha = O Arjun!
Na = not
Anyat = other
Asti = is
Iti = thus
VaadinaH = saying
English translation:-
The unwise take delight in mere letters and not the spirit of the Vedas and utter in flowery language that, there is nothing else other than the rituals in the Vedas.
In Sanskrit language, a wise person is called `Vipashyachit’ (YaH VisheSheNa Pashyan Chintayate SaH = one who carefully observes everything and thinks independently), while an unwise is called as `A- Vipashyachit’.
In animal kingdom, there is nothing beyond next meal, next mate and next sleep. However, in human kingdom, a man is endowed with an ability to think independently beyond mere mundane existence and seek unity with the Self.
In this verse, Lord Krishna makes a clear distinction between a true `Karma’ an action abiding in obligatory duty and `Karma-Kaanda’ i.e. mere ritualistic piety.
Maharshee Veda Vyaasa, whom Lord Krishna has referred to as one of His special manifestations in verse 37 in chapter 10 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, created proper classification and compilation of the so far accumulated knowledge in the four Vedas namely, Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda and Atharva-Veda. Each of these Vedas is elaborate in Mantras (lyrical chants praising the beauty of nature created by God), Brahmanas (description of various rituals), Aranyakas (various styles of subjective worship) and Upanishads (philosophical teachings for the knowledge of the Self).
The Brahmanas form a major part of the Vedas which deal with `Karma-Kaanda’ i.e. the elaborate rituals and sacrifices for `Ishta-Praapti and Poorti’ i.e. fulfillment of individual desires for worldly acquisitions and enjoyments. No doubt many are motivated to perform such rituals and this has been fully exploited by `Brahmana VarNa’ i.e. a people of priest class even today, which has been resented by people belonging to the other three VarNas in the system of Chaatur-VarNa.
In Mundaka Upanishad I, 2-10 there is a heavy criticism of such people who indulge in mere rituals for the sake of attainment of the Heaven, “These fools, who believe that only the performance of `Ishta-Purtam’ i.e. sacrificial ritual is meritorious and nothing else is meritorious, return to the mortal world after having enjoyed the limited pleasures in the `Swarga’ i.e. the kingdom of the gods, which is deemed to be inferior to the abode of the Paramatman, the Supreme Being.”
Please refer verses 20 and 21 of chapter 9 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, where Lord Krishna talks about rituals for purely selfish motives, “The knowers of three Vedas, who drink `Soma-Rasa’ i.e. juice of a special herbal plant found in the Himalayas and are cleansed of sin, worshipping Me with sacrifices, pray for their passage to the Heaven, while living in this mortal Earth. They manage to reach the holy world of the God Indra and enjoy the limited set of pleasures of the gods. However, when their `Punya-Karma’ i.e. meritorious action is exhausted, having enjoyed the spacious world of the Heaven, they finally attain the changeable i.e. the unending cycle of birth and death. This is in total conformity with the doctrines enjoined in the three Vedas.”
Please note that the fourth Veda i.e. `Atharva-Veda’ has been deliberately ignored by Lord Krishna, as it encourages additional desires based on purely monetary transactions.
The verses 42, 43 and 44 have been created by Maharshee Veda Vyaasa, as a satire on obsessive ritualism that was then practised by both the masses and the classes. These three verses depict and deplore the state of deterioration in the religious practices only for attainment fifty six `Bhogas’ i.e. materialistic and sensual pleasures; as if they were the only means to the end of `Swarga-Praapti’ i.e. attainment of the final pursuit of the Heavenly pleasures.
Indeed rare and fortunate are those, who are able to avoid the ills of the `Karma-Kaanda’ even today.
In essence, what Lord Krishna is trying to communicate to Arjuna is that the concepts of `Paapa and Punya’ i.e. sins and meritorious deeds have nothing to do with mere rituals based on pure selfish motives. Therefore, O Arjuna, please look for the Supreme Reality that lies far beyond this materialistic world.

Shrikant Joshi

Please allow me to use `I’ . March 12, 2009

Please allow me to use `I’ so that we can communicate.
I have not yet reached a stage where I can say that I am out of the world (Nishkam), but gradually I have realized the futility of pursuing the worldly possessions, chasing its ungraspable mirages, indulging in meaningless sensory gratifications and drinking the salty ocean water of fame without quenching my thirst .
Though I am in the world, but without any urge to repeat the past `catch and acquire’ habits. I have also realized the futility of `holier than thou’ or `my shirt is now whiter than yours’ approach by putting on the mask of a pseudo `satsangi’. How did I come to this stage?

Like bus, train, air tickets, scriptures also serve a practical purpose. After a stage, these are also to be got rid of, but as long as I depend on the society for my bare minimum needs (nor desires), I should continue with my selective scriptures – Gita, Maharamayana (Yoga-vashishtha), Ashtravakra Gita – reading these give me a kind of happiness I cannot describe. After reaching this last step, let me describe my attitudes – I do not like hypocrite persons. I feel happy in the company of honest, simple-of-heart-and-possessions people who have realized the futility of worldly pleasures and are trying to know the real self `Atma Sakshatkar’. How can confused persons remove my or others’ confusions? By God’s grace, I have come to and gracefully accepted in the company of real spiritual gems of this divine forum.

This was from the last step. The initial steps were my deep effortless love for nature and its denizens – birds, butterflies, insects, mountains, rivers, sunshine, moon, stars, rains, trees, jungles, flowers, creatures, music, great poets and writers. Then, there were holy scriptures, their speakers, kirtans, satsangs, bhajans, anecdotes from the lives of great saints, Vivekanand, Swami Ramteerth, Maharishi Raman, J Krishnamurti, Vimla Thakar, and so on and so on. In the mean while, there were love affairs, successful and not so successful, marriage, ups and downs, extra-marital attraction and other charms – whose beginning was smeared with sadness, in the middle was stupid pleasure but gloominess and in the end there was again sadness of frustration and meaninglessness. One `guru’ was made who simply forced me to follow some rituals without any spiritual insights. Left for good.

And then, the greatest revolution happened, studied literature of Swami Ramsukhdasji Maharaj and his `darshan’ and `satsang’ at Rishikesh, I was there when he breathed his last – weather was cloudy with light rains, but there was a rainbow inside me… don’t know from where it appeared…His last will, I have read many times and always cry with tears like a child, result is always ever new `bliss’. In fact, this blob of proteins does not want to know, but just to be, to be, to be… And yet, I love to be in the company of true sadhaks like you all and like a few others.

So that the mirages of the sensory pleasures may not draw me astray, hence my request to all sadhaks/siddhs on this list to kindly let me be with you, I need your blessings.
MO TE ADHIK SANT KARI LEKHA (Ram in Manas). Compassionate Lord Krishna, when the ripe time will come, will merge me with His `Is-ness’ – there is nothing to be done, just I have to stand in the sunshine of His saints.

Suresh C. Sharma