In Chapter Four, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about the ancient tradition of yoga, and about the principle and circumstances of his incarnations. Whenever there is a decline of Dharma, or of righteous conduct; and whenever Adharma or unrighteous conduct increases; then God takes on a body and is born into this world. To protect the righteous, to destroy the sinful, and to re-establish Dharma, God appears on this earth again and again, from age to age.
He also tells about proper action, about prohibited action, about selfless action, about inaction and non action, about the various sacrifices described in the scriptures, and about the destruction of all sins, on attaining the knowledge of Brahm, the Supreme.
CHAPTER
Lord Krishna says: Listen Partha, at the beginning of time I taught this imperishable yoga to the Sun God. The Sun God told it to his son, and the father of mankind, Manu, who in turn, passed on the knowledge of this yoga to king Ikshvaku.
In this way, the knowledge of this eternal yoga, was passed on from one royal sage to another.
However, because of long lapse of time, and after the passing of many ages, people forgot it, and this knowledge was lost to the world.
That very same knowledge, which is the foremost and the deepest secret, I have today revealed to you, because you are my devotee and friend, and also because you can understand this profound, divine secret.
Arjuna, however, finds this hard to believe, and asks the Lord : But Keshava, the Sun God was born much, much before you, and your birth is much later, many ages after his. How then, do I believe that you did, indeed, reveal this secret to him, at the very beginning of time?
Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna: Listen Arjuna, you and I, both of us have had many, many births before this, we have both been born many, many times before this. I remember all My births, but you do not.
Though I am the Unborn, and though My Atma is imperishable, though I am the Lord of all beings, even then, by My divine power, I subjugate My Divine Being to My own Creative Nature, and come into existence.
Whenever Dharma, whenever Righteousness, and Good Conduct declines, and whenever Adharma, or unrighteousness is on the rise, when sin dominates, then do I incarnate Myself.
For the protection of the good, for the destruction the evil, and for re-establishing Dharma, I take birth in this world, I am born into this world, again and again, from age to age.
One who, in this way, truly understands My divine births and actions, on his death, when he leaves the human body, he is not born again, but comes to me.
Freed from desire, fear, and anger, seeking shelter in Me, merging themselves fully in Me, and purified by knowledge, many people have attained to My station. Whatever I am, they too have become that.
The way people come to Me, I accept them as such. People on all sides, follow my path.
Those who seek the fulfillment of their desires during their lifetime itself, worship the lesser Gods, because in this world of men, the fruit of action comes very quickly.
Based on the three attributes of Nature: Sattvaguna, Rajoguna, and Tamoguna, and the division of work, I created the four classes of people.
Although I am the creator of this work-based, class system, yet know this, that neither do I do any action, nor is there any change in Me, because I am the non-doer, and I am the indestructible.
Action does not pollute Me, action does not stick to Me, nor do I have any desire for the fruit or the reward of my actions.
Whosoever knows Me thus, though he works, though he acts, yet he does not get bound by such work or action. He does not come under the bondage of his actions.
In ancient times, in the days of old, people desiring liberation, knowing this, did their work, did their actions selflessly, without regard for reward, and without desiring the fruit of their work. You too, do as the ancients did.
What is action? What is forbidden action? What is inaction? Doing what action is proper, and what improper? What is renunciation of action? All these questions have baffled even the very wise, they too have had their doubts and misgivings about them; they too have not been able to understand these properly.
I will tell you what action is, knowing which, you will be freed from all faults, all taints, and all blemishes.
The duty prescribed by the scriptures, one's ordained and natural duty, is the only correct action, it is the action worth doing. One should understand it fully and properly.
What is forbidden action, what is improper and inappropriate action, the action one should never do, it is necessary to know these, so that these can be avoided.
.
Inaction or non action, and the renunciation of action, one should understand these as well.
To understand the nuances, the depths, and the intricate nature of action is very difficult, because the nature of action is very complex indeed.
One who is able to spot "inaction" or inactivity in " the action" and "action" or activity in " the inaction", he is a yogi, he is wise.The person, who can see beyond what is outwardly apparent, even though he does all his actions, yet he is never in bondage to his actions, and he remains in the divine state.
One whose all actions have become freed from the desire of the reward of those actions, whose all actions have been burnt in the fire of knowledge, such a person, the wise call a pundit, a learned one.
Giving up the desire for the reward, for the fruit of all actions, always remaining satisfied, and without being dependent on the fruit of any action, such a person, even though he be always engaged in doing action, yet he does not act.
Having no desire for the fruit of action, keeping his consciousness and his Atma under control, giving up all that he owns, and also giving up all objects of enjoyment, one who does action only to maintain the body functions, such a one never gets any taint or fault.
The person who is satisfied by whatever comes his way by chance or otherwise, without in any way desiring it, or making any effort to obtain it; and who has transcended, and risen above the dualities of happiness and sorrow, good and bad, loss and gain, who is free from envy, who remains the same in success and in failure, such a person, even though he does action, even though he does work, yet he does not come under the bondage of work.
One who does all his actions in the spirit of sacrifice, whose mind and intelligence are firmly established in wisdom, who is emancipated, and whose desires for, and attachment to, the fruit of action, have totally melted away, the actions of such a one, get completely absorbed in Brhm, the Absolute.
For him, the one who offers is the Param Atma. The object offered is also the Param Atma.
By the Param Atma it is offered into the fire of the Param Atma.
One who sees the Param Atma in all his actions, as a result thereof, he attains to the Param Atma.
Some yogis worship the gods, some focus on the Brahm, who has no blemish or attributes, some offer up all their senses, some all their sense objects, while others offer up all the functions of the senses as sacrifice.
Some offer up all that they own, all their material possessions, some offer up their austerities, some their practice of yoga, as forms of sacrifice.
Others, who have controlled their minds, and have taken strict vows, offer up their study, their learning, and their wisdom, as sacrifice.
Some are constantly doing pranayama, the practice of breath control. They try to regulate their inward and their outward breaths, offering their inward breath into their outward breath, and their outward breath into their inward breath, trying to equalize and balance both.
Some try to regulate their food intake, they offer what they eat to their life forces.
All of these are the knowers of sacrifice, and through a life of sacrifice, all their sins get burnt, and they become free from sin.
Those who eat the purified, sacred remains of the sacrifice, they attain to the eternal Brhm.
But those who do not sacrifice, this world is not for them, much less the higher regions of heaven and above.
In this way, the various sacrifices have been described in the scriptures.
Understand that they all originate from action, from work, and that they all lead to Brahm, knowing which you will be freed, you will be liberated.
Because material things bind, and knowledge and wisdom liberate, therefore, sacrifices of knowledge and wisdom, are far superior to those of material objects, because ultimately, all actions, all works, culminate and end in knowledge and wisdom, which liberate man.
Learn this knowledge and wisdom from those wise Gurus and Teachers who know the Truth. Seek them out, go to them in all humility, and with a seeking, open and questioning mind, learn this knowledge and wisdom from them, through patient study and inquiry.
And when you have attained this knowledge and wisdom and understood it properly and fully, then there will never again be any doubt or misgiving in your mind, because, through this knowledge and wisdom, without a shred of doubt, you will see all beings, all existence, the entire creation, first within yourself, and then you will see them all in Me, as well.
Even if you be the biggest of sinners, you will, by the boat of wisdom, cross over even the biggest ocean of sin.
Fire burns all its own inherent fuel, and also everything else in its reach. It reduces everything to ashes.
Similarly, the fire of wisdom burns all action and all work, and reduces them to ashes, and, thereby, liberates man from the chains of those actions.
There is nothing purer than knowledge and wisdom in this whole world. When the time comes, the person who has attained yoga, acquires this knowledge, this wisdom within himself. It comes to such a one of its own accord.
The person who is devoted and eager to obtain this knowledge, and who has controlled his senses, such a one obtains the knowledge, obtaining which, he also attains supreme peace and tranquility.
But the ignorant person, who is devoid of devotion, and who, because of his doubting nature, is always finding fault with Me, such a person is bound to perish. For such a one, there is neither this world, nor heaven, nor even happiness.
One who, through yoga, has renounced all actions, who through knowledge and wisdom, has destroyed all his doubts, such a person has gained control over his Atma. Such a one, I do not bind in the bonds of action.
Partha, your heart is full of doubts because of ignorance. With the sharp and strong sword of knowledge and wisdom, cut off and completely destroy all these doubts, seek refuge in yoga, and stand up to do battle.
End of Chapter Four
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
No comments:
Post a Comment