In the tenth chapter Lord Krishna reaffirms that He is the Lord God of all creation. He is both the seed of every thing and of everyone and He is the fruit of the seed too. He also tells Arjuna about His various and different Manifestations.
CHAPTER
Lord Krishna says : Partha, now listen to My Supreme word, which I will tell you since I wish you well, and because you are dear to Me, and you are taking pleasure in listening to Me.
Neither the gods, nor the devas, nor even the great sages, know My origin, because in all ways, I am the primal, original cause of all the gods, the devas, and the great sages.
I am the Unborn. I am without beginning, and I am the powerful Lord of all the worlds. Whosoever knows Me as such, such a one has no delusion and attachment, and he becomes free from all sins.
Intellect, knowledge, freedom from doubt, forgiveness, truth, self control, keeping the mind and the senses under control, happiness and sorrow, life and death, fear and fearlessness, non violence, balance and harmony, satisfaction, austerity, charity, honour and dishonour; all these are the various qualities of all people, all of which are born from Me, which originate from Me.
The seven Great Sages, and the four Manus, the original creators and ancestors, are of My Nature, and they were all born from my mind, and from them all beings, and all creatures of the world have been born.
He who, in this way, knows My glory and yoga in its true form, he, without doubt, through his unshakeable practice of yoga, joins with me.
I am the place of origin of all things. The whole world and all creation moves and lives because of Me. Knowing this, the wise, with full confidence and faith, worship Me.
Their thoughts get fixed and firm in Me. They offer their entire life working for Me and serving Me. Giving knowledge to one another, and always talking about Me, they remain satisfied, and obtain bliss only in Me.
Those who, in this way, always full of love and devotion, are constantly engaged in worshiping Me, to them I grant the concentration of their mind. I make their concentration focused and single pointed. I grant them the wisdom by which they attain Me.
Granting them My grace, and showing compassion towards them, abiding in their intellect, and in their hearts, through the bright light of wisdom, I destroy their dark ignorance.
Hearing these words of Lord Krishna, Arjuna says : You are Parbrahm, the Ultimate, You are the final abode, and You are the purifying, supreme truth.
You are the Immortal Divine Being. You are the First God, You are Unborn, and You are The All Pervading.
All the sages have said this about You. The Divine Sage Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyas have also said the same, and You Yourself, have also told me so.
Whatever You say, I consider that as the complete truth. Neither the Devas nor the Demons know Your Manifestations.
O Origin of all beings, O Lord of all beings, O God of the Gods, O Lord of the entire creation, only You know Yourself through Yourself.
Tell me about all Your Divine, Glorious Forms and Manifestations in detail, by which, abiding in them, You not only pervade them, but are also beyond them.
O Supreme Yogi,constantly thinking and meditating, how do I know You? On what different and separate Forms of Yours should I meditate?
Tell me in detail about Your Yoga powers and Manifestations because I do not tire of listening to Your nectar like speech, I want to keep on listening to your nectar like speech for ever and ever.
Responding to Arjuna, Lord Krishna says : Listen Partha, I will tell you about My Divine Forms. But I will tell you about the main ones only, because there is no end to all My various and different Manifestations.
I am the Soul, the Atma, residing in the hearts of all beings. Of all things I am the beginning, the middle and the end.
Of the Aditi born I am Vishnu. Of the lights I am the dazzling Sun. Among the purifiers, I am the wind. Among the constellations, I am the Moon. Among the Vedas, I am the Sama Veda.
Among the Gods, I am Indra, the king of the Gods. Among the senses, I am the mind. Among the living beings, I am consciousness.
Among the destroyers, I am Shankara. Among the other -worldly beings and demons I am Kubera, the Lord of Wealth.
Among the Vasus, the elements, I am Fire. Among the Mountain peaks. I am Meru. Among the priests, I am the Chief Priest Brihaspati.
Among the Army Commanders, I am Skanda, born of Shiva. Among water bodies, I am the Ocean. Among the great Sages, I am Bhrigu.
Of speech, I am the letter AUM. Among the sacrifices, I am the silent meditation, Japa-Yagya. Among the steadfast and the immovable, I am Himalaya.
Among the trees, I am the Peepul tree. Among the divine Sages, I am Narada. Among the Celestial musicians, I am Chitrartha. Among the realized Sages, I am Kapilmuni, Among the horses, I am Ucchaishravas, born from the churning of the ocean. Among the elephants, I am Indra's mount Airavata.
Among men, I am the King. Among weapons, I am the Thunderbolt. Among cows, I am the cow of plenty, Kamadhenu. Among those who help procreate, I am Kamadeva.
Among snakes, I am the king of snakes Vasuki. Among the Nagas, I am Sheshanaga, the Primal Being.
Among water beings, I am Varuna. Among the ancestors, I am Aryama. Among the rule makers and followers of the system, I am Death.
Among the Demons, I am Prahalada. Among the enumerators, I am Time. Among animals, I am the king of animals the Lion. Among birds, I am Vishnu's mount Garuda, the Eagle.
Among warriors, I am Rama. Among fish, I am the Whale. Among rivers, I am Ganga. Of all creation, I am the beginning, the middle, and the end.
Of knowledge, I am the Spiritual Knowledge. Among those who reason, I am the reason.
I am eternal Time, and among Creators, I am Brahma. I am Death that swallows everything, and in future I am the cause of birth of things.
Among the feminine, I am wealth, fame, speech, memory, intellect, steadfastness and forgiveness.
Of the melodies of the Samaveda, I am Brihatsama. Among metres, I am Gayatri. Among months, I am Margsirsa. Among seasons, I am the flowery spring.
Of the deceitful, I am the deceit. Of the powerful, I am the power. Of the victors, I am the Victory. Of the determined, I am the determination. Of those who decide, I am the decision. In good people, I am the Goodness.
Among the Vrishnis, I am Vasudeva, Among the Pandavas, I am Arjuna.
Among the sages, I am Vyas. Of Thinkers, I am Shukracharya. Among the punishers, I am punishment. Of those desiring victory, I am the Strategy. Of Secrets, I am Silence, and I am the wisdom of the wise.
I am the cause of the birth of everything in this animate and inanimate world. In this entire creation, there is nothing that can do without Me.
Partha, there is no end to My divine manifestations, they are endless. What I have told you is but a small fraction, a very small part of My limitless glory, just an indication of what My glory really is.
Whatever splendour, whatever glory, whatever beauty, and whatever radiance there is in this whole world, know them all to be born from a very small part of My Limitless Splendid Energy.
But Partha, Why do you need this detailed knowledge? Suffice it to know that I support this entire world, by pervading it with but a very small part, with but a mere fragment of My Divine Self.
End of Chapter Ten
OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM
Saturday, February 2, 2013
The Bhagavad Gita in Simple English : CHAPTER NINE
In the ninth chapter Lord Krishna reveals the greatest secret. He says that the biggest reward, the biggest gain, comes from worshiping Him as the Lord, worshiping any one else results in smaller gain. He speaks of devotion and the results of devotion and tells that even a sinner who becomes a devotee, and worships Him attains salvation.
CHAPTER
Lord Krishna says : Partha, because you see no fault, I will tell you the Supreme Secret along with knowledge and wisdom, the knowledge of which will set you free you from this world filled with sorrow.
This knowledge is eternal knowledge, it is the highest knowledge, it is the biggest secret, it is the purest, it is in accordance with the scriptures, and with righteous conduct, it can be obtained through direct experience, and it is both simple, and easy to practice.
People who have no faith in this path do not reach Me, and remain stuck in this world of birth and death.
Infinite and Limitless, I am neither seen nor can I be described by words or by any other means. By that very Infinite and Limitless Form of Mine, I pervade the entire creation.
All beings reside in Me. They are in Me, but I am not in them.
Even then, all existences do not abide in Me. Look at My divine mystery, My divine secret. My Spirit, My Atma, which is the source, the origin of all beings; while it supports all beings, it does not reside in them, it does not abide in them.
Understand this; just as the fast blowing wind is ever present in the sky, so too, do all existences abide and reside in Me.
Keeping My Nature under control, I bring all this multitude of beings into existence again and again; who, being completely under the control of My Nature, are absolutely helpless.
These acts and actions of Mine do not bind Me, because I am not attached to these actions, I remain detached and untouched by them.
Under My supervision, this Nature gives birth to the moving and the unmoving, the animate and the inanimate. The cycle of the world revolves because of this.
The ignorant, when I take on a human or other body, not knowing Me, ignore Me, because they do not know My Supreme Nature, which is the cause and the master of all born things, of all beings.
Those who are of the demonic and evil temperament, their ambitions are of no use, their knowledge is of no use, and they lose the power of discrimination.
Those great souls who are freed from delusion and attachment, who remain in the divine state, they consider Me as the eternal, imperishable source of all living things, and worship Me without distraction and with full faith.
Always singing My praises, always striving to attain Me, to reach Me, and ever steady and firm in their resolves, bowing to Me in faith, always engaged in yoga, they worship Me.
Some offering knowledge as sacrifice worship Me. They consider Me to be of one Form and also of many Forms, facing all directions. They worship Me in many ways and with full faith.
I am the ritual. I am the sacrifice. I am the offering of food to the ancestors. I am the medicine. I am the chant. I am the ghee, the clarified butter. I am the fire. I am the sacrifice, I am the oblation too.
I am the father and the mother of this world. I am the shelter giver and the grandsire. I am the goal and I am the object of knowledge and wisdom. I am the purifier.
I am the sound AUM. I am the Rig, the Sama, and the Yajur Veda.
I am the aim, the objective. I carry out orders. I am the Lord. I am the witness. I am the abode. I am the shelter.
I am the dear friend. I am the cause of birth and of destruction and death too. I am the place of rest and I am the eternal seed too.
I give the summer heat, I make it rain and I stop the rain too. I am immortal, I do not die; at the same time I am death too.
I am truth, and I am untruth. I am matter and I am Spirit, the Atma too.
Those who know all the Vedas, those who partake of nectar, and who are freed from all sins, those people, worshiping Me through sacrifices to attain heaven, pray only to Me. They all go to the pure realm of heaven, and there they enjoy the pleasures and luxuries of the gods.
When after enjoying the pleasures and luxuries of vast and splendid heaven, their merit is exhausted, they again return to this world. In this way, as told in the scriptures, doing their righteous duty, they are subject to the cycle of life and death.
But those devotees who selflessly, always worship Me, for them I take on the responsibility and the burden of fulfilling all their desires and all their needs. I also protect all that they have, I protect all that they own.
Those who propitiate and worship other deities, they too worship only Me, though they do not know it, and their worship remains incomplete.
It is I who enjoy all the sacrifices. I am the Lord of all sacrifices as well. But those who do not know Me in My true Form, they fall and are born again.
Those who worship the deities go to the deities, those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors, those who worship the spirits and the ghosts go to them, and those who worship Me come to Me.
Whosoever with love and faith offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, that offering of his, given with faith and pure heart, I readily and happily accept.
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever sacrifice you do, whatever charity you give, whatever austerity you do, do them all understanding them to be gifts given only to Me.
By doing so you will be freed from both the pleasant and the unpleasant, the good and the bad consequences, from the fruit and the reward of your actions, which are the cause of bondage.
Putting your mind firmly and steadily on the path of renouncing all the rewards of all actions, you will be freed, you will be liberated and attain to Me only.
I am the same for every one. I am totally impartial. I do not favour anyone, nor do I discriminate against anyone, I neither hate nor love anyone. But those who, with full faith worship Me, they are in Me and I am also in them.
Even the biggest sinner, if he worships Me with full faith and devotion, gets liberated. He should be regarded as righteous, because he has rightly resolved.
Very quickly he becomes a righteous person, gets abiding peace, and gains salvation. Understand this for certain that My devotee will never perish.
Those who seek shelter and refuge in Me, though they be lowly born, though they be the biggest of sinners, they too, coming into My fold, coming into My refuge, get liberated.
Then what to say of the seekers of Brahm, the righteous and virtuous people, the devotees, and royal sages like you! Having been born into this temporary world full of sorrow, do you now propitiate Me, worship Me.
Therefore, Partha, fix your mind on Me, become My devotee, worship Me, bow to Me. In this way, keeping yourself in discipline, making Me as your only goal and your only objective, you will definitely attain Me, you will definitely reach Me.
End of Chapter Nine
OM Shanti Shanti Shanti OM
CHAPTER
Lord Krishna says : Partha, because you see no fault, I will tell you the Supreme Secret along with knowledge and wisdom, the knowledge of which will set you free you from this world filled with sorrow.
This knowledge is eternal knowledge, it is the highest knowledge, it is the biggest secret, it is the purest, it is in accordance with the scriptures, and with righteous conduct, it can be obtained through direct experience, and it is both simple, and easy to practice.
People who have no faith in this path do not reach Me, and remain stuck in this world of birth and death.
Infinite and Limitless, I am neither seen nor can I be described by words or by any other means. By that very Infinite and Limitless Form of Mine, I pervade the entire creation.
All beings reside in Me. They are in Me, but I am not in them.
Even then, all existences do not abide in Me. Look at My divine mystery, My divine secret. My Spirit, My Atma, which is the source, the origin of all beings; while it supports all beings, it does not reside in them, it does not abide in them.
Understand this; just as the fast blowing wind is ever present in the sky, so too, do all existences abide and reside in Me.
Keeping My Nature under control, I bring all this multitude of beings into existence again and again; who, being completely under the control of My Nature, are absolutely helpless.
These acts and actions of Mine do not bind Me, because I am not attached to these actions, I remain detached and untouched by them.
Under My supervision, this Nature gives birth to the moving and the unmoving, the animate and the inanimate. The cycle of the world revolves because of this.
The ignorant, when I take on a human or other body, not knowing Me, ignore Me, because they do not know My Supreme Nature, which is the cause and the master of all born things, of all beings.
Those who are of the demonic and evil temperament, their ambitions are of no use, their knowledge is of no use, and they lose the power of discrimination.
Those great souls who are freed from delusion and attachment, who remain in the divine state, they consider Me as the eternal, imperishable source of all living things, and worship Me without distraction and with full faith.
Always singing My praises, always striving to attain Me, to reach Me, and ever steady and firm in their resolves, bowing to Me in faith, always engaged in yoga, they worship Me.
Some offering knowledge as sacrifice worship Me. They consider Me to be of one Form and also of many Forms, facing all directions. They worship Me in many ways and with full faith.
I am the ritual. I am the sacrifice. I am the offering of food to the ancestors. I am the medicine. I am the chant. I am the ghee, the clarified butter. I am the fire. I am the sacrifice, I am the oblation too.
I am the father and the mother of this world. I am the shelter giver and the grandsire. I am the goal and I am the object of knowledge and wisdom. I am the purifier.
I am the sound AUM. I am the Rig, the Sama, and the Yajur Veda.
I am the aim, the objective. I carry out orders. I am the Lord. I am the witness. I am the abode. I am the shelter.
I am the dear friend. I am the cause of birth and of destruction and death too. I am the place of rest and I am the eternal seed too.
I give the summer heat, I make it rain and I stop the rain too. I am immortal, I do not die; at the same time I am death too.
I am truth, and I am untruth. I am matter and I am Spirit, the Atma too.
Those who know all the Vedas, those who partake of nectar, and who are freed from all sins, those people, worshiping Me through sacrifices to attain heaven, pray only to Me. They all go to the pure realm of heaven, and there they enjoy the pleasures and luxuries of the gods.
When after enjoying the pleasures and luxuries of vast and splendid heaven, their merit is exhausted, they again return to this world. In this way, as told in the scriptures, doing their righteous duty, they are subject to the cycle of life and death.
But those devotees who selflessly, always worship Me, for them I take on the responsibility and the burden of fulfilling all their desires and all their needs. I also protect all that they have, I protect all that they own.
Those who propitiate and worship other deities, they too worship only Me, though they do not know it, and their worship remains incomplete.
It is I who enjoy all the sacrifices. I am the Lord of all sacrifices as well. But those who do not know Me in My true Form, they fall and are born again.
Those who worship the deities go to the deities, those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors, those who worship the spirits and the ghosts go to them, and those who worship Me come to Me.
Whosoever with love and faith offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, that offering of his, given with faith and pure heart, I readily and happily accept.
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever sacrifice you do, whatever charity you give, whatever austerity you do, do them all understanding them to be gifts given only to Me.
By doing so you will be freed from both the pleasant and the unpleasant, the good and the bad consequences, from the fruit and the reward of your actions, which are the cause of bondage.
Putting your mind firmly and steadily on the path of renouncing all the rewards of all actions, you will be freed, you will be liberated and attain to Me only.
I am the same for every one. I am totally impartial. I do not favour anyone, nor do I discriminate against anyone, I neither hate nor love anyone. But those who, with full faith worship Me, they are in Me and I am also in them.
Even the biggest sinner, if he worships Me with full faith and devotion, gets liberated. He should be regarded as righteous, because he has rightly resolved.
Very quickly he becomes a righteous person, gets abiding peace, and gains salvation. Understand this for certain that My devotee will never perish.
Those who seek shelter and refuge in Me, though they be lowly born, though they be the biggest of sinners, they too, coming into My fold, coming into My refuge, get liberated.
Then what to say of the seekers of Brahm, the righteous and virtuous people, the devotees, and royal sages like you! Having been born into this temporary world full of sorrow, do you now propitiate Me, worship Me.
Therefore, Partha, fix your mind on Me, become My devotee, worship Me, bow to Me. In this way, keeping yourself in discipline, making Me as your only goal and your only objective, you will definitely attain Me, you will definitely reach Me.
End of Chapter Nine
OM Shanti Shanti Shanti OM
The Bhagavad Gita in Simple English : CHAPTER EIGHT
In this chapter, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about Brahm, about Atma, about Karma, about Adhyatma, Adhibhuta, Adhidaiva and Adhiyagya. He tells him that at the time of death, the thoughts that occupy the mind, take the atma to those states after death. He also tells Arjuna about the two ways of departing from this world, and about the path leading to liberation.
CHAPTER
Arjuna asks Lord Krishna : Lord, What is Brahm? What is Adhyatma? What is Karma? What is Adhibhuta, and what is Adhidaiva? What is Adhiyagya? And the person who has controlled himself, how does he know you at the time of death?
Lord Krishna explains : Partha, Brahm is the Absolute. It is My highest Nature, and is the cause and source of all the living and the non living, the moving and the non moving. It is above all, and it is Imperishable.
Brahm, situated in all living beings, is called Atma, and the nature of the Atma is called Adhyatma.
Karma is the creative force that brings all beings into existence.
Adhibhuta is the perishable, physical, world, where all created things must perish, where all created things must have an end.
Adhidaiva is the divine in all beings, it is the Purusha, the eternal spirit in all beings.
Adhiyagya is the supreme sacrifice made to Me, the dweller in everybody.
At the time of death, while leaving the body, whosoever thinks of Me, he most certainly, without doubt, attains to My status, he reaches Me.
At the end, that is, at the time of death, whatever occupies the mind, immersed in the thought of that state, after death, that very state becomes the destination, he reaches the state of his thoughts.
Therefore Partha, always think of Me, remember Me, and fight the war. When your mind, and your intellect are always concentrated and focused on Me alone, then most certainly, without doubt, you will attain Me.
The person who, through the constant practice of focusing his consciousness on yoga, meditates on the Supreme Person, and who does not allow his mind and his consciousness to wander and stray, he most certainly attains to that divine Supreme Person.
The person who meditates on the All Knowing, Divine Param Atma, who is subtler than the subtle, who is the source of all, and who pervades all, whose form cannot be seen, who is beyond darkness, and who is brighter than the sun;
The person who, at the time of death, is able to still his mind with devotion and the power of yoga, and who fully concentrates his life force between his eye brows, he attains to that All Knowing, Divine Param Atma, that is, he attains to Me.
Now I will tell you, in brief, what the knowers of the Vedas call the Imperishable, that Imperishable which is entered into by the tyagis, the renouncers, and by other enlightened ones, and to achieve which, people are ready to live the tough life of brahmcharis, who are strict celibates and renunciates.
Controlling all the openings of the body, confining the mind within the heart, steadying the life breath in the head, and engaged in the yoga of meditation, he who, uttering the syllable, the word AUM, which is the Absolute itself, gives up the human body, he definitely attains to the Supreme, he attains liberation.
The person, who, thinking of nothing else, constantly remembers Me, such a disciplined yogi easily attains to Me.
After attaining Me, he gains liberation, and is not born again into this world full of sorrow.
Dwellers in all the worlds, right from the world of Lord Brahma downwards, have to take birth again. But after reaching Me, after attaining to Me, one is not born again. He is freed from the cycle of births and deaths.
Those who know that the day and the night of Lord Brahma, the Creator, are each a thousand ages long, they truly understand the meaning of the cycle of time and creation, they truly understand the meaning of eternity.
At the beginning of Brahma's day, all beings, the entire world, with all its creatures, are born, they come into existence by My Unmanifest Nature, and with the coming of Brahma's night, all beings, the entire world, with all its creatures, dies and merges into that very same Nature.
All this world, all creation, and all creatures, being under the control of My Nature, helplessly merge into it at night, and stream forth again into existence when day begins. They are born every day, in Brahma's day, and they die every day, when Brahma's night comes.
But beyond, and even greater than this Unmanifest, is yet another Unmanifest Being, who is eternal and imperishable, who does not perish when all else perishes.
That Unmanifest, and Imperishable, is the Highest Goal, that is My Highest Abode. Those who reach that stage, gain liberation. They are not born again into this world, and are freed from the cycle of birth and death.
That Supreme person who is beyond every one, in whom all beings reside, and by whom this whole world is pervaded, He can be attained only by complete and undivided devotion.
Now I will tell you the two paths that the soul may take after death. One is the path to liberation, where the soul does not return to earth, and the other is the path to rebirth, where he has to be born again.
Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun, those who depart from the world during these times, take the solar path, and these knowers of the Ultimate, go to the Ultimate, and do not return to the world, they are liberated.
Smoke, darkness, night time, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the southern path of the sun, persons departing from the world during these times, obtain the lunar path, and return to the world, they have to be born again.
These are the only two paths by which those who die leave this world. The path of light and knowledge, and the path of darkness and ignorance. One leads to liberation and the Supreme Absolute, while the other brings one back into the world.
The yogi who knows and understands both these paths is never deluded, is never in doubt. Therefore, Partha, always engage yourself in yoga and become a yogi.
After knowing all this, the yogi purified through the study of the Vedas and the Scriptures, through sacrifice, austerity and the giving of charity, goes beyond the fruits, goes beyond the rewards of all these, and attains the Final Goal, he attains liberation.
End of Chapter Eight
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
CHAPTER
Arjuna asks Lord Krishna : Lord, What is Brahm? What is Adhyatma? What is Karma? What is Adhibhuta, and what is Adhidaiva? What is Adhiyagya? And the person who has controlled himself, how does he know you at the time of death?
Lord Krishna explains : Partha, Brahm is the Absolute. It is My highest Nature, and is the cause and source of all the living and the non living, the moving and the non moving. It is above all, and it is Imperishable.
Brahm, situated in all living beings, is called Atma, and the nature of the Atma is called Adhyatma.
Karma is the creative force that brings all beings into existence.
Adhibhuta is the perishable, physical, world, where all created things must perish, where all created things must have an end.
Adhidaiva is the divine in all beings, it is the Purusha, the eternal spirit in all beings.
Adhiyagya is the supreme sacrifice made to Me, the dweller in everybody.
At the time of death, while leaving the body, whosoever thinks of Me, he most certainly, without doubt, attains to My status, he reaches Me.
At the end, that is, at the time of death, whatever occupies the mind, immersed in the thought of that state, after death, that very state becomes the destination, he reaches the state of his thoughts.
Therefore Partha, always think of Me, remember Me, and fight the war. When your mind, and your intellect are always concentrated and focused on Me alone, then most certainly, without doubt, you will attain Me.
The person who, through the constant practice of focusing his consciousness on yoga, meditates on the Supreme Person, and who does not allow his mind and his consciousness to wander and stray, he most certainly attains to that divine Supreme Person.
The person who meditates on the All Knowing, Divine Param Atma, who is subtler than the subtle, who is the source of all, and who pervades all, whose form cannot be seen, who is beyond darkness, and who is brighter than the sun;
The person who, at the time of death, is able to still his mind with devotion and the power of yoga, and who fully concentrates his life force between his eye brows, he attains to that All Knowing, Divine Param Atma, that is, he attains to Me.
Now I will tell you, in brief, what the knowers of the Vedas call the Imperishable, that Imperishable which is entered into by the tyagis, the renouncers, and by other enlightened ones, and to achieve which, people are ready to live the tough life of brahmcharis, who are strict celibates and renunciates.
Controlling all the openings of the body, confining the mind within the heart, steadying the life breath in the head, and engaged in the yoga of meditation, he who, uttering the syllable, the word AUM, which is the Absolute itself, gives up the human body, he definitely attains to the Supreme, he attains liberation.
The person, who, thinking of nothing else, constantly remembers Me, such a disciplined yogi easily attains to Me.
After attaining Me, he gains liberation, and is not born again into this world full of sorrow.
Dwellers in all the worlds, right from the world of Lord Brahma downwards, have to take birth again. But after reaching Me, after attaining to Me, one is not born again. He is freed from the cycle of births and deaths.
Those who know that the day and the night of Lord Brahma, the Creator, are each a thousand ages long, they truly understand the meaning of the cycle of time and creation, they truly understand the meaning of eternity.
At the beginning of Brahma's day, all beings, the entire world, with all its creatures, are born, they come into existence by My Unmanifest Nature, and with the coming of Brahma's night, all beings, the entire world, with all its creatures, dies and merges into that very same Nature.
All this world, all creation, and all creatures, being under the control of My Nature, helplessly merge into it at night, and stream forth again into existence when day begins. They are born every day, in Brahma's day, and they die every day, when Brahma's night comes.
But beyond, and even greater than this Unmanifest, is yet another Unmanifest Being, who is eternal and imperishable, who does not perish when all else perishes.
That Unmanifest, and Imperishable, is the Highest Goal, that is My Highest Abode. Those who reach that stage, gain liberation. They are not born again into this world, and are freed from the cycle of birth and death.
That Supreme person who is beyond every one, in whom all beings reside, and by whom this whole world is pervaded, He can be attained only by complete and undivided devotion.
Now I will tell you the two paths that the soul may take after death. One is the path to liberation, where the soul does not return to earth, and the other is the path to rebirth, where he has to be born again.
Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun, those who depart from the world during these times, take the solar path, and these knowers of the Ultimate, go to the Ultimate, and do not return to the world, they are liberated.
Smoke, darkness, night time, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the southern path of the sun, persons departing from the world during these times, obtain the lunar path, and return to the world, they have to be born again.
These are the only two paths by which those who die leave this world. The path of light and knowledge, and the path of darkness and ignorance. One leads to liberation and the Supreme Absolute, while the other brings one back into the world.
The yogi who knows and understands both these paths is never deluded, is never in doubt. Therefore, Partha, always engage yourself in yoga and become a yogi.
After knowing all this, the yogi purified through the study of the Vedas and the Scriptures, through sacrifice, austerity and the giving of charity, goes beyond the fruits, goes beyond the rewards of all these, and attains the Final Goal, he attains liberation.
End of Chapter Eight
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
The Bhagavad Gita in Simple English :CHAPTER SEVEN
In this chapter, Lord Krishna tells about his Nature. His Nature is two fold, the higher and the lower. He tells about the four kinds of his devotees, about the worship of other gods, and about the purpose of knowledge and wisdom.
CHAPTER
Lord Krishna says : Partha, now listen as to how, while practicing yoga, and concentrating your consciousness towards Me, while meditating on Me, and considering Me as your sole and only refuge, without doubt, how you will attain Me. I will tell you about this knowledge in detail, knowing which, nothing more would be left to be known.
Among thousands of people there would hardly be one who attempts to practice this yoga, and among those who practice this yoga and succeed, scarcely one, the very rare indeed, would know Me in truth.
There are two parts of My Nature, the lower and the higher. The lower part consists of these eight : earth, water, wind, fire, sky, the mind, the intellect and the ego. The higher part, is My subtle, Divine Nature, the Atma, the Soul, by which this whole world is created, and by which it is pervaded.
Understand this properly, that the birth of all beings takes place only when both My lower and My upper Natures join, when they both combine. I am the source of this entire world, and I am the cause of its destruction too.
There is nothing in this world bigger, or higher than Me. There is no truth greater than Me. I am the ultimate, and the final truth.
I am the thread running through all life in this world. Just as the pearls of a garland are strung together on a string, so too, is this whole world threaded in Me.
I am the taste in the waters, I am the light of the sun and the moon, I am Aum in all the Vedas, I am the word in the sky, and I am the manhood in men.
In the earth, I am the pure fragrance, in fire, I am the brilliant flame. In all living beings, I am their life, and I am the source and seed of all that exists, of this entire world.
I am the intellect of the intellectual, the intelligence of the intelligent, the brilliance of the bright, and the austerity of the ascetics.
In all beings, I am the desire in keeping with righteousness, and in the strong, I am the strength devoid of attachment and hatred.
And whatever are the attributes of nature in this world, Sattvaguna, Rajoguna, or Tamoguna, they are all born from Me. Remember this, I am not in them, they are in Me.
Deluded and confused by these three attributes, this entire world is unable to recognize and know Me, who am beyond all attributes, and who am indestructible, because I am much, much above them, and I am imperishable.
This divine play of Mine, this divine illusion of Mine, is very difficult to understand. But those who come to Me, and who seek refuge in Me, they understand My divine play.
My divine illusion, does not delude them. They easily cross over it.
Those who do bad deeds, the lowly among men, those of demonic, and evil nature, those whose intelligence has been seduced by doubt, all these do not come to Me, they do not seek refuge in Me.
The righteous and the pious, who have faith in Me, and who worship Me, are of four kinds. One, those in distress, in difficulty, or in misfortune, two, the curious, the inquirers, three, those who want something from Me, wealth, riches, progeny, and the like, and four, the wise, those who know the truth.
Among these, the wise is the best, because he knows the truth, he remains joined with Brahm, the Absolute, and his devotion to Me is also very sincere. I am very dear to the wise and the wise is very dear to Me as well.
Though all the four types of devotees who have faith in Me, and who worship Me, are all very good, yet of these, the wise I consider to be the best because, devoting himself completely towards yoga, he unites with Me, he merges with me, and attains that status which is the highest aim of all mortals.The wise I consider to be a part of Myself.
After many births and deaths, the wise realizes, that whatever there is in this world is only because of God, and that God is everything, and then, having realized that, he attains to Me. Such a one, of pure soul, is very rare indeed.
But those who are entangled in their desires, they, for the fulfillment of those desires, propitiate and worship different deities, in many different ways and forms.
The form of deity which any devotee wants to worship, I make his faith firm and steady to that very form.
Full of faith, he worships that form, and obtains from it all that he desires, though in reality it is I who ordain it, it is I who fulfill the desires.
But the fruits obtained by these people of small minds, are temporary and perishable. Those who worship the deities, go to the deities, My devotees, in the end, eventually, comes to Me, they attain Me.
Those who do not know My unchangeable and Ultimate Form, are devoid of intelligence. Though I am invisible, they see Me in the form of deities, or in other forms.
Veiled and hidden by My own divine power, I am not seen by the world. This ignorant world does not know Me, the Unborn, the Indestructible, the Imperishable.
I know every thing, and I know every one. I know the past, I know the present, and I know the future, too. But nobody knows Me.
All people are confused by the dualities like pleasure and pain, loss and gain; caught up as they are by their desires, by their attachments, and by their hatreds.
But those who, through the good deeds of their present and their past births, have destroyed all their sins, they, freed from the confusion of these dualities, firm and steady in their vows, worship Me.
Those who take refuge in Me, and who strive to be free from the bondage of births and deaths, they gain complete knowledge of Brahm, of Atma, and of karma.
Those who know Me as the One who controls and regulates the adhibhuta, the adhidaiva, adhyatma, and adhiyagya , such people, merging their consciousness in yoga, at the difficult time of death, know Me in truth.
End of Chapter Seven
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
CHAPTER
Lord Krishna says : Partha, now listen as to how, while practicing yoga, and concentrating your consciousness towards Me, while meditating on Me, and considering Me as your sole and only refuge, without doubt, how you will attain Me. I will tell you about this knowledge in detail, knowing which, nothing more would be left to be known.
Among thousands of people there would hardly be one who attempts to practice this yoga, and among those who practice this yoga and succeed, scarcely one, the very rare indeed, would know Me in truth.
There are two parts of My Nature, the lower and the higher. The lower part consists of these eight : earth, water, wind, fire, sky, the mind, the intellect and the ego. The higher part, is My subtle, Divine Nature, the Atma, the Soul, by which this whole world is created, and by which it is pervaded.
Understand this properly, that the birth of all beings takes place only when both My lower and My upper Natures join, when they both combine. I am the source of this entire world, and I am the cause of its destruction too.
There is nothing in this world bigger, or higher than Me. There is no truth greater than Me. I am the ultimate, and the final truth.
I am the thread running through all life in this world. Just as the pearls of a garland are strung together on a string, so too, is this whole world threaded in Me.
I am the taste in the waters, I am the light of the sun and the moon, I am Aum in all the Vedas, I am the word in the sky, and I am the manhood in men.
In the earth, I am the pure fragrance, in fire, I am the brilliant flame. In all living beings, I am their life, and I am the source and seed of all that exists, of this entire world.
I am the intellect of the intellectual, the intelligence of the intelligent, the brilliance of the bright, and the austerity of the ascetics.
In all beings, I am the desire in keeping with righteousness, and in the strong, I am the strength devoid of attachment and hatred.
And whatever are the attributes of nature in this world, Sattvaguna, Rajoguna, or Tamoguna, they are all born from Me. Remember this, I am not in them, they are in Me.
Deluded and confused by these three attributes, this entire world is unable to recognize and know Me, who am beyond all attributes, and who am indestructible, because I am much, much above them, and I am imperishable.
This divine play of Mine, this divine illusion of Mine, is very difficult to understand. But those who come to Me, and who seek refuge in Me, they understand My divine play.
My divine illusion, does not delude them. They easily cross over it.
Those who do bad deeds, the lowly among men, those of demonic, and evil nature, those whose intelligence has been seduced by doubt, all these do not come to Me, they do not seek refuge in Me.
The righteous and the pious, who have faith in Me, and who worship Me, are of four kinds. One, those in distress, in difficulty, or in misfortune, two, the curious, the inquirers, three, those who want something from Me, wealth, riches, progeny, and the like, and four, the wise, those who know the truth.
Among these, the wise is the best, because he knows the truth, he remains joined with Brahm, the Absolute, and his devotion to Me is also very sincere. I am very dear to the wise and the wise is very dear to Me as well.
Though all the four types of devotees who have faith in Me, and who worship Me, are all very good, yet of these, the wise I consider to be the best because, devoting himself completely towards yoga, he unites with Me, he merges with me, and attains that status which is the highest aim of all mortals.The wise I consider to be a part of Myself.
After many births and deaths, the wise realizes, that whatever there is in this world is only because of God, and that God is everything, and then, having realized that, he attains to Me. Such a one, of pure soul, is very rare indeed.
But those who are entangled in their desires, they, for the fulfillment of those desires, propitiate and worship different deities, in many different ways and forms.
The form of deity which any devotee wants to worship, I make his faith firm and steady to that very form.
Full of faith, he worships that form, and obtains from it all that he desires, though in reality it is I who ordain it, it is I who fulfill the desires.
But the fruits obtained by these people of small minds, are temporary and perishable. Those who worship the deities, go to the deities, My devotees, in the end, eventually, comes to Me, they attain Me.
Those who do not know My unchangeable and Ultimate Form, are devoid of intelligence. Though I am invisible, they see Me in the form of deities, or in other forms.
Veiled and hidden by My own divine power, I am not seen by the world. This ignorant world does not know Me, the Unborn, the Indestructible, the Imperishable.
I know every thing, and I know every one. I know the past, I know the present, and I know the future, too. But nobody knows Me.
All people are confused by the dualities like pleasure and pain, loss and gain; caught up as they are by their desires, by their attachments, and by their hatreds.
But those who, through the good deeds of their present and their past births, have destroyed all their sins, they, freed from the confusion of these dualities, firm and steady in their vows, worship Me.
Those who take refuge in Me, and who strive to be free from the bondage of births and deaths, they gain complete knowledge of Brahm, of Atma, and of karma.
Those who know Me as the One who controls and regulates the adhibhuta, the adhidaiva, adhyatma, and adhiyagya , such people, merging their consciousness in yoga, at the difficult time of death, know Me in truth.
End of Chapter Seven
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
The Bhagavad Gita in Simple English : CHAPTER SIX
In the sixth chapter, Lord Krishna stresses on the constant vigilance of both the body and the mind. He tells about the upliftment of the Atma, about how to meditate, about the qualities, and the attributes of the person of meditation, about balance, about the wandering, and the fickle mind, and how to control it. Even the person who has strayed from the path of yoga, can be redeemed, he can also be liberated, and no harm ever comes to one who treads the path of good, he tells about all these.
CHAPTER
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna: One who keeps on doing his prescribed and his ordained duty, without the desire for any reward, he is the yogi, he is the sanyasi. He is not a sanyasi, who stops doing sacrifice, and who does not do any work.
Partha, consider only disciplined work, only disciplined activity, to be renunciation, and also understand this, that nobody can become a yogi, without renouncing all his selfish desires, all his selfish motives, and all his passions, as well as the rewards of all his actions.
For the person who seeks to attain yoga, selfless action is the way. When he has attained yoga, then to remain there, and to go forward from there, peace and stability are the way.
When a person is not entangled in the objects of the senses, or in his actions, and when he renounces all his desires, then is he said to have attained yoga, then is he called a yogi.
Man has to work for his own upliftment, for his own salvation. He has to uplift, and redeem himself.
Through his mind, he should lift himself upward, never letting his mind fall, because the mind is the enemy, and the mind is the friend.
One who has subdued and controlled his mind, his own mind becomes his best friend, his biggest ally; but for the one who has not controlled his mind, his very own mind, becomes his biggest enemy, his biggest foe.
When a person has controlled his mind, and on controlling the mind, when he experiences complete peace, and tranquility, then his Atma always remains in meditation. In heat and in cold, in honour and in dishonour, in happiness and in sorrow; in all these conditions, he is always at peace.
The person whose Atma, whose Spirit, is satisfied by both learnt and experienced knowledge and wisdom, who is still, stable and firm, and who has subdued his senses, and for whom mud, stones, gems, diamonds, gold and silver, are all the same, such an impartial person is considered to be full of yoga, he is considered to be joined with the Supreme.
The person who does not distinguish between friend and foe, between well wishers and haters, between the good hearted and the evil, between relatives and the unknown, between the partial and the neutral; who sees all equally and as the same, that person is considered to be superior, to be the foremost among men.
The yogi should sit alone, in a secluded place and, always alert, he should bring his mind under his control. Desiring nothing, he should concentrate, and focus his mind only on the Param Atma.
He should sit in a good, clean place, on a comfortable seat, neither too high, nor too low, and he should focus his mind, to bring his consciousness under his control.
For the purification of the soul, the yogi should practice meditation.
He should keep his body, his neck, and his head, erect and still. He should not move or fidget.
He should look at the tip of his nose, not look anywhere else, and not allow the eyes to wander.
With steady mind, without any fear, pure in heart and mind, with patience, he should turn his mind towards Me, and, focusing only on Me, he should make Me the object of his deepest devotion.
In this way, the yogi who has brought his mind under control, always engaged in yoga, attains that peace and final release, liberation, and redemption, which is situated in Me.
Yoga is not for the glutton, it is not for one who eats too much, nor is yoga for him who starves himself, it is not for the one who does not eat at all.
Yoga is not for him who sleeps too much, or for him who keeps awake too much.
The person whose eating and recreation, both are regulated, whose all desires, and all efforts are regulated, whose sleep and waking are regulated, the life of such a one becomes completely disciplined, and it is this discipline that destroys all his sorrows.
The person who is able to extinguish all the desires of his consciousness, and who, disciplining himself, sets himself firmly, and stays only in his Atma, then is he said to be absorbed in yoga.
A lamp in a sheltered place, protected from the wind, does not flicker, and burns steadily. The yogi, who has brought his consciousness under control, and who has, through the practice of yoga, also brought his mind and his Atma under his discipline and control, he is like the sheltered lamp, always calm, composed and steady.
When his consciousness, which has been controlled by meditation, and is absorbed in yoga, becomes tranquil, then, through his intelligence, he sees his own Atma, as the Divine Atma, and finally, he finds joy in that Atma.
There he finds that supreme joy and bliss which is beyond the reach of his intelligence, his mind and his senses and, after reaching which, and situated in which, he is never far from the truth, and is never again confused or baffled.
On attaining that stage, he understands and realizes, that he could get nothing better, nothing bigger, and being situated in which, he is not affected by the deepest of sorrows. Even the biggest of misfortunes and adversity to not affect him.
That state, that stage, is called yoga. The bonds, the chains that bind us to sorrow, and which prevent us from uniting with the Supreme, cutting those very bonds, cutting those very chains, is called yoga.
That yoga should be practiced with firm resolve, with strong desire, and with calm and tranquil mind and consciousness.
Renouncing all the desires, and all the passions that result from his selfish motives, renouncing them completely, controlling all the senses, and the mind from all sides, and persevering, with patient intelligence, he should make himself calm and tranquil, for making his mind and his Atma still and steady. He should attain the meditative state, and not think of anything.
Where ever the fickle and the unsteady mind wanders, from there he should get hold of it, and bring it back under the control of his Atma.
The greatest happiness comes to that yogi, whose mind is calm and tranquil, who has rid his mind of all taints, who is sinless, who is free from the sins of the past, and who has become one with the Supreme, the Param Atma.
In this way the yogi, who has rid himself of all his sins, whose Atma is always engaged in yoga, such a yogi easily experiences the ultimate joy, that comes from contact with the Supreme.
The person who is absorbed in yoga, who sees everyone with the same impartial eye, he sees Me, the Param Atma residing in all living beings, and he sees the Atma of all living beings, residing in Me, the Param Atma.
He sees every one, and he sees every thing as the same. He sees unity in all My diverse creation.
He who sees Me everywhere, and in every thing, and who sees every thing in Me, I am never separate from him, nor is he ever separate from Me.
The yogi, who single pointedly focused, seeing Me present and living in the hearts of all beings, worships Me, no matter how active he is, no matter how many actions he does, he would still dwell in Me.
The person who considers every thing and everyone like himself, who considers both joy and sorrow as the same, even though he himself may be in joy, or he himself may be in sorrow, such a one is considered to be complete yogi.
Hearing these words of Lord Krishna, Arjuna says to him : Lord, this yoga of equipoise, of keeping the mind balanced, and under control, because of the fickle nature of the mind, I find it very difficult to practice. For the mind is very fickle, sharp and obstinate, and controlling it would be like controlling the wind, very, very difficult.
Lord Krishna replies : You are right Partha, the mind is, indeed, very fickle, and bringing it under control would also be very difficult. Still understand that through constant practice, through renunciation, and through detachment, the mind can be brought under control.
I also believe that attaining yoga is not for him who has not controlled himself. But the controlled person, through perseverance and determination, using appropriate techniques, can bring his mind under his control.
Another doubt seizes Arjuna's mind and he asks Krishna : Lord, a person, who, full of faith and devotion, worships you constantly, but because of a fickle and restless mind, he is not able to control himself, and after having started on the path of yoga, he strays from that path, and does not reach the final goal of redemption and liberation, what is his condition?
Fallen from both the spiritual and the material planes, without a firm hold anywhere, after straying from the path leading to the Absolute, like a rent cloud, does he not perish? Does he not get destroyed? Dispel this doubt of mine completely, because there is no one but you who can do so.
Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna : Listen Partha, listen dear friend, the person who does good work, who does good actions and who treads the path of goodness, never ever comes to any harm. He can never perish in this world or in any other.
The person who strays from the path of yoga, goes to the worlds of the pure souled. He stays there for many, many years, and is again born in the homes of the good, the prosperous, and spiritual people. Or he may even be born in the homes of intelligent yogis. Such a birth in this world is very rare indeed.
There he remembers all his previous efforts of trying to attain Brahm, and using that as another beginning, he again renews his efforts to reach the Supreme.
Such a person, such a yogi, who has strayed from the path of yoga, he, too, on account of the efforts and practice put in by him during his previous births, is propelled onward, is pushed forward, and on attaining the knowledge of yoga, such an inquirer, goes beyond the norms and the teachings of the Vedas and the Scriptures.
But that yogi, who, cleansed of all sins, and purified through rigorous labour and effort, who constantly keeps trying to reach the Ultimate, to make himself complete; he, on account of the efforts of all his previous births, and the resulting realization, keeps on progressing, and ultimately, eventually, he gains liberation and salvation.
The yogi is greater than the ascetics who do austerities. He is greater than the wise, and greater than those who do actions only for themselves. He is also greater than those who do rituals prescribed in the Scriptures. Therefore, Partha, you become a yogi.
And among all the yogis too, I consider that yogi to be the biggest yogi, who completely surrenders his body and his soul to Me, and worships Me with the utmost faith and devotion.
END OF CHAPTER SIX
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
CHAPTER
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna: One who keeps on doing his prescribed and his ordained duty, without the desire for any reward, he is the yogi, he is the sanyasi. He is not a sanyasi, who stops doing sacrifice, and who does not do any work.
Partha, consider only disciplined work, only disciplined activity, to be renunciation, and also understand this, that nobody can become a yogi, without renouncing all his selfish desires, all his selfish motives, and all his passions, as well as the rewards of all his actions.
For the person who seeks to attain yoga, selfless action is the way. When he has attained yoga, then to remain there, and to go forward from there, peace and stability are the way.
When a person is not entangled in the objects of the senses, or in his actions, and when he renounces all his desires, then is he said to have attained yoga, then is he called a yogi.
Man has to work for his own upliftment, for his own salvation. He has to uplift, and redeem himself.
Through his mind, he should lift himself upward, never letting his mind fall, because the mind is the enemy, and the mind is the friend.
One who has subdued and controlled his mind, his own mind becomes his best friend, his biggest ally; but for the one who has not controlled his mind, his very own mind, becomes his biggest enemy, his biggest foe.
When a person has controlled his mind, and on controlling the mind, when he experiences complete peace, and tranquility, then his Atma always remains in meditation. In heat and in cold, in honour and in dishonour, in happiness and in sorrow; in all these conditions, he is always at peace.
The person whose Atma, whose Spirit, is satisfied by both learnt and experienced knowledge and wisdom, who is still, stable and firm, and who has subdued his senses, and for whom mud, stones, gems, diamonds, gold and silver, are all the same, such an impartial person is considered to be full of yoga, he is considered to be joined with the Supreme.
The person who does not distinguish between friend and foe, between well wishers and haters, between the good hearted and the evil, between relatives and the unknown, between the partial and the neutral; who sees all equally and as the same, that person is considered to be superior, to be the foremost among men.
The yogi should sit alone, in a secluded place and, always alert, he should bring his mind under his control. Desiring nothing, he should concentrate, and focus his mind only on the Param Atma.
He should sit in a good, clean place, on a comfortable seat, neither too high, nor too low, and he should focus his mind, to bring his consciousness under his control.
For the purification of the soul, the yogi should practice meditation.
He should keep his body, his neck, and his head, erect and still. He should not move or fidget.
He should look at the tip of his nose, not look anywhere else, and not allow the eyes to wander.
With steady mind, without any fear, pure in heart and mind, with patience, he should turn his mind towards Me, and, focusing only on Me, he should make Me the object of his deepest devotion.
In this way, the yogi who has brought his mind under control, always engaged in yoga, attains that peace and final release, liberation, and redemption, which is situated in Me.
Yoga is not for the glutton, it is not for one who eats too much, nor is yoga for him who starves himself, it is not for the one who does not eat at all.
Yoga is not for him who sleeps too much, or for him who keeps awake too much.
The person whose eating and recreation, both are regulated, whose all desires, and all efforts are regulated, whose sleep and waking are regulated, the life of such a one becomes completely disciplined, and it is this discipline that destroys all his sorrows.
The person who is able to extinguish all the desires of his consciousness, and who, disciplining himself, sets himself firmly, and stays only in his Atma, then is he said to be absorbed in yoga.
A lamp in a sheltered place, protected from the wind, does not flicker, and burns steadily. The yogi, who has brought his consciousness under control, and who has, through the practice of yoga, also brought his mind and his Atma under his discipline and control, he is like the sheltered lamp, always calm, composed and steady.
When his consciousness, which has been controlled by meditation, and is absorbed in yoga, becomes tranquil, then, through his intelligence, he sees his own Atma, as the Divine Atma, and finally, he finds joy in that Atma.
There he finds that supreme joy and bliss which is beyond the reach of his intelligence, his mind and his senses and, after reaching which, and situated in which, he is never far from the truth, and is never again confused or baffled.
On attaining that stage, he understands and realizes, that he could get nothing better, nothing bigger, and being situated in which, he is not affected by the deepest of sorrows. Even the biggest of misfortunes and adversity to not affect him.
That state, that stage, is called yoga. The bonds, the chains that bind us to sorrow, and which prevent us from uniting with the Supreme, cutting those very bonds, cutting those very chains, is called yoga.
That yoga should be practiced with firm resolve, with strong desire, and with calm and tranquil mind and consciousness.
Renouncing all the desires, and all the passions that result from his selfish motives, renouncing them completely, controlling all the senses, and the mind from all sides, and persevering, with patient intelligence, he should make himself calm and tranquil, for making his mind and his Atma still and steady. He should attain the meditative state, and not think of anything.
Where ever the fickle and the unsteady mind wanders, from there he should get hold of it, and bring it back under the control of his Atma.
The greatest happiness comes to that yogi, whose mind is calm and tranquil, who has rid his mind of all taints, who is sinless, who is free from the sins of the past, and who has become one with the Supreme, the Param Atma.
In this way the yogi, who has rid himself of all his sins, whose Atma is always engaged in yoga, such a yogi easily experiences the ultimate joy, that comes from contact with the Supreme.
The person who is absorbed in yoga, who sees everyone with the same impartial eye, he sees Me, the Param Atma residing in all living beings, and he sees the Atma of all living beings, residing in Me, the Param Atma.
He sees every one, and he sees every thing as the same. He sees unity in all My diverse creation.
He who sees Me everywhere, and in every thing, and who sees every thing in Me, I am never separate from him, nor is he ever separate from Me.
The yogi, who single pointedly focused, seeing Me present and living in the hearts of all beings, worships Me, no matter how active he is, no matter how many actions he does, he would still dwell in Me.
The person who considers every thing and everyone like himself, who considers both joy and sorrow as the same, even though he himself may be in joy, or he himself may be in sorrow, such a one is considered to be complete yogi.
Hearing these words of Lord Krishna, Arjuna says to him : Lord, this yoga of equipoise, of keeping the mind balanced, and under control, because of the fickle nature of the mind, I find it very difficult to practice. For the mind is very fickle, sharp and obstinate, and controlling it would be like controlling the wind, very, very difficult.
Lord Krishna replies : You are right Partha, the mind is, indeed, very fickle, and bringing it under control would also be very difficult. Still understand that through constant practice, through renunciation, and through detachment, the mind can be brought under control.
I also believe that attaining yoga is not for him who has not controlled himself. But the controlled person, through perseverance and determination, using appropriate techniques, can bring his mind under his control.
Another doubt seizes Arjuna's mind and he asks Krishna : Lord, a person, who, full of faith and devotion, worships you constantly, but because of a fickle and restless mind, he is not able to control himself, and after having started on the path of yoga, he strays from that path, and does not reach the final goal of redemption and liberation, what is his condition?
Fallen from both the spiritual and the material planes, without a firm hold anywhere, after straying from the path leading to the Absolute, like a rent cloud, does he not perish? Does he not get destroyed? Dispel this doubt of mine completely, because there is no one but you who can do so.
Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna : Listen Partha, listen dear friend, the person who does good work, who does good actions and who treads the path of goodness, never ever comes to any harm. He can never perish in this world or in any other.
The person who strays from the path of yoga, goes to the worlds of the pure souled. He stays there for many, many years, and is again born in the homes of the good, the prosperous, and spiritual people. Or he may even be born in the homes of intelligent yogis. Such a birth in this world is very rare indeed.
There he remembers all his previous efforts of trying to attain Brahm, and using that as another beginning, he again renews his efforts to reach the Supreme.
Such a person, such a yogi, who has strayed from the path of yoga, he, too, on account of the efforts and practice put in by him during his previous births, is propelled onward, is pushed forward, and on attaining the knowledge of yoga, such an inquirer, goes beyond the norms and the teachings of the Vedas and the Scriptures.
But that yogi, who, cleansed of all sins, and purified through rigorous labour and effort, who constantly keeps trying to reach the Ultimate, to make himself complete; he, on account of the efforts of all his previous births, and the resulting realization, keeps on progressing, and ultimately, eventually, he gains liberation and salvation.
The yogi is greater than the ascetics who do austerities. He is greater than the wise, and greater than those who do actions only for themselves. He is also greater than those who do rituals prescribed in the Scriptures. Therefore, Partha, you become a yogi.
And among all the yogis too, I consider that yogi to be the biggest yogi, who completely surrenders his body and his soul to Me, and worships Me with the utmost faith and devotion.
END OF CHAPTER SIX
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
The Bhagavad Gita in Simple English: CHAPTER FIVE
In the fifth chapter Lord Krishna compares Sankhya and Yoga. He tells about the surrender of the rewards of action, about the attributes of the man of action, the karmayogi, about the way of action and that of knowledge. He also tells about the harmony between Sankhya and Yoga.
CHAPTER
Arjuna says to Krishna: Keshava, first you ask me to renounce action, and then you inspire me to do action, to do selfless work. Now tell me for certain, which of these is the better way.
Lord Krishna replies: Partha, the renunciation of action, and the doing of selfless work, both these paths, lead the soul to salvation. But of the two, I regard the doing of selfless work, to be far superior to renouncing action.
One who neither desires the reward of work, nor hates it, such a one, it must be understood, is always full of the spirit of renunciation, because, freed from all doubts, and all dualities, he easily breaks free from the shackles of this world.
Renunciation and doing action, are considered to be separate only by the ignorant, not by the learned, the pundits. Whosoever applies himself assiduously to either of these paths, gets the fruit of both, he gets the reward of both.
The stage or position, attained by those who renounce, that very stage or position is reached by those who do selfless work. He who understands that both the paths, that of renunciation, as well as that of selfless work, are one and the same, he truly understands, he truly sees.
However, renunciation is very difficult to achieve without yoga. But the sage who, with full devotion, is absorbed in yoga, he soon attains to Brahm, the Supreme.
While doing work, only that person is not attached to work and is not entangled in work, who is skilled in doing work, whose Atma is pure and unsullied, who is the master of his Atma, who has subdued all his senses, and whose Atma has become the Atma of all beings, that is, one who has merged himself with the Param Atma, who has become one with the Param Atma.
The person who knows the truth, and who has become one with the Supreme, he, using all his senses and their objects, while seeing, while listening, while touching, while smelling, while tasting, while walking, while dreaming, and while breathing, always understands that " it is not I who am doing any of these things, doing any of these activities, I do nothing ";
For, while speaking, while dispersing, while accepting, and while opening and closing the eyes, he understands, that all this is being done by the senses acting on their objects, and that "I do nothing".
Actually it is Nature, which is always at work, doing everything, we do nothing.
Just as water does not stick to the leaf of the lotus flower, so too, sin does not stick to the person who renounces attachment, and who does all his work, all his actions, as an offering to Brahm, the Supreme.
The yogis, for the purification of the soul, renounce all their attachments, and do all their works, only with their mind, only with their intelligence, or only with their senses.
The Atma, who is thus immersed in yoga, and who has renounced all attachments to the reward of work, attains to everlasting and eternal peace.
But those who are separate from Brahm, the Supreme, whose soul has not become one with Brahm, they remain inspired by their desires.
They are attracted and attached to the fruit of their works, to the rewards of their actions, and therefore, they always remain in bondage.
The person who, through his mind, has renounced all actions, and who has brought his nature under his control, who has subdued it completely, he, neither doing work, nor getting others to do work, lives peacefully, in this body with nine openings.
The highest God Atma, the Param Atma, does not make people the doers of action, nor does it do work, nor does it connect action with their results. It is, in fact, the inherent nature of all these, that is responsible for all actions.
But because man's wisdom is veiled and covered by ignorance, he remains trapped in delusion, as a result of which he is unable to see the truth.
But those who, through their knowledge, and their wisdom, have been able to lift the veil of ignorance and delusion, for them, their wisdom makes their Atma shine, and just as the bright sun lights up the whole world, so too, does their Atma light up everything, and then they are able to see the truth very clearly.
Always thinking of that Brahm, propelling their entire body and soul towards that very Brahm, making that as their sole and only aim, making that as the only focal point of their devotion, they reach that status, that place, from where there is no return, and cleansed by wisdom, all their sins are washed away.
The learned ones, on account of their wisdom, and the accompanying humility, regard all creation, and all beings equally, as one and the same; the high and the low born, men and women, birds and animals, and other creatures, they see them all with the same eye, they regard them all as the same, seeing no difference whatsoever.
The person whose mind is stable and balanced, he has, here on earth itself, in his very own lifetime, won the world.
The Param Atma is without any blemish, without any taint, and is the same in everyone. Therefore, such a one, is always established in the Param Atma.
One should neither rejoice on obtaining the good or the pleasant, nor grieve on obtaining the bad or the unpleasant, or when sorrow or misfortune strike. He should neither be happy, nor should he be sad, when happiness, or sorrow visit him.
The person who, in this way, is able to make his intelligence stable and fixed, and become free from delusion, only he knows Brahm, and eventually he becomes established in Brahm, and then, Brahm, the Absolute, becomes his home.
When the Atma does all acts, all works, and enjoys all pleasures, and all enjoyments, without being attracted or attached to outside contacts, outside things, or outside objects, without being entangled in them, then that person, who has set himself on the path of yoga, to achieve the Param Atma, he experiences the joy and the bliss, which is eternal, which is never ending, and which never wanes.
Pleasures obtained through the enjoyment of material objects, are fleeting in nature. They are temporary, they come and they go, they have a beginning and they have an end , they do not last forever, and they also house sorrow within them as well. Such temporary, finite, and limited pleasures, have no charm for the wise, they give no joy to the wise, who seek joy, only in the eternal, and in the everlasting.
The person who, in his very own lifetime, before he leaves the human body, before his death, is successful in curbing, and in mastering, the rising tide of his passions, his desires and his anger, he is the true yogi, and he is truly happy.
The person who finds happiness within himself, who finds bliss within himself, and who finds the light within himself, such a one, such a yogi, becomes one with Brahm, the Supreme, and he attains the the Supreme State, the state of salvation.
Those pure souls, whose all sins have been destroyed, whose all doubts have been resolved, whose mind and thoughts are disciplined, and who find joy in doing good to all, liberation and final release is very near to them.
Those ascetic, and austere souls, who have stilled their desire, their passion, and their anger, who have freed themselves from these, who have brought their minds under their control, and who have known their Atma, who have known Me, the Param Atma, final release and salvation, is always near them.
That sage, who is able to keep all outside objects and issues outside himself, focusing his sight between his eyebrows, equalizing both the incoming and the outgoing breaths, and who is able to control his senses, his mind and his intelligence, such a sage is ever keen on salvation; and the sage who has controlled his desires, his passions, his fears and his anger, such a one is always liberated, he is always free.
That sage, knowing Me to be the Supreme, The Param Atma, and also knowing that it is I who am the enjoyer of all the sacrifices, and of all the austerities, and that I am the Lord of all beings, and their friend too, then, knowing all this, he attains to the Supreme bliss of salvation.
End of Chapter Five
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
CHAPTER
Arjuna says to Krishna: Keshava, first you ask me to renounce action, and then you inspire me to do action, to do selfless work. Now tell me for certain, which of these is the better way.
Lord Krishna replies: Partha, the renunciation of action, and the doing of selfless work, both these paths, lead the soul to salvation. But of the two, I regard the doing of selfless work, to be far superior to renouncing action.
One who neither desires the reward of work, nor hates it, such a one, it must be understood, is always full of the spirit of renunciation, because, freed from all doubts, and all dualities, he easily breaks free from the shackles of this world.
Renunciation and doing action, are considered to be separate only by the ignorant, not by the learned, the pundits. Whosoever applies himself assiduously to either of these paths, gets the fruit of both, he gets the reward of both.
The stage or position, attained by those who renounce, that very stage or position is reached by those who do selfless work. He who understands that both the paths, that of renunciation, as well as that of selfless work, are one and the same, he truly understands, he truly sees.
However, renunciation is very difficult to achieve without yoga. But the sage who, with full devotion, is absorbed in yoga, he soon attains to Brahm, the Supreme.
While doing work, only that person is not attached to work and is not entangled in work, who is skilled in doing work, whose Atma is pure and unsullied, who is the master of his Atma, who has subdued all his senses, and whose Atma has become the Atma of all beings, that is, one who has merged himself with the Param Atma, who has become one with the Param Atma.
The person who knows the truth, and who has become one with the Supreme, he, using all his senses and their objects, while seeing, while listening, while touching, while smelling, while tasting, while walking, while dreaming, and while breathing, always understands that " it is not I who am doing any of these things, doing any of these activities, I do nothing ";
For, while speaking, while dispersing, while accepting, and while opening and closing the eyes, he understands, that all this is being done by the senses acting on their objects, and that "I do nothing".
Actually it is Nature, which is always at work, doing everything, we do nothing.
Just as water does not stick to the leaf of the lotus flower, so too, sin does not stick to the person who renounces attachment, and who does all his work, all his actions, as an offering to Brahm, the Supreme.
The yogis, for the purification of the soul, renounce all their attachments, and do all their works, only with their mind, only with their intelligence, or only with their senses.
The Atma, who is thus immersed in yoga, and who has renounced all attachments to the reward of work, attains to everlasting and eternal peace.
But those who are separate from Brahm, the Supreme, whose soul has not become one with Brahm, they remain inspired by their desires.
They are attracted and attached to the fruit of their works, to the rewards of their actions, and therefore, they always remain in bondage.
The person who, through his mind, has renounced all actions, and who has brought his nature under his control, who has subdued it completely, he, neither doing work, nor getting others to do work, lives peacefully, in this body with nine openings.
The highest God Atma, the Param Atma, does not make people the doers of action, nor does it do work, nor does it connect action with their results. It is, in fact, the inherent nature of all these, that is responsible for all actions.
But because man's wisdom is veiled and covered by ignorance, he remains trapped in delusion, as a result of which he is unable to see the truth.
But those who, through their knowledge, and their wisdom, have been able to lift the veil of ignorance and delusion, for them, their wisdom makes their Atma shine, and just as the bright sun lights up the whole world, so too, does their Atma light up everything, and then they are able to see the truth very clearly.
Always thinking of that Brahm, propelling their entire body and soul towards that very Brahm, making that as their sole and only aim, making that as the only focal point of their devotion, they reach that status, that place, from where there is no return, and cleansed by wisdom, all their sins are washed away.
The learned ones, on account of their wisdom, and the accompanying humility, regard all creation, and all beings equally, as one and the same; the high and the low born, men and women, birds and animals, and other creatures, they see them all with the same eye, they regard them all as the same, seeing no difference whatsoever.
The person whose mind is stable and balanced, he has, here on earth itself, in his very own lifetime, won the world.
The Param Atma is without any blemish, without any taint, and is the same in everyone. Therefore, such a one, is always established in the Param Atma.
One should neither rejoice on obtaining the good or the pleasant, nor grieve on obtaining the bad or the unpleasant, or when sorrow or misfortune strike. He should neither be happy, nor should he be sad, when happiness, or sorrow visit him.
The person who, in this way, is able to make his intelligence stable and fixed, and become free from delusion, only he knows Brahm, and eventually he becomes established in Brahm, and then, Brahm, the Absolute, becomes his home.
When the Atma does all acts, all works, and enjoys all pleasures, and all enjoyments, without being attracted or attached to outside contacts, outside things, or outside objects, without being entangled in them, then that person, who has set himself on the path of yoga, to achieve the Param Atma, he experiences the joy and the bliss, which is eternal, which is never ending, and which never wanes.
Pleasures obtained through the enjoyment of material objects, are fleeting in nature. They are temporary, they come and they go, they have a beginning and they have an end , they do not last forever, and they also house sorrow within them as well. Such temporary, finite, and limited pleasures, have no charm for the wise, they give no joy to the wise, who seek joy, only in the eternal, and in the everlasting.
The person who, in his very own lifetime, before he leaves the human body, before his death, is successful in curbing, and in mastering, the rising tide of his passions, his desires and his anger, he is the true yogi, and he is truly happy.
The person who finds happiness within himself, who finds bliss within himself, and who finds the light within himself, such a one, such a yogi, becomes one with Brahm, the Supreme, and he attains the the Supreme State, the state of salvation.
Those pure souls, whose all sins have been destroyed, whose all doubts have been resolved, whose mind and thoughts are disciplined, and who find joy in doing good to all, liberation and final release is very near to them.
Those ascetic, and austere souls, who have stilled their desire, their passion, and their anger, who have freed themselves from these, who have brought their minds under their control, and who have known their Atma, who have known Me, the Param Atma, final release and salvation, is always near them.
That sage, who is able to keep all outside objects and issues outside himself, focusing his sight between his eyebrows, equalizing both the incoming and the outgoing breaths, and who is able to control his senses, his mind and his intelligence, such a sage is ever keen on salvation; and the sage who has controlled his desires, his passions, his fears and his anger, such a one is always liberated, he is always free.
That sage, knowing Me to be the Supreme, The Param Atma, and also knowing that it is I who am the enjoyer of all the sacrifices, and of all the austerities, and that I am the Lord of all beings, and their friend too, then, knowing all this, he attains to the Supreme bliss of salvation.
End of Chapter Five
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
The Bhagavad in Simple English: CHAPTER FOUR
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
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
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