Krishna Loves You: Improve divine qualities

 HARE KRISHNA!
Using bitter and taunting language is harshness at the speech level. Pointing out someone’s faults in front of everyone is harshness at the speech level.

|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||
॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 16.4॥
 
_दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च ।_
_अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम्॥_
 
भावार्थ :
हे पृथापुत्र! पाखण्ड, घमण्ड, अभिमान, क्रोध, निष्ठुरता और अज्ञानता यह सभी आसुरी स्वभाव (गुण) को लेकर उत्पन्न हुए मनुष्य के लक्षण हैं। (४)
 
Meaning:
 
Ostentation, arrogance, exaggerated self-worth, and anger, insolence and also ignorance, these are found in one who has obtained devilish qualities, O Paartha.

 
Explanation:

 Having supplied a long list of divine qualities, Shri Krishna begins listing the aasuri sampatti, the devilish or diabolical qualities. Asuras are portrayed as fearsome demons with long teeth and horns in comic books and TV shows. But the word asura means one who places sense enjoyment as his highest goals. Any ordinary looking human being can be an asura, if he constantly dwells in sense pleasures.

 

Projecting an image of ourselves to be larger, to be different than what we really are dambaha. There are people who portray themselves to be smarter, wiser and accomplished than they really are. Or, there are others who cover up their misdeeds by portraying themselves as god-fearing and so on. Broadly speaking, such people try to change what they have through cover-up rather than work hard and perform actions that will give them better results.

 

Darpa refers to arrogance and pride over our possessions, and the subsequent putting down of others who may not have what we have. These people not only hurt others by their insults, they hurt themselves as well. Instead of weakening their notions of me and mine, which become obstacles to spiritual growth, such people strengthen them. Krodha refers to anger. Specifically, it is the thought that gives a kind of satisfaction after having yelled at someone who has wronged us, instead of the thought that wants to solve a concern, or to help that other person.

 

Next, Shri Krishna mentions paarushyam, which means insolence or harshness, as a diabolical quality. Harshness can occur at the body and speech level. Elbowing our way to the front of a crowded line is harshness at the body level. Using bitter and taunting language is harshness at the speech level. Pointing out someone’s faults in front of everyone is harshness at the speech level.

 

The primary devilish quality is that of ajnyaanam or ignorance. From a day to day standpoint, not knowing which action is right versus which action is to be avoided, this is ignorance. Chasing momentary pleasures in the material world without regard to actions and consequences constitutes ignorances. From an absolute standpoint, it is the ignorance of our true nature as existence, awareness and joy that is the fundamental devilish quality.

 

Chant the mantra you have faith in
HARE KRISHNA!

Shri Krishna Speaks: The perishable and the imperishable beings

Computer programmers love to create video games that can put the player in a gigantic virtual world where they can blow up aliens

  

जय श्री कृष्ण

श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता 15.16

_द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च _

_क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते _

भावार्थ : 

हे अर्जुन! संसार में दो प्रकार के ही जीव होते हैं एक नाशवान (क्षर) और दूसरे अविनाशी (अक्षर), इनमें समस्त जीवों के शरीर तो नाशवान होते हैं और समस्त जीवों की आत्मा को अविनाशी कहा जाता है। (१६)

Meaning:

There are two beings in this world, the perishable and the imperishable. All beings constitute the perishable, the Kootastha is called the imperishable.

Explanation:

Computer programmers love to create video games that can put the player in a gigantic virtual world where they can blow up aliens. What is interesting is that the same computer game can create a different world each time, with different kinds of aliens in different place. In other words, the infinitely complex virtual worlds created by the game can change, but the computer game program remains the same. Our visible universe is quite similar.

Shri Krishna begins to summarize the teaching of this chapter by asserting that everything in the world can be classified into two category. The first category comprises the visible world, the tangible world which comprises all living and inert beings. The second category comprises the invisible entity called Maaya. Maaya is like the computer game program that is invisible, yet has the power to create infinitely complex universes over and over again. The first category is termed kshara or perishable, because the universe has a beginning and end. The second category is termed akshara or imperishable, because it outlives the perishable.

So therefore, let's examine this teaching from two standpoints. From our standpoint, the standpoint of the "I" - the kshara, the perishable is our physical body. The akshara, the imperishable is the jeeva, as defined in the previous shlokas. From the standpoint of the world, the standpoint of the "that" - the kshara is the visible universe. The akshara refers to Maaya, the seed of infinite universes, present, past and future.

Let’s now look at some of the terms used in the shloka. Koota means illusion, and therefore kootastha means that which can create several illusions. Another clarification is around the imperishability of Maaya. If Maaya is imperishable, how can we get out of it? The answer is that Maaya is imperishable till we realize our true nature and attain liberation. Each category is called a Purusha or a being because both of them are limitations or upaadhis of Ishvara, as we shall see in the next shloka.

Chant The mantra you have faith in

Shri Krishna Speaks: And I am seated in the hearts of all beings

And I am seated in the hearts of all beings. From me arise memory, knowledge and their loss.

जय श्री कृष्ण

श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता 15.15

_सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टोमत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च ।_

वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्योवेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्‌ ॥_

भावार्थ :

मैं ही समस्त जीवों के हृदय में आत्मा रूप में स्थित हूँ, मेरे द्वारा ही जीव को वास्तविक स्वरूप की स्मृति, विस्मृति और ज्ञान होता है, मैं ही समस्त वेदों के द्वारा जानने योग्य हूँ, मुझसे ही समस्त वेद उत्पन्न होते हैं और मैं ही समस्त वेदों को जानने वाला हूँ। (१५)



Meaning:

And I am seated in the hearts of all beings. From me arise memory, knowledge and their loss. It is only I who am to be known through the Vedas. Only I am the author of Vedanta, and the knower of the Vedas.



Explanation:

As humans, it is not enough for us to spend our lives seeking out sources of food for existence. We crave knowledge in all its forms - knowledge of the material world, how things work, history, geography, sciences and the arts. We also crave that knowledge which is not tangible but is part and parcel of our lives - aspirations, values, codes of conduct and so on. Shri Krishna says that he is both the producer and consumer of knowledge in our lives. The sum total of all knowledge is referred to as the Vedas in this shloka.

The assimilation of knowledge goes through three steps. In the first step, we do not know anything, this is the state of apohanam, absence of memory. Next, we know something, knowledge happens, this is jnyaanam. Finally, this knowledge is stored in memory, this is smritihi. All these steps towards the acquisition of knowledge happen due to Ishvara, who is seated in our intellect, poetically referred to as hridi or intellect. So whenever we learn something new, or we recall something from our memory, we should understand that Ishvara is functioning as the subject and the object, the knower and the known, in this process of knowledge acquisition.

But that is not all. The ultimate knowledge, the entire theme of the Bhagavad Gita, is that knowledge which reveals the true nature of the self and its identity with Ishvara. It is handed down from a teacher to a student through tradition. It is found in the end, the conclusion, the anta of the Vedas. Therefore it is known as Vedanta. So the knowledge that reveals the true nature of the self is none other than Ishvara. In other words, only the self can know itself, a statement found in the Jnyaaneshwari’s opening statement “jaya jaya sva samvedyaa” - salutations to that which knows itself.

With this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes the topic of Ishvara’s manifestations which began in the twelfth shloka. The change in metre reinforces the conclusion. We learned that ultimately, it is Ishvara that provides awareness, nourishment, food, and the power to absorb food as well as knowledge to all beings on this. Not only does he produce all of this, he consumes it as well. If we truly let this statement sink in, we will realize that our false “I”, our ego, is nowhere to be found.

Chant The mantra you have faith in

Shri Krishna Speaks: Purifying the mind

Shri Krishna Speaks: Purifying the mind  

|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||

॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 15.11॥

_यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्‌ ।_
_यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः॥_

भावार्थ :

योग के अभ्यास में प्रयत्नशील मनुष्य ही अपने हृदय में स्थित इस आत्मा को देख सकते हैं, किन्तु जो मनुष्य योग के अभ्यास में नहीं लगे हैं ऐसे अज्ञानी प्रयत्न करते रहने पर भी इस आत्मा को नहीं देख पाते हैं। (११)

Meaning:

Those striving yogis realize this as residing within the self. But those with an unprepared mind, though striving, do not see this, devoid of knowledge.

Explanation:

In any difficult endeavour, there are three kinds of people. There are the vast majority who are not interested the least bit in striving for the goal, and blissfully accept their state as a given. There are a small number of people who are putting in great effort or dedication, but not obtaining the desired outcome. A select few, however, are able to channelize their efforts in the right direction and get what they want.

Shri Krishna called the vast majority of people, the first category, stuck in the cycle of Prakriti "deluded" in the last shloka. Here, he says that it is the preparation of mind that determines whether or not the efforts taken by yogis - those who are striving for liberation - have a chance of success. One without a prepared mind is termed as "akritaatmaanaha" in this shloka. So then, those of us who are aiming for liberation would not like our striving to be in vain. What should we do?

We need to understand what Shri Krishna means by purifying our mind. There are two aspects to this. The first aspect is the degree of selfish desires. Unless we have followed the path of karma yoga and bhakti yoga as laid out in the earlier portions of the Gita, our mind will not be able to properly absorb any scriptural teaching whatsoever. The second aspect is the type of knowledge we are trying to absorb and the method of doing so. A systematic understanding of the scriptures under the guidance of a teacher is the only way. One who does not follow a systematic process of imbibing knowledge is termed "achetasaha", devoid of wisdom.

The topic of the jeeva is concluded in this shloka. with the message that only those with a pure mind and systematic study will truly understand the nature of the jeeva as the eternal essence as though limited by its upaadhis or conditionings.


ChantThe mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

 

 

Shri Krishna Speaks: Ignorance creates an apparent limitation

Shri Krishna Speaks: Ignorance creates an apparent limitation

|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||

॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 15.9॥

_श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च ।_

_अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते॥_

भावार्थ :

इस प्रकार दूसरे शरीर में स्थित होकर जीवात्मा कान, आँख, त्वचा, जीभ, नाक और मन की सहायता से ही विषयों का भोग करता है। (९)

Meaning:

The ear, eye and touch, taste and smell, taking the support of these and the mind, it enjoys the sense objects.

Explanation:

Shri Krishna continues explaining how the jeeva, the individual soul, takes up a human body to carry out its transactions with Prakriti. We can use the wonderful Vedantic text "Drig Drishya Viveka", or "Discrimination of the seer and the seen", to examine this process in a little more detail. It explains, with almost mathematical precision, how the eternal essence begins to think of itself as a finite human entity. There are two main players in this process. One is the eternal essence, which is of the nature of infinite awareness and existence, explained in great detail in the second chapter. Let us call it "Om" here. The second player is avidya or ignorance, which exists in the realm of the illusory Maaya.

When Om and ignorance come into contact with each other, a fragment of Om is reflected in ignorance, just like a fragment of the sun as though appears in the water of a pot. As we saw earlier, this fragment is called the jeeva. Ignorance creates an apparent limitation, also known an upaadhi, which imposes a sense of incompleteness or finitude upon the jeeva. The jeeva seeks the help of the upaadhi to remove its sense of completeness. The upaadhi can exist in one of many modifications or states. Let us examine these modifications. The sense organs are modifications of this upaadhi that can contact different aspects of Prakriti. The mind is a modification of this upaadhi that can take input from the sense organs, compare that input with its memory, and present a complete picture of what was contacted. The ego is another modification that thinks of itself as the "I", just like a low level manager thinks of himself as the owner of the factory in the absence of the real owner.

Now let us examine the content of this shloka. After the end of its journey in one body, the jeeva travels with the mind and senses, the upaadhi in other words, in search of another physical body. When the ego aspect of the upaadhi associates itself with a tiny physical body inside a womb, based on the desires its wants to exhaust, it develops the notion "I am this body". It now begins to use the body to transact with the world. The human nose, for instance, is an inert object. But due to the association of the ego with the body, we think that the physical human nose is doing the smelling. The ego then uses the mind to generate the notion "I know that this smell is that of a rose". This finally leads the ego to generate the notion "This smell it pleasant, it makes me happy".

In this way, the jeeva gives up its power of reality, knowledge and happiness to the ego. The ego becomes the doer and the experiencer of the world. It has to constantly transact with the world in order to chase sense objects for happiness. It forgets the fact that it was happy to begin with. It gives reality to the domain of Prakriti, the three gunas, the visible and so called tangible world. But we should not forget that behind all this is the illusory mix up of Om and ignorance, the mix up of awareness and inertness. The Raamacharitamanas describes this mix up as "jada chetan ki granthi" or the knot between awareness and inertness.

  

Chant The mantra you have faith in

Shri Krishna Speaks: A subtle body needs a physical body to express itself

Shri Krishna Speaks: A subtle body 

needs a physical body to express itself

|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||

॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 15.8॥


_शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः ।_
_गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात्‌ ॥_

भावार्थ :
शरीर का स्वामी जीवात्मा छहों इन्द्रियों के कार्यों को संस्कार रूप में ग्रहण करके एक शरीर का त्याग करके दूसरे शरीर में उसी प्रकार चला जाता है जिस प्रकार वायु गन्ध को एक स्थान से ग्रहण करके दूसरे स्थान में ले जाती है। (८)

   

Meaning:
When the lord acquires a body, and when he leaves it, he takes them and departs, like the wind takes odours from their seats.

Explanation:

Earlier, we saw how the individual soul, the jeeva, wants to interact with Prakriti in order to exhaust its desires. In preparation to do so, it surrounds itself with the mind (which contains the desires) and the five senses. This collection of the jeeva, the mind and the senses is also known as the subtle body, because it is invisible. We can think of the subtle body as a computer file. Just as a computer file needs a computer to express itself, a subtle body needs a physical body to express itself. Whenever the timespan of one human body ends, the subtle body has to find another physical body to continue exhausting its desires.

Shri Krishna says that in such a situation, the subtle body, the jeeva with the mind and senses, ejects itself from the physical body and finds another body to settle in. It is similar to a international diplomat who goes from one assignment to another, taking his staff with him wherever he goes. Since the mind and senses follow the jeeva, it is referred to as Ishvara or the lord here, not to be confused with the meaning of Ishvara that has been used throughout the Gita. Once the jeeva finds a new home, it slowly starts unpacking its belongings, the mind and senses, in sequence. It is fascinating to see time-lapse videos of an embryo growing inside a mother's womb. This is the jeeva slowly gaining its faculties, which are nothing but accumulations of additional upaadhis.

Imagine that a small wooden box contains a strong perfume. If the box - the seat of the perfume - is opened, the fragrance will slowly start leaving the box and fill the room. Shri Krishna uses this analogy to explain the transfer of the jeeva from one physical body to another. If we bring in the analogy of the eternal essence as space, and combine it with this analogy, we will find that they fit together perfectly. Walls, fragrance, wind, boxes - all these limitations of space are apparent, not real. They are upaadhis, apparent limitations. Space does not care whether we build 2 walls or 2 million walls. No one or nothing can limit space. There is no coming and going of the perfume in space. It is only from a worldly standpoint that the fragrance is moving from the box to the room.

So then, the jeeva draws a mind and five senses in order to exhaust its desires. However, it still needs a physical body to transact with Prakriti. How does all this happen? We see this in the next shloka.

Continuously Chant The mantra you have faith in ||

Krishna Speaks: Self-analysis, Stithipragya

Krishna Speaks: Self-analysis

*|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||*🌷🙏*

*॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 14.21॥*

_अर्जुन उवाच_

_कैर्लिङ्‍गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो ।_

_किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते॥_

*भावार्थ :* 

अर्जुन ने पूछा - हे प्रभु! प्रकृति के तीनों गुणों को पार किया हुआ मनुष्य किन लक्षणों के द्वारा जाना जाता है और उसका आचरण कैसा होता है तथा वह मनुष्य प्रकृति के तीनों गुणों को किस प्रकार से पार कर पाता है?। (२१)

*Meaning*:

Arjuna said:

By which signs is the one who has gone beyond the three gunas known, O Lord? What is his behaviour, and how does he transcend these three gunas?

*Explanation*:

We hear Arjuna speak after a long time in this shloka. Arjuna usually speaks when he needs to clarify a doubt, or when he thinks that he needs a more practical version of what he has just heard. We have seen this happen several times. In the second chapter, Arjuna wanted to know the marks of the person who is established in knowledge, sthitha prajnya. Arjuna also asked the signs of a perfected devotee in the chapter on bhakti yoga. Every time he has asked a question, we as listeners have benefitted tremendously.

 

Having heard a detailed explanation around the three gunas, but only a couple of shlokas on the person who transcends those gunas and attains immortality, Arjuna found it appropriate to ask a question at this juncture. He wanted to know three things. First, how does one know that a person has transcended the three gunas. Second, how does such a person behave in the world. Third, how does he actually transcend the three gunas.

 

We have to constantly remind ourselves that everything we learn from this chapter is purely for self-analysis, not for judging or evaluating someone else. The only person that can accurately determine whether our mental state is sattvic, rajasic or tamasic is none other than ourselves. There is another aspect to learning about the signs of one who has gone beyond the influence of the gunas. Until we reach the state of liberation, these signs are attributes that we should aspire to cultivate in our lives.

*Continuously Chant The mantra you have faith in ||*🌹