Shri Krishna Loves You: How to stop the reactions of karmas

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॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 18.13॥

 

_पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे ।_

_साङ्ख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम्‌॥_

 

भावार्थ:

 

हे महाबाहो! सम्पूर्ण कर्मों की सिद्धि के ये पाँच हेतु कर्मों का अंत करने के लिए उपाय बतलाने वाले सांख्य-शास्त्र में कहे गए हैं, उनको तू मुझसे भलीभाँति जान ॥१३॥

 

Meaning:

 

Learn these five factors for the accomplishment of all actions, O mighty armed, which are spoken of in the Saankhya in which actions culminate.

 

EXPLANATION:

 

Shri Krishna begins describing the true nature of action with this shloka. Typically we tend to think we are responsible for initiating, executing and completing every action, from the simplest action like drinking a cup of tea, to a complex action like planning the construction of a 100 storey building. He says that there are other factors which are responsible for the accomplishment of all actions, as denoted by the Saankhya or Vedaanta. He also conveys to Arjuna that a new topic has started, by calling out his name.

In the fourth chapter, we came across a shloka which stated that all actions in their totality culminate in knowledge. There are two components to this knowledge. The first is that the self, the eternal essence, the aatmaa, is actionless, since there is no possibility of change or modification in something that is changeless. This leads us to the second component of knowledge, which is as follows. If I, the self, am not performing action, something else must be doing so. As long as we are not fully convinced that something else is performing actions, we will hold on to the notion that we are doing so.

A naive person sits in a bus and thinks that he is driving it. You have to convince him that he is not driving it, but it is the bus driver that is driving it. In the same way, Shri Krishna gives us a detailed analysis of action and its components, such that we may come to the right conclusion. We are naive in thinking that the I, the self performs action when the Saankhya, the Vedaanta tells us that we do not. Once we come to this conclusion, we will automatically renounce the doership of action, and consequently, free ourselves from the chain of action and reaction.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: The theory of karma

  

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॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 18.12॥

 

_अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम्‌ ।_

_भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु सन्न्यासिनां क्वचित्‌ ॥_

 

भावार्थ :

कर्मफल का त्याग न करने वाले मनुष्यों के कर्मों का तो अच्छा, बुरा और मिला हुआ- ऐसे तीन प्रकार का फल मरने के पश्चात अवश्य होता है, किन्तु कर्मफल का त्याग कर देने वाले मनुष्यों के कर्मों का फल किसी काल में भी नहीं होता (कर्मों के होने में सांख्यसिद्धांत का कथन)॥१२॥

Meaning:

The three fold fruit of action, undesirable, desirable and mixed, goes after death to the atyaagees, but never to the sanyaasis.

 

Explanation:

Shri Krishna elaborates on the theory of karma in this chapter. Every action has a reaction, and this reaction is also known as the phala, result or fruit of the action. When we cross the road to catch a bus, we could get one of three results. We could catch the bus, we could miss the bus, or we could get into a packed bus with no room for seating. The result could be desirable, undesirable or mixed. This is a law of the universe, no different than the law of gravity. The fruit always comes to the performer of the action, with the same certainty as the bill collector comes to collect a debt, per the words of Sant Jnyaneshwar.

Any fruit that is found in nature contains seeds. These seeds can create trees that can generate many more fruits. Similary, every fruit that results from an action has the potential to create innumerable desires that result in even more actions. This infinite chain of action, reaction, fruit, desire and action is nothing but bondage or samsaara. One who is an atyaagi, one who has not given up attachment to fruits of action, is bound in this chain. By practicing karmayoga, by giving up attachment to the fruit of action, we can break this chain.

Now, let us proceed to the next phase of karma yoga. As long as we hold the notion that we are performing all actions, we cannot proceed further in the journey of a seeker. Performance of action is falsely superimposed on the eternal essence which is beyond all action, beyond all change. The second chapter made it very clear that there can be no change in the aatmaa, the eternal essence. Unless we fully internalize the notion that our "I", our self does not perform action, we will remain entrenched in samsaara. Shri Krishna says that only a sanyaasi, only one who sees that Prakriti really performs actions, can destroy current, past and future fruits of action. This topic is elaborated in the following shlokas.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: What is the difference between a sanyaasi and a tyaagi

  

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॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 18.11॥

 

_अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम्‌ ।_

_भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु सन्न्यासिनां क्वचित्॥_

 

भावार्थ :

क्योंकि शरीरधारी किसी भी मनुष्य द्वारा सम्पूर्णता से सब कर्मों का त्याग किया जाना शक्य नहीं है, इसलिए जो कर्मफल त्यागी है, वही त्यागी है- यह कहा जाता है॥११॥

 

Meaning:

 

For, it is not possible for an embodied person to completely give up actions. That is why one who has given up the reward of action is called a tyaagee.

 

Explanation:

 

This chapter began with Arjuna asking the question : what is the difference between a sanyaasi and a tyaagi. Shri Krishna used this question as an opportunity to recap the topic of karma yoga. After pointing out some popular notions on the topic, he then asserted that karma yoga refers to performance of duties while giving up attachment to their reward. This is the saattvic type of renunciation or tyaaga. He also explained the raajasic and the taamasic types of tyaaga.

 

Now, Shri Krishna adds another bit of context to the topic of karma yoga. He asserts that one who has a strong sense of identification to his body cannot completely give up action. He uses the term deha-bhrit, which is similar to the term dehi from the second chapter. As long as we identify with a sports team, for instance, we will be happy or say whenever they win or lose. As long as we think we are Mr. or Ms. so-and-so who has a job and a family and a house and so on, we have a strong sense of identification with our body. We cannot fully give up actions since the body has to act in order to live in this world.

 

With this additional context, we can now understand the definition of tyaagi. The ordinary meaning of this word refers to one who has renounced, who has given up all actions. Shri Krishna redefines it to mean someone who has given up all attachment to the reward of action, not given up action itself. If we are true karma yogis, we are tyaagis per this definition. We still need to deal with the issue of our strong identification to the body. This topic is taken up next.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: The saattvic tyaagi

 

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॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 18.10॥

 

_न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते ।_

_त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः॥_

 

भावार्थ :

जो मनुष्य अकुशल कर्म से तो द्वेष नहीं करता और कुशल कर्म में आसक्त नहीं होता- वह शुद्ध सत्त्वगुण से युक्त पुरुष संशयरहित, बुद्धिमान और सच्चा त्यागी है॥१०॥

 

Meaning:

He does not dislike inauspicious action, nor does he get attached to auspicious action, he who gives up is pervaded by sattva, is wise, and free of doubts.

 

Explanation:

So far, three types of renunciation or giving up were described. Shri Krishna now describes the nature of the person who conducts renunciation in the proper manner, the saattvic tyaagi. Such a person is pervaded by sattva. This means that his intellect is able to discriminate between what is real and what is not, in other words, what is the eternal essence and what is the illusory world. This person is described as medhaavee, one who is wise due to the knowledge of the eternal essence, the self.

 

What makes this person different than the other so-called renouncers? It is his indifferent attitude towards action. Though he knows that every action has the potential to generate further sorrow and further desires, he does not hate that action but in fact, continues to do his duty. Conversely, though he knows that doing his duty will eventually make him fit for liberation, or if there is some action that he loves to perform, he does not develop a sense of attachment for it.

 

Eventually, a slow transformation takes place in such a person. Performing karma yoga, which is the same as performing saattvika tyaaga, leads a person to slowly recognize his true nature as the unchanging, unmoving eternal essence. He begins to realize that he is not performing any action at all, it is Prakriti that is doing all the work. When he comes to realize this, he becomes chinnasamshayaha, free of all doubts about who he really is, about his true nature.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: Give up attachments

  

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॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 18.6॥

 

_एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्‍गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च ।_

_कर्तव्यानीति में पार्थ निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम्॥_

 

भावार्थ : 

इसलिए हे पार्थ! इन यज्ञ, दान और तपरूप कर्मों को तथा और भी सम्पूर्ण कर्तव्यकर्मों को आसक्ति और फलों का त्याग करके अवश्य करना चाहिए, यह मेरा निश्चय किया हुआ उत्तम मत है॥६॥

 

Meaning:

But, even those actions should be performed, giving up attachment and rewards. This, O Paartha, is my definite and foremost conclusion.

 

Explanation:

 

 

Shri Krishna says that the only way to convert selfish actions into selfless actions is to give up attachment to the action and to the rewards of the action. Consider an architect who spends months creating the plans for a building. If the architect designs the building keeping the bonus payment in mind, he is performing the action with an attitude of selfishness. If the architect designs the building with the sole motive of creating the best possible living space for people, he is performing the action with an attitude of selflessness.

 

Let us be clear about one thing. There is nothing wrong in the architect expecting a fair payment for the rendering of his services. But he does not keep a monetary expectation every second of his time while designing his buildings. He does it out of a sense of duty. His svadharma, which means his aptitude, his training and his passion, is to be an architect. Regardless of how his day goes, he derives joy in the performance of his svadharma, his duty to the world, as an architect.

 

In addition to giving up attachment to the reward of action, Shri Krishna also advises us to give up attachment to the action itself. Here, we have to keep two things in mind. First, it is not guaranteed that every action of ours will be successful, since there are external factors that may intervene. Second, even if we insist that an action should be performed in a certain way, there could be other ways that could sometimes work better. Insisting that every action ends successfully, and that every action has to be done our way, are the two ways in which we get attached to action. Giving up these attachments, along with the attachment to reward, is the only way that we bring the purifying effect of karma yoga into every action we perform. This is Shri Krishna’s foremost conclusion on karma yoga.

 

So then, if this is the case, how should one treat actions performed for one's career? If we love our career, and it gives us a personal reward in the form of salary, should we give up that as well? We need to resolve this issue by converting our reward oriented actions into selfless actions. Only then will we be able to weaken the samskaaraas or mental impressions that impel us to perform our career oriented actions every day. What is the technique by which we can convert our selfish actions into selfless actions? This is taken up next.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

 

Shri Krishna Loves You 16102020

 

Hare Krishna! If you want "Shri Krishna Loves You" daily post
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write your/their WhatsApp number in the
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॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 18.1॥ 



_अर्जुन उवाच_ 

_सन्न्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्‌ ।_ 

_त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन॥_ 



भावार्थ : 

अर्जुन बोले- हे महाबाहो! हे अन्तर्यामिन्‌! हे वासुदेव! मैं संन्यास और त्याग के तत्व को पृथक्‌-पृथक्‌ जानना चाहता हूँ॥ (१) 

Meaning: 

Arjuna said: 

O mighty armed, O Hrisheekesha, O slayer of Keshin, I wish to know the difference between sanyaasa and tyaaga. 


Explanation: 

We now commence the eighteenth chapter, which is the final chapter of the Gita. It is the longest chapter, coming in at 78 shlokas. It is a summary of the entire Gita teaching condensed into one chapter. It addresses many topics and themes covered in the entire Gita, and ties up many loose ends as well. It is the most practical among all of the chapters, containing lessons applicable every aspect of our life. Arjuna begins this chapter with a question to Shri Krishna. He wants to know what is the difference between two terms - sannyaasa and tyaaga. 

At a superficial level, both the terms have a common meaning which is renunciation. Arjuna probably had come across these terms being used in scriptures or chants, and wanted to know whether there was a difference. But this question is similar to his query in regards to the difference between karma yoga and jnyaana yoga in the third chapter, and the difference between karma yoga and karma sanyaasa in the fifth chapter. Broadly, he wants to know when to act and when not to act. It is a good question because the topic of karma contains many nuances that require clarification and elaboration, which are found in this chapter. 

It is interesting to look at the three titles used by Arjuna to address Shri Krishna. Hrisheekesha is one who has conquered the senses. Mahabaaho is one who is mighty armed, one who has tremendous power and energy. Keshinisudana is one who has killed the demon Keshi, who is an enemy. Therefore, only one who has conquered the senses can gain power to destroy one's internal and external enemies. 

So then, Arjuna asks this extremely practical question on behalf of common people who have faith in some higher principle. Some may be devotees of Shri Krishna, some of Lord Shiva, some of Lord Ganesha. Some may not have faith in a deity but may have faith in a spiritual text such as the Gita. Some may have not have faith in any of these but may have faith in a friend, spouse or relative who has faith in a deity or a spiritual text. Some may have faith in their nation or in a higher cause such as improving the state of the nation’s education system. 

Regardless of what their faith is, such people would like to set themselves on a path that gains them happiness in the material world, and also enables them to pursue the supreme goal of self realization or liberation. In the absence of scripture as the authority, faith determines the course of action for such people. How can they determine whether their faith is saattvic, rajasic or tamasic? How can they ensure that their faith is leading them in the right direction?

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: Cultivate Saattvic Actions

  

Hare Krishna! If you want "Shri Krishna Loves You" daily post
in your WhatsApp or to be sent to your near and dear ones
write your/their WhatsApp number in the
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|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||

॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ अध्याय: १७ सारांश॥

 

_ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्री कृष्णार्जुनसंवादे श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोगो नाम सप्तदशोऽध्याय :॥_

 

भावार्थ :

इस प्रकार उपनिषद, ब्रह्मविद्या तथा योगशास्त्र रूप श्रीमद् भगवद् गीता के श्रीकृष्ण-अर्जुन संवाद में श्रद्धात्रय विभाग-योग नाम का सत्रहवाँ अध्याय संपूर्ण हुआ ॥

 

॥ हरि: ॐ तत् सत् ॥

 

Summary of Bhagvad Gita Chapter 17:

Shri Krishna ended the previous chapter with the message that our actions should be prompted by scripture, and not by our selfish desires. Arjuna, foreseeing that not many people will have access to the scriptures in the future, wanted to know about the state of those people who use faith to guide their actions instead of scriptures. Shri Krishna replied that faith comes from svabhaava, from one’s stock of past samskaaraas or impressions. In this chapter, he analyzes svabhaava through studying what food we eat, what actions we perform, and with which attitude do we perform those actions.

 

The bulk of the chapter is the analysis of food, sacrifice, charity and penance. Yajnya or sacrifice represents our duty towards Ishvara. Daana or charity represents our duty towards our fellow human beings. Tapas represents our duty towards ourselves. All of these are classified into three types: saattvic, raajasic and taamasic. Penance is broken down into three components: bodily, mental and speech. A warning against extreme and harsh penance is also given so that we do not harm ourselves or others.

 

Through this chapter, we are urged by Shri Krishna to reduce and ultimately stop raajasic and taamasic actions, and cultivate saattvic actions. This will purify our mind and make us fit for imbibing the knowledge of the eternal essence. However, even our saattvic actions may still have some defects or errors, which can be removed with the chanting of the purifier Om Tat Sat. In fact, as long as our steadfastness, our sthiti, is in Ishvara, all actions will automatically become saattvic.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: Spiritual Advancement

 

Hare Krishna! If you want "Shri Krishna Loves You" daily post
in your WhatsApp or to be sent to your near and dear ones
write your/their WhatsApp number in the
Comment Section. It's a free service!

|| जय श्री कृष्ण || 

॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 17.25॥ 



_तदित्यनभिसन्दाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः ।_ 

_दानक्रियाश्चविविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभिः॥_ 



भावार्थ : 

इस प्रकार मोक्ष की इच्छा वाले मनुष्यों द्वारा बिना किसी फल की इच्छा से अनेकों प्रकार से यज्ञ, दान और तप रूपी क्रियाऎं "तत्‌" शब्द के उच्चारण द्वारा की जाती हैं। (२५) 



Meaning: 

With (chanting of) Tat, without aiming for reward, are the various acts of sacrifice, penance and charity performed by the seekers of liberation. 



Explanation: 

Karmayoga suggests that we should perform our duties in order to exhaust all of our vaasanaas, our latent desires, so that our mind becomes pure and fit for spiritual advancement. The primary obstacle in karmayoga is attachment at two levels. We are attached to the personal reward of an action. We are also attached to the act itself. For instance, a musician may become attached to the royalties promised to him in his recording contract. He may also become attached to the unique style of music that he has developed. 

Shri Krishna says that chanting the word "Tat" when performing any saattvic action has the effect of removing these two kinds of attachment. Tat means "that" in sanskrit. It is a pointer to the eternal essence in its transcendent aspect, also known as Ishvara. Using the word Tat, we can dedicate our actions and results to any deity that we like. The act is performed by Ishvara, therefore the reward goes to Ishvara. I am only the instrument of Ishvara. This is the attitude developed when Tat is chanted with faith. 

How does this work? Imagine that you are going overseas for closing a business deal. If you go with attitude that you are doing this deal for yourself, then you have to take on the associated stress that comes with the deal. But if you go with attitude that you are closing the deal for your boss or your company, your stress will significantly reduce. You are just carrying out instructions given by your boss. If the deal works out, great, otherwise there will always be another opportunity.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: A technique to remove errors and defects in saattvic actions

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|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||

॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 17.23॥

_ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः ।
_ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा॥_

भावार्थ :
सृष्टि के आरम्भ से "ॐ" (परम-ब्रह्म), "तत्‌" (वह), "सत्‌" (शाश्वत) इस प्रकार से ब्रह्म को उच्चारण के रूप में तीन प्रकार का माना जाता है, और इन तीनों शब्दों का प्रयोग यज्ञ करते समय ब्राह्मणों द्वारा वैदिक मन्त्रों का उच्चारण करके ब्रह्म को संतुष्ट करने के लिये किया जाता है। (२३)

Meaning:
Om, Tat, Sat, this has been declared as the triple indicator of the eternal essence. By that were created the braahmanaas, the Vedas and the sacrifices, long ago.

Explanation:

Arjuna began this chapter with a question to Shri Krishna: How can we determine the texture of our faith, as to whether it is saattvic, raajasic or taamasic? Shri Krishna replied that we need to infer this from our actions and the attitude behind our actions. He then showed us the three types of food, sacrifice, penance and charity. The takeaway for us is that we should slowly stop performing raajasic and taamasic actions, and increase our saattvic actions. But even if we manage to perform only sattvic actions, there will always be the chance of some error creeping in.

Here, Shri Krishna gives us a formula, a technique to remove errors and defects in saattvic actions. This purifier is the combination of three words - Om, Tat and Sat. All three words are indicators of the eternal essence, of brahman. In fact, each of these words has been used in the Vedas to refer to the eternal essence. Om comes up in the Rig Veda. Tat and Sat come up in the Chhaandogya Upanishad. The word Sat is also used in the second chapter of the Gita to refer to the eternal essence. Note that the eternal essence is beyond name and form. These words are only pointers.

Next, Shri Krishna gives us the heritage of this purifier. Prajaapati, Lord Brahma, created the universe along with the sacrifice and the Vedas, as we have seen in the third chapter. He also created braahmanaas, who performed rituals and sacrifices with faith in the Vedas. These braahmanaas would always use Om Tat Sat to purify their sacrifices, to remove any defects in the rituals. Now, per the teaching of karma yoga, whenever we perform saattvic actions, they automatically become a sacrifice. Therefore, even we can use Om Tat Sat to purify our saattvic actions.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: Taamasic Charity, respect guru

 

Hare Krishna! If you want "Shri Krishna Loves You" daily post
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write your/their WhatsApp number in the
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|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||
॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 17.22॥

_अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते ।_
_असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्॥_

भावार्थ :

जो दान अनुचित स्थान में, अनुचित समय पर, अज्ञानता के साथ, अपमान करके अयोग्य व्यक्तियों को दिया जाता है, उसे तामसी (तमोगुणी) दान कहा जाता है। (२२)

Meaning:

That which is donated at an incorrect place or time, to wrong persons, without respect and out of ignorance, that charity is called taamasic.

Explanation:

Having covered the nature of saatvic and raajasic charity, Shri Krishna now describes taamasic charity. He says that charity performed without considering a proper time and place is considered taamasic. If we donate on a whim rather than doing so on an auspicious day, for instance, we introduce a tinge of our ego into the donation. Also, gifts that trouble the recipient, gifts given out of complete ignorance, are taamasic as well. Donating an expensive TV to a person who is struggling to eat does not make sense.

Many people nowadays take pleasure in insulting their priest or their teacher while giving them a gift, simply because they are drunk with power and money. Such charity in which an insult, a slur or a taunt is given along with the gift also becomes taamasic. If we disrespect the recipient of our charity, we are harming ourselves and the recipient instead of performing an auspicious act. A gift should always be given with politeness and humility. Furthermore, gifts should never be given to unworthy persons such as robbers and criminals.

We should be careful, however, to use our judgement and our discretion while performing charity, and not abstain for charity just because we are worried about going against the rules prescribed here. There are millions of people around the world that struggle to survive, that are in need of food, water, clothing and medicine. If we donate money to any institution that provides needy people with these amenities, we may not have control over the time and place of the donation, but that should not stop us. More broadly, there are instances where our acts of sacrifice, penance and charity may have a defect in them. Shri Krishna gives us a formula to deal with them next.

Chant the mantra you have faith in

Hare Krishna

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words, which are “Hare”, “Krishna” and “Rama”. According to the scriptures “Obstruction or problem can’t come into their lives, who do chant this mantra continuously”. The Great Mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |

हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||