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

 

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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

  

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॥ 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

 

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॥ 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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॥ 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

 

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॥ 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 ||

Shri Krishna Loves You: Raajasic Charity

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॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 17.21॥



_यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः ।_

_दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम्॥_



भावार्थ :

किन्तु जो दान बदले में कुछ पाने की भावना से अथवा किसी प्रकार के फल की कामना से और बिना इच्छा के दिया जाता है, उसे राजसी (रजोगुणी) दान कहा जाता है। (२१)



Meaning:

And that which is donated for repaying an obligation, or with the intent of a reward, and also reluctantly, that charity is called raajasic.



Explanation:

Let me give something to this politician’s charitable organization, so that at a later stage I will be able to use him to further my business. Let me give something to this doctor’s son on his birthday, so that I will be taken care of in a medical emergency. Let me give a new year gift to to my neighbour, so that he will come to my aid if I am in trouble and so on. In all these thoughts, a tinge of selfishness has crept in. Shri Krishna says that the giving of charity, and gifts in general, while expecting something in return, is raajasic charity.

Furthermore, charity is also performed to repay a favour or an obligation to someone else. This is referred to as “pratyupkaara” in the shloka. For instance, repaying a favour with cash sometimes is frowned upon socially. We may then think about repaying the favour through a charitable donation or a gift in kind. Such charity is also considered raajasic, because a business mindset, a transaction oriented mindset has come into the picture. We are not really performing charity, we are doing a business deal.

The most raajasic form of charity is when we donate something with the feeling of “pariklishtam”. It means doing something reluctantly, unwillingly, with a heavy heart, with a feeling of sadness. We are so attached to the money or goods being donated that we cannot bear to see them separated from us. We will think hundred times before donating anything. What will happen if I donate this? How will I replace it? Will I need it again? Our mamatva, our sense of mine-ness is quite strong, and needs to be examined.

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: Saattvic Charity

That which is donated knowing that charity is duty, to whom one is not obliged, in the right place and time, to a worthy person, that charity is called saattvic.

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॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 17.20॥



_दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।_

_देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्‌॥_



भावार्थ :

जो दान कर्तव्य समझकर, बिना किसी उपकार की भावना से, उचित स्थान में, उचित समय पर और योग्य व्यक्ति को ही दिया जाता है, उसे सात्त्विक (सतोगुणी) दान कहा जाता है। (२०)



Meaning:

That which is donated knowing that charity is duty, to whom one is not obliged, in the right place and time, to a worthy person, that charity is called saattvic.



Explanation:

So far, Shri Krishna described the three types of food, sacrifice and penance. Food gives us energy to serve the world, to perform sacrifice. Penance enables us to conserve and channel that energy towards sacrifice. Sacrifice results in a result that is received by the recipient of the sacrifice as well as to us, the performers of the sacrifice. Accumulating results beyond what we need to support ourselves and our family can result in greed. To check this greed, we need to perform daanam or charity.



Now, even the attitude towards charity can reveal a lot about the texture of our faith. Shri Krishna described the characteristics or conditions of charity performed with a saattvic attitude. Conducting charity out of a sense of duty is the first condition. It should come naturally to us, and not because someone has asked us to do it. Charity should never be treated as a business deal. For instance, if someone has done us a favour, we should not give him something in the guise of charity. Furthermore, we should not donate something expecting something in return.



Charity is a sacred act, therefore it has to be performed thoughtfully. Tossing a coin to a beggar on the street may be a noble act, but it does not quality as an act of saattvic charity. It has to be done at the right place and during an auspicious occasion. It also has to be directed towards a worthy person. Shri Shankaraachaarya in his commentary gives the example of the occasion of Sankraanti, the beginning of the month, as an auspicious occasion. He also gives the example of a learned teacher as one who is worthy of receiving a charitable donation.

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 Penance

That which is performed out of a foolish notion, causing pain to oneself, or for ruining others, that penance is called taamasic.

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|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||

॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 17.19॥



_मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः ।_

_परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्॥_



भावार्थ :

जो तप मूर्खतावश अपने सुख के लिये दूसरों को कष्ट पहुँचाने की इच्छा से अथवा दूसरों के विनाश की कामना से प्रयत्न-पूर्वक किया जाता है, उसे तामसी (तमोगुणी) तप कहा जाता है। (१९)



Meaning:

That which is performed out of a foolish notion, causing pain to oneself, or for ruining others, that penance is called taamasic.



Explanation:

The story of a any captured terrorist is all too familiar. At some point in their life, they start holding on to an idea or a notion which ends up becoming their mission in life. They then spend a long time, sometime years, learning all kinds of tactics and techniques that are usually reserved for the military. Eventually, they carry out their mission, in which a great deal of harm is caused to others, and to themselves as well. Either they get captured or they harm themselves in the process.

Shri Krishna describes taamasic penance in this shloka. He says that penance based on a foolish notion, a misconception or an infatuation comes out of the minds of taamasic individuals. The end goal of such penance is to cause great harm to others or to oneself. We can always refer to the Puraanas for the fate of individuals who conduct severe penance just to bring about the downfall of someone else. So called “black magic” is also conducted for harming someone.

We may look at this and dismiss it, since it sounds so extreme and not applicable to our daily lives. But many of us sometimes perform actions with a malicious intent. Politics sometimes becomes a venue for one party to perform actions simply for bringing the other party down, and not for the welfare of the country. Similarly, many people run businesses based on a personal vendetta. For instance, a person fired from a business may join a competitor just to get back. Any action performed for bringing someone else down usually backfires.

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: Penance For Boosting Ego

That which is performed for praise, honour, worship and ostentation, that praise is called raajasic, is said to be of this world, and is unstable and temporary.

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|| जय श्री कृष्ण ||

॥ श्रीमद्‍भगवद्‍गीता ॥ 17.18॥



_सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्‌ ।_

_क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्॥_



भावार्थ :

जो तप आदर पाने की कामना से, सम्मान पाने की इच्छा से और पूजा कराने के लिये स्वयं को निश्चित रूप से कर्ता मानकर किया जाता है, उसे क्षणिक फल देने वाला राजसी (रजोगुणी) तप कहा जाता है। (१८)



Meaning:

That which is performed for praise, honour, worship and ostentation, that praise is called raajasic, is said to be of this world, and is unstable and temporary.



Explanation:

The Puraanaas are filled with stories of all kinds of demons who performed extremely severe penance and austerities. It is said that Raavana chopped off each of his ten heads until Lord Shiva granted him a boon. Hiranyakashipu performed such severe penance that his entire flesh dropped off and only his bones remained. However, none of these demons desired self-realization or liberation as the outcome of their penance. They wanted some boon, some power such that they could vanquish their enemies.

Shri Krishna says that whenever we conserve our energy and put in a lot of effort towards any material goal, any goal which is "of this world", such type of penance will be called raajasic. This penance could be for boosting our ego, in other words, for praise, honour, worship or for showing off. People spend years working extremely hard so that they can buy a fancy house or a car that can be shown off. Dictators do everything they can to ensure that people fall at their feet and worship them.

Ultimately, any effort that is expended towards an earthly goal will be temporary. A simple illustration to explain this notion is that of a ball thrown by a person in the air. No matter how hard the throw is, the ball will eventually fall down and stop moving. Furthermore, any result that we see in the world is also unstable. Several people go on crash diets that, in addition to giving temporary results, may actually harm the body. Any result in the material world is subject to the laws of Prakriti, to the three gunaas themselves, which are inherently unstable.

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: Sattvic Penance

This threefold penance, performed by balanced people with supreme faith, without expectation of reward, is called sattvic.

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 ॥ 17.17॥



_श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः ।_

_अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते॥_



भावार्थ :

पूर्ण श्रद्धा से युक्त होकर मनुष्यों द्वारा बिना किसी फल की इच्छा से उपर्युक्त तीनों प्रकार से जो तप किया जाता है उसे सात्विक (सतोगुणी) तप कहा जाता है। (१७)



Meaning:

This threefold penance, performed by balanced people with supreme faith, without expectation of reward, is called sattvic.



Explanation:

So far, we saw that tapas or penance comprises three aspects. Bodily or shaaririka tapas, speech or vaangmaya tapas, and mental or maanasika tapas. Tapas is used to conserve and channel our energy in the pursuit of a goal or objective, whether it be material or spiritual. Shri Krishna now describes three types of tapas, and how they can be used to assess the texture of our faith. He first describes the conditions under which penance is revealed to be sattvic.

The unique nature of sattvic tapas is that it is performed in the pursuit of the highest possible goal, which is self realization. It is not performed for any material gain, or the pursuit of physical or mental powers. Furthermore, it is performed with the utmost faith in the statements of the scriptures. Shri Krishna uses the word naraha or human in this shloka, and not in the shlokas that described the other two types of penance. He implies that only humans have the ability to perform penance without expectation of material gain.

Who has the ability to perform this highest level of penance, this sattvic penance? It is one who is yukta, one who has integrated his mind with his intellect, one who can remain balanced in success and failure. Only such a person is able to incorporate all the three aspects of penance, physical, mental and speech, referred in the shloka as three fold. Even if one of these is missing, the tapas loses its sattvic aspects. Mental penance is the toughest of all the three, since it is hardest to conquer the mind.

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: Penance Of Mind.

Mental cheerfulness, kindness, silence, self-control, purity of intent, this is called penance of the mind.

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 ॥ 17.16॥



_मनः प्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः ।_

_भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते॥_



भावार्थ :

मन में संतुष्टि का भाव, सभी प्राणीयों के प्रति आदर का भाव, केवल ईश्वरीय चिन्तन का भाव, मन को आत्मा में स्थिर करने का भाव और सभी प्रकार से मन को शुद्ध करना, मन सम्बन्धी तप कहा जाता है। (१६)



Meaning:

Mental cheerfulness, kindness, silence, self-control, purity of intent, this is called penance of the mind.



Explanation:

So far, we came across the qualities needed for penance of the body and speech. Shri Krishna now lists the qualities that indicate penance of mind, maanasika tapas. He begins with prasaadaha, a cheerful, joyful attitude towards situations in life. It comes from maintaining our balance and composure in troublesome as well as in happy situations. Saumyatvam refers to developing a gentleness and gracefulness when dealing with people. It requires us to remain free from negative attitudes towards people that manifest as jealousy, violence, cruelty and so on.

The next quality is maunam. Literally, maunam mean silence, but here it means silence that comes out of contemplation. Now, we cannot stop negative thoughts from arising in our mind, but we can always control how much time and attention we give to such thoughts. Whenever such negative thoughts arise, we have to be able to switch to a positive thought immediately. Doing so requires high levels of self control or aatma vinigrahaha, also known as shamaha. If we do not learn how to do this, the mind will hold onto a negative thought and get swept away in a mental whirlpool of negativity.

When we constantly maintain all the above mentioned qualities, our mind will automatically begin to harbour good intentions, even against so-called evil people and tough situations. The key to do this comes back to our outlook towards the world. We need to do one of two things. If we have faith in Ishvara, we need to surrender to him and reduce our dependence on the perishable material world. Alternatively, we treat the entire world as mithyaa, as an illusion, and negate everything in it. As long as we give absolute reality to the world, mental penance is next to impossible.

Now, many of us have an urge to say something when we are by ourselves. Here, Shri Krishna suggests that we recite scriptures daily, like chanting the second chapter of the Gita, for instance. Doing so satisfies our urge of speaking, and also forces the mind to contemplate the Gita teaching rather than stray here and there. In fact, it becomes a form of meditation as well. Once we memorize the shlokas, we can contemplate upon them whenever we want, without having to rely on a book.

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 ||