Gita 7–9: The Gyana Vigyana & Akshara Yoga
Some notes and introspections on Chapters 7, 8 & 9 from Gita —On the non discriminating nature of the elements, Prakruthi & Purusha.. unfolding and folding of creation..
Chapter 7 -Gyana Vigyana Yoga
When life throws challenges onto us, it can be turning points for introspection. Only when there is hunger there can be appetite for food. So is the spiritual hunger. Like the flute or the veena, our human existence is an instrument for the experience. Without generating noise ourself, it is an oppurtunity for the divine to unfold music into us. And hence oppurtunity to evolve through Vishaada..
मयि आसक्त-मनाः.. मत् आश्रयः
“O Partha! Listen, I shall tell you in full detail about my self. Absorb your mind into me and take ashraya and union with me. I shall reveal the complete knowledge and its application knowing which there is nothing more to be known. A very few people have succeeded in knowing this.”
“My eightfold lower prakruthi is made up of the 5 pancha bhutas and the mano-budd-ahankara. When the higher and lower natures unite, there is jeeva flowing and uphlding the world.”
“I am the water element providing taste to all food. I am the sound that propogates in the space. I am the light of the sun and the moon that illuminates the vision. I am the heat that fuels the sheeta ushna experiences. I am the smell.”
“ I am the seed of all beings and free from likes and dislikes. The virility, buddhi and bravery in all the men, the dharma aviruddha kaama of procreation.. The 3 natures of rajas tamas sattva are from me. Bewildered in the net of gunas, the world does not know my avyaya imperishable self.”
The eight elements take various combinations and we develop raaga dweshas. Some sounds feel like music. Some objects look desirable. The underlying mesh of prakruthi carring the message to our senses are non discriminating. Pure knowledge is NirVishesh..Perhaps no syntax and form. Only Silence..
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते
The more we are lost with raaga dwesha senses, we are drift away from mind.. the more we are lost with kaama krodha, we are away from Buddhi.. the more we operate on logic, we are lost from our self..
“Leave all this bewilderment and surrender to me..” senses to the mind.. mind to the intellect and the restless questioning intellect surrender to the self..
आर्तः जिज्ञासुः अर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ
“4 kind of people who seek me..Those who are sad and desperate in Vishada, those who are curious, those who seek well being and the great Gyaani.”
Perhaps we have to identify where we are among the 4. Arjuna was initially in Vishaada and then he became curious and asked for his shreyas and well being to Krishna. Only hunger can cause appetite in spiritual Journey. Sorrow leads one to look antarmukh instead of bahirmukh. Shankaracharya says jigyaasa is he who has antah karan shuddhi.. bahirmukh to antarmukh. There has to be purity and cleansing from inside.
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम्
“The gyaani is in constant union with the divine. He is indeed noble and very rare.”
In the physical world, we use multitude of lens, nets and filters to make meaning and impression of life.. The very rare durlabh and noble generous gyaani sees the maayavi colourful samsaara dissolving into the 8 elements, the jeeva, the 3 gunas and further sees Vasudeva alone everywhere..
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति
“Men are robbed by desires and pray to the gods according to their nature. What ever form tanum they desire to worship with shraddha and faith, I help them in their endeavour. And they achieve short term results and fruits through me.”
“The Gyaani takes refuge in me alone.”
Shraddha is sprouting of truth from within. shrat + dhar.. In Katopanishad, Nachiketha sees his father donate old cows in a yajna and has realization of the truth — “shraddhA Avivesha”
He who is lost in the spell of the physical world is Adhibhautika.. He who sees the divinity Adhidaivika and he who attempts to discover his self is Adhyatmika..
नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः
“I am not revealed easily to everyone due to the coverings of the maya. I am unborn and inexhaustible.”
Keep yourself clean from inside if you want God to reside there. God does not have hands or legs or voice or eyes. Allow him to use your body mind and shine out divinity through you.
ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः
“Free from duality, the gyaani celebrates me with full determination. He is freed from the cluthes of old age and death. He has knowledge of Brahma, adhyatma, adhidaiva, adhibhuta, adhiyagna. He remembers me constantly and even at the time of departure from this physical body.”
The lord reveals the Gyaan and Vigyaan that can be applied in day to day life. When ever life throws challenges, reestablish your self by connecting to the self. Taking Vishada and Jigyaasa and every obstacle as a means of evolution and reestablishing in self.. Allowing divinity to flow through this body..
And till the last breath being of serenity and Prasaada.. Sanatha Sujatha tells Drutharashtra “We become what we think in our minds in the last moment.. At the time of departing, think of the lord”.. Perhaps the blue print of the mind will be carried on..
Chapter 8-Akshara Brahma Yoga
Arjuna asks the meanings for the technical terms used previously.. Brahma, Adyatma, Karma, Adhibhuta, Adhidaivam, Aadhiyagna. How to get merged at the time of leaving?
“Brahma is the param akshara.. The infinite and absolute. Our swabhava is adyatma.. bhuta bhava udbhava and creative force visarga is karma that brings things to different states..”
“The finite body is the adhibhuta.. The divine jeeva is adhidaiva.. I am the lord of the yagna happening in the body.. I am the adhiyagna sacrifice in your body..”
मामनुस्मर युध्य च
“At all times remember me and fight like a warrior. Submit your Mano Buddhi thoughts and questions and take refuge in me..
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना Integrating our actions and knowledge through practise so that one is tethered to self and has a divine union. Don’t create impressions. Keep correcting your self.. With this abyaasa yoga and unwavering thoughts, you shall be absorbed into the param purusha..Partha Anu chintayan.. keep thinking on the infinite..”
“I am the ancient poet and scholar, the governer sustainer of this world.. subtler than subtle, unthinkable and beyond sunlight and darkness that enables vision and senses..”
One should lead a life like in the war footings.. Very agilant and skillful. Let the questions, thoughts and noise of the mind dissolve into the ocean of silence in the mind.
Eyes can look at everything except itself. Mind can easily think of everything except its source. Once it starts thinking of its infinite source, it is quietened.. Our thoughts give shape to the ice. When we calm our thoughts, the mind merges with the infinity and the ice becomes one with the thoughts.
Our world is the sum total of the projections made in our mind. The aditya and tamaas that illuminate the objects.. the sounds that trickle through the ear.
In the canvas of the mind ..regulate the flow of the air, churn the sheetoshna, balance the visuals and merge the mind to the completeness.. (Shwethashwa UP)
यः ओम् इति एक-अक्षरम् ब्रह्म
“At the time of departure, get absorbed in me. One becomes what we wants. With unwavering mind focusing breath between the eyebrows.. all doors of senses closed.. remembers me throught the non discriminating OM.. he attains the supreme Purusha..”
We are what we think.. We need to make the choice of being happy or sad. We should be calm quiet and live dynamically like in war front.. Live every moment like a spiritual experience and be free from likes and dislikes.
anya chetasa.. Not thinking of the world.. Thinking of self, he is freed from bondage of asaswatha dukhalaya and rebirth.
सहस्र-युग-पर्यन्तम्
Life folds and unfolds.. manifests and unmanifests across dreams and wakefulness.. from days to different planetary realms to yugas etc.. There is constant creation and dissolution.. Everything in the screen of our chetana.. Finally the chetana looses the stringing capacity we merge with our self and starts all over from the beginning..
परः तस्मात् तु भावः when all dissolve.. this constant remains.. तत् धाम परमम् मम.. discover your ultimate destination..
2 types of departures. Shanmasha uttarayan.. agnirjyothir.. Not clear..
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु च एव Vedas preach about the karma and upasana for short term benifits. A Yogi discovers the ultimate truth. He is the the substratum holding the universe. तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन Always be connected. Live life like a Leela .. like a drama in the cosmic stage..
Chapter 9 — Raja Vidhya Raja Guhya Yoga
“I shall reveal the absolute supreme knowledge that shall bring liberation from suffering. This Secret Knowledge is pure.. directly cognisable.. within the framework of dharma, it is simple and unexhaustible .”
pavithram pratyaksham dharmyam sasukham avyayam.. Like the Para Vidhya of Mundaka Upanishad.. the absolute and not the relative knowledge..
“In my unmanifested form, I uphold the Universe.. All the beings are in me and I am not in them. Like the mighty wind that rests in the space.. all the beings rest in me.”
Just like the space supports the 5 elements.. but the 5 elements cannot touch or influence the space, all the beings are supported by the Lord. Nainam chindanthi Shastrani.. Nainam dahathi Pavaka..
“And yet.. all the creations are not in me.. I am the creator, maintainer and exist everywhere.. Behold my opulence Yoga Aishwaryam. ”
The waves have a form, struggle, life and death.. Water does not.. Our Self is beyond the material domain of age gender and size.. Perhaps that is the meaning of the above paradox.. the material creations are not in me..
“This material world living and non living is in my control.. I create and dissolve.. Srijami Visrujam..And I am untouched by the doership..”
The Supreme Being is unattached just like a mirror that reflects every kind of object.. just like the sun that illuminates every kind of object.. just like a parent walking a scared child in the hallway of dark rooms.. just like the eye that sees every kind of object.. udaseenavat aasena asakta.. Sharanam suhrut..friend to all
Everything is a play of creation and destruction.. Day and Night.. Different type of roles we assume, different waking states.. In day time we are the practical Vyavaharik purush.. In sleep the Swapna purush.. When in trouble, we tune and become the Paramarthi purush..
Just like the Vyavaharik purush is not bewildered by the dreams of the swapna purush.. The Paramarthi purush is not bewildered by the troubles faced by the Vyavaharik purush
“The Prabhava pralaya is from me..The different roles of mother father from me.. All laws of Nature are governed by me. I vaporize the water from ocean and deliver as rain..I take and give.. birth and death of waves..name and forms”
“The world chara achara moving non moving runs in my presidency. The foolish people do not realise that I reside right in their heart. The rakshasi and the asuri deluded people chase the material world.. The mahatmas chase the higher tastes and goals.”
These lines give so much of bhava to the Vishnusahasranamam and Lalithasahasranamam.. The beautiful attributes song in the creator’s glory are explained so well in Gita..
“People worship me in many pathways..pruthak pruthak.. Gyana Bhakthi Chanting Upasana.. Those who chase the vedas and phala shruthis have fleeting happiness. Kshine Punye.. Once merit exhausted they return back.. Those who are continuously in tune with me I take care of them.. Ananya chintosmi..yogakshemam vahamyamam”
For those who are stuck in karma kaand of paapa punya, Swarga is like delight of indriya… temporarily goto indralok..eat sweets.. enjoy.. Once the merit is done, back to martya lok.. Bhog me gulam.. tyaag me Anand..
“Those who pray the devas will reach the devas.. those who pray the ancestors will reach the ancestors.. those who pray the bhuta will reach the bhutas and those who seek me will reach me.”
“Those who pray other Gods also pray to me.. but not in the proper method”
Just like watering a tree takes care of the leaves and roots and branches.. So is the pure eternal worship without any desire.
“Even a leaf..flower..water served with love shall suffice. All that you do..eat..offer should be done to me..”
The material offering perhaps is just a method of meditation and contemplation.. In upasana, even the chanting of the name brings happiness. There are different kinds of relations around love.. Adhar to elders.. dosthi with same age.. vatsalya to youngers and udaseena indifference to the trouble makers.. When things included in us, we don’t hate it.. even be it urine stool inside our bladder and intestines.. Once not part of us we dislike it.. Even beautiful nails when not part of us is discarded.. Include everyone in you and love them as you..
Yat karoshi ashnoshi juhvoshi dadasi tapasyasi.. What ever you do eat offer give and meditate.. do it as upasana arpana to me..
Free yourself from the mighty karma bandana by sanyaas of shub ashub.. I look at the whole world with the same compassion.. sammoham sarva bhuteshu.. He who connects to me with Bhakthi, I also reciprocate..
Every action of ours should be used in establishing the path, expanding compassion and antahkaran shuddhi.. Make place for the divine by raising beyond the dualities. Be nirvishesh like water and adapt.. Do not be rigid like Ice..
Even bad people, stri, vaishya, shudra can attain once they are determined. And ever easy for the Brahman and kshatriya..
Stri is Sat Tam Raj.. Mix of all and outward in nature like Prakruthi.. Vaishya is always counting his returns. Shudra is limited kind of a person.. Brahman is he who has sattwa and vairagya tendencies.. This division is perhaps based on aptitude and Guna Karma..In c4, Krishna said that this knowledge was once with the rajarishis.. It is interesting to note that the kings of that time were endowed with cosmic and spiritual intelligence..
Example of Transformation -A famous well established and grumpy cardiologist in his old age has a massive heart attack. After the medical procedures, he is in the path of recovery.
On request from his friends, Swamiji meets the old man. The old man is grumpy as usual. He tells the swamiji.. I do not believe all this. Tell me something which makes sense to me and can convince me..
Swamiji gives him a cold reply.. You don’t have to believe and certify.. Anyways.. There was a possibility of your death. Think of your life now as a bonus.. And one enjoys bonus and does not optimize and save for future..
Forget your past as a famous cardiologist… your achievements.. Your institution etc.. Leave your children and live in a farmhouse few months.. Do things like a child that you cherished otherwise.. I give you this book on Sad aschar.. You can read if you wish..
After a few months the family was very happy as he used to be grumpy bossy always and not at home now. The doctor also beamed with child like happiness and showed his produce to the Swamiji..
Dissolve in the lap of the mother..
Life is a brief vacation.. Enjoy it..
Listen to the poultry farm in you.. The voice of the mother, the wife, the engineer, the citizen.. The roles manifest unmanifest..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6WKeVO22fI
