In the beginning of Chapter 4, Lord Krishna talked about the glory of the Gita as vedasaarah and that He alone taught the Vedic wisdom in the beginning of creation and is teaching the same Vedic wisdom now, in the name of Gita.

Upon hearing this, Arjuna has a doubt due to the teacher being the same with a great gap in time. Lord Krishna introduces the topic of avatara to answer this question. He says “I am the original Vishnu who gave out the Vedic wisdom then, and that Vishnu is now in the form of Bhagavan Krishna”. Not only is the Lord teaching now but he says I am aware of the fact that I am Bhagavan. I alone have taken all the janmas as Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, etc. I have now taken Krishna shariram. I know all my previous avataras, therefore I am Bhagavan Vishnu’s avatara.

Both the avatara and the jeeva-janma take a body. However, there are fundamental differences between the two in the Cause, Nature and Purpose.

The Cause: Jnaanam is the cause of Ishvara avatara. Ajnaanam is the cause of jeeva-janma.

The Nature: The Lord’s shariram is directly born out of maya. Jeeva’s body is not directly born out of maya but through the intermediary process of the five elements.

The Purpose: Jeeva arrives to exhaust his prarabhda punya-paapa. Ishvara arrives to uplift the world.

Lord Krishna points out these three differences. The third difference of purpose is in Verse 7.

श्रीमदभगवद्गीता

Chapter 4 Sloka 7

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ।।4.7।।

यदा यदा whenever  हि surely  धर्मस्य of righteousness  ग्लानिः decline  भवति is  भारत O Bharata  अभ्युत्थानम् rise  अधर्मस्य of unrighteousness  तदा then  आत्मानम् Myself  सृजामि manifest  अहम् I.

Whenever there is decline of righteousness, O Arjuna, and rise of unrighteousness, then I manifest Myself.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिः भवति whenever there is a decline in dharma. Dharma, as seen in Chapter 3, means cosmic harmony or rhythm. If you take the whole universe as a body, the cosmic orderliness is called cosmic health. At the cosmic level, if there is harmony, it is called dharma. And this harmony alone protects the universe. Dharma alone is the health of the world. It alone sustains the world. Once the orderliness is disturbed, the whole cosmos will be destroyed and we will not be able to survive. And if this inbuilt system doesn’t work, Bhagavan will have to interfere.

Krishna says here, as a sthiti karta of the universe, I will come. Not very often but यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिः whenever there is a declension of dharma. And naturally, अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य when the adharma, corruption increases. Then, अहम् आत्मानम् सृजामि I myself will consciously, deliberately, voluntarily, take the body.

श्रीमदभगवद्गीता

Chapter 4 Sloka 8

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे ।।4.8।।

परित्राणाय for the protection  साधूनाम् of the good  विनाशाय for the destruction  च and  दुष्कृताम् of the wicked  धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय for the establishment of righteousness  संभवामि (I) am born  युगे युगे in every age.

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age.

How will the Lord protect dharma and destroy adharma? Krishna says that dharma is protected by protecting the people who follow dharma. Therefore, Krishna says, साधूनाम् परित्राणाय – I take an avatara to protect the dhaarmic people. How is adharma destroyed? Only by destroying the people that are the cause of adharma.

We should note that the adhaarmic people can be destroyed in two ways.

One method is by converting them from adharma to dharma by sama, dana, bheda. When you convert a person from adharma to dharma without doing himsa, you have destroyed the adharmic person. The second is by destroying the adharmic person itself. Bhagavan tries this first, giving them sufficient opportunity to change. Krishna goes as a messenger to Duryodhana and suggests to compromise with the Pandavas but he refuses. This means that sama, dana and bheda have failed. Therefore, Krishna said तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत (from Chapter 2, Verse 18). Arjuna, destroy them!

Krishna says, दुष्कृताम् विनाशाय and धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय |

Bhagavan established dharma in a different way. A kshatriya and a brahmana can establish dharma, each in their own way. A kshatriya promotes the dhaarmic people and punishes the adhaarmic people. A brahmana sustains dharma by teaching which is the better form of promoting dharma. Punishment is only temporary and will not promote dharma permanently. The ultimate promotion of dharma is for a person to have value for dharma. To know the long term effects of violating dharma requires a sensitive mind. Sensitive mind is developed only by teaching not by advising. A kshatriya protects dharma by protecting the dharmic people and punishing the adhaarmic people. A brahmana protects dharma by teaching. Bhagavan’s avatara has done both. Krishna protected dhaarmic people like Dharmaputra and destroyed adhaarmic people like Duryodhana. This was Krishna’s kshatriya job. Then he taught Gita, or taught dharma. This is why he said धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय | This is the reason that among the 10 avataras, Rama avatara and Krishna avatara are considered the most important ones. Teaching dharma is involved only in these two avataras. Rama taught by living dharma and Krishna, by teaching dharma. Ramayana is Rama ayanam means the way of life led by Rama.

संभवामि I am born or take avatara. युगे युगे every yuga or every time it is required.

श्रीमदभगवद्गीता

Chapter 4 Sloka 9

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ।।4.9।।

जन्म birth  कर्म action  च and  मे My  दिव्यम् divine  एवम् thus  यः who  वेत्ति knows  तत्त्वतः in true light  त्यक्त्वा having abandoned  देहम् the body  पुनः again  जन्म birth  नः not  एति gets  माम् to Me  एति comes  सः he  अर्जुन O Arjuna.

He who thus know, in their true light, My divine birth and action, having abandoned the body, is not born again, he comes to Me, O Arjuna.

In this verse, Krishna tells, knowing the nature of God also leads to liberation.

However, Krishna had mentioned that atmajnaanam is the means of liberation in Chapter 2, Verse 55. Which actually leads to liberation? Are there two paths? Is there a choice?

The scriptures have mentioned that there is only one means of liberation. Therefore, it must be that self-realization and God-realization are identical. Swamiji gives an example of a wave. When a wave knows its true nature, the realization is that it is water. The ocean’s true nature is also water.

Therefore, whether you talk about the true nature of the wave or the true nature of the ocean, the true nature is one alone; there is only one central truth. Similarly, whether you realize your true nature which is the self or whether you realize the true nature of God, you arrive at one “sat chit Ananda svaroopa”.

If a person says, I have realized the self but not God or vice versa; it means he knows neither God nor the self.

Krishna says in this verse, यः वेत्ति suppose a person knows or realizes, मे जन्म or understands the true nature of my avatara. The true nature is that Krishna shariram is not the real Krishna because Krishna shariram is subject to arrival and departure.

Real Krishna is, as we saw in Verse 6:

अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् |

प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया || 6||

Real Krishna is अजः (birth less), अव्ययात्मा (imperishable) real Krishna is free from birth and death; whereas Krishna shariram is subject to arrival and departure.

What is the real Krishna? Not the shariram but the Krishna Paramaatma behind the body. The one who knows this fact, and दिव्यम् कर्म the one who knows Bhagavan’s sports (the divine sport is परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् from Chapter 4, Verse 8); the one who really understands the Lord, तत्त्वतः means in His true nature….. त्यक्त्वा देहम् पुनः जन्म नः एति that person does not take a body again after death; he will attain liberation.  So, the knowledge of the real Krishna will lead to liberation. What is liberation? सः माम् एति he will become one with Me. After death, he will have ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं or ईश्वर ऐक्यम् |

श्रीमदभगवद्गीता

Chapter 4 Sloka 10

वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः ।
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः ।।4.10।।

वीतरागभयक्रोधाः freed from attachment  fear and anger  मन्मयाः absorbed in Me  माम् Me  उपाश्रिताः taking refuge in  बहवः many  ज्ञानतपसा by the fire of knowledge  पूताः purified  मद्भावम् My Being  आगताः have attained.

Freed from attachment, fear and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of knowledge, many have attained to My Being.

Realization of God has two stages.

First it is the realization of the Lord with a form.

The next is the realization of the Lord without a form.

This topic will be elaborated from Chapter 7 onwards.

The realization of the Lord with a form is in two stages.

One is appreciating the Lord with one form, as Rama or as Krishna or as Devi. We should all start with this for emotional health. Talk to God privately, as your confidante. The more you build this relationship, the more the Lord will become real. Then expand it further into realizing Bhagavan as One with the whole universe as his form. The final stage is the formless Ishvara. Every one has to go through these three stages, as they mature in their understanding.

The stages a seeker goes through is described in this sloka.

वीतरागभयक्रोधाः the first stage is to have realization of God in form and follow karma yoga by dedicating all your duties to the Lord and by accepting all situations as Ishvara prasada. The first stage is to surrender to Ishvara and converting the life into worship. By following a karma yoga way of life, we will purify the mind. This will result in getting rid of certain unhealthy ways of thinking. The mental impurities are of raga, bhaya and krodha. Raga is attachment. The attachment will gradually be shifted from the risky and fluid world to the permanently and secure God. The second stage is going from world dependence to God dependence. The raga or attachment to the world has shifted to attachment to Bhagavan. Then Bhagavan dependence will be converted into self-dependence. From world dependence to God dependence to self-dependence – where you discover the Bhagavan as the very self. When raga comes down, bhayam also comes down because fear is directly proportional to the attachment. Then krodha also will come down.

I, the atma becomes ahangara because of ignorance.  I become temporarily localized I, known as ahangara and this is the first product of ignorance.  This is the foundation for space, time and plurality and this is alone is the cause of samsara.

Space is the first tyranny.  Because of space alone I feel localized and distanced and struggle to reach people and places.  In sleep, there is no space or distance and there is not necessary for travel.

Second tyranny is time.  I want to complete my duties before die. Worry of old age, decease and ultimate death is all because of time.

Division is the third tyranny.  Division causes raga, dwesha and asuya.  Asuya is pain caused by comparison.  Comparison caused by duality or plurality.

Samsara is caused by space, time and division.  These three are possible because of ahangara foundation and ahangara is caused by ignorance and ignorance is resting on atma.  Ahangara itself is caused by identifying I with the body.

There are two types of I:

1. The original I, the consciousness, this is atma.
2. Second I is the limited by body or anatma.  Bagawan also falls into body but we call it avatara meaning it is a deliberate ahangara role Bagawan chooses to play.  Avataras are vyvaharika lela which is mithya.  If you start identifying with ahangara, the kala leela starts.  This is the beginning of samsara and fighting against old age, death, decay etc. Solution is to tackle the foundation, which is ahangara.  In Jagra and swapna vastha, there is time, space and duality tyranny.  In deep sleep the ahangara is temporarily suspended and there is not time space duality.

First stage is knowing the cause of samsara which is ahangara.

Second stage is to find the cause of ahangara.  Cause of ahangara is the notion that I am the body.  Remove the false notion by right knowledge.  I am not the mind or body or sense organs.  This knowledge is the only solution.

We don’t exist in any particular time and space; We, the original atma, exist everywhere; in fact, space itself exist in me. Never trace outward.

Verse 19

In the state of oneself being the body, the Wise Man and ignorant man are the same.  For one, in the heart, in the body, the Self is lit up, full, encompassing the body and the world.  For the other the Self is measurable only as the body.

Experience of the body requires a medium, e.g., sense organs.  But sense organs can only sense some of the experiences.  I can feel the experiences of my body but I can’t feel another body’s pain.

Intimate experience of a particular body is (devatma baga) common to gyani and agyani.  The confusion we may have for example, whether gyani will feel hungry and whether gyani will feel the huger of everyone else.  Ramana Maharishi says gyani will continue to have biological experiences.  With regard to biological experiences, gyanam will not make any experience.  A gyani has to go through prarabtha karma; he may avoid further agami karma or future rebirth’s sanjitha karma.

One may hear that gyani does not have devatma baga and may conclude that gyani will not have biological experience.  This is a misconception.  Vedanta is not solution for biological pains, but is a solution for psychological pain, which is caused by samsara.  Sorrow, the emotional pain, which is response to biological pain, is not experienced to have the emotional pain.  Gyani is similar in that respect and does not have emotional pain as a response to biological pain.

Based on the sunrise, biological experience, we may conclude that the earth is in the middle and the sun is traveling around earth.  Based on science, we know now that the sun is not moving around the earth, but the sun rise and sun set is caused by the earth spinning.  After this intellectual knowledge, the experience of sunrise and sunset does not change, but the conclusion is changed.  In the same way, the biological experiences will continue, but the wrong conclusion that I am the body will change for a gyani.  Vedanta is not meant to give you an experience change but a cognitive change or knowledge based change.

Gyani says I am not the body, but I am the consciousness in the body, consciousness in the mind and the consciousness in the sense organs.  I am not only the consciousness, I remain pervading my own body and the whole universe.  But biologically I experience only this localized body.  This statement can take place only in a body.  All pervasiveness can never be experienced, but can only be understood. You can never experience limitlessness as it is contradictory term because when you become an experiencer, you are localized and limited.

When I say the I is the cause of all problem, that I represents the ahangara.  “I am the cause of all problem” or “the I is the cause of all problem” are different.  The HE and The You are dependent on The I.  Second and third person are dependent on first person, that is the finite ahangara I.  As long as I exist as ahangara, I am susceptible to the second and third person.  The Aham in Aham Brahma Asmi, is not first person, not second person and not third person, but it is the person or purushaha.  Ahangara is needed to teach Brahma Gyanam  Gyani contiues to have ahangara, but it is seen as mithya or vyavahariha sathyam.

How do you falsify ahangara or rope snake?  For rope snake the adhishtanam is rope similarly for ahangara adhishtanam is sathyam.  Ahangara is vyavarika sathyam and not paramarthika sathyam.  The false notion that there is a third person, the false notion that there is a first person and the false notion that there is a second person is the notion of division.  This notion of division goes away for a gyani but the experience of the notion will continue.  Experience of stationary earth does not displace the knowledge that the earth keeps moving.  Similarly the gyani goes through many experiences but does not let that displace his brahma gyanam.

Verse 17

The past and the future are, in their own time, the present.  Giving up the truth of that present, will not discussion on the past and the future be laughable, like counting without the number one in the world?

So far Ramana Maharishi has been discussing spacial division.  In this version, he is discussing time division.

Spacial division is horizontal division; time division is vertical division.

Kala division or time division is also mithya and is caused by Ahangara.  The very idea of three division of time is myth.  There is no thing called past existing outside.  Yesterday is the past which does not exist today, but it did exist yesterday.  When yesterday existed outside yesterday, it was not called yesterday.  You only experience as a series of today.  What is outside is today and today only.  Similarly when you experience tomorrow, it is experienced only as today.  So tomorrow does not exist outside.  Yesterday is only a name for your memory and tomorrow is only a name for your projection.  When you say past is hurting, it is not that past that is hurting, it is the memory that is hurting you.  Memory exists in the past or present?  Memory regarding the past exist in the present.  What hurts is not future but the thought of the future that hurts you.  The future thought exist in the present.  So you only have memories and projections and not past and future.

Past and future exist as present in their own time.  Present alone exist.  If you want to analyze time, you have to analyze past, present and future.  Since there is no past and future, you have to analyze only present.  Every present has its own time line.  For example, for a day, 24 hours are not present.  Only one of those hour can be present.  Others are past or future.  Similarly the hour itself is made up of past, present and future.  Only one minute is present.  Not the entire minute is present, only part of it is present.  What is a point is a mystery in mathematics and similarly what is present is a mystery in vedanta; it is apparent notion caused by ahangara.  The timeless  consciousness is localized as finite present because of the ahangara, which is caused by deha abimana.  The truth of kala thrayam is ahangara and the truth of hanagara is atma.  Atma appears as desa thrayam and atma appears as kala thrayam.

Trying to understand time without understanding atma is like trying to understand the number without knowing the number one.

In Chapter 2, Krishna gave a gist of Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga.

In Chapter 3, Karma Yoga was elaborated.

In Chapters 4 and 5, Jnana Yoga is elaborated.

The 4^th Chapter is the “jnana yoga pradhana”. There is a small diversion in the first 8 verses before diving into jnaana yoga. In the first three verses, Lord Krishna glorifies this knowledge consisting of Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga. The very essence of karma and jnana has already been taught in Veda at the beginning of the creation and this was received by Surya Bhagavan. This same wisdom is revived again in the name Gita. Veda was received by Surya Bhagavan and Gita is received by Arjuna. Therefore, it is an ancient and time-tested wisdom making it a reliable and a valid one.

Arjuna has a doubt about the timeline between creation and his current time. The times are different by few millennia, students are different yet the teacher is the same!

Krishna says in Chapter 4, Sloka 1:

इमम् विवस्वते योगम् प्रोक्तवान् अहम् अव्ययम् | (अहम् प्रोक्तवान्  I taught)

And now also, Chapter 4, Sloka 3:

सः एव अयम् मया ते अद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः | (मया प्रोक्तः taught by Me).

Arjuna asks “Your birth is recent but your initial student’s birth was too long ago. How can a recent person teach an ancient student?”

Krishna answers Arjuna from Verse 5 though Verse 8.

श्रीमदभगवद्गीता Chapter 4 Sloka 5

श्री भगवानुवाच
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ।।4.5।।

बहूनि may मे My व्यतीतानि have passed away जन्मानि births तव thy च and अर्जुन O Arjuna तानि them अहम् I वद know सर्वाणि all न not

त्वम् thou वेत्थ knowest परन्तप O Parantapa.

The Blessed Lord said Many births of Mine have passed as well as of thine, O Arjuna; I know them all but thou knowest not, O Parantapa (scorcher of foes).

Lord Krishna introduces the topic of avatara in his answer to Arjuna. The Lord’s incarnation is different from a human birth. Human birth is called janma but when the Lord appears in creation, it is called avatara. Krishna wants to point the differences between janma and avatara.

Swamiji elaborates on the topic of birth and incarnation before explaining Verse 5.

The differences between manushya janma and Ishvara avatara are:

Cause, Nature and Purpose

FIRST: the cause; at the cause level there is “kaaraNa bheda”.

In the case of the birth of a jeeva, it is caused by ignorance of the jeeva.

Because of ignorance, the jeeva has the problem of ahankaara (ego).

Because of ego, there is the problem of karma.

Because of karma, there is the problem of punyam and paapam.

Because of punyam and paapam, there is the janma.

The birth of a jeeva is due to ignorance, so we can call this as a “fall of a jeeva”.

In the case of Ishvara, His birth takes place never because of. It is because of His omniscience. Because of the knowledge alone, Bhagavan chooses to appear on Earth. This is knowledge and compassion based. Avatara means coming down out of compassion. There is a difference between falling into a well (helpless phenomenon) and going down the well. kaaraNa bheda is the first difference.

SECOND: the nature; svaroopam is different; “svaroopa bheda”.

Since jeeva-janma is because of ignorance, jeeva continues to be a samsaari. He is a bound person, born with sorrow. He is helpless, not a master of himself. Janma is samsaaraH.

Since Ishvara avatara is backed by knowledge, it is nitya mukta svaroopa or asamsaari.

Jeeva is samsaari while Avatara is asamsaari.

Another technical difference that Krishna points out is that all the bodies are made up of matter whether it is manushya shariram or avatara shariram. But the scriptures say that there is a difference between the two sharirams. The jeeva shariram is not directly born out of prakrti or maya. Jeeva shariram is indirectly born out of maya. Maya or prakriti gets converted into five elements called pancha bhutani and these five elements get converted into paancha bhoutika shariram. Thus maya does not directly produce the body (jeeva shariram) but it produces through the five elements alone. Jeeva shariram is called paancha bhoutika shariram. From maya to bhutaas to the physical body.

In the case of Ishvara avatara, the maya does not go through the intermediary stage of five elements. Maya directly gets converted into Ishvara avatara shariram. Avatara shariram is called mayika shariram. From maya to the physical body.

So the second difference is in the nature of jeeva shariram and avatara shariram.

Jeeva shariram is bound or samsaari shariram; paancha bhoutika shariram.

Avatara shariram is free or asamsaari shariram; mayika shariram.

This is the svaroopa bheda.

THIRD: the purpose; “karya” or “udheshya bheda”.

When a jeeva is born, it is purely to exhaust the punyam and paapam, which have been acquired in the past, called prarabdha.  The prarabdha has to be exhausted. Prarabdha punyam is exhausted through sukham and prarabdha paapam is exhausted through dukham. To experience pleasure and pain, we require the body medium. It is the prarabdha that determines the type of the body for exhausting punya-paapa. The very design of the body is for the purpose of punya-paapa exhaustion. The purpose of jeeva-janma is for the depletion of punyam and paapam.

What is the purpose of an avatara? Avatara is not ignorant, not a samsaari, and does not suffer from the problem of ego. Since there is no ego, there is no question of punyam or paapam. Therefore, Ishvara does not need to take an avatara to exhaust punya-paapa.

Krishna tells an avatara’s purpose in Chapter 4, Verse 8:

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् |

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे || 8||

To protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked, and to reestablish the principles of dharma I appear on this earth, age after age.

Ishvara Avatara’s purpose is for the protection of dharma and destruction of adharma by protecting the dhaarmic people and destroying the adhaarmic people. This is why the very nature of avatara shariram is designed for protecting the people and establishing dharma. The design is determined by the type of protection that is required. Before every avatara comes, there is a portion in the Puranas, where all the noble people pray to the Lord to save them from some rakshasa (Hiranyakashipu, Ravana, etc). Rama Avatara’s purpose was destruction of Ravana. The design of the body depends upon the situation.

Ravana’s peculiar boon is that he cannot be killed by anyone or anything, except he didn’t include humans, out of over-confidence. So, if Ravana had to be destroyed, Bhagavan’s avatara had to be human. Hence the design of the body is determined by the purpose of the avatara. When the atrocities were done by Hiranyakashipu, the design for the avatara had to fit the loop holes of his boon. He could not be killed by humans nor animals nor any weapons; and not during the day nor night. The avatara was Narasimha with sharp nails.

In summary: the difference between janma and avatara:

Cause: kaaraNa bheda – ajnaanam vs jnaanam

Nature: svaroopa bheda – samsaari vs asamsaari

Purpose: udheshya bheda – depletion of punya-paapa vs protection of dharma

Krishna tells in this sloka that since avatara is not restricted by ignorance, the avataras know the past, present and future. Krishna says that He knows all his previous incarnations. However, in the case of jeeva-janma, since ignorance limits the jeeva, the jeeva cannot know the past janmas.

How do you know if one is avatara or janma? We really don’t have a method of knowing. We accept one as avatara wherever there is scriptural support ie. Rama is an avatara as written in the scriptures. If it is not mentioned in the scriptures, we cannot prove is one is an avatara or janma. It then becomes our personal belief.

If you consider people with extraordinary powers to be an avatara; then rakshasas will also fall under this. Having extraordinary powers is not proof that this person is an avatara.

Limitations does not disprove avatara. Certain avataras showed limitations. For example, Rama, who is accepted as an avatara, had several natural limitations. It is one’s personal belief to accept someone as an avatara even with limitations and not accept someone with extraordinary powers as an avatara.

One consolation is that we do not need to know if one is an avatara or not for our spiritual growth. We need purity of mind! To attain purity of mind, worshipping any form of God is good enough.

The next thing required for spiritual growth is knowledge. This requires a Guru; who need not be an avatara. Even if an avatara has to bless, the blessing can be only by becoming a Guru. Krishna can never give moksha to Arjuna by any method other than by being his Guru.

Swamiji recites from Dhyana Slokas:

वसुदेव-सुतं देवं कंस-चाणूर-मर्दनम् |

देवकी-परमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ||

And

प्रपन्न पारिजाताय तोत्र वेत्रै कपाणये |

ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृत दुहे नम: ||

Therefore, for चित्त शुद्धि we don’t require an avatara. Nor for knowledge. There may or may not be an avatara right now. I may be willing to accept someone as an avatara. The important aspect is to purify, know and be free.

We all uniformly accept Krishna as an avatara. Krishna says, “Arjuna, I am an avatara, different from you. My cause of birth is knowledge, my nature is moksha, my purpose is परित्राणाय साधूनां (Chapter 4, Verse 8). This is the topic of avatara given in this portion.

With this background, let’s look at Verse 5.

Krishna says, Hey Arjuna, बहूनि जन्मानि व्यतीतानि | Many janmas have gone by तव for you. मे I have also taken many sharirams. The number of sharirams does not prove superiority. So what is the difference between you and me? अहम् तानि सर्वाणि वेद | I continue to be a free person; a सर्वज्ञः therefore I know all the past sharirams. What about you? त्वम् न वेत्थ | You do not know your past sharirams. परन्तप O Parantapa (Arjuna).

श्रीमदभगवद्गीता Chapter 4 Sloka 6

अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय संभवाम्यात्ममायया ।।4.6।।
अजः unborn  अपि also  सन् being  अव्ययात्मा of imperishable nature  भूतानाम् of beings  ईश्वरः the Lord  अपि also  सन् being  प्रकृतिम् Nature  स्वाम् My own  अधिष्ठाय governing  संभवामि come into being  आत्ममायया by My own Maya.

Though I am unborn, of imperishable nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings, yet, governing My own Nature, I am born by My own Maya.

Krishna talks about the nature of the avatara.

अहं अजः | अहं अव्ययात्मा | अहं भूतानाम् ईश्वरः |

I know that I am birth less Brahman; I know my nature. I know I am birthless reality and this shariram is a simple वेष (assumed appearance) I have put on for a certain purpose. I know I am अजः meaning न जायते इति अजः (no birth). अव्ययात्मा I am of changeless nature, not subject to decay and death; जरा मरण वर्जितः (devoid of old age and death).

अजः means जन्म वर्जितः and अव्ययात्मा means जरा मरण वर्जितः | Not only am I free from birth and death, भूतानाम् ईश्वरः | I am the master of all living beings. I am not a limited entity but I am स्वतन्त्रः – I am the master. I have not helplessly come down to this world, I have chosen to come.

How do I manage to come down? प्रकृतिम् स्वाम् अधिष्ठाय – by keeping the prakriti, the matter, the material body under my control I am born. I am surrounded by matter; just as the jeeva also is surrounded by matter. The difference, however, is that I am the master of the matter whereas the jeeva is the slave of the matter (or shariram). Both the avatara (Bhagavan) and the jeeva are surrounded by the body-mind complex (प्रकृति) but Bhagavan is in control of the body-mind complex whereas the jeeva is controlled by the body-mind complex.

अहं संभवामि I take a body. How? आत्ममायया with the help of maya tattvam; by producing मायिक शरीरम् | This means that I don’t require the five elements. Instead from maya I can directly convert into the shariram. This is why Bhagavan does not require the regular process of creation. Even गर्भवास in case of Rama avatara is not the regular process. This is why it is said that the Lord entered into the garbha. In the case of Narasimha avatara, etc., there is no question of a father or mother. From where did the body come? They appear in full-fledged form. How is this possible? It is because of direct conversion of maya, otherwise called प्रकृति | Therefore, Krishna says आत्ममायया संभवामि | And when do I take an avatara? See Sloka 7.

श्रीमदभगवद्गीता Chapter 4 Sloka 7

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ।।4.7।।

यदा यदा whenever हि surely धर्मस्य of righteousness  ग्लानिः decline  भवति is  भारत O Bharata  अभ्युत्थानम् rise  अधर्मस्य of unrighteousness  तदा then  आत्मानम् Myself  सृजामि manifest  अहम् I.

Whenever there is decline of righteousness, O Arjuna, and rise of unrighteousness, then I manifest Myself.

The purpose of the avatara is explained in this verse.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिः | Whenever dharma declines, values decline. धर्मस्य ग्लानिः भवति | And अधर्मस्य अभ्युत्थानम् | whenever adharma increases, unrighteousness and corruption increases. तदा आत्मानम् सृजामि | Then, I create myself. I choose whenever it is required.

From a scientific viewpoint, the world can be compared to human body, a cosmic body. Like a body or an organism, it functions in harmony. Any harmonious system, will have its own intrinsic protection device. Our body has built in self protection. Suppose something enters your nostril, you sneeze automatically. The sneeze is involuntary; it is intrinsically built into the system. A natural system has natural protection. This faculty will not be operative all the time (like sneezing). यदा यदा हि whenever the system’s harmony is disturbed, the system itself produces an appropriate remedy. The universe is a cosmic system, the Bhagavan’s shariram, and whenever there is a disturbance, the world itself will find an appropriate method of defending the dharma. It will become active whenever it is required. The avatara is like the immunity system of the universe, the cosmic immunity system. Whenever it is required, an avatara will automatically happen.

In the first chapter of Geeta, Vyasa chariyar revealed the human problem of samsara in the form of raga (emotional depedents of external factors), sogaha (grief or sorrow) and moga (delusion or conflict or indiscriminate).  When Arjuna had this problem in the battlefield, he tried to solve this problem himself and was not successful and took the action of surrendering to the Lord.  Lord Krishna accepted the role of Guru

In the second chapter, Krishna took the approach that the self-knowledge is the only solution.  No other solution can solve the problem.  And therefore, Krishna tried to give the self-knowledge to Arjuna.  Geeta talks about many topics but Gaeta’s primary teaching is atma vidhya.  In this chapter, Krishna gives the entire range of sadhanas for this knowledge.  In this chapter, Krishna taught the two sadhanas:  Karma yoga and gyana yoga. Karma yoga is prescribed as a means of mental purity.  Krishna makes it clear that karma yoga can only give preparatory knowledge.  Gyana yoga involves self-inquiry through the scriptures under the guidance of a competent guru.  The second chapter is the summary of Geeta.

The third chapter is elaboration of karma yoga.  The fourth and fifth chapters are expansion of gyana yoga.

Krishna takes a small diversion initially to discuss two topics of chapter 4.  The two topics are and glorification of Geeta and avatara ragasyam. Krishna wants to emphasize that the teachings of Geeta are vedic teachings and are beginning-less.

Verse 1

The Lord said I imparted this eternal yaga to Lord Sun.  Lord Sun taught the same to Manu.  Manu taught it to Iksvaku.

I have given the same teaching in the form of Veda.  Krishna says Geeta is the new name for Veda.  I revealed this wisdom to Surya Bagawan.  This teaching can never go out of date.  It is relevant even now in the 20^th century.

Surya Bagawan taught this teaching to Manu.  Manu taught this to the King Ikshvaku.

Verse 2

Oh Arjuna!  The royal sages knew this which was thus traditionally handed down.  Due to long passage of time that yaga is lost in this world.

All the raja rishis (kings) knew this teaching.  Gradually people started losing interest in this teaching.  Therefore, Krishna is revising this teaching in the form of Geeta.

Verse 3

That very same ancient yoga in this which has been taught by Me to you now, because you are My friend and devotee.  This indeed is the highest secret.

Veda Purva teaches karma yoga and called karma kandam.  Veda Anta teahes gyana yoga and is called gyana kandam.   This is the oldest teachings.  Krishna chose Arjuna for this teaching, because Arjuna asked for it and because Arjuna is the friend of Krishna.

Self-knowledge is the greatest secret, because what we are searching for is within ourselves.  Therefore this wisdom is called uthama ragasiyam.

Verse 4

Arjuna asked:  Your birth is later.  The birth of Lord Sun is much earlier.  How am I to understand this statement of Yours that You have taught Lord Sun in the beginning of the creation?

Vedas are called sruthi because the Rishis heard internally; all other scriptures are called smirhti.

Arjuna says that I can understand that you are teaching me Geeta, but I can’t understand how you can also teaching Surya Bagawan at the time of creation, when we both are of the same age.  What is the secret of your contrary statement?  If you have taught Surya Bagawan, you can’t teach me  If you are teaching me, you can’t teach Surya Bagawan.  As an answer to this question, Krishna will discuss Avataras.

Swamiji’s gave a special talk on the new years day and the topic for this year was “Power of Prayer”.  Please click on the link below to listen to this special class:

Swamiji Talk on Power of Prayer

Verse 13

Can that be true knowledge when the knower does not know himself?  To one who knows oneself, the support of knowledge and the object of knowledge the two will vanish.

How para vidhya is different from apara vidhya?  How abatma vidhya is different than atma vidhya

Verse 14

Sleep is not knowledge.  Perception of objects is not knowledge.  In the knowledge as it is, one does not hold anything.  True knowledge is other than sleep and the perception of objects.  It is awareness alone, shining, not void.

Any wordy knowledge is a process in which the intellect grasps something.  Brahma vidhya is a knowledge in which the intellect does not grasp anything new.  So drop the idea of grasping something new as Brahman.  It may lead to the conclusion that Brahma vidhya is something where we don’t grasp anything, so it must be nithra or state of blankness or thoughtlessness.  But it is not a state of blankness or thoughtlessness.  If thoughtlessness is Brahma vidhya, then sleep will be Brahma vidhya.  Perception, knowing, objectification are also not Brahma vidhya and no perception, not knowing and not objectifying are also not Brahma Vidhya.   Then what is Brahma vidhya – it is chaithanyam or consciousness itself.

This creates more confusion in that everybody already has consciousness so everybody is already liberated and no need for sravana manana nidhidhyasanam.  Brahma vidhya is dropping the two fold misconception.  It is not a thoughtless state or it is not grasping something.  It is a state where thought arises which removes two misconceptions.  What is that thought that arises in the mind is aham brahma asmi.  At the time of brahma vidhya, I don’t have thoughtless mind, but I have an unique thought that I am aham brahma asmi. This thought removes the following two misconceptions:

1. I am jiva different from Brahman.
2. Brahman is an object to be grasped, but it is the very subject which grasps everything.

The thought that eliminates these two misconception is Brahma Vidhya.

Verse 15

The Consciousness that is the Self is the Truth.  The knowledge which is of various forms is entiher different nor can it exist without consciousness.  Here, in the world, can the various gold ornaments exist without gold?

One gold associated with different forms and names appear as ornaments.  In the same way, when consciousness is associated with any particular thought, the consciousness becomes particular knowledge.  General consciousness becomes particularized consciousness.  Pot outside enters my mind through sense organs, generating pot thought.  This is different than any other thought.  Before this thought entered the mind, the general consciousness was in the mind.  When I opened my eyes, I saw pot, creating pot thought and general consciousness became pot consciousness.  This pot consciousness is pot knowledge.  When turn my eyes to some other object, the pot knowledge disappears and replaced by the knowledge of that object.

Consciousness is called knowledge when it is associated with a thought.  Plurality does not belong to consciousness, it belongs to thoughts.  Every knowledge is consciousness associated with a relevant thought.  If you extend this principle, Brahma Vidhya is also a consciousness associated with the relevant thought “Aham Brahma Vidhya”.  Consciousness itself appears as manifold cognition.  Consciousness is one but cognition are many.  These cognition can never exist separate from consciousness, because consciousness alone is appearing as cognition.  Without consciousness, there is no knowledge of pot, ornament, wall etc.   Just as ornaments do not exist separate from gold.  Gold can exist without ornaments, but ornaments can’t exist without gold.  Consciousness can exist without cognition, but cognition can’t exist without consciousness.  Consciousness is sathyam and cognition are mithya.  Without real gold, ornaments exists?  Similarly without consciousness, the unreal cognition exist?  Brahma Vidhya is also a cognition, can it exist without consciousness.  We boldly says that is also mithya.  Brahman is sathyam, but Brahma vidhya is mithya.  But this mithya gyanam is enough to remove the mithya samsara. To remove dream thirst, it is enough if you have dream water and dream water alone remove dream thirst.  Similarly for mithya samsara, mithya gyanam and mithya gyanam alone is required.  Vyavahariga sathyam not paramarthika sathyam is required.

Verse 16

“That” and “thou” are based firmly “I”.  From the knowledge of their origin, when that “I”  has perished, for one without the notion of “that”, “thou” and “I”, that natural state of oneself that is shining, will emerge.

This thought is not generated by meditation but by guru sasthra pramanam.  Misconception dropping is brahma vidhya.  First misconception is that I am a  finite localized individual.  This misconception is ahangara creating individuality.  Once I create this first person ahangara, then second a’s and third person arrives.  The finite second person and finite third person arise because of finite first person called ahangara.  When gyani says aham, it denotes infinite first person and so there is not second or third person.  The word first person is not relevant to gyani.

In the second chapter Lord Krishna discussed karma yoga and gyana yoga, focusing more on gyana yoga.  Lord Krishna begins second chapter with gyana yoga and concludes the second chapter with sthira pragya.  In between the two, he discusses karma yoga and asks Arjuna to do his karma, which is to fight the Mahabaratha war.  Lord Krishna glorifies gyana yoga but asks Arjuna to do karma yoga.  Arjuna finds this unacceptable.

Introduction Verses 1 to 7

Arjuna asks should I follow Gyna Yoga or Karma Yoga.  If you consider Gyana Yoga is better, then why should I fight the war?  In answering this question, we should note the following points:

1. There is no choice between karma yoga and gyna yoga. It is apples to orange comparison.
2. Qualifications for gyana yoga can be obtained only through karma yoga. Qualifications are detachment, purity, maturity.  Many of us do not have these qualifications.
3. Moksha can be obtained only through gyana yoga.

Follow karma yoga to obtain qualifications; Use the qualification to acquire gyana yoga; Use Gyana yoga to obtain moksham.  All other yogas like japam, parayanam etc. are all part of karma yoga.  There are no other yogas other than karma yoga and gyana yoga.

Arjuna’s question was wrong; both yogas should be followed.  There is a choice regarding marga or life style; one can follow sanyasa asrama or gragasthasram; but both sanhyasi and grahastha should follow karma yoga and gyana yoga.

Which is better?  Grahasthasram or sanyasa asram?  Krishna is clear that grahasthasram is better for most people.

Karma Yoga Verses 8 to 20

In these verses, Krishna elaborately discusses Karma yoga.  Karma:  Proper action; Yoga:  Proper attitude.  So proper action with proper attitude is karma yoga.

Types of actions:

1. Satvic – Promotes the spiritual progress the most; Best action; beneficiaries are more; unselfish
2. Rajesic – Mediocre; promotes some spiritual growth; Beneficiaries are less; confined only to family; selfish actions.
3. Tamasic – Does not promote spiritual growth, but results in degradation of spiritual growth; Harmful action; worst action.  I get the benefits, but others get harmed.

Perform panca maha yagya to improve spiritual progress and become satvic.  The goal is to become samtvam by accepting all results as a eeswara prasada.

Reasons to follow Karma Yoga, in four different angles:

1. Follow karma yoga as the command of God; follow out of fear of god
2. Follow karma yoga as a sense of gratitude or yagyaha
3. Follow karma yoga as a purifier of kama and soga
4. Follow karma yoga as dharma by which cosmic harmony can be maintained.

Verse 20, second line to verse 29:  Duties of a Gyani

Gyani does not require any sadhana (karma yoga, gyana yoga etc.) because he already achieved the goal of gyanam.  But as long as he is in the society, he should follow karma yoga as a model to the society.  In this verse, Lord Krishna is indirectly advising all elderly people to be role models for rest of the society.

Verses 30 to 35:  Summarizes karma yoga; verse 30 is most important;

Krishna gives five-part process of Karma Yoga:

1. Make the Spiritual goal as the primary goal; all other goals are subservient to this goal.
2. Eeswara arpana buddhi: Dedicate all your actions to god so you don’t hate any of your duty
3. Eeswara prasadha budhhi: Be prepared for any future situations because future is not under your control.  You are not the only one responsible for your success.  Accept any result as Eeswara prasadham.
4. Nirmamaha: when success comes don’t claim total credit
5. Maintain mental poise/balance

Verses 36 to 43: Obstacles of karma yoga:

Arjuna asks Lord Krishna what are the obstacles of karma yoaga.

Lord Krishna answers Kama/krodha or raga dvesha; materialistic attractions;  Artha kama is important, but dharma moksha is also important.  But when artha kama becomes more important than dharma mokhsa, that becomes an obstacle.  There are two stages handle this obstacle:

First Stage:  handle in relative measures;

1. Dhamaha – Mastery of sense organs; don’t let anything enter your mind without control.
2. Shamaha – Discipline of mine and thought pattern. Undisciplined mind has a tendency to get attracted to anything.
3. Vivekaha – Discrimination; understanding that finite plus finite is always finite; insecurity plus insecurity is more insecurity. Understand that I am complete (poornatvam) with myself and I will not be full with any amount of acquisition.

Second Stage:  Obsolete solution is to discover fullness and security within myself.

All pairs of opposites and triads shine, taking the support of some entity.  When that is searched, all will get dropped.  To them who see the Truth, there is never any wavering.

The idea given in this verse is self-inquiry always means atma vichara, even though we can loosely describe it as ahangara vichara:

• Atma vichara will lead to atma gyanam
• Atma Gyanam will lead to destruction of atma agyanam
• Atma agyanam is all the errors committed regarding atma; Destruction of these errors is technically called adhyasa nasa.  These errors are called ahangara.  The false I, born out of ignorance of real I, is ahangara.

When the rope in front of me is not clearly known, there is rope ignorance.  Rope ignorance leads to snake.  The rope is the subtracturm of the snake.  You tackle the snake by inquiry into rope adhishtanam.  Never attack unreal always attack or inquire into the real adhishtanam.  Rope inquiry will lead to rope knowledge.  Rope knowledge will lead to rope ignorance destruction.  Rope ignorance destruction will lead to the destruction of snake knowledge.  In the place of rope, we have atma and in the place of snake we have ahangara.  Once ahangara is destroyed, all forms of dualities (subject and object) and thirupidies or triads (subject, object and instrument) are destroyed.  Thirupudi and dwandams are unreal and require an adhistanam or substratum, which is atma vasthu.

All dwandas or pair or subject object pairs are born out of ahangara.  All of them are supported by atma.  If these unreal dwandam or triads are to be destroyed, don’t attack the ahangara; attack the adhishtanam, the support which is atma.  No dream activity will remove the dream; you must wake up to destroy dream.  Similarly, to destroy ahangara, you need to get the knowledge of atma.  When knowledge comes, ignorance go away; when ignorance go away, all the unreal dvaida and triad get resolved.  This results in the establishing the adhishtanam, atma.

In this instance, Ramana Maharishi only talks about the significance of atma vichara and not the procedure for atma vichara.  Any pursuit requires employment of appropriate instrument for the pursuit of knowledge.  For example, to know the color of crow you need eyes.  Simple process of questioning will not generate knowledge.  For atma vichara, the regular instruments (mind and sense organs) are incapable, insufficient and irrelevant.  They are extrovert, turned outside.  The instrument of atma vichara is guru sasthra upadesa.  Inquiring to atma is exposing to traditional teaching or Vedanta vichara.  The procedure for atma vichara is vedanta sravana manana nidhidhyasanam.

Verse 12

If there is no ignorance, how does knowledge shine?  Without knowledge, does ignorance shine?  And whose are the two?  Thus, having inquired, abidance in the original nature is the knowledge of the Truth.

If darkness is the problem, light is the only solution.  Similarly, to remove ignorance (internal darkness), gyanam is the only solution.  Gyanam is a relative entity falling within duality, opposing ignorance and therefore gyanam is also mithya.  You can’t conceive of gyanam without the concept of ignorance and therefore knowledge and ignorance also come under Dvaidam.  Arrival of one displaces the other.  Initially we should pursue gyanam and destroy ignorance and after gaining gyanam we should disown gyanam because claiming gyanam is also a form of ahangara.  You should say I am the adhishtanam of gyanam and ignorance and different from both.  If knowledge, vidhya is also a mithya, why should I pursue it?  Vidhya mithya is required to remove avidhya mithya. Once avidya is removed, you should disown both.   It is like using soap to remove dirt.  You apply the soap to remove the dirt but after that you wash off the soap.  Similarly, to remove ignorance, you obtain knowledge.  But after removing the ignorance, you disown knowledge.

Both gyanam and agyanam are associated with ahangara and this is the real knowledge.  Gyana nishta is the availability of this knowledge, effortlessly.  We can recall our phone number, names etc. when needed, without any effort.  Gyana Nisha is the availability of gyanam effortlessly.

Verse 13

Can that be true knowledge when the knower does not know himself?  To one who knows oneself, the support of knowledge and the object of knowledge, the two will vanish.

Without understanding ourselves, we are trying to understand one anatma after another.  Without knowing about oneself, knowing about everything else is a fruitless pursuit.  Apara vidhya is as good as avidhya (ignorance).  Apara vidhya, without para vidhya is mithya.  Atma alone functions as a knower, without knowing that knower, all other knowledge is false.

Knowledge of anatma is not useful because:

1. It is knowledge of anatma and anatma being mithya and knowledge of a mithya will not be a great knowledge.
2. Anatama gyanam will not free the individual from the sense of limitation which is the problem of samsara.

Arjuna’s, asks in verse 32 what is the obstacle to the practice of Karma Yoga and ultimately Gyana Yoga?  Why is that many people are not able to follow karma yoga?  Lord Krishna’s answers that it is because of raga dwesha kama krodha or moha and delusion.  This is due to confusion regarding priority of life.  Artha and kama becomes more important than dharma and moksha.

Goals of humans are Artha, Kama, Dharma and Moksha or Wealth, Entertainment, values and spiritual freedom.  On one side, we have wealth and entertainment and the other side we have values and mokshas.  One who has clarity that moksha and dharma is more important is a viveki.  Kama is the main problem and krodha is only kama in a different form.  Struggling to complete myself with wealth, family etc. is kama.  Since obstructed kama is krodha, controlling kama is required.

Solution to Kama:

• Dhamaha:  Discipline of sense organs; filtering what enters mind through sense organs at every level
• Samaha:  Mental discipline; Discipline at mental level; unhealthy thoughts should be nipped in the bud, like how the enemies and diseases are nipped in the bud.  Unhealthy thoughts are like a terrorist or internal enemy and should be controlled.
• Vivekaha:  Discipline at intellectual level.  I, the finite thing, will remain a finite thing with the acquisition of any finite thing.  Security and fullness must be found in myself.  Mistaken I is the source of all sorrow.

Verse 42

They declare the sense organs to be superior to the sense objects.  The mind is superior to the intellect.  The intellect is indeed superior to the mind.  That which is superior to the intellect is indeed that Self.

These three-fold solutions are temporary and not a permanent solution.  Self-knowledge is the only permanent solution.  Desire is a symptom or expression of incompleteness.  It will go away only with poornatvam or the knowledge that I don’t lack anything and I don’t miss anything.

Dhayananda Saraswathi states that “converting everything around me into luxury is moksha”.  When things around me are necessities, it is samsara; when they luxury, it is moksha.

Paraha (superior) Atma signifies three:

1. Sukshma; subtle; a subtler thing is called superior.
2. Mohanthaha:  Ever pervading
3. Prathyaha:  Closer to you

A subtle thing (atma) controlling gross body etc.

• Sense organs are superior to sense object.  Because of the existence of sense objects are revealed by sense organs.
• Superior to sense organs is the mind because sense organs can function only with mind.  If the mind is not functioning properly, sense organs can’t function.
• Superior to mind is intellect.  Mind has two functions:  doubting and emotions.  Both can be controlled by knowledge or discriminating intellectual power. Gyani is the one who is not under the grip of emotion because he can control it; note that he does have emotion, but he knows how to control it.  This was very well explained in Katho Upanishad by comparing the body to a chariot, the sense organs to the horses, the mind to the charioteer.
• Atma is superior to intellect. Atma is the consciousness because of which I know the intellect. I the subject can’t be questioned, because only the subject makes the object aware.  That awareness is atma.

Verse 43

Oh Arjuna!  This knowing the Self which is beyond the intellect, and steadying the mind with the mind, conquer the elusive enemy which is in the form of desire.

The ultimate object is to know the chaithanyam or atma which is:

• Not a part or product of the body Atma
• Atma is independent of the body;
• Atma is limitless;
• Atma is eternal;
• Atma survives the fall of the body, but not available for transactions because there is no medium.

Atma is like light.  When light pervades the hand, you see the hand but not the light; but the light is there.  It is also there beyond the hand.  Similarly, atma is not only in your body but also extends beyond your body.  One should know this and own up to the fact that this formless consciousness is the real I.  The real transformation is the transcending the form, that I am the formless consciousness.  Body and mind are like the instruments I use to transact with the world.  By claiming the new identity, we should change our orientation from physical body to formless consciousness.  This new orientation if gyana nishta.  The physical body is limited, but I am not limited.

Gyana Nishta is internalizing this knowledge and ready availability of this knowledge at the time of difficulty.  This comes by dwelling on the teaching in any form – by teaching, writing, thinking, sharing etc.