Karika
# 30:

etaireṣo’pṛthagbhāvaiḥ
pṛthageveti lakṣitaḥ | 
evaṃ yo veda tattvena kalpayetso’viśaṅkitaḥ || 30 ||

30. This Ātman, though
non-separate from all these, appears, as it were, separate. One
who knows this truly imagines (interprets) (the meaning of the Vedas) without
hesitation.

Gaudapada gave an elaborate
list of various misconceptions of different philosophers; he says they commit
mistake of looking at reality as an object that is outside of us; they also
think the object has an independent reality; they also think that “ I” also has
an independent reality. Gaudapada says no object can have reality, as it is
dependent for its existence on the subject. So, he concludes that all these
objects are non-separate from Atma, just as dream world can’t have an existence
from Waker.

The
dreamer in dream looks upon the dream world as existing independently but when
he wakes up, the dream world resolves into him, the observer. The fundamental truth
is that the observed does not exist independent of the observer. Anything observed, ordinary or extraordinary,
secular or sacred cannot exist independent of the Turiyam Atma, the observer.

Thus, Objects are dependent
on subject; hence they are Mithya.

They look upon Jagrat Prapancha
as an independent entity even as a person in dream world thinks the dream is
real. Once object is taken as a separate entity, then subject is also taken as
separate from object, causing Subject/Object division; thus both subject and
object become limited and then we can’t obtain freedom from limitation. In
other philosophies this limitation is never overcome; they preserve the duality
and limitation is not overcome.

Wise person is one who
understands that the division is just an appearance and not a reality. Citing
example of sunrise, it is just an appearance; it is not real; it is result of
earth’s rotation. Experience of division
is not the problem; considering division as reality is the problem.

One who knows that duality is
just an appearance and that non-duality is a fact, that person alone can teach
scriptures; he is a real Guru. The word Kalpayate in Karika means teaching.

Others use Veda Pramanam but
they are not aware of it. Right teaching is when Dvaitam is in the beginning
but ends in Advaitam as destination; he is a real Guru. He alone can interpret
scriptures convincingly.

Karika # 31:

As are dreams and illusions
or a castle in the air seen in the sky, so
is the universe viewed by the wise in the Vedānta.

Here Gaudapada says until one
comes to Vedanta one can be a Dwaitin; but once he goes through Vedantic
teaching this two-fold difference must be gone and non-dual reality must come
forward. He will continue to see Dvaitam but will know it is false.

For several centuries we
thought earth was stationery and planets revolved around earth; then one
scientist suggested that earth is going around the sun, but world was not
willing to believe him; he was persecuted; then they started discovering; truth
is not based on democracy, and accepted that earth goes around the sun. Even
after knowing this fact, we still experience sun going around us. So, experience does not change knowledge; just
as sunrise does not change the fact that sun does not rise or set. So also Dvaita anubhava cannot displace
advaita gyanam.

Along
these lines, when we have a general
awakening, the dream world is known as mithya and the dream world disappears
for me. Whereas, when there is spiritual awakening from maya-shakti, the waking
world is falsified but it does not disappear. It will continue for the awakened
person, he experiences it, but knows that it is mithya. Once the waking
world is known to be mithya, the awakened person knows that it does not exist
separate from him just like the dream world. The dream world anatma, the waking world anatma, or any anatma does not
exist separate from me, the atma, the Experiencer.

So, wise people understand this universe as non-factual, mithya or advaitam is understood as fact, in light of vedantic teachings. After this knowledge Dvaita experience continues but they look upon Dvaitam as Swapnam and dream is not taken as fact. Similarly Maya, when we see in a magic show a lady being cut in half with blood spilling on stage and body being separated, but we are not upset as we know it is only a magic show. So eyes report subject/ object division but Vedantic teaching tells us it is not true. Third example is Gandharva nagaram where sky-city shows different patterns of clouds; thus one can see a floating city, seemingly there but we know it is just a cloud arrangement. Even modern science says there are only photons; protons etc or it is energy in motion. Vedantin says, world is consciousness in motion.

Like the dream world, the magician’s creation, or a seeming city in the sky when there are cloud Formations, which are all only appearances, in the same way from the standpoint of Turiyam, this entire Those people who are experts in Vedantic teaching also see creation as a mithya appearance. For them it is not just a teaching anymore but it has become a fact.

Karika # 32:

There is no dissolution, no
birth, none in bondage, none aspiring for wisdom, no seeker of liberation and
none liberated. This is the absolute truth.

A very important Karika often
quoted by Shankaracharya. It says, from point of view of Turiyam, world does
not exist; however, from body’s point of view, world exists; from mind’s point
of view also, world exists.

This
verse is a corollary of the previous verse. It is a profound and often a
disturbing verse. For a Gyani, the waking world is also exactly like the dream
world only. What does it mean? Let us look at the dream world first. When we
are in the dream world we see many events happening. They all appear real in
dream. From the dreamer’s standpoint, all the dream events are really taking
place. But when the dreamer wakes up, from the standpoint of the waker, it is
realized that all the dream events did not really take place. They all
seemingly happened but factually they did not happen. If this is understood
with respect to the dream world, Gauḍapada says that that this understanding
should be extended to the waking world also.

The
creation, sustenance, and dissolution of the waking world only seemingly happen
but really they do not happen from the standpoint of Turiya atma. From the waker’s
standpoint they are real. Jivas coming into existence, experiencing samsara, jivas
becoming seekers, following the sadhanas karma-yoga, upasana-yoga and
jnana-yoga, coming to a guru, guru teaching, and getting liberated only
seemingly happen. There is no question of anyone becoming liberated. From the
standpoint of the body-mind complex, all these are really happening but from
the standpoint of Turiyam, all these are as though happening.

For dream body, dream hunger
is real and so we go after dream food. Dream body’s wound is also real; we even
go to a dream doctor; obtain dream medicine and even pay in dream money. Now if
while swallowing the dream medication you wake up, you find there are no wound,
no doctor and no money. All are non-existent only after waking up. So, from
waker’s point of view dream was unreal. So also from Turiyam point of view
world is not real even as dream body is not real to waker. What about Pralayam?
From Turiyam’s point of view there is neither Srishti nor Pralayam; all these
exist only from point of view of body and mind only.

If Srishti and Laya are not
real it also means there is no Sthiti as well. So, if the world is not there
then what about the people in the world? Jivas are also as good as not there.
If so, where is the bondage of the jiva? If there is no bound jiva what is
point of seeking liberation? Seeking
liberation is only for one who is bound. Seeker alone has to do all the
seeking via various sadhanas. When seeker himself does not exist, where is the seeking?
From Turiyam’s point of view he is also non-existent.

How about liberated person?
When there is no bound person where is the need for liberation? It all depends
upon which “I” is asking? Citing an example, in such a case, one may ask should
I come to the class or not? So long as Ahamkara “I” exists, come to class, if
not, no need to come to class.

Karika # 33:

This (the Ātman) is imagined both as
unreal objects that are perceived and as the non-duality. The objects (Bhāvas) are
imagined in the non-duality itself. Therefore, non-duality (alone)
is the (highest) bliss.

Here Gaudapada makes a very
important observation. He says Dvaitam is totally mithya. Thus, the trio of
Vishwa and Jagrit prapancha; Taijasa and Swapna Prapancha and; Pragya and
Karana Prapancha, all three are mithya and therefore between two (dvaitam and
advaitam) which is better? Naturally Advaitam is better as it is partially
Satyam and as such auspicious while Dvaitam is inauspicious. Therefore, come to
advaitam.

Why do you say advaitam is
partially satyam? Let us start with what is mithya? Whatever is negated is
mithya. Whatever is un-negated is Satyam. Turiyam is un-negatable hence it is
Satyam. Once dvaitam is negated Advaitam is Satyam. Here Gaudapada says, when
advaitam remains as Satyam then the word advaitam becomes irrelevant. Advaitam
has meaning only so long as Dvaitam is there. Once Dvaitam is negated, there is
no more need for word advaitam. Using snake rope analogy, the rope is the
support of the rope-snake when a person experiences the rope-snake. From the
standpoint of the false rope-snake, the rope is called the adhishtanam of the
rope-snake because rope alone lends existence to the snake. Whatever borrows
existence is called mithya and whatever lends existence is called adhishtanam.
Now Gaudapada says that the word adhishtanam is used only from the standpoint
of the mithya snake. If the snake is negated in better lighting, the snake is
known to be nonexistent and was only an appearance. Once the snake is negated,
can one call the rope the adhishtanam?

Adhishtanam
is adhishtanam only from the standpoint of the snake when it was borrowing
existence. When the snake has been negated, the rope cannot be called adhishtanam
any more. Even the word advaita adhishtanam is only from the standpoint of the
dvaita world, the empirical angle.

After negating snake, rope
alone remains. Once object is negated as mithya, subject alone remains as
Satyam; but once object has been negated, subject need not be called as such.
Subject just remains without subject status; so also advaitam remains with
advaitam-status; divisionless remains without divisionless status.

The truth revealed by word
advaitam remains; it can’t be called object nor subject; nor matter or
consciousness; or dvaitam or advaitam. After negating matter, the word
consciousness, has no more relevance; similarly the word eternal is only related
to non-eternal. Thus, advaitam status is partially mithya but its substance is
still Satyam.

This atma is visualized in
form of dvaita prapancha, which is mithya. Atma is imagined as non-dual
substratum; the substratum status is also mithya; observer is satyam while observer-status
is also mithya; witness is satyam while witness-status is Mithya. Hence it is
called nameless or Amatra.

After negation of everything
whatever remains is truth. Therefore the word advaitam is mithya.

Moreover dvaita prapancha
exists depending on advaitam only. Thus, Dvaitam depends on advaitam hence
advaitam is stayam. In the karika’s first line advaitam is mithya but in second
line it says it is satyam. Therefore, it means advaitam status is mithya but
advaitam, non-duality itself, is auspicious.

Karika # 34:

This manifold does not exist
as identical with Ātman nor does
it ever stand independent by itself. It is neither separate from Brahman nor is
it non-separate. This is the statement of the wise.

Here Gaudapada says, the more
you probe Dvaita Prapancha, the more it becomes mysterious, hence it is called
Maya or anirvacharniyam; it is like a dream, we can’t say it is not existent
since it gives us a lot of trouble. That is why we even have prayers to prevent
bad dreams. So we cant say it does not exist nor can we say it exists as well.
Thus, I have never declared my dream wealth for tax purposes. Hence, it is a
mystery. Matter also can’t be defined. Matter or anatma or world does not exist
as identical as Chaitanyam or Atma.

Anatma is inert; atma is
consciousness principle, hence world can’t be same as atma. Can matter exist as
separate from consciousness? We can’t prove existence of world separate from
observer. Existence presupposes

Consciousness. So anatma is
neither identical with atma nor is it separate from atma. Therefore there is an
answer in the middle. Can we say it is partially identical; we can’t say so as
consciousness does not have parts.

In short, the
world is a mystery. It is experienced but you cannot prove anything logically.
The more you go deeper, the more mysterious it gets.

Is Matter identical with
consciousness?

Is Matter separate from
consciousness?

I can’t say matter does not
exist. I can’t say whatever I experience does not exist. Intellect can only be
by classification; thus we have chapters in a book. World, however, is not
available for categorization. The more we probe the hazier it gets. Scientists
are also finding this out; they are not sure if observed object exists in an
observer or not.

Take Away:

Anything
observed, ordinary or extraordinary, secular or sacred cannot exist independent
of the Turiyam Atma, the observer.

Experience of division is not
the problem; considering division as reality is the problem. Thus sunrise is
experienced but it is not real.

Experience does not change
knowledge; just as sunrise does not change the fact that sun does not rise or
set. So also Dvaita anubhava cannot displace advaita gyanam.

When
we have a general awakening, the dream world is known as mithya and the dream
world disappears for me. Whereas, when there is spiritual awakening from
maya-shakti, the waking world is falsified but it does not disappear. It will
continue for the awakened person, he experiences it, but knows that it is
mithya.

Seeking liberation is only for
one who is bound.

In
short, the world is a mystery. It is experienced but you cannot prove anything
logically. The more you go deeper, the more mysterious it gets.

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka # 46:

I want to see You just as before, wearing a
crown, wielding a mace, and holding a disc in hand. O You with thousand arms, O
You of Cosmic form, appear with that very form with four hands.

Continuing
his teaching Swamiji said, shlokas # 35 to # 45 have been completed and with
this Arjuna’s appreciation of Vishwa Rupa Drashanam and his surrender to Lord
is also complete.

Arjuna, while he is happy
with Vishwa rupa darshanam, he is not mature enough for it. Vishwa rupa
darshanam means looking at everything as one whole.

The
creation is a relative entity consisting of pairs of opposite and therefore, if
I am going to see the universe as the Lord; I should be able to accept the both
the pairs of opposite equally. I should have a reverential attitude of
acceptance with regard to every event in the creation,

Not
only the things consists of pairs of opposite; even events are pairs of
opposites. Thus, we have birth and death;
both are an integral a part of God.

Therefore,
to become a Vishva rupa bhakta; I
should be able to accept death
of anyone, without any complaint, which means an inner maturity is required;
which is also as an integral part of Bhagavan; And therefore it requires a
reverence; rather than complaint. That is why in Sandhya vandanam; we regularly
worship Yama as Bhagavan. Accepting pairs of opposites with a non-complaining
attitude is a sign of maturity.

Similarly every association I have to accept and I have to accept every disassociation as well without grumbling, similarly, health and sickness. Similarly war and peace; as long as human freewill is there; there will be raga and dvesha; which means there will be war even in heaven; devas and asuras will be quarreling; And therefore most of the things are integral part of Vishvarupa; I should be able to accept them without grumbling; which means I should have a very rarified mind; which sees the totality and therefore for an immature mind, Vishva rupam can be a threat; and Arjuna proves that his mind is immature because he says I am not able to withstand it.

Then the question is how can I make myself mature. Until I get the maturity to accept Bhagavan, the aneka rupa Ishvara, the only alternative I have, is to accept the ekarupa Ishvara as the Lord; that is why we start with Ishta devatha bhakthi so that I will be able to accept the situation by feeling the presence of my Ishta devatha in my heart; this is how I begin; Shankaracharya writes a beautiful sthothram called shiva shankara sthothram:

It says, “ O Lord, I will
have old age and face death as well; I don’t know how death will come for me.
The Yama dutas will come and threaten me; at that time I should not be
frightened; at that time I want you to come, O Lord Shiva. I should not be
affected by anything; my attention at that time should be on you and Parvati
alone. I hope to see your Tandavam and Parvati’s Lasyam; absorbed in it I
should not even know when I leave this earth. This prayer to the Ishta Devata
gives one a great relief. We have to develop that bhakti for our Ishta Devata
right now.

This ishta devatha bhakthi or eka rupa bhakthi will give you sufficient strength to expand your vision to Vishva rupa bhakthi; and when it is getting converted to Vishva rupa bhakthi; ishta devatha bhakthi need not go away; I see the ishta devatha himself as all the rupam; if Sri Krishna is my Ishta devatha; all people are Krishna in different vesham; and thus if I go to Shiva temple; Krishna is in Shiva Vesham; in this manner whole creation becomes Vishwa Rupam.

After remaining in Vishwa
rupam for sometime, one then comes to Arupa Bhakti. So, Arjuna confesses to God
that I prefer to see you as the simple Sri Krishna.

Shloka # 47:

The Blessed Lord said Out of grace, O Arjuna,
this supreme, radiant, Cosmic, infinite, primeval form-which (form) of Mine has
not been seen before by anyone other than you, has been
shown to you by Me through the power of My own Yoga.

Sri Krishna spoke:

So
when Arjuna made this request, Lord Krishna says: Arjuna I am not responsible for
showing this Vishva rupam; in fact, I
know you are not yet ready; but since you made a special request, I chose to
show you; and now that you do not want Vishvarupa, I will bless you accordingly.

In the shloka Yoga means
Maya Shakti; the assembly of three gunas; it is god’s Maya Shakti by which I
gave you the Divya chakshu. Atmayogat means my own maya Shakti. I used my own
Maya Shakti to show Vishwa rupam to you. I was pleased with your sincerity; I
gave you the Divya chakshu. If you were mature you would have enjoyed the
Vishwa Rupam; for an immature person it maybe frightening; by itself it is
Tejomayam, containing all galaxies and stars of the universe; consisting of everything,
cognized in many forms. Anantam means limitless space and time; it is first
born and only after that individual bodies are born, so it is first born. Arjuna
is a blessed devotee; nobody else had this blessing before. Swamiji says, some
others too had seen Viswa rupa darshanam; here it is used just as a figure of
speech.

Shloka # 48:

Not by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices,
not by gifts, not even by rituals, not by severe austerities can I, in this
form, be perceived in the human world by anyone [‘By anyone who has not
received My grace’. other than you, O most valiant among the Kurus.

Here Sri Krishna wants to
point out that Arjuna saw the Vishwa rupam due to his bhakti. Bhakti’s
importance is emphasized here while other sadhanas are brought down. This is a
method scriptures use. One has to understand this. All sadhanas are important
but scriptures bring some down, in a particular context.

Scriptures criticize some
sadhanas. In Taittirya Upanishad Various sadhanas were highlighted; Swadhyaya
was highlighted and swadhyaya was considered important relative to others.

Here Sri Krishna says bhakti
is most important. What should we conclude from this? We can conclude that all
values are equally important, however, here bhakti is highlighted. This criticism
of other sadhanas should not be taken literally.

Sri Krishna says study of
Vedas (learning to chant vedas) can’t give Vishwa rupa darshanam. Discussing the
study of yagnas, that is rituals; there is a difference between Veda adhyayana
and yagna adhyayana. Veda
adhyayana is learning to chant the Vedas; and yagna adhyayana means analysis of the Vedas; and
learning how to do the
rituals. Sri Krishna says Veda
adhyayanam is useless; yagna adhyayanam is also useless; none of them will give
you Vishva rupa darshanam.

Dana is also useless, how
about laukika Karmas? They are also useless for obtaining Vishwa rupa darshanam
as are Vaidica karmas.

Tapas is also useless, as
are intense austerities. Through all these sadhanas, Vishwa Rupam can’t be
seen. Only people like you, O Arjuna, can see it since you have a unique
qualification for Vishwa rupa darshanam. Sri Krishna will later say that
qualification is Bhakti. Bhakti alone helps one obtain Vishwa rupa darshanam. In the 7^th
chapter, Sri Krishna has talked about four types of bhakthi: artha bhakthi;
artharthi bhakthi; jignasu bhakthi and Gyani bhakthi.

What type of bhakti helps?
Artha bhakti (crisis driven bhakti) won’t help. Artharthi bhakti, bhakti
craving for wealth, also does not help. Now Jignasu bhakta means one who
seeks ekarupa
Ishvara darshanam through
devotion, such a mature bhakthi alone can help you see Vishwa rupa darshanam. So, O Arjuna, you asked for it
and I gave it to you.

Shloka # 49:

May you have no fear, and may not there be
bewilderment by seeing this form of Mine so terrible Becoming free from fear
and gladdened in mind again, see this very earlier form of Mine.

Sri Krishna says if you are
not ready for Vishwa rupa darshanam, I don’t want to impose it on you. Vedic
teachings don’t impose anything. Moksha is advaitam and many can’t accept it.
Appreciating the value of moksha requires a great maturity. If you don’t
appreciate importance of moksha, don’t strive for it. Citing an example: A
woman wanted to be a Gopi and dance with Sri Krishna; another woman wanted to
visit heaven. If you are not ready for Vishwa rupa darshanam ask for others
such as Artha and Kama.

So, therefore if you are not ready for Vishva rupa darshanam; I do not want to impose it; have eka rupa bhakthi; ask for artha; ask for kama; with only one condition, that is to follow dharma. And whatever you get legitimately, take it as Bhagavan’s gift. That is the only sadhana we request you to practice; you need not study upanishad; follow only karma kanda; follow only karma Yoga by which we mean fulfill your desires, legitimately and take whatever you get as Ishvara prasada; Start there and it will lead you to Moksha. In fact, Sri Krishna himself is going to tell this beautifully in the next chapter.

 “ May you not feel the pain of my crushing
people between my teeth; don’t feel immobilized by seeing my viswa rupam that
is frightening to you”.

Many people cant stand the
sight of blood; imagine a doctor in such a situation.

“ Now may you see my old
Sri Krishna rupam, my Eka rupam, without any fears and with a stress free mind
again.

Shloka # 50:

Sanjaya said Thus, having spoken to Arjuna in
that manner, Vasudeva showed His own form again. And He, the exalted One,
reassured this terrified one by again becoming serene in form.

So
Arjuna requested the Lord to change the form and Lord Krishna has also agreed to
change the form; And now there is a period of silence during this change;
wherein the transformation is taking place from aneka rupa to eka rupa; And since
there is silence neither Sri Krishna talks nor Arjuna talks; And therefore Sanjaya
comes in and gives a running commentary as to what is happening in the battle
field; So Sanjaya reports:

Lord Krishna uttered these
words and once again showed his Eka Rupa form to Arjuna. Even after having seen
the changed rupam of Sri Krishna, even then, Arjuna’s fears continue for some
time. It is the same with our nightmares as well. Sri Krishna, in his peaceful
rupam, consoles Arjuna like a mother. Thus Aneka rupa Ishwara became Eka Rupa Ishwara
and consoled Arjuna.

What does the withdrawing of
Vishwa Rupam mean? Will God remove Vishwa rupam? World is the body of God as
such there is no arrival or departure for Vishwa rupam. All that Sri Krishna
did was to withdraw the Divya Chakshu from Arjuna. Divya chakshu is a mind that is not overpowered by Ahamkara and
mamakara. In a state of ahamkara and mamamkara one can’t see the totality.

Citing an example, if you
take a picture of a person standing with a mountain in background; if you focus
on person the mountain becomes defocused or the other way around. So, depending
on focus, one may see the man or the mountain.

So if Aham-Mama are dominant; my focus is never on vishva rupam; it will be one segment of the creation alone; but when aham and mama; I and mine, come down; then and then alone, Vishva rupa appreciation would come.

So ahamkara and mamakara
has to come down.

Citing another example: Children
acted in a play at a school’s annual day program. Parents came to see the play.
It was interesting to see people taking pictures of some scenes and then
leaving. The parents were not interested in the drama, only in their child or
children. They did not come to see other kids. They only see “ my” son or
daughter and not the totality.  

We
are all trapped in enclosed consciousness; we do not have a rarified consciousness,
to appreciate the totality;

So
divya chakshu was gone;
that means Arjuna has come back to my Bhishma; my Drona; he has come back to the old story.

Take away:

Divya chakshu is a mind
that is not overpowered by Ahamkara and mamakara. In a state of ahamkara and
mamamkara one can’t see the totality.

Swamiji
says, follow only karma kanda;
follow only karma Yoga by
which we mean fulfill your

desires,
legitimately and take whatever you get as Ishvara prasada; Start there and it will lead you to
Moksha.

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka # 46:

I want to see You just as before, wearing a
crown, wielding a mace, and holding a disc in hand. O You with thousand arms, O
You of Cosmic form, appear with that very form with four hands.

Continuing
his teaching Swamiji said, shlokas # 35 to # 45 have been completed and with
this Arjuna’s appreciation of Vishwa Rupa Drashanam and his surrender to Lord
is also complete.

Arjuna, while he is happy
with Vishwa rupa darshanam, he is not mature enough for it. Vishwa rupa
darshanam means looking at everything as one whole.

The
creation is a relative entity consisting of pairs of opposite and therefore, if
I am going to see the universe as the Lord; I should be able to accept the both
the pairs of opposite equally. I should have a reverential attitude of
acceptance with regard to every event in the creation,

Not
only the things consists of pairs of opposite; even events are pairs of
opposites. Thus, we have birth and death;
both are an integral a part of God.

Therefore,
to become a Vishva rupa bhakta; I
should be able to accept death
of anyone, without any complaint, which means an inner maturity is required;
which is also as an integral part of Bhagavan; And therefore it requires a
reverence; rather than complaint. That is why in Sandhya vandanam; we regularly
worship Yama as Bhagavan. Accepting pairs of opposites with a non-complaining
attitude is a sign of maturity.

Similarly every association I have to accept and I have to accept every disassociation as well without grumbling, similarly, health and sickness. Similarly war and peace; as long as human freewill is there; there will be raga and dvesha; which means there will be war even in heaven; devas and asuras will be quarreling; And therefore most of the things are integral part of Vishvarupa; I should be able to accept them without grumbling; which means I should have a very rarified mind; which sees the totality and therefore for an immature mind, Vishva rupam can be a threat; and Arjuna proves that his mind is immature because he says I am not able to withstand it.

Then the question is how can I make myself mature. Until I get the maturity to accept Bhagavan, the aneka rupa Ishvara, the only alternative I have, is to accept the ekarupa Ishvara as the Lord; that is why we start with Ishta devatha bhakthi so that I will be able to accept the situation by feeling the presence of my Ishta devatha in my heart; this is how I begin; Shankaracharya writes a beautiful sthothram called shiva shankara sthothram:

It says, “ O Lord, I will
have old age and face death as well; I don’t know how death will come for me.
The Yama dutas will come and threaten me; at that time I should not be
frightened; at that time I want you to come, O Lord Shiva. I should not be
affected by anything; my attention at that time should be on you and Parvati
alone. I hope to see your Tandavam and Parvati’s Lasyam; absorbed in it I
should not even know when I leave this earth. This prayer to the Ishta Devata
gives one a great relief. We have to develop that bhakti for our Ishta Devata
right now.

This ishta devatha bhakthi or eka rupa bhakthi will give you sufficient strength to expand your vision to Vishva rupa bhakthi; and when it is getting converted to Vishva rupa bhakthi; ishta devatha bhakthi need not go away; I see the ishta devatha himself as all the rupam; if Sri Krishna is my Ishta devatha; all people are Krishna in different vesham; and thus if I go to Shiva temple; Krishna is in Shiva Vesham; in this manner whole creation
becomes Vishwa
Rupam.

After remaining in Vishwa
rupam for sometime, one then comes to Arupa Bhakti. So, Arjuna confesses to God
that I prefer to see you as the simple Sri Krishna.

Shloka # 47:

The Blessed Lord said Out of grace, O Arjuna,
this supreme, radiant, Cosmic, infinite, primeval form-which (form) of Mine has
not been seen before by anyone other than you, has been
shown to you by Me through the power of My own Yoga.

Sri Krishna spoke:

So
when Arjuna made this request, Lord Krishna says: Arjuna I am not responsible for
showing this Vishva rupam; in fact, I
know you are not yet ready; but since you made a special request, I chose to
show you; and now that you do not want Vishvarupa, I will bless you accordingly.

In the shloka Yoga means
Maya Shakti; the assembly of three gunas; it is god’s Maya Shakti by which I
gave you the Divya chakshu. Atmayogat means my own maya Shakti. I used my own
Maya Shakti to show Vishwa rupam to you. I was pleased with your sincerity; I
gave you the Divya chakshu. If you were mature you would have enjoyed the
Vishwa Rupam; for an immature person it maybe frightening; by itself it is
Tejomayam, containing all galaxies and stars of the universe; consisting of everything,
cognized in many forms. Anantam means limitless space and time; it is first
born and only after that individual bodies are born, so it is first born. Arjuna
is a blessed devotee; nobody else had this blessing before. Swamiji says, some
others too had seen Viswa rupa darshanam; here it is used just as a figure of
speech.

Shloka # 48:

Not by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices,
not by gifts, not even by rituals, not by severe austerities can I, in this
form, be perceived in the human world by anyone [‘By anyone who has not
received My grace’. other than you, O most valiant among the Kurus.

Here Sri Krishna wants to
point out that Arjuna saw the Vishwa rupam due to his bhakti. Bhakti’s
importance is emphasized here while other sadhanas are brought down. This is a
method scriptures use. One has to understand this. All sadhanas are important
but scriptures bring some down, in a particular context.

Scriptures criticize some
sadhanas. In Taittirya Upanishad Various sadhanas were highlighted; Swadhyaya
was highlighted and swadhyaya was considered important relative to others.

Here Sri Krishna says bhakti
is most important. What should we conclude from this? We can conclude that all
values are equally important, however, here bhakti is highlighted. This criticism
of other sadhanas should not be taken literally.

Sri Krishna says study of
Vedas (learning to chant vedas) can’t give Vishwa rupa darshanam. Discussing the
study of yagnas, that is rituals; there is a difference between Veda adhyayana
and yagna adhyayana. Veda
adhyayana is learning to chant the Vedas; and yagna adhyayana means analysis of the Vedas; and
learning how to do the
rituals. Sri Krishna says Veda
adhyayanam is useless; yagna adhyayanam is also useless; none of them will give
you Vishva rupa darshanam.

Dana is also useless, how
about laukika Karmas? They are also useless for obtaining Vishwa rupa darshanam
as are Vaidica karmas.

Tapas is also useless, as
are intense austerities. Through all these sadhanas, Vishwa Rupam can’t be
seen. Only people like you, O Arjuna, can see it since you have a unique
qualification for Vishwa rupa darshanam. Sri Krishna will later say that
qualification is Bhakti. Bhakti alone helps one obtain Vishwa rupa darshanam. In the 7^th
chapter, Sri Krishna has talked about four types of bhakthi: artha bhakthi;
artharthi bhakthi; jignasu bhakthi and Gyani bhakthi.

What type of bhakti helps?
Artha bhakti (crisis driven bhakti) won’t help. Artharthi bhakti, bhakti
craving for wealth, also does not help. Now Jignasu bhakta means one who
seeks ekarupa
Ishvara darshanam through
devotion, such a mature bhakthi alone can help you see Vishwa rupa darshanam. So, O Arjuna, you asked for it
and I gave it to you.

Shloka # 49:

May you have no fear, and may not there be
bewilderment by seeing this form of Mine so terrible Becoming free from fear
and gladdened in mind again, see this very earlier form of Mine.

Sri Krishna says if you are
not ready for Vishwa rupa darshanam, I don’t want to impose it on you. Vedic
teachings don’t impose anything. Moksha is advaitam and many can’t accept it.
Appreciating the value of moksha requires a great maturity. If you don’t
appreciate importance of moksha, don’t strive for it. Citing an example: A
woman wanted to be a Gopi and dance with Sri Krishna; another woman wanted to
visit heaven. If you are not ready for Vishwa rupa darshanam ask for others
such as Artha and Kama.

So,
therefore if you are not ready for Vishva rupa darshanam;
I do not want to impose it; have eka rupa
bhakthi; ask for artha;
ask for kama; with only
one condition, that is to follow dharma. And whatever you get legitimately,
take it as Bhagavan’s
gift. That is the only sadhana we request you
to practice; you need not study upanishad; follow only karma kanda; follow only karma Yoga by which we mean fulfill your

desires,
legitimately and take whatever you get as Ishvara prasada; Start there and it will lead you to Moksha. In fact, Sri Krishna
himself is going to tell this beautifully in the next chapter.

 “ May you not feel the pain of my crushing
people between my teeth; don’t feel immobilized by seeing my viswa rupam that
is frightening to you”.

Many people cant stand the
sight of blood; imagine a doctor in such a situation.

“ Now may you see my old
Sri Krishna rupam, my Eka rupam, without any fears and with a stress free mind
again.

Shloka # 50:

Sanjaya said Thus, having spoken to Arjuna in
that manner, Vasudeva showed His own form again. And He, the exalted One,
reassured this terrified one by again becoming serene in form.

So
Arjuna requested the Lord to change the form and Lord Krishna has also agreed to
change the form; And now there is a period of silence during this change;
wherein the transformation is taking place from aneka rupa to eka rupa; And since
there is silence neither Sri Krishna talks nor Arjuna talks; And therefore Sanjaya
comes in and gives a running commentary as to what is happening in the battle
field; So Sanjaya reports:

Lord Krishna uttered these
words and once again showed his Eka Rupa form to Arjuna. Even after having seen
the changed rupam of Sri Krishna, even then, Arjuna’s fears continue for some
time. It is the same with our nightmares as well. Sri Krishna, in his peaceful
rupam, consoles Arjuna like a mother. Thus Aneka rupa Ishwara became Eka Rupa Ishwara
and consoled Arjuna.

What does the withdrawing of
Vishwa Rupam mean? Will God remove Vishwa rupam? World is the body of God as
such there is no arrival or departure for Vishwa rupam. All that Sri Krishna
did was to withdraw the Divya Chakshu from Arjuna. Divya chakshu is a mind that is not overpowered by Ahamkara and
mamakara. In a state of ahamkara and mamamkara one can’t see the totality.

Citing an example, if you
take a picture of a person standing with a mountain in background; if you focus
on person the mountain becomes defocused or the other way around. So, depending
on focus, one may see the man or the mountain.

So if Aham-Mama are dominant; my focus is never on vishva rupam; it will be one segment of the creation alone; but when aham and mama; I and mine, come down; then and then alone, Vishva rupa appreciation would come. So ahamkara and mamakara has to come down.

Citing another example: Children
acted in a play at a school’s annual day program. Parents came to see the play.
It was interesting to see people taking pictures of some scenes and then
leaving. The parents were not interested in the drama, only in their child or
children. They did not come to see other kids. They only see “ my” son or
daughter and not the totality.  

We
are all trapped in enclosed consciousness; we do not have a rarified consciousness,
to appreciate the totality;

So
divya chakshu was gone;
that means Arjuna has come back to my Bhishma; my Drona; he has come back to the old story.

Take away:

Divya chakshu is a mind
that is not overpowered by Ahamkara and mamakara. In a state of ahamkara and
mamamkara one can’t see the totality.

Swamiji
says, follow only karma kanda;
follow only karma Yoga by
which we mean fulfill your

desires,
legitimately and take whatever you get as Ishvara prasada; Start there and it will lead you to
Moksha.

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka # 43:

You are the Father of all beings moving and
non-moving; to this (world) You are worthy of worship, the Teacher, and greater
(than a teacher). There is none equal to You; how at all can there be anyone
greater even in all the three worlds, O You of unrivalled power?

Continuing his teaching
Swamiji said, Sri Krishna answering Arjuna’s question, pointed out that he,
Krishna, himself was Kalatatvam. Time is not separate from Creation and once I appreciate
desha and kala as Ishvara; then
everything existing in time and space also must be Ishvara because
the world cannot exist separate from desaha and kala. As I said the other day, previously
it was thought that time and space are separate and the creation is separate; this was the thinking under Newtonian
physics. Later we have revised our opinion; creation cannot be separated from
time and space; or time and space cannot be separated from creation.

Shankaracharya says, God
created time, space and the World.

It
is not that time and space existed before and Bhagavan thought in
time, one day, to create the universe; that is not the idea; when we say Bhagavan created the
world it means Bhagavan
created time, place and the world; and that is why we get into a logical
problem; once I know Bhagavan
created time and space and world, we will have difficulty in answering questions
such as; when did Bhagavan
create time; What will be your answer. It
is a difficult question to answer. One cannot answer, when time arrived. Another
question is where does space exist? How did cause and effect principle come
about? These
three questions, can never answered; that is why we use the word: Maya. Maya does not
mean we do not know how to answer; Maya means intellectually these questions are undecipherable. So,
what I want to say is: when Bhagavan says I am time, we should understand that as, Bhagavan is Time,
Bhagavan is Space;
Bhagavan is the
objects also.

So, Bhagawan is time, space
and objects. It also includes events that occur. Finally God is, all the laws
governing all events. Citing example of boiling water, it follows laws such as
boiling point etc. Every event is governed by physical and moral laws and is called
Bhagawan or Niyama.

Whenever I experience
anyone of the above four (time, space, objects, events) I am experiencing God. A
person asked could I get darshan of God? Gita says, you are obtaining this
darshan at all times; it is just that you are not aware of it. The moment we
become aware of it, it becomes a mature mind; one becomes a madhyama bhakta. An Uttama bhaktha is
even above this state.

This Vishwa rupa bhakta is
a great nature lover that he appreciates as Bhagawan. Arjuna also gets a glimpse
of this darshanam and he becomes overwhelmed by devotion.

In this context Shiva sankalpa mantras come to mind,
they are so beautiful; it says, let my mind have auspicious thought; and one of
the auspicious thoughts is that all the legs, all the eyes; all the faces are
the faces of the Lord alone; and when Arjuna appreciates this; he looks back in
time and remembers.

At this time, looking back,
Arjuna feels guilt that in the past I have not addressed God properly, when we
were younger. He surrenders to Lord and asks for forgiveness. Hence we should
not disrespect Earth and Water. Do not spit in water; do not take bath
in the river without clothes; all these advices are given by the Vedas.

Why so much respect? When
rain comes we run away; then ask why escape from rain which is God himself.

Arjuna says, O Lord, you
are father of Universe consisting of moving and non-moving objects.”

This is the shloka I introduced in the last class. “Oh Lord: You are the father of the universe.” Here we have to see two things; In Vedantic teaching, three stages are there; I have told you before; philosophically first we say:

Bhagavan creates the
world; stage one;

stage
two is Bhagavan himself
becomes the world,

the
last stage is Bhagavan
appears as the world without undergoing change.

First stage is called nimitha karana Ishvara or ekarupa Ishvara; the second stage is called upadana karana Ishvara or anekarupa Isvara; the third stage is called vivartha upadana Ishvara or arupa Ishvara.

Arjuna
is, here, doing both; He is says, You are the Father of the world and You are
the world.

God is the creator of
scriptural teaching tradition. You are the adi guru. You are greater than all
other Gurus. Why so? All other Gurus were at one point in time a shishya.
Bhagawan is the absolute Guru who was never a shishya (gariyan).

“ there is no one equal to
you; so, where is the question of someone being greater than you; you are
matchless one; you are Lord of matchless glory.”

Shloka # 44:

Therefore, by bowing down and prostrating the
body, I seek to propitate You who are God and are adorable. O Lord, You should
[The elision of a (in arhasi of priyayarhasi) is a metrical licence.] forgive
(my faults) as would a father (the faults) of a son, as a friend, of a friend,
and as a lover of a beloved.

Arjuna’s guilt does not
leave him, although he has only treated Sri Krishna as a friend. In Bhakti
literature God is accepted as a friend, but still Arjuna feels guilty.

“ I request forgiveness,
falling at your feet. I propitiate you for my offense.” Other than God nobody
deserves namaskara. All namaskara’s finally go to God through Guru Paramapara.

“I do this so that you
forgive me for my insults to you; even as a parent forgives children.” We should
forgive our children when they make mistakes.

Like a husband forgiving
his wife for her offenses; husband was considered a Guru and wife the shishya. “You are like husband”,
is also a form of bhakthi called madhura bhakthi; where the devotee looks upon
himself as Gopi or Radha and Lord is
the only purusha.

Finally, forgive me, just
as a friend forgives another friend.

Shloka # 45:

I am delighted by seeing something not seen
heretofore, and my mind is stricken with fear. O Lord, show me that very form;
O supreme God, O Abode of the Universe, be gracious!

Here Arjuna expresses his
two fold emotions. I am in conflict. I am one of the few lucky one’s with a Divya
Chakshu that allowed me the Vishwa Rupa Darshanam.

At the same time from one
corner I see only Lord’s mouth where bodies are being crushed and devoured. My
mind is in grip of fear due to this. One part is happy while another part of
mind is fearful. Of the two, fear is more dominant.

Divya Chakshu has to come
to us through our own Sadhanas; Arjuna got his from God’s blessing; he did not get
it from his sadhanas; he was not mature enough to get it, hence he is fearful.

So, I request you to
withdraw Vishwa Rupa; I can’t withstand it. To withstand Vishwa Rupa darshanam
one’s Raga Dvesha must be carefully reduced; my Ahamkara, Mamakara must reduce
in me.

I have seen something
unique, Vishwa Rupa; seeing it I am extremely elated, but internally I am
frightened as well.

Citing an example, swamiji
said in his village during a temple festival they had a few elephants and he
got on top of one of them. Now, elephant has big backbone; it also has hair
that is very rough. Both of them make one miserable but yet one keeps smiling.

Of the two, fear is the one
that dominates. O Lord, I would like to see you as good old Sri Krishna, the
Eka Rupa Ishwara. Graduating to aneka rupa Ishwara is not easy; only after
being in aneka rupa for some time can one go to arupa ishwara.

Be gracious to me; O lord
abode of universe.

Citing a story, when Krishna
ate mud, Yashoda scolded and said; open the mouth. She thought that she will
see only mud inside the mouth but instead of mud, the whole cosmos was there;
and just as Arjuna could not withstand the Vishva rupa; even Yashoda
could not. Therefore instead of saying; I am not able to; she commanded Krishna
to Shut Up. Shut Up seems to be a command, but inside it is all fear; It is not
to be taken literally; how can all the cosmos would be inside the Krishna’s
mouth; even the Tirupati Laddu we are not able to put inside as a whole into
our mouth; so, do not take it literally. This symbolizes the Lord as the vishvadharam gagana sadrsham.

Shloka # 46:

I want to see You just as before, wearing a
crown, wielding a mace, and holding a disc in hand. O You with thousand arms, O
You of Cosmic form, appear with that very form with four hands.

So Arjuna concludes his prayer. That is the third stage of appreciation. No.1 Ascharyam; No.2 bhayam; No.3 bhakthihi; the third stage of bhakthi expression is being concluded here; with Arjuna’s request to the Lord to get back to his own ekarupa.

He says he wants to see the
Lord with his Chakra, Gadha and his four hands.

Some ask if Sri Krishna had
four hands? Sri Krishna had only two hands. We can conclude that Arjuna was
probably confused due to his changing emotions. So he says, May you appear as
Sri Krishna rupam and not as Vishwa Rupam.

So
with this Arjuna’s response to Vishva rupa

darshanam is over;
the last phase is from shloka No.35 up to this shloka. Now the ball is in Lord
Krishna’s court; so, there is some silence; because Arjuna has made his request
and Sri Krishna has to do respond; What is the Lord going to do is given in the
next shloka; which we will see in the next class.

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy

Karika # 18

niścitāyāṃ
yathā rajjvāṃ vikalpo vinivartate | 
rajjureveti cādvaitaṃ tadvadātmaviniścayaḥ || 18 ||

18. When
the real nature of the rope is ascertained all illusions about it disappear and
there arises the conviction that it is the one (unchanged) rope and nothing
else; even so is the nature of the conviction regarding Ātman.

Continuing his teaching
Swamiji said, Gaudapada pointed out that Jagrat Prapancha is a relative reality
or Mithya, as it is valid only in its own time, but disappears with knowledge.
Dream world is also real only in dream and upon waking the dream world is lost.
Mithya is a relative reality; it does not mean it does not exist or is
non-existent.

Thus fatherhood is real only from point of view of a
son. Reality in relation to something is known as relative reality. Thus swapna and waking states are also relative
realities.

Another example cited by
Gaudapada is the example of a rope and snake. Any Mithya is born out of ignorance and exists as such until ignorance
is removed. Once ignorance is removed, Mithya goes away; thus rope-snake is
negated by rope knowledge.

Thus, Satyam or Adhishtanam is the one that produces
Mithya through its ignorance and it is also the knowledge that removes mithya.

As per Vedas the entire world is mithya and it is the
Sakshi, the Observer, that is the Satyam.

If object is mithya and
subject is satyam, the object must be born out of ignorance of subject the
adhishtanam. Subjective (ignorance of Turiya Atma) ignorance is cause of Mithya
objects. This mithya object is negated by Knowledge of “I”, the adishtanam.
Thus, Drk is Satyam and Drishyam is Mithya.

Turiya Atma knowledge will
negate all objects; all that will be left is advaitam.

Karika # 19:

prāṇādibhiranantaiśca
bhāvairetairvikalpitaḥ | 
māyaiṣā tasya devasya yayā saṃmohitaḥ svayam || 19 ||

19. The Ātman is
imagined as Prāṇa and other endless objects. This is due to Māyā
(ignorance) of the luminous (Ātman itself) by
which It is (as it were) deluded.

Prana
in this verse is Hiranyagarbha, the total prana principle. Prana here refers to
any deity of any religion. Considering such a deity as the ultimate reality is the
first mistake. When we worship a deity, can we accept this deity as the
ultimate truth? Is that deity an object of experience or the subject? Manḍukya
Upanishad’s fundamental teaching is that any object of experience cannot exist
independent of the observer. Anything that is observed is mithya.

Gaudapada says, once Satyam
is lost sight of then Mithya will be wrongly raised to level of Satyam and then
relative reality will be seen as Satyam. Once rope reality is lost sight of,
snake satyam takes over.

This happens, as Satyam is
lost. Once I lose sight of Turiyam the Drishya Prapancha is seen Satyam; this
false elevation leads to samsara. We are in search of truth, whatever we
discover to be truth is the new truth, as whatever is object you see in dream
cannot be real.

All philosophers forget that
they seek reality outside and commit blunders; so Gaudapada laments every
philosopher misses reality searching for reality.

Fact is no object is real; reality is the subject alone; and all this happens due to power of Maya or Ignorance; the misconception is the glory of maya. Maya is so powerful that we will conclude that the truth is something somewhere. We will never think that we are the truth. Sri Krishna refers to the maya’s power in the Bhagavad Gita. By this maya alone the philosophers are confused. Some of them are religious philosophers believing in God and some others are atheistic Reality is available as “ I” but instead of searching for this sakshi, he looks for truth somewhere far away. Truth is neither near you nor far away from you; it is You the seeker himself.

Citing a story as an example:
A man was travelling on train with a lot of money. While counting his cash he
noticed another man was looking at him. He was afraid he was a thief. So, when
other man went to the toilet, he placed the bag of cash under the thief’s
pillow, a place he would never look for. When the man went for lunch, the thief
searched all over and could not find the money.

When traveller came back, the
frustrated thief asked him where he hid the money. He said I hid it in a place
where you will never look for it under your pillow.

Similarly, God has kept Atma
hidden within ourselves through power of maya. Maya is power of Turiya Atma.
Because of this power no scientist will seek within himself or herself the
truth. Scientist will study everything but himself.

This happens everyday. We
create dreams and they delude us; Truth is one, confusions are many. Gaudapada
says, thus, we commit many mistakes.

First mistake is a
religious mistake. Taking an objective god as truth. God is ultimate truth. Vedanta will
not answer but will ask the question whether Vishnu is an object of experience
or the subject, consciousness principle.
Vedanta asks, is God an object of
knowledge?

Majority of philosophers say God,
as an object is the ultimate reality. Gaudapada says God is also just an
object. So universe created by God is also Mithya. Advaitam says God can be
reality only when God is recognized as I the Turiyam. If God is an Object it is
not Satyam. Any deity, objectified is a relative reality. God as an object is
talked about by Nyaya Philosophers. Other confusions also exist.

Then, Gaudapada says, as long as this truth is not known we will continue to mistake the anatma to be satyam. Many people including great philosophers have missed this truth either because they did not come to the Upanishads that alone reveal this truth or they come to the Upanishads but do not know how to extract the truth from the Upanishads. Reality is one but false conclusions can be many. In Karikas 19-28 Gaudapada gives us a list of such false conclusions. Shankaracharya did not comment on these verses but Anandagiri, the sub-commentator pointed out the philosophies that should be avoided. Gaudapada gives a big list of confusions of other people.

Karika # 20:

prāṇa
iti prāṇavido bhūtānīti ca tadvidaḥ |
guṇā iti guṇavidastattvānīti ca tadvidaḥ || 20 ||

20. Those¹ that
know only Prāṇa,² call It (Ātman), Prāṇa, those³ that
know Bhūtas call It Bhūtas,⁴those⁵ knowing Guṇas call It Guṇas,⁶ those⁷ knowing Tattvas, call
It Tattvas.⁸

Many religious philosophers
consider that God as an object is the ultimate truth. Karma Kanda and Upasana
kanda present God as an object. However, beyond a certain level we have to
remove God, as an object and God as I have to be accepted. In the fourth level
of Bhakti there is no difference between Bhakta and Bhakti. Dvaita is OK to
start off, but it can’t be the ultimate goal.

Other philosophers think
Pancha Bhutas are ultimate truth.

Sankhya Philosophers say the
three Gunas are ultimate reality. These people are not aware of nirguna
Chaitanyam.

Other philosphers such as
Shaivas worship the Tatva Trayam ( Pashu (Jivas); Pati (Lord of Jivas) ; and
Pasam ( String or noose of attachment). All see objects as reality.

Karika # 21:

pādā
iti pādavido viṣayā iti tadvidaḥ |
lokā iti lokavido devā iti ca tadvidaḥ || 21 ||

21. Those
acquainted with the quarters¹ (Pādas) call It
quarters; those² with objects, the objects³;those⁴ with Lokas, the Lokas⁵; those⁶ with Devas, the Devas.⁷

There are philosophers who
come to Mandukya and conclude Chatushpada Atma is Satyam. Upanishad, however, negates
all three padas except fourth pada or Turiyam that is Satyam; yet another
confusion.

Another group of materialists
believe in sensory pleasures as they believe philosophies generally confuse us.
Thus, Charavaka’s say, enjoy life as long as you live.

Other philosophies believe in
Loka Trayam ( Sukshma, Karana, Sthula) as ultimate, according to Puranikas.

Others say Devatas are
ultimate reality.

Karika # 22:   

vedā
iti vedavido yajñā iti ca tadvidaḥ |
bhokteti ca bhoktṛvido bhojyamiti ca tadvidaḥ || 22 ||

22. Those
knowing the Vedas call It the Vedas¹; those² acquainted
with the sacrifices, call It the sacrifices³ (Yagna); those⁴ conversant
with the enjoyer, designate It as the enjoyer⁵ and
those⁶with the object of enjoyment, call It such.

Some others say Vedas are
ultimate reality called Nada Brahma or Shabda Brahma. So if you chant Vedas,
they will transform you as they produce vibrations through mantras. They also
take to music or nada upasana; they say nada Brahman will liberate you. Vedanta
does not agree with them. So they spend time chanting, but they will never come
to ultimate truth.

Some are a little
enlightened; they learn Vedas, Veda Purva and Karma kanda as they are enamored
by Yagnas. They think rituals will liberate them. Karma can’t remove self-ignorance.
Turiya Gyanam can’t come through Yagnas. This was Mandana Mishras discussion
with Shankara. He was a great ritualist who became Shankara’s disciple.

People of Sankhya persuasion
say Atma is ultimate truth; and they say Atma is a Bhokta and that Atma is not
a doer.

Others think eating is the
greatest thing, known as Supakara.

Karika# 23:

sūkṣma
iti sūkṣmavidaḥ sthūla iti ca tadvidaḥ |
mūrta iti mūrtavido’mūrta iti ca tadvidaḥ || 23 ||

23. The
Knowers¹ of the subtle designate It as the subtle,² the
Knowers³ of the gross call It the gross,⁴ Those⁵ that
are familiar with a Personality (having form) call It a person,⁶ and
those⁷ that do not believe in anything having a form
call It a void.⁸

Other philosophers like
Digamabra and Swetambara Jain’s think reality is Sukshma Atma.

Charavaka’s think body is
ultimate; they deny all else. They say there is no consciousness other than
mind. There is no eternal consciousness; it is a fleeting phenomenon; once mind
dies consciousness dies; so body is truth; protect body; eat well. They don’t
believe in punyam and papam.

Some others believe that God
is ultimate reality situated in some Loka. Vallabha Sampradaya says, Sri
Krishna, as a Personal God, is the ultimate truth. They believe in Gita. They
believe Shankaracharya’s commentaries are incorrect.

Others believe in Shunyam
(not nirguna Brahman) or Shunya vada.
They
say that the formless, emptiness called shunyam is called the ultimate reality.
The shunyavadi says that he is shunyam also.

Karika # 24:

kāla
iti kālavido diśa iti ca tadvidaḥ |
vādā iti vādavido bhuvanānīti tadvidaḥ || 24 ||

24. The
Knowers¹ of time call It time²; the
Knowers of space (ether) call It space (ether). Those versed in disputation
call It the problem in dispute and the Knowers of the worlds call It the worlds.³

There are people obsessed
with time; astrology based thinkers, that believe time determines everything. Here you are controlled by outside
force of time; Vedanta, however, believes that I am the controller. So, it is
an obstacle to, Aham Brahma Asmi. I am a slave of world seeking moksha.

Take Away:

Any Mithya is born out of
ignorance and exists as such until ignorance is removed. Once ignorance is removed,
Mithya goes away; thus rope-snake is negated by rope knowledge.

Thus, Satyam or Adhishtanam
is the one that produces Mithya through its ignorance and it is also the
knowledge that removes mithya.

Reality in relation to
something is known as relative reality. Thus, fatherhood is real only from
point of view of a son.

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy

Karika # 24:

kāla
iti kālavido diśa iti ca tadvidaḥ |
vādā iti vādavido bhuvanānīti tadvidaḥ || 24 ||

24. The
Knowers¹ of time call It time²; the
Knowers of space (ether) call It space (ether). Those versed in disputation
call It the problem in dispute and the Knowers of the worlds call It the worlds.³

Continuing his teaching
Swamiji said, Gaudapada pointed out that universe experienced in any manner (as
Swapna, Jagrat, or any other higher state), still remains an object of
experience and thus a mithya.

Mithya means relative
reality, meaning it has meaning only in a particular state. Once the state
changes, the object is no more real.

The
truth of Turiya Atma is that as Observer, I am the projector and sustainer and experiencer
of whatever I projected with the help of a relevant body; the dream world
through the dream body and the waking world through the waking body. The bodies
themselves are projections.

Using the projected bodies I experience the projected universe. When this truth is missed, so many anatmas are mistaken as atma, the reality. Until now, various misconceptions with regard to the external world were pointed out.

Thus Swapna Prapancha is real
in swapna but not in Jagrat; jagrat prapancha is real in jagrat but not in
swapna. Therefore Gaudapada says Observer alone is Satyam while observed is
Mithya.

Advantage of this knowledge
is that mithya, relative reality, cannot affect Satyam, the absolute reality.
The advantage of this knowledge is that whatever happens in Drshya Prapancha,
it does not affect Me. This includes the world, the body and mind; all are
drsihyam and thus mithya; whatever happens to them, I, Turiyam, am unaffected.
Once I lose sight of the fact that I, The Observer, am reality, then Mithya
becomes Satyam.

Once waker is lost sight of,
dream becomes reality; instead of seeing dream as my creative glory, it becomes
a nightmare.

To convey this idea Gaudapada
talked of errors of philosophers in Karikas # 20-28. Each philosopher has
mistakenly taken one object or other as the truth; they don’t realize I the
observer am the truth.

Karika # 25:

mana iti manovido buddhiriti
ca tadvidaḥ |
cittamiti cittavido dharmādharmau ca tadvidaḥ ||
25 ||

25. The Cognizers¹ of
the mind call It the mind;² of³ the Buddhi
(intellect) the Buddhi⁴; of theChitta (mind-stuff), the Chitta⁵; and the Knowers⁶ of Dharma (righteousness) and Adharma (unrighteousness) call It the one⁷ or the other.

There are astrologers who
attribute everything to time such that I look at myself as a slave of time; I
give reality to time; I think every moment of life is determined by stars; thus
this greatest Brahman has become a victim of time, a mithya. Every event seems
to confirm my confusion that I am victim of Kala; thus I become an extrovert
controlling various planets via Pariharas.

I am not criticizing
astrology; it is a relative reality; it does not take me to absolute reality;
any apara Vidhya should take me to para vidhya. Therefore, till death they are
obsessed with Jyotisham.

Another set of people is
obsessed with quarters. They don’t do namaskara facing south. We should grow
out of all this and realize that all directions are relative reality. Our aim
is to grow out of them; that is why Dakshina murthy is facing south.

It takes time to grow out of
these conditions. They even consider seeing a Sanyasi to be a bad omen.

“A Gyani swallows Yama”, per
Katho Upanishad; for him, the entire world is food; even Yama is frightened of
a gyani.

Similarly, a variety of
systems like mantra vada, tantra vada; each considers that they can influence
life. Each Vada claims it can influence you becoming greater than “you”.

Gaudapada asks why transform
your life when you are complete and wonderful. Other systems say 14 Lokas are
the true. Each loka is governed by its own conditions. Common feature of these
philosophies is that, “I” am slave of these factors. Vedanta says, I am not
dependent on anything; rather they all depend on me.

Karika # 26:

pañcaviṃśaka
ityeke ṣaḍviśa iti cāpare |
ekatriṃśaka ityāhurananta iti cāpare || 26 ||

Some¹ say that the Reality consists of twenty-five
categories, others² twenty-six, while there are others³ who conceive It as consisting of thirty-one
categories and lastly people are not wanting who think such categories to be
infinite.

Then, there are ones,
obsessed with psychology and believe everything is determined by the mind. They
divide mind into two parts. One part of mind, the lower layer, is the
unconscious mind, determined by childhood experiences. Every human life has
this unconscious mind.

I am a victim of my own mind
as my mind is a victim of my own past. They don’t accept freewill. They also
say, anger is part of unconscious mind, as is one’s low self- image. Thus I am
made slave of psychologists.

Another philosophy is Buddhism
also known as Kshanik Vada. It says that the knowledge we have is reality. They
believe in budhi; they done believe in Atma; they believe in stream of
thoughts; they believe every thought exists for a moment. This system is also
known as Yogachara.

Some others consider memory
to be the ultimate truth. Even the way one judges situations and people,
depends on memory. Citing an example: A man falls into a river and is rescued;
but, thereafter, he is scared of the river.

Purvamimasa: This group says
punya and papam are only reality. All Lokas are due to punya and papa. God is also
punya and papam alone. They believe in Vedas but don’t believe in God. They
believe Vedas are eternal without a creator. Dharma and adharma revealed in
Vedas is the ultimate truth.

All these philosophies have the
common factor that they believe in external factors as controlling me.

Karika # 27:

lokām̐llokavidaḥ
prāhurāśramā iti tadvidaḥ |
strīpuṃnapuṃsakaṃ laiṅgāḥ parāparamathāpare || 27 ||

27. Those¹ who know only to please others call It (Reality) such² pleasure; those³ who are cognizant of the Āśramas call It the Āśramas; the grammarians call It the male, female or the neuter, and others know It as
the Parā⁴ and Aparā.

Another group believes world
as absolute reality. For convenience they divide world into a few principles
and call it Tatvani. Sankhya philosophers believe world is made of 25 Tatvas.
Gaudapada, however, says, this is again another misconception.

Sankhyas are materialists who
don’t believe in God. They believe in Vedas but don’t accept God. Their
philosophy is known as Atheistic Theism.

Yoga philosophers believe in
25 Tatvams plus Ishwara and it is known as Theistic Theism.

Thus:

Kapila Muni wrote Sankhya.

Jaimini wrote Mimamsa

Patanjali wrote on Yoga.

All these people are listed
in Karikas 20-28. Gaudapada says, all these philosophers including: Jaimini,
Kapila amd Patanjali are all confused; they consider “I” am a slave of external
factors. Reality is that they are all slaves of Me, the Turiyam.

Pashupatha shaivism is yet
another group; they have four sub groups such as: Kapalika, Pashupathas. They
believe in 31 Tatvams as making up the world.

When we say Shiva or Vishnu,
what does it mean to you? If they are an object located somewhere different
from you, then Shiva and Vishnu are an objectified personal God. Advaita does
not accept either; we are Brahmavadis. Shiva or Krishna is not different from
Me. For sake of Chitta shudhi you can accept them as Objective gods. Ultimately
Shiva and Vishnu are non-different from Me; I am Smartha or a Brahmavadi.

There are others who say
there are infinite principles that make up reality.

Karika # 28:

sṛṣṭiriti
sṛṣṭivido laya iti ca tadvidaḥ |
sthitiriti sthitividaḥ sarve ceha tu sarvadā || 28 ||

28. The Knowers¹ of creation call It creation; the Knowers of dissolution describe It as
dissolution and the believers in subsistence believe It to be subsistence.
Really speaking, all² these ideas are always imagined³ in Ātman.

Another group believes
happiness is ultimate truth. They say objects of happiness and pleasures are
ultimate truth.

There are others obsessed
with Varna ashrama dharma. It is acceptable to follow this for some time to
gain spiritual growth but soon after one has to get out of it. It is only a
means and not an end in itself. Treating means, as an end is un-wise; so one
has to grow out of Varna ashrama. Don’t let anything bind you.

Grammarians obsessed with
words and language believe language is only truth. They are known as Sphotavadis.
They forget language is only a means of communication.

Parampapas: They believe
ultimate truth is in form of papa. The believe Karya, Karana Brahma is ultimate
truth. Gaudapada says, Karya Karana Vilakshanam is ultimate truth or Turiyam;
it is neither karyam nor karanam.

In chapter # 3 we will
analyze Karya Karana Vilakshnam in greater detail.

Take Away:

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka 11.34: You destroy Drona and Bhisma,
and Jayadratha and Karna as also the other heroic warriors who have been killed
by Me. Do not be afraid. Fight! You shall conquer the enemies in battle.

Continuing his teaching
Swamiji said, Sri Krishna gave an important advice to Arjuna: whenever an
individual acts according to Dharma, then he is considered as having
surrendered his will to Dharma. Dharma is Lord’s teaching. So, surrendering to
Dharma is surrendering to will of Lord and when you do this, you still have
free will. With freewill when you act along with your Raga and Dvesha, it is
not aligned with God. Thus while you have freewill, you have to choose the path
of Raga Dvesha or Dharma. Thus, Arjuna’s freewill has two paths:

Raga Dvesha says, don’t
kill Drona, Bhishma and other kith and kin.

Dharma freewill tells him
to take up the dharmic fight.

Sri Krishna says, when you
are going with Raga Dvesha, it is abusing your freewill and it will result in
your downfall. So, Arjuna, do you want to choose free will that will result in
your downfall or will you take the dharmic path without attachments. When you
choose to use freewill with your intellectual convictions and choose the
painful path; that path involves surrendering your freewill to the will of God
and this will lead to spiritual growth. Using freewill is dharmic while abusing
freewill is going with Raga dvesha. Thus where freewill is dharmic in nature; there
Karma Yoga and Bhakti merge. Forced surrender is suppression, but surrender
done with freewill, voluntary surrender, is real bhakti.

A real karma Yogi is always
a Bhakta. So, Arjuna, become a bhakta. So, fight your Guru, Bhishma, Jayadratha
and Karna and in the process you will lose many of your warriors as well; their
next Janma is ready, so don’t be depressed; may you fight this battle.

Saving society from adharma
is duty of a Kshatriya. You will defeat your enemies in the war as Dharma is on
your side.

Shloka 11.35:

Sanjaya said Hearing this utterance of Kesava,
Kiriti (Arjuna), with joined palms and trembling, protrating himself, said
again to Krsna with a faltering voice, bowing down overcome by fits of fear:

Sanjaya spoke:

When Sri Krishna answered
Arjuna’s question, how did Arjuna respond? He understands that Sri Krishna is
only karma phala datha;
exactly like a judge; judge is not responsible for the enjoyment or suffering
of the people; if a person suffers punishment in the jail; that suffering is
not caused by the judge; but the suffering is the result of his own action.
Bhagavan has only
worked for the karma phalam to reach him; just as the judge’s role is to make
the law of karma work properly. And therefore Lord’s compassion does not mean
he will alter the karma phalam; Lord’s compassion is
in the form of the maintenance of the law of karma; And therefore if a person
has to receive papa phalam; a
person has to certainly receive it; Bhagavan is compassionate
alright; but where papa
phalam has to go, Bhagavan
will have to do that. If out of compassion, Bhagavan does not give
out the karma phala, then the moral order of creation will be disturbed.
Imagine if Bhagavan
changes the law of karma; because a person has to suffer; then what will be the
problem? Then He will have to change the laws which maintains the orderliness
of the creation. Then a single individual may benefit alright; but the world at
large will have to suffer; and therefore when you look from short-sighted
angle; it is like when a person is fallingdown; he says let the law of
gravitation stop; because he is falling down; Then what will happen; OK; Bhagavan says OK for
10 minutes, the law of gravitation will not function, because this fellow is
falling; what will happen; We will all start flying; Remember, if the law of
gravitation stops, we will not be on the earth; like the cosmonauts and
astronauts; we will be floating all over suddenly; Somebody in T.Nagar is
falling down; and He prayed the Lord: Oh Lord for two minutes the law of gravitation
should stop. Bhagavan
comes and out of compassion, says that the law of gravitation should stop; You
will all hit the fan. Therefore, remember that it is shortsightedness to
complain to the Lord and ask him to change the course of the law, for the sake
of our personal benefit. The law of karma should go on for the survival of the
world.

So, Arjuna, understood
Lords job of maintenance of Karma; while it our job to accept it. Every time I
suffer, remember that our papam has been reduced and I am being purer;
Similarly when you are enjoying, your punyam bank is eroding.

Therefore, O Lord, Your
ways are inscrutable; your compassion expresses as maintenance of law and
karma.

This raises a question?
Does it mean that Prayaschita Karma is a waste? It is never a waste; it also
functions according to law of Karma. It produces a punyam that is capable of
neutralizing the prarabhda.

Say, I have taken food that
does not agree with me, so I take a medicine that can counter it. Thus
Prayaschita karma can produce Agami karma that neutralizes it.

Extent to which Prarabhda
karma is neutralized depends on Prarabhda; the prarabhda can be Prabalam,
Durbalam, or madhyamam. Citing example of disease

we can either cure it,
manage it or there is no remedy; it all depends on individual circumstances.

When prarabhdha comes, we
don’t know of which category it belongs to. So, you perform your prayaschita
anyway.

Here Bhishma, Drona and all,
can’t be saved, they are finished. So, Arjuna’s emotions change from: at first
astonishment, then fear, to now, surrender to the order of creation.

So, Sanjaya reports on what
he sees:

Arjuna understood Lord
clearly; that he is neither cruel nor compassionate. I can never escape the law
of karma, so better learn to like it or surrender to it. Surrender is
intellectual acceptance of law of karma. Arjuna bows down again and again in
great fear and the more he matures with bhakti he learns to go along with
problem. With a choked voice Arjuna addresses Sri Krishna.

Shloka # 36:

Arjuna said It is proper, O Hrsikesa, that the
world becomes delighted and attracted by Your praise; that the Raksasas, stricken
with fear, run in all directions; and that all the groups
of the Siddhas bow down (toYou).

This is the third stage of
Arjuna’s emotions. As long as we are
narrow-minded, creation will cause fear in us. With expansion of mind through
Vishwa Rupa darshanam, our fear goes down. To conquer fear and insecurity learn
to appreciate creation including our past janmas. This way Ahamkara should
grow, ripen and then fall after ripening; this happens with Vishwa rupa
darshanam.

Arjuna says, O Sri Krishna,
I now understand why great Mahatmas appreciate Viswa Rupam. I also see how
narrow-minded people are afraid of Viswa rupam. So even God and religion become
a source of fear.

So, Hrishikesha, by
glorifying you, the mature people revel; they are beyond normal attachments and
Narrow-minded-ness. Non-attachment
and Vishwa rupa darshnam provide far greater pleasure than anything else.

There
is a beautiful Malayalam composition called Harinama keerthanam; it is a very popular one
in Kerala; in that the author writes: Oh Lord; I should never have the idea of
individuality; as I related to a few people; this man’s uncle; this man’s
grandpa, this man’s son; etc. etc.  Even
if that “I” should rise in me; If I should develop an I, let that I be
identified with Either I should never have identification; zero identification
or total identification. Zero identification; you are brahman; total
identification, you are Ishvara;
in both you have no samsara;
but our problem; neither zero identification; nor total identification; a select
few; we suffer with them; so that few identification makes me a miserable
inbetween jeeva; Isvara has no samsara; Brahman has no samsara; jeeva has got maha samsara;

Either I have no identification or total
identification and in both cases there is no samsara. Our problem is we have a
few identifications that cause us all the misery.

All Rakshasas who do not
appreciate dharma become afraid of you and try to escape law of karma.

All
the siddha purushas; all the Gyanis;
who know what is what; they do namaskaram to you; they are willing to accept whatever comes
according to the law of karma; and if at all pray, their prayer is that; Oh
Lord; you need not change the law for my sake; but give me the attitude to
accept what cannot be changed; if things can be corrected through prayaschittam,
give me the knowledge and strength to do prayaschittam; nothing wrong; but whatever is choiceless; and
irremediable; let me accept the choiceless situation; So, groups of wise people
do namaskara to you.

Let me accept the choice-less
situation.

Shloka # 37

And why should they not bow down to You, O
exalted [i.e. not narrow-minded.] One, who are greater (than all) and who are
the first Creator even of Brahma! O infinite One, supreme God, Abode of the
Universe, You are the Immutable,being and non-being, (and) that which is
Transcendental.

Arjuna said, anyone who
appreciates Vishwa rupa and performs namaskara to it, is natural.  As Einstein said; the more I am
studying the creation; I cannot but surrender or appreciate the glory of Lord. In fact, more you see the totality; vinayaha; humility is
very natural. And therefore Arjuna asks; why won’t people do namaskara. So if they
are doing namaskara; there is no
ascharyam; if they do not do namaskara that alone is ascharyam; because so wonderful is the
totality and that is why to develop bhakthi; even studying any aspect of
creation; after Vishva
rupa reading; you
read any science; read biology;
read entomology, the study of insects; insects will make you wonder; astronomy
will make you wonder; any science you take and go in depth;

Thus, if I don’t love
music, it is just that I don’t have the faculty to appreciate music; Similarly
some people don’t have faculty to appreciate God.

You
are the creator of even Brahmaji;
you are the infinite one; because time and space exist in You; you do not exist
in time and space; You are one who is the Lord of all Gods; you are the abode of
the universe; you do not live in the universe; the universe lives in you.

Take away:

Either, I have no
identification or total identification and in both cases there is no samsara.
Our problem is we have a few identifications that cause us all the misery.

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy

तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्।

मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव
निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन्।।11.33।।

Therefore you rise up, (and) gain fame; and
defeating the enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. These have been killed
verily by Me even earlier; be you merely an instrument, O Savyasacin (Arjuna).

Continuing his teaching
Swamiji said, appreciating Vishwarupa of Lord, Arjuna goes through two emotions;
one of wonder and another of fear. He saw Lord destroying everything; seeing the
destructive aspect, Arjuna had questions if Lord was had any compassion at all.
So, he asks, “Who are you and what do you do”?

And
there Lord Krishna said: That I am the kala tatvam; because kala or time is non-separate from the universe; if universe is
My body; time is also an integral aspect of Mine; And therefore from the
standpoint of time, I am called kala; I am called Yama; the one who controls the movement or
controls all the processes of the creation; Yama means, all controller.

Our sandhyavandanam also
has worship of Yama. Yama controls world according to universal laws.

Then Sri Krishna said, now
I am going to destroy warriors on both sides as per their Prarabhda karmas. God
himself does not kill anybody; rather he uses some, as instruments, to perform
this task. He tells Arjuna, you can also be an instrument of mine; and in the
process, you will get name and fame.

The sentence, Nimitha
Matram Bhava, you be my instrument, has been read as fatalism. There are two
points made here.

1. “ Everything is already
determined by God”; meaning death is pre-determined, is the message or
fatalism; We have no control on destiny.

2. Second idea here
is, You be my instrument. So, here, God is controller and we are just
instruments.

Swamiji says, we have
to read this sentence carefully. Shastras don’t accept fatalism. They don’t see
us as puppets without free will. In fact fatalism is rejected.

When we reject fatalism
we are not rejecting idea of fate. The difference between two can be explained
as follows:

Fate is accepted by
shastras. It is result of actions performed in past janmas or destiny also
known as prarabdham or Daivam, and it as seen in a horoscope. Our prarabhdam
influences our life, not the stars. Prarabhdas are indicated by planetary
positions. It is like a fuel gauge in a car that is an indicator alone and not
an inflencer. This is Prarabhda or fate.

Fate verus Fatalism:

Fate is one of the
factors influencing life. If fate alone determines, it is fatalism. Shastra says
the other factor of influence is Free will or Purushartha.

Thus:

Fate + Free will=Our
Future

Let us discuss what
the problem is, if you accept fatalism? Then, God decides everything; we are
just his instruments.

Advantages of
Fatalism:

1. You need not take responsibility for your atrocities; we
   can always blame god when we look for a scapegoat.
2. When God does everything and since we worship god and
   god is just; we are able to accept suffering. So fatalism helps in accepting
   problems.

However shastras don’t
accept fatalism. Shankaracharya also says this is the correct position. Thus,
we identify six problems with fatalism.

1. If God is doing everything and we are his instruments then God is karta and we are Karanam. Whoever is karta, he alone is Bhokta as well, per shastras. Thus, God alone gets all papams and punyams. All Sanchita and Agami karmas go to God. Thus, Bhagavan becomes the Mahasamsari; which is absurd. Thus Maha Samsaritvam is first dosha.
2. Since we are instruments, we don’t get Karma phalam, we get only Karanam; thus, if a car hits somebody, you don’t arrest the car rather you arrest the driver. All my actions will not get Karma Phalam or punyam or papam; if so, we should all get moksha because Jiva becomes an A-samsari; which is also absurd. Thus, A-samsaritvam is a dosha.
3. If God does everything, God alone will cause the suffering of all people. If God is responsible for suffering, he must be a most cruel God; he cannot be a Karuna Murthy. This is known as Nairgrinnya dosham and it means God will be subject to the charge of cruelty.
4. While God has made people suffer; he has made people enjoy as well. All people are not uniformly enjoying; some are happy, some happier and some happiest; thus there are gradations of enjoyment. So God must be responsible for partiality. This is known as Vaishamya dosham, meaning partiality.
5. Since God does all actions, we are mere instruments, we don’t have to know what is right and what is wrong. So, we not hear Dharma shastras. God alone needs to learn them. This is known as Dharma shastra vaiyarthyam dosham.
6. If we don’t have free will, we are just instruments, we will never have a conflict in life. An Instrument need not choose a course of action; so we wont have conflict. All conflicts belong to God alone.    When do we have conflicts? Citing an example: Suppose there is only one road to your house; here there is no choice of another road. Now if there are two roads to your house and here you have to choose.

Thus Freewill, Choice and Conflict, all go together.
Even waking up to an alarm clock is a conflict. Human life is a series of
conflicts, indicating choice, using freewill.

Say you have a Driver.
Both of you get into car. Driver has no conflict, as he is just an instrument.
Conflict lies within the owner, as he has freewill.

If there is no free
will, there will be no conflicts in human beings.

Only animals are free
from free will, choice and conflicts. Human beings always have choice, conflict
and free will.

So, we have free will.
For human beings future is determined by both fate and free will. Animals don’t
have freewill.

In different contexts,
either freewill or fate will dominate. Sometimes they are even and may even end
up in a tie. So, by our prayer we try to influence the fate; and by our planning,
we try to contribute to our will.

Then
comes the final question. Then why did Krishna say nimittamatram bhava savyasachin; why did
He say be an instrument in the hand of the Lord.

What
do you mean by becoming an instrument? In the case of a human being, becoming
the instrument in the hands of the Lord is following a dharmic course of action,
because Bhagavan controls the
world through dharma. Bhagavan
harmonizes the world through dharma; and when I use my freewill to be in
alignment with dharma;

Because,
everytime I have to choose, I can go either by dharma or I can go by my raga dvesha. Raga dvesha tells you do
that or do not, do that; Pay tax or do not pay tax. Or violate the traffic
rules or do this. Therefore every time you have a choice;

We can go according to our Raga dvesha or we can go according to the dharma shastra; when my life is governed by dharma shastra; when my freewill is in alignment with dharma shastra, I become the instrument of the Lord. And therefore Arjuna himself is facing a conflict. Dharma shastra says Arjuna has to fight this war:

According
to dharma, Arjuna’s duty is fight the war, because Kshatriya has to
fight for the sake of dharma. And Duryodhana has explicitly taken to adharma;
therefore dharma tells Arjuna fight. In fact, because of that alone, Arjuna has
to take to battlefield.

But before he started the fight, his raga dvesha came. And raga dvesha tells after-all, Bhishma, Drona, etc. are my
kith and kin;

Thus, this statement
says, Arjuna, may you align your will with mine.

Shloka # 11.34:

You destroy Drona and Bhisma, and Jayadratha
and Karna as also the other heroic warriors who have been killed by Me. Do not
be afraid. Fight! You shall conquer the enemies in battle.

Arjuna faces conflict because he has a freewill; he has a choice; he has to choose between what and what; His dharma knowledge tells that you have to fight the war; but his attachment tells: do not fight the war; His conscience tells fight the war; his attachment tells do not fight; Therefore there is a conflict; And what is becoming the instrument of the Lord; Krishna tells: do not go by your raga dvesha. Then what you go by: you go by dharma; and when you go by dharma, you are going by the Will of the Lord, because dharma is God’s will; so my freewill is now aligned to dharma; my freewill is not gone; my freewill is aligned with dharma; my freewill has aligned with God’s will; and when my freewill is in alignment with God’s will, I become an instrument in the hands of the Lord; Therefore this statement is not saying: you do not have will; this statement tells: Arjuna, May you align your will to my Will. In short, follow dharma. I hope you have no conflict now.

So here Krishna tells what is the course of the creation in keeping with the law of karma or the law of dharma, which Arjuna has to align with. He says all these people’s time has come. According to dharma or law of karma, they require disappearance from the earth; who are they; Drona; Bhishma; Jayadratha; karna; all these people as well as the others belonging to both sides of the army;

Sri Krishna says, they are already dead; which means the law of karma or the law of dharma has indicated their death but in the case of Arjuna, the Lord is here to come and tell what has to happen; what is according to the law of karma, the time of death has come; Bhagavan comes and tells.

Therefore here the difference is in the case of Arjuna, Bhagavan is here to come and tell what is the fate but in our case, our fate is not known or knowable. That is why it is called adrshtam; therefore we can never know clearly what is our fate; and therefore we know only what is the freewill or our capacity; Therefore do your action as though every thing is in your hands; receive the result as though everything is in God’s hands. This is the working approach. Because when you do the action, you do not know the power of fate.

That is why they try to read the fate through astrology; so astrology is supposed to indicate the direction of the fate and they give prayascitha as well. But an astrologer may read it properly, or it may be improper. So, the alternative is surrender to Lord; do your best and leave the rest to him.

Take away:

Thus Freewill, Choice
and Conflict, all go together. Human life is a series of conflicts, indicating
choice, using freewill.

Fate + Free will=Our
Future

Therefore
do your action as though every thing is in your hands; receive the result as
though everythingisin God’s hands. This is the working approach.
Because when you do the action, you do not know the power of fate.

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy

Karika # 16:

जीवं कल्पयते पूर्वं वचो भावान्पृथग्विधान् । 
बाह्यानाध्यात्मिकांश्चैव यथाविद्यस्तथास्मृतिः ॥ १६ ॥

16. First of all, is imagined the Jīva (the embodied being) and then are imagined
the various entities, objective
and subjective, that are
perceived. As is (one’s) knowledge so is (one’s) memory of it.

Continuing his teaching Swamiji
said, by taking the dream example, Gaudapada established that world of waking
is not much different from that of dream; both are Mithya; both derive their existence
from the Observer; so long as “I”, the observer, enjoy the dream world, it is
real; but it will last only as long as I am under the spell of the dream. Once
I wake up, I become an Observer in waking state; the dream world’s existence is
stripped off.

In Jagrat Prapancha, it also
appears real to me; but Gaudapada says it is also relative, as here too, its
existence depends on the Observer; thus, if I go to sleep or dream or go to
another world of reality, the Jagrat prapancha loses its reality.

Gaudapada concludes from all
this that any objective world (observed world) is only relative world; in its
own time, it is real, but in another plane, determined by the observer, it
loses its reality. As Pramata changes, Prameya also changes. So the question
comes up, if every Prameya (experience) is a relative reality; what is absolute
reality? Gaudapada says absolute reality has to be Aprameyam. What is that absolute reality which exists
but is not an object? The answer is “I” the Atma alone can be absolute reality.
The Atma lends reality to the relative world.

So, Gaudapada says, I the
Atma, project a relative reality and then lends reality to it. From my vasanas
I project as a dream and then lend existence to the dream. The tragedy is that
I forget that the dream depends upon me.

I am doing a noble service to
dream world by giving it existence; but it gives me samsara and frightens me
with experiences. So, I withdraw help to the dream world by waking up. So, I,
the Atma, with Maya Shakti have created Jagrat prapancha. This Jagrat prapancha
(Waker’s world) having borrowed reality from me, now threatens me; so to
deflate this world, the Jagrat prapancha, only way out is to wake up. Every
Guru’s goal is to wake up the student. Gaudapada says, I, the Atma, with Maya
Shakti have created the jagrat prapancha world. Similarly, with Nidra Shakti I
create the swapna prapancha.

Atma Agyanam is a longer
nidra.

Now Guadapada wants to give
us the order of creation. Creation is a cyclic process; so it has no beginning
or end; however for purpose of discussion we have to begin somewhere; it is
like a round table conference that is set up to get around the ego’s of VIP’s.
So, Gaudapada says to understand creation we should start with Jiva Srishti.

Atma, with help of Maya
Shakti projects Jiva. Jiva gets a body that depends on his/her karma of the
past; he also gets an appropriate environment to be born in; he also gets an
appropriate raga, dvesha and vasanas. I create all this, as the Lord of the
jiva. After that, Jiva runs on its own. The 16^th Karika, the last
line, gives us how the Jiva runs its course (self sustaining cycle of world)

The Jiva looks around the
world; obtains knowledge; here experiences are registered; he will then
classify the world (a subjective judgment).

Citing an example for this,
Swamiji said, say two people come this class. They may feel it is a source of
joy or sorrow based upon Gyanam and memory that it was joyful or sorrowful. He
remembers things as joyful or sorrowful. He then wants to repeat the joyful
experience and he avoids any sorrowful experience. This is known as Pravrithi
(attachment) and Nivrithi (aversion). Thus the process is as follows:

Gyanam> memory>
Pravriti and or nivrthi ( Karmas).

 This is called Yatna. Pravrithi Nivrithi
karmas produce papam and punyam through Adrishta Phalam, also called Agami
Karma. Some Agami karmas fructify in this life while others wait to fructify in
a future life.

Hence re-birth becomes
necessary to complete our Agami Karmas. This cycle goes on, birth after birth. It
is an eternal cyclic process, punarapi jananam and punarpi maranam.

How will God help me. He can
wake me up to the fact that “ I” am Satyam and Jagan is mithya, a defanged
cobra.

As long as I see objective
world, world is real; I am ensnared; but once I Know I am the truth, I wake up.

Thus:

Yatha Vidhya tatha smrithi;
Yatha smrithi Thatha Ichha; Yatha Ichha Tatha Karma; Yatha Karma tatha Phalam
Yatha phalam Tatha Punarjanmam. This is the cyclic process of Punarapi jananam
and punrapi maranam.

Karika # 17:

aniścitā
yathā rajjurandhakāre vikalpitā | 
sarpadhārādibhirbhāvaistadvadātmā vikalpitaḥ || 17 ||

17. As
the rope, whose nature is not really known,, is imagined in the dark to be a
snake, a water-line, etc., so also is the Ātman imagined (in
various ways).

Gaudapada had pointed out
that Swapna Prapancha is only a relative reality; it has only a borrowed
reality from I the observer.

Now Gaudapada gives an
example; it is the famous Rope Snake example; it is famous in vedas. Gaudapada
was Shankaracharya’s acharya’s Guru.

This example is a very old
one cited in scriptures, well before Shankaracharya made it famous.
Kambaramayana also cites it, as an example.

The Rope Snake: A rope is not clearly seen when there is partial light or partial
darkness. It is partially recognized as something is lying down in front of me.
It is partial knowledge; that is the problem. In darkness, I don’t see
anything, thus ignorance is bliss. In total brightness, I can see the rope, so
here knowledge is bliss. Partial ignorance and partial knowledge are both
problems.

There is general knowledge
(samanya gyanam) that something is in front of me; Visesha Gyanam, that a rope
is laying in front of me is not there. This partial ignorance has two powers:
Avarna Shakti (Concealing power) and Vikshepa shakti (Projecting power).

Avarana Shakti covers the
rope partially; I don’t know it is rope. The covering of the ropeness of rope
is Avarna Shakti; then Vikshepa shakti comes up and it projects anything other
than a rope. Generally it projects anything we are afraid of. Citing an
example, if I have a stomach ache and I don’t know why, I imagine the worst
possible scenario such as say cancer.

 This power of projection is called Vikshepa
Shakti. Due to this power we see an imaginary snake. Reality is that there is
no snake at all it is just a projection of my ignorance.

Now, this non-existent snake
can cause havoc in our lives. It will be classified as a relative reality, like
a projected dream.

Who lent this reality? I have
lent this reality. Why is called relative reality? Because, when I go near it,
it disappears in wake of knowledge. So, nor is it non-existent nor is it
existent. It is sufficiently real to frighten, but not sufficiently real, to
continue when I go near it. Gaudapada says world comes under this reality and
it can’t be driven away by rituals. The only solution is to go near and see;
then we realize there was no snake to even go away. The torchlight of shastram
is required to go near and see, says Gaudapada.

“In partial darkness, a rope
is partially known; it is projected as a snake or a streak of water or as a
crack on earth; it is mistaken.”

In same way there is only I,
the Turiyam who started the drama and is trapped by it’s own drama, through
Maya shakti, the cosmic ignorance. Turiyam is mistaken as Vishwa, Taijasa and
Pragya. “I” am none of them but Turiyam.

To recap the message of
Gaudapada:

Therefore
the snake is neither nonexistent nor existent. Three points are important to
note.

1. The rope-snake is seemingly existent and in Vedanta it is
   called mithya. This mithya snake will cause problems to the observer. This is
   point one.
2. The second point that is very important is that the mithya
   snake is understood as mithya snake only after knowing the rope and until the
   person knows the rope, the mithya snake will never seem like the mithya snake.
   For the ignorant observer, mithya snake is satya snake only. Therefore it will
   cause all the problems that a satya snake causes. This is called suffering from
   fear, or mini samsara caused by mithya snake, which is for the time being is a
   satya snake.
3. When does the problem go away? The third point is that the
   problem caused by mithya snake will go away only by one method, which is the
   observer knowing the rope completely. Now he knows the rope partially. He
   should know the rope completely, which is the knowledge that rope is rope. In
   the wake of complete knowledge the problem caused by the so-called satya snake,
   which appeared satya till now, is solved for good. So what is the solution? It
   is the knowledge of the substratum.

Karika # 18

niścitāyāṃ
yathā rajjvāṃ vikalpo vinivartate | 
rajjureveti cādvaitaṃ tadvadātmaviniścayaḥ || 18 ||

18. When
the real nature of the rope is ascertained all illusions about it disappear and
there arises the conviction that it is the one (unchanged) rope and nothing
else; even so is the nature of the conviction regarding Ātman.

The rope snake can be removed
by only one method; by removing cause of rope snake. Cause of rope snake is
ignorance. Ignorance has produced snake. This is obtained by gaining rope
knowledge.

What is it? Whatever is
lending reality to rope, that lender, is called Adhishtanam. We need to know
that Adhishtanam, the projector, supporter and experiencer. One has to know only one thing, the clear knowledge
of rope, that it is rope and rope alone. Once rope is known as rope, all false
projections recede. Rope knowledge drives away all Mithya or Avidya, all are
gone in one stroke. One rope alone remains.

Similarly,
for the dreamer, in dream, the dream world is satyam. For a waker, in waking,
the waking world is satyam. Both “satya” worlds are causing havoc for the
ignorant person. As long as the self-ignorance is present, both the waking and
the dream worlds will appear as satyam and both of them will cause samsara in
their respective states. What is the remedy? Self-knowledge is the remedy. This
knowledge is that I, the atma, should be understood as Turiya chaitanyam. When
I claim that I am Vishva, the waker, it is partial knowledge and it will cause problems.
When I claim I am Taijasa, the dreamer, it is partial knowledge and it will
create problems.

When
I claim that I am Prajna, the sleeper, it is partial knowledge and it will
create problems. When I

claim
that I am Turiyam; it is complete knowledge.

So, also, if you gain
knowledge of Turiyam with help of Shastras, Vishwa, Taijasa, Pragya all
relative realities go away and only the absolute truth alone remains.

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka # 29:

यथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गा
विशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगाः।
तथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोका
स्तवापि वक्त्राणि समृद्धवेगाः।।11.29।।

As moths enter with increased haste into a
glowing fire for destruction, in that very way do the creatures enter into Your
mouths too, with increased hurry for destruction.

Continuing his teaching Swamiji said, while appreciating the Vishwa Rupa of Lord, Arjuna initially expresses wonderment, seeing the magnitude of Vishva rupa; which consists of the whole creation along with time, which is an integral part of Vishva rupa.

Time and space is
integral part of creation. It is not that they existed before; they arise with
Creation and once creation is resolved we can’t have space and time. We see
this in the sleep state when objects go away, time and space goes away and upon
waking up objects come back. During his experience of Vishwa Rupa, Arjuna
experiences time via the mouth of Lord. Time is intrinsic in every object that
makes it arrive, grow old and then die. This integral kalatatvam is seen as
mouth of Lord. Kalatatvam has two powers: Creative and Destructive. Arjuna did
not see the creative side such as birth of children. Creative power helps the
boom of human beings, a mangala karma. But since Arjuna was in battlefield, he
saw destructive aspect of Kala swallowing many beings. If Arjuna had seen the Rupa
in totality (birth and death) he would have seen both as mangalam. Thus Union
and departure are both mangalam; growth and decay are also mangalam. Once I
accept both as mangalam, Vishwa Rupam is not frightening anymore.

Another choice is to see everything as amangalam. Vedanta sees both punar janmam and Punar maranam as amangalam. Even union is amangalam; heaven and hell is also amangalam.

Either accept everything
as mangalam or reject whole thing as amangalam. The problem is we want to
accept birth as mangalam but we don’t want to accept death as mangalam. So
totally accept or renounce the world. Arjuna does not want death of Bhishma,
Drona etc; but he also wants Karna to die; this is his dilemma.

Sri Krishna says this
is not the law of creation.

Shloka # 30:

लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमानः समन्ता
ल्लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भिः।
तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं
भासस्तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो।।11.30।।

You lick Your lips while devouring all the
creatures from every side with flaming mouths which are completely filling the
entire world with heat.

Arjuna sees bodies
rushing into Lord’s mouth.

What is Gods response
to all the death? Does he feel sympathy? God does not appear to have any
sympathy. He seems to say that if you cant accept law of universe; birth and
death; then it is your problem.

Before discussing we
should know what is it? Scriptures describe all these in details. So in closing
our eyes to death principle, we are closing our opportunity to understand
death. So, God is not bothered with all this; rather he seems to enjoy
swallowing people.

“ So, like a good
eater he seems to be enjoying the meal. Every object seems to be a food object,
as god is swallowing them. Al people are devoured within his huge blazing mouth
and he is relishing it.”

The radiation of fire
from your mouth seems to spread all around. Kalatatvam affects every moment of life,
as we grow older.

Arjuna has begun to
doubt nature of God. He did not expect to see a violent aspect of God. Is God
compassionate? Is there even God? So now he raises a question to Sri Krishna.

Shloka # 31:

आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो
नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद।
विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं
न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम्।।11.31।।

Tell me who You are, fierce in form. Salutation
be to you, O supreme God; be gracious. I desire to fully know You who are the
Prima One. For I do not understand Your actions!

Arjuna asks a
fundamental question, O God, who are you? Are you compassionate or the fierce
one? Why did you create suffering with Joy? I am not able to understand your
fierce form. May you cool down and show me a pleasant form of yours?

In effect Arjuna’s
question is: who are you; what are you? I would like to clearly know you as
Srishti Karta. I do not know your functions as well.

Now, Ishwara answers;
with this the second phase of Arjunas’s response is over. His first response
upon seeing Vishwa rupa was ascharya; the second response was fear upon seeing God’s
destructive aspect, his fiery mouth.

Shloka # 32:

श्री भगवानुवाच

कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो
लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः।
ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे
येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः।।11.32।।

The Blessed Lord said I am the world-destroying
Time, [Time: The supreme God with His limiting adjunct of the power of action.]
grown in stature [Pravrddhah, mighty-according to S.-Tr.] and now engaged in
annihilating the creatures. Even without you, all the warriors who are arrayed
in the confronting armies will cease to exist!

Sri Krishna answered
Arjuna’s question as to, who are you? What is your function?

Answering first question of who are you; Sri Krishna says, I am Kalatatvam also; which is an integral part of the relative world; that is why in Vedanta; we talk about two planes of reality; one is called vyavahariha satyam; and other is called paramarthika satyam; vyavahariha satyam is a plane in which time principle is integral, intrinsic, inherent feature and therefore in vyavaharika plane everything will have a corresponding opposite. So arrival-departure, growth-decay; union-dissociation; birth-death; it is an integral part which is called vyavahari satyam. And Vedantins advice with regard to vyavaharika satyam is that we have only two options; either you accept it totally or you reject it totally;

Paramatrthika satyam has no
time and space; as such no pairs exist in it; there is no birth nor death; no
good nor bad. For total renunciation you need mental strength. Total acceptance
also requires inner strength. This strength comes from Atma Gyanam. So take sanyasa ashrama or
Grihasthashrama; In Sanyasahrama ,in which you renounce everything; but partial
acceptance is not acceptable; partial rejection is also not acceptable.

“ Sri Krishna says, I
am Kalatatvam; I have two fold functions; creation and destruction. Right now I
am in destructive principle, as a war is about to begin. I have come and
engaged in destroying the armies of Kauravas and Pandavas.”

Sri Krishna gives a
warning, “ Arjuna, this is going to happen whether you decide to fight or not,
all these people will die.”. Who are they? They are soldiers of both armies
who, even in this Dharma and Adharma war, will perish.

Shloka # 33:

तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्।

मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव
निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन्।।11.33।।

Therefore you rise up, (and) gain fame; and
defeating the enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. These have been killed
verily by Me even earlier; be you merely an instrument, O Savyasacin (Arjuna).

Arjuna, whether you
fight or not, time for all these people to perish has come. If you fight, you
will get name and fame for fighting for Dharma. If you run away, the people
will still perish; but you will get a bad name as a coward and incur papam. So,
Join and do your duty; win over your enemies. You can enjoy a prosperous
kingdom.

I have already
destroyed all these people. So O Arjuna (Ambidextrous bowman). So, may you
become a simple instrument in my hand for this destruction..

Nimitham Matra Bhava
meaning be a mere instrument in my hand; this line is often quoted; so we have
to understand it clearly. It appears as if Arjuna is a puppet of God’s hand. It
looks like God predetermines everything. Human beings don’t appear to have a
choice.

These two lines of Ch
# 11 give a boost to fatalistic people concluding that there is no freewill at
all. There is only God who is the doer.

Swamiji says this
conclusion is wrong. He says there is a freewill.

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy