Shloka # 5:

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्।
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः।।8.5।।

At the end, whoso departs giving up his body, and remembering Me alone, proceeds to My status; of this there is no doubt.

Continuing his teaching Swamiji said, based upon the last two shlokas of chapter 7 Arjuna raises his seven questions reflected in Shlokas 1 and 2 of this chapter # 8. In shloka’s # 3 and 4 Sri Krishna answers the first six questions.

From the fifth shloka onwards, Sri Krishna answers the seventh question elaborately on the topic of remembrance of god at time of death. This topic is going to be answered in the rest of the chapter # 8. And, by way of answering this question, Sri Krishna is also dealing with Saguna Ishwara Upasanam or meditating upon a god with attributes. Every dhyana shloka, be it on Rama, Krishna, Devi etc., describe the respective god’s attributes. Saguna Upasana can be classified into two types as Saguna and Nishkama. Saguna upasana is for worldly benefits or other than spiritual benefits, or for artha and kama in this life or next.  Miraculous powers also come from such an upasana.

Nishkama upasana is for spiritual growth or obtaining required qualifications and opportunity for moksha. And this nishkama saguna upasana itself can be divided into two types. In one, person practices Nishkama upasana for acquiring all the qualifications for entering into nirguna gyanam. Because we have seen in the 7th chapter that saguna ishwara is not the ultimate reality. Saguna Ishwara is only an empirical vyavaharika satyam or it is also mithya; only the nirguna Ishwara also called para prakrithi in chapter 7, that alone is the ultimate reality; and we have to come to the ultimate nirguna Ishwara.

Thus one can start with Saguna Upasana and the come to nirguna upasana. Nirguna upasana will lead person to nirguna upasana gyanam. This gyanam will result in Sadyo mukti or jivan mukti. Sadyo mukti is instant liberation.

Alternative method:

Saguna Upasana leads to nirguna Upasana. However person is not able to go to nirguna Ishwara. Switching from a god with attributes to a god without attributes is difficult. Nirguna Ishwara enquiry requires a very subtle mind.

So, if the mind is not ready for nirguna ishwara it will not appeal to that person. Then what should that person do? No doubt, he wants moksha; no doubt he wants to become one with God; he does not have interest in any other material goal; he is a nishama purushah; he is a mumukshu purushah; but his mind is not ready for nirguna vicharah.

Sri Krishna offers a solution. He says such a person should continue his Saguna Upasana alone in this life. He should make sure it is a nishkama mumukshu upasana. At time of death he will remember only that which he values most in his or her life. He will remember saguna Ishwara. He won’t get liberation. But because of his intense desire he will go to Brahma Loka. There he will get ideal condition for Nirguna Ishwara Gyanam. Brahmaji himself will impart this knowledge and thus he will attain liberation. This is called Krama Mukti. Therefore a Nishkama upasaka can follow either path. Chapter 8 focuses on Krama Mukti.

Shloka # 5:

The word Yaha in shloka means nishkama saguna upasaka. Suppose he dies and his jiva travels. It is sukshma shariram. Remembering Me alone (saguna Ishwara) he will certainly get karma mukti; of this there is no doubt. Mad Bhava means krama mukti.

Shloka # 6:

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्।
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः।।8.6।।

Remembering whatever being one gives up the body at the end, that very being one reaches, O Arjuna! ever confirming to that being.

Suppose a person does not remember god at time of death, what happens to him?

Sri Krishna says, his next janma will depend upon what he thinks at time of death. As the

famous proverb goes; “As a person thinks, so a person becomes”. It is a very very powerful law, which is a fact; it is not a law applicable only after death; but it is a

law applicable within this life itself, as a person thinks, so he becomes.

In this context, Swamiji reminded us of a beautiful proverb which he likes:

Watch your thoughts; they become the words;

Watch your words, they become your actions;

Watch your action, they become your habit;

Watch your habit; they become your character;

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Your destiny is already determined by the thoughts you entertain. Sri Krishna says this rule also applies to next life. Jada Bharata story in Bhagawatham says he got attached to a small deer. His obsession over the deer came up at the time of his death when he was worried as to who would look after his deer. Because of this obsession at time of death, he was born again as a deer.

And this important lesson Krishna imparts in this shloka. Suppose a person drops the physical body at the time of death; remembering various objects in his mind, any particular object, any particular goal in mind, remembering, then, he will certainly attain only such a birth which is in keeping with the person’s thought process. So, Arjuna, remember this is the most important law.

The question comes up if there is a loophole at time of death that one can get around it regarding thinking about god? Sri Krishna says you never know when death will come to you. Thoughts of a person are based upon: his will power and Vasanas (habits, samskaras, impressions). Thoughts in mind are decided by will power or vasana. There is a constant clash between the two. As we grow older vasana becomes more powerful, powered by many years of thinking. Our subconscious mind is saturated with vasanas while our will becomes weaker. At time of death it is very difficult to control thought. So, Sri Krishna says, saturate your vasanas with spiritual thoughts. So preparation for this should start this very moment. Rehearsal for death should start right now.

Sri Krishna discussed this topic although many will not like it. He says constant practice makes subconscious mind divine oriented.

Citing story of Appaya Diskhitar a great devotee, he wanted to find out about subconscious mind. He wanted to find out from our dreams. He drank milk made from erruka tree called errukam milk. Drinking this milk throws one off balance. He told disciples to write down whatever he said when he was not in his senses after drinking this milk. His thought came out as the Unmat- stotram out of his mouth uttered during his dream. It was a great hymn to the Lord Shiva.

Shloka # 7:

तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम्।।8.7।।

Therefore, at all times, remember Me and fight. Dedicating mind and intellect to Me, rid of all doubts, you will reach Me, indeed.

So Arjuna, my advice to you is, may you always remember Me.

If I remember god all the time when will I have time for my normal duties? Should I become a Sanyasi? How to remember god all the time?

Sri Krishna says, don’t drop your responsibilities. Continue with them. But you also have to fight, Arjuna. He means Arjuna should fulfill his duties as well. How can I do two jobs at the same time; remembering you and fighting?

Conscious mind cannot do two jobs simultaneously. Even when conscious mind is working on a job, in subconscious mind my priority should be clear. Subconscious mind can have Ishwara chintana, while conscious mind can perform work.   It is like a tampura sruthi in background. While singing, tamura sruti will still be maintained.

Citing another example Swamiji says, it is like when one gets down at a platform in a railway station to buy food. The person keeps one eye and ear tuned to any signal as to departure of the train. So, in life one should continue his normal activities while keeping mind alert to the divine as well. Our emotional personality should be focused on God. Learn to emotionally depend upon god rather than on mortals. Remember, a mortal will leave you one day as such are undependable. Love everyone but depend on saguna Ishwara. The Thyagaraja Krithis are all about talking to God.

May you be rationally be convinced; because the physical personal God symbolizes the truth; symbolizes immortality; symbolizes love; symbolizes compassion; symbolizes steadiness. Therefore the physical form we do not say is the ultimate truth; but the physical form represents the highest reality; and that is called the intellectual conviction. Until you understand this abstract truth till then you depend on saguna Ishwara.

This lifestyle will lead you to Me without doubt.

Shloka # 8:

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना।
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन्।।8.8।।

O Arjuna! Steadily thinking with an unswerving mind, disciplined in the yoga of repeated practice, one proceeds to the supreme, divine Spirit.

At time of death an Upasaka remembers God, the highest reality Purushaha.

Purushah, the word has two meanings. One meaning is the one who resides in the heart of everyone; and other is the indweller of all. Puri or pure, means the body, shete means dwells, resides. Puarayati: one who fills whole world; Vidhyam: Chaitanya swarupam.

So Saguna upasaka remembers such a god with the strength of regular practice. It is a mind that is undistracted; with such a mind he remembers Me. Math prodigy Ramanujam at time of death, was asked for his

car’s number. He said it is a number with two cube roots. He was able to do so because of what he valued. So, when you value God, you will remember him and merge into him. Merge here means Krama mukti.

Take away:

1. Your destiny is already determined by the thoughts you entertain.
2. At time of death one will remember only that which he values most in his or her life.
3. Watch your thoughts; they become the words;

Watch your words, they become your actions;

Watch your action, they become your habit;

Watch your habit; they become your character;

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Ram Ramaswamy

Starting chapter 8, Swamiji said, this chapter is primarily based upon the last two shlokas of chapter 7. In Chapter 7, in the last two shlokas, Sri Krishna introduced some technical terms without explaining them. They were: Karma, Brahma, Adhyatmam, Adhibhutam, Adhidaivam, and Adhiyajnam. He also mentioned remembering god at the time of death.

The last one naturally creates a curiosity in Arjuna’s mind as to why Sri Krishna should talk about Ishwara smaranam at the time of death. He feels there must be some significance to it. Arjuna, in fact, has a total of seven questions. They are regarding the six technical terms and remembering god at time of death. Chapter 8 is dedicated to answering these seven questions. In answering these seven questions Sri Krishna also introduces saguna ishwara dhyanam. Here, Sri Krishna highlights Sadhana Upasana. In the middle of the Gita upasana is discussed. So, the chapter begins with Arjunas questions.

Shloka # 1:

किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम।
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते।।8.1।।

Arjuna asked the following questions:

1. What is Brahman?
2. What is Adhyatmam?
3. What is Karma? While dictionary meaning of word is action, what does it mean here?
4. What is adhibhutam?
5. What is adhidaivam?

Please answer these five questions.

Shloka # 2:

अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन।
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः।।8.2।।

Arjuna continues, O Madhusudhana, Please answer:

6. Who or what is Adhiyagna?

6.b. How does Adhiyagna reside in the body; a side question.

7.a. What is significance of remembering god at time of death?

7.b. How can one remember god at time of death?

Even living beings can’t remember god, how can I remember god at time of death when all my faculties are fading? Is there a technique? Please teach me Sri Krishna?

How are You to be remembered by committed people, by integrated people and by people with self-control?

There must be a tremendous control over the mind required to remember the Lord at the time of death; therefore how can self-controlled people remember God at the time of death? This is the 7th question regarding antahkala smaranam.

In the shloka, in the word Madhusudhana, Madhu also means karmaphalam. Therefore, Madhusudhana is destroyer of all karmas or one who gives mokhsa.

Shloka # 3:

अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते।
भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः।।8.3।।

What is that Brahman? What is the inner self? What is work? O highest spirit! What is said to be the elements? What is said to be the divinities?

Sri Krishna now answers the questions.

Q 1.What is Brahman?

The imperishable principle aksharam paramam (the highest) is called Brahman.

Why use paramam? Without it the word aksharam can also mean alphabet or a letter. So Brahman is the most supreme aksharam or the ultimate imperishable. The word Kshas means imperishable. In Mandukya Upanishad too, Brahman is called aksharam. What is this imperishable principle? Consciousness is the only entity that is not perishable. Matter is subject to decay and death. AP (apara prakriti) is perishable while PP (para prakriti) or Chaitanya tatvam is not. The very word Brahma means brihat tamatva or a superlatively big entity. Sri Krishna does not elaborate on Brahman as he has described it as Para Prakriti in chapter 7, shloka’s 4-10.

Chapter 8 is also called Aksharam Brahma Yoga as the teaching starts with it.

Q 2. What is Adhyatmam?

The all-pervading consciousness also exists in the individual body as well. Within body it is called Adhyatmam (obtaining within body). Samashti consciousness is called Brahman while same consciousness in a body is called Adhyatmam or inner essence consciousness. Adhyatmam is Jivatma while Brahman is Paramatma. Consciousness is the same; two different words are used, because of two different terms of reference. Citing an example, a man is, from wife’s point of view, a husband; from a child’s point of view, a father; a mother’s point of view, a son.

How can one and the same person be called father, son, grandfather, husband, brother etc? This is called shabda prakriti nimittam. It means, the point of reference, when it differs the name also differs.

Thus, consciousness is called paramatma; consciousness is also called jivatma, depending upon macro and micro point of reference. This answers second question.

Q 3. What is karma?

Visarga in shloka means all activities of human beings who are responsible for future creation. This is karma. Scriptures say creation is not an accident. It is an incident caused by previous factors (karmas).  My physical body is a result of my past karmas. Individual birth is due to individual’s karmas. Humanities’ birth is due to karma of humanity.

In shloka bhutabhava means the insistence of living beings; udbhavakaraha means that which brings about, so bhutabhavodbhavakaraha means that which brings about the existence of every living being.

My karma determines my parentage, my bothers, my sisters, my place of birth etc. My parents got me due to their karma. It is same with a guru and shishya as well.

And therefore what is karma? Srishti karanam is Karma.

So present creation is a result of past creation. Future creations will be a result of this creation. Creation did not come up as a wish of god. He is not responsible for creation. I have asked for it by my good bad and mixed actions. That is why there are 14 Lokas to fulfill all karmas.

We do such terrible action, necessitating a naraka environment; and we also do wonderful actions necessitating a wonderful heaven; and we also manage to mix up necessitating manushya loka. Thus everything is karma ordered and therefore karma is defined as srishti karanam. That is presented here as bhuta bhava udbhavakarah and visargah means action. My own contribution; is called karmasamjnitah. So with this three questions are answered.

Shloka # 4:

 अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्।
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर।।8.4।।

“Elements” constitute perishable existence; the divinities are the Spirit. Thou, best of men! in the body I alone am related to sacrifices.

 Q 4. What is Adhibhutam?

 Any object that is experienced is perishable. All elements, the sun, moon, stars, rivers etc are all physical bodies and are, as such, perishable. The material world is known as adhibhutam.

Q 5. What is adhidaivam?

 It is Hiranyagarbha or total consciousness with total mind and thus total knowledge with a subtle body.  And that hiranyagarbha alone is called a presiding deity from the standpoint of every organ, so the presiding deity of the eye is surya devatha; and the presiding deity of the ears is dig devatha. Thus we have presiding deities for every organ; all these presiding deities put together is called hiranyagarbha; that hiranyagarbha is called adhi daivam.

Q.6: What is adhiyagna?

I myself, or God himself, am adhidavam. What is Ishwara? As per Tatvabodha, it is consciousness associated with Karana prapancha. The whole universe in potential form is Shakti or Maya. Shakti plus consciousness is Ishwara.

Sri Krishna says I am that Ishwara. I am the seed of the universe. And they say after the pralaya, when everything is destroyed, it is said that then on a banana leaf Sri Krishna floats.

What does the water and the banana leaf represent? It is nothing but the seed form of the universe, and Sri Krishna represents the consciousness principle; Consciousness plus potential universe is called Ishwara. In scientific terms consciousness plus basic energy is Ishwara. So with this, the 6th question is also answered.

Where does Ishwara reside?

Sri Krishna answers: O Arjuna, Lord resides in every body. In chapter’s 10 and 18 respectively, Sri Krishna refers to this fact. He is called Narayana since he resides in every being. Explaining the word Narayana, naram means all the living beings. Naram means jeeva samuhaha; and ayanam means the residence; So, Narayanam means every living being is the residence of the Lord.

Every human is a residence of God. He is in pragya rupam in each of us (Tatva bodha).

Why is he called Adiyagnaha?

Adhiyagnah means residing in the heart; because god is associated with every action you take. How is he associated?  Lord is associated with our yagnas, our poojas. He is the receiver of the pooja, as we saw in the 7th chapter. Any pooja done by anyone I receive and for the pooja, I give the karma phalam. Therefore

as the receiver of the pooja and as the giver of the result, I remain in the heart of everyone.

So, do not worry that your good actions are not registered. It is all registered and according to the laws of karma it will also give results.

For a Daivic person every result is due to karma phalam. I am reaping results of my own actions. Non-remembrance of action does not mean non-performance. I have to pay the price for my actions through Adhiyagnaha or Karmaphaladata.

Shloka # 5:

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्।
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः।।8.5।।

At the end, whoso departs giving up his body, and remembering Me alone, proceeds to My status; of this there is no doubt.

In Shlokas 3 and 4 Sri Krishna has answered all six questions. Now he answers question # 7. The answer to this question is elaborately discussed till shloka # 28. In this answer he is introducing Ishwara Upasana as well. Ishwara, here is Saguna Ishwara. This god can be meditated upon. This Saguna Ishwara upasana gives two results depending on one’s motive and attitude.

Thus we have:

1) Sakama Saguna Ishwara upasana and

2) Nishkama Saguna Ishwara Upasana.

Saguna Upasana is for material benefits in this world, heaven or in another birth. It can also bestow miraculous powers. Many upsakas are sidhas. Upasana gives some people extraordinary powers. Such siddhas say, on a given day the deity enters them and he (siddha) is able to predict events and suggest parihara. Hundreds of sidhis are enumerated in the puranas, in bhagavatham, related to knowing the past, knowing the future etc., Countless sidhis are mentioned; all are the result of Sakama Saguna Ishwara Upasanam.

Nishkama Saguna Ishwara Upasana:  This upasana does not result in material benefits. It provides spiritual benefits.

Thus, one devotee prays: Oh Lord I am remembering you not for artha; not for kama; not for punyam; I am not interested in anyone of them; because I know they are all perishable in nature. I have got only one goal; and that is the spiritual goal called moksha or in religious language, God himself is my goal. I want to attain oneness with you.

This upsana requires Vairagyam. This Nishkama Upasana has two directions:

1. One practices the upasana for a long time. He then becomes qualified for Gyanam. Gaining this gyanam in this life itself, he attains moksha, which is called sadyo mukthih.

Note: sadyo mukti means Infallible knowledge about one’s own identity with Brahman.

2. A person continues in saguna upasana but is not able to come to nirguna upasana. He continues saguna upasana. At time of death he asks for moksha. He then goes to Brahma loka and gets gyanam there. This is Krama mukti.

Take away:

1. Thus we have presiding deities for every organ; all these presiding deities put together is called hiranyagarbha; that hiranyagarbha is called adhi daivam.
2. The material world is known as adhibhutam.
3. And therefore what is karma? Srishti karanam is Karma. Thus, present creation is a result of past creation.
4. Scriptures say creation is not an accident. It is an incident caused by previous factors (karmas).

Ram Ramaswamy

Greetings All,

Providing the summary swamiji said, chapter 7 is a turning point in the Gita teaching. In the first six chapters, three topics were dealt with: jiva svarupam; prayathnah; and karma yogah;

Jiva svarupam means the essential nature of the individual. The individual is neither the perishable body, nor the changing mind, but the changeless consciousness is the nature of the individual. This was discussed in chapters 2, 3, 4 and 6 respectively.

Prayathnah: Then Krishna highlighted the role of individual effort, so that we do not have a dangerous fatalistic approach. One of the pitfalls of the human pursuit or human life is the tendency to become fatalistic. Especially when we face problems. When we face failures; we conclude that nothing is in our hands; someone controls everything; we are only puppets in the hands of someone. This is a dangerous fatalistic approach to life and it is spiritually fatal. Therefore Sri Krishna gives a strong warning in the first six chapters. Never take to this fatalistic approach; it is not that everything is pre-determined; you have control over your future; you can take charge of your life; Sri Krishna does not say I have got total control. Krishna says I am not totally helpless. Krishna does not say I have total control; Krishna only says I am not totally helpless; I do have a contributory role in deciding my future and therefore take charge of your life. You are responsible for your future; this is called jiva prayathna; “ You are responsible for your future” is an assertion of free will.

Karma Yoga: The third topic was karma yoga as a very important spiritual sadhana for one’s spiritual growth. This karma yoga sadhana also was highlighted up to the end of the 6th chapter.

From chapter 7 onwards three new topics are introduced.

• Ishwara swarupam
• Ishwara anugraha; God’s grace supports our efforts. It is discussed up to chapter 12.
• Upasana sadhana or meditation on god in any form or saguna dhyanam.

Summary of chaper # 7:

 Shlokas 1-3:

Sri Krishna introduces the subject matter in the first three shlokas. Ishwara swarupa gyanam is discussed and it breaks into Saguna Ishwara gyanam and Nirguna Ishwara gyanam also known as Vigyanam.  Then he glorifies this knowledge. It is a rare valuable knowledge, a liberating knowledge. It provides emotional and intellectual fulfillment.

Shloka 4-12:

 The main topic of this chapter and following five chapters is discussed, that is Ishwara swarupam.

First he defines what is God? God is a principle consisting of PP (Para prakriti) and AP (Apara prakriti)

What are the common and uncommon features between PP and AP?

1. AP and PP are both eternal principles. AP is also never created or creatable. Consider the fact that science can’t create even an ounce of matter.  Combination of AP and PP is called Ishwara.
2. This Ishwara (AP+PP) is cause of entire universe. This Ishwara has evolved and manifested as universe. Therefore Ishwara does not create the world and dump it down. Ishwara himself evolves into world as Upadana Karanam.

Then Sri Krishna derives a corollary. If Ishwara is cause and the world the effect then there is no world separate from God. God himself is manifesting as world. Thus, world is also God, only in a different configuration. Citing example gold is cause and ornaments the effect. Then there are no ornaments separate from gold. Ornament is not substantial; gold alone is. The word ornament does not indicate a new substance; it just means another manifestation of gold. It indicates only a configuration difference. Like ice, water and steam, all three are H2O; the difference is in configuration of states. So, Arjuna, don’t look down on this world as it is also my own avatara.

If Sri Krishna, Rama is avatara, this world is also an avatara available to us at all times. It is vishwarupa avatara if you remember that god alone is appearing as world. It is a divine world. Look at world also as divine. This is called shivamayam or vishnumayam jagat.

If world is a manifestation of god, it should consist of PP and AP. What is PP and AP? Whatever you experience is AP. The world, body, mind are all AP. That is why bio-chemistry is possible; all are chemicals only; outside it is known as chemistry, the same chemicals inside the body are known as bio-chemistry; That is the only difference; outside chemistry; inside bio-chemistry. So world is apara prakriti; body is apara prakriti; even mind is apara prakriti; because mind is also subtle matter only; that is why change in body chemistry can often affect your psychological condition as well.

Then, where do I find PP? Sri Krishna says you don’t have to search for it. He says, the experiencer of the world, body and mind, “I” the observer, the conscious principle, is PP. When the consciousness obtains before the creation evolves, it is called paramatma. When the very same consciousness is available, after the creation, in our body, the very same consciousness is called jivatma; Consciousness is ever the same. So this is the Ishwara svarupam, discussed in shlokas 4 to 12.

Shloka 13-19:

Then from shloka 13 to 19, Sri Krishna deals with the topic of samsara karanam; and samsara pariharaha; dealing with the cause of human misery; the cause of human worries; human anxieties and human fears. In simple language he diagnoses the disease of samsara and also provides the required remedy for it

The cause of samsara is that when god is available as AP (matter) and PP (spirit) we humans tend to run after AP. We lean on AP for security, happiness and fulfillment. Unfortunately we are dependent on material aspect of god that can change. So, it will never remain steady and same. It fluctuates. First you work for status (yoga) then you work for “quo” (kshema). Leaning on an insecure thing will not give me security. Expecting security from AP is called samsara. AP is only for fun, enjoyment, gains etc. But when you want emotional security turn to PP. There is no need to reject AP.

A beautifully decorated cardboard box, you can keep it for decoration, just don’t sit on it. Similarly use apara prakriti for sport; use para prakriti for fulfillment and security. It is this that people don’t realize and are trapped.

What is the remedy? Sri Krishna says surrender to Me. Bhakti is the remedy. Now this statement can cause confusion. In chapter’s 2 and 4 it says Gyanam alone is the remedy for samsara; now here it says bhakti is the remedy. Is there a contradiction? Teacher should not teach a contradiction. Reality is that Bhakti is not one particular sadhana. It is a series of sadhanas that culminate in gyanam. When this happens it is called Gyana rupa bhakti?? What are the sadhanas that make up bhakti? These sadhanas are discussed in chapter 12. So, when we say bhakti is the remedy it means bhakti culminating in gyanam. So, a bhakta goes through various stages and reaches gyanam. Such a person is called a gyana bhakta.

So bhakthi has to go through various stages; and ultimately bhaktha should get knowledge, and that bhaktha is called Gyani bhaktha. The other bhakthas who are in the process of the journey, they are called either artha bhaktha; artharthi bhaktha, Jignasu bhakthas, they are all only in the process, they will not be free from samsara; Arta bhaktha is samsari; artarthi bhaktha is samsari and jignasu bhatha is also a samsari.

Sri Krishna talks about five levels of bhakti in chapter 12. This chapter will also discuss various sadhanas to be followed by a bhakta. All this will be discussed later.

However, travelling through various levels of bhakthi culminates in gyanam; the bhaktha becomes a gyani bhaktha; He alone is liberated from samsara; because gyani bhaktha alone knows para prakriti; artharthi bhaktha, artha bhaktha, jignasu bhaktha, none of them know para prakriti; Therefore they continue to lean upon apara prakriti alone; a Gyani bhaktha only knows the source of security, which is para prakriti. And Sri Krishna says, that it is a long-term process.

Even a long journey you have to start somewhere; one usually starts from artha bhakthi; I hope you remember that artha bhakthi is worshipping God only when you are in crisis; so only when I am in crisis; I remember Balaji or Guruvaryoorappan. Sri Krishna says you have to start somewhere; therefore bhakthi culminating in Gyanam is the remedy for samsara; this is the topic from verse 13 to 19.

Shlokas 20-26:

Two forms of bhakti based upon one’s motives are discussed. Thus we have sakama bhakti and nishkama bhakti. Both are acceptable but eventually one has to come to nishkama bhakti. Initially one has to come to sakama and then move to nishkama bhakti. Sri Krishna says Nishkama Bhakti is impossible without sakama bhakti.

Shlokas 20 -26 deal with sakama bhakti. Any form of bhakti seeking AP benefits or material benefits (things, money, status), comes under sakama bhakti. Here one should remember that all objects are subject to arrival and departure. Sakama bhakti has a bright and dark side to it. It is not sinful. You can ask any god for anything. It is valid and fruitful. God does answer our prayers, if bhakti is performed correctly and there are no obstacles within me.

Then what is the darker side; as I said before all the accomplishments belong to apara prakriti which means you can never hold on to them permanently.  You cannot hold onto any apara prakriti gain.  At any time, it will leave you high and dry. And not only that; even before it actually leaves, our mind is so imaginative, that we constantly think of the possible loss; thus in worrying about it we don’t even enjoy it.

Shlokas 27-30:

Nishkama bhakti is discussed here. The bhakta uses the bhakti to discover PP or spiritual growth. He looks upon money and material gains as a secondary objective. His goal is spiritual growth. He wants to go beyond time (old age and death) to reach PP. Moksha is discovery of PP. The Nishkama bhakta discovers god in his totality consisting of AP (matter) and PP (spirit).

Sri Krishna concludes by saying nishkama bhakta will obtain Ishwara Gyanam. Sri Krishna now uses six new technical words: Karma, Brahma, Adhyatmam, Adhibhutam, Adhidevam, and adhiyajnam.  All six factors equal AP and PP. Arjuna does not know these six factors are the same as AP & PP. So, Arjuna asks seven questions that include how to remember God at the time of death.

This chapter is called Gyana vigyana yogaha.

Ram Ramaswamy

Greetings All,

Shloka # 25:

नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः।
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम्।।7.25।।

Veiled by the delusive power of My Yoga-Maya, I do not stand revealed to all. This deluded world knows not Me, unborn and immutable.

Continuing his teaching of the Gita, Swami Paramarthananda said, from shloka # 20 onwards Sri Krishna is dealing with the topic of Sakama Bhakti. This Bhakti is worship, through which, a person seeks everything, other than God, the infinite. He spoke of the plus points of sakama bhakti. Sakama bhakti is an acceptable form of bhakti; one does not have a spiritual fall from it; it is valid and if practiced properly can even provide phalam.

Then he spoke of the minus points in shloka # 23. Sakama bhakti can only provide finite results like children, wealth, position and Loka’s, all finite in nature. Thus, these pleasures are only available for a limited time. A time will come when these pleasures will be lost and thus cause pain. Every finite pleasure has potential pain built into it and the pain is proportionate to the pleasure. Thus sakama bhakti keeps one in samsara, in a world of pleasure and pain. Such a person will not fall spiritually but he will also not grow spiritually.

A wise person knowing all this should only seek the limitless one that can bring permanent peace and happiness. What is that infinite goal? Sri Krishna says it is Para Prakriti (PP), my own higher nature. Every thing in AP is finite while PP is infinite. So, where is PP available?

Krishna says for this too I have given the answer before. Para prakriti is the chaitanyam, the consciousness principle, which is everywhere including your own body. Sri Krishna had pointed out in the fifth shloka of this chapter that para prakriti is the higher nature of God; para prakriti is the infinite; para prakriti is chaitanya svarupam and that chaitanyam is in every one. In fact because of that consciousness alone, I am aware of everything including my body and my mind and thought. And therefore the infinite source of peace and happiness is in my very heart; in my very mind; it is there.

Because of this chaitanyam, I am aware of my body, mind & thought. Therefore the infinite is literally very close to my heart. If infinite is so close to my heart, how come people run after finite things? Citing an example, swamiji says, it is like running after corporation water while I have a huge water reservoir right under my house. Sri Krishna says, there is only one reason why one seeks outside of one’s self; it is due to sheer ignorance of this fact. This fact is covered or veiled. So we have to discover it. Who is responsible for this cover? This is discussed in shloka # 25.

And the next natural question is who is responsible for this cover, for which Krishna gives the answer in 25th verse, which we were seeing in the last class.

So yogamaya; my own maya shakthi has got the covering power; avarana shakthi. And this idea also is not a new idea; Sri Krishna has discussed this in the 13th shloka of this chapter.

Because of Maya and because of three gunas we miss our own nature and are enamored by three gunas of AP. The three gunas are in the outside world, in my body and my mind. Mind, body and world are all matter principle alone. This matter enamors us. Hence the whole world is deluded and he misses the consciousness, the key source of fullness in his own body.

Citing an example there are people called water diviners; and they are able to find out where there is water; they have some material and abilities by which they can find a source of water. You can then dig the well and access the water.

Swamiji says, a Guru water diviner is ready to inform you that divine is within you through shravanm, manam and nidhidhyasanam. Even with a Guru the deluded person doesn’t have time for divine, but runs after the material world; hence he is called a mudhaha. They have forgotten their purpose in life. Therefore, people don’t recognize Me.

Shloka # 26:

वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन।
भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन।।7.26।।

I know Arjuna! the beings past, present and future; but none knows Me.

In previous shloka Sri Krishna says Maya or Mohini deludes the entire humanity. If maya is deluding all of us does it delude the Lord himself? Does Maya also delude him?

Citing an example, if there is a book between us and because of the book, if you cannot see me, as your vision is obstructed, the same thing holds good for me as well; Because of the book covering, you cannot see me; and I too will not be able to see you. Therefore, will not maya cover the Lord is the question? Sri Krishna says, that is not so; I am the master of maya; whereas you are the slave of maya; that is the difference. I am the master of maya, therefore even though maya is closest to Me, I am its controller, whereas you are deluded by maya.

In this regard Swami Chinamayananda said a father was taking his son for a walk when they noticed a policeman taking a prisoner. Walking further they noticed two policemen taking a thief. The Child came up with a principle that the more policemen there are the greater is the thief. Then they saw the Presidents motorcade surrounded by many policemen. Then they realized that the President is the controller of the policemen whereas the police control the thief.

Thus, while I am controlled, God is the controller. Sri Krishna says I know PP and AP in its entirety. I know the entire creation including the past, present and future of all beings. I know them all while the jiva does not even know Me. Ishwara does not have ignorance while Jiva does.

Shloka # 27:

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत।
सर्वभूतानि संमोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप।।7.27।।

O Bharata Prince! scourge of foes! All beings in creation get confounded due to the delusions of dualities born of attachment and aversion.

Jiva has missed infinite God within himself. He has missed infinite peace and security from his time of birth it self. At time of birth every Jiva is affected by ignorance. Therefore, I seek peace and happiness outside. Thus an extrovert’s life starts. I start wishing for toys, then motorcycles, then wife, then children and so on and on. Through out life he remains an extrovert. He does not have the slightest suspicion that the Truth may be within himself. The more science advances the more we get extroverted. You are always busy without time for self-enquiry.

And therefore he says, whole world is deluded by dvandva; dvandva means pairs of opposites, caused by raga-dvesha; iccha and dvesha; I divide the world into two; this is the source of joy; this is the source of sorrow; which is all my own delusion.

And having divided the world into two; whole life I am interested in acquiring what I consider as a source of joy, and I am busy getting rid of the things I consider source of sorrow; getting and getting rid of; acquiring-disposing. Acquiring-disposing is called pravritti – nivritti activities and they are born out of ragah and dveshah.

Raga and Dvesha cause this Moha. Vedanta does not see world as a cause of happiness (by knowing myself) or sorrow (by not knowing myself). I keep changing house, wife, body; my hairstyle etc thinking changing situation will make me better.

Shloka # 28:

येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम्।
ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः।।7.28।।

But these men who have no more sins, who act righteously and who are liberated from the delusion of dualities, worship Me with a steadfast will.

There are some blessed people who are different. Due to their punya karmas in form of Pancha Maha Yagnaha their mind gets purer and their obstacles become fewer and fewer. What is an indication of a reduction in papam? They begin to ask the question, what am I doing in life?

If worldly acquisition worked I should have happiness, but even that has not worked. My problems continue. My tensions continue. Perhaps my direction is wrong?

Once that purity comes, he feels like asking someone; is there some other direction; do we have some other goal in life; is it merely pursuit of artha and kama; or do I have to do something else; and the moment this enquiry begins, purity comes and Bhagavan begins to give direction. Their delusion subsides and they begin to understand sukham and dukham are not outside; the problem is not outside; the problem is within me. As Dayananda Swami said, the Problem is You; the Solution therefore is You alone. So once the direction is turned towards myself; then I have become spiritual. Until then, he was in a world other than spiritual.

The real spirituality is when I turn towards myself. Sri Krishna says when the papam ends, the dvanada moha also ends. They are no more deluded; they have got nitya anitya vasthu viveka; therefore they have got vairagyam.

They have diagnosed the problem of life as, “I don’t know who I am”?

This is a fundamental problem; without knowing what I am, I have been doing all things. So, now they begin to seek me, the para prakriti; not the apara prakriti, the personal God. They begin to seek the infinite; which is called nishkama bhakthi. Therefore, because of this confusion, people are sakama bhakthas; once clarity of thinking comes, one will become a nishkama bhaktha. Then the next question is what is nishkama bhakthi; which we will enter.

Shloka # 29:

जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये।
ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम्।।7.29।।

Resorting to Me, those who strive for release from old age and death come to know that Brahman in Its wholeness, as also the self and all the works.

What is nishkama bhakti?

Where does nishkama bhakthi begin? When I know that world is neither the cause of sorrow, nor the cause of happiness, and when I know that I am the cause of both sorrow and happiness. Misunderstood-I is the cause of sorrow; Rightly understood-I is the cause of happiness. Like when a rope is understood and seen as a rope, it is not the cause of fear; but when the very same rope is misunderstood as snake, it frightens.

For attaining moksha one needs freedom from samsara or old age and death. We never want to die. We are certainly frightened of old age when my faculties will wither away. You can’t share your worries with your children as they are too busy with their lives.

Old age is the worst part of Samsara.

Some people work for that freedom by taking shelter in Me. They want to go beyond Kala or matter. Matter and time are inseparable. Going beyond AP means reaching PP. They discover PP or source of security and happiness. They will know both PP and AP of God. They know formed AP and formless PP. They know Lord in totality.

Here Sri Krishna adds a little mischief. PP and AP are the higher and lower nature of God. But Sri Krishna now uses a new and different set of words. Arjuna does not understand these words. AP and PP together is presented as Brahman. Another word used is Karma.

He says they will know Brahman completely. They will know Karman completely. Both these terms will be described in chapter # 8. They will know adhyatmam as well. This will also be detailed in Chapter # 8.

Shloka # 30:

साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः।
प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः।।7.30।।

Those who know Me together with My manifestation in elements, divinities and sacrifices, know Me also at the time of departure from this world, their minds being concentrated.

Not only they will know the previous three factors, they will know the following three factors also. What are those three; adhi bhutam; adhi daivam and adhi yajnam. In short, they will know six factors. The six factors are: brahma, karma, adhyatmam, adhi bhutam; adhi daivam; adhi yajnam; all these six factors they know. All these six factors are nothing but para prakriti plus apara prakriti or Para-and-apara-prakriti mixture

Sri Krishna is presenting them in the form of these six technical terms.

And not only he will know these six technical words, or the six factors; Krishna adds one more; so this wise person will not only know these six factors completely; wise person will also remember them at the time of death.  This wise person will remember Me, consisting of para and- apara-prakriti; or consisting of these six factors.  This creates a question in Arjunas mind? Why talk of remembering god at time of death? How can one remember god at time of death? What is its significance?

Naturally, Arjuna will ask seven questions in the next chapter; what is brahma, what is karma; what is adhi bhutam; what is adhi deivam; what is adhi yajnam; and how to remember God at the time of death; therefore these two shlokas are the seed for the next chapter. Therefore Sri Krishna says, those devotees of disciplined mind remember God at the time of death; He says they are the Nishkama bhaktha’s.

This concludes sakama and nishkama bhakti. This concludes chapter # 7. The chapter is called Gyana Vigyana Yoga.

Take away:

 With Best Wishes

1. Every finite pleasure has potential pain built into it and the pain is proportionate to the pleasure.
2. Para prakriti is the chaitanyam, the consciousness principle, which is everywhere including your own body.
3. Because of this chaitanyam, I am aware of my body, mind & thought.

Ram Ramaswamy

Greetings All,

Shloka # 22:

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते।
लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान् हि तान्।।7.22।।

Possessed of that faith, he desires the worship of that form. From that divinity he secures the objects of his desires; for, I Myself have ordained them.

Continuing his teaching of the Gita, Swami Paramarthananda said, Sri Krishna is differentiating between sakama and nishkama bhakti. Sakama Bhakti is worship of god seeking material gains. Nishkama Bhakti is worship of god seeking spiritual gain or moksha. To contrast the two Sri Krishna deals with sakama bhakti first.

Sri Krishna is presenting sakama bhakthi in a symbolic language. Because a sakama bhaktha seeks only finite material ends; because all material ends are finite; therefore, sakama bhakthi is presented as worship of finite deities. A niskama bhaktha seeks the spiritual end, which is infinite, and therefore symbolically Sri Krishna presents nishkama bhakthi as the worship of the infinite Lord.

Who is finite deity and who is infinite deity? Every deity has a form described in scriptures hence it is finite. It has form. Any deity can be infinite if we invoke infinite in that deity. Conversely, if we invoke finite in the deity it becomes finite. Upon finite deity we have the choice of imposing the infinite. Citing example of a country’s flag, we invoke an entire country in the relatively small flag. Thus Sri Krishna or Lord Ganesha can be invoked as infinite in their finite images. In Gita, Swamiji says, Sri Krishna is the purna avatara. It depends on how you invoke. A sakama bhakta can worship gods other than Sri Krishna.

One can seek result from finite gods. Sri Krishna says there is nothing wrong in worshipping finite god; one’s desires do get fulfilled; finite devata’s are blessing the devotee. However, their power comes from the infinite. Infinite Sri Krishna is giving power to devata who inturn blesses devotees. Sri Krishna says I am blessing everyone through devatas. Citing example of a postman, he gives money order to a person. It does not mean    postman is giving money to the person. He is delivering somebody else’s money. Every parichinna devata is also like a postman. They are only intermediaries. Sri Krishna alone is the ultimate receiver of all the worship and Krishna alone is the ultimate karmaphaladata as well.

Therefore, the Gita says if you want to receive moksha you have to go to Sri Krishna; while Devimahatmiyam says, you have to go to the Devi for moksha.

So, therefore, do not be enamored by the form; no form is superior; no form is inferior, what is inferior and superior is determined by what you invoke in that form.  The word Kaman means desired end or object of desire. The devotee thinks my Ishta Devata has given me the blessing. Sri Krishna says, behind the visible deity I am there. According to Sri Krishna, Sakama Bhakti is valid. Now he talks of the plusses and minuses of Sakama Bhakti.

Plus points are:

1) Sakama bhakti is valid.

2) Nothing wrong in asking god for what you want. It is you alone who decides what you want.

3) It will produce result if the puja is performed properly. Correct performance of puja is essential to obtain results.

Now we are entering the negative points.

Shloka # 23:

अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम्।
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि।।7.23।।

Here Sri Krishna is giving a statutory warning like on a cigarette pack. He says, sakama bhakti is certainly valid but it also has a problem associated with it. Every worldly gain has got certain intrinsic doshas that go with it. Three doshas have been identified. They are:

• Dukha mishritham: all worldly pleasures are mixed with equal amounts of pain as well. First there is pain in accomplishing the desire, such as competition. Once acquired, there is the pain of preservation. Finally, in time, the object will be lost anyway, causing further pain. The pain is proportionate to the pleasure.
• Athritptikaratvam: Since all pleasures are finite, we always think of next higher possibility. I never enjoy what I have. I suffer from disease of comparison. Nachiketas says no human being will ever be satisfied with wealth. He is a “poor” rich man. I continue to be Apurnam.
• Bandhatvam: Once used to accomplishments we can never think of losing them. It becomes an addiction. I can’t imagine a happy life without these material gains.

So, Sakama bhakti will keep a person in Samsara. He will suffer from spiritual stagnation. Materially he will progress. There is no spiritual fall for a Sakama bhakta; but neither is there any progress.

In nishidha karma there is fall. In sakama karma there is stagnation. I am a religious Samsari.

They are indiscriminate people. God offers both Sreyas and Preyas to devotee. However, nobody asks for moksha.  They do get results but they are finite ones. Whose mistake is it? You have chosen the wrong goal. Worshipper of finite gods will get finite results.

All gods in heaven are just exalted Jivas who got their positions due to their punyam. It is a finite post. My worshippers, the nishkama bhaktas, the mumukshu, they come to Me (infinite). Sri Krishna represents the infinite Brahman.

Shloka # 24:

अव्यक्तं व्यक्ितमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम्।।7.24।।

Here Sri Krishna talks about two types of people:

• Those people who have not understood God properly; and
• Those who have understood God properly.

God has Para Prakriti (PP) and Apara Prakriti (AP). PP is the higher nature of God also known as Chetana Tatvam. AP is the lower nature of God also known as Achetana Tatvam.

People who don’t understand God see his lower nature; they see the physical body of God or AP. He accepts the god who is subject to arrival and departure. Thus we have instances where god disappears after his avatara.  God came and left. They are only aware of the Apara Prakriti. Sri Krishna says they are the deluded Bhaktas.          But devotees who know PP, the higher aspect of god, where he is not subject to arrival and departure, they are aware of the Consciousness at all times. A thing can be covered, however, consciousness is never covered at any time. Wise people know that god is evident as consciousness in me.  Unintelligent people have misconceptions of god as one who appears and disappears. Only a physical body appears and disappears. They don’t know the higher nature of God as the Chaitanya swarupam.  You are able to listen to my words because you are a conscious being. That Consciousness is Satyam, Gyanam and Anantam. This consciousness is never subject to change (avyayam). Even Sri Krishna’s body is subject to change.  Thus sakama bhakti holds on to AP while nishkama bhakti holds on to PP.

Shloka # 25:

नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः।
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम्।।7.25।।

In previous shloka Sri Krishna says, God has a higher and lower nature. One can have a doubt about this. If consciousness is ever evident and it is our higher nature, how come people miss it and run after lower nature? All devotees want to see god as a finite formed god. Why do they go after his inferior nature?

Giving the reason, Sri Krishna says, the lower nature is more attractive hence they go after it. The word Yogamaya means it is a combination of three gunas that make up Maya. They are Apara Prakriti.  Maya is also called Mohini. Hence my higher nature is not evident. They are not interested in formless God.

Take away:

Wise people know that god is evident as consciousness in me.

God is also known as Chetana Tatvam.

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy

Greetings All,

Shloka # 19:

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते।
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः।।7.19।।

At the end of many births, the man of knowledge directly reaches Me, realizing, “Vasudeva is all”. Such a magnanimous soul is extremely rare.

Continuing his teaching of the Gita, Swami Paramarthananda said, having talked about the problem of samasara in shloka # 13, Sri Krishna then talked about the remedy for the samasara problem in shlokas # 14 through # 19. He says human beings seek three things in life. They seek security, permanence in something to hold on to and purnatvam or ananda. However, human beings do not know where to find these three things. They do not realize that these three things can only be found in Para Prakriti (PP) of Ishwara. Instead, they go looking for these three in Apara Parkriti (AP), the lower nature of God.

Unfortunately all these three things are not available in the creation, the world cannot give security because it itself is bound by time; the world cannot give permanence, because it is all the time changed by time and the world cannot give purnatvam or ananda because everything in the creation is apurnah or finite.

Chandogya upanishad says: alpa vasthu cannot give happiness, because happiness is the expression of purnatvam; so purna vasthu alone can give ananda; apurna vasthu cannot give ananda or fulfillment. Even if it seems to give ananda; it is only a fake ananda; that is why when one actually gets it; one does not find any ananda. And because he does not know the real source, he is expecting these three things from the world, where it is not there; and since his expectations are wrong expectations all the expectations fail; and this failure leads to sorrow, depression; disappointment; frustration; all these consequences put together we call Samsara.

So, what is the remedy for this Samsara problem? Sri Krishna says the remedy is bhakthi alone. A bhaktha alone will be able to fulfill this basic yearning for security; permanence and purnatvam. He says there are four types of bhakthas: artah; artharthi; Jignasu and gyani.

He says of the four types of bhaktas it is only the Gyani Bhakta who fulfills all three wishes. And therefore the aim of a seeker is becoming a Gyani bhaktha and a Gyani bhaktha knows where to tap in to get these three things. He says, it will take time to become a Gyani Bhakta.  A person has to go through many stages to become a gyani bhakti. Scriptures say, a Gyani Bhakta goes through many lives to become one. In the last class in shloka # 19 we discussed this topic.

Shloka # 20:

कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः।
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया।।7.20।।

Deprived of knowledge by a variety of cravings, (people) resort to other deities; they adopt other disciplines, being constrained by their inborn nature.

Here, Sri Krishna is going to clarify that bhakti is of two types, Sakama and Nishkama. Shloka’s # 20-26 are sakama bhakti related. Here Sri Krishna talks of the pluses and minuses of this bhakti. Shloka’s 27-30 are about Nishkama bhakti. Thus, we get a comparison of these two bhaktis.

Bhakti means the act of worship of god using an attitude of devotion.

Sakama bhakti: It is using bhakti as a means of accomplishing finite goals of life of dharma, artha, and kama.

Artha is acquisition of material wealth and is a finite goal.

Kama is experiencing sense pleasures and it is also a finite goal.

Dharma means all forms of punyam which will take a person to higher worlds after death; bhulokah; bhuvarloka, suvar loka, mahar lokah, etc. and according to shastras, all the higher lokas are also finite in nature. So therefore dharma, that is punyam; arta and kama, all come under finite goal.

Anything other than God is a finite goal. In Vedantic language all material things are finite goals; all anatma; all material things are finite goals because all materials are subject to destruction; And sakama bhakthi means a bhakthi through which I seek finite goals; in simple language we can say materialistic bhakthi; business bhakthi or commercial bhakthi.

Nishkama Bhakti: is not used for materialistic goals. It is not a goal without desires. There is a desire but it is for the infinite or God. So nishkama bhakthi is a sakama bhakthi in which a person is no more interested in dharma, artha or kama, no more interested in finite ends; no more interested in material ends; but he is interested in infinite; that is security, fulfillment and permanence, this is nishkama bhakthi. Mumukshu bhakthi is nishkama bhakthi; bubukshu bhakthi is sakama bhakthi.

Both are acceptable, however, Nishkama bhakti is superior. In Gita, Sri Krishna says, he represents the infinite moksha. All other gods represent finite ends. The personal god, Sri Krishna, is finite. Citing an example, a flag is small but it symbolizes a vast country. And we have got in our religion, any number of symbols, because deities are countless in our religion; Rama, Krishna, Shiva are all there. Each devatha is finite; but any finite devatha can represent the infinite; and the general convention is depending upon the type of scripture, the representation will change.

In Shivapuranam, shiva represents infinite. In Bhagavatham, Vishnu represents the infinite. In Devi puranam, Devi represents the infinite while others represent finite. Any deity can be used to invoke the infinite. It is my invocation of an Ishta Devata that makes a deity superior. Citing an example, it is like in a checkbook, which leaf is important? The check leaf where you have written the largest sum is probably the most important one. Similarly, people are quarrelling even now as to who is great between Shiva and Vishnu; Vaishnavas claim Vishnu alone is great; Shaivas claim Shiva alone is great; our Shastras say that both have not understood the Vedic teaching; who is great depends upon your invocation.

So, sakama bhakti is presented as anya devata bhakti; that is other than Sri Krishna bhakti.

Nishkama bhakti is Sri Krishna bhakti where he is considered the infinite God.

In shloka # 20 some bhaktas are only interested in wealth, entertainment, punyam or higher lokas. So, they worship other deities such as Lakshmi who can bestow wealth or Dhanwantari who can bestow health or Surya who can bestow perception, or Ganesha who can prevent obstacles. They worship, due to their intense desire. This intense desire blunts their discriminative powers. They forget that objects of desire will go away one day; that they are not permanent. Sakama bhaktas are short sighted. Sakama bhakti puja requires one to follow specific rules to obtain results. So, you have to observe: ahara niyama; naivedya niyama; which deity will like which particular naivedya; which particular dress etc. This desire for sakama bhakti is due to an individual’s Ragaha and Dveshaha.

Shloka # 21:

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति।
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम्।।7.21।।

I give unswerving faith to each devotee who seeks to worship with faith whatever divine form (of his choice).

Vedapurva bhaga of scriptures prescribes details of sakama bhakti. They detail which gods will fulfill which desire etc.

Thus, for disease one can worship: Vishnu, Dhanwantari, Mrithyunjaya, Ashwini kumar and Lord Surya. Thus sakama bhaktha will take to one of these deities.

Sri Krishna says, sakama bhakti is valid and the deity will fulfill their wishes, if one worships with faith.

There are seven items which will give you benefit directly proportional to your faith; higher the faith, higher the benefit; no faith; no benefit; and in that Ishvara bhakthi is also included.

Sri Krishna says, “ I reinforce his bhakti by fulfilling his desires”. This reinforces faith and propagates the message of the scriptures. Thus, temples and Swami’s can fulfill desires as well.

Note: Sri Krishna says I will fulfill their desires, although they worship other deities. In Gita, Sri Krishna represents totality while other deities represent the finite. So, all finite devatas become part of the infinite Sri Krishna. Since all Devatas are part of Sri Krishna, he is finally receiving all the worships offered. So all pujas offered to other gods also go to Sri Krishna. So, phalam also comes from Sri Krishna. He gives the phalam through the Devata worshipped. I bless every devata. Infinite God receives all pujas offered to finite gods.

And that is why, you take any ashtothara archana; you find that certain names will be common for all; the description will be different in ashtothara; Shiva description will be different; Vishnu description will be different; but certain namas will be common; ananthaya namah; in everything; ananthah means infinite; sarva gathaya namah; all pervading; how many all pervading Gods are possible? Both, Shiva and Vishnu are both names of the infinite.

Shloka # 22:

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते।
लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान् हि तान्।।7.22।।

Pssessed of that faith, he desires the worship of that form. From that divinity he secures the objects of his desires; for, I Myself have ordained them.

Since one infinite god fulfills desires of bhakta through a particular deity, that deity is the worshipped god. Each person feels, “my god is superior”. Sri Krishna says, I allow him to entertain such a conclusion. In doing so his bhakti is reinforced. An Acharya gives a japa mantra based upon one’s Ishta Devata; one to whom your mind is attracted. Because of this the bhakta wants to do more worship of that deity. He also gets more and more desires fulfilled. Sri Krishna reminds us that “ I” the infinite Lord fulfills through that deity all desires of devotee. I am the ultimate of all pujas and ultimate giver of all desires.

Take away:

1. The human problem has been defined as: seeking security, permanence in something to hold on to and purnatvam or ananda.
2. The remedy provided by Sri Krishna to this human problem is Bhakti alone.
3. Bhakti is the act of worship of god with an attitude of devotion.

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka # 16:

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ।।7.16।।

Arjuna! Men of righteous acts are four fold. They resort to Me, O best of Bharatas! They are afflicted,

The knowledge seeker, wealth seeker and the knower.

Continuing his teaching of the Gita, Swami Paramarthananda said, after dealing with Ishwaraswarupam, consisting of Para Parkriti (PP) and Apara Prakriti (AP), Sri Krishna then pointed out about our human problem in shloka # 13. The cause of the human problem is seeking security from the insecure objects of the world; seeking permanence from the impermanent objects of the world; seeking fulfillment

from the finite objects of the world; seeking happiness from the sorrowful or sorrow-giving objects of the world; this misplaced seeking is the cause of misery. Our expectations are the wrong ones hence they are not fulfilled, leading to sorrow and depression. Apara Parkriti cannot give us permanent security; Para Parkriti alone can provide us with this.

Now from shlokas # 14 through # 19, Sri Krishna is discussing solutions or Samsara Nivrithi karanam; and Ishwara Sharanagathi or Ishwara Bhakti is presented as the solution.

Now what is Bhakti? This topic is now elaborated upon. Various stages of Bhakti are also discussed. Many people don’t turn to Bhakti, as they do not have the punyam from past births. A few do obtain the punyam of past births and turn to God. Many of them do so without knowing the true nature of God. For such people scriptures temporarily present various forms of God for our worship; just as in Mathematics until we find an answer to a problem, we use X. X only represents the unknown solution and using it you start to find out what X is. Similarly, we have got personal Gods or formed Gods or Ishta devata, which are like the unknown X of mathematics. Until I know what exactly is the unknown God, I hold on to that Ishvara.

Shloka # 16 discussed in last class the four types of bhaktas who surrender to God. They are:

Artaha Bhakta: Bhaktas who think of God, only at times of crisis. Such a bhakti requires a problem to arise for one to worship God and is known as dukha nivrittyartham bhakti. Most people start their bhakti from this stage.

Because of this bhakti, now, there is the idea that religion is only for weak people. In times of problems one does look to god for help. Many people, however, consider religion is only for weaker people. This misconception exists. Generally we go to the Lord when we have a crisis. If we are not confident enough of solving it we go to some temple or some Swami for help.

1. Artha-arthi Bhakta: He uses god for fulfilling his worldly ends.
2. Jignasu Bhakta: He considers God himself as his end.
3. Gyani Bhakta: For him God is “I” myself. Here the seeker is one with sought. Sri Krishna has presented these four types of Bhaktas. They can also be considered as four stages of Bhakti in a person.

I start as artha or artharthi bhakta and once I use it for my material gains, I mature. I understand the material world cannot give me security. I continue to be a bhakti; however, I now become a nishkama bhakta instead of remaining a sakama bhakta. The jignasu is one such bhakta. For him, he knows god alone can give him security. God can be accomplished only in terms of

Gyanam; accomplishing God is not a physical event; it is not a travel in time; accomplishment of God is in terms of knowledge; because, if God is all pervading and I don’t have to travel to reach him; why should I travel to reach an omniscient god? I have to discover God here and now. Ishwara prapthihi is same as Ishwara gyana parpthihi. I want knowledge of God. Desirer of this knowledge is jignasu.

Ishwara Gyanam is only possible in a purified mind. So, I want a pure mind. Therefore Jignasu bhakta uses religion for purity of mind; and this conversion is conversion of a religious person into a spiritually religious person.

There are two types of religious people:

1. Materialistic religious person, one who uses religion for material gains.
2. Jignasu: One who uses religion for purifying the mind. He uses religion for purity of mind, purity of knowledge and this purity are meant for Gyanam, which is meant for attainment of God; attainment of God is meant for getting purnatvam and security. The jignasu bhakta becomes a Gyana Yogi, later on.

And, therefore, Jignasu bhaktha is a karma yogi; a karma yogi means a spiritually religious person; whereas a karmi is a materially religious person.

Jignasu Bhakta’s travel is a long one. He has to go through Karma Yoga, then Gyana Yoga and then become a Gyana Bhakta. He has discovered the Lord. That lord is never away from Me. In him, dvaita bhakti is converted to advaita bhakti.

There are four levels of bhakti. So don’t feel bad about being an artha bhakta. There is nothing wrong in praying for cure of a disease or any other problem. God says, gradually move from artha bhakti to the next stage. Gradually move from Artha to artharthi or jignasu or gyani. Scriptures are generous; they say one can do this over many lives.

Shloka # 17:

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्ितर्विशिष्यते।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः।।7.17।।

Of them all, the knower, ever integrated and exclusively devoted, excels; for I am exceedingly dear to the knower and he is dear to Me.

Sri Krishna talked about four types or levels of bhakti. Human mind likes to compare and asks who is the greatest bhakta of the four. Among the four, the Gyani bhakta is considered the greatest one. This shloka also removes the misconception that one can be in bhakti Yoga without coming to Gyana Yoga.

Sri Krishna says a bhakti yogi too cannot escape Gyanam. Initially he can stay in karma yoga but later on he has to come to Gyanam. Here it does not mean coming to meditation. He has to come to a systematic study of scriptures under a qualified acharya. Scriptures talk of saguna and nirguna Ishwara.

Bhagawatham discussed both saguna and nirguna god; but it distilled out the nirguna portion out. It removes another misconception that a Gyani has no bhakti. Sri Krishna says a nirguna Gyani is the greatest bhakta of all.

This Gyani is ever steadfast in Me. In Dvaita bhakti, god arrives and departs. In advaita,“ I” am never away from god. Ekabhakta is advaita bhakta.

Talking about love there is a discussion in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad on this topic. The question is whom does a human being love most? The Upanishad says, no one loves anyone; everyone loves one’s self, alone. Everyone is interested in one’s own happiness only. As long as those external factors are conducive we love that person or thing; once they are not conducive, we drop them like a hot potato.

This is the truth. One is interested only in his own selfish happiness. Love of anyone else is conditional and only if it is favorable to him.

Scriptures say even love of god, where god is an object other than you, even this love is conditional. Self-love is the highest love. Object love is conditional and hence lower. If love of God is highest, it is possible under only one condition; then god should not be different from me. Only in this case can God’s love be the highest. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, for a Gyani, God and self are one, hence it is highest love of all.

Shloka # 18:

उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम्।
आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम्।।7.18।।

All these (four) are noble; but the knower, I deem to be My very Self; for with an integrated self, he has resorted to Me alone, the goal without parallel.

When Sri Krishna mentions this, other devotees may feel bad. But God says, I love all devotees (bhaktas). The difference is that Gyani is identical with Me. In others, love of god is conditional.

This shloka is a mahavakya. It says Gyani is one with a committed mind, meaning his goal is liberation. He has come to the highest goal of life, Me.

In shloka the word Gatihi means goal. Other bhaktas have different goals. Citing an example: A couple without children pray to a rishi for a child. The Rishi blesses them. After some time the child is born, but later he dies. They go weeping to the rishi. Then the rishi gives them a boon to be able to talk to the dead child. When they talk, the child asks, which parent are you?   Child has had many lives with many parents. They then realize that even the best relationship is subject to arrival and departure, then they ask for the wisdom and they are given the knowledge. Therefore, any other gain in the world is an inferior one, as it likely to end; whereas, Sri Krishna says, that Lord is not a relative accomplishment rather he is the highest accomplishment.

Shloka # 19:

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते।
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः।।7.19।।

At the end of many births, the man of knowledge directly reaches Me, realizing, “Vasudeva is all”. Such a magnanimous soul is extremely rare.

Sri Krishna admits these four stages of bhakti cannot be completed in one janma.                                                                                 Citing another example, if you don’t have water and god asks you, do you want water or Me; that is why Vivekananda or somebody said; in front of a hungry person, even God has to come with only bread, not with the Gita.

So, we use bhakti for worldly desires. Veda purva is for use of bhakti for sakama bhakti. Then, after getting bored with life, I want moksha, but don’t know how to get it. Only after many births will one value moksha; he then comes to gyanam and becomes a gyani.

What is his Gyanam? His gyanam is that Vasudeva is everything. What does this mean? Does Vasudeva mean Sri Krishna the personal god? Personal god is finite and limited. Personal Sri Krishna is not everything. Here Vasudeva refers to infinite Brahman. The word Vasu means existence principle in all beings. Deva means Chid rupam. So, he is sad-chid-rupam.  He is the formless Sri Krishna. He is entire creation. Such a gyani mahatma is a very rare being. Arjuna, May you try to become a gyani bhakta.

Take away:

Upanishad says, no one loves anyone; everyone loves one’s self, alone. Everyone is interested in one’s own happiness, alone.

Love of anyone else is conditional and only if it is favorable to him.

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka # 13:

त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत्।
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम्।।7.13।।

Due to three (kinds of) objects, consisting of (prakriti’s) constituents, this whole world is deluded; it fails to cognize Me, the immutable (Reality) beyond them.

Continuing his teaching of the Gita, Swami Paramarthananda said, with the 12th shloka of chapter 7, Sri Krishna has completed talking about Ishwaraswarupam. In his talks, Sri Krishna points out that the entire universe is God himself consisting of the Spirit (consciousness) that is of a higher nature and Matter, consisting of an inferior nature.

Wherever there is change it is Apara Prakriti (AP). So, the whole world, the body, mind and thought all are AP. The Para Prakriti (PP) is the consciousness alone, which is changeless and formless.

Now, Sri Krishna discussed another topic, raising the question as to why do humans suffer when everything in the universe is divine? Why does one feel incomplete, insecure and not at ease? This is a universal problem. Different people solve it in different ways. Some acquire material things, some seek position, some seek power, name, family etc. Nothing, however, seems to work. This universal problem is called Samasra. Sri Krishna is diagnosing the problem in shloka # 13 and provides its resolution in shloka # 14.

The problem is this: Since the Para prakriti (PP) is formless, colorless and not accessible for our perception, we generally miss it. Hence it is also called  “Aprameya” meaning not accessible to perception.

We only seem to see things that are Apara Prakriti. We don’t even attempt to know PP, as AP keeps us busy.  Sri Krishna calls Apara Prakriti, Mohini. Asuras lost amritam (knowledge), due to Mohini.

I am always preoccupied by this universe; by this body (sringaram), thoughts and emotions. This universe is so attractive, that one gets carried away. Hence one has no time for PP. So, they do not even to attempt to know Me, one who is not subject to change, says Sri Krishna.

Now, what is the harm if I do not know PP?

If AP provides me with everything, why do I need PP?

You should know that AP cannot give you some of the basic fundamentals of life. AP cannot give purnatvam. Everything in AP is finite, bound by time and space. Hence shanti and fulfillment will not rise.

PP alone has purnatvam. AP will not provide purnatvam.

Everything in AP is in constant state of flux. Nothing is shasvatham (permanent) in AP. Thus, AP cannot provide security; money, power, people all disappear over time. The human being wants something to hold on to.

Citing an example even for a dip in the Ganges, in Hardwar, you need to hold on to a chain. One needs at least one changeless relationship, meaning where the relationship is not changing. Unfortunately, we tend to stick to something connected with AP; then we lose that relationship as well, only to regret. That changeless one, Shasvatha Vastu, is Bhagawan. In AP nothing is permanent. Only PP is permanent, but we miss it and accordingly suffer as well. This is the trouble with humanity.

If so, what is the solution? The solution is, do not hold on to Apara Prakriti. Use it to play around. Hold on to Para Prakriti. Play in the river but hold on to the chain.

Shloka # 14:

दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया।
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते।।7.14।।

Indeed this divine delusive power of Maya is hard to cross over. Those who surrender themselves exclusively to Me pass beyond this Maya.

Citing an experience near Badrinath, while crossing mountains there are many paths. While the hill appears small, they are in fact quite far away. In one such trip, Swamiji slipped and tumbled down a bed of dry leaves. They did not offer him a purchase. Luckily there was a tree stump that he held on to and saved himself. What saved him was motionless. The tree stump is analogy to PP while dry leaves are like AP.

This AP is Maya, capable of tempting the human mind. Maya is Mohini. It turns mind away from PP. It is very powerful and we cannot transcend it by our own intellect. Maya has three gunas to trap us. Chapter # 14, later, details these gunas. The AP is also in the PP. It is dependent on PP.

So, what is the solution?

Those who surrender to Me will obtain Ishwara Kripa; that will lead one to the Guru; who will lead to the teaching; and then, shastra will lead you to Yourself.

Those who practice Bhakti will cross over the Maya. So, Bhakti is the solution.

What is Bhakti? Sri Krishna clarifies it in later chapters. For now, let us be aware that Bhakti goes through three stages. They are:

1. We see the Lord as a means for a material end. This is known as Manda Bhakti.
2. God is not seen as the means but seen as the end itself. One goes from world dependence to God dependence. This is known as Madhyama Bhakti.
3. God is neither the means nor the end. God is “I”, myself. Means and end are both different from me. The real God is never away from me. This is Uttama Bhakti.

Only in Uttama bhakti one gets liberation.

Shloka # 15:

न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः।
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः।।7.15।।

Base, deluded, evildoers do not surrender to Me; due to Maya, they have been robbed of knowledge and they assume a demoniac attitude.

Here Sri Krishna points out that many people don’t take recourse to Bhakti Marga, as they don’t have the punyam from previous life. Such people are deluded by Maya that keeps them busy chasing after money and entertainment. They lead a life to earn and entertain. It does not allow them to come near shastras. Maya robs one’s discrimination power. One sees impermanence all around but still does not turn his mind to God. He thinks impermanent as permanent.

To remove our delusions God has created Guru and Shastra. They provide us with the “how to ” manuals for leading our lives.

The Moodha, deluded ones, think they know everything and hence don’t take help of Guru and shastra. Thus they become the lowliest among humans. They miss using this life to accomplish its highest goal. They are called Nara-Dhamaha or mean people and indiscriminate people. They are a problem to themselves as well as others. Any amount I get, I am not satisfied. The desire is for more and more. A time comes when we cannot fulfill our desires (income) by legitimate means. Then we start cutting corners. Initially it pricks our conscience, but over time our conscience also becomes blunt. Match fixing by cricketers is a good example of this.  Why should

these cricketers fix the match; when their earning is so much and they are adored by the society; but there afterwards they lose everything and it is never possible to recover; life is gone; For such a person, life was artha kama pardhana and they became Asuric Svabhava. They are unfortunate people.

Shloka # 16:

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ।।7.16।।

Arjuna! Men of righteous acts are four fold. They resort to Me, O best of Bharatas! They are afflicted,

The knowledge seeker, wealth seeker and the knower.

Now there are punyavans too in this world. They are known as Sukritha Bhakthas. Swamiji says bhaktas are of four types. They are:

2. Artah Bhakta: These are people in whom devotion rises when a crisis occurs. They are Sakama bhaktas. Artah means one who is in distress. This starts in childhood itself. A good example is facing an upcoming exam, students turn to God for his blessings. Shatras give examples of Artah Bhaktas. They include Vibhishana, Prahlada, Druvah, Panchali and Ahalya.
3. Artharthti Bhakta: One who desires wealth. Whenever he starts something he wants to benefit from it, so he prays. Here bhakti is used for obtaining something.

Both Artah and Artharthi Bhaktas are manda Bhaktas. They are interested in using God to get something or as a means. Swamiji says, for them God is Give-up-able.

4. Jignasuhu: One who is interested in knowing more about God. His goal is God. His is a Madhyama nishkama bhakti. His thought process is, to reach God I am ready to sacrifice everything.
5. Gyani: He has discovered that God is not away from him. God is not a means or an end to him. He realizes, God is Me.

Take away:

Those who have Bhakti will cross over the Maya. Bhakti is the solution to reach Para Prakriti.

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka # 10:

बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम्।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम्।।7.10।।

Know Me, Arjuna! to be the eternal seed power in all beings; of intellectual beings I am the intellect; of those who are splendorous, I am the splendor.

 Continuing his teaching of the Gita, Swami Paramarthananda said, in chapter 7 from shloka # 4 onwards Sri Krishna has been talking about Iswaraswarupam. Ishwara has two parts, a higher nature or consciousness or para parkriti (PP) and a lower nature consisting of matter principle or apara parkriti (AP). This mixture of Chit and Jada is Ishwara. This Ishwara is the root cause of the universe. From him the universe rises and into him it finally resolves as well. While studying this aspect of god as the cause of the universe we come across a law that says, whatever is the composition of the cause is also the composition of the effect. Thus, if out of gold we make an ornament, the composition of both gold and ornament will be the same. Thus, if gold has, say, 5 % copper, the ornament will also have same amount of copper. We can say this law even applies to the character of children. The child’s character is based upon the character of the parent.

We find that children inherit the characters of their parents. Since father and mother are involved, para and apara prakriti, are represented in them.  That is the reason, in a newly born baby people try to find if the baby looks like the father or mother. This characteristic includes good ones as well as bad ones, such as say a disease.  Thus, this law is known as karana gunah karye anuvartate.

Since Ishwara is a combination of Chetana and Achetana, the universe is also a combination of these two aspects. Therefore all glories of Universe belong to Me alone. Therefore Sri Krishna wants a total transformation in us. He wants us, not to look at the world as world, but look at the world as Ishwara, with both its chetana and achetana aspects. He is preparing us for chapter 11 for the Vishwarupa darshanam.

And here Krishna makes a small difference, when we say the whole creation is the manifestation of the Lord. We know that not only the wonderful things are the manifestation of the Lord, even the terrible things also is ultimately the manifestation of the Lord alone; but Krishna is very diplomatically, very intelligently suppressing the negative aspect, he is claiming only the glorious and wonderful thing as himself. What is the purpose of this deliberate suppression? Because already we find it difficult to develop devotion to God. If Bhagavan is going to claim all the negative things also as himself, one will never develop devotion to God.

Therefore in initial stages only positive aspects are emphasized. Once we are mature, we will be able to expand our vision to include both positive and negative aspects or be able to look at the totality of Creation. Once we are sufficiently mature we see even the so-called negative aspects in a positive light. We find that they actually complement the positive aspects.

Citing an example, birth is considered mangalam while death is considered amanagalam. We don’t like to talk of death of close one’s. As per shastras we see death as amanagalam, not because death itself is amangalam, rather it is because it is our mind that is still amangalam. Once our mind is mature, we will see everything as Ishwara and that everything in life is in complementary pairs.

Continuing with shloka # 10, Sri Krishna says, I am the intelligence in the intelligent people and I am the seed of the entire creation as well. Up to this we saw in the last class.

Shloka # 11:

बलं बलवतामस्मि कामरागविवर्जितम्।
धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ।।7.11।।

Also of the mighty I am the might, devoid of appetite and attachment. Foremost Bharata prince! in beings I am appetite not opposed to righteousness.

The same ideas as last shloka are commented upon. Hey foremost among Bharata princes (Arjuna), in the strong, I am the strength. The word cause in Sanskrit is also known as Saram. Therefore, strength is the essence of strong people. Now, strength is of two types.

1. Positive strength, that is dharmic and constructive.
2. Negative strength, that is adharmic and causes destruction.

Thus Rakshsas had destructive strength while Anjaneya swami had constructive strengths. Sri Krishna says I am the constructive strength or dharmic balam. Such strength is free from selfishness (kama) and desires (ragaha). This is pure strength. Kama is desire for an object not yet acquired by me. The moment I buy the object the desire is completed. Now karma converts to Ragaha or attachment. Both Kama and Ragaha are poisonous.

I am also kama in people with desires or desire-ridden people. Sri Krishna’s desire , however, was desire without any impurity.

Desire is, in general, of two types:

• Dharmic, where his spirituality grows, in helping others, in desire for moksha (mumukshatvam). Any desire that promotes inner growth is dharmic. Even desire for money is good so long as it is used for sharing with others or as required by pancha maha yagnaha.
• Adharmic desire: is one that pulls me down spiritually or destructive desires.

Shankaracharya says: Even money can be used for noble activities, noble activities will be useful for purification of mind; purification will be useful for knowledge. Knowledge will be useful for liberation; thus even desire for wealth can be a dharmica iccha; and Sri Krishna says such a dharmic desire I am.

Shloka # 12:

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये।
मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि नत्वहं तेषु ते मयि।।7.12।।

Whatever things are satvic, rajasic and tamasic, know these to proceed from Me alone; I am not in them; they are in Me.

Until now Sri Krishna has talked about external world. Now he points out that external world as well as internal world (such as thoughts) is all a product of Ishwara alone.

Thoughts are inert by themselves. They appear to be sentient because of Para Prakriti (PP). Thus, the mind has Consciousness with changing thoughts (apara prakriti.) Thought and consciousness are closely intertwined as such difficult to differentiate. Citing an example:

In our hand, nails are there; fingers are there; lines are there; bacteria or dust etc; In fact, we tend to enumerate everything except one thing. That is the light, which is not part of the hand; but which is a distinct entity; the light and hand are intimately mixed together. Of these two principles, the hand is the moving part while the light is the movement-less part.

Similarly the scriptures point out, within our mind also, there are two things; one is the changing thought, which is changing every moment. In fact, right from the first word that I uttered, your mind has been changing. In fact your mind has to entertain thoughts in keeping with the movement of my words. Every word I utter  has to enter through your ears and you should know the meaning and in accordance with the meaning, a thought will come. And how are my words moving; fast; and what about your thoughts, they also change fast.

In Panchadashi, Vidyaranya Swami compares thoughts to the greatest dancer of the world; how the dancer violently moves the hands and legs so fast; similarly the mind assumes thoughts after thoughts; the thoughts are varying but there is one thing which is not varying at all; that is consciousness; I am conscious of your first sentence; conscious of your second sentence; conscious of your third sentence; conscious, conscious, conscious, no sentence; and even when the mind is blank without thoughts, I am conscious of the blankness of the mind.

This consciousness is PP while whatever changes, such as thought, is AP. Every thought that rises in you is AP. This AP (apara prakriti) has three gunas. They are: satva standing for knowledge faculty; rajas standing for dynamism or activity; and tamas standing for dullness or delusion. So knowledge, activity, and delusion, satva, rajas and tamas, are three gunas belonging to aparaprakriti, and now the thoughts, which are products of apara prakriti, they also will have three gunas.

Thus, thought, a product of AP, also has the same three gunas. Thus, body and mind also have these three gunas. We will study them in detail in chapter 14.

In short, varieties of thoughts occur in the mind; and all of them arise from where? Sri Krishna says, all those mental states are also born out of Me alone. Which part of Me? The apara prakriti part of Me alone.

Here Shankaracharya adds a commentary to clarify the interpretation:

Sri Krishna has said all thoughts are born out of Me alone. Thus, I can say God is responsible for all violence, jealousy etc in me, as well. Such a misinterpretation is possible. So, Shankaracharya says, God alone is Samanya (general) karanam. You and your free will are responsible for the specific (visesha) thought.

Citing an example. What is general cause of say, this hall? We can say the bricks and cement are the samanya karanam for the hall. The brick and cement do not determine the particular shape of the hall whether rectangle, square etc, It is my plan and desire that becomes the visesha karanam.

Citing another example, petrol is samanya karanam for movement of the car. Whether car should move on road or the sidewalk, that direction is not determined by petrol, rather it is determined by the driver, the visesha karanam.

Our discrimination power is visesha karanam.

This entire creation is dependent on Me, the cause. An effect depends on the cause. Try to remove gold and have an ornament; it is not possible. Effect depends upon cause. Cause does not depend on effect.

Arjuna, I do not depend on the world; that is why during pralayam; even when the whole world is resolved, I continue to exist. I don’t depend on product. God is therefore called Satyam as world depends upon him while the dependent world is called a mithya.

Shloka # 13:

त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत्।
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम्।।7.13।।

Due to three (kinds of) objects, consisting of (prakriti’s) constituents, this whole world is deluded; it fails to cognize Me, the immutable (Reality) beyond them.

With the previous shloka Sri Krishna concludes the topic of Ishwara svarupam, the nature of God and the main points mentioned were:

1. God is a mixture of para apara prakriti; that is chetana-achetana tatvam;
2. The second feature is God alone is the Srishti-sthithi laya karanam of the world, is the creator, the preserver and the destroyer; Srishti-sthithi laya karanam is the second important feature;
3. And the third important feature is God being the cause, He alone manifests as the entire world and therefore world is the manifestation of God; the world is divine. This is what is called Vishvarupa Ishwara; this is the third important feature
4. And fourth and final thing is since God is the cause and the world is the effect; God has independent existence; therefore God is satyam; the world however, has a dependent existence and therefore is mithya;

Then, Sri Krishna discussed the topic of: why there is suffering in the world when everything is God? In this shloka he gives the answer. It is a very important shloka. It is a diagnosis of all our mental problems.

Correct diagnosis is important. We have never really analyzed why sorrow comes in our life? I thought education, then job, getting settled, having children and so on would solve our problems. But we still do not know why we mental problems of depression, anxiety, fear, sorrow, irritation, anger, jealousy; because we are treating the disease called bhava roga without diagnosis.

What is the diagnosis of Sri Krishna?

Sri Krishna says whole world is a combination of PP and AP.

PP: It is the changeless chetana that is nirguna, nirvikara, formless, propertyless, Consciousness principle.

AP: It is the achetana that is changing, with properties and is the matter principle. AP is perceptible to our sense organs. Sound, form, smell, taste and touch are evident to sense organs.

In the PP and AP mixture we are attracted to the visible and changing AP. In this attraction we lose sight of the invisible PP. Citing an example,  you are so much carried away by the hand and its motion, that you are always distracted away from the very light principle. And that is why you take it lightly. In a movie, the screen is the motionless substratum; but once the movie is on, you are so much absorbed in the changing characters; that you loose sight the changeless screen and once you miss the para prakriti; Sri Krishna says, you are in trouble. And therefore, our problem is losing sight of para prakriti (PP).

Take away:

In the Para Prakriti and Apara Prakriti mixture known as Samsara we are attracted to the visible and changing AP. In this attraction we lose sight of the invisible PP, the divine.

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy

Shloka # 7:

मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय।
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव।।7.7।।

Nothing whatsoever is beyond Me. All this is strung on Me like clusters of gems on a thread.

Continuing his teaching of the Gita, Swami Paramarthananda said, after introducing the subject matter in the first three shlokas of chapter 7, Sri Krishna has now entered the main topic of the Gita. This topic continues up to Ch 12. It is the topic of Ishwara swarupam. It discusses what is God and what is his function.

God is the Jagat Karanam. He is the cause of the universe.  God is the intelligent cause and the material cause. God alone has created the world; he also has evolved into this creation. God is not a person sitting in a place; rather the world itself is a manifestation of God. This view of the world is Vishwarupa darshanam. It requires understanding and maturity to look at this world as Ishwara’s manifestation.

Until now we understand and assume that God is a person and Ishwara darshanam is coming in contact with a personal God. Sri Krishna wants to remove this idea. He wants to present Ishwara Darshanam as God’s Vishwarupam. In Chapters 7 through 10, Sri Krishna prepares our mind, so that in the 11th chapter, we do not ask for the arrival of God, but we understand that God has already arrived in the form of akasha, vayu, agni, jalam and prithvi. So, thus, not only I should understand what is God but also I should reorient the mind to see the very world as God. When I look upon God as a person, it is ekarupa Ishwara; Krishna does not want us to confine to ekarupa Ishwara; Krishna want us to know the aneka rupa Ishwara, the entire Gita is aiming at aneka rupa Ishwara darshanam or Vishvarupa Ishwara darshanam. Sri Krishna considers this Ishwara darshanam as superior because ekarupa Ishwara or a personal God is subject to arrival as well as departure.

A Personal God is subject to arrival and departure as can be seen from the Gopika’s attitude towards Sri Krishna when he appeared and when he departed. They cried in distress whenever he departed. We do not decry this devotion, but this is a lower level of appreciation of God. Sri Krishna wants us to see the higher level of Vishwa Darshanam as sarvam Vishnumayam jagat or sarvam Shivamayam jagat or sarvam Devimayam jagat. He presents himself as jagat karanam.

Thus this Vishwa rupa god has two aspects, Para prakriti (consciousness) and Aparaprakriti (material cause).  Sri Krishna points out that this Ishwara consists of two aspects or amshas; one is called the para prakriti (PP), the consciousness part; the chetana amsha, and apara prakriti (AP), the achetana amsha. Thus the higher and lower nature put together; consciousness and matter put together is God. And how does this God evolve into the universe. Sri Krishna said that it happens in two stages; in the initial stage, it is one para prakriti and one apara prakriti; then in the intermediary stage, the apara prakriti divides itself into 8-fold ashtadha prakriti while para prakriti continues as one; and then in the final stage the 8 fold apara prakriti becomes the manifold creation.

Thus, wherever you see the changing matter, you appreciate it as the apara prakriti of Ishwara; and wherever you see consciousness which you can feel in your body, if you have doubt, you can touch; it is para prakriti.

It is because of consciousness that you can hear my words. All the five elements (shabda, sparsha, roopa, and rasa and gandha) that provide awareness of my words is PP.

Citing example of Mahabali story; with one step the Lord has measured the entire world, with another step the Lord has measured the entire apara prakriti; and after that there is nothing else other than your problematic ego, which claims this is my body; this is my mind; this is my property. Therefore bhagavan takes the third step and removes that ignorance, the ego, to indicate that there is nothing other than God.

He says there is nothing other than God. There is neither jiva nor jagat other than Ishwara.

Shloka # 7, continued: There are no ornaments other than gold, no furniture other than wood, no wave or ocean other than water. River is only a name, there is no substance called river.

Therefore the teaching is there is no product other than the cause and the Lord being the cause, the world being the product, Sri Krishna wants to say the world is only a word; there is no substance called world; Then what is the substance? The substance alone is the cause and that cause is God.

Just as the thread is inherent in the garland, I am the sutra-atma or the thread inherent in creation.

Shloka # 8:

रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः।
प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु।।7.8।।

I am the essence of water, O Arjuna, as also the light of the moon and the sun. (I am) the sacred syllable AUM in all the Vedas, the sound inherent in space and the manhood of men.

Sri Krishna wants us to not only understand this fact but he also wants our attitude to change as well. Attitude can change only through understanding. Our love for our parents is based upon the fact of all the things they have done for us; proportionally in keeping with that understanding; I develop the attitude of reverence. Any attitude is based on knowledge. When we meet a stranger we have no attitude, no Ragaha or Dveshaha towards him as we do not know him. Once we know the person we develop an attitude such as reverence. As you understand the world so is your attitude. As your understanding of this world changes, so does your attitude change as well.

When I look upon world as world, my attitude is ragah or dveshah; but when I understand the world as vishvarupa, the manifestation of God, then my attitude is one of reverence. In fact the basic teaching of Hinduism is reverence to the creation as manifestation of God.

Citing example of the mantra, Rudram, it is all about Vishwadarshanam. It says I worship the Shiva who is mud, fresh leaf, etc. We are asked to look at everything reverentially; it is same with sunrise. Thus, I worship the sun.

Similarly, we have got twofold job of understanding the teaching and also bringing about an attitudinal change, a perspective change or divinization of the world. When the world is seen as world, it will persecute you; it will create fear; it will disturb you; so the world as world will cause samsara; but the very same world as Ishwara will not cause any samsara. In fact, this is the first mantra of Ishavasya Upanishad; Ishavasyam

idagum sarvam. May you learn to look upon the very world as Ishwara svarupa, paint the world with Ishwara bhavana.

Now, knowledge can be gathered immediately but attitudinal change is slow. Understanding the teaching and bringing about an attitudinal change is called divination of the world.

“Arjuna, when you drink water, consider that the essence of water is myself.” Hence in sandhya vanadanam water is worshipped.

This way I look at everything as God. I am the radiance in the sun and moon. This radiance is worshipped in gayathri mantra. This radiance is consciousness. I worship that brilliant sunlight, that consciousness alone that makes my inert brain into a live knowing instrument.

I am the aumkara, the essence of all vedas. Vedas are condensed at three levels.

First: At Gayathri mantra. Chanting gayathri is like chanting the entire vedas.

Second: Gayathri condensed into Vyahrithi mantra called the bhuhu, bhuva, suvaha, mantra.

Third: Vyahrithi is then condensed into AUM.

Therefore, Veda is condensed in AUM kara while AUM kara diluted is Vedas. AUM kara is essence of vedas, It is also myself. I am the essence of all pervading space (akasha brahman), the sound principle (shabda brahman); I am the very manliness (humaneness) in every human being.

Shloka # 9:

पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ।
जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु।।7.9।।

I am pure odor in the earth; splendour in the fire; life in all beings; and austerity in ascetics.

The essential nature of prithvi, the earth is its fragrance or smell; among the five elements the earth alone has got gandha gunaha; the other four elements do not have gandha; so akasha has got shabda gunaha, Vayu has got shabda and sparsha; sparsha means touch, agni has got

Shabda, sparsha and rupam, visible; jalam has got shabda, sparsha, roopa, and rasa; and prithvi has got shabda, sparsha, roopa, and rasa and gandha.

This gandha or fragrance of earth is Myself as felt during a fresh rain in the mud.

The essence of fire is heat. In hot water you don’t see fire but you feel the heat. This heat, I am.

I am the very life principle, without which a life is dead.

Hence in our religion, we respect all living beings. Other religions believe animals, plants etc, do not have a soul and hence they are for our consumption. Our religion is talking of ecological protection to protect life principle.

Among human beings there are more evolved beings known as Tapasvinaha. They have accomplished success in material or spiritual worlds. I am austerity in austere. I am saintliness in saints.

We also look at the five elements themselves as God; thus we have five temples, each temple dedicated to one one bhutha; akasha lingam in Chidambaram; Vayu lingam in kalahasti; agni lingam in Tiruvannamalai; jala lingam in Jambukesvaram, thiruanaikavil; and prithvi lingam in Kancheepuram. What does it mean? I learn to look or see the five elements themselves as Ishwara’s manifestation; all these indicate an attitudinal change in us.

Shloka # 10:

बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम्।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम्।।7.10।।

Know Me, Arjuna! to be the eternal seed power in all beings; of intellectual beings I am the intellect; of those who are splendorous, I am the splendor.

I am the intelligence in intelligent people. I am boldness in bold people.  Boldness can overcome obstacles; it is the bull dozer capacity. Such people conquer all obstacles. Hence they are known as Parakrama. I am Parakrama.

Because essential nature of everything is God, if we have got any of these virtues; like boldness, like intelligence; like austerity; like knowledge, if anyone of these virtues is in me; I should remember they really do not belong to me; but they are the manifestation of God. Credit is to God and not me. I become humble, born out of knowledge. Humility coming out of humbleness is permanent, other wise it is superficial.

Story of Yaksha. Kenopanishad has this story. When the devas got a victory over asuras, they became arrogant.  Now Bhagavan came in the form of a mysterious yaksha to teach Devas a lesson. Yaksha asks Agni Devata to burn a blade of grass.  Agni tries to burn the blade of grass but cannot do so. Agni realizes that the agni principle is God. God asks Vayu devata to lift a blade of grass. He is not able to. All this shows the essential nature of God.

Any award that we get is really due to God so place it in front of him as an offering. Knowing this will lead to humility. Ignorance of God leads to arrogance. This way, I don’t feel jealousy when I know all glory is God’s. I do not compare; it is comparison that leads to jealousy. When I appreciate God, there cannot be jealousy. We are only pipelines; the water belongs to God. All glory belongs to God. Whenever I see glory, appreciate it as Lord’s glory. Humility, non-jealousy are benefits of Ishwara Gyanam. I am the seed, the primal cause. Let us always Keep this corollary in mind: understanding Ishwara will give you humility; Ignorance of Ishwara will lead to arrogance.

Causes are either intermediate or ultimate. Our parents are our cause. They had their parents, their cause. God is absolute primal cause, which is cause of everything. God himself is, however, a parentless cause (or parent) of creation.

The word sanatanam means without a beginning or causeless cause of creation.

Take away:

1. Sri Krishna says there is nothing other than God. There is neither jiva nor jagat other than Ishwara.
2. Therefore the teaching is there is no product other than the cause and the Lord being the cause, the world being the product, Sri Krishna wants to say the world is only a word; there is no substance called world; then what is the substance? The substance alone is the cause and that cause is God.
3. Any attitude is based on knowledge. As you understand the world so is your attitude. As your understanding of this world changes, so does your attitude change as well.
4. I become humble, born out of knowledge. Humility coming out of humbleness is permanent, other wise it is superficial.
5. Understanding Ishwara will give you humility; Ignorance of Ishwara will lead to arrogance.

With Best Wishes

Ram Ramaswamy