Closing Remarks

I have been "writing" the posts to this blog over last 10 months. There are 65 posts on this blog including this last one.

I will stop writing the posts to this blog on this Vikruti Naama samvatsara Sravana Poornima. This full moon day is celebrated by one and all in various forms as raksha bandhan, upakarma, Hayagriva Jayanti etc., It is a time for celebration for both "Bhogis" and "Yogis"!!

Dharma i.e., that which holds everything in their respective positions is of two kinds.

1. The pravrutti lakshana dharma
This is the one applicable for the individuals who are interested in Bhogas i.e., Bhogis the seekers of pleasure (which is temporary). The nature of this dharma is "conservation". In absolute sense, there is nothing which can be produced completely new; There is nothing that can be destroyed completely. Action is capable of differentiating already existing raw material into a more purified or consumable material. Then by consumption of the purified material, it goes to further transformation into different forms and names. Forms and Names are supported by Actions of the Bhogis; The cycle of transformation is governed by this pravrutti lakshana dharma. All the bhogis should be aware that, they need to "produce" the things for their own "consumption" (vishayas.) No one can really cheat the other person or steal the "hard work" of another person. In the infinite cyclic movement of time any temporary debts or loans or credits or deposits between individuals are reconciled and balance is maintained to keep all that exists is intact by the dharma. This pravrutti lakshana dharma is applicable for all the living beings i.e, plants, animals and human beings. Different names and forms of beings interpret this dharma as per their own capability. All the religions, social laws, governments etc., deal with this dharma. The goal of this dharma in concise form is "To help others is virtue; to harm others is vice" or "Ahimsa paramo dharmah" means not intending to harm anyone either by deed, speech or thought is the highest virtue.

To reach this highest virtue of ahimsa, each individual manifestation should follow the "prescribed duties" called swadharma as per the type of manifestation and the stage of that manifestation called as varna and ashrama.

2. The nivrutti lakshana dharma
The nivrutti lakshana dharma starts with Ahimsa. One who is successful in attaining the goal of AHIMSA (this is the first yama of astanga yoga path) is on the path of YOGA automatically. Yoga is all about turning the whole equipment of psycho emotional energies of an individual inward. It starts with yamas and niyamas. The Yoga ends in samyama (dharana + dhyana + samadhi) leading an individual completely aware of one's own true nature. Having attained the samadhi, the Higher Knowledge of VEDANTA comes to him automatically without any further effort.

The contents of this blog mostly deal with the Nivrutti Lakshana Dharma which is suitable for striving yogis (seekers of eternal peace). In this modern day world, two words heavily misused are "YOGA" and "VEDANTA".

If someone says "Yoga will improve your health." Then the person may be talking about "asanas" as some body postures. It is not really YOGA. (only after sufficient success in yama and niyamas leading to Iswara Pranidhanam, the asana will help!)
If someone says "Yoga will reduce your stress." Then most likely the person may be talking about "pranayama" as some breathing exercises. It is not really YOGA. (only after sufficent success in asana, the pranayama can be taught)
If someone says "Yoga will improve your concentration and mind power." Then it is most likely a "pratyahara" technique assisted with some external tools. It is not really YOGA. (only after sufficient success in pranayama one can get success in pratyahaara)

It costs NOTHING to learn yoga. YOGA is free, yogeswara Lord Sri Krishna continuously makes it available to all deserving individuals at free of charge!

All that one need to do to deserve it is "completely and actively" surrender to the LORD!

So, the dharma that starts with samkhya yoga and ends in moksha sannyasa yoga is the Nivrutti Lakshana Dharma which leads an individual to his eternal truly blissful state by giving up all the actions, forms and names.

one can never mix the pravrutti and nivrutti together because they go in opposite directions.

Pravrutti is all about building up forms and names by the means of taking up the actions there by causing Birth and Death of different forms and names

where as

Nivrutti is all about giving up all the actions there by transcending names and forms and rising above the DEATH and BIRTH!

Sanatana Dharma is the eternal dharma that holds all that what ever exists either it belongs to Pravrutti or Nivrutti paths and hence it is called ETERNAL PRINCIPLE or ETERNAL LAW or ETERNAL TRUTH.

om tat sat

Note: The interpretation provided on these 65 posts of this blog are from a little ego identified as Prasad Chitta. It may not be exact or accurate. Use the information with due care and at your own discretion.

This marks the end of avirodha - non-contradiction phase of my vedanta saadhana.

If any of the readers like the explanation, it is the grace of saints starting from Lord Sri Krishna, Bhagavan Veda Vyasa, Govinda bhagavadpaada, Bhagavan Adi Sankaracharya down all the way to my guru who have their lotus feet radiate the essence of knowledge like an infinite ocean of nectar. They have only one reason to give / leave the information in the form of an instruction. That one reason is --- "Universal Well Being!"

Let there be peace (in all three layers) and let that peace be experienced by one and all!

om santi santi santih.

Ekasloki Gita

This is the last post on Srimad Bhagavad Gita. This was handed down by Sage Veda Vyasa, just for the sake of universal well being. A memory of a wonderful discussion between Arjuna and Bhagavan; by remembering it, it purifies the person and leads to the complete victory over the most difficult enemy to be conquered i.e., Ignorance!

A deserving person studying the scripture from a realized Guru and practicing its teaching is sure to get the ultimate bliss beyond all limitations of gunas. It brings back the correct identity of the individual as declared by Arjuna!

सञ्जय उवाच: (18.74 till 18.78)
यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः।
तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम।।18.78।।

Sri Sankara Bhagavadpaada's Commentary translated into English By Swami Gambhirananda:
18.78 To be brief, yatra, where, the side on which; there is Krsna, yogeswarah, the Lord of yogas-who is the Lord of all the yogas and the source of all the yogas, since they originate from Him; and yatra, where, the side on which; there is Partha, dhanurdharah, the wielder of the bow, of the bow called Gandiva; tatra, there, on that side of the Pandavas; are srih, fortune; vijayah, victory; and there itself is bhutih, prosperity, great abundance of fortune; and dhruva, unfailing; nitih, prudence. Such is me, my ; matih, conviction.

Sri Abhinava Gupta Comments as follows:
18.74-78 Ityaham etc. upto matir mama While concluding the Krsna-Arjuna dialogue with Sanjaya's speech, the sage Vyasa teaches this : What leads to the Absolute Brahman is nothing but the recollection of the purport of the dialogue--a recollection that is led finally to the status of the highly vivid, direct cognition admitting no differentiation between its subject and object, resulting from the continuity helped by the series of incessant contemplations on the purport of the dialogue according to the method of firmly fixing. Thus, only through the recollection of the dialogue of the Bhagavat and Arjuna, the Reality could be reached and due to that come fortunes, victories and prosperity.

Swami Sivananda (my spiritual great grand father!)
18.78 यत्र wherever, योगेश्वरः the Lord of Yoga, कृष्णः Krishna, यत्र wherever, पार्थः Arjuna, धनुर्धरः the archer, तत्र there, श्रीः prosperity, विजयः victory, भूतिः happiness, ध्रुवा firm, नीतिः policy, मतिः conviction, मम my.

Commentary: This verse is called the Ekasloki Gita, i.e., Bhagavad Gita in one verse. Repetition of even this one verse bestows the benefits of reading the whole of the scripture. Wherever: On that side on which. Yogesvarah: The Lord of Yoga. Krishna is called the Lord of Yogas as the seed of all Yogas comes forth from Him. Dhanurdharah: The wielder of the bow called the Gandiva. There: On the side of the Pandavas.

Thus in the Upanishad of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the eighteenth discourse entitled:The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation.


OM SHANTIH! SHANTIH! SHANTIH!

The final words of Lord after Instruction

Having instructed all that need to be instructed, Lord makes sure the "student" had clarified ALL his doubts.

कच्चिदेतच्छ्रुतं पार्थ त्वयैकाग्रेण चेतसा।
कच्चिदज्ञानसंमोहः प्रनष्टस्ते धनञ्जय।।18.72।।

18.72 कच्चित् whether, एतत् this, श्रुतम् heard, पार्थ O son of Kunti (Arjuna), त्वया by thee, एकाग्रेण one-pointed, चेतसा by mind, कच्चित् whether, अज्ञानसंमोहः the delusion of ignorance, प्रनष्टः has been destroyed, ते thy, धनञ्जय O Dhananjaya.

Commentary of Swami Sivananda: It is the duty of the spiritual teacher or preceptor to make the aspirant understand the teaching of the scripture and to enable him to attain the goal of life (Moksha). If the student has not grasped the subject he will have to explain it in some other way with similes, analogies and illustrations. That is the reason why Lord Krishna asks Arjuna: "Has the delusion of thy ignorance been destroyed?"This: What I have told thee.Have you heard it, O Arjuna, with one-pointed mind? Have you grasped My teaching?Delusion of ignorance: The absence of discrimination which is caused by ignorance and which is natural. The destruction of delusion is the aim of all this endeavour on your part to hear the scripture and the exertion on My part as the teacher.


अर्जुन उवाच

नष्टो मोहः स्मृतिर्लब्धा त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाच्युत।
स्थितोऽस्मि गतसन्देहः करिष्ये वचनं तव।।18.73।।

18.73 नष्टः is destroyed, मोहः delusion, स्मृतिः memory (knowledge), लब्धा has been gained, त्वत्प्रसादात् through Thy grace, मया by me, अच्युत O Krishna, स्थितः अस्मि I remain, गतसन्देहः freed from doubts, करिष्ये (I) will do, वचनम् word, तव Thy.

Commentary Of Swami Sivananda: Moha: Delusion: This is the strongest weapon of Maya to take the Jivas in Her clutch. It is born of ignorance. It is the cause of the whole evil of Samsara. It is as hard to cross as the ocean.Smritih: I have attained knowledge of the true nature of the Self. The whole aim of Sadhana or spiritual practice and the study of scriptures is the annihilation of delusion and the attainment of the knowledge of the Self. When one gets it, the three knots or ties of ignorance, viz., ignorance, delusion (desire) and action are destroyed, all the doubts are cleared, and all the Karmas are destroyed."To him who beholds the Self in all beings, what delusion is there, what grief?" (Isavasya Upanishad, 7)I shall do Thy word: Arjuna means to say, "I am firm in Thy command. Through Thy grace I have achieved the end of life. I have nothing more to do."

om tat sat

Some restrictions related to Scripture

इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन।
न चाशुश्रूषवे वाच्यं न च मां योऽभ्यसूयति।।18.67।।
18.67 इदम् this, ते by thee, न not, अतपस्काय to one who is devoid of austerity, न not, अभक्ताय to one who is not devoted, कदाचन never, न not, च and, अशुश्रूषवे to one who does not render service or who does not desire to listen, वाच्यम् to be spoken, न not, च and, माम् Me, यः who, अभ्यसूयति cavils at.

Lord says this to Arjuna after instructing the profound knowledge in the closing remarks of Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

Why?

Why should there be a restriction? Why not to instruct the Knowledge that leads to ultimate good to everyone?

Let us first consider who are not allowed to know this knowledge:

1. One who is not interested in Tapas (the practice) and
2. one who is not devoted to the LORD and
3. One who is not having any desire to listen such a teaching or render service to the teacher (means who has no respect to the teacher) and
4. one who is not conquered over the asuya. Asuya is a quality that makes one find faults with everything not getting to the correct understanding. We have discussed about this in one of the past posts. A person who has asuya towards LORDs teaching, will never get to know the true meaning of what is being told.

By teaching such a person who has not qualified to take the instruction, there will be unnecessary confusion created in the minds of such people causing conflict (buddhi-bhedam).

Lord is so compassionate towards such people as they need to work their karmas according to their predominant guna (mostly the quality of tamas) So, it is better for them to engage in action for the sake of results if not they will be taken over by the tamas or inertia.

One should only study any scripture only when:

1. He/She is ready to practice the method,
2. He/She is devoted to the God and Guru (the teacher)
3. He/She is keen to listen, understand and
4. He/She has good intentions to reach the highest goal without harming anyone else or finding faults with someone else.

But, teaching this scripture to a deserving person is considered one of the best virtues. It is the Jnana Yajna which is superior to any of the dravya yajnas!

अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः।
ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्टः स्यामिति मे मतिः।।18.70।।

Even though the Scripture Srimad Bhagavad Gita has universal applicability, The scripture itself will not force any of the thoughts on anyone. The listener is free to choose the course of action after contemplating on the teaching of LORD. As LORD verily exists in everyone's heart he makes this knowledge available as soon as one deserves it.

AS I have made this posts on to the blogger, I request readers to comply with this restriction. The knower (kshetrajna) is the Lord who takes care of its compliance anyway!

om tat sat

The summary - once again!

Swami Virajeshwara
“Hamsa”

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्।।16.21।।
Lust, anger and greed the three main gates of hell in which the condemned soul enters. They are the worst enemies of man that leads him to sin and thereby he enters the hell upon death. Therefore these should be abandoned purposefully.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृहणाति नरोऽपराणि।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा-
न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही।।2.22।।
A man discards his worn out cloths and wears new ones, analogously atman changes worn out bodies with new one's. Change is the law of nature. Spring marks the birth of new life, in summer reaches full maturity, the autumn brings old age and the winter sees the death. Again new birth is seen in spring. This cycle of birth and death is incessant and man's life too follows the same pattern. There is no escape.

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ।।7.16।।
Arjuna, four kinds of men worship me; the seeker of worldly objects - wealth, fame, position; the sufferer and worried; seeker of real knowledge (jnana) and the man of wisdom.

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः।।9.26।।
Any devotee when offers a fruit, a flower or even water with full faith and devotion, I delightfully accept such offerings. (What is offered to God is not important, but the pure conviction, faith and devotion to Him is important)

मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः।।12.8।।
Fix your mind in Me and employ your buddhi(intellect) in Me alone. Then there is no doubt thay you will dwell in Me. When the mind and the buddhi become one in seeing Me, the ego which impresses the feeling of I and mine perishes.

मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।
मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे।।18.65।।
Fix your mind on Me, be my devotee, worship Me with pure bhakti and enter into My Being. Because you are dear to Me, I promise that you shall attain Me alone.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।।18.66।।
Without bothering too much about wrong & righteous deeds and their rewards, surrender all you activities to Me and without fear and worry take refuge in Me alone. I shall free you from all sins. Fear Not.

अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते .
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ।।9.22।।
I look after the needs and protection of those who constantly think of Me and remain absorbed in My thought with pure devotion and contentment.

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति।
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया।।18.61।।
The LORD is seated in the hearts of all beings who are like toys mounted on the giant wheel and He is causing them to move around in circles through his deluding potency (maya).

(God is everywhere, omnipresent and omniscient. Since the hearts of ignorant are covered by filth of desire and passion, they do not transmit the image of Lord. The heart of noble souls have been cleaned and purified, the veil of ignorance has been lifted and Lord reflects clearly as the Sun in the clean mirror)

This is the final summary of the teaching of the Scripture Srimad Bhagavad Gita as told by a realized sage! Daily remembering these nine gems, contemplating on their true meaning, following the instructions given will surely lead to the final goal of a YOGI. Even a "Bhogi" will be benefited by repeating these verses with bhakti - devotion.


om tat sat