Bhagavad Gita - Chapter VI - II & final Lot
Krishnan Iyer
VERSE 26
From whatever cause the restless and the unsteady mind wanders away , from that let him restrain it , and bring it back to be under the control of the self
To fight the vagaries of the mind and to achieve contemplation on the objective One has to mitigate the thoughts about the worldly matter ( Vishaya Chintan )
Now the Lord details the effect of the yoga of meditation on a truly accomplished practitioners.
VERSE 27
Supreme bliss comes to the Yogi whose mind is peaceful , , whose passion is calmed , who is free from sin , and has attained the knowledge of Brahman.
This Yogi who has won over the sense organs and has conquered the mind has a clear vision of the Self ( Svaroopa Gyan ) that ‘ I am Brahman only ’, crossing the distinctions created by the ‘Jiva’ .
VERSE 28
The yogi , engaged in yoga thus ( Akalmasham , Shantha rajasam of Verse 27 ) easily gets into the ‘contact ‘ of Brahman on account of this contemplation on the Brahman alone without break .
The relentless contemplation of the Brahman with the qualities mentioned in Verse 27 results in
Akhandaakaara Vrithi.- Brahma ke saath Brahmaakaar vrithi ka sparsh . This ‘ feel ’ is a formless vrithi and the knowledge that the Self in me is Brahman. This is the union with the Self indicated in the verse 23 above . Further the expression ‘Brahma Samsparahm’ is analogus to the Svaroopa Gyana mentioned in Verse 27.
How is the Yogi who has had this vision described so far as his perception of the world is concerned ……… ( For Akhandaakara Vritti is essentially a mental modification revealing the whole )
VERSE 29
The Mind harmonized by Yoga , the Yogi sees the Self abiding in all beings and all being in the Self . He sees the same everywhere.
The Self abiding in all is the One and only Brahman . Thus the Yogi sees Brahman everywhere , without the distinctions brought about by the worldly veil.
This verse refers to the ‘Tvam Padhaarth ‘ – refers to the knowledge of the knowledge of the Self by the yogi
VERSE 30 : This verse refers to the ‘Thath Padh ‘ - refers to the knowledge of the yogi with reference to The Brahman.
He who sees me everywhere and sees everything in me , to him I never vanish ( unavailable )
Nor to me he vanishes ( unseen / unprotected ) ever
Despite the covering of the Maya ( Samashti Upaadhi) , despite my being unseen ( adhrushtah)
I am never unavailable to him , who has attained non differentiation ( Samathva) and equanimity ( sama dhrishti) .Such a person , who has not given credence to Names & Forms , sees me alone everywhere ,the Lord emphasises ,elaborating on the term ‘ brief contact with the Self ‘ used in verse 28 , is never separated from the Self / the Lord
Now , The effect of perception of equality …
VERSE 31
He who ( thus) established in Unity worships me , the Self , residing in all beings , that yogi dwells in me, whatever his mode of living.
On achieving the Unity resulting from the steady contemplation of the Self , he cannot be separated from the Self , under any circumstances , the Lord declares
VERSE 32
He sees equality , through likeness of the Self at all times , everywhere – be it pleasure or pain , he is deemed the most superior Yogin
Having sensed the divine presence of the Self in everything , having recognised the whole world as Self alone ( Unity / Ekathvam) , thus this yogi will naturally be able to feel the Pleasures and Pains of the all creatures as his own ( Aupamyena ). Commenting on this verse the Acharya gives a precise definition of the term Ahimsa putting to rest all the controversies – taking others’ feelings as his own .
The Lord has clearly indicated the close link between the sense of Equality ( Samathva Yoga) and equanimity ( being unaffected by pleasure or Pains) and has coupled these two characteristics for the evolution of the Yogi superior.
This indeed is a tall order , and hence Arjuna queries …
VERSE 33 & 34
I donot see the steady continuity of this Yoga of equanimity taught by you as the mind is ever restless.
The mind is turbulent and unyielding and I deem it as difficult ( to control ) as the wind .
The mind is ever agitated and subject to external influence .The way out suggested earlier was to detach the mind from the pain-attachment repeatedly and filling it with higher consciousness – the Self .Only when the contemplation on the Self is steady and continuous , the mind is rendered strong enough to fight the onslaught of the external influences entirely.
The Lord concurs with Arjuna’s question and recapitulates the process mentioned earlier …
Verse 35
Undoubtedly , the mind is restless and difficult to control , but by practice and dispassion it can be restrained (firmly)
The Lord while admitting that the Mind is indeed difficult to control , assures that it can be done with determination to repeatedly attempt restraining it with dispassion towards material objects .
Repeated practice strengthens renunciation and detachment deepens meditation .Hand in hand , each strengthening the other , the progress is certainly attained.
Verse 36
Yoga is hard to achieve (only) for those who are self controlled , but the self controlled , by striving can attain it by (proper) means.
The Lord once again assures that yoga is not impossible for the one who practices it repeatedly with determination and goal in site.
Arjuna wants to be doubly sure and hence asks what if the aspiring yogi , though sincere, falls short ..
Verse 37 & 38
He who strives ( hard) not , though possessed of faith , who wanders away from yoga, the mind not ( totally ) controlled - having failed to attain perfection ( Yogaruddh sthithi) , what end does he meet.
Fallen from both ( Paths of Knowledge and action ) , does he not perish like a riven cloud , deluded from the path to Brahman ?
The two states mentioned by Arjuna’s explain his concern as non attainment of perfection in the yoga naturally for-closes the path of knowledge .It is to be recalled that Yoga refers to an attainment (Praapthi) , which the Acharya has explained as Prajna , essential for contemplation the Self. Hence essentially seeking clarity regarding the fate of the yogi digressed from the path Yoga of action and has hence unfit to pursue the path of knowledge.
Do efforts in that direction bear some fruit or not ?
Verse 39
Please dispel these doubts of mine . It is not possible for anyone but you to dispel them
Verse 40
Neither in this world nor in the next ( Post leaving this body to attain another) is there destruction ( downturn ) for him .None who foes good comes to grief .
The lord clearly indicates that the efforts of the one sincerely engaged in yoga will bear fruit and the credits are passed on to enter a suitable state in the following birth.
The lord specifies the phala praapthi ( fruition ) …
Verse 41 & 42
Having attained to the world of the righteous and dwelled there for long years , he returns to be born to the pure and the wealthy
Or he is born in the family of wise yogins only , which is very hard to obtain in this world
The lord clarifies that yogabrashta’s ( fallen from yoga ) efforts do not go in vain . He dwells in the superior state ( as he is entitled to ) and once the fruition wanes , he is yet again given the opportunity , to begin his pursuit from a certain level and not from the scratch.
Verse 43 , 44 & 45
There he regains the knowledge that was acquired in the past and strives with greater vigour for perfection .
By that very former practice he is borne on , inspite of himself .Even he who merely wishes to know Yoga ( of meditation) , goes beyond the Sabda Brahman - ( mere ) worship of the OM
A yogi who strives with assiduity ,purified by sin and perfected ,in the course of many births attains the right knowledge and reaches the supreme goal
Verse 46
The Yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics ,men of knowledge and even men of action, therefore you strive
No wonder the Lord glorifies meditation in comparison to men of knowledge ( mere studies of scriptures) , men of Action ( in accordance with one’s Dharma).
Herein is the authoritative assertion from the Lord that striving for yoga is bound to come to a conclusion , even if not succeeded in one birth
This is an iteration of what the Lord said in Verse 40 of Chapter II – ‘It is rewarding even if executed in bits and parts and temporally separated. It does not go in vain if not done as deemed , unlike as in actions with selfish/ self centered goals’ .
The Yogi , as described in earlier verses strives for the purification of the inner instrumenrts ( Antahkarana ) with steadfastness and in the process rises above attainment of Karma Phala
and mere bookish knowledge of the Vedas and is in an apt state to seek the reality ( Gyan Yog)
For….
Verse 47
Of all yogis , whoso , full of faith , worships me with his inner self abiding me , he is deemed by me as the most devout
It is in the pure minds that the Self dwells and pure minds alone can dwell in the reality . The lord deems such a yogi as the most devout - The characteristics of the true devotee , who indeed is this Yogi are detailed subsequently in the chapter 12 of the Gita.
--
Regards
KRISHNAN
Tel : 27535076 & 27636335 (R) /Cell - 9324800743