Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna: I revealed this eternal yoga to Sun. He revealed it to Manu, and Manu revealed it to his son Iksvaku. It was passed on in this tradition from one to the other royal sages till it got obscured in the sands of time. (1-2)
As you are my devotee and friend, I have disclosed the same eternal yoga to you, because this is the subject is of utmost secrecy. (3)
Arjuna questions, The birth of Sun was from the beginning of time, but you were born later, how am I to believe that you revealed it to him? (4)
Shri Krishna responds, O Arjuna! You and I had several births. I remember them all, but you don’t remember them. (5)
I am unborn, indestructible, the lord of all beings, yet established myself in my nature I incarnate through my maya whenever dharma is in peril and rise of adharma, I incarnate myself. (6-7)
For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the reestablishment of Dharma, I incarnate from age to age. (8)
We are cells in one body. A cell that loses its relationship with the body becomes malignant. If our fighting cells are unable to eradicate the malignancy then it would spread, and destroy the body. Hence, surgery is the only way to save the body. It is in similar circumstances that Lord Krishna’s urges Arjuna to perform surgery, and thereby get rid of the malignant cells that are destroying Dharma. Our society rests on the scaffolding of Dharma, and if it is destroyed then the whole society collapses.
It goes to show that surgery is a very great act of Lord Krishna’s forgiveness. His forgiveness did not disappear after him because the one who came after him used it as his greatest weapon. It is not
therefore surprising that the ancient Hindu scriptures foretold the next incarnation of Lord Krishna would
be so humble that he would wash the feet of his disciples as our Lord Jesus Christ did.
He said, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”- John 14,25
What could be a more troubled time than ours, when there is a crying need for a Savior? Will he not come? The Holy Ghost has to come.
After all, what father brings children into the world and then abandons them? Though the Primordial Father is not confined to any form, he needs a conduit to guide his children. Of course, he tries to guide them through symbolic suggestions in dreams, but it is all extremely vague. Hence, somebody has to do this job more explicitly, and that is why incarnations have to come.
However, when the incarnations discovered their followers in their ego or ignorance had turned their dream into a nightmare they took rebirth to neutralize their teachings.
O Arjuna! The one, who unravels the mystery of my Divine play, is liberated from the cycle of rebirth. (9)
In the evolutionary process one fish had to venture out of the ocean for others to follow. Once a few people transform, then very many others follow with no conditions and no rewards. Seekers await the coming of the messiah. Unfortunately, whenever the messiah incarnated they failed to recognize him because of the mystery of divine play called Maya. Only a seeker who breaks through the curtain of Maya can escape the cycle of birth and death.
Those who rise above hate, fear and anger, with their attention absorbed in me, meditating upon me, and purified by penance, they abide in my Collective Being. (10)
O Arjuna! According to the devotee’s faith in me, I accept them. For all beings approach me. (11)
The rivers may be different, but they all converge in the ocean. Likewise, people in different time zones pray in different ways to different deities, but all the deities converge in the Absolute. That is how all the prayers reach him.
Those who desire the fruits of their deeds propitiate the deities by offerings. The fruition of their deeds is expedited in this world. (12)
I have created four divisions according to the quality of works. Though I have created them, I am beyond
all works. (13)
Lord Krishna stipulates the division of cast is according to the nature of work and not birth. Hence no one is born a high or low cast. Often birth is mistaken to be the origin of caste system in India. This is not true. The curse of the caste system is the result of a sedative act of determining the caste according to the birth and not according to aptitude. It is not necessary that a musician’s son should be a musician. On the
contrary, the author of the Gita was Rishi Vyasa who was an illegitimate child of a fisherwoman, though his aptitude was that of a scholar (Brahman aspire-r of pure knowledge).
Despite the caste system in India, a saint is revered without any relationship to his birth. Most such saints were not high caste born. For example, Kabir was a weaver, Namdev a tailor, Sadan Kasai a butcher, Sakhu Bai a maid servant, Chokhamala a low caste. Saints were universally acknowledged irrespective of caste, color or creed. Muslim saints Nizamudin Auliya, Shri Sai Nath of Shirdi, Shri Chisti Sahib of Ajmer or Christian saints such as St. Thomas and St. Xavier were all revered by the Hindus.
I am unaffected by works or their fruits, the one who understands this true nature of mine is not bound by works. Understanding this, all the seekers performed work. Likewise, you too do your work. (14-15)
Even the wise are confused about what is karma (action) and what is akarma (inaction). I will reveal to you the truth knowing which you will be liberated from what is inauspicious, and the bondage of karma. (16)
It is essential to understand what is action, and what is inaction. Likewise, what is negative action. Because these are matters of a subtle nature. (17)
He, who can see inaction in action and action in inaction, is enlightened. (18)
By non-action everything can be done. Tao maintains that transformation and change underlie all action:
“He who pursues learning will increase everyday; He who pursues Tao will decrease every day, He will decrease and continue to decrease, Till he comes to non-action; By non-action everything can be done.” – Tao Te Ching – 48
The one who engages in work without desire or attachment, and is purified in the fire of wisdom, such a person is said to be enlightened. (19)
Detached from the results of action, not dependent, content within, though performing action through the instrument of the body, yet he commits no wrong. (20-21)
He who accepts everything as it comes, transcending all dualities, even-minded in success and failure, free from jealousy, doing work as a sacrifice, though engaged in action he is not bound. (22)
If animals can co-exist in the forest why can’t we? Of course, we are wired to be together, but self-advancement makes us forget that we are a part of a whole interconnected system. However, as the world turns more competitive, it also suffers from greater cramps of jealousy.
A Sikh Guru ordered his cooks to prepare an enormous amount of food, and then released all the stray dogs to eat it. The food was more than enough for all the dogs, but instead of eating the dogs began to fight among themselves so that the other dogs should not eat the food. All the dogs got hurt in the fight but the food remained untouched!
He whose attachment is overcome, free from ego and identification, whose attention is logged on to Divine wisdom, doing work as a sacrifice, his works dissolve completely. (23)
We have to bear in mind that life did not evolve on earth by competition but by mutual cooperation. If the situation calls for a certain action, co-operate with it, and perform it like a sacrifice, without worrying about its success or failure. If there is no ‘us’ then there is no success or failure, and no competition. The compassion to help others is our innate nature. Hence, by doing work as sacrifice we become karma free.
When he performs the sacrificial offering, both the offering and the act of offering is God. In fact through the doer of God, God is offered into the sacrificial fire of God. God is known by him who realizes him in his work. (24)
If we observe nature the whole system resembles a close-knit organism where close cooperation and coordination exist among the different species. For instance, bees and ants act almost like the cells of a complex organism with a collective intelligence far superior than that of its individual members. That goes to show that we are not on our own but there are only relationships nesting within other relationships in our small ecosystem. We are communal creatures designed to work together, to depend on each other, and our entire existence is interconnected. This begs the question – What if interdependence is the crux of independence? As we realize how much we need others – not only to live and survive, but to thrive, and embody those timeless human qualities of love and compassion, we get an insight of the Divine artist who wires us.
He is the artist but we are the instrument. The Divine music has to flow through the instrument. But if the instrument is blocked the artist has to unblock it. For instance, if a cell turns cancerous, the divine artist makes sacrifices after sacrifices and incarnates to correct it. Even if his incarnation is crucified he accepts it, not because he is weak but because he is powerful. He can destroy his prosecutor with his tremendous powers, but that is not his game. His game is to make the blind see, even if he has to sacrifice his life for it.
Lord Krishna also speaks of realizing God in the daily routine of one’s work, provided the fruits of karma are dedicated to him. It exposes the myth coined by fake gurus that they are higher beings and hence, need not work or live like normal people. They persuade their disciples to give up their material possessions to them, and live like parasites. It goes to show that God is not achieved by giving up work.
Some yogis offer sacrifice to the deities, while others who are seeking the All-Pervading God, offer sacrifice unto Him. (25)
Some yogis offer sacrifice of hearing into the fire of penance, while others offer speech, and other objects of the senses. (26)
Some yogis offer the functions of the senses and the prana (life force), enlightened by self-knowledge into the sacrificial fire. (27)
Some offer their earthly possessions, penance, yogic prowess, while those of sublime nature perform sacrifice through their knowledge and learning. (28)
Some offer sacrifice by the practice of controlling the exhaling and inhaling of prana. (29)
A Yogi offers his life breath (prana) to God. In a deeper sense he offers prayers selflessly for others. If we witness our breathing we will discover a vacant space between inhaling and exhaling. There are no thoughts in this space. Gradually the space widens and we go into a state of thoughtless awareness but our awareness becomes sharper than ever.
Some offer sacrifice by restraining food and breath. All these devotees well-versed in sacrificial offerings are thus liberated from their sins. (30)
O Arjuna! Those who partake the food left over from the sacrificial offerings attain God realization. Whereas, those who do not offer any sacrificial offerings cannot find happiness in this world, how can they find it in the next? (31)
We are cells in an unseen collective organism, and hence, cannot survive in isolation – we are dependent upon the survival of the organism. When we make friends with other cells there is health and harmony. Conversely, a cell that thinks only in terms of its own survival and does not harmonize with others becomes cancerous.
Likewise, there are many kinds of sacrificial offerings prescribed. All these arise from karma, and knowing this you will be released from the bondage of Karma. (32)
O Arjuna! Compared to the sacrifice of material things, knowledge as a sacrifice is superior. All karmas converge in knowledge. (33)
Approach the enlightened seers with the spirit of humility, respect, enquiry and service, and they will guide you. (34)
When a seeker hits a roadblock, he begs guidance of a master. But to enter the master’s threshold he needs a password. The password can be borrowed from cows – the humblest of animals. The password is none other than humility. However, humility cannot be learned from any instruction manual, but we can learn it from cows, who give milk without any aggression. Much like cows, humans too start with a very humble heart at birth, but as their ego gets trained, it hardens.
However, without humility it is not possible to become sensitive to the all-pervading power of Divine love. Inadvertently, a futuristic society mistakes humility for slavishness. On the contrary, humility is the most powerful tool – a person imbued in it can penetrate any situation without aggression. And that is how a humble person like Mahatma Gandhi found a way to do more by being less. That is not to say that he was subservient.
All the incarnations posted signposts for the seekers, but a disciple who tries to be more misses them. Zen compares the mind to a cup, useless when full. A cup can only be useful when it is empty. A Zen master offering tea to a disciple allowed the cup to overflow. He then explained, “Like the cup, you are full of your own opinions and self-assertions. How can I show you Zen unless you empty your cup first?” Thereafter, the master invited the disciple for a meal and they both enjoyed it together.
O Arjuna! After experiencing God realization you will not fall into any delusion. Thereon, you will see everything within me and me in everything. (35)
After Lord Krishna migrated from Vrindavan, he sent his cousin, Uddav back to comfort Radha. Uddav consoled Radha and offered to carry her message to her beloved Krishna. She answered, “Messages are sent to one who is away, but for one who is encoded within me, what message can I send?” He then asked her to close her eyes and meditate on Lord Krishna in her heart. She replied, “How can I close my eyes? Look, he is everywhere in Vrindavan – in the flowers, leaves, trees, cows, eating butter!”
God is both personal and expansive at the same time. Thus, the love for Lord Krishna continues to pulsate in the joyous songs of the simple-hearted people from the cosmopolitan metropolis to the remote Indian village. It takes on its own special hue and flavor in every place. Each village has its own unique tradition of celebration. Amidst all the diversity and pageantry Lord Krishna brims in their love. But his worship is not exclusive but inclusive, and as his devotees seek him, so does he bless them.
Even if you were the greatest of sinners, you will tide over the sea of evil by the boat of wisdom. (36)
A disciple in a Zen monastery was a perpetual source of trouble. As the master ignored the repeated complaints against him, the disciples threatened to leave. The master stated, “You can leave, but this disciple will stay. Because you are strong, you will find your ways in life, but if this disciple is thrown out, he will be lost. In the monastery he commits minor mistakes but is prevented from doing major harm, and with a little patience, he will improve.”
The love of the master worked, and not before long the disciple made a commitment to himself, “I am messed up but I will pick myself again.”
Whatever the mistakes, the love of the Spirit is never lost. People’s faults can be cured by loving them. A disturbed person needs love. In fact, that is what he seeks the most. The absence of love creates a vacuum in his heart and it turns into a black hole that sucks perversion.
A person is not less human because of sin. In fact, he is more important, because he needs attention for his redemption. But a sinful man is different from an evil man. A person who goes on denying truth because of egoistical mental attitude is in a worse condition than a sinful person. The first one tries to deliberately malign the truth and throw mud on the beauty of reality, while the other has just got his clothes soiled. The first one is the cause of evil, whilst the second one is the effect of evil.
If we have to keep a vigil over the approaching negative thoughts they overpower us. If we give an inch they take a mile. For instance, we see a beautiful woman and a thought comes to possess her; if at that moment we do not check the intruder, it enters our inbox. Whereas, if we get the thought before it gets us, we can delete it.
Like fire burns fuel to ashes, similarly, the fire of wisdom burns all karmas to ashes. (37)
In this earth, there is nothing greater that purifies than wisdom. The one, who has perfected in yoga, finds in due course, this within his Self. (38)
What is the meaning of life? According to Shakespeare, “Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” In a lighter one might say, “If death is the end of life why should life all labor be. Eat, drink and be merry.”
As the blueprint of a tree is encoded in the seed, life stirs in it waiting for the Mother Earth to germinate it. There is a binding force in both the seed and Mother Earth, and when they bond the seed germinates. It is a living process. Similarly, there is a living process within us, and when it bonds with the universal living process, wisdom is born. And that wisdom is the guiding force.
The one who is totally absorbed in its pursuits, in complete faith, with the mastery over his senses, having attained wisdom, he achieves the ultimate peace. (39)
The senses are akin to a car driving to its destination. But in a hurry to see what’s next, we push the accelerator, and find life taking a more frantic pace than our control. So, we hit the brake to slow down, and that gives us a little time to breathe and take in the beauty of what’s around us. Thus, the cycle continues; we speed up the pace – fast then slow, slow then fast. No wonder life comes across as a pain. Of course, the answer is not to give up driving but to master the accelerator and the brake before driving.
As we become better drivers, we understand the car starts with a key, and the key is the Spirit. As the Spirit takes control, the senses can no longer pull us. Thereafter, it is not too difficult to navigate through life, and thus, gain strength over weakness, courage over fear, satisfaction over greed and peace over thinking.
The one who is ignorant, who has no faith and who is of doubting mind, he perishes. For such a doubting one there is neither happiness in this world nor the next. (40)
Faith does not come like a memo from the boss – it has to come from our consciousness. The mind though associated with consciousness all the time cannot know it. This is ignorance. The ignorant are wasted like seeds that are sprouted but not yet embedded. As they are not embedded they misidentify stimulation of the senses with reality. In the cocoon of ignorance they are more comfortable with falsehood than reality. They think they know it all but the fact is that their consciousness is shaped by others. They think that all roads lead to Rome but are unaware that some lead to hell also.
A Chinese proverb sums it all; ‘He who knows, and knows he knows is a wise man; seek him. He who knows not, and knows he knows not, is a fool; shun him. He who knows not, and knows not he knows not, is asleep; wake him.’
O Arjuna! The one who renounces all the works through yoga; who has dissolved all doubts through enlightened wisdom, and who remains attuned in the self; he is not bound by karma. (41)
Therefore, O Arjun, attuned to the spirit, with the sword of wisdom cut all the doubts born in your mind out of ignorance. Arise and battle! (42)
Spirit is the collective being within us. When it is awakened it comes in our attention, and we become collectively conscious. In this new state of consciousness we go beyond duality, and it becomes possible to perform duty without any doubts.