Gita summaries - chp 15

As we have seen earlier Bhagavad Gita is a smriti grantha, secondary scriptures, and it is based on the shruthi which are the primary scriptures. Being a secondary scripture the Gita contains the essence of the whole Veda. The first shadgam is predominantly karma pradhana as to how one should perform karma as yoga for chitta shudhi. The second section predominantly deals with meditation or upasana especially the Lord as Vishwa rupa Ishwara. This is for chitta ekagirta (one mindedness of the mind and also expansion for mind). The third shadgam is jnana pradhana that deals with the culmination of spiritual sadhana. Like the 13 and 14^th chapter this chapter also deals with jnanam only. In fact 15^th chapter is the last philosophical chapter of the Gita. In the next two chapters Krishna will prepare one for knowledge. In this chapter Brahman or Ishwara is called purushotamah and therefore this chapter gets the title “purushotamah yoga”. This chapter contains only 20 verses but it is an important chapter for it contains the essence of the scriptures. Many people use this chapter for parayanam too.

            The whole chapter can be divided into three portions. The first portion is “samsara varnanam”; the description of human problems is given so we may develop vairagyam. So that we can say: Annapoorne Sada Poorne, Shankara Prana Vallabhe, Jnana Vairagya Sidhyartham. And without vairagyam or attachment one cannot seriously enter into enquiry and therefore samsara is described so that we will develop some detachment. The next portion is “moksha sadhanani” where primary and secondary disciplines are mentioned that will help us come out of samsara. The final portion is “Ishwara swarupam” or nature of God in which Krishna will present both the higher nature and lower nature of God. Apara prakruthi – para prakruthi in chapter 7, the empirical nature as well as the absolute nature of God.

            In samsara varananam; Lord Krishna compares human bondage to a huge tree – Ashvatta tree. urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham asvattham prahur avyayam chandamsi yasya parnani yas tam veda sa veda-vit. This comparison is not an invention of Krishna but it is borrowed from Katho Upanishad. Krishna himself tells Arjuna in the beginning of Gita; I am not telling you anything new but only reviving the wisdom in the scriptures. Why is the creation compared to a tree? Comparison is only possible when there are common features. Shankaracharya in his commentary gives similarities between the creation and a tree, vruksha. The first common feature is “mahatvam” or widespread. The human samsara or bondage is widespread. Bondage is caused by relationship and sambandah. That is why a relative is called “bandhuh”. Even if your relative is in California, his ups and downs will affect me in Chennai. Something happens in Chechnya; we don’t even care for we don’t have any relations there. Every relations that spreads wide is a form of bondage and Krishna says, Ashvatta tree is also widespread (mahatu and samsara is also mahatu.  

The second common feature is “aadhyantha rahitam”. One cannot trace the beginning of samsara. When we enquire they will say your current birth is due to past karma in the previous birth; how did that previous birth happen? Likewise we can keep tracing to past karma till we reach the first karma which we don’t know. So we say samsara is anadi (eternal). Because of karma, janma comes and becomes of janma, karma comes. The janma-karma cycle goes on and on exactly like the tree. The tree is there because of the seed; that seed is from a previous tree which is because of a precious seed. So when did the first seed come? Anadi. The “aadi” cannot be talk about, the “antha” cannot be talked about. Therefore both are eternal.

The next common feature is “aneervachaniyam” – both are inexplicable, indefinable, unclassifiable. Take a particular janma and ask whether it is the cause or an effect?  One cannot answer this question for this janma is an effect from the view of previous janma and at the same time it is a cause with respect to the next janma. Whether it is karyam or karanam, you cannot say. The same is true with respect to the tree also. You can never say whether it is a cause or effect; therefore it is aneervachaniyam or mitya. The more you analyze the more mysterious it becomes; even in Science the deeper they go the vaguer it becomes. That is why they discovered the Uncertainty principle. That is mystery or maya.

The fourth common feature for both the samsara and the tree is both have got roots for the sustenance. The tree has very strong roots, invisible and below, called the mulam. Just as invisible supports the visible tree there is invisible sustainer for the visible jagat. And that sustainer is Ishwara who is aprameyah or sarva indreeya agocharah. Therefore the fourth common feature is “mulavatvam”. The first verse starts with urdhva-mulam and here mulam means ishwarah.

The next common feature is both of them have got branches, “Chakatvam”. How many branches? Since the ashvatta tree is a huge tree it has many braches; some of them are upper branches and some are lower branches. For the samsara vruksha also there are many branches; upper, middle and lower known as “chatur dasha bhuvanani” and uttama, adama, and madhyama sharirani. The deva sharirah correspond to higher branches and animals/plants correspond to lower shariram, lower branch. We as human beings are in the middle. There are 14 lokas which means there are many branches.

The next common feature is “phallatvam” – both the tree as well as samsara produces fruits. What kind of fruits? Sweets ones, bitter ones and mixed ones. Just as a tree produces three kinds of fruits the samsara vruksha also produces pleasure, pain or pleasure-pain mixture. The next common feature is wherever fruits are available the birds will come. And they will be perching on the higher, middle or lower branches and they will be eating these fruits with a lot of noise. Similarly in the samsara vruksha also there will be millions of living beings (compared to birds) sometimes eating pleasure fruit, and sometimes pain fruits. The jiva birds are perched on the samsara tree as bhogtas, enjoying pleasure and pain and make it a noisy tree. Noisy from laughter or uncontrollable sobbing!

Even though the ashvatta tree is a huge tree when there is wind its branches sway and move. In the same way the entire samsara vruskha also moves from the wind of karma. The karmas of all the jiva rashis are taking us from one place to another. Some people come and say, “ Swamiji we are transferred to Assam”. Some say,” Swamiji my income is not sufficient in India and so I am going to Saudi Arabia”. It is karma that drags an individual here and there. Not only in one janma but from janma to janma also we are dragged helplessly. When we leave this world and go to the next world, we don’t decide but the prarabda karma decides. Both the tree and samsara vruksha are moved by the wind, “chalatvam”. Pakshi ashairatvam”: was the previous one.

One more feature Krishna himself says is the tree has many leaves, paranavatvam. The leaves are important for the sustenance of the tree for they draw water through osmosis and cooks food through photosynthesis. Similarly samsara vrusha also has leaves in the form of karmakanda; manifold karmas. Because karma alone produces phallam and phallam will produce punar janma and that janma there will be karma; punarapi jananam punarapi maranam, punarapi jananii jathare shayanam. Therefore the karmakanda by dealing with varieties of karma and making the people do all kinds of karma will sustain the samsara vruksha. Karma is required for sometime after sometime it becomes counterproductive. As continuous karma sustains jivatma it is like the leaves of a tree.

Even though these helpless situations are caused by the powerful samsara tree there is one light at the end of the tunnel. Both the tree and samsara are destructible. A tree is cut-able, totally uproot-able. Even though samsara is anadi kalah we can uproot samsara and achieve moksha. This is the first topic of samsara varnanam which makes me a helpless creature and constantly consuming pleasure and pain and without my control. I am enslaved by this samsara like some people who are so habituated to stay in slums that they will not move out to a cottage even if given freely. Similarly we are also habituated to samsara. Having listened to the description of samsara some rare beings get vairagyam. They feel they don’t want to continue in this bondage; I want to come out of this samsara vruksha. Then what should I do? This is the second topic “moksha sadhanani” or “samsara nivritti upaya”. Krishna mentions a set of disciplines and I will mention three of them.

The first discipline Krishna teaches is “Reduce your dependence on the world.” Now you are highly attached to the world in the form of attachment to people, relations; attachments to possessions, status. Your happiness and security is heavily dependent on them. You are getting used to the crutches. The world is samsara and violently changing from prarabda wind. Since prarabda is unpredictable anyone I lean upon is also unpredictable, therefore unreliable. Your youth is impermanent, wealth is impermanent, and even love of a wife is not reliable in our age. Learn to reduce your dependence on the world and learn to depend more and more on Ishwara. Even verbally stop saying “I am depending on his offer or assistance” instead learn to say “I am depending on God alone”. This is sharangathi, prapathih or bhaktihi; from world dependence to god dependence. At this stage I don’t know the nature of God; so choose any God like Rama, Krishna, Devi, or Balaji or Muruga or Ganesha and learn to talk to the Lord also. When you have worries nobody listens to you; since God has no engagement you can talk to him!

The second discipline is “Dvandhai vimuktah”. Learn to accept the pairs of opposites in life for life is a mixture of opposites. That is why it is called an empirical world or relative world where everything has a corresponding opposite. If you have got victory, then there is also parajayah. If there is gain then there is also loss. If there is growth there is also decay. If there is association then there is dissociation. Light and darkness, if there are good there then there are also terrible people. If there is health, then there is sickness. Therefore the world is a mixture of opposites. As long as we live in this world we have to face both of them. Therefore accept the pairs of opposites and don’t allow them to stifle your mind; let them not torment your mind. Some people even get upset with a mosquito; learn to ignore the pinpricks of life. Don’t run for prayachitam or astrologers, learn to suffer and withstand. This toughness or tolerance of mind is important if the mind has to go to Vedanta vichara.

And the third and the most important discipline is “parimarga tavyam” or enquiry. Enquiry into the nature of God; Ishwara vijnanaha or Brahma jignasa. How is that enquiry conducted? Through two important factors without which enquiry is impossible - Acharya and Sastram. So with the help of guru and sastram may you know more about God. Don’t confine to your definition of God as a person in Kailasa or Vaikunda. Such a concept of God is an incomplete concept. This is okay in the beginning but one should not die with this idea. To make God a finite person is to make God a limited being with a boundary. And any limitation is being a samsari. Therefore we have to enquire into the higher nature of God. That is called parimargavam or brahma vichara. These are the three disciplines: God dependence, kshema or toughness of the God, and finally enquiry into the nature of God. Krishna gives some more disciplines which we will see in the later chapters. The first two disciplines are supporting or secondary sadhana while Brahma Vichara is a primary sadhana as jnana yoga is the culmination of all sadhanas.

Now Krishna talks about the phallam on the discovery of real nature of God. Which means the other nature is unreal nature! na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama. Krishna says Brahman or Ishwara cannot be illumined by the sun or by the moon or any light source. It can never be illumined by anything. By the word “illumination” we mean “making it known”. When I say the light illumines the room, I mean because of the light the hall is known. So generation of knowability is illumination. By this definition event the sense-organs are called light in Vedanta not just the sun, moon and fire because they make known rupa, shubha, rasa, sparsha, ganda knowable to us. Because of eyes we are able to see forms; so we can say that eyes illumine the forms. Even in conversational English we have this nice expression: it was an illumining lecture. Meaning that lecture made many things known to us. The mind is also called light because in the presence of mind alone things can be known. Mind helps in making things known; therefore it is also “jyotih”; mano jyotih. Krishna says that none of these lights or jyotih illumine Brahman. Why do we say nothing illumines Brahman? Because everything else is illumined by Brahman. It is the illuminator of everything and never illumined by anything. Chaitanyam or consciousness is the only thing that illumines everything. Because of I, the consciousness, I am aware of the mind, I am conscious of the sense-organs, I am aware of the world. I am the eternal knower and never the known. Consciousness is the ever the subject and never the object. Just as the eyes can see everything around but it cannot be seen by itself. Consciousness can never become known by anything. That chaitanyam is Brahman. And where is this consciousness? Everywhere. In you consciousness is there and in me consciousness is there. What is the proof? Without consciousness you cannot ask this question. Every word you hear in this lecture is due to consciousness. Even in sleep you are experiencing sleep because of consciousness. From the tiniest microcosm to the most brilliant human being consciousness pervades everyone. That pervading consciousness is Brahman or the infinite one. And if Brahman pervades everywhere what will be his form? Formless. Therefore the formless all pervading space like consciousness is the real Ishwara. Krishna is maya manusha veshadari; that is the lower form of God meant for uplifting humanity. But the higher nature of Krishna is formless Krishna pervading everywhere. Formed Krishna is for a beginner; formless Krishna is the culmination. This is the second topic and the phallam is the discovery of Ishwara.

Then comes the third portion, Ishwara Swarupam the heaviest part of this chapter. Krishna talks about the lower empirical form as well as the higher form. To show the lower form Krishna divides the entire world into two that is the sentient living beings called “bhogtru prapanjam” or “chetana prapanja” They are the experiencers, the sentient beings. The second part of the world is insentient bhogya prapanjam (the inert objects). Chetana-achetana; bhogtru-bhogya. The bhogtrus is called jiva rashis and bhogya is jagat. Jivas and jagat makes the whole creation. Krishna tells,” hey Arjuna both the jivas and jagats are myself only. I am just putting a drama. When I am as a non-dual higher god there is no charm. I divided myself; one bhagawan divides himself to both chetanam and achetanam. For what purpose? To enjoy transactions. How is it possible? It is possible for you yourself do it regularly in your dream state. You are just one person in the bed and yet you create sun, moon, mountains, planes, different characters in your dream. You divide yourself into many parts in the dream and you yourself experience different plots and sub-plots. You can enjoy the dream if you know this fact but what happens,” I forget”. The dream drama is so real that it becomes a nightmare for me. In the same way one Ishwara is appearing as jivas and jagats.

The universe is inert matter and it does not have sentiency. All of you are listening to this talk but the mike does not listen as it is inert. The chairs do not listen, they are achetanam. Our physical bodies are similarly inert by itself. Still greater wonder is the mind is made of subtle matter only. That is why when there is a chemical imbalance it can affect your body and mind also. That is why psychiatrist gives drugs for depression; the fact that the mind is affected by matter indicates that the mind itself is matter. Therefore the world is inert matter, body and mind is also inert matter; all are achetanam only. The mind is matter but such a fine subtle matter that it is capable of reflecting the all pervading Brahman. Just as electricity through water nothing happens but when it passes through tungsten filament it has a glow. Tungsten is also matter but it has special properties like conducting electricity. In the same way the mind conducts Brahman and acquires sentiency; captured consciousness or reflected consciousness. In the scriptures it is called “chidabasa” or “prati bimba chaitanyam”. Where is it reflected? Wherever the mind is. How much reflection it pervades? As much pervasive the mind so much the pervasion of reflected consciousness. Exactly like a mirror reflecting sunlight. If the mirror is clean then it becomes capable of reflecting other objects which a piece of cloth cannot do. The mirror does not become bright not because of its innate brightness but by borrowing sunlight. The sun has got natural light while the mirror has got incidental borrowed light. Similarly the mind has got reflected consciousness (chidabasah) and this chidabasha is called “jivah”. The chidabasha illumines the mind and the mind becomes sentient and that makes the body sentient and there upon all transactions begin. When I am experiencing consciousness through the body I am experiencing Ishwara alone; Brahma chaitanyam has trickled down through the mind and the body. Krishna says that everything you experience in life is because of Ishwara alone. The very fact that you are able to hear this talk is because you are alive and it is Ishwara prasada alone. Not only are the jivas my manifestation but the creation which is inert matter is also my apara prakruthi; my lower nature. Therefore I am both chetanam-achetanam.

            Instead of enlisting all the objects Krishna takes a few examples like the sun, moon, agni the fire. All of them are useful and Krishna says they are my manifestation only. The sun illumines the world during the day, moon during the night and fire during the amavasya night when both are not there. The very same external fire principle is extended to the inside like the digestive fire principle because you are able to eat and digest. Not only am I outside in the form of sun, moon and fire; I am inside also.  I am everything; the knower I am and the known I am. I am the experiencer and I am also the experienced. Bhogta and Bhogya and sarvam I am. This is the dualistic or lower nature of the Lord.

            Then Krishna talks about his higher nature also. In the 16, 17 and 18 verses of chapter -15 Krishna divides the whole creation into three parts; Kshera purusha, akshera purusha and utama purusha. The first two are the material aspects of creation; matter is divided into two for it has two manifestations or two states. One is manifest matter and another is unmanifest potential form of matter which you call energy. Matter is visible and tangible while energy is invisible and intangible. Matter alone becomes energy and energy alone becomes matter. In the same way the world is now in manifest form and during pralayam it goes into unmanifest matter. Like water remaining as steam; kshera purusha the matter and akshera purusha are Krishna’s lower or inferior nature. There is a third part which is not inert, it is beyond matter and energy and it is the knower of matter and energy. It is the witness of matter and energy and it is chaitanyam tatvam which Krishna calls utama purusha. Krishna says this is MY superior nature; the nirguna nirvishehah chaitanyam is my higher nature. Since I am utama purushah, reversing that I am well known in the world as “purushotamah”. Purushotama does not refer to any particular form of God but it refers to formless, attributeless chaitanya swarupam. You should know all the three forms of God otherwise your knowledge of God is incomplete. And if you know both the lower and higher nature; it was para-apara prakruthi in chapter 7, kshetra-kshetrajna in chapter 13, saguna-nirguna in the chapter 14 and here we are calling it kshera, akshera, and uttama purushah. Whoever knows this Ishwara he becomes omniscient and totally fulfilled. This self-fulfillment is called moksha and therefore Arjuna; this is the most secret science I have rarely given to you. May you know this and attain freedom. Since the main theme is purushotama ishwara the chapter is called “purushotama yoga”.