Bhagavat Geeta Darsan

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Bhagavad-gita Yagna - 108 Days by Br. Sandeep Chaithanya of Chinmaya

Mission.
IdiveTTu #1
ShaJi
Posted 27 June 2010 - 11:12 AM

Bhagavad Gita Yagnas are classes (lecture series) through which the Gita is explained for the benefit of the
common people. H.H. Swami Chinmayananda started the tradition of Gita Yagnas in 1951 and many teachers are continuing it through
Chinmaya Mission and other organizations. Guru Sandeep Chaithanya of Chinmaya Mission Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala, India) has
been conducting a Gita Yagna for 108 days in Cochin. The following is the translation of the summaries of his daily lectures published in
Mathrubhumi News Paper in Kerala. Translation is by A.P. Sukumar.
http://www.punchapaadam.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=47016&st=0&p=1422713&hl=calendar&fromsearch=1& (1 of 72)3/8/2011 4:15:29 PM

Day 001
The war begins when jealousy is born
War begins when you make others jealous. This message given by the Sage Vyasa is relevant at all times. The palace of Indraprastha was
constructed by Pandawas with such an opulence so as to excite the human senses (indrias). The architect of demons, Maya built this
palace as a ‘bribe’ to Pandawas in gratitude of saving his life from the forest fire of Khandawa. The palace was built to make others
mesmerized and jealous, surpassing the basic needs of a palace, a place to live.
In this palace, Suyodhana (Duryodhana) came as an invited guest. Confused by the illusion and appearance of water on the palace floor,
Suyodhana fell down flat exposing part of his body. As the lady of the house, Panchali (Droupadi) should have helped Suyodhana to get
up, but she laughed at him seeing his misplaced robes and partial nudity. This moment is the seed of Mahabharatha war. Duryodhana
decided in his mind to ridicule Panchali by disrobing her in public. It is this decision that evolved into the great war of Mahabharatha.
More often than not, we build our houses, celebrate festivals and wear special clothes all with the aim to amaze others and make them
jealous. The celebration of our weddings and birthday parties are all full of pomp and show just as Pandawas had their Rajasuyam.
Ultimate result of such celebrations is jealousy and quarrel.
Any undertaking must be preceded by calm introspection and meditation as it would enable one to take decisions by discriminating
between righteous and unrighteous actions. There will not be any regrets after such decisions.
One should see Bhagavd Gita as a dialogue between Man (Nara) and God (Narayana).
GITA 108 DAYS - DAY 2
2. Book is irrelevant once the message is conveyed
No book has been written for the sake of ‘writing a book’. The purpose of a book is to impart knowledge. Once the knowledge has been
passed on to the reader, the book is no more relevant as its purpose is served.
The purpose of lamp oil is to spread light and the oil will be finished by spreading the light. Books are also like that. Don’t approach
Bhagavad Gita as you approach a regular book. Contents of this book are invocation mantras which are beyond words and letters.
Mantras are to be deliberated in mind in deep introspection. A reader is supposed to realize the purpose of the book by imbibing the
message. Study of sastra is like pole-vault: once you reach the goal you leave the hold on the pole. The pole has a purpose only until the
goal is reached.
Bhagavad Gita also must be approached with the pole-vault mentality. There is no use in buying a thick, well-bound copy of Bhagavad
Gita and keeping it safe, well-packed in silk. Bhagavad Gita is the comprehensive summary of all scriptures, giving out the essence of
'knowledge' that is worth knowing. Gita can be imagined as a milking cow born out of all Upanishads put together. Krishna is milking the
cow and Arjuna is the calf. Arjuna keeps on asking questions so that Krishna is able to milk the nectar of Gita, just as the calf would hit the
mother cow’s udder to get the milk to flow. There will always be people of noble nature all over the world who will cherish the nectar of
Gita just as there will be bumble bees around the Lotus flower attracted by its honey.
By properly learning Gita, a society that respects higher values can be created. When we see the corruption in politics and other areas,
there is no point in lamenting that “this country is never going to excel”. If every one has the mental resolve that “I will never be part of
this corruption”, that is enough to make a real difference.

3. The war of Kurukshetra is the dharma/adharma conflict in the individual mind.
Bhagavad Gita guides us in developing introspection within our mind in recognizing righteous and unrighteous thoughts. Gita should not
be approached on the basis of mere history and geography. If we observe closely in the light of scriptural knowledge, we can realize that
the war of Kurukshetra is happening subtly in our own mind. Gita starts with the word “dharma” and ends with the word “mama”. Study
of Gita must be an inquiry into “mama dharma- my dharma”. Then we can find the characters of Mahabharatha within in ourselves. The
blind king Dhritarashtra represents the mind that refuses to see things properly. A flower can be observed in different ways. Some may
look at it as an object to make money by selling it. For a poet, seeing a flower may open up a beautiful world of imagination.
The ‘dhritarashtra’ state in people has polluted the whole of Kerala. When the Panmana Ashram and the Bishop house at Neyyattinkara
were attacked, there were huge protests all over Kerala. But when a baby was infected recently with aids virus due to the incompetence of
the government blood bank, no one raised any voice. This mental state - ‘dhritarashtra state’ indicates that the ‘religion’ as it is practiced
now, is hindering the progress of the society. The prevailing ‘dhritarashtra’ state of affairs makes us conclude that we can live peacefully if
there are no temples or churches!

4. Kaurava- Pandava war is the conflict between the noble and ignoble qualities within us.
Kauravas symbolize all the innumerable bad qualities within the individual’s mind whereas Pandavas represent the good qualities which
are few in numbers. Conflict that happens within the mind between these qualities is the war of Kurukshetra.
King Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya: “in the Kurushetra battle field known as the land of righteousness (dharma bhumi), what did my people
and Pandawas do?” Each individual must ask this question within his mind. "Within me, in the land of righteousness, did my good
qualities do anything against the bad ones in me"? That is the relevant question.
‘Dhuryodhana’ represents any one who wastes his wealth in useless pursuits and ‘Dussasana’ is some one who doles out wrong
commands. One should question himself - "what did my Pandawa qualities, interested in spiritual pursuits, do against these kinds of
innumerable bad qualities within me"?
Through Dhritarashtra’s question, Sage Vyasa is expounding the complete version of Darwin’s theory of evolution. WhileDarwin’s theory
propounded the evolution of ‘monkey to man’ (vanara to Nara). Sage Vyasa’s philosophy deals with the evolution of ‘man to god’ (Nara
to Narayana). This is indeed the metamorphosis of ‘man to man-perfect’ - ‘manava to madhava’.
In the evolution cycle of man, Dritarashtra is in the 'pupa' stage. Evolved through the Sanjaya and Arjuna stages, man finally reaches the
butterfly state– i.e., Sri Krishna. In order to realize this, one should ask Dritarashtra's questions continuously within oneself.
GITA 108 DAYA - DAY 5

5. Ego is the 'Duryodhana' state of mind.
Every one of us, when expressing ego, we are showing the Duryodhana state of mind. Symptoms of this include trying to be a ‘big shot’
everywhere, speaking with spite and giving out commands to people who deserve respect.
In the first chapter of Gita, Duryodhana’s dialogue with his teacher Drona is an example of this arrogance. He is telling “have a look at the
army of Pandavas led by Drishtadhyumna who is the son of your arch rival". This dialogue is aimed at enflaming rage in Drona.
Duryodhana shows the audacity of introducing his own army to his perceptor. “In my army also, there are noble people such as yourselves
and Bhishma”, so says Duryodhana. Bhishma represents the fear in man and Drona the state of duality. This nature of seeing things in
‘twos’, is the root cause of fear and confusion. The fear of death is the greatest of all and this fear is primordial as the great grand father
Bhishma himself. Only a ‘shikhandi’ can win over Bhishma – a shikhandi is some one who has cut his locks of hair (sikha).
The locks of hair represent the relationships of oneself to the world. Cutting the sikha is done when one becomes a monk and it
symbolizes his renunciation (samnyasa) of the world. Samnyasa is a state where the notions of dualities do not exist. At that state, there
are no man or woman; brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya or sudra. One can win over the fear of death only with this attitude (samnyasa
bhava).
The army of Pandavas symbolizes the noble qualities of truthfulness, conviction, liberation, knowledge, prowess and charity. Their men or
army are all equal to Bhima and Arjuna in their ability. Bhima represents noble action and Arjuna, the straight forward and single pointed
wisdom.
Gita illustrates the Pandavas as the noble ones carrying bows and arrows. The mantra of pranava (Om) is the bow. Arrow is the atma-
ones own self. The aim is “Brahmam”- liberation. Once the arrow is shot, the goal and the arrow becomes one and the same. This is the
war of righteousness (dharma yudha). This internal fight is the war described in the Bhagavad Gita and not the war with destructive
weapons. All wars fought with weapons have never been able to provide anyone with righteousness (dharma) or peace (santhi).

6. Gita advises us to be friends with the universe
Everyone should become Viswamitra, a friend of the whole universe. Gita advises us to develop non-enmity towards everybody by seeing
the self in all. Gita does not tell us to shoot an arrow into some one's bosom, but it teaches us to see ourselves in others .
‘Maharatha’ is a warrior who is capable of fighting with ten thousand soldiers at the same time. All can be ‘maharathas’ as everyone can
potentially fight and win over thousands of emotions and thoughts as it is not vice to be under their spell. ‘Dasaratha’ is the one who has
won over the desires as well as senses (ten indriyas) and his kingdom becomes ‘Ayodhya’- the land of peace. Ayodhya is the land where
‘ayodhana’ (war fare) has ceased where the pure consciousness –Sri Rama- takes birth.
Sita is the mind. The golden deer steers the mind into the clutches of senses. Rama’s sorrow is the agony of the mind being separated
from the consciousness. The Upanishads declare that the face of truth is concealed with a golden lid. Attracted by the names and forms,
people forget the truth beyond them. It is due to the uninterrupted remembrance of Sri Rama (the pure consciousness) that Sita was able
to stay at the ‘asoka vani’ – the place of no sorrow.
Dharma is eternal and the field of actions (kshetra) is perishable. The union of perishable and imperishable is the dhrama kshetram- the
field of righteous actions.
The Indian philosophical vision (Bharathiya darsanam) has no founder. The sages were able to ‘see’ the mantras; they didn’t create
them. All those are ‘born’ will die and all that are created will eventually be destroyed. But you cannot destroy anything that was not
created.
No one can pollute scriptures (sastras) and everyone deserves to learn them at anytime. No one is unqualified for this study. However, if
one approaches sastras with preconceived notions, he will not be able to internalize the truth or enjoy the beauty expounded so
profoundly in them.

7. There will be no war if the secret of Karna’s identity was known.
If we knew who Karna was, there will be no war- because he is our brother!. But he is in our enemy camp now. If we inquire in to the past
of the person we are trying to annihilate, we will find that he shared the same womb from which we originated. Once we know who our
mother is, there will be no enmity. This is the REAL knowledge. If some one claims that in order to be considered patriotic to India, one
should feel enmity towards Pakistan, it is completely wrong. One can never know the truth through enmity. In fact, everyone in Pakistan
represents Karna, our own brother.
The mighty entry of Krishna and Arjuna accompanied by the royal sounds of panchajayam and devadattam in the battlefield indicates
the birth of the noble human race. The human life is considered nobler than that of other species because of our ability to discriminate.
Other animals instinctively spend their life span in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. Viveka- the ability to discriminate is the ability to
select a course from the choices of 1)doing something, 2) not doing it or 3) doing it in a different way. (kartthum, akartthum, anyathaa
kartthum).
Five white horses pulling the chariot in the battlefield represent the sense organs that are extremely pure. The mighty knowledge (bodha)
is sitting in the chariot in the form of Lord Krishna. Even in every child there exists the Lord (Madhava). This chariot is said to have been
gifted by the god of fire (Agni) indicating that the life force emerge from Sun.
Sri Krishna had killed a demon by the name Panchajana and got a conch (famed as panchajanyam) he had been hiding. Panchajana lived
his life reveling fully in the realm of five sense organs. Asuras (fallen people, demons) live thinking that sensory perceptions, feelings and
thoughts are true. But the Lord lifts them up from that notion and gives them the noble vision (sudarSanam). When the conch is played,
by controlling the sense organs to extol dharma and uphold righteousness, our life evolves in to a Panchajanyam itself.

8. Environmental decay is human decay
Only when the microcosm is well looked after and protected, the macrocosm will provide us with desirable and pleasing experiences.
Everything in the universe has been created by the appropriate combination of the five elements, the space, water, earth, air and fire. Our
ancient teachers knew that if we pollute water in a small stream, that will eventually disturb and pollute all the water bodies of the earth.
Abhimanyu (son of Arjuna) is pride and Chakravyooha is this world of actions (karma vyooham). One cannot escape in the battle field if
he sits egotistically in the chariot of his own self. He should know what the proper action is, and the proper way of getting out of action,
indicating that one should learn ways of escaping the world of plurality (samsara).
Our voice must be like the sound of Pandava's conch because that symbolizes the extolling of the good qualities in humans. Gita says that
the sound of conch reached Kauravas through its echoes in the sky and shudders of the earth. Noble voices have the power of reaching
even the realms of unknown territories and these sound waves survive beyond the limitations of time and space. If we realize that the self
is not affected by the senses, even our words will have the same power. Such words can remove ignorance and impart solace.
Often our words create fear and doubt in people and many people disturb peace and tranquility of others by their talk. Everyone must
think whether their words are going to sow the seeds that will remove, or promote ignorance in the listener. The greatest knowledge is to
realize and admit if one doesn't know about something. By expressing authoritative opinions on topics of no (or partial) knowledge, many
people misguide others and create worse situations.

9. Body- the chariot; intellect- the driver and sense organs-the horses
Ratha kalpana – the symbolic chariot in Bhagavad Gita is a very powerful metaphor. The chariot is our body itself and our intellect is its
driver. Our mind is the rope and the five sense organs are the five horses pulling the chariot in the battlefield. The horses i.e., the sense
organs travel through the senses. The sum total of the combination of various experiences involving sound, touch, form, taste and smell
constitute life in this world. For example, the horse of ‘ear’ travels through the path of sound. The path of smell is reserved for the nose.
Likewise, each sense organ is associated with its corresponding sense object.
In this travel, if we have the intellect as the charioteer, there will be no trouble. But in many a time, the fickle mind will try to take
decisions pretending to be the intellect. We must be able to detect this. Fickle mind is like a monkey, but the intellect is calm and steady
like the mighty monkey, Sri. Hanuman. The flag symbol of the chariot of our body should not be a mere monkey (kapi- always moving),
but it must be the best among monkeys -Hanuman- himself who is steadfast in his resolves.
The Gita aims at helping fickle minded individuals to develop the power of determination. If the driver loses his goal of destination, the
sense organs will not behave well. If the charioteer is awakened as Sri Krishna, he will easily cross the ocean of Samsara (the sea of
ephemeral world) to attain VaikunTa, the abode of the Truth. The world hitherto considered as sorrowful will become conducive to our
own nature and attain the state of VaikunTa.
Stationed between the two armies, Arjuna critically observes the people with whom he must fight indicating introspection of our own
thoughts and actions. We have to identify early which are the emotions in us to be destroyed and for this a mental war is inevitable. Once
we win over this internal war, we will not ever have to encounter any external wars.

10. Recognize the lust that appears in disguise
We have to win the war within us against lust, etc., which are born out of ourselves. The lust can appear itself disguised in different ways
and one should kill it by carefully analyzing its origin.
The lust in us will present itself along with various value notions. One person may start helping a widowed neighbor with a fatherly
attitude while assisting and extending security. Another person may help a destitute lady on the street with an attitude of a big brother.
But upon careful analysis, we may recognize that it was the lust that manifested itself in fatherly and brotherly disguise. So we must
observe and analyze our emotions such as sympathy and love to realize where they are leading us.
In the war front, Arjuna was seeing five generations of people who are dear to him: grand fathers, fathers, friends and acquaintance of his
age, children and grand children. These are all representatives of different attitudes an individual have in him. We are not ready to end
these attitudes because they are so dear to us and we don’t want to destroy the emotions that are pleasing to us. We may even declare that
“I will seek good fortunes (punya) that come from noble actions - except when that involves destroying my favorite activities because

they please me”.
We should be ready to cut and remove what is not suitable in us. In fact a scuplturer is not adding anything new to make a sculpture. He
merely removes the portions of the stone that are not suitable and thus the stone evolves into a divine, worshipful form. When we kill all
our unsuitable emotions and attitudes, we will also evolve to become worshipful human beings.
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Other Replies To This Topic
IdiveTTu #2
ShaJi
Posted 27 June 2010 - 01:09 PM

11. Sin is, not knowing oneself
‘Sin’ is basically mis-understanding. That is, assuming ourselves as something else! Likewise, we assume others also as something
different. This misunderstanding constitutes the ‘sin’.
According to Vedanta, ignorance is not the state of having no knowledge of anything. It is the state where we know everything, except the
'self', our own true nature! The Lord of the three worlds is none other than the consciousness, ‘I’. The three worlds are the three realms of
experiences- waking, dream & deep sleep.
‘Waking’ state is where we experience the sound, touch, taste, form and smell, that is, the Earth. ‘Dream’ state is like heaven and it is the
imagination of the mind. ‘Deep sleep’ is the state of the nether world–hell- the state in which we feel “I didn’t know a thing”.
The questions posed by Arjuna to Krishna are the same as the ones that will be arise within the seeker of self- swaroopa (own nature).
Arjuna doubts whether or not he will be responsible for the annihilation of his clan. Our clan is Manukula –meaning the dynasty of the
people of contemplation and the clan deteriorates when contemplation stops. We can’t even call this state to be that of animals because
they do not entertain vulgar thoughts as humans do.
Arjuna says that Kauravas deserve death because they are atha-thayis. Athathayis are those who have been involved in murder, stealing,
etc. Everyone commits atrocities such as this atleast in their mind due to the influence of lust, greed, etc.

So they deserve death penalty! To ‘kill’ lust is, to ensure that it won’t rise up again. If lust and greed took birth in our mind, we must ‘kill’
them as soon as possible.

12. Parents duty is Jambhava Dhrama
Our words must be inspirational; for which we should adopt Jambhava dharma. We must recognize the latent possibilities in others to
remind and "wake" them up to achieve greatness.
Instead, many people are engaged in "Salya dharma"- Salya, the charioteer of Karna had been telling him discouraging words. Those
words were capable of destroying all the possibilities in Karna. Whereas Sri Krishna's approach is a great model that we all can follow
when talking to youngsters and children. He never denigrated Arjuna, when took a wrong decision, but He created a doubt in Arjuna
regarding the wrongful decision and made him think.
Hearing from some one "you are a smart fellow, so why don't you review whether your decision is becoming of you or not" will create a
totally different result from that of hearing "you are an ass-I knew you are only capable of this kind of stupidity".
If we don't express great expectations on our children, who else will? So trust them fully. Give them the confidence and courage that "I am
with you" and as Sri Krishna did, give words of solace and compassion.
Arjuna's doubt is - which is nobler?- to win over Kauravas or to be won over by them? Symbolically, are we to win over our hundreds of
emotions or should we succumb to them? We fear that we may have to forgo many things. Lord Krishna is advising Arjuna and who is
Lord? He who knows the secret of reality and the secret of dissolution is known as the Lord. Prosperity, dhrama, fame, nobility,
dispassion, and salvation are the "bhagas" ("qualities") present in Bhagavan.

13. Sorrow and knowledge cannot co-exist
Every one of us, like Arjuna, lament about things that are not worth worrying about; but we speak lofty ideas as if we are wise. Knowledge
and sorrow do not belong together. Lord Krishna tells that wise people do not lament about the living or the dead.
Our selfishness and ignorance manifest as sorrow. The underlying cause for sorrow is either due to our freedom getting curtailed or when
our desires don't get fulfilled. Death is the biggest sorrow.
The biggest ignorance is that man thinks he is permanent here. Interestingly, his 'knowledge' is also that I am permanent here. Do not
think that me the body is permanent; but do understand that the energy (chaithanya) that is beyond the body has no decay or death.
Dead body is the physical entity that is shrouded by by the cloud of ignorance. Christ resurrects Lazar from the dead by awakening the
true knowledge in him. Sorrows are caused by distress and desires and those who loose their power of discrimination will forgo their
duties (swa-dharma). Even when one takes up swa-dhrama without the true knowledge, it will be with the desire for the fruits of action.
Also, he will be assuming the 'doership'. Obviously, Arjuna uses the words 'I' and 'me' out of ignorance.
One should strive to be free from the shackles of relations and relationships. The land and wealth we amass here in thtemporaryare
temperory but we will attain perpetual solace and happiness when we realize the 'permanent'.


14. Be a good host to your emotions
We should behave with equipoise when dealing with sense organs and subjects that are sensual. All the dualities such as hot-cold;
happiness-sorrow and loss-gains, etc., come and go as they cannot be permanent. Don’t get identified with them; but be a good host to
them.
We should be like mirrors. If a ‘miss universe’ or an ugly person comes in front of it, it will not capture any image for it to keep and enjoy
later. It will reflect and show the true image well. Whatever stays stationary amidst actions, whatever is changeless in the world of change
and whatever exists as a witness to all experiences, it is the true spirit, energy or chaithanya. He who realizes this ‘knows’ immortality.
Those who are swayed by the happiness and sorrow of the sensory perceptions do not deserve to know immortality. This doesn’t mean
that one should be sorrowful when feeling happy! Recognize the happy state of the mind; but internalizing such emotions must come out
of courageous choices, not from helplessness.
‘Unreal’ things cannot have a permanent existence and those which are ‘real’ cannot be destroyed ever. Gita declares that whatever is
omnipresent in the universe is something that cannot be destroyed. God is not in any objects nor objects are in God; but everything is God.
When we realize that a bubble is not ‘really’ a bubble, rather it is water in a different form, the root ‘cause’ of the sea itself, the notion of
‘bubble-ness’ vanishes. When we see the bubble as ‘real’, there will be birth, death and sorrow. When a potter makes a pot, there is a pot
in his mind as imagination, there is an evolution happening to the clay through his action and the resulting stuff has a name too - a pot.
But these three are ‘unreal’; clay alone is ‘real’.
But the body changes and decays - the ‘boy’ dies to become a ‘youth’. The ‘young man’ dies to become ‘an old man’. If we act knowing the
truth that the body decays, but not the spirit, it becomes a noble action (yagna). Without this knowledge, an action becomes a battle.
I cannot kill anyone; nor can I be killed by anyone. Actions by those who know this truth are done not by the limited individual in him,
but by the universal energy. This is really non-violence in practice.

15. Death is like discarding old clothes and wearing the new.
The self (atman) has no birth or death and ultimate Truth cannot cease to exist after existing for a while. It has no birth or death and it is
ever-present. It has no modifications such as growth or decay.
When a body is killed, the self is not killed with it. When the body is injured, the self is not injured. So what is death? In fact it is like
wearing new clothes by discarding the old ones. Just as man disposes off his old worn out clothes to wear the news ones, the indweller of
the body, the self (atman), discards the old body and accepts a new one.
If one knows that the Atman has no birth, death, decay or modifications; and it cannot be destroyed, can he ‘kill’ any one? Who would he
kill? Those who do not know this becomes a ‘killer’ as the thought of ‘me and mine’ itself is murder. Viloence is the notion of ‘I’ ness and
‘my’ ness.
When we ‘count’ our friends, we are already counting our enemies as well. There are no friends or foes for those who have realized the
Truth. Truth is the unlimited Brahman that is beyond time and space. When we get closer to the nature around us, we will get a better
picture of our own true nature. “I am the nature and nature itself is God”.
It is more prudent to take care of plants and trees than to visit temples. Don’t use an axe on the God Narayana, who is right in front of you
manifested as a tree.
In the Paulo Koylo’s story, a shephered started inquiring into his own nature and finally got evolved in to the nature itself. Likewise, we all
must go back to our roots through meditation, reaching back to our mother’s womb, to our father, and to the mother earth. Thus we
become integral part of this universe.

16. When thoughts cease, life begins
The self (Atman) cannot be known by sense organs and it is beyond any imagination. It cannot be swayed by emotions either. So our life
becomes meaningful not by thinking, but by living our lives meaningfully. When all thoughts end, life begins.
Atman is the founding substratum and essence of the universe. This is not the ‘soul’ referred to in poems. You cannot injure Atman nor
set it to fire. It cannot be dampened by water and it cannot be worn out thin by wind.
It exists everywhere and it is permanent. It is immovable and eternal. Even if one imagines that the Atman takes birth and dies everyday,
the Lord reminds Arjuna that he has no right to lament. If one takes birth, death is inevitable! Likewise, if one dies, to take birth again is
also an inevitable consequence. This problem is not something that can be ‘solved’ and so also, there is no reason to lament.
Sorrow is born out of ignorance and no one gets stronger by lamenting and it is tiresome to the body. If one is sorrowful, it will make the
people around him miserable by affecting their thoughts and emotions and eventually draining their energy.
Imagine our body as a pot and the self (Atman), the air inside. For an observer, the air in the pot appears to be limited by the size and
shape of the pot. Although the pot can be moved anywhere, the air inside or outside is not modified in any way. Even if the pot breaks,
nothing happens to the air. Even the notion of ‘inside air’ getting dissolved in the ‘outside air’ is also a mere imagination. The pot is gone-
that’s all there it is- and death is just like breaking the pot. Atman does not take birth, live, change, grow, decay or die. It is not subject to
any modification at all.

17. Gita makes us talk to ourselves
Gita makes us capable of having a conversation within ourselves.
The human mind is to be imagined as Arjuna and the consciousness as the Lord Krishna. Consider the senses as Duryodhana. The Lord
reminds that if we deviate from our duties (karmas) Duryodhana (senses) will defeat Arjuna’s body. The Lord is inviting Arjuna, the
unsettled mind, to the realm of consciousness. If we succumb to Duryodhana’s influence, it will lead to adharma (unrighteousness) and
end up in sins. Sin is basically a mis-understading. Misunderstanding is the feeling that you are in the right even while indulging in
unrighteous acts. In this context, everyone has to fight the battle within.
In order to create communal harmony, no amounts of pretending or fancy dressing will help. Instead, if we learn the scriptures of all
religions and find similarities in the various visions, communal harmony will prevail. Just by attending and enjoying a Christmas party at
a Christian friend’s home, you will not create communal harmony!. Likewise, there is no use in sending your non-Hindu friends some
special Onam dishes as a return gift. It is foolish to create communal harmony by dressing children as swamis, maulavies and priests and
making them walk in the hot sun as a procession. Instead of these fancy dresses, if we try to study and understand Gita, Bible and Quaran,
we will have real harmony amongst the people practicing these religions.

18. Withdrawing from self-inquiry is a fall
Self-inquiry into the Truth is everyone’s duty and withdrawing from it is a fall. World will laugh at people who run away from their duty.
Karma (action) is to know ourselves (self-enquiry) and it is like a white cloth where the stains can be seen vividly. If the inquiry is truthful,
one doesn’t have to give up anything. The notion that one needs to give up all relations and activities in this world to gain true knowledge
is false. None of your Karmas are relevant for you in knowing sasthras (scriptural knowledge). What you have done or haven’t done also is
irrelevant. You cannot stop anyone from pursuing this inquiry as it is everybody’s right to do so. But we do not have the right to judge
anyone.
Adi Sankaracharya says: let a person be a yogi (spiritualist) or a bhogi (materialist) or let him be a person living with a family and
other relations or living alone, he will enjoy bliss only if he is interested in pursuing the inquiry in to knowing the absolute Truth. But
the contemplation in seeking the ultimate Truth must not be related to achieving some desirable results such as getting married, getting a
job or getting cured from a disease, etc. If we inquire in that fashion, we will not reach anywhere near the goal. If one seeks experiences
while carrying the baggage of desires, perfection will not be attained as the desires will persist and no experience will be gained. One
should be able to see this independently, standing apart from oneself.
Lord Krishna warns Arjuna that if he runs away from his duties, the world will call him a coward. Certain people are afraid of coming into
the world of spirituality-they are afraid that they may become ‘better’. It is the fear to give up those 'bad things' in life that are currently
giving us physical pleasures that we crave for.
Don’t think that we will all ‘become better’ by learning the Bhagavad-Gita. We are all basically good even without learning Gita. We are all
different and capable of thinking, but by listening, seeing or thinking, no one will get spiritual awareness. One cannot define spirituality,
but Gita is a scientific scripture that elevates us transcending the realms of the mind. A finger that points to a sandal wood tree is not the
tree itself. Like wise, a scripture is only a sign post.

19. Lust leads to death
When the mind is deluded by desires and when it is longing for materialistic happiness, man falls in the grip of lust and ultimately it leads
to his death. When desires preside over our mind, the intellect cannot be steadfast in its function. Some people foolishly believe that
heaven is where all the desires get fulfilled. Those who borrow money to live lavishly with pomp and show fall in this category. They will
borrow money from all the possible avenues, but at the end commit suicide as they are unable to repay the loans. People of Kerala are
being succumbed to such a life style lately.
We have to pursue our duties without attachment to anyone or anything. When we can do this properly, we will enjoy the heavenly bliss.
When we avoid doing our duties, that will result in conflicts. So it is proper to face and complete our duties with detachment. Pairs of
opposites such as win/defeat, loss/gain or pleasure/pain must not be the basis of our karmas (actions). If we get involved in karmas with
the attitude of being an instrument of action, we will not be anxious about their results.

20. Act well; do not wish for results
The duty of an individual is to perform his actions well; but without 'wishing' for their results. An action performed with the wish of
attaining favorable results will lead ultimately to disappointment.
A person can decide how an action should be done; but its result is not within his control. If we expect desirable results over things
beyond our control, we will be affected by anxiety and disappointment. When the mind revels in expectations and wishful thinking, the
action will not get the attention it requires to do it well and doubts will rise. This leads to incomplete actions and such actions will not
bear results.
If we cut the ripened jackfruit after smearing our hands with oil, the jackfruit glue will not stick to our hands. Likewise, if we smear the oil
of ‘knowledge’ and act in the world, we will not get attached to anything.
Reason to do an action must be ‘chitta suddhi’ (cleansing of mind) and not ‘vastu-siddhi’ (attaining material gain). All actions must be
done with an attitude of surrender to the Lord and such an action is a ‘karma-yoga’. One should not carry out an action aiming at a
particular result nor should one be disinterested in doing any work.
Nature and men who live in it are constituted by the three ‘gunas’ (characteristics) – sattvic (noble); rajasic (active); and tamasic
(inactive, dull). In an individual, these qualities are present in various proportions at a given moment. When one of these qualities
becomes predominant, that will be manifested in the person’s behavior. One should strive to achieve a level of nobility that transcends
these three gunas. One can reach that state by realizing the Self where the notions of differences do not exist. At this stage, the person
imbibes the essence of ‘karma-yoga’.
IdiveTTu #3
ShaJi

21. Act with complete understanding
A person doing anything must be fully knowledgeable of the action he is performing. For such a person, is ignoble to do an action
accompanied by a wish for its result. Lord Krishna advises Arjuna that he must surrender to the intellect and not to the mind in deciding
on a course of action. When the mind and intellect are working in unison, one becomes a “samadarshi” (the one who has equanimity in
his vision).
All action must be done with full sincerity, in a mood of contemplation and prayer. Our hands and feet must work with the complete
awareness of the action performed. Thoughts of inaction must not enter our mind as an option, because negative thoughts can never
initiate ultimate changes in a man’s life. Human minds have become numb by hearing too many “don’ts” from everywhere.
For those who perform their actions with equanimity, there are no 'good' or 'bad' karmas. He doesn’t belong to the group of sinners or

that of virtues. One must strive for the ‘karma-yoga’ that transcends both. Yoga in karma is essentially the auspiciousness and
attentiveness in the action performed.
Those who are keenly intelligent reject the fruits of action and stay free from the birth-death bondages. They attain a sorrow-less state
where there are no obstacles. In the hymn -santhi mantra- we pray not for a sorrow-free life, but to attain a mental state that surpass
life’s sorrows.
The path to complete freedom is achieved by getting rid of attachment to everything like a yogi, identifying himself with nothing. It is the
state where you are equally at peace in gain or lose. Attachment is the glue that binds us with various things and most of our relations are
born out of selfishness. For example, attachment to son is our wish that he should become ‘this or that’. He should achieve something
which we couldn’t in our life- and we should reap the benefit by achieving that. Many a times, we disguise our selfishness with better
sounding words such as ‘duty’, ‘love’ and ‘responsibility’, etc.

22. Accept others in full
We must accept others in full and we must not have any enemies. If I realize that the universe itself is ‘me’, why should I compete or
quarrel with ‘others’? We have to treat an individual as a person who is beyond all criticisms, although his actions may be criticized.
A sage (Muni) is the one who is devoid of anger, fear and desire. When desires disappear, man becomes silent (mouni). ‘Muni’ is the one
who is silent, the one who contemplates and the one does not fall prey to futile desires. One should be able to see everything in the nature
as different forms present in a single canvas with all the various shapes, different people, myriad of names and costumes, etc. A man of
steadfast intellect (sthitha prajna) sees himself as one among them.
Bhagavan Sri Krishna tells Arjuna, who can be considered a muni. The one who is unperturbed in sorrows and undesirable experiences is
a muni. He is not interested in pleasure and he does not entertain pleasure in memory either. When one is fully devoid of all desires and
mental wanderings and when he revels in himself, he is a sthitha prajna.
When the mind revels in outside objects (vishaya), the person is known as “vishayaa-raman”. When his mind revels in himself, he
becomes “athmaa-raman”. Self-enquiry begins when one realizes that happiness is achieved within oneself, by knowing the self. For a
person with self-knowledge, the presence or absence of a thing doesn’t have any effect on him. His intellect is steadfast. Sri Krishna
advises Arjuna that he will become a yogi when his intellect is steadfast. This is achieved by the intellect elevating itself from the
misapprehension of reality through contemplation. All should become yogis, stable as a lamp that doesn’t flicker in wind. We should be
able to overcome desires. Self-enquiry is possible through karma and the liberation (Moksha) is not a posthumous honor. One can be
liberated living in this world by doing his duties without attachment to results. Men of wisdom realize the ultimate by doing actions with
no wishes for results and they do their work whole heartedly and happily. Such works would become an inspiration to do more of the
same. When the mind accepts equanimity as the guiding principle, the work is bound to be pleasant.

23. Learn Renunciation from Sri Krishna
We must learn renunciation from Sri Krishna, not from Buddha. Krishna’s renunciation is not by rejecting anything, but by accepting
everything. There is complete acceptance where ‘I’ and ‘me’ are not present. Buddha abandoned his wife and son to embark on spiritual

enquiry.
In the journey within, there should be no difficulty. We should withdraw the senses from their objects of attraction in such a way that
even we should not notice it. It must be effortless like opening of a flower bud. For those who have controlled their senses, their intellect is
firm in their resolves.
Sense organs, under the spell of anger, steal the mind of even a hardworking scholar. Sense organs go to their respective sense objects
without us even knowing about it. Even if we sit down in contemplation inside a cave, there will be sense objects (vishaya) dancing in
front of us with their finest glory and beauty to disturb our penance. Here, there is no point in being too stubborn as that can cause nerve
diseases. It is an art to transcend vishayas- it cannot be achieved by fighting them. Most of the austerities can torture our body and mind,
when we undertake them wishing to get something in return. Usually those attempts are in vain. Those who are fasting by forcefully
controlling the urge may be thinking about food all the time. Whatever we want to renunciate that way, our lust for the same will be ten-
fold.
A yogi’s renunciation is not like that of a diabetes patient rejecting sugar in his diet. There are desires present in the man who has taken
up hunger strike. A jnaani (wise man) doesn’t run behind sensory pleasure, because he is convinced that they are trivial. As the ultimate
Truth is known to him, a man with his intellect transcended will not have any desires at all.
Gita advises us to withdraw our senses from the objects like a tortoise withdrawing its head and limbs. While the tortoise may be doing it
out of fear, the wise man does it out of wisdom. Men with a steadfast intellect direct their senses inward and withdraw them from the
objects.

24. Contemplation is the source of virtues and vices
All our actions originate from contemplation and we get what we contemplate upon. We will end up doing our deeds in the same field
where our mind wanders.
Nothing in life can be considered an accident. Typically, one would contemplate and decide ahead of time as to how to respond to a
particular situation. The thought process that leads to such conclusions is Dhyana (contemplation or meditation). There are two types of
Dhyanaas –demonic and godly (divine). In demonic contemplation, one would extol materialistic enjoyment (bhoga) as “hiraNyaaya
namaH” – salutations to gold. In divine contemplation, one extols the sacrifice (thyaga) that is Lord NarayaNa.
Being constantly thinking about sense objects, we get attached to them. Lust (feeling that I must have ‘it’- a thing or being) is due to
attachment, and when the lust is not fulfilled, our mind becomes furious. In anger, man looses his power of discrimination. In rage, all the
values learned hitherto will be forgotten and intellect ceases to function properly. That is the beginning of complete destruction. One
cannot predict what will happen after that and the person becomes crazy. Culture of the people of a generation takes form through their
thoughts and contemplation.
One can say that he is educated only when the knowledge (sasthra) comes to his mind even in adverse circumstances. One can win over
anger if he is reminded of the appropriate knowledge. How can some one get pleasure without peace of mind? Self control is essential and
our mind should not flow hither-thither like a canoe in the windy water. Senses are capable of taking the uncontrolled mind through
various paths. It is not that one should keep fighting the senses rather it is better to transcend the senses.
When it is day time, for a Yogi who has controlled his senses, it will be night time and vice versa. When others are attentive to sense
objects, he will not have any interest in them. He will be fully awake in the spiritual realms when others have no interest in them.

25. Inquire within about the seeker himself
Just as the sea is unperturbed by the waters from several rivers gathering in it, a wise man is un-wavered by any amount of desires.
Inquiry must be done within the seeker himself. Truth will not be realized by searching for it in the temples, gurudwaras, monasteries or
churches. You will not find it in all the books of the world. It is present within us.
A pilgrimage is a journey seeking our own origin. One should visit forests, oceans and mountains – not just temples. Don’t waste a life
time after booking for a pooja (special worship that are booked years in advance) at a temple – see and enjoy the worship of the nature by
the various movables and immovables present in nature. Now we have placed God in stones, photographs and in the space below the
staircase in our home. Go down to nature and see God there.
Whenever man tried to teach about God through temples, all those were futile attempts. When the scriptures were evolved, temples were
not there. It is a pity that a man who does not worry when a river gets polluted would lead a procession in protest if they hear that some
one threw a stone at a temple.
A devotee of Lord will never even disturb the nature and the environment in any way. Worshipping a river doesn’t mean that we should
disperse many things in to it, in the name of a pooja. Worship means to know the entity well and to be harmless to it in any way. Through
the lifting of Mount Govardhana and by killing the poisonous snake Kalia (Kaliya mardhana), Sri Krishna demonstrated to us how
worship is to be done.
Gita says that when one acts in the world selflessly, with no attachment and desires, he will attain peace by getting in sync with the nature.
Christ also tried to teach people to achieve this internal evolution. External changes are futile and don’t call people with negative names to
inculcate change in them. Just by calling some one a ‘sinner’, all the possibilities in a man can potentially be crushed. No one has the right
to call any one like that. Gita calls every one as Oh! Immaculate one! (anagha, meaning sinless one). Gita advises that running away from
duty is ignoble. Even the smallest particle – an atom- in the universe is continuously acting (or vibrating). He who gives up his worldly
duties in the name of renunciation, but enjoys the thoughts of sensory pleasures is indeed a fraud.

26. Mind is at work, not the senses
One who acts in the world without attachment by controlling his senses with his mental determination is indeed a great person. Even
while his senses are immersed in the working world, he is not entangled by the worldly attachments. When we see the beauty queen of the
universe, we should also see the universal hands that created the beauty in her to complete the vision. As soon as we desire to ‘own’ what
we see, notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ will over power our vision and they create division, separation, sorrow and even war.
There is no point in dividing duties (Karmas) in to ‘good’ and ‘bad’ actions. Work is worship. One must have the same attitude in cleaning
a bathroom or a prayer room. What we get from the temple is holy water, not mere water. We have temples in order to give us this vision.
A temple is the ultimate in this vision. If one ‘knows’ that a piece of stone is God, is there anything that is not God?
If we cannot see holiness in the waters outside the temples, we must question whether it is worth allowing the existence of temples at all.
We must be able to consider whatever we eat as a sacred gift from God (prasadam), not just mere food items obtained from the temple.

Food is the result of a great cooperative endeavor undertaken by the society. Our works are to be performed as a Yagna because whatever
we do without this attitude will end up in attachment to worldly objects. In order to attain liberation, we must act diligently in the world
without wishing for results. Every one of us has our own duties to perform although nowadays people seem to be paying more attention to
other person’s duties. This will not help anyone. Yagna is to renounce the imperfect to attain perfection and if we realize the truth that no
one can ‘own’ anything permanently, we will have the attitude of renunciation (sanyasa bhavam).
In the second chapter, Lord Krishna expounded the ultimate truth. In the next chapter, the Lord explains how this can be practically
applied in life.

27. Enjoy life through sacrifices
We should live happily by working in the world by sharing and with an attitude of sacrifice. When we try to keep anything for ourselves
selfishly, there will be conflicts. Delight is in giving – look at the nature, she has created us in the spirit of cooperative sacrifice (yagya).
Yagya is the cow that will provide us generously with what we need in life. It is with this yagya attitude that we prosper. Yagya is a
cooperative endeavor undertaken by people having a common goal.
In order to keep ‘me’ as ‘me’, a large number of components in nature work incessantly in unison. So our activities also must be conducive
to enriching our surroundings. Gita says that if we make the gods happy through sacrifices, they will also make us happy. This doesn’t
mean spending huge amounts of money in temple rituals and oblations. Making some one happy means that we don’t disturb the person
and allow him to remain as himself. Who are gods? They are the water of the rivers, the air we breathe and the land we stand on, etc.. If
we don’t pollute our rivers with poison, they will make us happy. With this cooperative approach we can attain the ultimate in prosperity.
Those who enjoy the fruits of nature without returning anything are indeed thieves. That’s why people of old generations planted trees
without fail. Philosophically this can also be interpreted that it is our duty to gift our senses (that provide us with the experience of the
world) the experience of the ultimate divinity (Brahman).
Noble people, who enjoy the fruits of cooperative sacrifices by serving the nature without wishing for the results will definitely be
liberated from all sins. But cooking food for one’s own consumption and enjoying it alone is indeed sinful.

28. Commercial mind cannot see Yagya
A mind immersed in commercial aspects of everything will not be able to attain the yagya spirit. We see everything with the eye of a seller,
even flowers. Just think about us before the birth. Water, earth, air, sun and the moon did so many things for us to be born. It was
through their unselfish submission that we came in to this world.
'This' is not mine, even this entity ‘me’ is not mine. Universe created me and I belong to the universe. This indeed is yagya. Just saying
‘swaaha!’ after spreading bricks will not constitute yagya. Karma precedes yagya and from yagya comes the rain. Rain is the cause for food
(annam). It is from annam everything has been formed. Annam indeed is the mind. Words are formed with the energy of annam.
Karma is born out of Brahman and the Brahman is born out of the imperishable supreme self (param atma). Thus Brahman is founded on
yagya.
Life of a person is futile if he doesn’t follow this cycle of karma (karma charka). By knowing this, there isn’t 'anything' to be done to gain

'something' or there isn’t 'anything' to be missed by not doing 'something'. He is the karma and the result of karma (karma phala). There
is no commercial mind here to give and take.
Do not reject whatever the universe has given us, at the same time, do not covet something that the other person has been gifted by the
nature. So, if we continue with our work with diligence, without attachment, we will sure get liberation. ‘How’ we do something is more
important than ‘what’ we do. Make your work a worship.
The Lord is not in the matter, nor is the matter in the Lord. EVERYTHING IS LORD. Whatever remains after removing the names and
forms is the Lord, because names and forms conceal the Truth. Except in the supreme self, everything is different and unreal.

29. Our action must be a model to others
When we take an action, others must be able to consider it as a model to follow. The people around us are anxiously waiting to imitate us
and our children are growing up by imitating us. We should be able to point and show them a few role models and we should also be able
to set ourselves as examples.
Our actions must not create confusion in people’s mind. These days, there is a tendency for many to create confusion in the name of
devotion and spirituality. Because of this, inappropriate rituals and blind faiths are getting popular in life.
An imprudent man does his work, but with the lust to achieve something where as the wise man does it with out the lust and such works
will be instrumental in enhancing public prosperity.
King Janaka acted in the world for the betterment of his subjects. No amounts of power or wealth were enough to distract him from his
karma yoga. The King doesn’t get involved when Sri. Rama sends Sita to the forest, even though she was his daughter. King Janaka had
the knowledge and discrimination with regard to the appropriate action to be taken - that is why he didn’t interfere with Sri Rama’s action
at that time.
We should not take pride in our actions and realize that it is the supreme self at work here and not 'me', the limited self. Instead of pride,
we should cultivate self-awareness.

30. Likes and dislikes are a seeker’s enemies
A seeker should never succumb to ‘likes and dislikes’. His duty is to submit everything to the Lord to get the full freedom in his actions.
Senses have a tendency to reach out to the subject matter of their nature. The liking we develop due to this is ‘ragam’. Whereas when we
don’t like the sensory experience, that creates ‘dwesham’. We should not be swayed under the conflicts of ‘bad and good’ perceived by the
sense organs.
Once we realize that this world and everything in it is the energy and aura of the Lord, all worries due to senses that are extroverts will
cease to exist. Then our mind will fly freely like a kite in the open sky. The thread that controls the kite must be the constant awareness
that “Isaavasam idam sarvam” – that, ‘all that is’, is the Lord and nothing but the Lord. Because of this knowledge ‘likes and dislikes’
brought about by the senses will not have any place in our mind.

All actions must be submitted unto the Lord and in order to do that we must extinguish the “I”, the ego. When the ego dies, self awareness
dawns. The freedom one gets thus is indeed the liberation- “moksham” itself. When a monk takes ‘samnyaasa’ (renounciation), he does a
ritual commemorating his own death, symbolically annihilating the ego. What is left is the intellect that is capable of self inquiry.
Jealousy is a hindrance in annihilating ego. The best way to overcome jealousy is to develop respect towards the very cause that made you
jealous.
IdiveTTu #4
ShaJi

GITA 108 DAYS- DAY 31
31. We are not equal; we are incomparable
Lord does not declare that we are all equal, but he expounds that we are incomparable!. You, I, and whatever we see are all eternal. They
don’t have a state of non-existence, because the basic nature of everything is existence itself. In the body level, death happens in the same
way as a child transforms through adolescence, youth, middle and old ages. It is just a change of state. Men of courage do not get deluded
in this. Being courageous is, not to do anything with out the full awareness what is being done. Nothing can confuse the mind of a man
who has realized the ephemeral nature of pleasure and pain and developed equanimity towards them. (In Vedanta, man and woman are
synonymous)
Gita’s attitude is, “let us enquire first if there is life after birth, then let us see if there is life after death”. Observe everything carefully-
reminiscing about our own childhood or pointing an old photo to say, ‘that is me’, etc., are observing the self from a distance. Bring that
observation to the present time as well -cry if you feel like it and laugh when you feel like laughing. Be ready even to die at any moment
and accept everything as provided by the nature wholeheartedly, without any complaint. A wise man will never even ask the Lord to “take
me away without making me suffer in my death bed”.
Ask some one whose legs have been amputated to see if his ‘I’ awareness has been injured. This one example is good enough to see that
this ‘I’ is beyond the body. When a tree is born, it is not the death of a seed, but it is the fulfillment of the seed’s life. In life, we see
continuous transformation of the body. Life not like a train that goes through a fixed track, but it is like the flow of the river Ganges. It
flows through the forests and mountains, making a lot of changes in its path, snaking through valleys and plains, carrying and depositing
a lot of things in the journey.
It is true that the body will disintegrate, but it has its own duties (dharma) to fulfill. If those dharma expounded in the Upanishads are to
manifest in me, my senses must be energetic. If one suppresses his senses and deny the existence of his body, he will not be able to follow
dharma as these are mutually compatible. A citizen of Bharath should be able to find bliss through knowledge – not by calling out
“Bharath matha ki Jai” slogan adorning a nice sandal wood paste on his forehead. Gita teaches us to learn to know and suffer without
vengeance. We should be steadfast like a mountain or deep sea. There is no use in visiting temples if we do not know the import of such
pilgrimages. The temple helps me developing self-awareness knowing the symbolic nature of the deity, i.e., it represents the Lord within
me. This is where we belong. If we don’t occupy the rightful place where we should, others will take over the place and that will lead to all
kinds of problems. Sage Vyasa does not ask us to join any side. Gita’s aim is to make us see ourselves and develop further, not to assess or
criticize others.


32. Desires are behind the sins
Arjuna’s doubt was that ‘who’ makes everyone commits these horrible sins? Lord Krishna replied that the sins are due to the endless
desires born out of ‘rajo guna’. It is the desire that makes people to commit sinful actions.
The Indian philosophy doesn’t preach us to deny desires, but the desires must be in accordance with dharma. If we fulfill certain desires
by the single pointed attention of the mind and the intellect, those will be a blessing to the whole world. Assess all desires –whether they
are dharmic or not. If it is according to dharma, one can earn any amount of wealth or perform any action. If the fulfilling a desire is the
goal, check to see if the way to achieve that is dharmic or not.
If we undertake a wrong action to fulfill a desire, it will result in a fall and behind all our sorrows, there is a desire. Desires and rage due to
non-fulfillment of desires are man’s enemies.
Truth has been concealed in different levels - at intellectual, mental and at the sense level. Intellectually, it is like the ash covering the fire.
If we blow a little, we can reveal the fire. Mentally, it is like a dirty mirror. One should work hard to wipe clean the mirror. At the sense
level, it is like the baby in the womb, covered by the skin bag, that only the time can remove. Everyone has the ability and power to
remove the cover and find the truth. We just have to work a little.
For a wise man, his prime enemy is the desires that conceal the knowledge of the self. We run after money thinking that it can fulfill our
desires, but these journeys create more afflictions in us. Winning over the senses doesn’t mean that we should suppress the senses
because forceful control of the senses will create more problems and illness. It is about observing everything from a standpoint beyond
the sway of the senses. With that vision, one should annihilate those desires destroying our knowledge and experience.
Senses are great indeed. Greater than senses is the mind and the intellect is the greatest of the three. But these three are abodes of desires.
But the noblest of all is the ‘self’ and everyone should know this eternal Truth.

33. It is in our minds that the Lord takes birth
The lord’s assurance is that “whenever there is a decline in Dharma, I will take birth”. Adhrama happens not in a particular geographical
area, but it is in the minds of each and every one of us. So also, the Lord takes birth in our minds. The decline of Dharma happens within
an individual’s mind and there the Lord takes birth as consciousness. Lord has no special interest in this earth to take birth physically in a
particular place!
The birth of consciousness as a premonition that stops us from taking a wrongful action is none other than the Lord himself. It is the
Dharma bodha (dharma consciousness) that creates mental conflicts when we are about to tell lies, for example. The Lord declared that
He will manifest incessantly to annihilate adharmas and to establish dharma in the world. We are all noble, but our actions may take good
or bad turns. The Lord does not call us sinners or evil, but we are capable of doing evil acts. When we are awakened by the continuous
dharma consciousness, we will naturally stay away from any wrong doings. This is what the Lord does in us - his birth (reincarnation) and
actions are for creating this awareness in us. If we ‘know’ the truth behind the Lord’s incarnations, he will not have any more births. With
this revelation, one comes to realize that “I am not this body” and with this realization, one gets liberated from the birth-death cycle. The
Lord’s weapon is ‘Sudarsana’, meaning ‘auspicious vision’. With this vision, he annihilates all evil tendencies in us.

The Lord tells us: “I had taught the secrets regarding karma & jnana (action and knowledge) to Sun, and he taught them to Manu. Manu
advised Ishwaku on this, but the knowledge got lost eventually. Now I am declaring it again for your benefit”. Here the Lord is the
consciousness and the consciousness advised the intellect (Sun) and he passed this knowledge to his son, Manu, the mind. The mind
disseminated the secret to the five senses as they are in charge of undertaking actions. Senses are kings, but they lost this knowledge. King
Dritarashtra is the symbol of the king who lost this secret knowledge of yogic wisdom.
The conflict between the dharma and adharma happens in our mind. Our body is the field to act out dharma and the root cause of war is
the notion of ‘I’ ness and ‘my’ ness. One should think “what all did I do selflessly in my actions?” Pandawas represent people who do
dharmic actions and stay away from adharmic actions based on their knowledge. Kauravas are those who do not undertake dharmic
actions but choose to undertake adharmic actions despite having appropriate knowledge. In this conflict, people who have prepared their
minds ready to give birth to the Lord (consciousness) will realize the ultimate Truth and they are sure to get liberated.

34. Fear disappears when we are Alert
In the contemplative state of meditation we become alert and aware. When we do anything with awareness, there is no fear possible.
From the fear enimity and war are generated-do not approach the Lord with fear. Once we know everything as the One, then there is no
fear towards anything and anyone. In Gita, the Lord explains four kinds of the liberation- salokyam, saameepyam, saroopyam, &
sayoojyam. Salokyam is the state in which we continue to see and experience the Truth without the influence of likes, dislikes & anger.
Sameepyam is where we sit close to the Lord and serve him. There is no point in searching for someone at distant places when he is
already very close. Know that the nature indeed is God. Third one is to attain the form of the Lord- Saaroopyam. Sayoojyam refers to a
state where one becomes one with the Lord. This is the ultimate aim.
We are all serving and extolling God with a name and a form, and we will be able to attain the Truth through this as well. Continuous
chanting of the Lord's name will make you forget the name. Any one repeating 'Rama.. Rama' will end up chanting Mara.. Mara..- you
don't need to be a SageValmiki to do that. The one who stays put at Rama..Rama.. is not evolving -he is not improving. In chanting the
Rama mantra, the one pointed attention is to maintain the name intact. But as the name gets upside down, the name and the chanter of
the name become one and the same. There Rama takes birth as consciousness. Similarly when we continuously serve the form of the
Lord, eventually the form disappears and He becomes formless. The word vi-graha (deity) is to mean the entity that enables us to grasp a
greater vision in an auspicious manner.
Gita is not meant to be learnt by-heart -verse after verse. It is intended to create a transformation in us. There is no point in serving the
Lord if that is not going to make useful changes in our daily life. Gita provides us with the answers to our doubts in times of mental
conflicts and calamity. Its verses are replies provided by the consciousness (aham) of the total mind of the universe.
The Lord blesses his devotees most appropriately and adequately, in the ways they want him to bless them. All our present experiences -
without an exception- are the results of our asking.
GITA 108 DAYS DAY 35

35. Who is a Brahmana? What is ‘karma’ and ‘akarma’?
The particular verse in the Bhagavad Gita: “chatur varnnyam maya srishTam…” is a highly misunderstood and mis-interpreted one.
Even if one explained it as referring to the four castes - Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra, the question remains – who is a
brahmana?. “Vasoochokopanishad” is a scripture based on this very question. The life force, body, caste, knowledge, occupation or
righteousness do not make one a brahmana.
Every body has one life force and so, that cannot make one a brahmana. All bodies are made up of the five elements and so, the body
cannot give one the title of brahmana. According to scriptures, creatures other than human beings gave birth to even sages. Sage Rishya
Srimga was born from a deer and the Sage Kausika was born from a type of grass. Sage Jambooka was born from a fox and Sage
Agasthya from a pot. These instances tell us that the birth and caste of a person do not have anything to do with his “Brahmana-hood”.
People of all walks of life get educated and do their karmas. They also live righteously. So Brahmana-hood does not depend on them
either. Brahmana is the one who has gone beyond the influences of castes, characteristics (three gunas), karma, thirst, hunger, ageing,
death, birth, growth, depletion, and destruction, etc. and devoid of sorrow, delusion, transformation, etc. He has realized the ultimate –
that is the essence inside and outside of everything like space is; that is the substratum of all; that is of the nature of truth, existence,
consciousness, knowledge and bliss. He is adept in the “science of the self" as one would be fully knowledgeable of the gooseberry held in
one’s own palm. He is at peace with himself. The four-fold classification can also be done based on the work we do for a living-
intellectuals, protectors, business men and service men. One should look at all jobs as virtuous.
Take our body- various parts of it can be divided in to four. Head, as the seat of intelligence is Brahmana; the hands that protect us are
Kshatriyas; the thighs that sustain us are Vaisyas; and the legs that support us are Sudras. Here, think of the action of hands massaging
the legs when they get tired after a hard days work! Think also about the lotus feet of the Lord that we prostrate. One can understand
truth in four ways through the senses- smell by nose, effulgence by eyes, air by ears and the dampness through skin. If we put a lamp
inside a pot with a number of holes, people would see and perceive light in the shape of those holes. The light inside the pot is the reason
behind the shape, but the light itself is devoid of any shape.
The Lord says- due to the variety of characteristics and forms, I appear in four different ways. I am the 'doer' as well as the 'non-doer' of
this arrangement. This is the meaning of the verse in Bhagavad Gita. The inner consciousness (the Lord) explains to us that, all that are
perceived through the sense organs are created by me; but they are not me.
GITA 108 DAYS- DAY 36

36. Vision of Karma and Akarma
“Actions do not influence me and so I don’t have any desire in the fruits of actions”. If one realizes himself in this way, he will not get
bound by any actions. There are different types of actions. Actions with no notion of doership, actions with wrong notions (asad bhava
karma) about it and actions with the notion of doership. There are also actions done with the right attitude (sad bhava karmas) of two
kinds – kartthavya and akartthavvya karmas. Last type is the actions that are forbidden (vikarmmas).
Those who sees ‘akarmma’ (Brahman) in the universe that is moved by actions, and in that Brahman observes the dynamism of actions is
indeed a wise man. He is a yogi who does his actions in its completeness. Each movement occurs in the universe in the realm of
consciousness which is motionless and in each movement exist the consciousness. Lord Krishna expounds the same thing in a different
way through the verse “chatur varnnyam mayaa srishtam…”
When a transparent disc with different colors around it is rotated in front of a light source, lights of different colors fall on the stage. The
light emanating from the bulb is colorless, but colors are created by the colored sheets on the disc. The multitudes of colors are ‘created’
by the bulb, but at the same time, they are ‘not created’ by the bulb. The bulb says: “chatur varnnyam mayaa srishtam….”
Likewise, all notions of various characteristics have been created by the Lord (consciousness). He is the ‘doer’ as well as the ‘non-doer’ of

them. Bhagavad-Gita is not giving legitimacy to any kind of caste systems here. Gita proclaims that one should teach others that which
would free us from all that are inauspicious. But if we practice the caste system as we know now, we will never get liberated.
Men of wisdom should burn all their desires in the fire of knowledge. Those who work without wishing for the fruit of actions and without
depending on anything, is not ‘doing’ any actions. When takes up an action with his consciousness as the witness, for the sake of his
body’s existence leaving out all possessiveness and with out any desires, he doesn’t get entangled in the bondage of action (karma bandha)
Be contented with whatever comes in your way. Be aware of the dualities of pleasure–pain, happiness-sorrow, and gain-loss, and rise
above their influences. Actions by those who are steadfast and devoid of selfish competitions whether they get something or not, are
indeed a service to the whole world.

37 All actions are worship of the Brahman
All actions are worship of the Brahman and therefor are conidered yagna. Yagna is doing an action with no 'doership'. The notion of “I am
submitting “is wrong because in complete submission, there is no ‘I”.
Oblation in a yagna is Brahman. The material (haviss) that is placed in the yagna fire is also Brahman. Fire is Brahman and the person
placing the haviss is also Brahman. The ultimate realization and the path to achieve that is also Brahman. The seeker, the sought, the goal
and the methods are all Brahman itself. Whatever we do is Brahman. The Lord is within ourselves, although we seem to seek Him outside.
One should realize the yagna that is taking place inside of us more than the external yagna and oblations that feed the yagna fire. In the
inner yagna, one should burn the fire of self control in order to submit the oblations of sensory desires.
Different people conduct yagna in their own unique ways. Some people consider God as the aim and path of yagna and fill their inner self
with godly wealth and thus get rid of demonic impulses. Some others make the yagna itself as the path and the goal. Some control their
senses and others control their mind. Some people submit their thoughts and other sensory activities in the body including the life forces
as oblations in the fire of self control. Some people take up charitable missions and thus submit oblations of materials in yagna. Some
people are engaged in the yagna of contemplation and penance. Some are in the yagna of teaching others and others do yoga as their
yagna. There are people who lead a noble life by controlling their breath (pranayama) and food habits. These widely varying activities are
all intended for the benefit of the world and are bonafide yagnas. All these will help create a better world.
Those who eat the remnants of yagna for their sustenance reach the ultimate goal. (All that we enjoy are results of yagnas- even the
movies we watch are ‘yagna sishta’ and we should enjoy all with this awareness.) For those who do not participate in yagna, there is no
world, then how can he get liberated? The different kinds of yagnas are all expounded in the Vedas and they are all borne out of Karmas.
Those who know this will get liberated. So we should do all our actions with the attitude of worshipping Brahman. Karma (action) and
jnana (knowledge) are the two wings of a bird. If one is broken the bird cannot soar and reach its goal.

38. One who believes in God is as good as dead
One who believes in God is a dead person. The main problem of the world is that we are all God-believers. In belief there is always doubt!
We must become God inquirers. If we inquire diligently we will understand it. Once you know it, there will be no sin, virtue, pleasure,
pain, mantras, pilgrimage, Vedas, teachers or disciples.

Those who are diligently attentive, and who has control over his senses gain wisdom. This ‘knowledge’ is capable of imparting ultimate
peace. When you are diligent, there will be questions and inquiries. The diligence comes out of love. Those who are inquisitive about the
ultimate truth, should have the diligence of a mother in inquiring about her infant child.
Yagna of knowledge is superior to the material yagna. Owner of material wealth is always fearful of losing it. But all actions end up in
gaining knowledge. Knowledge is indeed freedom and lack of knowledge is dependence. One would get the knowledge by submitting the
ego by full body prostration to the source. A mind thus prepared will be calm and serene and such a mind produces healthy and relevant
questions.
With an attitude of reverence and service one must approach the source (place, teacher) where he may be able to gain this knowledge.
Then visionaries will inspire the seeker with the knowledge he is seeking. No one can deny knowledge to a student. Bhagavad Gita accepts
everyone, including the worst sinner. The 'university of Bhagavad Gita' is always open – anyone can come in and go out in complete
freedom.
Past actions or mistakes need not hinder this inquiry as even the worst sinner can cross the sea of samsara (confusion, i.e. the sea of the
physical world of plurality) by the boat of knowledge. All ‘actions’ and their effects will be burnt in to ashes in the fire of knowledge. There
is nothing else in the world as sacred as the knowledge. Yogis realize this over time on their own within their self. This is the knowledge of
self and the realization that there is nothing out there other than the self. Finally he comes to realize that even the knowledge he is seeking
is not separate from his own self. There is nobody ‘out there’ sitting ready to make your life better or miserable.

39. See the Sky, not the Clouds
A ‘sannyaasi’ (renuncuiate) is one who has attaned that which is eternal and stable. Concepts of ‘permanent’ and ‘non- permanent’ are
like the sky and the clouds. We say that we are looking at the sky, but what we ‘see’ are usually the small clouds only. Then we miss the
‘sky-ness’ altogether. What is steadfast and stable is the ‘I’ in me. Actions and their results, thoughts and emotions, etc. come and go in
‘me’ as the clouds appear and disappear in the sky.
Gita advises us not to have hatred towards anything. Everything is God and if we feel hatred towards anything, it is the hatred towards
God. A ‘sannyyasi’ is one who does not hate anything, does not have any desires and he is unwavered by the pairs of opposites such as
gain and loss. He is completely free from all bondages of action.
Yoga of knowledge (jnana yoga) and the yoga of action (karma yoga) are essentially one and the same . If we practice either one well, we
will be benefited with the fruits of both. But Sri Krishna reminds Arjuna that ‘karma yoga’ is superior to renunciating karma altogether.
One must do his duties in any case. Those who are not aware of the jnana yoga, will not become a ‘karma yogi’. A ‘jnana yogi’ will not be
able to practice it without being a ‘karma yogi’ either. So Gita advices us to cut asunder the doubts emnating from the ignorance with the
sword of wisdom. A ‘doubter’ perishes. It is those who cannot comprehend the Truth take refuge in ‘believes’. So a believer is always
doubtful. A doubter’s knowledge is incomplete and the doubts emnate from lack of diligence. He will be restless and he will not be able to
enjoy even this world, then what to talk about attaining the ultimate bliss?
A sin is basically ignorance and it is a false impression. In the fire of knowledge all sins get burnt into ashes. It is in this process of
incineration that one becomes free from all confinements. A wise teacher (guru) imparts knowledge when a disciple asks with an attitude
of service and reverence. Guru is the one who removes darkness by bringing in the light of knowledge in the disciple.

GITA 108 DAYS - Day 40

40. There is no need to wear special attire to be a sannyasi
Gita advises us on the approaches we should take in conducting our day to day activities. Renunciation (Sannyaasa) does not mean that
you are being entrapped in a system. It is a state of being completely free. Sri Krishna never ignored the external world; but internally, He
accepted the One that is worthy of accepting-without the ego. Look at other species in nature- animals for example- they don’t have ego
and so, to be ‘animal’ like is a state above the ‘human’ state as far as the ego is concerned. It is ego that keeps us away from nature.
The seeker (yogi) who has the inner knowledge also sees, hears, touches, smells, talks, holds, walks, excretes, breathes, closes his eyes and
sleeps. But he is aware that these actions are done by the sense organs and not by ‘me’. Yogi knows that he is doing everything, but at the
same time, he realizes that it is not ‘me’ who is acting.
Gita talks about the renunciation one should achieve within the house holder’s ordinary life. One should do and experience everything; at
the same time he should reject the ‘ownership’ of such actions. Till today we thought of all actions as ours, but now we realize that they are
not so. If there is any change occurring inside, it must be natural, without even us consciously knowing about it. Renunciation
(Sannyaasa) is not suppressing or forcefully rejecting anything in life. It is being able to do and experience everything in life without
getting attached to the results of such actions.
Sannyaasa is difficult to achieve without ‘karma yoga’. One attains sannyaasa through proper actions. In order to know that the state of
sannyasa is a ‘friend’ and the goal, one should not limit himself. A house-holder does not become a sannyaasi by wearing saffron colored
robes and rosaries (rudraksha). If the wife adorns saffron clothes and calls her husband “son, come here,” he will not be able to
understand that. A house-holder must execute his duties in their respective roles of a sibling, a husband, a wife and a child without falling
in the trap of attachment. A house-holder goes through many complexities of life and they will benefit the most by practicing sannyasa in
their actions; not the monks sitting in forests or caves. One becomes complete by being a ‘sannyaasi’ and it is everybody’s right to be one.
In this sannyaasa, we are not ‘rejecting’ anything, but we are not ‘accepting’ anything either as our own.
IdiveTTu #5
ShaJi

41. The Lord did not ‘create’ this world
Lord of the universe has no ownership of actions and he is not the one who ‘created’ the world. He doesn’t own the world either. He is not
responsible for the appropriation of actions and their results. Everything works in accordance with their own innate behaviour and
nature. Lord is not the one who sits somewhere and ‘orders’ around to ‘provide’ us with something and ‘makes’ us act. One need not find
him, but should know him from within. So don’t proceed with actions on your own and accuse Him of ‘executing’ them.
Those who have controlled their senses mentally renounce all ‘actions’ and thus stay ‘action–less’, even while engaged in various kinds of
activities. This state of having no mental claim of ‘doer-ship’ is the essence of the verse “chatur varNNyam maya srishtam”. I am the doer
and non-doer at the same time. I remain at peace - I am not ‘doing ‘anything nor do I make others ‘do’ anything.

Sannyasa must be the love of our life and we should embrace it wholeheartedly. But the society sometimes look at sannyaasa as a way to
escape from life when failures engulf in one’s life. Running away from life is not sannyasa. Do not tie sannyasa with anything - a sannyasi
is not living by resisting anything. Daily activities are not at all a hindrance to a sannyasi.
Situation of those who perform their actions by submitting everything unto the Brahman, devoid of any thoughts on the fruits of actions is
like water sitting on lotus leaves. He is not getting ‘wet’ by sin or misunderstandings. His life is like that of a lotus – an ideal example to
show how to live life. Roots of the lotus flower is well immersed in the dirty and smelly swamp; but it stays slightly above the water
(world) to spread its radiance and fragrance. Water cannot wet the lotus- but if there is a bit of water on it, that only enhances it’s beauty.
In that water droplet, one can see the reflection of the sun and the moon and even our own image! What we need is the detachment of the
lotus. Remain in the world, slightly above the ‘normal’ level, without making any imprints; but spread the fragrance you attained to the
surrounding world thus becoming one with it. Lord’s eyes, hands etc. are often compared to lotus exemplifying this unique nature- not
because the lotus is soft to touch.

42. Liberation is not a Posthumous Award !
For liberation, one need not wait to die; liberation is possible here and now. Those who have no mis-conceptions and doubts; those who
have self control and have conquered the anger and lust; those who are true friends to all beings and those who are capable of finding
bliss in themselves know Brahman, the ultimate reality and they attain liberation, here and now.
In this life itself, before the death calls upon us, we should be able to control the mental agitation raising from anger and lust. That is all
one need to know. Pleasurable experiences from senses are sources of sorrow because they have a beginning and an end. A wise man does
not get reveled in it- not that he doesn’t experience it. To know something means, to have an insight in to it. While a religious scholar,
proud of his prowess struggles in the waves of ignorance, the wise man who has realized the self will easily escape from the trials and
tribulations of life.
Men of wisdom do not get indulged in the activities of the senses; but for them also, the senses are perfectly functional. A man of
knowledge is not someone ‘out there’; but any one can be wise and knowledgeable by leading an ordinary life in the world. It will take only
a split second to undo the hook of the shackle from within to open up a whole new world of freedom. A lightning in the pitch darkness
shows us for a split second everything that is to be seen around. One will not forget that scene even if the journey after that vision is still
through the darkness. Wisdom is such that once attained, it will not leave you. Remain where you are and recognize this state whole
heartedly. You don’t need to go to Kashi or some Ashrams for that. Even if you are placed in the market place, you should be able to
realize it. You can’t get that wisdom somewhere else! It is within us!
Wise man sees oneness in all; whether it is a Brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog or a dog-eater. He has no sense of separateness. He
doesn’t even have the desire to work or attain anything particular. He has already become that which is to be attained. He is not opposed
to anything.
The Lord is not ‘taking away’ anyone’s sins as His own. He is not taking away anyone’s’ virtues either. It is our misunderstanding that
“Lord gave me all these”. Bhagavan is not the ‘doer’. ‘Doership’ is only a human concept. We say “I did this” due to our ego. The Lord does
not take our ‘doership’ because He wants all of us to evolve and become the Lord. Those who make their actions for exhibition purpose
move away from the Lord.

43. Youth is being ruined by politics and religion.
You should not become weapons that others can use; youth is not intended to be a force of destruction. Youth is the stage when a person
is able to bring out the best in him to be useful to himself and the world. Don’t ruin your youth and waste your precious time of your life
by stoning buses, setting fire to effigies and getting involved in ragging. Politics and religion are using you to get involved in destructive
activities- don’t get into that rut. Youth must be like a banyan tree – it is not pliable for a carpenter for making something or even for fire
wood. At the same time, a banyan tree has an individuality and existence that is a blessing to the surrounding world. Youth has a lot of
energy and it must be directed for noble purposes. Youth is not ‘useless’; they are being ‘used less’. Now useless people are making use of
the youth. Don’t surrender your creativity and individuality at the feet of useless people.
We are our own friend and foe. When we elevate ourselves to evolve as a better human being, we are our friend. When we succumb to
lower tendencies and purse that path, we are our own enemy. We must awaken our tiresome mind by our discriminatory intellect. Do not
slight yourself. The Lord warns that it is not true when some one says “I am there for you”. Because, in fact, there is only “you are there for
you”. Only with your permission you can get in to trouble. You are the one responsible for your own rise and fall. Karma (action) is the
cause for attaining ‘yoga’ state. It was when Laotse of China saw a ripened leaf falling from the branch of a tree that he got realization.
What we need is only a swift moment of a split second to get enlightenment. Once we have this wisdom, we can control our mind and
attain the yoga state.
Those who act in the world without getting attached to the results of their actions is a sannyasi. He is being reborn every second. He is
aware and vigilant like a soldier who has entered the enemy camp, but he is as unattached as an empty street in a city. Those who avoid
doing actions is not a yogi or a sannyasi.
We should keep the stuff ‘outside’ out- Gita advises us not to look outside, but to look inside. Now we look at others to assess their
qualifications. Once you start contemplating on Sri Krishna, the mind typically takes us to ‘Krishnan Nair’ and the money he owes you.
Otherwise we end up in sleep. In meditation we should keep the pace of our breath uniform and should concentrate on a single point. This
is how we realize our dear Lord and be God ourselves. Don’t be afraid of God and don’t threaten others quoting God. If there is anyone
that we shouldn't be scared of, it is God. He is the most dependable friend of all.

44. Meditation
Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna as “Pandawa” to remind him of Pandu who went to the forest after giving up everything. Although Pandu
had left the external world, his internal desires were not extinct and he was burnt to death in the fire of desires (forest fire). If he had
chosen to live in the world, devoid of internal desires, he would not have had to face this fate. Just by giving up one’s actions or choosing a
particular style of life externally, one will not become a sannyasi or a yogi. Sannyasa is a stage where one is able to say good bye to past
actions and their results once for all. Non-attachment is the essence of sannyaasa.
After developing deeper insights in to our conscious mind, we need not depend on anyone else other than ourselves. Once we have won
over ourselves, we are our best friend. For others they are their own worst enemy. All pairs of opposites have the same effect on those who
are peaceful and have control over mind. For those who are steadfast in their resolve, gold and dirt are of equal value. Not that the yogi
will throw away the gold that comes in his way, but he has clear awareness of the truth and cause behind everything. He is aware of their
relative existence, but he is not at all concerned about gaining or losing either one of them.
It is a unique quality to have an attitude of equanimity, and behave equidistant to the pairs of opposites. Not that one should not get
involved in anything; we should act, but with full awareness and perform the action without any emotional attachment to it. Don’t expect
anything- even an expression of gratitude from anyone. Only when the mind is well settled and devoid of worries, one can attain the state
of meditation. One cannot meditate amidst a mayhem.
One develops insight through meditation. Ideal time to meditate (brahma muhoortham) is indeed the time an individual is able to make
his mind calm and serene- may be in the morning or in the evening or at noon time. Sit down at a clean place after cleaning your body and
the surrounding. Don’t sit at a high elevation or at a low place. Fold up a straw mat and spread a piece of thick clean cloth over it to set up
your seat. If you sit on the floor directly, your leg may go numb. Select a room in your home with good air flow, where there are no
distractions. Wear loose comfortable clothes. Don’t start your meditation after eating to help us be alert. Keep your body, neck and head
in one vertical line and without moving, concentrate your sight at the tip of your nose. Be fearless and direct your mind to concentrate in
the consciousness.

45. Don’t cheat yourselves in the matter of meditation
It is not right to think that meditation is beyond reach by the ordinary folks and it is reserved for ‘great’ people only. Any one can master
the art of meditation with training and regular practice, but, we must not cheat ourselves in meditation. It calls for complete sincerity and
surrender, because, in contemplation, we are trying to get to know ourselves. Verses 10 to 14 in the Dhyana yoga Chapter of the
Bhagavad Gita give us the guidelines to do proper meditation. By analyzing my thoughts in contemplation, ‘I’ am becoming aware of the
consciousness that supports the flow of thoughts. Mind is the flow of thoughts that come one after the other. When we observe and
analyze each and every thought and venture beyond it, we become aware of the consciousness. Subtle body is the consciousness that
pervades our inner awareness. Meditation makes us capable of going even beyond the subtle body. We cannot attain the state of
meditation by being stringent like a military exercise. Meditation should become the natural way of life. Both over eating and improper
eating are against meditation, so is oversleeping and the lack of sleep. Everything must be practiced in moderation and in an orderly
fashion. There should be a control in our physical as well as mental activities. One can start practicing meditation anytime, starting from
the young age

46. Only the incomplete are affected by desires
‘I’ pervade everything and if one realizes that ‘I’ am everywhere, he will not have any more needs or desires. Basis of any desire is the
notion that possessing ‘this particular thing’ is going to make me ‘complete’. But we should found our life in the clear understanding that
we are giving reality and legitimacy to the universe and not the other way round. It is the ‘I’ consciousness that is enabling everything
around us to exist. When we enter in to the realm of sleep, there is no time and space as they get dissolved in an unknown realm. Thus we
are entering daily albeit unknowingly in to an experience of bliss. In meditation, we enter in to the state of bliss with full awareness. We
should strive to be like a steady flame.
Eating, sleeping and our activities must be done in moderation. This will enable us in knowing the Truth. We don’t need to put in extra
ordinary efforts to achieve this. Those who follow a proper program of moderate eating, activities for pleasure and work, sleeping and
waking up will definitely benefit from the yoga and they will be sorrow less. In meditation, one is well aware and vigilant, without the
preconceived notions of the past or anxieties of the future. Meditation is a withdrawal in order to recharge our energy. One progresses
from meditation not on to sleep, but on to actions. It is a state of being fully engaged in the present. We will see and hear everything, not
with the external senses, but from within. It is the life force (prana) that is the inner eye of the eyes; and the inner ear of the ears. Think
about the eyes that see and the ears that hear in a dream. In meditation, our subtle senses will be active and we cannot determine what all
thoughts will appear, when and how. They will come, but don’t go after them. A yogi sees himself through the self and he revels in himself.
When we look a tree, if we ‘see’ it with their identity (such as: a mango tree, coconut tree, etc.), we cannot realize the truth behind them.
In mediation, we take the visions and sounds to a realm that is indescribable. This state is beyond thought. The whole universe is a dance
and in dance, the artiste is not separate from the art. They are well integrated with each other. In that meditative state, one can enjoy the
music of the earth and the moon. When we look through a window, if we don’t see anything new, we are incapable of ‘seeing’ anything at
all. Nowadays everyone looks at a thing with a commercial eye and attaches a monetary value to everything. Meditation enables one to
shift the paradigm amidst all the previously existing conditions. It is an ascent towards a higher state. When our mind is unaffected by
distractions, uncompromising and do not depend on anything but the self, all desires will vanish. Mediation is not an external activity.
Some of us always call out the Lord verbally – thereby pretending to be doing meditation outwardly, looking everywhere except inside of
ourselves. The Lord is inside and finding him is the aim and the goal of meditation.
Senses have been built to face and function outwardly; but those who want immortality will seek inward to inquire about the Truth behind
everything.

47. Repudiation is a hindrance to self-realization.
In spiritual life, repudiation is irrelevant. By negation and denial we cannot reach the goal of self-realization.
There is a natural tendency for man to pursue things that are denied to him. The decree of denial goes directly in to his ego and a natural
urge will raise in him to oppose the order. It can be said that denial and negation are food for the ego.
It is better to accept and experience everything rather than negating the existence of something undesirable, such as a ‘bad’ thought. This
allows one to observe ‘them’ carefully and go beyond them by knowing their futile nature. When we accept everything, our ego vanishes.
This is what Lord Krishna demonstrated through his life. During a war, he would be the most fierce fighter, but when he played his
‘lila’ (divine sport), he was fully engrossed in it as well. Increase in competitions is not at all good for a spiritual life. Results of all types of
competitions are terrible -whether it is Olympics or India-Pak cricket match. Ultimately their results will be awful and they create rivalry.
No amount competition can bring about changes, but being able to bring about change is noble indeed.

48. Don’t separate God from you
Statements such as “the Lord is not there, but He is only here”; “He is that and He is not this;” etc., are trying to separate the concept of
God (Iswara) from us. Gita tells us to bring our fickle mind under control, away from the various sense objects and subjects it is presently
engaged in. Then the mind should be brought to the realm of ‘self’. That means, the mind should be re-directed from the sensory world to
God. When we hear the name ‘God’, our immediate thoughts are of the temples or of our prayer room. But those who have realized
everything as God (Isaavaasyam idam sarvvam), wherever the thoughts take him, they will all be nothing but God. Let the mind wander
anywhere, but know that they are all God. Thus we come to know the truth behind all and realize the eternalness of what we experience.
Here we do not belittle or negate any experience.
Bliss is our essential nature. To say that “I am unhappy” is akin to saying that “I am not home” while sitting at our own home. A yogi
cannot say that “I am not Brahman”. Mind that has attained peace, devoid of ego, enjoys the eternal bliss with the help of rajo guna. Just
as a mother sees her children of widely different manners, one should be able to see the eternal truth in all and should be able to develop
equanimity in our outlook. ‘See’ the ‘One’ behind all and ‘see’ ourselves in all. ‘See’ all in our own self as well. The Lord declares that those
who sees himself in all and sees all in himself never perishes. If there exists God in us, it is because of this vision. Alas! Now we seem to
want everything ‘from’ God, and we do not want God Himself. Actions of those who serve the Lord present in all beings with equanimity
are Godly indeed and all his actions take place in God as well.

49 We are the Light on our path
There is no one other than us to shine the light on our path and it is important not to entertain desires that will extinguish this light. Face
the sorrow and happiness with equanimity. Don’t laugh too much – not that we may end up crying a lot later- when laughter arises in you,
do laugh well; when you feel like crying, cry well too; but understand the reasons behind each and realize that both are transitory.
That which is the substratum of this world is complete in itself and we, as the created entities are also ‘complete’. There is no room for the
notion of ‘incompleteness’ as when we ‘take’ infinity out of infinity, it remains as infinity- no less. In fact, we are not ‘taking anything’ out.
We should know the truth that is not subject to modification under time and space. Inquire and realize what is real and what is unreal and
thus we can win over maya.
Mind is attached to the sense organs and it gets agitated by them. Although controlling mind is as difficult as controlling the flow of air, by
relentless effort, one can achieve this. Vairagya is the stage where we are attracted towards the ‘real’ while maintaining no attraction
towards the ‘unreal’. Only those who have their mind as their slave can achieve yogic state. Such a person will closely examine each and
every desire with the help of the intellect to determine whether that desire is worthy to be fulfilled or not. He is a true aspirant to be a
yogi.
A tree has two birds on it. One is jumping from branch to branch eating sweet fruits all the time. The other one is quietly observing the
first bird and its activities. The bird on the move is our mind and the observant bird is the consciousness. Likewise, one should be able to
observe his own mental activities without getting entangled in them.

50 Tune your life just as you tune the strings of a lute
Sleep a lot; or not to sleep at all; eat a lot or not to eat at all; etc. are examples of extreme indulgences peculiar only to humans. Our mind
is always looking for the extremes, not the moderate. When strings of a lute are too tight or too loose, there will be no music. Life style,
spiritual practices, sleeping, eating, etc. should be tuned appropriately like the strings of a lute. Do not take severe and harsh vows as the
mind cannot attain peace if the body is tortured.
Arjuna asks Krishna as to what happens if one dies without attaining complete knowledge even after striving for it diligently. The Lord
assures him that such an effort will not go futile. Those who have started on the path of inquiry will not perish and those who have done
good deeds will not end up in disaster either. The knowledge that was kindled in us will definitely lead us to a state of permanent serenity.
Such a soul will find a suitable environment and body when it takes a new birth – may be in a prosperous house hold or in a family of
knowledgeable people- to complete or advance the inquiry already started in the past life.
Although we are complete, when we take birth, the ‘wholeness’ will only manifest partially. It is akin to having our entire body being tied
down with a rope while the little finger alone has the full freedom to move around. We want to attain completeness and full freedom - we
want to be everywhere and become the universe itself. Once we attain this state of wholeness, there are no more births and deaths.
Some one has tried to teach us about the Ultimate Truth in various ways and our present inquiry is also a continuation of that path of
investigation started by someone, somewhere.
IdiveTTu #6
ShaJi

51 Life is a series of experiences
When Gita says that we would reach the ultimate peace after passing through a number of lives, it means that we would realize the Truth
through a lot of experiences. If for some reason one had to leave this body while inquiring Truth, the subtle body will continue that
inquiry through the next body and so on. It may be because of that we feel familiarity with certain things, even when we see them for the
first time in life. We should do justice to our pursuits for self realization because, even a sincere aspirant who is just keen to know the
secrets behind Yoga will be able to face the fruits of his past actions courageously however unpleasant they may be.
A Yogi is nobler than those who undertake penance or those who are in the path of knowledge. He is even nobler than the karma itself,
because he identifies himselves with the Supreme Truth. He lives the knowledge he has aquired and experiences the ‘Self’ in all. His
actions and wisdom are inseparable.
In the story of Kausika, the noble brahmana, who was trained a scholarly monastery had to finally ‘learn’ about the Supreme Truth from a
house-wife and a butcher! Wisdom, is to know everything by knowing our Self. One should strive to know the Self by taking refuge in ones
own self. It is impossible to partially ‘know’ God. !
Lord Krishna is assuring that he will expound on the knowledge and the corresponding experience, after knowing which one need not
have to know anything more. That Thou Art (thath thvam asi) is one of the great aphorisms (maha vakya). Those who have ‘heard’ it
contemplate upon “the Conciousness is Brahaman” (prajnanam brahma) and “the Self is Brahman” (ayam atma brahma). At the end,
the resulting experience comes out as a declaration- “I am Brahaman” (aham brahmasmi). Only one in thousand strive for this and
among them only one in thousand realize this knowledge through experience.

52 Those who pollute the nature cannot become a devotee
The Lord is explaining his nature: earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect and the conscious ego are all ‘His’ nature. He works in all
these as the supreme Self. Everything in nature is comprised of these 8 components and they are all Lord Himself.
A devotee is always in tune with the nature and he will be able to hear the song of the universe resonating in him. Thus he becomes one
with it. We must behave with utmost respect to the diversity of the nature, the God Himself.
Earth is capable of tolerating everything and it imbibes all variations. Water surpasses all obstracles softly and finds its own path. Fire
cleans everything. We also must be able to imbibe these specialties in our life.
If we do a ritualistic worship of the earth (bhoomi pooja) and distribute sweet in plastic cups, we are actually polluting it. Factories
situated by our rivers emiting poison gas are indeed modern Kaliya (Kaliya, the serpent). For us, different gold ornaments are visible, but
for the seller, they are all mere gold. So also if we know that all are composed of the five elements, we will not fall prey to delusion. We
must be like the sea- sea doesn’t accept anything unnecessary. Even if it is a blade of grass, sea will bring it back to shore, as it doesn’t
want to take it in. If it accepts one blade of grass, all kinds of other grasses also would want to join in, thus altering its innate nature. But I
should remain, maintaining my individuality. Accept those that come naturally- don’t succumb to compromise with whatever comes and
goes.
By doing the rituals after death by the relatives, the dead person is not getting anything really. But we should perform the ritual very
carefully anyway. That is done to rejuvenate the tradition that is asleep. It is also a way of giving solace to ourselves and doing our duty.

53 If there is a leader for Hinduism, the ‘Sanathana Dharma’ will perish.
If a person takes on as the leader of Hinduism, the Sanatana Dharma will perish. The Bhagavad Gita is giving us the courage and
conviction to establish freely and fearlessly without any restrictions imposed by any clergy. Gita is not talking about the Krishna who is
the son of Vasudeva. It is talking about the universal energy (chaitanya) that is the basis of the existence of the universe itself and that
must not be limited to any bodily image. Nature is the gross form of the Lord himself.
In the subtle form, the Lord is the root cause of the life force. From the subtle generates the gross. Everything that has been created in the
universe has been expressed by the union of the subtle and gross form of the Lord. As they are the cause of creation, they indeed are the
cause for dissolution. All these are within the Lord as the pearls strung on a thread. If one looks for the thread of the chain, it is invisible;
but the thread is the most important one as the chain exists because of that. Our ancestors gave forms to the thread in order to develop
devotion and an attitude of surrender to it. They didn’t do it to get anything in return. This thread is not dependent on faith or the lack of
it. It is the subtle essence of everything. It is the wetness of water and it is the brightness in light of the son and the moon. It is the ‘Om’ in
all the Vedas; it is the sound of the sky; it is the humanness in the human beings; smell of the earth and effulgence in the fire. It is the
essence of the life energy and the primordial seed. It is the wisdom of the men of intelligence. It is the effulgent aura of the men of
realization. It is the penance of the yogis and the strength and vitality of the powerful, devoid of lust and desires.
Penance is the concentrated effort of pursuing to realize something, sacrificing all likes and dislikes. Penance is the pain one endures
happily as a mother endures the hardship of pregnancy. All our deeds must be a penance. The efforts put forth by a child learning to write
the first letter of the alphabet and the meditative endurance of the yogi are penance indeed. But if we boast about the hard work done, it
cannot be called a penance. Real power is not the power held by Hitler or Chenghis Khan. Real power is the power of the Lord’s energy
born out of love. Brutal power is cowardly. Power must be used for enhancement and not for destruction.

54. Performing rituals is not serving God
Undertaking rituals is not serving the Lord. Great Sankaracharya himself apologized to the Lord saying that he has committed three
‘mistakes’ – “I mediated upon Your form knowing fully that You are form-less.! I extolled Your virtues with words although words can
never describe You. I went around in pilgrimages pretending to scale Your entire abodes and thereby tried to limit Your unfathomable

vastness”. When we do these, we should do it with the full knowledge of their limitations and realize that they are not the truth itself.
When we go to a temple, we should have this attitude or otherwise, the Lord will be a mere stone for us. Old temples were never used to
be covered in gold nor were there any notices showing information on the cost of doing certain rituals. One shouldn’t go to a temple to get
a job, cure a disease or pass an examination. One should go to the temple to seek the truth and to attain mental peace.
Serving God is to inquire into Him and one wins over the delusion of maya by becoming an inquirer. He is unattached and is dependent
on nothing. He doesn’t have any worldly relationships and he is unaffected by the three ‘gunas’ – satvic, rajasic and thamasic. He has no
concern about anything to be gained or anything to be protected. He has discarded the fruits of actions, the sense of ownership of actions,
and all dualities such as sorrow and happiness. He has even abandoned and surpassed the Vedas to be steadfast in the chosen path of self
realization. Such a person is not affected by maya.
Bhagavan declares that all the three kind – satvic, rajasik and tamasic- of emotions have been originated in Him. “They all exist in Me,
but they are not Me”. It is like the ocean declaring that the waves are in me, but I am not the waves. We do not realize God as we are
covered by the three gunas. Only those who look internally within will know God and win over the power of maya. Those who are
engrossed in sensory pleasures and demonic attitudes will have their knowledge veiled by maya. Such people will end up doing evil acts
and such fools do not attain God.
Three types of people worship God. -those who are suffering due to the fact that they are not achieving the desired objects, those who are
desirous of gathering knowledge or wealth and those who want liberation. Among these, some are very rare and special- they are men of
wisom, steadfast in their conviction that the Lord is not different from them.

55. Those who sees God as an individual is deluded
In order to know who Lord Krishna is, we must refine our outlook. If we take Him as the son of Vasudeva, we will have trouble in realizing
the truth. In Bhagavad Gita, He declares that those who are not intelligent enough to know my changeless and sacred nature treat me as
an individual although I cannot be limited by any form. We must realize that this is true for us also, because, if we relate ourselves just as
individuals, we will start limiting our potential. No one can see the Lord as his vision is covered by the veil of maya consisting of names
and forms. Unperceptive people do not know that the Lord was never born and so, He has no death either. For those who are born, death
is inevitable. When we celebrate Srikrishna Jayanthi, (Lord Krishna’s birthday), we must be aware of this truth. Only unintelligent people
will consider birth and death as important.
Some people want to limit God as a sculpture or a piece of metal within the confines of the temple walls. Religion depends on ensuring
that God will not show up, so that we can keep calling out for Him!. Nowadays people are afraid of ‘knowing’ God, because we have a lot of
desires and we are afraid that we may loose them. Our God is where our attention is and due to our innate tendencies, we serve particular
deities to satify these desires. For those who depend on these devas (sense objects), the Lord gives them unwavering attention to satisfy
their needs. We get what we seek from the deities we propitiate. Those who want the Lord, they attain the Lord and for those who want to
get ‘from the Lord’, that is also provided. All that we experience in life are the results of our own asking. There is no point in blaming
situations and circumstances when undesirable things happen. Sri Budha asks: how dearly do you love those shackles that prevent you
from attaining your goal! People engage in and enjoy activities that bind us, sometimes as a household, despite the fact that they may be
denigrating to us. All achievements obtained as a result of the prayers by us,the limited intellect will eventually perish. But at the end of
enumerable number of lifes, men of wisdom realize that Everything is Vasudevan, the Lord.


56. Do not describe our world as hell
People who pray to God to liberate them out of the ‘hell’ they are presently in will not flourish. Such people will always make a hell
wherever they go or live in. It is not fit for a devotee to portray his surrounding as hellish. That kind of an outlook is against all our
scriptures. Treat our surroundings to be the best it can possibly be. Human life is considered to be the most virtuous and the Lord asks us
not for making a mere external change, but for bringing the change from within.
Conducting protests and demonstrations in the name of God is not wise at all. One need not establish the Lord’s position and reputation
forcefully by protests because He is beyond all that we can do. Leave the people alone when they say undignified things about Gita. Only
the imprudent would call a conference to protest against such people.
“I know everything that happened and all that is going to happen because I am eternally present. Although I am ever present, no one
‘knows’ Me”, says the Lord. He means that, no one is realizing the eternal truth which is nothing but the self that is witnessing everything.
The pairs of opposites (happiness/sorrow, profit/loss, honour/dishonour, etc.) are direct results of our likes/dislikes and are created by
the body. But those who undertake actions with a meditative mind will go beyond the pairs of opposites by removing the misapprehension
and they will remain steadfast in their convictions.
“Those who have controlled their minds will know Me even at the time of their death”. This is a spontaneous revelation. Once I ‘know’ it,
‘I’ am not there to know it. I will leave this world knowing that I am beyond the world. Those who strive with the full conviction to attain
liberation from the birth-death cycle will come to realize Brahman, spiritual secrets and they will comprehend the karma principle.

57. Observe death just as you witness a sand house being destroyed by the sea
Just as we walk away smiling when we see the sandhouse we made so carefully getting washed away by the sea, we should be able to get
away from the attachment to the body when it perishes.
Adhibhootam is the state of being ephemeral. Adhidaivatam is the state of eternity. The Lord is the presiding force in the body and one
knows Him even at the time of death. He will know his own nature (Brahma), the eternal and supreme reality, along with its spiritual
purport, the Jeeva bhavam. He will also comprehend the nature of karma.
We attain the same state of being as what we remember at the time of shedding our body. Those who remember the Lord at the time of
death will attain Him. Those who remember sense objects will attain those as well. Only if we can comprehend the Lord while we are alive
and well, will we be able to remember the Lord at the time of death. So our mind should always remember Him. This doesn’t mean that
we should be chanting aloud the Lord’s name every moment. It is the state of clear understanding that there is nothing other than the
Lord and all our activities are worship of the Lord (Brahma pooja). No one can predict the time of death and so we must incessantly keep
the Lord in mind.
By regularly meditating with a steadfast mind, man attains the supreme purusha who is self effulgent. Those who medidate upon the
higher, even at the time of death, with one pointed concentration, aimed at the centre of eyebrows will attain liberation. This supreme
essence (param porul) is the all knowing, timeless, controller of the world. He is self effulgent as Sun, the atom of the molecules and the
substratum of everything, although He cannot be comprehended.
‘Om’ (pranava) is the ‘object’ of silent meditation that is to be done sitting alone at a place without distraction. A life led by remembering
pranava will liberate us. This meditation should not be a symbol of conflicts. Displaying the symbol Om on the walls and telephone posts
of the streets to threaten others is akin to ridiculing Sanatana Dharma. When we display pranavam outside, it will stay outside. We
should wear it inside us and write it on the walls of our hearts. Don’t throw it on the streets as a road divider or for securing own land.
People use religeous symbols for these purposes as they know that the government will not touch them in a so-called secular country. The
fact is that they do not value symbols of their own religion.

58. We are ever awake in Brahman
When we sleep, we are in the Brahman state of being; so should we be in Brahman state when we are awake as well. Worlds such as
Brahma loka (experiencial world) are cyclical in nature. They come and go. Even Lord Brahma has birth and death. Only the one who has
attained God will get away from the cycle of birth and death and for them there is no return. Lord Brahma’s day time is one thousand
eons. Night is also that long. Those who understands this ‘knows’ time. He realizes that we are insignificant in comparison to the universe.
Lord is beyond time. Our concept of time starts with the ‘second’ because the Lord is the ‘first’. Gita imparts the knowledge that, it is
impossible to comprehend the premordial state of being, that is before time, even before the knowledge itself. An endeavour undertaken
without the attached desires, knowing this truth is a true selfless act.
In the day of Brahma, movable and immovable beings spring forth and appear from the latent unmanifested energy – chaitnaya prakriti.
In the night, all these will return to the unmanifest state. Our life is also like this; the world around us manifests when we are awake.
When we sleep, there is no world. The world is there only for the awakened. Once awake and awakened to the higher state a little, we will
realize that we do spend a lot of energy on insignificant things. Living entities come to life again and again with the Lord’s knowledge. Not
even a tree leaf will move or fall without his knowledge.
With one pointed devotion, we can attain Lord who is omnicient and ever present in all that is manifested. He is easily accessable to those
who remember him incessantly. Let the mind wander wherever it wants, but know that everything is Lord. To attain God is not to get
attached to anything impermanent. Pranavam (Omkaram), the essence of all sounds, is the sacred mantra to attain the supreme goal.

59. Love all; do not see faults in others
When you love all, you cannot see faults in anyone. Jealousy is the origin of all fault findings. When you superimpose faults in the virtues
of others, it becomes jealousy. Only when we are devoid of jealousy we will be able to know the supreme truth.
Knowledge that reveals the principles of the self is the secret of all secrets and the king of all wisdom. It is pure, perfect and it can be
comprehended. It is easy to practice and it is in accordance with Dharma. It is imperishable. The Lord who has no specific form, but He
fills the entire universe. All are in Him; but He is not in any of them. This is the state of dettached attachment. “I am not the doer, nor the
enjoyer”, says the Lord. “I am just a witness of nature”. We also must develop this attitude. Emotions can rise in us, but we should not
happen in emotions.
Those who are not careful about this Dharma and its results continue to dwell in the world of plurality. Those who leave this body in fire,
day time, full moon and when the sun is in its Northern traverse (uttaraayanam) will attain Brahma. Others who leave in smoke, night,
new moon and when the sun is in its southern traverse (dakshinayanam) will return to the world of samsara.

The path of light is the path of knowledge. When the person who does virtuous deeds guided by the path of knowledge leaves his body, it
is uttrayanam. Dakahinayanam is the path of people who have the misunderstanding that “I am the body”. So live your life and act
beyond the limitations of time. Do not consider that it is ignoble for a leaf to fall in a sewer; nor it is noble just because it fell inside the
temple compound.
If our mind runs after any desire, it will not reach its desitnation. So act without any attachment to desires to go beyond all limitations.

60. What we need is logically sound knowledge
Supreme knowledge is beyond logic, but the inquiry in to that knowledge requires a logical approach that is scripturally ordained. Only an
ignorant person will keep extolling the Lord’s virtues like a politician blabbering on his favourite topic. Lord says that those who do not
realize my noble attribute as the controller of ‘all’, is actually ridiculing me as someone who is dependent on a human body. Inquire in to
the attributes of the creater through the created. There is no god separate from trees, water, creatures or the earth.
Everything exists in god just as the air fills vast expands of the space. We also should exist like this. Don’t ‘try to do’ anything, but do
everything any way. Gain everything without claiming anything. Deluge is when everything gets absorbed in the Lord (pralayam) and
from Him comesforth all living and non-living beings. Due to own innate tendencies, influended by the nature, these will come to life
again and again.
These actions do not affect the Lord as He is devoid of any attachment in them. He remains as if He has no interest at all.
Those who have futile desires end up undertaking fruitless actions guided by the useless knowledge are mis-guided in their intellect. They
are under the influence of violent, lustful and arrogant nature (aasuriikam). But men of wisdom serve the impershable Lord with one
pointed vision realizing that He is the cause of everything. To serve others is to serve Lord. With a humble attitude, one should meditate
upon the Lord and extoll His virtues with utmost care and hard work. Any conversation we engage in diligently is indeed a prayer
(keerthana). It is this humility that is being portrayed in the Gita as stringing a bow. When we string a bow, the lower end will rise up and
the upper end will come down. This is indicative of the ego getting perished and the rising of self awareness. With prostration, we attain
the state of self-control.

61 To take revenge is not the way of “sanatana dharama”
One cannot limit the Lord to a particular time period or to a geographical area. People misunderstand the means of achieving a goal for
the goal itself. All known sacred places are now subjects of controversy; be it Jerusalem, Hazarathbal or Ayodhya. Ayodhya is not the
name of a geographical area. It is the land where all fighting has ended. People do not understand it to be the human mind itself.
We say that the Lord is the embodiment of compassion and peace; but we get upset and threaten others when someone talks ill of the
Lord! It doesn’t make any sense! If some draws a cartoon or says something about the Lord, there is no point in getting upset. No anti-
social elements can injure the Lord! When the Lord himself is unaffected, why should we feel injured?
Some see the completeness of the universe through the yagna of knowledge gathering. Some worship the reality as one single entity where
as the others worship Him as many. The ritual of yagas, scripturally ordained actions, yagna by the sages, food dedicated to the
forefathers, medicines, mantras, the clarified butter poured as oblations to the fire and the yaga of fire are all Lord (Iswara). When
accepting these also, do that with the attitude of “everything is Lord”.
All contradictions are also Him, but He is unaffected and He exists beyond all these. Lord is the father, mother, and grand parents of
everyone. What we must ‘know’ is the Lord who wears the universe. He is the veda; He is the Omkara, the pranava. He is the ultimate
goal; he is the governor, the administrator, the witness and the seat and substratum of everything. He is the friend, the creator, sustainer
and annihilator. He is the changeless seed that is imperishable. He is behind heat, cold and the rain. He is the death and immortality. He
is the existance in all that exist and He is the emptiness in all that is void. Those who do scriptural rituals reach heaven and when the
merits of their virtues get depleted, they return to the realm of human life. Those who are concentrating their efforts in virtuous deeds
expecting good results will end up repeating the cycle of births and deaths
IdiveTTu #7
ShaJi

62. Realize the potential from within
We must endeavour to realize and bring forth the amazing potential latent within us, meaning, we must not forgo the opportunity for us
to become the Lord himself. The Lord says in the Gita that “I accept even a drop of water, a leaf, a flower, or a fruit submitted with care
and devotion”. This means that He is ready to accept whatever we are giving Him with utmost care- not that He expects us to harvest and
submit all the fruits and flowers to the temple. This is about the symbiosis of the macrocosm and the microcosm. This is the jist and secret
of life cycle.
All life forms were originated in water. It is the leaf that came out of water becomes our food. Flowering is the process of becoming able to
create a progeny and the life of a flower finds its completion in becoming a fruit. It becomes the seed for the next life. When we are able to
understand our path of progression from the life force originated in water, our attitude will become submissive and humble. It is this
humility that the Lord accepts. If one ‘knows’ this secret once, he becomes the Lord. There is no distinction after that.
Whatever we do –eating, enjoying, submitting material in the sacrificial fire as oblation, giving charitable donations, undertaking penance
– all should be done with an attitude of submission unto Him. Then ‘I’ will not be there. We will never be able to say: I did…, or because of
me…, or I , or me,…etc. Whatever is being done is all Lord himself. That is service to the Lord. Then brushing the teeth will become
‘brahma pooja’. Taking bath becomes bathing the beloved Lord. ****ual intercourse will be equivalent to a sacrificial ritual. The Lord says
that He will look after the one who meditates on ‘me’ without getting entangled with any other thoughts. “Sri Krishna is the one and only
god”is not stated as a ‘claim’ here. I am the self and the 'other' gods are thoughts that wander and subjects that are related to senses.
Leave all those and concentrate only on the supreme self, that is ‘Me’

63. Gita refuses all kinds of discriminations.
Gita refuses to discriminate anyone and declares that all are entitled to learn scriptures. Sr Krishna declares that the traditionally
discriminated group of people – the ladies, men of commerce (vaisyas), service class (soodras), people of illegitimate birth – all will
attain the ultimate goal by approaching ‘me’. All differences cease to exist when we ‘know’ Him.
Even a criminal- who is the epitome of worst behaviour- would be able to become noble if he applies his mind towards that goal. The
culture of Bharatha is not keeping anyone at bay based on their behaviour. If one happens to ‘know’ the Lord, he becomes immortal.
Meditating upon the Lord with complete concentration, persevering to gain knowledge, devotional service, etc. are different paths to
reach the supreme self. Even the people who worship deities of sensory experiences are also ultimately worshiping the Lord only. He has
created them too. But as that worship is not well ordained, there could be some descend. We should show our obeisance to the principle
behind the image and not to the image itself. In this impermenant and sorrowful world, one should worship the Lord all the time to attain
happiness and immortality. This doesn’t mean that one should chant the Lord’s name all the time. All our day to day activities are to be
done by remembering the Lord and with out attachments to the fruits of action. That is the incessant ‘bhajan’, or non stop worship.
Lord is the embodiment of equanimity. He has no love or hatred towards anything. He doesn’t have affection for the one who extolls His
virtures nor will He be angry with the one who talks ill of Him. He is not giving anything to anyone either. The Lord exists in those who
realize the self, the ‘atma chaithanya’; and they exist in Him. Gita teaches us as to how to become God; not how to get something out of
Him.

64. Accept and then internalize
Do not avoid anything for the sake of it; do not hinder anything. Accept all and then internalize everything to help evolve them to
perfection. Non-violence, sense control, compassion towards other beings, patience, peace, penance, meditation and truth are flowers
dear to the Lord. Those who always count everything as ‘mine and theirs’ are violent in nature. Even the thought that ‘I am not going to be
violent towards anyone’, is violence. The moment we think ‘mine and theirs’, violence has taken birth with it.
Intelligence, knowledge, discrimination, patience, truthfulness, willingness to suffer for attaining the higher, contentment, pleasure, pain,
nothingness, fear, refuge, non-violence, equanimity, happiness, penance, charity, reputation or notoriety etc. are workings of the mind, all
originated from the Lord. The seven sages (sapta-rishi) and four ‘manus’ are His mental attitudes. Manu’s are the four states of the mind-
waking, dreaming, sleeping & awakened (jagrat, swapna, sushupti and thureeya) states. Seven sages are the seven qualities of the mind -
cunnigness, profit-motiveness, impracticality, practicality, day dreaming, intellectualism and thoughtlessness. These are like electricity
manifesting through different equipment. Breeze, light and heat are all created by the electricity, but these are not electricity itself. One
should know the expanse (vibhoothi) and the symbiotic relationships of entities to each other. It is the maya that makes the ‘One’ appears
to be ‘many’. ‘Vistaram’ is the concept of expanding the truth to be as vast as the universe. In this, ‘yoga’ is the ‘dettached attachment’.
Lord is the beginning of all. Everything is working in Him. By keeping our mind well established in the truth and by integrating the life
force (prana) with pranava (Omkara), we would realize this noble and mutually complementary relationship. “Even the divine beings
(devas) and sages (maharshis) do not know my origin, because I am the pre-mordial entity existent even before their origin” says the
Lord. Devas are senses and maharshis are mind and the intellect. The Lord is beyond all of them.

65. Treat the Nature as our Guru
The nature knows everything and it is waiting to impart wisdom to us. If we sit down in a corner with a sincere question churning in our
mind, even a mosquito will be able to impart the truth- “Brahma-sathyam - Bhaman alone is Truth”. We can understand everything from
the humming of a mosquito. Go to a garden, flowers will impart knowledge to you. Nature is not blessing us enough because we think that
saffron-clad monks are the only ones capable of teaching the eternal Truth. What is God and how are we to ‘know’ Him? The Lord
explains them in detail in the “vibhoothi yoga”. His explanation is inexhaustible but here we try to look at the most important sections
only. Soul – the atma- within everything is the Lord. He is the beginning, middle and the end.
The best imagery for someone to meditate upon is Sun. Sun blesses the whole universe by giving life and nourishment to all. He imparts
light that is capable of removing the darkness of ignorance. We should also become Sun-like, spreading the light of wisdom to the
surroundings. Sun in the macrocosm is like the intelligence in the microcosm. When our intelligence is hot, our mind should be cool.
Moon is the mind and no conflicts should be allowed to raise there. We should keep in us always the Sun and the Moon as they
significantly influence us. Ignorance is the only thing that the Lord destroys in us. Darkness of the ignorance is removed by the wisdom of
light. God is bliss, but many people search for it in vain without knowing how to attain it. Everything that is noble as well as ignoble has
come from the Lord. Bhagavad Gita doesn’t discriminate the noble things and beings as godly, nor the ignoble things and beings as
satanic.

66. Vision within a Mirror house
We should realize the Lord’s glory as we see ourselves in the myriad of reflections as we enter a mirror house. All are our own images; but
they are all Lord’s as well. When we bark like a dog at those images, they will also bark back at us until we are tired of these futile
utterances. The whole activity has taken place because of the ignorance that the image is indeed our own. Once we realize that it will be a
blissful experience.
The Lord explains His most significant glories by taking the most special in each category of things and beings. Each of those embodies
the greatness of the particular category. Once we know that it is the Lord Himself, there is no need to talk about the others. The Lord is
thus giving a goal for each of us to behold and pursue. He is show casing all the possibilities that can be achieved and guiding us as to
what we should all try to become unto like Him. Those greatnesses explained by the Lord are highly inspirational and worth meditating
upon.
He is Vishnu among the adityas; He is Sun among the glowing objects; He is marichi among the maruths; He is the moon amongst the
stars; Sama in Vedas; Indra amongst the Devas; Mind among the senses, Energy in living beings; Sankara among Rudras; Kubera among
yakshas, Fire among the vasus; Meru among mountains; Brahaspati among Gurus; Lord Subrahmanya among warriors; Ocean in water
bodies; Brugu among sages; Omkara in words; Japa in yagnas; Himalaya among the unwavering; Banyan in trees; Narada in celestial
sages; Chitrarathan in Gandharvvas; Sage Kapila among siddhas; Ucchaisravas among horses; Iravatham among elephants; kings among
men; Vajra among weopons; Kamadhenu among cows; Kamadeva among the progenitors. Vasuki among serpants; Anantha among
snakes; Varuna among water-based beings; Aryama among the forefathers; Lord Yama among the implementers of the law. Prahlada
among the demons; Time among concepts; lion among animals; Garuda in birds; Wind among the cleaning agents; Sri Rama among the
weapon wielders. Makara among fishes; Gamga among rivers; Spiritual virtue among knowledge; dialogue among the debaters; Letter ‘A’
among the alphabets; dual conjugates among sandhis; time among that which are imperishable; All encompassing ruler and lawgiver, etc.
are all Lord’s glories. These are all highly inspirational indeed.

67. There is no difference between an atheist and a believer.
An atheist and a believer are standing in one place! The atheist negates the energy behind the world, but accepts the world as real. A
believer accepts the God, but negates the world as real. Both leads to division. Gita does not ask you to think against the world. Gita
enables you to know the Lord and the world simultaneously. We have been learning the universe using many measures that we have
devised over the time, none of these measures will be able to assess the universal truth.
Glory of the great ladies, prosperity, words, memory, courage and patience are all Lord himself. We should give god-level respect to what
the women have to say because they are more patient and courageous than men. The Lord is Gayatri Mantra among the hymns. Gayatri
is not any one religion’s property. By chanting that hymn we meditate upon the ultimate truth that is the substratum of everything. May
that divinity be the guiding light that inspires our mind which has been matured through righteous thoughts and actions. It is said that if
a pregnant lady chants and meditate on Gayatri, her offspring will become bright and intelligent.
Do not accept knowledge without the maturity to imbibe it because that will cause many misunderstandings. It is like warning some one
not to enter a nuclear reactor without the necessary precautions! That is why in the old days, it was insisted that only a ‘qualified’ person
should enter the temples. Now it is doubtful if even the priests are well qualified. They are concentrating more on the rituals. Anyone who
has realized the universal energy- Brahma Chaithanya- can become a priest and thus make the temple an avenue to know god. Otherwise
it will degrade itself and become something else.
In sama songs, He is brahat sama; in months, He is dhanu (December); He is the spring in seasons; effulgence in those who have it;
endeavour and winning; nobility of the noble people; Vasudeva among Vrishni Clan; Arjuna among the Pandawas; Vyasa among sages;
Sukra among poets; law and order of the winners; silence in the secrets and knowledge of the wise are all the Lord (Bhagavan) Himself.

68 Priests Hinder the Universal Vision
Lord is ‘claiming’ that He is the game of dice among gambling and the whipping among punishments to indicate that He is everything,
noble and the ignoble. There is no end to His vast and omniscient glory. The whole world is but a small part of Him and He shows Arjuna
His Universal form. That vision is as bright as if a thousand suns had risen at once in the sky. Arjuna sees many things that he had never
seen before. As this vision is impossible to perceive with the ordinary human eyes, Lord Krishna gave him the divine eyes to behold the
Universal Vision.
Innumerable faces; eyes; wonderful scenes; divine ornaments and weapons adorn that form. The whole world is in it along with its many
divisions, forms and colors. It encompasses the first cause of the universe, divine beings; movables, immovables and the nature itself. The
Lord is giving an indication to us that we also should be able to ‘see’ the universal vision when we see others. The viswaroopa (universal
vision) episode should not be taken as a story about someone in history getting a divine gigantic vision. No Calendar can portray it. No
lines in a drawing can depict it. Each one will get his vision in his own unique way. If we are able to get the vision of unity in diversity, that
is, no doubt the universal vision. One cannot see it with the ordinary eyes- it takes the inner eyes of wisdom to behold it.
Once we get the universal vision, there will be no more religions. All priests will end up removing their robes and retire. Priests insist that
these are ‘old stories’ and ordinary people cannot see the vision. They also discourage all kinds of enquiries. At present, our vision is
limited as if seeing a palace through a key hole- seeing bits and pieces of the magnificent building. What we should do is to open the doors
widely to get a complete vision.

69. All Scenes are Universal Vision
Lord’s universal vision is not all-blissful. Understand that everything is part of it. Good and bad. Blooming of a flower and the most pitiful
incident are in it. We should be able to see both with the same attitude as life will pose in front of us many experiences, including many
heart-breaking incidents. Gita provides us strength to deal with such situations. Frightening scenes are also part of the universal vision.
Lord fills everywhere- sky, earth and the space between. Arjuna says that by seeing this wonderful frightening form, every one in the three
worlds was petrified. ‘He’ had numerous mouths, eyes, thighs, hands, feet, stomachs and canine teeth. It was a horrifying scene indeed. It
had no beginning or end, it had huge eyes, and the mouth was spewing fire. The people from the clan of Kaurava and Pandawa, the
grand sire Bheeshma, Perceptor Drona and the warrior Karna were all fast approaching that terrible mouth of fire. Some were seen with
broken down bodies stuck between His teeth. It was like flies falling in to the fire and several rivers flowing unto the ocean. All are moving
closer to the mouth of death. The same energy field is the cause behind the sun and the moon giving effulgence to the whole world by
extending His infinitely long arms. All actions and plans of the external world are included here in the depiction of the universal vision.
Arjuna, having held this vision, realizes that the Lord is the ultimate Brahman. He is the substratum of everything. It is imperishable and
the soul of the universe and is in charge of implementing all natural and righteous laws. This is the wisdom one should get through the
universal vision (viswaroopa darsanam). The Lord is not sitting in one place as He is everywhere. He is everywhere we look and see and
not see. No one can give you special divine eye to see Him nor you can accept it from some one else. It is the maturity one develops to find
the self through ultimate love and surrender. Any one can have this level of vision. Then he can ‘see’ an ocean in a drop of water and the
whole forest within a seed.

70 Rules are Caged Boundaries
Lord Krishna revolted against rules in his life and he didn’t approve traditions for the sake of accepting them. But He gave fullness to
everything He touched. Gita is giving us the complete freedom, and it enables us to open up our own path. Gita urges us to break out of all
the shackles and get out of the cages so that we can walk on your own. You would not need the help of any priests or middlemen when you
stand on your own.
After beholding the wonderful, terrible and gigantic universal vision of the Lord, Arjuna says: Oh Lord, I bow unto thee. This is the
attitude we should develop. We typically curse the Lord at tragic circumstances. When facing complex situations, and dealing with
situations that are beyond our control, what we should develop is not an attitude of judgement, but a mentality that “I want to know Him,
who is behind everything”. This will lead to better clarity in our life. With the attitude of the universal vision (attitude), even ugly
sceneries will become beautiful. There, good and bad, real and unreal, and all dualities end. Lord is the time that is ‘destroying’ the world
every moment of passing. But this is the way of sustaining the world as relentless change is the basis of existence itself.
Lord Krishna says that “these warriors will die even if you are not there to kill them. Death is also a definite thing born with a birth. You
are only playing a part”. Act out in the world with this attitude and enjoy the world with all its prosperity. It is said that by seeing the
universal vision, all ran hither and thither to indicate that all continue to act in the world relentlessly in presence of the Lord. Through the
Viswaroopa Darsana, Arjuna relaized that Lord Krishna is the ultimate truth that is beyond the real and the unreal.

71. Remove the Lord from all Names and Forms
Arjuna prayed to the Lord to pardon his indiscretions. By omission, he called Him a friend, by the name Krishna, comrade and Yadav.
This is the realization in Arjuna that the Lord is not an individual. It is also the realization that the individual I considered as my father,
mother, wife, friend, child, husband, etc. so far is not that person in the real sense. There can be dialogue only between individuals. He is
not an individual, and all our arguments are irrelevant. He is a presence – experience it, remove Him from all boundaries of names and
forms.
All rituals are meant for developing concentration through submission for arriving at a meditative state of mind. These rituals are not to
be done by others for you. They are to be done by you without any compulsion from outside. Arjuna is addressing Him as Viswa moorthe
(Oh! the one with the universal form!). Only when we remove Him from all imageries of individual forms would HE become the Viswa
moorthy. If we ‘see’ Him in one form; we are limiting Him to just that one form. He has thousand hands; we also have thousand hands
and that many possibilities.
Krishna assures Arjuna that no one else would be able to see the Viswa roopam, even if they do scriptural studies, charity work or
penance. Here Arjuna represents us, who are keen and anxious to know. The Lord consoles Arjuna by telling him not to be scared or
mesmerized by His terrible form. Then he assumes the noble form of Sri Krishna. In the universe there are two forms- one that we like
and the other, we don’t. Some people see only the drawbacks and problems in life. Only when we work with the attitude of ‘everything is
Lord’ would our knowledge turn into wisdom. In that wisdom, the Lord becomes the Father of the universe, guru, air, death, fire, god of
the seas, Varuna, Moon, creator, ancestor, etc, etc. Bow down and prostrate to the earth by submitting own body unto it. Think of the path
you traversed. With this attitude of humility, we should see the universe. Then each of us will find and develop our own explanations for
the Gita.

72 We Must ‘See’ the Ultimate as well as the Apparent Truth
We learn history as the journey of mankind from the period of ignorance to the time of know-how that is today. That is, the stone age to
the modern age. But the sages had a different way of learning the history all together.
The Upanishads say: son, there existed the knowledge and the truth alone and from there the journey has been towards ignorance. Lord
didn’t create the world out of nothing- as nothing can be created out of nothing. When that noble ‘stuff’ desired to become many, it
occurred so. Because many things came out of the one, it appears that many creations have occurred. This treatment of the subject matter
is available only in the upanishads and the Gita, not in the scriptures of other traditions. Universal vision is to ‘see’ the real in everything.
We must see the truth that is apparent and the Truth that is ultimate. We must be able to enjoy the sunrise with the full understanding
that it is an unreal phenomena, because the sun never rises or sets. It just exists. Sunrise and sunset are the illusions of the people living
in this world. The main hindrance to see the Lord is the burden of desire we carry along with us. When we see a flower with the desire of
owning it, we loose the vision of the flower itself.
Only with the unwavering devotion can one see and realize the Lord. A real devotee is always vigilant, but the modern devotees tend to
leave everything to the Lord and do nothing. Those who act for Him, those who have Him as the only goal and those who have no enmity
towards all will attain Him. (when we have different aims and when desire for ‘other things’, we will not attain that blissful state) We are
afraid that if we keep our ultimate goal as the Lord we may not ‘get’ all the ‘other things’. But the fact is that, once we attain the Lord, all
‘other things’ will fall in place properly. Lack of clarity in our goals is the problem here.
Arjuna asks Krishna: who is the nobler? the saguna (through deities, temples and rituals) worshipper or the nirguna (treating Lord as the
formless ultimate reality with no attributable qualities) worshipper ? The Lord tells Arjuna- just as a loving mother would tell her child
holding his hands: “you are my precious son”. He says that a little child requires a lot of care and guidance, but those who worship me
without any attributes is nobler indeed. They meditate without limiting Me, in any name, form, or space.


73 Those who Love do not Perish
When eating a sweet fruit, tell it: “I am taking your sweetness, but dear fruit, you will not perish. I assure you that you will live on as sweet
words I give to others”. This is submission, meditation and love. In love, there is no death. There is no buying and selling; no one is
eloping and there is no marriage. We mistake lust for love. Lust can lead to destruction where as love is devotion. We develop care from
love. Care is the attitude a mother has toward her child who is playing in the yard even while she is busy working in the kitchen. From this
comes inquiry. We all must become god-inquirers, not believers. An inquirer will keep his pursuits on until he attains the goal.
One can worship anything in nature as the Lord. Be it a piece of stone, wood, fire, tree, water, sun, or soil – anything is fit for worship. The
object we selected is of no significance – sun itself or a bit of soil, doesn’t matter- but with what care do we worship, is the significant
question. An Idol (vigraha) is something that gives us a clear grasp on the essence it conveys. Temples are the keys to the lock that is
Iswara. Concepts of temples have come forth from the depths of human consciousness and no one is capable of negating their validity. A
temple should, through reflection, resonate the mantra sound in the atmosphere thereby eliminate stray thoughts from the devotees
mind to lead him to one pointed concentration. In the old days people went to temples to attain God consciousness- not merely for getting
a job, for getting married or for getting cured of a disease. Such trivial visit to the temple is being careless in our pursuits.
Worshipping the Lord in some form is Saguna worship. There is no one in the world, who can say that he is not a saguna-worshipper. In
the national flag, the nation is represented. In party flags we see the party and instead of chanting mantras, we chant party slogans.
Instead of temples, we build memorials for the fallen comrades. Those who ask what is wrong in destroying temples do not want their
party flag destroyed even though it is only a piece of cloth. Even to say good morning (suprabhatam) and bidding goodbye (subhayatra)
in sanscrit is considered religious by some ‘modern’ folks! Everything is about projecting our own beliefs on to some object to worship
that entity. If one is considered a ‘blind belief’, everything is so. There is no rational mind needed when we can see and believe something.
Rationalization is required in order to ‘see’ something beyond the obvious and visible. One can achieve God through worship in ether way
– by meditating on the Lord with a form or without a form. There is no need of temples and rituals to realize God. Having them is not a
hindrance either. There is no conflict between the two approaches. Both are noble indeed.

74 Live Revelling in Reality
Worshipping the Lord without a form is revelling in Brahma that is devoid of any modifications. But know that It helps others to move; It
is imperishable, in comprehendible and omnipresent. It is motionless as It covers the whole space. In this worship, one controls his
senses of action, knowledge and the mind. He develops the sense of equanimity and he is interested in the wellbeing of all. For those who
are body conscious, this worship is difficult to pursue.
Those who mediate by submitting all actions unto Him (that is to have the mind and the intellect aligned with the hands and legs, i.e,
actions) without wishing for results, but with ultimate care will escape from the ocean of death and the worldly trials and tribulations
(samsara). Gita advises many methods to meditate on the Lord.
Keeping the mind and intellect attached steadfast in Him is one method. Take everything in the universe and observe them in two ways-
one that is with ‘me’ and the other without ‘me’ in it. If the vision is with ‘me’ in it, it will be incomplete and that is the duality – the nature
and ‘me’ are different in this notion. When ‘I’ perish, then there is only the world and in this notion of complete surrender everything gets
purified. This is meditation.

Gita advises us not to withdraw from the pursuit just because we are unable to control our mind. He assures us that by regular practice,
this can be overcome. If that is impossible, do all actions for the Lord’s sake. Do actions that will enable us to fulfil our own life’s purpose.
If one is incapable of doing this, act well in the world with restraint, but sacrifice the fruits of actions. Now in this concept, there is no
‘doer’; there is only witness. This is living life in the real sense. Our mind travels from the real to the unreal. Accept all experiences –good
and bad- with the knowledge that none of these are really ours.
It is noble to get knowledge through exercise; but nobler is the meditation resulting from the knowledge. Meditation leads to sacrificing
the fruits of action and from there emanates peace. If we have experienced peace any time, that must have been associated with some sort
of sacrifice.

75. Devotees do not have Complaints or Expectations.
Lord Krishna explains the characteristics of the devotees who are dear to Him. Those who are devoid of hatred or disgust toward anyone
and anything; those who are compassionate and are friendly with all; those who are impartial to all; those who are unselfish; those who
are patient; those who are ever contended; those who submit their unwavering mind and intellect unto Him, are all dear to me. World is
not getting agitated because of any true devotees. World is not giving agitation in the devotees mind either. There should be no conflict
between the nature and man. Don’t judge anything to be better than the other. Such judgements are all mistaken mental imaginations.
Devotees are free from happiness, anger, fear and anxiety and worry. They will not have any complaints or expectations. When one
realizes that everything is Lord, there is no need for expectations. Silence is the state of mind devoid of expectations. Annihilation of
enemies (shatru samharam) for a devotee is to eliminate ignoble emotions. There are no other enemies for a devotee.
“Those who do not have any needs and therefore no desires to be fulfilled, intelligent people who have not gone under the influence of
blind beliefs, people who are clean in their thoughts and actions, those who are impartial to all, those who are not swayed by worries and
those who have sacrificed the attitude of doer-ship are all My devotees. They do not rejoice in temporary pleasures and gains and they do
not accuse anyone. They do not have any differentiation between the noble and the ignoble, or good and the bad. They see friends/
enemies; honour/dishonour; hot/cold and pleasure/pain etc. with equanimity. They are happy with what they get. They do not need a
specific place to stay as they see the whole universe as their abode. There is no ‘me and mine’ attachment for them. They are capable of
directing others also to follow this path. Their minds are steadfast in the Lord.

76. Our Body is the Temple
A devotee is one who lives life truthfully without getting identified with the unreal and he has no pretence. In order to assess our own
progress, see ho others respond to our presence.
The Lord says that our body indeed is the field of activity and experience (kshetra or temple). Kshetra is perishable. If it is to become
imperishable, it should be in contact with that which is eternal. Then it will have an existence beyond the field of experience. In order to
raise the existence of the perishable body to be everlasting, it must be associated with Dharma. Without Dharma, conflicts and
destruction will occur.
With the action considered as a seed, body is the field where the fruit of action is harvested and experienced. That is why our forefathers
insisted that our actions must be pure. It is not possible to avoid modifications of the body that passes through the stages of birth, life and
death. One should realize that the self is beyond all these and ‘I’ am capable of observing these modifications. Knowing ones own body is
to realize that ‘I’ am not the body. Kshetrajna is the one who has attained this awareness.
In all kshetras, the kshetrajna – the presiding entity (kshetrajna) is the Lord himself. In the body also, He presides over the functioning of
the body as the witness, as the one who is aware of all modifications. Since He is the one aware of all modifications, He is steadfast, and
eternal. Such a realization about the kshetra and kshetrajna is wisdom.
Kshetra consists of the five basic elements, ego (doer-ship and enjoyer-ship), intellect (ability to discriminate between cause and effect),
the root nature that is vague, sense organs of knowledge and action, mind, sensory objects, desire, enmity, pleasure and pain (experiences
and responses that are desirable and undesirable), combination of the senses with the subject matter; life spirit (jeevan) and energy
(ojass). Lord says that in the body composed of twenty four components (from five elements to the sensory subject matter), and all the
seven emotions exist in it, from desire to energy

77. Indicators of Knowledge
In the Gita, the Lord describes twenty characteristics as indicators of knowledge and wisdom. First among them is being devoid of ego,
the “me-sense” leading to humility (amanitvam). A tree lowers its head when it is full of fruit. Second characteristics to be devoid of
pretence and pride (adambhithvam – that is not to be preventive of the qualities you don’t have). Non-violence is the quality beyond the
usual meaning of all non-injury to others. It is the state where one has no “me and mine” differentiation. Root cause of all violent
activities are the “me and mine” attitude. Peace emanates from concentration as a mind full of thoughts cannot be calm. Integrity is the
quality of being straightforward and honest, the courage to speak the truth.
Nothing will be complete without serving your teacher, the guru. One should approach a guru for attaining knowledge with complete
surrender. Choose anyone – be it a monk, own father, mother, children, sun, ocean, etc. To attain knowledge, it is essential to have purity
in speech, body, actions, family and the mind (pancha suddhi). One should also have self control and an attitude of renunciation towards
sensory subject matter and he should be firm in his resolutions.
Devoid of ego, having no sense of doer-ship; having no sense of sorrow in the modifications of the body- birth, death, old age, disease, etc;
having no pointless attachment towards the family, wife and sons; having no passionate desire for anything; facing desirable and
undesirable results with equanimity; having relentless devotion towards the Lord without vacillation, living a life of solitude at least once
a moth, having no desire to be in the crowd or to know details of the life of people around, keeping the mind steadfast in spiritual inquiry,
and to be aware of the benefit of scriptural and philosophical wisdom are all indicators of knowledge. All the rest are ignorance.

78. There is no God- External or Internal
Gita doesn’t envision a god who is external nor internal. God is the universe itself. He is inside and outside. He is the movable and
immovable. He is the subtlest of the subtle and He is far and near. For those who inquire, He is close; for others, He is far away. Since the
inquiry is on the inquirer himself, He is very subtle
All hands and legs are that Brahman only. Its head, face, eyes and ears are pointed towards all directions. It is not possible to visualize a
form for something that encompasses the whole universe. Human beings have the urge in them to go beyond limitations and to attain the
ultimate, limitless state of being just as a seed desiring to become a fully grown tree. Everything in the universe has the desire to become
many and human being’s ultimate metamorphosis is to become God.
All characteristics of sense organs are brought to light by Brahman which is the only real thing, but ‘It’ is not affected or entangled by the
senses. Although It is devoid of qualities and It has no relation with anything, It governs over everything.
It is the substratum of all. It appears to be divisible, but it is indeed indivisible. It is the effulgence of lights, beyond all darkness and exists
in everybody’s heart. It is the knowledge, the thing to be known and that which is to be gained by knowing. Only those who ‘knows’ all
these is fit to become God.
Both the nature (prakruthi) and self (purusha) have no beginning. Emotions and qualities emerge from the nature and it is the root cause
of work and reason (karya and kaaranam). The omnipresent self is the cause for experiences that include pleasure and pain.

79. Actions do not affect the Self
No action affects the self. All actions- good and bad- affect our mind. Space provides an abode for everything, but it is unaffected by
anything. Sun illumines everything; so does self – illumines all bodies. That which is seen as many is essentially one. Gold ear rings,
chains, bangles and other ornaments are all gold in various shapes and designs. All actions emanate from nature (prakruthi). Every being
undertakes action as directed by its own innate nature, but the self is not ‘doing’ anything. Those who see God in everything and
everywhere without any differentiation do not denigrate own self. Some people see death everywhere and are frightened. Others are
blissful knowing that everything is god. Swami Vivekananda said “I am not against anything. I enjoy every drop of the sweet juice of an
orange”.
In perishable things, one should see ‘Him’ as the eternal energy. Death of a seed results in the birth of a tree. Of course, the seed is not
dying. When you see the budding of the seed in to a sapling, see Parameswara, the Lord. Everything – movable and immovable – has
been created by the appropriate unification of matter and energy (kshEtra and khsetrajna – object and subject), including thoughts.
Those who cannot know this through meditation (dhyana), analytical contemplation (Samkhya) or karma yoga will realize the self (atma
chaithanya) by listening to others who have had this experience. Meditation is a mental activity that gives strength to our minds.
Samkhya gives intellectual prowess and karma yoga imparts impeccable practice. In the absence surrender in this level, failure occurs.
Life ahead – to be noble or ignoble- is determined by the life force’s (jeeva) association and attachment with the various qualities (gunas).

80. Brahman is the Universal Womb; Lord, the Seed
Lord declares that the great Brahman is indeed the womb (yoni) of the universe and I impregnate it by placing the seed. All creatures-
movable and immovable- are created from it. Universal womb includes all wombs and everything originates from it. It is the path to take
birth. For whatever bodily births occur, the yoni is the nature (Brahma- prakruthi) and the father is the Lord himself. The concept being
a father and a mother should always be thought of in light of the universal fatherhood and motherhood.
Amongst the various qualities (gunas) of nature, the sattva guna (the noble, effulgent and immaculate) binds the imperishable self with
the body by means of attachment with bliss and knowledge. The rajo guna (the active and agitated) binds the self through activities
carried out to satisfy desires. The thamo guna (the ignorant and lazy), born out of ignorance deludes everyone. It shrouds the wisdom and
takes one to do wrong. Mistake is to comprehend one thing for another- i.e., misapprehension of reality. Each of these gunas expresses
themselves by covering the other two. A person with the predominance of thamo-guna, at the time needs rest and sleep. Even if he tries to
undertake work, it will not be complete. One should work in accordance with the guna state he is in.
Those who have attained the Lord through experience and wisdom do not take birth even at the beginning of creation. They have no
sorrow at the deluge either. They don’t have births and deaths. Once we realize that all are nothing but gold, there are no ornaments.
There are no ear rings, chains and bangles. Everything is gold. This doesn’t mean that we will see only a gold bar in place of ornaments.
Even while seeing the ornaments, we realize that the Gold is not undergoing permanent changes.
IdiveTTu #8
ShaJi

62. Realize the potential from within
We must endeavour to realize and bring forth the amazing potential latent within us, meaning, we must not forgo the opportunity for us
to become the Lord himself. The Lord says in the Gita that “I accept even a drop of water, a leaf, a flower, or a fruit submitted with care
and devotion”. This means that He is ready to accept whatever we are giving Him with utmost care- not that He expects us to harvest and
submit all the fruits and flowers to the temple. This is about the symbiosis of the macrocosm and the microcosm. This is the jist and secret
of life cycle.
All life forms were originated in water. It is the leaf that came out of water becomes our food. Flowering is the process of becoming able to
create a progeny and the life of a flower finds its completion in becoming a fruit. It becomes the seed for the next life. When we are able to
understand our path of progression from the life force originated in water, our attitude will become submissive and humble. It is this
humility that the Lord accepts. If one ‘knows’ this secret once, he becomes the Lord. There is no distinction after that.
Whatever we do –eating, enjoying, submitting material in the sacrificial fire as oblation, giving charitable donations, undertaking penance
– all should be done with an attitude of submission unto Him. Then ‘I’ will not be there. We will never be able to say: I did…, or because of
me…, or I , or me,…etc. Whatever is being done is all Lord himself. That is service to the Lord. Then brushing the teeth will become
‘brahma pooja’. Taking bath becomes bathing the beloved Lord. ****ual intercourse will be equivalent to a sacrificial ritual. The Lord says
that He will look after the one who meditates on ‘me’ without getting entangled with any other thoughts. “Sri Krishna is the one and only
god”is not stated as a ‘claim’ here. I am the self and the 'other' gods are thoughts that wander and subjects that are related to senses.
Leave all those and concentrate only on the supreme self, that is ‘Me’

63. Gita refuses all kinds of discriminations.
Gita refuses to discriminate anyone and declares that all are entitled to learn scriptures. Sr Krishna declares that the traditionally
discriminated group of people – the ladies, men of commerce (vaisyas), service class (soodras), people of illegitimate birth – all will
attain the ultimate goal by approaching ‘me’. All differences cease to exist when we ‘know’ Him.
Even a criminal- who is the epitome of worst behaviour- would be able to become noble if he applies his mind towards that goal. The
culture of Bharatha is not keeping anyone at bay based on their behaviour. If one happens to ‘know’ the Lord, he becomes immortal.
Meditating upon the Lord with complete concentration, persevering to gain knowledge, devotional service, etc. are different paths to
reach the supreme self. Even the people who worship deities of sensory experiences are also ultimately worshiping the Lord only. He has
created them too. But as that worship is not well ordained, there could be some descend. We should show our obeisance to the principle
behind the image and not to the image itself. In this impermenant and sorrowful world, one should worship the Lord all the time to attain
happiness and immortality. This doesn’t mean that one should chant the Lord’s name all the time. All our day to day activities are to be
done by remembering the Lord and with out attachments to the fruits of action. That is the incessant ‘bhajan’, or non stop worship.
Lord is the embodiment of equanimity. He has no love or hatred towards anything. He doesn’t have affection for the one who extolls His
virtures nor will He be angry with the one who talks ill of Him. He is not giving anything to anyone either. The Lord exists in those who
realize the self, the ‘atma chaithanya’; and they exist in Him. Gita teaches us as to how to become God; not how to get something out of
Him.

64. Accept and then internalize
Do not avoid anything for the sake of it; do not hinder anything. Accept all and then internalize everything to help evolve them to
perfection. Non-violence, sense control, compassion towards other beings, patience, peace, penance, meditation and truth are flowers
dear to the Lord. Those who always count everything as ‘mine and theirs’ are violent in nature. Even the thought that ‘I am not going to be
violent towards anyone’, is violence. The moment we think ‘mine and theirs’, violence has taken birth with it.
Intelligence, knowledge, discrimination, patience, truthfulness, willingness to suffer for attaining the higher, contentment, pleasure, pain,
nothingness, fear, refuge, non-violence, equanimity, happiness, penance, charity, reputation or notoriety etc. are workings of the mind, all
originated from the Lord. The seven sages (sapta-rishi) and four ‘manus’ are His mental attitudes. Manu’s are the four states of the mind-
waking, dreaming, sleeping & awakened (jagrat, swapna, sushupti and thureeya) states. Seven sages are the seven qualities of the mind -
cunnigness, profit-motiveness, impracticality, practicality, day dreaming, intellectualism and thoughtlessness. These are like electricity
manifesting through different equipment. Breeze, light and heat are all created by the electricity, but these are not electricity itself. One
should know the expanse (vibhoothi) and the symbiotic relationships of entities to each other. It is the maya that makes the ‘One’ appears
to be ‘many’. ‘Vistaram’ is the concept of expanding the truth to be as vast as the universe. In this, ‘yoga’ is the ‘dettached attachment’.
Lord is the beginning of all. Everything is working in Him. By keeping our mind well established in the truth and by integrating the life
force (prana) with pranava (Omkara), we would realize this noble and mutually complementary relationship. “Even the divine beings
(devas) and sages (maharshis) do not know my origin, because I am the pre-mordial entity existent even before their origin” says the
Lord. Devas are senses and maharshis are mind and the intellect. The Lord is beyond all of them.

65. Treat the Nature as our Guru
The nature knows everything and it is waiting to impart wisdom to us. If we sit down in a corner with a sincere question churning in our
mind, even a mosquito will be able to impart the truth- “Brahma-sathyam - Bhaman alone is Truth”. We can understand everything from
the humming of a mosquito. Go to a garden, flowers will impart knowledge to you. Nature is not blessing us enough because we think that
saffron-clad monks are the only ones capable of teaching the eternal Truth. What is God and how are we to ‘know’ Him? The Lord
explains them in detail in the “vibhoothi yoga”. His explanation is inexhaustible but here we try to look at the most important sections
only. Soul – the atma- within everything is the Lord. He is the beginning, middle and the end.
The best imagery for someone to meditate upon is Sun. Sun blesses the whole universe by giving life and nourishment to all. He imparts
light that is capable of removing the darkness of ignorance. We should also become Sun-like, spreading the light of wisdom to the
surroundings. Sun in the macrocosm is like the intelligence in the microcosm. When our intelligence is hot, our mind should be cool.
Moon is the mind and no conflicts should be allowed to raise there. We should keep in us always the Sun and the Moon as they
significantly influence us. Ignorance is the only thing that the Lord destroys in us. Darkness of the ignorance is removed by the wisdom of
light. God is bliss, but many people search for it in vain without knowing how to attain it. Everything that is noble as well as ignoble has
come from the Lord. Bhagavad Gita doesn’t discriminate the noble things and beings as godly, nor the ignoble things and beings as
satanic.

66. Vision within a Mirror house
We should realize the Lord’s glory as we see ourselves in the myriad of reflections as we enter a mirror house. All are our own images; but
they are all Lord’s as well. When we bark like a dog at those images, they will also bark back at us until we are tired of these futile
utterances. The whole activity has taken place because of the ignorance that the image is indeed our own. Once we realize that it will be a
blissful experience.
The Lord explains His most significant glories by taking the most special in each category of things and beings. Each of those embodies
the greatness of the particular category. Once we know that it is the Lord Himself, there is no need to talk about the others. The Lord is
thus giving a goal for each of us to behold and pursue. He is show casing all the possibilities that can be achieved and guiding us as to
what we should all try to become unto like Him. Those greatnesses explained by the Lord are highly inspirational and worth meditating
upon.
He is Vishnu among the adityas; He is Sun among the glowing objects; He is marichi among the maruths; He is the moon amongst the
stars; Sama in Vedas; Indra amongst the Devas; Mind among the senses, Energy in living beings; Sankara among Rudras; Kubera among
yakshas, Fire among the vasus; Meru among mountains; Brahaspati among Gurus; Lord Subrahmanya among warriors; Ocean in water
bodies; Brugu among sages; Omkara in words; Japa in yagnas; Himalaya among the unwavering; Banyan in trees; Narada in celestial
sages; Chitrarathan in Gandharvvas; Sage Kapila among siddhas; Ucchaisravas among horses; Iravatham among elephants; kings among
men; Vajra among weopons; Kamadhenu among cows; Kamadeva among the progenitors. Vasuki among serpants; Anantha among
snakes; Varuna among water-based beings; Aryama among the forefathers; Lord Yama among the implementers of the law. Prahlada
among the demons; Time among concepts; lion among animals; Garuda in birds; Wind among the cleaning agents; Sri Rama among the
weapon wielders. Makara among fishes; Gamga among rivers; Spiritual virtue among knowledge; dialogue among the debaters; Letter ‘A’
among the alphabets; dual conjugates among sandhis; time among that which are imperishable; All encompassing ruler and lawgiver, etc.
are all Lord’s glories. These are all highly inspirational indeed.

67. There is no difference between an atheist and a believer.
An atheist and a believer are standing in one place! The atheist negates the energy behind the world, but accepts the world as real. A
believer accepts the God, but negates the world as real. Both leads to division. Gita does not ask you to think against the world. Gita
enables you to know the Lord and the world simultaneously. We have been learning the universe using many measures that we have
devised over the time, none of these measures will be able to assess the universal truth.
Glory of the great ladies, prosperity, words, memory, courage and patience are all Lord himself. We should give god-level respect to what
the women have to say because they are more patient and courageous than men. The Lord is Gayatri Mantra among the hymns. Gayatri
is not any one religion’s property. By chanting that hymn we meditate upon the ultimate truth that is the substratum of everything. May
that divinity be the guiding light that inspires our mind which has been matured through righteous thoughts and actions. It is said that if
a pregnant lady chants and meditate on Gayatri, her offspring will become bright and intelligent.
Do not accept knowledge without the maturity to imbibe it because that will cause many misunderstandings. It is like warning some one
not to enter a nuclear reactor without the necessary precautions! That is why in the old days, it was insisted that only a ‘qualified’ person
should enter the temples. Now it is doubtful if even the priests are well qualified. They are concentrating more on the rituals. Anyone who
has realized the universal energy- Brahma Chaithanya- can become a priest and thus make the temple an avenue to know god. Otherwise
it will degrade itself and become something else.
In sama songs, He is brahat sama; in months, He is dhanu (December); He is the spring in seasons; effulgence in those who have it;
endeavour and winning; nobility of the noble people; Vasudeva among Vrishni Clan; Arjuna among the Pandawas; Vyasa among sages;
Sukra among poets; law and order of the winners; silence in the secrets and knowledge of the wise are all the Lord (Bhagavan) Himself.

68 Priests Hinder the Universal Vision
Lord is ‘claiming’ that He is the game of dice among gambling and the whipping among punishments to indicate that He is everything,
noble and the ignoble. There is no end to His vast and omniscient glory. The whole world is but a small part of Him and He shows Arjuna
His Universal form. That vision is as bright as if a thousand suns had risen at once in the sky. Arjuna sees many things that he had never
seen before. As this vision is impossible to perceive with the ordinary human eyes, Lord Krishna gave him the divine eyes to behold the
Universal Vision.
Innumerable faces; eyes; wonderful scenes; divine ornaments and weapons adorn that form. The whole world is in it along with its many
divisions, forms and colors. It encompasses the first cause of the universe, divine beings; movables, immovables and the nature itself. The
Lord is giving an indication to us that we also should be able to ‘see’ the universal vision when we see others. The viswaroopa (universal
vision) episode should not be taken as a story about someone in history getting a divine gigantic vision. No Calendar can portray it. No
lines in a drawing can depict it. Each one will get his vision in his own unique way. If we are able to get the vision of unity in diversity, that
is, no doubt the universal vision. One cannot see it with the ordinary eyes- it takes the inner eyes of wisdom to behold it.
Once we get the universal vision, there will be no more religions. All priests will end up removing their robes and retire. Priests insist that
these are ‘old stories’ and ordinary people cannot see the vision. They also discourage all kinds of enquiries. At present, our vision is
limited as if seeing a palace through a key hole- seeing bits and pieces of the magnificent building. What we should do is to open the doors
widely to get a complete vision.

69. All Scenes are Universal Vision
Lord’s universal vision is not all-blissful. Understand that everything is part of it. Good and bad. Blooming of a flower and the most pitiful
incident are in it. We should be able to see both with the same attitude as life will pose in front of us many experiences, including many
heart-breaking incidents. Gita provides us strength to deal with such situations. Frightening scenes are also part of the universal vision.
Lord fills everywhere- sky, earth and the space between. Arjuna says that by seeing this wonderful frightening form, every one in the three
worlds was petrified. ‘He’ had numerous mouths, eyes, thighs, hands, feet, stomachs and canine teeth. It was a horrifying scene indeed. It
had no beginning or end, it had huge eyes, and the mouth was spewing fire. The people from the clan of Kaurava and Pandawa, the
grand sire Bheeshma, Perceptor Drona and the warrior Karna were all fast approaching that terrible mouth of fire. Some were seen with
broken down bodies stuck between His teeth. It was like flies falling in to the fire and several rivers flowing unto the ocean. All are moving
closer to the mouth of death. The same energy field is the cause behind the sun and the moon giving effulgence to the whole world by
extending His infinitely long arms. All actions and plans of the external world are included here in the depiction of the universal vision.
Arjuna, having held this vision, realizes that the Lord is the ultimate Brahman. He is the substratum of everything. It is imperishable and
the soul of the universe and is in charge of implementing all natural and righteous laws. This is the wisdom one should get through the
universal vision (viswaroopa darsanam). The Lord is not sitting in one place as He is everywhere. He is everywhere we look and see and
not see. No one can give you special divine eye to see Him nor you can accept it from some one else. It is the maturity one develops to find
the self through ultimate love and surrender. Any one can have this level of vision. Then he can ‘see’ an ocean in a drop of water and the
whole forest within a seed.

70 Rules are Caged Boundaries
Lord Krishna revolted against rules in his life and he didn’t approve traditions for the sake of accepting them. But He gave fullness to
everything He touched. Gita is giving us the complete freedom, and it enables us to open up our own path. Gita urges us to break out of all
the shackles and get out of the cages so that we can walk on your own. You would not need the help of any priests or middlemen when you
stand on your own.
After beholding the wonderful, terrible and gigantic universal vision of the Lord, Arjuna says: Oh Lord, I bow unto thee. This is the
attitude we should develop. We typically curse the Lord at tragic circumstances. When facing complex situations, and dealing with
situations that are beyond our control, what we should develop is not an attitude of judgement, but a mentality that “I want to know Him,
who is behind everything”. This will lead to better clarity in our life. With the attitude of the universal vision (attitude), even ugly
sceneries will become beautiful. There, good and bad, real and unreal, and all dualities end. Lord is the time that is ‘destroying’ the world
every moment of passing. But this is the way of sustaining the world as relentless change is the basis of existence itself.
Lord Krishna says that “these warriors will die even if you are not there to kill them. Death is also a definite thing born with a birth. You
are only playing a part”. Act out in the world with this attitude and enjoy the world with all its prosperity. It is said that by seeing the
universal vision, all ran hither and thither to indicate that all continue to act in the world relentlessly in presence of the Lord. Through the
Viswaroopa Darsana, Arjuna relaized that Lord Krishna is the ultimate truth that is beyond the real and the unreal.

71. Remove the Lord from all Names and Forms
Arjuna prayed to the Lord to pardon his indiscretions. By omission, he called Him a friend, by the name Krishna, comrade and Yadav.
This is the realization in Arjuna that the Lord is not an individual. It is also the realization that the individual I considered as my father,
mother, wife, friend, child, husband, etc. so far is not that person in the real sense. There can be dialogue only between individuals. He is
not an individual, and all our arguments are irrelevant. He is a presence – experience it, remove Him from all boundaries of names and
forms.
All rituals are meant for developing concentration through submission for arriving at a meditative state of mind. These rituals are not to
be done by others for you. They are to be done by you without any compulsion from outside. Arjuna is addressing Him as Viswa moorthe
(Oh! the one with the universal form!). Only when we remove Him from all imageries of individual forms would HE become the Viswa
moorthy. If we ‘see’ Him in one form; we are limiting Him to just that one form. He has thousand hands; we also have thousand hands
and that many possibilities.
Krishna assures Arjuna that no one else would be able to see the Viswa roopam, even if they do scriptural studies, charity work or
penance. Here Arjuna represents us, who are keen and anxious to know. The Lord consoles Arjuna by telling him not to be scared or
mesmerized by His terrible form. Then he assumes the noble form of Sri Krishna. In the universe there are two forms- one that we like
and the other, we don’t. Some people see only the drawbacks and problems in life. Only when we work with the attitude of ‘everything is
Lord’ would our knowledge turn into wisdom. In that wisdom, the Lord becomes the Father of the universe, guru, air, death, fire, god of
the seas, Varuna, Moon, creator, ancestor, etc, etc. Bow down and prostrate to the earth by submitting own body unto it. Think of the path
you traversed. With this attitude of humility, we should see the universe. Then each of us will find and develop our own explanations for
the Gita.

72 We Must ‘See’ the Ultimate as well as the Apparent Truth
We learn history as the journey of mankind from the period of ignorance to the time of know-how that is today. That is, the stone age to
the modern age. But the sages had a different way of learning the history all together.
The Upanishads say: son, there existed the knowledge and the truth alone and from there the journey has been towards ignorance. Lord
didn’t create the world out of nothing- as nothing can be created out of nothing. When that noble ‘stuff’ desired to become many, it
occurred so. Because many things came out of the one, it appears that many creations have occurred. This treatment of the subject matter
is available only in the upanishads and the Gita, not in the scriptures of other traditions. Universal vision is to ‘see’ the real in everything.
We must see the truth that is apparent and the Truth that is ultimate. We must be able to enjoy the sunrise with the full understanding
that it is an unreal phenomena, because the sun never rises or sets. It just exists. Sunrise and sunset are the illusions of the people living
in this world. The main hindrance to see the Lord is the burden of desire we carry along with us. When we see a flower with the desire of
owning it, we loose the vision of the flower itself.
Only with the unwavering devotion can one see and realize the Lord. A real devotee is always vigilant, but the modern devotees tend to
leave everything to the Lord and do nothing. Those who act for Him, those who have Him as the only goal and those who have no enmity
towards all will attain Him. (when we have different aims and when desire for ‘other things’, we will not attain that blissful state) We are
afraid that if we keep our ultimate goal as the Lord we may not ‘get’ all the ‘other things’. But the fact is that, once we attain the Lord, all
‘other things’ will fall in place properly. Lack of clarity in our goals is the problem here.
Arjuna asks Krishna: who is the nobler? the saguna (through deities, temples and rituals) worshipper or the nirguna (treating Lord as the
formless ultimate reality with no attributable qualities) worshipper ? The Lord tells Arjuna- just as a loving mother would tell her child
holding his hands: “you are my precious son”. He says that a little child requires a lot of care and guidance, but those who worship me
without any attributes is nobler indeed. They meditate without limiting Me, in any name, form, or space.

73 Those who Love do not Perish
When eating a sweet fruit, tell it: “I am taking your sweetness, but dear fruit, you will not perish. I assure you that you will live on as sweet
words I give to others”. This is submission, meditation and love. In love, there is no death. There is no buying and selling; no one is
eloping and there is no marriage. We mistake lust for love. Lust can lead to destruction where as love is devotion. We develop care from
love. Care is the attitude a mother has toward her child who is playing in the yard even while she is busy working in the kitchen. From this
comes inquiry. We all must become god-inquirers, not believers. An inquirer will keep his pursuits on until he attains the goal.
One can worship anything in nature as the Lord. Be it a piece of stone, wood, fire, tree, water, sun, or soil – anything is fit for worship. The
object we selected is of no significance – sun itself or a bit of soil, doesn’t matter- but with what care do we worship, is the significant
question. An Idol (vigraha) is something that gives us a clear grasp on the essence it conveys. Temples are the keys to the lock that is
Iswara. Concepts of temples have come forth from the depths of human consciousness and no one is capable of negating their validity. A
temple should, through reflection, resonate the mantra sound in the atmosphere thereby eliminate stray thoughts from the devotees
mind to lead him to one pointed concentration. In the old days people went to temples to attain God consciousness- not merely for getting
a job, for getting married or for getting cured of a disease. Such trivial visit to the temple is being careless in our pursuits.
Worshipping the Lord in some form is Saguna worship. There is no one in the world, who can say that he is not a saguna-worshipper. In
the national flag, the nation is represented. In party flags we see the party and instead of chanting mantras, we chant party slogans.
Instead of temples, we build memorials for the fallen comrades. Those who ask what is wrong in destroying temples do not want their
party flag destroyed even though it is only a piece of cloth. Even to say good morning (suprabhatam) and bidding goodbye (subhayatra)
in sanscrit is considered religious by some ‘modern’ folks! Everything is about projecting our own beliefs on to some object to worship
that entity. If one is considered a ‘blind belief’, everything is so. There is no rational mind needed when we can see and believe something.
Rationalization is required in order to ‘see’ something beyond the obvious and visible. One can achieve God through worship in ether way
– by meditating on the Lord with a form or without a form. There is no need of temples and rituals to realize God. Having them is not a
hindrance either. There is no conflict between the two approaches. Both are noble indeed.

74 Live Revelling in Reality
Worshipping the Lord without a form is revelling in Brahma that is devoid of any modifications. But know that It helps others to move; It
is imperishable, in comprehendible and omnipresent. It is motionless as It covers the whole space. In this worship, one controls his
senses of action, knowledge and the mind. He develops the sense of equanimity and he is interested in the wellbeing of all. For those who
are body conscious, this worship is difficult to pursue.
Those who mediate by submitting all actions unto Him (that is to have the mind and the intellect aligned with the hands and legs, i.e,
actions) without wishing for results, but with ultimate care will escape from the ocean of death and the worldly trials and tribulations
(samsara). Gita advises many methods to meditate on the Lord.
Keeping the mind and intellect attached steadfast in Him is one method. Take everything in the universe and observe them in two ways-
one that is with ‘me’ and the other without ‘me’ in it. If the vision is with ‘me’ in it, it will be incomplete and that is the duality – the nature
and ‘me’ are different in this notion. When ‘I’ perish, then there is only the world and in this notion of complete surrender everything gets
purified. This is meditation.
Gita advises us not to withdraw from the pursuit just because we are unable to control our mind. He assures us that by regular practice,
this can be overcome. If that is impossible, do all actions for the Lord’s sake. Do actions that will enable us to fulfil our own life’s purpose.
If one is incapable of doing this, act well in the world with restraint, but sacrifice the fruits of actions. Now in this concept, there is no
‘doer’; there is only witness. This is living life in the real sense. Our mind travels from the real to the unreal. Accept all experiences –good
and bad- with the knowledge that none of these are really ours.
It is noble to get knowledge through exercise; but nobler is the meditation resulting from the knowledge. Meditation leads to sacrificing
the fruits of action and from there emanates peace. If we have experienced peace any time, that must have been associated with some sort
of sacrifice.

75. Devotees do not have Complaints or Expectations.
Lord Krishna explains the characteristics of the devotees who are dear to Him. Those who are devoid of hatred or disgust toward anyone
and anything; those who are compassionate and are friendly with all; those who are impartial to all; those who are unselfish; those who
are patient; those who are ever contended; those who submit their unwavering mind and intellect unto Him, are all dear to me. World is
not getting agitated because of any true devotees. World is not giving agitation in the devotees mind either. There should be no conflict
between the nature and man. Don’t judge anything to be better than the other. Such judgements are all mistaken mental imaginations.
Devotees are free from happiness, anger, fear and anxiety and worry. They will not have any complaints or expectations. When one
realizes that everything is Lord, there is no need for expectations. Silence is the state of mind devoid of expectations. Annihilation of
enemies (shatru samharam) for a devotee is to eliminate ignoble emotions. There are no other enemies for a devotee.
“Those who do not have any needs and therefore no desires to be fulfilled, intelligent people who have not gone under the influence of
blind beliefs, people who are clean in their thoughts and actions, those who are impartial to all, those who are not swayed by worries and
those who have sacrificed the attitude of doer-ship are all My devotees. They do not rejoice in temporary pleasures and gains and they do
not accuse anyone. They do not have any differentiation between the noble and the ignoble, or good and the bad. They see friends/
enemies; honour/dishonour; hot/cold and pleasure/pain etc. with equanimity. They are happy with what they get. They do not need a
specific place to stay as they see the whole universe as their abode. There is no ‘me and mine’ attachment for them. They are capable of
directing others also to follow this path. Their minds are steadfast in the Lord.

76. Our Body is the Temple
A devotee is one who lives life truthfully without getting identified with the unreal and he has no pretence. In order to assess our own
progress, see ho others respond to our presence.
The Lord says that our body indeed is the field of activity and experience (kshetra or temple). Kshetra is perishable. If it is to become
imperishable, it should be in contact with that which is eternal. Then it will have an existence beyond the field of experience. In order to
raise the existence of the perishable body to be everlasting, it must be associated with Dharma. Without Dharma, conflicts and
destruction will occur.
With the action considered as a seed, body is the field where the fruit of action is harvested and experienced. That is why our forefathers
insisted that our actions must be pure. It is not possible to avoid modifications of the body that passes through the stages of birth, life and
death. One should realize that the self is beyond all these and ‘I’ am capable of observing these modifications. Knowing ones own body is
to realize that ‘I’ am not the body. Kshetrajna is the one who has attained this awareness.
In all kshetras, the kshetrajna – the presiding entity (kshetrajna) is the Lord himself. In the body also, He presides over the functioning of
the body as the witness, as the one who is aware of all modifications. Since He is the one aware of all modifications, He is steadfast, and
eternal. Such a realization about the kshetra and kshetrajna is wisdom.
Kshetra consists of the five basic elements, ego (doer-ship and enjoyer-ship), intellect (ability to discriminate between cause and effect),
the root nature that is vague, sense organs of knowledge and action, mind, sensory objects, desire, enmity, pleasure and pain (experiences
and responses that are desirable and undesirable), combination of the senses with the subject matter; life spirit (jeevan) and energy
(ojass). Lord says that in the body composed of twenty four components (from five elements to the sensory subject matter), and all the
seven emotions exist in it, from desire to energy

77. Indicators of Knowledge
In the Gita, the Lord describes twenty characteristics as indicators of knowledge and wisdom. First among them is being devoid of ego,
the “me-sense” leading to humility (amanitvam). A tree lowers its head when it is full of fruit. Second characteristics to be devoid of
pretence and pride (adambhithvam – that is not to be preventive of the qualities you don’t have). Non-violence is the quality beyond the
usual meaning of all non-injury to others. It is the state where one has no “me and mine” differentiation. Root cause of all violent
activities are the “me and mine” attitude. Peace emanates from concentration as a mind full of thoughts cannot be calm. Integrity is the
quality of being straightforward and honest, the courage to speak the truth.
Nothing will be complete without serving your teacher, the guru. One should approach a guru for attaining knowledge with complete
surrender. Choose anyone – be it a monk, own father, mother, children, sun, ocean, etc. To attain knowledge, it is essential to have purity
in speech, body, actions, family and the mind (pancha suddhi). One should also have self control and an attitude of renunciation towards
sensory subject matter and he should be firm in his resolutions.
Devoid of ego, having no sense of doer-ship; having no sense of sorrow in the modifications of the body- birth, death, old age, disease, etc;
having no pointless attachment towards the family, wife and sons; having no passionate desire for anything; facing desirable and
undesirable results with equanimity; having relentless devotion towards the Lord without vacillation, living a life of solitude at least once
a moth, having no desire to be in the crowd or to know details of the life of people around, keeping the mind steadfast in spiritual inquiry,
and to be aware of the benefit of scriptural and philosophical wisdom are all indicators of knowledge. All the rest are ignorance.

78. There is no God- External or Internal
Gita doesn’t envision a god who is external nor internal. God is the universe itself. He is inside and outside. He is the movable and
immovable. He is the subtlest of the subtle and He is far and near. For those who inquire, He is close; for others, He is far away. Since the
inquiry is on the inquirer himself, He is very subtle
All hands and legs are that Brahman only. Its head, face, eyes and ears are pointed towards all directions. It is not possible to visualize a
form for something that encompasses the whole universe. Human beings have the urge in them to go beyond limitations and to attain the
ultimate, limitless state of being just as a seed desiring to become a fully grown tree. Everything in the universe has the desire to become
many and human being’s ultimate metamorphosis is to become God.
All characteristics of sense organs are brought to light by Brahman which is the only real thing, but ‘It’ is not affected or entangled by the
senses. Although It is devoid of qualities and It has no relation with anything, It governs over everything.

It is the substratum of all. It appears to be divisible, but it is indeed indivisible. It is the effulgence of lights, beyond all darkness and exists
in everybody’s heart. It is the knowledge, the thing to be known and that which is to be gained by knowing. Only those who ‘knows’ all
these is fit to become God.
Both the nature (prakruthi) and self (purusha) have no beginning. Emotions and qualities emerge from the nature and it is the root cause
of work and reason (karya and kaaranam). The omnipresent self is the cause for experiences that include pleasure and pain.

79. Actions do not affect the Self
No action affects the self. All actions- good and bad- affect our mind. Space provides an abode for everything, but it is unaffected by
anything. Sun illumines everything; so does self – illumines all bodies. That which is seen as many is essentially one. Gold ear rings,
chains, bangles and other ornaments are all gold in various shapes and designs. All actions emanate from nature (prakruthi). Every being
undertakes action as directed by its own innate nature, but the self is not ‘doing’ anything. Those who see God in everything and
everywhere without any differentiation do not denigrate own self. Some people see death everywhere and are frightened. Others are
blissful knowing that everything is god. Swami Vivekananda said “I am not against anything. I enjoy every drop of the sweet juice of an
orange”.
In perishable things, one should see ‘Him’ as the eternal energy. Death of a seed results in the birth of a tree. Of course, the seed is not
dying. When you see the budding of the seed in to a sapling, see Parameswara, the Lord. Everything – movable and immovable – has
been created by the appropriate unification of matter and energy (kshEtra and khsetrajna – object and subject), including thoughts.
Those who cannot know this through meditation (dhyana), analytical contemplation (Samkhya) or karma yoga will realize the self (atma
chaithanya) by listening to others who have had this experience. Meditation is a mental activity that gives strength to our minds.
Samkhya gives intellectual prowess and karma yoga imparts impeccable practice. In the absence surrender in this level, failure occurs.
Life ahead – to be noble or ignoble- is determined by the life force’s (jeeva) association and attachment with the various qualities (gunas).

80. Brahman is the Universal Womb; Lord, the Seed
Lord declares that the great Brahman is indeed the womb (yoni) of the universe and I impregnate it by placing the seed. All creatures-
movable and immovable- are created from it. Universal womb includes all wombs and everything originates from it. It is the path to take
birth. For whatever bodily births occur, the yoni is the nature (Brahma- prakruthi) and the father is the Lord himself. The concept being
a father and a mother should always be thought of in light of the universal fatherhood and motherhood.
Amongst the various qualities (gunas) of nature, the sattva guna (the noble, effulgent and immaculate) binds the imperishable self with
the body by means of attachment with bliss and knowledge. The rajo guna (the active and agitated) binds the self through activities
carried out to satisfy desires. The thamo guna (the ignorant and lazy), born out of ignorance deludes everyone. It shrouds the wisdom and
takes one to do wrong. Mistake is to comprehend one thing for another- i.e., misapprehension of reality. Each of these gunas expresses
themselves by covering the other two. A person with the predominance of thamo-guna, at the time needs rest and sleep. Even if he tries to
undertake work, it will not be complete. One should work in accordance with the guna state he is in.
Those who have attained the Lord through experience and wisdom do not take birth even at the beginning of creation. They have no
sorrow at the deluge either. They don’t have births and deaths. Once we realize that all are nothing but gold, there are no ornaments.
There are no ear rings, chains and bangles. Everything is gold. This doesn’t mean that we will see only a gold bar in place of ornaments.
Even while seeing the ornaments, we realize that the Gold is not undergoing permanent changes.
IdiveTTu #9
ShaJi

81. We Shouldn’t Leave the World Without Experiencing it
We should not live life without experiencing the world. When rajo-guna increases, greed (lobham) arises and it leads to action aimed at
gaining favourable results. This leads to agitation and longing for more and more. There will be no calmness in action and we will be ‘on
the go’ all the time. When sitting down for eating, mind is in the moon. While spending time with the wife, mind is in the office in Uganda.
Mind never travels with the person when he is under the spell of rajo guna. We should break this ‘machinery mode’ and come down to
being natural. Even our children have come out of unintentionally.
Satva-guna is in its full glory when the doors of our organs of knowledge are effulgent with wisdom. Although we lock ourselves down
and keep the key in our inner pocket, we keep lamenting that the locks cannot be opened. At the predominance of thamo-guna occurs the
ignorance, lack of clarity, laziness, wrongful action and delusion. Those who leave the body at the peak of satva guna attain the path of
the men of wisdom. The body-consciousness ceases to exist in wisdom and this is the only way to overcome death. Those who die at the
peak of rajo-guna take births as creatures attached to being very active. Those who die at the peak of thamo-guna will take birth in lower
wombs. Satva-guna begets noble results and rajo-guna results in sorrow. Thamo-guna results in ignorance.
From Sattva comes knowledge; from rajo guna, lust and greed; and from thamo guna, mistakes, delusion, and ignorance. Sattva people go
up in evolution. Rajo-gunis stay where they are and thamo-gunis go down in progress. When a man of wisdom knows that there is no
‘doer’ separate from the gunas. When he realizes that the self is beyond all gunas, he attains the Lord

82. Characteristics of those who transcended the material nature
“Gunatheethan” is the one who has transcended characteristics of the material nature. While in contact with it, he doesn’t have anything
against knowledge, action or even ignorance. Many people live life cursing and self-hating lamenting about their past deeds. Qualities are
ephemeral, so there is no point in getting angry at their appearance and disappearance. Do not long for the material qualities that are not
with us. Also, do not carry on the memory of pleasures experienced in the past and dwell in those thoughts. A man of wisdom does not
waste his present time dwelling in the memories of the past or in the anxieties of the future. A ‘gunatheethan’ is always engaged in the
‘now’.
He is not affected by gunas (modifications and qualities). He is not partial to any activities to the point of being uninterested in them. His
mind is unwavering knowing that the gunas express their innate characteristics as their dharma. He will cry aloud if he feels like it; he will
laugh when he feels like laughing. He doesn’t identify with them or internalize them. We should be our own masters.
He is calm, unaffected by the dualities of pleasure & pain; likes & dislikes and honour & dishonour. He understands the essence of a piece

of gold and stone equally well. This doesn’t mean that he ‘sees’ gold for stone or vice versa. He sees them both, in their totality. He doesn’t
blame anyone nor do they feel compelled to justify all their deeds. He is a man of courage who takes praise and insult with the same
attitude. He is equal towards friends and enemies. He is devoid of “I the doer attitude” in all his endeavours. A gunatheetha is very careful
and he is well aware of what happens in him –be it sadness, anger or happiness. Through unwavering devotion, he serves the Lord and
transcends all material nature. He is beyond all modifications realizing that ‘I’ am the abode of Brahman, the imperishable nectar of bliss
and the eternal dharma.
.

83. Liberation is like the water reflection of the Sun joining the Source.
Just as the reflection of sun in the water joins back the sun as the water dries up, we will also return to the supreme self. Once we reach
there, there is no return, it is said. The concept of ‘joining back’ is just imagery. In reality, there is no coming, going or returning
anywhere. Everything is supreme light and it is supreme self.
Sun, moon or any other light source cannot shine enough light to show my supreme state. The Lord says that there is no return once we
reach that state. He compares the life tree to a Banyan tree with its roots up and branches growing down. Leaves are the Vedas. Some
branches go up and some go down.
Supreme reality, Brahman is at the top- It is the root cause of everything. It is the substratum of all; it is omniscient and is the reason for
life itself. Branches are the gross life. Some branch up with noble thoughts and some grow down with ignoble ones. Knowledge or the
Vedas are the leaves of that tree. It is in the knowledge that we should be fulfilled. Just as leaves, they are to be shed and new leaves of
knowledge are to be blooming.
Nurtured and nourished by the material nature, the tree of world has its roots spread all over human lives. This tree is not visible. One
cannot comprehend its beginning or end. Its roots are so well entrenched that they must be cut asunder by the weapon of detachment in
order to pursue a self enquiry in to the supreme state. Attachment will hinder our growth and so one should cut away the shackles of
karma.
Part of the Lord’s eternal existence becomes an individual self (jivaatma) and drag all senses including the mind. We should be able to
control and guide our senses. Bhagavad Gita is the handbook that tells us how to make the best use of our human life.

84. Appetite for food is the Lord Himself
The Lord, as appetite (the fire of hunger, jatharaagni), digests the four kinds of food we consume with the help of four airstreams
(pranan, vyanan, apanan and samanan). Food can be consumed in four ways- by biting, chewing, drinking and licking. Food is of four
kinds – in the form of smell, effulgent, air and water. Prana facilitate intake of food while apanan facilitates excretion.
Upanishad is telling us to stop putting the food stuff in external fire and to start putting it in the internal fire, jatharaagni. Feed the
hungry as we have an obligation to all living beings. Our ancestors have started certain rituals to enable feeding the needy creatures. The
ritual of giving rice balls given to ancestors on their death anniversary is to feed the birds and other creatures. We make the floral motifs
(kolam) with rice powder every morning in our front yard to feed ants. Without knowing the essence of the ritual, nowadays people use
insecticides along with the rice powder to make kolams.
It is the Lord’s effulgence that gives brightness to Sun and the moon. Sun intern brightens the whole world. We should realize the Lord’s
presence in their company. It is the same energy that makes us move. Without realizing this, we keep searching for the Lord who is telling
us, stretching His four hands “my dear son, open your eyes and ask what you want”. The Lord sustains everything in the world with His
energy. He doles out all the nourishments we need in the form of fruits. Without knowing this magnanimity, in the epitome of ignorance,
we lament and weep in front of temples “you did this to me; you never gave me anything, etc.”
Men of wisdom see the life force (jeeva, the self) as the in dweller of the body, that which leaves the body, that which is enjoying the sense
objects. Those who are impure at heart will not be able to see the self within, however much they toil. The self enjoys the sense objects
with the help of the mind and sense organs. All sense organs work in accordance with the innate tendencies accumulated and the culture
imbibed by the mind. If one looks at anything with an eye of fault-finding, everything will be understood as faulty. Now our eyes are
incapable of seeing the process of blooming of a bud to a flower. When the mind gets stronger, it can direct the sense organs to subtler
and virtuous realms. We should hear only the virtuous and see only the pious in anything and everything.

85. Devotee as envisaged in Gita is yet to be born
Nowadays, the so-called devotees do not agonize over a tree being felled or a hilltop being cleared by the greedy timber lobby. But if an
idol is missing from a temple or a stone in a temple got misplaced or someone threw something at a place of worship, there will be huge
trouble. We have kept the Lord inside of a few temples- Guruvayoor, Sabarimala, Chottanikkara and so on. Running from temples to
temple without knowing His import, it is tantamount to insulting Him. Bhagavan declared that “I exist in the centre of all- with no
exception”. Memory, wisdom and absent-mindedness are all Him only. Only with His blessings do we remember certain things, know
certain things and forget the worst tragedies of life. It is ever present in us as constant stimulation by being generous with something and
removing certain other things. By studying the self, we can know the universe. Macrocosm (Brahma-andam) exists in each of us as
microcosm (pinda andam). Unfortunately we always look for ‘It’ outside of us!
All elements in nature are ephemeral and they have the names and forms. They are perishable entities (kshara-purusha). But the
imperishable entity (akshara-purusha) that remains changeless and devoid of names and forms enable others to change and evolve in
this universe. The Lord, who is beyond the kshara-purusha and nobler than the akshara-purusha is the supreme entity (uttama-purusha).
He remains indispensable, inspiring all the three worlds – the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states of experiential existence.
Here we can understand the tree of samsara (world) as the kshara-purusha and it’s seed as the akshara-purusha. The roots that support
all these can be taken as the Brahman, the supreme purusha. It is the Lord that fills nourishments in fruits and digests them inside us
when we consume them. He manages the assimilation of the necessary and needed portions of what we eat. Zoologically, we have been
created as vegetarians as our nails, teeth, jaws, and saliva are not suitable for eating meat. He has prepared appropriate food for us so that
we can develop inspirational thoughts, words and strong minds. To eat wrong food, that is, the food against our nature is to upset the
Lord within us.

86. Cut Bondages Just as Separating Watermelon from its Vine
We should separate our bindings just as a watermelon separating from its vine when it is ripened. Once become mature by accepting and
assimilating nutrients from the vine, the watermelon separates itself naturally without any pain. Neither the vine nor the watermelon has
any grievance about it. Accept and assimilate experience from the universe and be mature in knowledge. Then we are also ready to discard
the relations and bondages with the world, just as a watermelon. This is the ‘mrutyunjaya mantram’- the secret of winning over the
death. Fearlessness (abhayam) is the outcome of having this knowledge.
Fearlessness, mental purity, hunger for and regular practice for obtaining wisdom (jnana yoga), charity, sense control, yajnas (serving
the world), truthfulness, integrity, eagerness to learn, non violence, renunciation, mild temper, calmness, compassion for all beings, not
finding fault with others, yearning for nothing, softness in dealings, modesty, determination, radiance, patience, courage, cleanliness, un-
perturbing and the lack on ‘I and mine’ attitude are all divine qualities.
To be firm in these qualities should come naturally to us. While doing a charity, we should feel that it is not mine, but it is His. I am only
an instrument. We should feel privileged and thankful to be able to do it. In the Indian tradition, the receiver is nobler than the giver.
Noblest of charity is not harassing or aggressive with anyone. We can be a pain to others by ‘giving’ something mentally of physically.
Many of our charities become an act of aggression. It is intended to keep the other person under control. We should give the most
necessary thing in charity.
Sense control is not being forcefully stopping the senses from acting. It is being aware of the mechanism of the senses and their activity.
When we get angry, be aware of the fact that anger is raising within. Truth is giving light to the stuff within. It is the realization that all
living beings are another form of ‘me’.

87. Diabolic qualities and Life in Hell
Divine qualités (deva-guna) cause libération and the diabolic qualités (asura-guna) cause bondage. Asuras are the ones who revel in
physical comforts and sense pleasures thinking of them as real. Their minds are caught up in the net of misunderstandings and their mind
is never at peace. They indulge in sensory pleasures and end up in the ignoble realm of hell. Hell is not a place away from the earth. It is
here, wherever man experience sorrow. The three doorways to hell are lust, rage and greed. They prevent us from gaining wisdom and
denigrate the self. They are to be discarded.
Those with asura-nature do not know what is to be undertaken and what is not worthy of our attention. They are clean and they are not
truthful. They do not know how to behave or what to speak and when. They don’t comprehend their limitations and they don’t follow
traditions either. What we should do is to know our limitations and to try overcoming those consciously. There is no point in lamenting or
cursing our fate or surroundings. For the people of asuric tendencies, the world is not proper and there is no reason behind it. There is no
God and we have no symbiotic relationship with other creatures. According to them, desire is the sole cause of everything. They indulge in
activities that are of no use to anyone and they treat all others as their adversaries. These dull-witted people, under the influence of
unending desires, undertake cruel and unthinkable deeds that destroy the world. Pride, illusion and arrogance are their trademarks. They
want to amass wealth using any means. “I did this, I have amassed this much wealth, I have killed my enemies, I am mighty, I will enjoy, I
have given so much in charity, I will do rituals” are their utterances based on their wealth, pride and position. These are enumerated here
to measure ourselves. If we look at others with these ‘qualities’, we are also being asuric. To be revengeful against these tyrants and to
hope for appropriate punishments for them is also being asuric in nature. A student of Gita should try to redirect these asuric individuals
to the path of knowledge.

88. Let the Scriptural Science be the Authority
In all our activities, let the scripture be our authority. Those who act as they please, ignoring scriptures and science will not attain the
supreme goal or happiness. Scriptures and culture of India are capable of giving us clear guidance and sense of direction in whatever path
we choose. In the Indian scriptures you can see in detail everything needed to be undertaken by man starting before the birth and until
after the death. It is from penance (thapass) that everything originates according to Indian culture. A woman accepts her suitable mate
through thapass. It is through thapass that a child is procreated. When to get married, how should we behave in married life, how to
spend the pregnancy period, naming of the child, what and how to feed him/her, how to educate him/her, how to see the death, what to
do after the death, how to build a house and how to behave with others are all available in these scriptures. Only when the nature is a
willing participant should we undertake anything, otherwise it will result in unnatural results.
A scripture raise our level through appropriate advices. If we don’t have any books to refer, try to look inside in a meditative mood. Right
answer will emerge. Actions emanating from introspection will not create agitation in others. One should try to get god realization by
penalizing own mind and body or by disturbing others. Immature and ignorant people undertake strange and self paining thapass that are
not scripturally ordained. They harass the elements in the body, the self and the surroundings. No scripture ask you to inflict injury by
piercing spear through the mouth or hacking the head with a sword. No scripture asks us to sacrifice chicken or other animals. Our faith
and nature (sraddha) are very much correlated and they are developed as per our cultural background. Sattvic faith leads to rituals and
yajnas to enhance the god-energy. Forestation and cleaning of rivers are part of this yajna.
People of rajoguna propitiate the aggressive and diabolic nature and the people of thamoguna, the entities of the netherworlds. Whatever
we put our faith into, we attain that.

89. Strength of a marriage is not in sharing leftovers
Strength of marriage is not in sharing the leftover food from the husband’s plate. No scriptures tell you to do that. Everyone should eat
their food when they are hungry. A lady need not wait for the husband’s convenience and time to eat her dinner. Not to eat on time is akin
to insulting the Lord, ‘Vasivanara”.
Left-over food, (even if it was just sat over by flies, it is a remnant), cold and stale, tasteless, smelly and rotten food are all unhygienic and
tainted. People with tamo-guna tend to eat these types of food. People of rajo-guna tend to eat hot, spicy, salty, tangy food with not much
oil or fat. These foods tend to increase diseases, sorrow and delusion in them.
Sattvic people prefer healthy foods that tend to increase endurance, virility, strength, happiness and contentment. Those are food with
ample fats, taste and are nourishing for developing body muscles. One could know the full history of evolution of such foods. Only
vegetarian foods– specifically the leaves and fruits- are of this category. Quality and quantity of food intake influence our mental
disposition and behaviour. If we eat rotten food, putrid thoughts will arise in our mind.
Satvic Yagnas are where we undertake action by keeping our mind steadfast in it without desiring for a particular result. In such an
activity, we are contented that we are able to undertake it. All yagnas done to achieve certain results or to show off magnanimity are
rajasic in nature. People of tamo-guna undertake yagnas without regard to scriptural injunctions, without the proper care procedure,
without mantras and fee to the priests. They are also reluctant to feed the people.
Respecting and worshipping divine being, brahmanas, preceptors, cleanliness, straightforwardness, following the path of truth (brahma
marga) and non-violence are bodily penance. Experiencing the presence of the teacher is also part of it. It is the penance by words to be
soft, congenial, truthful, well thought, un-agitating and convincing in speech. We should not end up having to say ever “Oh I said it
without thinking, please pardon me”. Do not injure anybody’s mind with your sharp tongue. Mental serenity, gentleness, silence, mind
control and purity of conduct are all penance of the mind.

90. Give Charity depending on time and place
A charitable act becomes satvic when we help out some one when and where it is appropriate. We must make sure that the charity has
been received by a deserving party. Even our gifts, prizes, donations and contributions are all charity in different forms. Nowadays we
give donations in fear. Do not give donations to temple committees approaching you with programs such as mimics parade and musical
night. These programs are not aimed at enhancing the temple culture, but they indeed spoil the atmosphere. Do not give money for
bringing elephants either. It cannot be sattvic to capture elephants by trapping them in the forests where they used to live happily, care
free and fearless. They were forced out of forests which are the Lord’s abode and garden. Throwing money from a running vehicle to a
hundi (money box) is also a careless charity. As unnecessary wealth accumulate, corruption and theft results even in places of worship.
It is a rajasic charity to expect return of favor or give charity with great difficulty. To give charity at wrong place and time is tamasic. It is
also tamasic to give charity without respect to the received. It is an insult to make someone stroll many times for collecting the previously
pledged charity. One should be respectful to the person receiving charity.
It is a tamasic penance (tamasic tapass) if it results in harassing others or ourselves. Tamasic fellows are always doubtful and they engage
in activities without any sense of direction. Rajasic penance (rajasic tapass) is where people engage in austerities and ritualistic galas to
show off pride under the influence of ego. These types of tapass will not survive for long. Satvic penance (satvic tapass)is when we do it
with care, without any attached desires.

91. All acts without care are ‘Asad’
All acts (karmas) undertaken without proper care are tainted and unworthy. With such activities, one will not get solace here or hereafter.
Even while doing the karma, or having completed it, there will be no peace of mind. Penance, Yajnas (ritualistic worship) and charity
done without care will result in the state of restlessness in us. Any karma done with the sounding of one of the words in “Om tat sat” will
become satvic as these words indicate the ultimate reality, Brahman. That is why Brahmanas and Vedas have been created. So, men of
wisdom undertake Penance, Yajnas (ritualistic worship) and charity by chanting the mantra ‘Om’ (pranava mantra). It is with the ‘Om’
chanting that we should undertake any activity such as- taking, giving and working. The pranava mantra, Om purifies everything.
Those who long for liberation undertake various karmas without desiring for their fruits by chanting ‘tat’. Whatever be our ultimate goal,
these mantras purify our actions by allowing us to detach ourselves from wishful desires associated with those activities. Desire-less life
doesn’t mean that one should live the life of a poor man. One should be able to accept all kinds of experiences with the same attitude.
Don’t be fond of something and detest others. If a king’s life is being given, enjoy it with contentment. On the other hand, if the life
extends you a life of poverty, living under a tree, enjoy that also with ease. Don’t get identified with any such situations as they are
transient. In this wisdom, we can live in the world, experiencing everything, dealing with all situations with ease.
‘Sad’ is used to indicate true and good. Regularity, care and promptness in yajna, thapass and charity and the associated karmas, are ‘sad’.
What we are doing is to take and transfer a portion of something that is existent in the universe in all the three states. Wise men consider
themselves to be an instrument while giving charity. There is nothing ‘new’ here to take or give. Ignorant people pride themselves
thinking that “I gave this, and this much”. Neither the giver nor the receiver is going to benefit with such attitudes.


92. Those who hate wars in fact love it
Those who hate wars do so since there is a battle going on inside of them. Whatever we try to oppose vehemently, it will be present inside
of us in its full strength, twice over. Man of equanimity is not opposed to anything. A satvic man does not hate actions that are
inauspicious nor does he become entangled in auspicious karmas. Even the intense desire to serve others is also a type of bondage. They
hope to achieve and recognition behind such insistence.
One should do all karmas fully accepting that they are to be executed, but do it without affinity towards their results and attachment to
the karma itself. He should feel that it is my opportunity to undertake it and I am the chosen to execute it best. Don’t take it as an
unpleasant task. It is a rajasic sacrifice to give up karmas that may mete out physical hurt and sorrow. It is not logical to give up obligatory
karmas- do not take up sannyas (life of renunciation) discarding your wife and kids. Sacrifices borne out of such ignorance are tamasic in
nature. Here the Lord indicates that the bliss enjoyed by a sannyaasi while chanting Om is same as the wisdom and contentment one gets
when engaged in cutting vegetables to prepare food for the needy. Sannyasa state is not to be entered into by leaving things unfinished.
Sannyas is the renunciation of karmas with the expectation of results. Sacrifice is to let go of all fruits of all actions. Both are the same in
its essence. Do not discard yajna, tapass, charity and such karmas. If we consider all actions to be yajnas (auspicious undertakings) is
there anything to be discarded? When we realize in the wisdom of Isavasyam idam sarvvam (everything is the abode of Lord) that there is
nothing that can be claimed as ours, what is there to be sacrificed? All obligatory yajnas and tapass are to be undertaken without any
attached desires for results. Karmas are to be executed just as the birds fly about in the sky- without making any marks. If not, fruits of
those karmas will search and find us as a calf would find its own mother even in the herd of thousand cows.

93. Not ‘killing’ anyone even if you kill
Lord says that even if one kills the whole world without any desires for the results etched by his intellect and with no the sense of ‘doer-
ship’, he is not ‘killing’ anyone. Those karmas do not bind him at all. He revels in the sat-chit-ananda state, the state of truth,
consciousness and bliss. He has no hatred towards anyone and no one detests him. His actions do not create any fondness either as where
there is like, there is dislike. Knowledge, knower and the known are three entities and they are the force behind karmas. Whenever we do
anything we should know the motivation behind it – be it a helpful deed or an act of aggression. Once we know the motive our actions will
have better commitment and resolve. No one will be able to shake that resolve.
Because of the need for sustaining the body, one cannot discard karmas altogether. Real renunciation is to let go of the results of karmas.
What is needed is the paradigm shift towards the results. Those who are not ready to let go of results, they appear in three different ways -
Likeable, dislikeable, and mixed. They will experience the world in these three ways as well. A sannyasi do not face these three here in this
life or hereafter.
All karmas have five causes. Abode (seat), the doer (individuality), sense organs of actions and knowledge (indriyas of jnana and karma),
various gestures and the power of nature, the Lord are these five causes. These five are the cause for a man to undertake any work –
rightly or otherwise- using his body, words and mind. Because of ignorance, the uncultured intellect does not see the truth and takes
himself the ‘doer’. He thinks: ‘I’ did this and it is ‘my’ strength and prowess; and ‘I’ am enjoying the fruits, etc. This is the attitude held by
Duryodhana. Duryodhana is thought less where is the Lord is devoid of thoughts. For them both, war is not an issue. But Arjuna has lots
of thoughts: he stands in the middle. One can go either down to Duryodhana state of ignorance or rise up to the Lord’s state. Those who
have started on their path of inquiry, the option is obvious- rise to the Lord state.


94. Knowledge that is noble (satvic)
Satvic knowledge is the wisdom to see the one indivisible, imperishable self in all the myriad of creations of the world, seemingly
differentiated and divided. Everything in the universe is the varying combinations of the five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth.
The brave one does not get deluded as he knows that everything is made up of these five. One should be able to see the ‘sat’ (the truth, the
essence) in the multiplicity.
Rajasic knowledge is to know and understand the different aspects separately. The common thread that binds all is not apparent in rajasic
vision. It is like a poet and a merchant looking at flowers with different aims. People of different background see the universe according to
their differing views.
Tamasic knowledge is unrealistic and stubbornly attached to certain ideas. They are incomplete and illogical. People who argue that since
one cannot traverse a ship in a drop of water the ship cannot travel in an ocean either. They ‘see’ logic in these arguments.
When we execute our obligations without any expectations or attachment towards the outcomes; devoid of like-dislike dualities, we are
engaging in satvic actions. All activities originate in the mind. Thoughts become words. Gross form of words is activity leading to
behaviour, tradition and culture.
Culture takes form in our thoughts and the mind is influenced by what we eat. Food habit of people reveals their culture. So, in order to
protect and preserve our sanatana dharma (culture of India) what we need is the revolution of thought and nothing else.

95. Know your body
From the satvic component of each of the five basic elements (space, air, fire, water, earth), organs of knowledge (ears, skin, eyes, tongue,
nose) were created. From the satvic constituents of the macrocosm formed the mind, intellect and the consciousness. From the rajasic
components of each of the elements, organs of actions- speech, hands, feet, genitals and anus - were formed. From the rajasic constituents
of the macrocosm, five pranas (panca prana- prana, apana, samana, udana, vyana, udana) were created. Thamasic component of the
macrocosm is formed by the process of fusion (pancheekaranam) of each of the elements with constituents of the other four elements.
These are elements that had undergone the process of fusion. From these elements, various cosmic eggs (brahma-anda) were formed.
Earth and the fourteen worlds are part of this formation. Within the earth, various creatures took birth. Within each of the bodies a life
force (jeeva) is present and the cosmic body (brahma anda) is presided over by the Lord, Iswara. Sree Sankaracharya declares in the
Tatvabodha that the macrocosm (jeeva) and the microcosm (Iswara) are interconnected in this manner. We should not harbour the
thought that the jeeva and Iswara are different and separate from each other.
The ‘self’ is different from the causal bodies - subtle and gross. It is beyond the sheaths of food, mind, knowledge and bliss (annamaya,
manomaya, vigyanamaya and aanandamaya kosas). It is the ever present entity, existence-consciousness-bless (sat-chit-ananda
swaroopa) witnessing the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states. One should realize that the self is the knowledge (chit) that exists in all
the three states (sat) and is joyful (ananda) in nature.
Sree Sankaracharya portrays the characteristics of a seeker. Discriminatory intellect to differentiate between the real and the unreal, not
having the desire for pleasures in this life or for a heavenly life hereafter, patience, self control, be impeccable in executing own duties,
accepting the pleasure and pain with equanimity, grace of the guru, care and eagerness to learn scriptural science, mental concentration
and a strong yearning for liberation are the qualities of a seeker.

96. Be aware of the knowledge and ignorance simultaneously
Wisdom is to be aware of knowledge and ignorance at the same time. Satvic intellect is existent when we are able to know vividly what is
activity and improper activity; work and forbidden work; fear and fearlessness and the bondage and liberation. It is like cutting jackfruit:
in order to avoid the glue from sticking to your hand, we should smear oil in our palms before cutting the jackfruit. Not to understand this
properly is rajasic intellect and to mis-comprehend this is tamasic intellect.
Drithi is the courage to pursue and complete intelligent activities already undertaken inspired by the words of the Lord. Mind is aligned;
pranas (life forces) are fully awakened and the sense organs are at their best. This is in the satvic realm and it is the ability to rise to the
occasions and to express the intellectual dexterity.
‘Om’ represents satvic knowledge; ‘tat’ the satvic karma and the ‘sat’, symbolizes the satvic doer. Life force is the subtlest form of karma.
Wherever there is life, there is action. When we take the air inside with the Om meditation, it is the satvic knowledge. All activities under
the influence of Om become satvic karmas. All activities undertaken with great difficulty and under the influence of desires and ego are
rajasic karmas. All activities undertaken carelessly, without thinking about the future or how they will affect others originate in ignorance
and they are tamasic karmas. A satvic doer is one who takes up work without attachment or pride in the activity. He reacts equally to
positive and negative results. A rajasic doer is addicted to sense pleasures and he lusts for favourable results. He is stingy, unhygienic and
he would even torture others to get his way. He is happy and miserable at the same time. A tamasic doer is the one who is lazy, sloppy,
uncivilized and he has a mind that is illogical. He takes up work reluctantly and disturbs others in the process. They insult others and
create troubles for people around them.

97. Be aware of the knowledge and ignorance simultaneously
Wisdom is to be aware of knowledge and ignorance at the same time. Satvic intellect is existent when we are able to know vividly what is
activity and improper activity; work and forbidden work; fear and fearlessness and the bondage and liberation. It is like cutting jackfruit:
in order to avoid the glue from sticking to your hand, we should smear oil in our palms before cutting the jackfruit. Not to understand this
properly is rajasic intellect and to mis-comprehend this is tamasic intellect.
Drithi is the courage to pursue and complete intelligent activities already undertaken inspired by the words of the Lord. Mind is aligned;
pranas (life forces) are fully awakened and the sense organs are at their best. This is in the satvic realm and it is the ability to rise to the
occasions and to express the intellectual dexterity.
‘Om’ represents satvic knowledge; ‘tat’ the satvic karma and the ‘sat’, symbolizes the satvic doer. Life force is the subtlest form of karma.
Wherever there is life, there is action. When we take the air inside with the Om meditation, it is the satvic knowledge. All activities under
the influence of Om become satvic karmas. All activities undertaken with great difficulty and under the influence of desires and ego are
rajasic karmas. All activities undertaken carelessly, without thinking about the future or how they will affect others originate in ignorance
and they are tamasic karmas. A satvic doer is one who takes up work without attachment or pride in the activity. He reacts equally to
positive and negative results. A rajasic doer is addicted to sense pleasures and he lusts for favourable results. He is stingy, unhygienic and
he would even torture others to get his way. He is happy and miserable at the same time. A tamasic doer is the one who is lazy, sloppy,
uncivilized and he has a mind that is illogical. He takes up work reluctantly and disturbs others in the process. They insult others and
create troubles for people around them.
98. Sudra (working class) is the protector of dharma.
For a Brahmana (scholars or priestly class), it should be natural to have the qualities such as self control, tranquility, penance,
cleanliness, patience, straightforwardness, knowledge, experience and care. For the kshatriya class, (warriors and protectors), courage,
valour, braveness, cleverness, charity, authority, and able to fight without receding are the expected qualities. Protecting cows, looking
after farming and trade are the duties of Vysya (farmers and tradesmen) class. To serve everyone is the duty of Sudras.
Sudras are entitled to attain the goal dharma (duty) and Vysyas, the arthha (wealth). Kshatriyas are entitled to kamas (aspirations) and
the Brahmanas to moksha (liberation). Gita is not talking here about the birth rights of any class; everyone attains their chosen rightful
path in accordance to their innate tendencies. A businessman (Vysya) becomes a Brahmana as he embarks on spiritual inquiry. There is
nothing in the universe that is not under the spell of qualities (guna). When one executes their duties well, following the right path, he
attains the supreme state.
It is the rajasic urge (dhrithi) to pursue dharma, arthha and kama without caring for the ultimate goal moksha. It is the tamasic urge to be
sleepy, fearful, sorrowful, proud, brutal and mentally dull.
Although it may appear to be toxic in the beginning, bliss born out of self awareness evolves in to divine nectar in the end. This is satvic
joy. On the other hand, the rajasic delight is nectar-like in the beginning turning into poison later. Rajasic delight results when sense
objects merge with sense organs. Tamasic joy is delusive beginning till the end. Slumber, lethargy and foolishness are the cause of tamasic
elation.

99. Kara-nyasa (Treasure to be held in hand)
Some of the stanzas of the Gita have been classified as ‘kara-nyasa’, treasure that is always to be held in ones own hand. We should
become Gita by invoking kara-nyasa to express as kara-chalanam (work by own hands).
We meditate and invoke the blessings of the sage Vyasa as the one who imparted this knowledge. We seek the blessings of sages to attain
the intellectual prowess to comprehend this knowledge. Let Gita be the words we speak. Let our speech be guided by the scriptures and let
Goddess Saraswathi revel on our tongue. Meditate upon Sri Krishna, the supreme self, imagining Him as seated in the heart, at the centre
of everything.
Gita originates with the lines that say about our state of being. “talking like learned men, but keep lamenting about that which is not
worthy of concern” This is the root cause of all our problems. Men of wisdom do not mourn. Real strength is in discarding dharma as well
as adharma, surrendering unto ‘that’ ultimate reality. This doesn’t mean that we should discard work, family and the house to pursue the
higher truth. We should not take the momentary things to be real and eternal. Gita has given us the foundation peg, the assurance that the
Lord will rescue us from all transgressions. Let us tie down ourselves to this peg of assurance.
Science does not interfere with the ultimate truth. Fire does not burn it. Water cannot wet it. Wind does not dry it up. Self is eternal,
omniscient and unfaltering. Everything in the universe is the Lord’s various forms. Stanzas (shloka) 23 and 24 in chapter2; 5th shloka of

the chapter-11 are to be chanted with meditation directing our attention towards the fingers and the heart. Our words, mind and actions
must be guided by this knowledge. Shlokas from the Gita must become protective armours and weapons in our quest.
Ashtotthara-namavali (108 holy names) includes all the various aspects of the Holy Gita. Once we evolve ourselves to become the Gita
itself, the compilation of the Lord’s name is verily ours and it is there for the purpose of worshipping the Self.

100. Worship is executing own duty
Those who worship the omnipresent supreme self by well executing their own duties (dharma) attain success. It is nobler to undertake
own duties- however ineffective they may seem- than to do other’s karma. It is ignoble to discard own karma with the excuse that it
cannot be done well or by assuming that it may result in something bad. One can find fault with any action one way or other, but don’t
discard your duties succumbing to your cynical mind.
Who is eligible for attaining supreme bliss? He remains in solitude armed with the strength of pure intellect controlling his mind,
discarding all the dualities such as likes and dislikes. He eats modestly to keep his bodily functions active and he remains revelling in a
realm beyond names and forms. His words, mind and actions are well aligned and they support each other. He is in meditative mood
where there is no doer-ship or enjoyer-ship. He has no compulsion, arrogance, lust or anger and he has no sense of ‘i-ness’. Such a yogi
attains supreme bliss.
In order to carve out an idol out of a mere stone, what we do is to remove the unnecessary portions of the stone that is not part of the idol.
Ego takes us away from nature and stops us from attaining the absolute. We are afraid of getting aligned with the nature due to the fear
that we may loose something. Gita advises us to keep the mind peaceful by avoiding confusing mayhems in our life.
When we categorize people based on action, with their innate tendencies guiding them, there are no life-long brahmana or life-long
sudras. When one meditates in the morning, he is a brahmana. When he undertakes trade activity later in the day, he is a vysya. When he
fights for the country, he is indeed a kshatriya. When he is doing work for the societies benefit, he is a sudra. Everyone has all these four
qualities. This is the message we must learn from Mahatma Gandhi’s life.

101. Truth is effortless to attain
Truth is easy to attain. It is effortless and uncomplicated. We keep failing, trying to open the lock which does not exist. We make the
simple things complex by over analyzing and explaining. Those who have attained Brahama doesn’t lament about anything. He has no
desire either. As he has a vision of equanimity over all creatures, he is blessed with great devotion. One should get liberation now in this
life and not after death. Enter the realm of the Lord by analysing the principles (thava-vichar) in devotion. For this one need not visit
temples and it doesn’t depend on the size of the sandal wood or vermillion marks on the forehead. One need not call out His names to
surrender unto Him. It is being aware of the consciousness that is behind all intellectual constructions. During meditation, in the solitude,
one comes to know these by diving deep in to the inner self. Submit all activities unto Him. It is the state when our hands (actions) are
harmonized with our mind and intellect. One need not bring in a different God with a name and form in this quest. Don’t think of another
thing while pursuing one activity. While cutting vegetables there is no need to chant the Lord’s name. Don’t think of anything else. Give
your full attention to the act of cutting vegetables. When we give full attention to our activities we are getting more and more aligned with
the supreme self. This will lead to attaining the serene and supreme self. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that even if he decides not to take part
in the war, due to his pride and ego, the nature will force him to go through with it. That is because Arjuan’s innate tendencies are those of
a warrior. Everyone is destined do actions in accordance with the natural qualities and tendencies (vasanas). It appears as if all living
creatures are mechanized toys moving and acting about with the Lord at the centre, working as the controller. We can see the world in
four different ways. First one (vasthu-drishty) is to see it as such, as it appears- a lady, a man, a book, a table, etc. Second is the image we
attaché to each (pratheeka drishty)- as a mother, a father, Holy Gita, a dining table, etc. Third is the divine vision (divya drishti), to see
everything as the glory of the Lord. Fourth vision is the supreme vision (param divya drishti). That is to realize that the glory of the Lord
is nothing but ‘me’. Bhagavad Gita guides and enables us to attaining this evolutionary growth.

102. Questions arise, meditation begins.
It is necessary to have the inquiry in to what is happening in my own inner mind. In human minds the dharma-adharma conflicts
(virtuous vs. non-virtuous) are occurring incessantly. We are fighting against ourselves in these conflicts. When a question arises in the
mind, meditation begins. There is no point in dwelling on what happened in the past. What is the purpose of me undertaking this now? In
my mind what are the noble (Pandawas) and ignoble (Duryodhanas) aspects of my actions that are at odds with each other? When
emotions lead our actions, Duryodhanas are in control. When our thoughts are in control of our actions, Pandawas are in charge.
Brahman is the aim for a sadhaka where Universe is the bow and the self is the arrow. Gita is the lesson of this archery that a guru teaches
to his disciple. Entering of Krishna and Arjuna in to the chariot is akin to birth of a child. White horses symbolize the pure self, the
consciousness. The glory of the body is that in it resides the power of discrimination and the Lord himself.
Panchajanyam (born out of five), the official conch used by Sri Krishna in the battle field represents the people who consider the world of
five senses (sound, touch, taste, form and smell) to be real. The Lord uses their bodies to extol the virtue of dharma by rescuing them from
the ignoble tendencies. Once He plays through us, everything that comes out of us will be virtuous. We should just allow Him to use us as
his flute. In order to make melodious music, there shouldn’t be anything inside the bamboo piece. When we say that the sound of
panchajanyam trembles the world and the sky, it means that voice of dharma will remain beyond time and space. Arjuna asks the Lord-
who is making me do sinful deeds even though I don’t want to. Desires of various kinds are the reason behind these deeds. World
becomes prosperous with the help of people with no selfish desires. People with selfish desires annihilate the world. Those who have no
desires attain peace easily. “All our actions undertaken for our contentment must enable others to be happy” so said Sri Narayana Guru.
Let this be our motto.

103. Everything gets purified in knowledge
Gita makes everything an auspicious undertaking (yagna). In the fire of self control, the senses are sacrificed. A vision is also a yagna. We
should not add color to it as we sacrifice it in the fire of knowledge. Accepting the universe in the fire of knowledge is indeed yagna and in
knowledge everything gets sanctified. Most holy is the knowledge itself. Some people ask – is it not beneficial to serve the poor and feed
the hungry than engaged in teaching of the Gita. Those who want to serve the destitute always want them to exist and indirectly they love
problems. Knowledge transfer is the attempt to nurture a culture that will ensure that no destitute is produced. This leads to permanent
liberation.
Our creations are all in the spirit of yagna and when there is a hindrance to this attitude, even an unscrupulous person will be annoyed. In
order to rise above desires, we should reinvigorate our mind with the intellect that has acquired knowledge from scriptures. Don’t go with
the whim and fancy of the thoughts and emotions and do not denigrate yourself. Biggest sin is to indulge in and worry about the
insignificant events, issues and thoughts of the past. One cannot become a sannyasi or a yogi without discarding wishful thoughts. A
sannyasi is one who undertakes work without wishing for results. He does not harbour thoughts of hatred; he doesn’t desire anything; he
has discarded thoughts of sense gratification; he has no feeling of duality. It is a simple life.
Karma and knowledge (jnana) are not different for a sannyasi. One attains the goal through karma what can be achieved through jnana.
They are mutually supportive to each other. Karmas are to be done as per our innate nature and it is para-dharma (other’s duty or
unnatural) even to think that we are separate from the supreme. Don’t think that I am this body, thoughts or emotions. Even to say that “I
am killing” is unnatural and para-dharma. I don’t ‘own’ the work (no doer-ship) and we are truly blissful in nature. We can experience
this through meditation.

104. There is no status higher than the Motherhood
Motherhood is the highest status- a sannyasi needs to bow down only to his mother. A mind getting ready to meditate pays obeisance to
the mother, father and the guru. Then pray to the earth as it sustains the myriad types of lives in it. For the effulgence and energy, bow
down to the sun, moon and the stars. Then remember all the various life forms to get the divine vision of their essence. Remember the
cow and banyan tree before meditation– they give out the best by accepting the least useful stuff from nature (milk, after consuming grass
and oxygen after accepting carbon dioxide).
Before sitting down for meditation, have a resolve in mind that I will not waver from the attempt to know and realize the Truth and I will
not recede until reach the goal. All actions must begin in meditation. It is the feeling of awe and surrender to those unknown hands which
prepared us ready to take up this endeavour. It requires high level of vigil to observe the activities of mind with the mind. If one cannot sit
in a yoga pose such as pathamasana for meditation, they can sit in a chair or by stretching the leg. But do not cheat yourselves in the path
of self inquiry. Doubts emanating from the peaceful mind lead us to the path of truth. But doubts of an agitated mind will lead us to
diseases. All actions become crazy deeds when done without awareness. One should develop full knowledge on actions undertaken.
Just as we observe the external world, see the inner world of mental actions as well. Know sound and silence. When you start observing
the mind, it becomes powerful. A mind that is not observed is like a closed room. Within this universe, one can accept anything as the
guru. A book, a person, ocean or a leaf- whatever you want. Guru’s function is that of an alarm clock to help people wake up on time. That
is all one needs from a guru. If that person is not capable of waking you up, do not accept him as your guru. Likewise, don’t hesitate after
accepting a guru. Submit completely to accept his guidance. Religion, teachers and gurus are all exist because of various issues and
problems are there in people’s life and they typically like it that way. They want to conduct elaborate rituals (worship, homa, etc.) to ‘solve’
issues for you. Don’t go after such people.

105. Gita is giving freedom to do as we please
Bhagavad Gita gives us the unlimited freedom to do as we please. Bhagavan tells us that he is going to divulge the secret of all secrets.
Then he asks us to analyze and critique his advises and then to follow the path of our choice. He spreads before us all the facts and figures
and empower s us to pursue as we feel in the light of knowledge. Thus he encourages us to bring about all the possibilities latent in us.
All the likes and dislikes of the world are within us. We should look at the world as we look at the mirror. The universe is a reflection of
our self. Only with the eyes of wisdom can we see this. Only the one who has had seen enough of the sunrises, moon and flowers would be
able to say that he doesn’t need another birth. Even Swami Vivekananda said that he would like to take birth again in the holy land of
India. We came through this universe and it has been kept ready for us to experience. When we contemplate with reverence the paths we
traversed, we get to deserve certain imageries. Through meditation we can travel through the paths we passed. Meditation is like learning
to ride a bicycle. While learning, we need to follow the rules without any compromise. No one will ride a bike free hand during the
training period. Once mastered the feat, one can ride the cycle anyway he chooses- with or without hands on the handle bar. Once we
master the art of meditation, we can try to seek new possibilities. Then we need not sit down at one place to meditate. Those who have
attained the wisdom of self knowledge will be always in a state of meditation. This is achieved through knowledge and through tough
experiments. Don’t be obstinate about the path and thus forgetting the goal. Also, don’t be repentant about the wrong doings in the past.
Don’t foster the thought “I would have done such and such in my time, but now I am incapable”. Whenever we pursue the path of self
knowledge, do it with diligence (Sradha). That is of paramount importance. Swami Tapovanam used to say “those who pursue self inquiry
sitting at home should not try to imitate the yogi who is meditating sitting in the forest or vice versa”. A house-holder with discriminatory
intellect embraces the world without selfish intentions considering it as his dharma and thus he reaches his goal.
106. What are the duties fit to be discarded?
Bhagavan assures us that ‘if you discard all duties (dharmas) and seek refuge in me, I shall redeem you from all sins; don’t worry’. This
sloka, one of the most prominent in the Gita has created a lot of confusion. Some people follow it literally as an excuse to abandon all
responsibilities and avoid taking up a job or taking care of the family. They believe that the Lord wants them to stay in a monastery or as a
freeloader near a temple.
Dharma is the essential quality of a thing without which the thing is not. For example, if you remove the heat and light from fire, it will
cease to be fire. Thus the universe is borne by Brahman. All values that take us to Brahman are dharma for us. Rejecting Brahman is not
being referred here. Bhagavan advises us to ‘know me, the one and only Brahman through meditation’. Here knowing is surrendering.
Gita wants us to get rid of the notion of ‘I am doing’ in the activities of our body (Sarira dharma)- seeing, hearing, thinking, etc. If I don’t
have anything as ‘my own’, there is nothing to be discarded. This is akin to empowering someone who is watching the sky through the
window to get out of the room enabling him to enjoy the open sky. Here there is not duality. Discarding dharma here is getting rid of the
doer-ship.
A sin is the deed that would create an inferiority complex. A thought of lament “Oh, this has become my fate” is a sin. To surrender in the
Lord is to live and accept a life of reality without indulging in imaginary life. This surrender is like a wave realizing that ‘I am the ocean’.
This is the only aim one should entertain in life as all other prostrations are futile. Whomever we prostrate and surrender to, do it with the
attitude of surrendering unto the supreme consciousness. Bhagavan didn’t ask us to surrender ourselves to a temple, a priest or an idol.
To become a devotee is to realize that ‘I am not a separate entity from the universe’. Any injury to the universe is affecting me. It is my
duty to preserve and to take care of this universe. When the Lord says ‘you are dear to me’, it means that the relationship between you and
the nature is symbiotic. It is your love towards all beings in nature that makes you my favourite. This can be achieved only through
knowledge- not merely by going to temples every morning after taking a bath and applying sandal paste on the forehead.
107. The Lord’s feet are the feet of life itself
Feet of life are the Lord’s feet indeed. Meaning of ‘going to the Lord’s feet’ is to accept life completely and wholeheartedly as it is
presented before us. Only when we break away from the unimportant stuff we will be able to accept the supreme. Serving God is to know

God. The Lord didn’t ask us to make a lot of temples, but he asked us to know ‘I’ through self inquiry with the help of scriptural
knowledge. We should propagate the scripture and at least our family members should be directed to this path of inquiry. Bhagavan says
that he who teaches scriptures well and introduces ‘me’ to others is very dear Him. There is nothing nobler than this knowledge transfer.
Supreme worship is to learn the scriptures without wavering from dharma. If some one even listens to the scriptures without jealousy, he
will get benefited as well.
One should listen to the scripture with one pointed concentration. There is no point in listening mechanically. Hearing should be followed
by analytical thinking of the subject. Learn the word meanings and the purport so that all delusions end. We are the ‘chosen’ ones even to
get opportunity to listen to the scriptures. That’s why Gita warns that the scriptures should not be advised to people with no devotion and
penance, people who do not serve others and to those who are jealous of other people’s prosperity. It must be imparted to only those who
are really interested. Some people think that Sudras and women are not entitled to Brahma vidya, the knowledge supreme. The Lord has
clearly stated who do not deserve this knowledge. Here the cast, religion, clan or **** of a person does not matter. Those who do not make
an effort to know should not be imparted of this ‘secret’. Thapass (penance) is the pursuit one undertakes cheerfully. They know that it is
the service to the Lord to serve the country and devotion to the people is the devotion to the supreme self. Those who do not serve others
do not serve the nature. Those who are jealous to others when they prosper is indeed envious to none other than the Lord.
GITA 108 DAYS - Day 108 - Final

This is the last page of the 'Gita 108 days' book. Thanks for your kind suggestions and encouragements. Special Pranams to Swamiji.
SOBG will be publishing this.
108. Integration of action and spirituality is essential
Sri Krishana is the Lord of all yogas (yogeswara) and He personifies spirituality. Arjuna, (Parthan) the warrior with the bow and arrows
exemplifies the action. When these two are in harmony, prosperity, victory, affluence and appropriate justice will result. When the action
is not well connected with spirituality, world will be chaotic. It appears that United States has Parthan and no yogeswara while India has
spirituality and no Parthan. What we need is the harmonious integration of the worlds. Take out all the possibilities in us to better the life
of human race. When we work together, there will be no room for atom bombs or wars.
Arjuna declares that his inner self has got awaken by the wisdom of discrimination. He already had that light in him; the Lord facilitated
the process, that’s all. Arjuna assures the Lord that he will follow His advice; that is to live life in accordance with nature. Once we decide
to act in harmony with the nature, how can those actions create a dissonance?
Bhagavad Gita takes us to the inner meanings of the great statement (mahavakya) – tat tvam asi – (that thou art). Out of the eighteen
chapters of the GIta, the first six chapters analyse and expound on ‘tvam’ (i.e., you- thou). Six chapters in the middle of the book deal with
‘tat’ (i.e., that – the supreme self). Final six chapters describe how the two (tat and tvam) are integrally connected (asi) to each other.
Through scriptural erudition, we must develop the conviction: ‘that is you’ and from there evolve to realize: ‘I am Brahman’ (aham
brahma asmi). All our activities must be aimed at realizing this ultimate wisdom.
Dracula #10
KuttaPPaN

Bhagavat Geeta Darsan

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