Bhagavad Gita - Issue # 2

Dear Readers

Am happy to present the Bhagavad Gita – Issue # 2.

Adisankara says in his “Bajagovindam”

Bhagavad Gita Kinchita Theertha Ganga Jalalapi Kanika Peetha
Sakruthapi Yena Murari Samarcha Kriyathe Thasya Yamenana Charcha

If a person reads a little from Bhagavad Gita, Drinks a sip of water from Ganges. Worships Murari (Krishna) for a little moment, for them there is no arguments with Yama, [the lord of death]. Adisankara further says:

Geyam Gita Nama Sahasram
Dhyeyam Shripati Rupamajashram

One should read Bhagavad Gita and Chant Vishnu Sahasranamam
One should meditate upon Shripati i.e. Lord Vishnu

The Baja Govindam further states

Mayamayam Idam akilam hitva
Brahmapadam tvam pravisha vidhitva

Leaving this world which is illusory and by knowing the state of Brahman enter into it.

This state of Brahman is explained in Chapter 2 , Verses 11 to 20 of Bhagavad Gita. The same was explained by Krishna when Arjuna said he cannot fight as by engaging in the war he needs to kill all his kin.

Happy Reading!
Warm Regards
A.V. Devan
Chennai-12/12/2010

Srimad Bhagavat Gita

Chapter – 2 // Verses 11 to 20


After Arjuna tells Krishna that he could not fight against his relatives Lord Krishna spoke the following words to Arjuna :

Chapter 2 Text 11

asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah

Meaning

“While speaking wisely you are grieving for what is not worthy of grief. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead.”

Chapter 2 Text 12

na tv evaham jatu nasam na tvam neme janadhipah na caiva na bhavisyamah sarve vayam atah param

Meaning

“Never was a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these Kings, nor in the future shall any of will cease to be.”

Chapter 2 Text 13

dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati

Meaning

“Just as the embodied soul passes through childhood, youth and old age in this body, so does it pass into another body; the wise person is not grieved by such a change.”

Chapter 2 Text 14

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah agamapayino 'nityas tams titiksasva bharata

Meaning

“Happiness and distress are similar to winter and summer seasons which come and go. They arise from sense perception which one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”

Chapter 2 Text 15

yam hi na vyathayanty ete purusam purusarsabha sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram so 'mrtatvaya kalpate

Meaning

The person who is not disturbed by sorrow and happiness and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.”

Chapter 2 Text 16

nasato vidyate bhavo nabhavo vidyate satah ubhayor api drsto 'ntas tv anayos tattva-darsibhih

Meaning

“The unreal has no existence and for the eternal there is no change. The truth about these indeed has been seen by the seers of the truth.”

Chapter 2 Text 17

avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam vinasam avyayasyasya na kascit kartum arhati

Meaning

“Know indeed that which pervades everywhere is indestructible and no one can cause the destruction of this imperishable.”

Chapter 2 Text 18

antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah anasino 'prameyasya tasmad yudhyasva bharata

Meaning

“The material bodies of the embodied which is eternal, indestructible and immeasurable are said to have an end. Therefore fight O Arujna.” [2.18]

Chapter 2 Text 19

ya enam vetti hantaram yas cainam manyate hatam ubhau tau na vijanito nayam hanti na hanyate

Meaning

“He who regards this as a slayer and he who thinks this is slain, both of them are ignorant. This neither slays nor is slain.”

Chapter 2 Text 20

na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire

Meaning

“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. The soul has not come into being nor will it ever again cease to be, It is unborn, eternal, changeless, ancient. It is not killed when the body is killed.”


Explanation / Purport [Chapter 2 Texts 11 to 20]

The qualities of the soul or atman were explained by Krishna. The soul is eternal and it migrates from one body to another like we change our dress. The material body passes through from child hood to old age while the soul remains the same. The atman is nothing but the all pervading Brahman. The Brahman exists as the substratum of the world. The worlds of waking, dream and deep sleep arise out of Brahman they exist in Brahman and finally merge with Brahman. The worlds come and go but Brahman is imperishable and nothing can cause the destruction of the Brahman.

The atman or Brahman lies beyond the limitations of the language. Words can only define some aspects of the atman. The characteristics of the soul or atman or Brahman whichever way we try to interpret have the following qualities:

Ajah : Unborn

Atman is not born when we are born. It does not die when we die. It always was, it is now and it will ever be. Any being that has been born must necessarily die. It is therefore finite. Atman, unborn and not subject to death is infinite.

Nityah : Eternal

Atman is everlasting. It may be compared to the ocean and living beings to waves in the ocean. Waves are born, they exist for a while and they die. But the ocean never ceases to exist. Similarly beings are born they exist for a while and they die. But Atman exists eternally.

Sasvatah : Changeless

Atman is the one changeless entity, with reference to which all changes take place. Birth and death bring about change. The man passes through from childhood to youth then to manhood and then moves to old age and then dies. In this chain of birth and death the body undergoes the change however the atman remains the same.

Thus Krishna advises Arjuna that the Atman never dies when the body dies and hence Arjuna should not grieve for the same and he has to fight which is a duty to a Kshatriya.



Bibliography/Reference

Bhagavad Gita As It is – Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad Gita – Swami A. Parthasarathy (Vedanta Cultural Foundation)
http://www.asitis.com/
http://www.vedantaworld.org/