Gita Satsang - Ch. 8 ; verses 11 - 15 ; January 24 , 2002.

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Namaste,

 

mat chittaaH mat gata-praaNaaH bodhayantaH parasparam.h .

kathayantaH cha maa.n nitya.n tushhyanti cha ramanti cha ..

 

shriimad-bhagavad-giitaa 10:9

 

'With their thought on Me, with their life absorbed in Me,

instructing each other, and ever speaking of Me, they are content and

delighted.'

 

Ch.10:v.9.

 

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atha ashhTamo.adhyaayaH . Chapter 8 : Verses 11-15

[with Shankara-Bhashya, tr. Sw.Gambhirananda]

 

akshara-brahma-yogaH. The Yoga of the Imperishable Absolute.

 

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yadaksharaM vedavido vadanti

vishanti yadyatayo viitaraagaaH .

yadich{}chhanto brahmacharya.n charanti

tatte padaM sa.ngraheNa pravakshye .. 8\.11..

 

 

11. I shall speak to you briefly of that immutable Goal which the knowers of

the Vedas declare, into which enter the deligent ones free from attachment,

and aspiring for which people practise celibacy.

 

Pravaksye, I shall speak; te, to you; samgrahena, briefly; tat, of that;

which is called the aksaram, immutable-that whch does not get exhausted,

which is indestructible; padam, Goal to be reached; yat, which; veda-vidah,

the knowers of the Vedas, the knowers of the purport of the Vedas; vedanti,

declare, speak of It as opposed to all qualifications-'It is neither gross

nor minute' (Br. 3.8.8) etc.-, in accordance with the Upanisadic text, 'O

Gargi, the knowers of Brahman say this Immutable (Brahman) is that' (ibid);

and further, yat, into which, after the attainment of complete realization;

visanti, enter; yatayah, the diligent ones, the monks; who have become

vita-ragah, free from attachment; and icchantah, aspiring to know (-to know

being supplied to complete the sense-); yat, which Immutable; people

caranti, practise; brahmacaryam, celibacy-at the teacher's house.

 

Commencing with, '"O venerable sir, which world does he really win thereby

who, among men, intently meditates on Om in that wonerful way till death?"

To him he said, "O Satyakama, this very Brahman that is (known as) the

inferior and superior is but this Om"' (pr.5.1-2), it has been stated,

'Again, anyone who meditates on the supreme Purusa with the help of this

very syllable Om, as possessed of three letters,...he is lifted up to the

world of Brahma (Hiranyagarbha) by the Sama-mantras,' (op.cit.5) etc. Again,

beginning with '(Tell me of that thing which you see as) different from

virtue, different from vice,' it has been stated, 'I tell you briefly of

that goal which all the Vedas with one voice propound, which all the

austerities speak of, and wishing for which people practise Brahmacarya: it

is this, viz Om' (Ka.1.2.14-15), etc.

 

In the above quotations, Om which is going to be spoken of is presented as a

name of this supreme Brahman, and also as Its symbol like an image. This has

been done as a means to meditation on it (Om) for the attainment of the

supreme Brahman by poeple of low and mediocre intellect, in as much as this

leads to Liberation in course of time. Here also that very meditation on Om

in the manner stated above-which is the means of attaining the supreme

Brahman introduced in, '(He who meditates on) the Omniscient, the Ancient,'

and in, '(I shall speak to you birefly of that immutable Goal) which the

knowers of the Vedas declare,' and which (meditation) leads to Liberation in

due course [Realization of Brahman leads to immediate Liberation

(sadyomukti, whereas meditation (contemplation, upasana) leads to gradual

Liberation (krama-mukti).-Tr.]-has to be spoken of along with 'adherence to

yoga' as also whatever is connected directly or indirectly with it. For this

purpose the following text is begun:

 

 

sarvadvaaraaNi sa.nyamya mano hR^idi nirudhya cha .

muu{dh{}nyaa}.rdhaayaatmanaH praaNamaasthito yogadhaaraNaam.h .. 8\.12..

 

12. Having controlled all the passages, having confined the mind in the

heart, and having fixed his own vital force in the head, (and then)

continuing in the firmness in yoga;

 

Samyamya, having controlled; sarva-dvarani, all the passages, the doors of

perception; niruddhya, having confined; the manah, mind; hrdi, in the

heart-not allowing it to spread out; and after that, with the help of the

mind controlled therein, rising up through the nerve running upward from the

heart, adhaya, having fixed; atmanah, his own; pranam, vital force; murdhni,

in the lead; (and then) asthitah, continuing in; yogadharanam, the firmness

in yoga-in order to make it steady-.

And while fixing it there itself,

 

omityekaaksharaM brahma vyaaharanmaamanusmaran.h .

yaH prayaati tyajandehaM sa yaati paramaa.n gatim.h .. 8\.13..

 

13. He who departs by leaving the body while uttering the single syllable,

viz Om, which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, he attains the supreme Goal.

 

Yah, he who; prayati, departs, dies; tyajan, by leaving; deham, the body-the

phrase 'leaving the body' is meant for qualifying departure; thereby it is

implied that the soul's departure occurs by abandoning the body, and not

through the destruction of its own reality, having abandoned thus-;

vyaharan, while uttering; the eka-adsaram, single syllable; om iti brahma,

viz Om, which is Brahman, Om which is the name of Brahman; and anusmaran,

thinking; mam, of Me, of God who is implied by that (syllable); sah, he;

yati, attains; the paramam, supreme, best; gatim, Goal.

 

Further,

 

ananyachetaaH satataM yo maa.n smarati nityashaH .

tasyaahaM sulabhaH paartha nityayuk{}tasya yoginaH .. 8\.14..

 

 

14. O son of Prtha, to that yogi of constant concentration and single-minded

attention, who remembers Me uninterruptedly and for long, I am easy of

attainment.

Partha, O son of Prtha, tasya yoginah, to that yogi; nitya-yuktasya, of

constant concentration, who is ever absorbed (in God); and ananya-cetah, of

single-minded attention, a yogi whose mind is not drawn to any other object;

yah, who; smarati, remembers; mam, Me, the supreme God; satatam,

uninteruptedly; and nityasah, for long-.

 

By satatam, uninterrupteldy, is meant 'without any break'. By niryasah, is

meant along duration. Not six months, nor even a year! What then? The

meaning is: He who remembers Me for his whole life, continuously.

 

To that yogi aham, I; am sulabhah, easy of attainment. Since this is so,

therefore one should remain ever absorbed in Me, with mind given to nothing

else.

'What follows from Your being easy of attainment?' This is being answered:

'Hear what follows from My being easy of attainment.'

 

maamupetya punarjanma duHkhaalayamashaashvatam.h .

naap{}nuvanti mahaatmaanaH sa.nsiddhiM paramaa.n gataaH .. 8\.15..

 

15. As a result of reaching Me, the exalted ones who have attained the

highest perfection do not get rebirth which is an abode of sorrows and which

is impermanent.

Upetya mam, as a result of reaching Me who am God-as a result of realizing

My nature; mahatmanah, the exalted ones, the monks; gatah, who have

attained; the paramam, highest; samsiddhim, perfection, called Liberation;

na, do not; apnuvanti, get; this kind of punarjanama, rebirth. As to what

kind of rebirth they do not get, the Lord states its

characteristics-duhkhalayam, which is an abode of sorrows, a resort of

physical and other sorrows, i.e. a birth to which sorrows adhere. It is not

merely an abode of sorrows, but also asavatam, impermanent, having no fixity

of nature.

On the other hand, those who do not reach Me, they come again.

 

Again, 'Is it that those who attain someone other than You return?' This is

being answered:

 

 

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For Gita Dhyana Shlokas/Mantras and Mahatmya

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Adi Shankara's commentary, translated by Swami

Gambhirananda, at URL:

<advaitinGita/Shankara1/gmbCH6.htm>

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Swami Chinmayananda's commentary at URL:

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