Gita In Daily Life - The Teaching of Bhagavad Gita by swami Dayananda-ji

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advaitin, "advaitins" <advaitins> wrote:

>

> advaitin, "advaitins" <advaitins> wrote:

> >

> >

> > This is also available online (and downloadable), along with many

others

> > by Swamiji:

> >

> >

http://www.avgsatsang.org/hhpsds/pdf/Ten_Essential_Verses_of_BG.pdf

>

> Addendum: Only the verses are given,without the commentary!

 

 

namaste. Yes, that is correct. The site referred above carries

the ten verses and their meanings. In addition to what was given

in the pdf file referred above, the print booklet has 8 pages of

introduction. I will post the eight pages of introduction in

five segments. As this is a general Introduction (overview) to the

gItA, it would not be possible to keep pace with shri Raghava-ji's

chapter-by-chapter presentation. It is hoped that swami Dayananda-ji's

introduction would be useful to the List members to get the proper

perspective of the whole teaching of the gItA.

 

So, here goes the Introduction

 

 

 

The Teaching of Bhagavad Gita (Ten essential verses) by Swami

Dayananda, published by Sri Gangadhareswar Trust, Purani Jhadi,

Rishikesh, India, 249201.

 

Introduction: [segment 1 of 5]

 

The teaching of Bhagavad Gita begins with these words of the Lord:

ashocyAn anvashocastvam (BG2.11), "O arjuna, you are grieving for

those who do not deserve to be gieved for". This is the introductory

verse that contains the theme of the teaching of Bhagavad Gita and

also reveals the context of the teaching; arjuna's state of mind,

his becoming the disciple of the Lord and his asking for the

knowledge. It also reveals that there is no room for grief. That

is Gita.

 

The knower of the Self is fearless:

 

Arjuna was grieving. The prospect of death of the members of both

the armies which consisted of relatives and friends, kith and kin,

caused grief in the heart of Arjuna. He also could not conceive

himself in the role o0f the killer of these people. He could not

accept the Lord's instructionof getting up and fighting. Arjuna

was grieved because he would be the killer of the people in the

enemy camp; that the near and dear ones would be killed and that

the Lord was prompting him to kill. When the Lord says that there

is no room for grief, there is a suggestion that grief is not a

legitimate feeling. It arises from not knowing the real nature of

the Self, from the false notion about the Self. And so the Lord

says: vedAvinAshinam nityam ... (BG2.21). The one who knows the

Self that is beyond death, changeless, unborn, free from

modifications; how can he kill anyone or make anyone kill?

 

Doership is in the intellect and not in the Self. The phenomenon

of birth and death and other modifications happen in the body and

not in the Self. Since AtmA the Self is free from modifications,

it cannot be the doer of any action because the doer undergoes

modifications. So AtmA cannot be the killer. Since the modifications

of birth, death, etc are not in the Self, it cannot be killed or

even hurt. The knower of AtmA is AtmA himself and so such a one

cannot himself kill anyone nor can he become the cause of killing.

So AtmA cannot be the source of fear or sorrow. Knowing the Self

that is the abode of fearlessness, one becomes fearless.

 

AtmA is free from any modifications and so free from any limitations.

AtmA is limitless, ananta, full and complete in itself. The one who

knows the Self is also full in himself; AtmanyevAtmanA tuSTaH

(BG2.55).

He is happy, not because of any reason but because of knowledge that

the Self is the abode of all happiness. He abides in the Ananda or

fullness that is the Self and is totally content within the Self,

independent of any external gain. Hence all the desires drop off

from him: prajahAti yadA kAmAn (BG2.55). The desire to achieve

something - so that one can be happier and more secure than what

one is - cannot remain in the wake of the knowledge that one is

happiness itself. Then whatever desires are left are an expression

of fullness and are not for creating a better situation for oneself.

So one remains happy whether the desire is fulfilled or not. The

Lord says: "I ever engage in action even though I have nothing

whatsoever to achieve in the three worlds nor is there anything

unattained that should be attained" (BG3.22). The wise man also

goes about his activities without losing the Ananda.

 

Even if this is so, the world is separate from me. It isolates

me and isolation causes fear. So the Lord who is the creator and

the sustainer of the world does become the cause of fear because

isolation from the world means isolation from the Lord. The

upanishad also describes the Lord as the cause of fear: "Out

of His fear the wind blows. Out of His fear the Sun rises. Out

of His fear runs Fire as also Indra and Death, the fifth"

(Taitt. U. 2.8.1). The Lord who is separate from me definitely

becomes the cause of fear because He is the ordainer of the

results of my deeds. Fear crops up wherever there is even the

slightest division. In answer to this possible question is the

verse: mayA tatamidam sarvam ... (BG9.4). The Lord says: "This

whole world is pervaded by Me, by MY unmanifest form. All beings

exist in Me, but I do not dwell in them". My existence does not

depend upon them but their existence depends upon Me. They are

what they are in virtue of Me, the Self, underlying them all.

Hence the world abides in the Lord and the Lord is not separate

from me, the Self. So the individual (jIva), the world (jagat)

and the Lord (Ishwara) are not really three separate entities -

they are one. There is not even the slightest separation from the

Lord and the Lord or the world cannot be a source of fear for me.

 

(to be continued)

 

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