Gita Satsangh, Chapter 10: Verses 6 to 8:

[Guest guest]

Gita Satsangh, Chapter 10: The Yoga of Divine Glories(VibhuutiyogaH)

Verses 6 to 8:

 

Maharshayah sapta poorve chatwaaro manavastathaa;

Madbhaavaa maanasaa jaataa yeshaam loka imaah prajaah. … 6

6. The seven great sages, the ancient four and also the Manus,

possessed of powers like Me (on account of their minds being fixed on

Me), were born of (My) mind; from them are these creatures born in

this world.

Etaam vibhootim yogam cha mama yo vetti tattwatah;

So'vikampena yogena yujyate naatra samshayah. …….. 7

7. He who in truth knows these manifold manifestations of My Being

and (this) Yoga-power of Mine, becomes established in the unshakeable

Yoga; there is no doubt about it.

Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate;

Iti matwaa bhajante maam budhaa bhaavasamanvitaah. ……8

8. I am the source of all; from Me everything evolves; understanding

thus, the wise, endowed with meditation, worship Me.

 

Easy references;

 

The Gita Supersite http://www.gitasupersite.org/ contains most of the

commentaries including commentaries in many languages.

 

Adi Shankara's commentary and Swami Chinmayananda's commentary are

available at the advaitin file folder at URL:

advaitin/files

Double click on the folders Sankara1 and Chinmaya to access the files.

[Guest guest]

praNAms

Hare Krishna

 

So'vikampena yogena...through the unshakeable yOga...what does lord

exactly mean here?? Kindly elaborate the meaning....

 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

bhaskar

[Guest guest]

Namaste Bhaskarji:

 

Harih Om,

 

First, Lord has already declared that only He is most qualified to tell

what he really means throught this verse. Further from his declarations

in verse 2 He further confirmed that only He knows the elaborate

meaning of his Supreme Statement(s).

 

The following explanation from me is mostly the insights that I got

from reading the interpretations spelled out in books and other

available commentaries. Since this is an important verse (that

explains why you chose the most pertinant part of the verse) and I

request others to provide commentaries that they see in other books.

 

The word 'Vibhutim', with the demonstrative adjective Etam qualifying

it, covers entities like Buddhi (the faculty of determining the nature

of things) etc, and great seers and others declared by the Lord in the

preceding three verses as emanating from Him, as well as the objects,

abstract ideas and gods referred to by Him in such statements as " I am

the source and dissolution of the whole universe," (VII.6) and "I am

the Vedic ritual, I am the sacrifice" (IX.l6) and so on.

And the word 'Yogam' stands for that transcendent and marvelous power

of God, the secret of which is not fully known either to the gods or to

the great sages (X.2 and x.3). Even though He is both the material and

instrumental cause of entities born of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, He

always remains apart from them, justifying the statement "neither I

exist in them, nor they in Me" (VII.l2). While carrying on the

creation, maintenance and destruction etc, of the whole universe He

governs the entire creation according to certain definite laws. Because

of this yogic power, He is the supreme Lord of all the worlds and at

the same time, He is also a disinterested friend of all beings, the

enjoyer of all sacrifices and other noble acts and the sustainer of all

and all-powerful. A fraction His whole being holds the entire universe

X.42) and He manifests Himself of His own free will, time after time,

in various forms for various purposes. While performing all the above

declared actions, He remains entirely aloof from those actions, from

the entire creation and from all transform actions, such as birth etc,.

This verse is once again a repetition of the facts stated in IX.5 as

His wonderful power of divine Yoga.

 

In this way the entire universe is Gods own creation, and everything

subsists in a fraction of His being. Therefore, whatever object in the

world appears as endowed with power and has some specialty about it, or

better still the whole creation, should be regarded as a manifestation

of, or the same as, God; while God himself should be recognized as the

creator and destroyer of the entire universe, the almighty and

universal lord, the sustainer of all, supremely compassionate, the

disinterested friend and inner controller of all. This is what is mean

by knowing in reality the supreme glory and supernatural power of God.

 

The word 'Yogena' accompanied by the adjective Avikampena qualifying

it, stands for that unflinching and exclusive devotion to God which is

also named as undivided devotion in IX. 10, and as the Yoga of

exclusive devotion in XIV.26, which has been referred to in VII. 1

under the name of Yoga, and the character of which has been discussed

in verses 13, 14 and 34 of the Chapter IX and in verse 9 of the present

chapter. And realizing God through such devotion is what is meant by

getting united with, or established in God.

 

Harih Om!

 

Ram Chandran

 

Note: Further insights please refer to the list discussions during

April-May of 2004 on the famous Shanti Mantram, "pUrNamadah pUrNamidam"

moderated by Sri Madhathil Nair. The complete discussions in pdf form

is also available at the file section:

 

advaitin

 

 

 

advaitin, bhaskar.yr@i... wrote:

>

>

> praNAms

> Hare Krishna

>

> So'vikampena yogena...through the unshakeable yOga...what does lord

> exactly mean here?? Kindly elaborate the meaning....

>

> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

> bhaskar

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Ram Chandran-ji,

 

advaitin, "Ram Chandran" <ramvchandran>

wrote:

> And the word 'Yogam' stands for that transcendent and marvelous

> power of God, the secret of which is not fully known either to

> the gods or to the great sages (X.2 and x.3). Even though He is

> both the material and instrumental cause of entities born of

> Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, He always remains apart from them,

> justifying the statement "neither I exist in them, nor they in

> Me" (VII.l2). While carrying on the creation, maintenance and

> destruction etc, of the whole universe He governs the entire

> creation according to certain definite laws. Because of this

> yogic power, He is the supreme Lord of all the worlds and at

> the same time, He is also a disinterested friend of all beings,

> the enjoyer of all sacrifices and other noble acts and the

> sustainer of all and all-powerful. A fraction His whole being

> holds the entire universe X.42) and He manifests Himself of His

> own free will, time after time, in various forms for various

> purposes. While performing all the above declared actions, He

> remains entirely aloof from those actions, from the entire

> creation and from all transform actions, such as birth etc,.

 

When an Advaitin gives an explanation like this, it warms my heart!

 

You have rightly chosen the word 'disinterested' in saying that the

Lord "is a disinterested friend of all beings" for the meaning of the

word 'disinterested', which is vastly different from the meaning of

the word 'uninterested', is most appropriate. The Lord is

disinterested - He has no bias towards any being - and His

disinterest manifests itself from His own Nature as His Love for his

devotees. It is a reciprocal action in accordance with His own Law

(Nature) that He appears as the Lord in whatever form the devotee is

devoted to while yet remaining transcending all.

 

Thank you.

 

Regards,

Chittaranjan

[Guest guest]

The word 'Yogena' accompanied by the adjective Avikampena qualifying

it, stands for that unflinching and exclusive devotion to God which is

also named as undivided devotion in IX. 10, and as the Yoga of

exclusive devotion in XIV.26, which has been referred to in VII. 1

under the name of Yoga, and the character of which has been discussed

in verses 13, 14 and 34 of the Chapter IX and in verse 9 of the present

chapter. And realizing God through such devotion is what is meant by

getting united with, or established in God.

 

praNAms Sri Ramachandran prabhuji

Hare Krishna

 

Thanks a lot for your kind clarification & references in gIta about ananya

bhakti & yOga...shankara says this as parAbhakti in gIta commentary...just

I wanted to know whether this *avikaMpana yOga* has anything to do with

patanjali's asaMprajnAta samAdhi which is attained through dhAraNa &

dhyAna......

 

Harih Om!

 

Ram Chandran

 

Note: Further insights please refer to the list discussions during

April-May of 2004 on the famous Shanti Mantram, "pUrNamadah pUrNamidam"

moderated by Sri Madhathil Nair. The complete discussions in pdf form

is also available at the file section:

 

bhaskar :

 

Oh no!! not again prabhuji:-)) as you know nothing has been conclusively

arrived as siddhAnta in that unduly stretched discussion... let us not

rekindle the fire in it....let us continue our discussion on gIta & its

commentaries .. Thanks once again for your kind clarification.

 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

bhaskar

[Guest guest]

advaitin, bhaskar.yr@i... wrote:

>

>

> Thanks a lot for your kind clarification & references in gIta about

ananya

> bhakti & yOga...shankara says this as parAbhakti in gIta

commentary...just

> I wanted to know whether this *avikaMpana yOga* has anything to do

with

> patanjali's asaMprajnAta samAdhi which is attained through dhAraNa &

> dhyAna......

 

Namaste,

 

To quote Shankara exactly, he has defined avikampena as:

 

"...aprachalitena yogena samyagdarshana-sthairya-lakShaNena...."

 

In 2:31 he has used the word vikampitum,

 

svadharmamapi chaavekShya na vikampitumarhasi, defining it as

prachalitena.

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

Swami Chinmayananda's commentary is provided below. Hopefully, this

will likely generate some additional discussions.

 

Harih Om!

 

Ram Chandran

 

6. The seven great RISHIS, the ancient four and also the MANUS,

possessed of powers like Me, were born of (My) mind; from them are

these creatures in the world (originated and sustained) .

The idea which was hinted at in the second stanza is being taken up

here to prove how the Seven Seers, the four Kumaras, and the fourteen

Manus, are all born out of the Lord's own mind, and they together

constitute the MATERIAL and the EFFICIENT causes of the world, since

it is stated here "FROM THEM ARE THESE CREATURES IN THE WORLD" born.

THE SEVEN RISHIS --- The personified representation of the Seven

Seers, as found in the Puranas, when understood "subjectively," are

nothing but one's intellect, ego and the five sense stimuli, which,

together, constitute the world experienced by each one of us (X-2).

Subjectively analysed, it is very easy for us to perceive the

implication of this allegory provided by the Seven-Rishis picture. We

know that when thoughts rise in us, they, in their individual

manifestations, are incapable of disturbing us. At a certain moment,

some desire in us gets concentrated, and, identifying with it, we

maintain it in a steady stream of dynamic thoughts. Thus dynamised,

the initial thought becomes mighty and powerful enough to destroy our

peace and tranquillity, and projecting itself, creates the

perceptions of and our reactions to the world of the five sense

objects. The thought-stream and its projections together supply us

with both the MATERIAL and the EFFICIENT causes for our own tiny

world of joys and sorrows, victories and failures, yearning and

fulfilments.

THE FOUR ANCIENTS AND THE MANUS --- Sri Shankaracharya, in his

commentary, reads the stanza as 'THE ANCIENTS, AND THE FOUR MANUS,'

in the context of a subjective analysis, which is recommended and

ably supported by the next line, wherein the Lord says that all of

them are children of "MY MIND."

It is described in the Puranas, the Brahmaji, the Creator, at the

very beginning of Creation, produced out of his own mind four eternal

boys (Kumaras), Sanatkumaara, Sanaka, Sanatana, and Sanandana. The

creator in us is the life in

us functioning through an 'urge-to-create' in any field. Whenever the

creative urge expresses itself immediately the factors constituting

the subtle-body (Antahkarana) express themselves and function in full

vigour. When the Creator of the whole Universe comes under the 'urge-

to-express,' he has to maintain a constant Sankalpa, which

immediately produces a channel of "constant thoughts" creating the

stuff for the 'inner-instruments.' This 'bundle of thoughts,' flowing

constantly, functions as the mind, intellect, ego, and chit. These

four factors, comprising the total inner-instrument, are represented

by the Eternal Boys of Wisdom, born out of the mind of the Creator,

at the very beginning of his creative activity.

Thus, in one and the same stanza, the macrocosmic (Samashti) and the

microcosmic (Vyashti) causes of Creation have been indicated.

Macrocosmically, the Total-intellect (Mahat), ego (Ahamkara), and the

five rudimentary sense objects (tanmatras) supply the causes for the

projection of the world and its sustenance, while microcosmically

the 'creative-urge' in us gets fulfilled through the intervention and

play of our inner equipment constituted of the intellect, mind, ego

and chit.

The Seven Seers and the Four Ancients together indicate, thus, both

the efficient and the material causes of the macrocosmic and

microcosmic worlds created.

 

WHY SHOULD ONE UNDERSTAND THESE IMPLICATIONS OF CREATION FROM THE

STANDPOINT OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COSMIC MINDS?... LISTEN:

 

 

7. He, who in truth knows these manifold manifestations of My being

(Macrocosm) , and (this) YOGA -power of Mine (Microcosm) , becomes

established in the "tremorless -YOGA " ; there is no doubt about it.

"He, who in reality knows these two, My Vibhuti and My Yoga," gets

established in the realisation of the Supreme. We find that the terms

Vibhuti and Yoga, which appear in this stanza, are invariably

translated as "Manifold manifestation of beings" (Vibhuti) and "My

power" (Yoga).

 

In effect, although these translations are true, they are not

efficient enough to convey the subtle and the brilliant connection

between the statement and what has been indicated in the previous

stanza. Macrocosmic projection of a created Universe, through the

intervention of the "Seven Seers," is the Absolute's own Vibhuti,

while the microcosmic experience of a limited world, through the

intervention of the mind-born "Four Ancient Kumaras," is the Divine

Yoga of the Self in each one of us. Since the Self, presiding over

the destinies of the individual, is Itself the Absolute that forms

the substratum for the entire Universe, he who realises both the

Vibhuti and the Yoga as divine expressions of the Eternal, realises

the Infinite.

 

That this understanding of the macrocosm and its influence upon the

play-of-life in the field of plurality should not be merely a

professor's book-knowledge, is indicated here, when Krishna insists

that the seeker must know it "in reality" (Tattwatah). This means

that the above-mentioned knowledge is to be realised in a subjective

experience, and intuitively lived, as "I am the Self."

"When I play through the 'Seven Seers' I PAINT the Universe, and when

I play through the 'Four Ancients' I LIVE the tearful life of an

individual." It is not then very difficult for us to feel the

appropriateness of the statement in the last stanza that the Rishis,

Ancients and the Manus, all "WERE BORN OF MIND." When the Self,

therefore, detaches Itself from both the INDIVIDUAL-mind and the

COSMIC-mind, It comes to revel in all Its Absolute glory. Identifying

Itself with the COSMIC-mind It becomes the Creator (Ishwara) CREATING

THE UNIVERSE, and identifying with the individual-mind It becomes the

limited ego (Jiva), SUFFERING THE LIMITED WORLD. To know this

implication and to live up to this is the TREMORLESS-Yoga" ---

wherein a permanent and steady establishment in the experience of the

Self is assured. As at many points earlier, Vyasa is making his

Divine mouthpiece use the sacred word Yoga in a familiar and a

daringly novel context, so that the awe and dread which had gathered

round this blessed term may disappear. The "TREMORLESS-YOGA" is as

novel as the various definitions of Yoga given earlier in different

verses of the Geeta --- the one, single, irreplaceable Bible-of-

revolt in all Hindu renaissance movements.

 

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE TECHNIQUE BY WHICH WE CAN GET OURSELVES

ESTABLISHED STEADILY AND PERMANENTLY IN THE UNBROKEN EXPERIENCE OF

THE INFINITE AS OUR OWN REAL NATURE?... LISTEN:

 

 

8. I am the Source of All; from Me everything evolves; understanding

thus, the "wise, " endowed with 'loving consciousness' worship Me.

 

The difference between the microcosm and the macrocosm is the

difference in the equipments through which the same Truth, the

Eternal and the All-perfect, expresses. When life surges through the

Cosmic-Mind, It (Ishwara) comes to project out the entire Universe-of-

plurality; and when the same Infinite expresses through an individual-

mind, it (Jiva) projects out the individual-world. In both these

manifestations --- the God-principle (Ishwara) and the individual ego

(Jiva) --- the Essence is one and the same, just as, for the

manifestation of light-in-the-bulb and heat-in-the-heater, the energy

is one and the same, i. e., electricity. In electricity, considered

as pure energy, there is neither light nor heat. In the same way, in

the Pure Self, in its Essential Nature, there is neither the God nor

the ego. He who realises this "IN REALITY," we are told, will become

established in the Supreme Awareness through the "TREMORLESS-YOGA."

We prepare a ball of mud of the required plasticity from a sample of

mud after kneading it properly with water. The ball of mud is next

put on the potter's wheel and roughly shaped. In the third stage, the

pot is finished, dried and polished. And in the fourth stage, the

pots so made are baked and painted. The mud can certainly insist that

it is the 'origin and essence' of the pot, and that it is only in the

mud that the four stages of the pot's evolution had taken place and

are never divorced from it. This is true for all mud-pots at all

times; none of them has any existence, growth, or development,

without the mud which is the sustaining material in all of them. So

too, the same Principle in its different manifestations becomes

Ishwara and Jiva.

An individual, whose intellect is soaked with discriminative

awareness --- of the subtle difference between the cosmic and the

individual --- is alone capable of turning his mind away from the

created world-of-objects, and towards the one and the same Subjective

Reality, both in the Creator and in himself. The attitude of a mind

successfully employing itself in this inward quest is being indicated

here by the pregnant term "with loving consciousness" (Bhaava

samanvitah).

Love, or devotion, is measured by the capacity of the lover to

identify himself with the beloved. In short, love is fulfilled when

identification is complete, and when the devotee is capable of

experiencing in himself that he is none other than the Infinite Self

which, functioning through the Cosmic-mind, plays the part of the

Ishwara, the Creator, and, which, when functioning through an

individual-mind-intellect equipment, behaves as though It is the

Jiva, the limited ego.

What has been asserted courageously in the previous stanza has been

systematically developed here into a technique by which the above-

mentioned experience can be brought within the intimate personal

comprehension of every student.

[Guest guest]

Namaste Satsanghis:

 

Bhagawan Sri Krishna provides some clues to all seekers of the Truth

on the importance of 'Yogic power' in one's spiritual evolution. To

get a more complete understanding of verse 6, we should be familiar

with the Vedic definitions of cosmic day, Manvantara, Kalpa, etc.

which are explained below.

 

In the course of a cosmic day as many as fourteen Manus appear and

hold office in succession, and the tenure of office of each Manu is

called a Manvantara. A Manvantara consists of a little more than

seventy-one Caturyugis or rounds of the four Yugas (Satyayuga, Treta,

Dvapara and Kaliyuga). Reckoned in human years, Manvantara extends to

306,720,000 odd years; whereas according to the computation of the

celestials, it consists of 852,000 odd years (Visnu-Purana 1.3).

 

Each Manvantara has its Saptarsis or group of seven seers for

regulating the operation of Dharma or the Divine Law and maintaining

the universe. With the change of Manu at the conclusion of a

Manvantara, other functionaries of the universe, such as the seven

seers, gods, Indra, and the sons of Manu also change. The names of

the Manus of the present Kalpa are: Svayambhuva, Svarocisa, Uttama,

Tamasa, Raivata Caksusa, Vaivasvata, Savarni, Daksasavarni,

Brahmasavarni, Dharmasavarni, Rudrasavarni, Devasavarni, and

Indrasavarni.

 

At the end of a Kalpa consisting of fourteen Manvantaras the entire

group of Manus changes. All these seers and Manus are full of

reverence and love for God; it is for this reason that the

qualification Madbhavah have been used with reference to them.

Although the scriptures speak of the seven seers as well as of

Sanaka, Sanandana and others as having been born of the mind of

Brahma, the Lord refers to them here as having been born of His own

will. This discrepancy can be explained by the fact that it is God

Himself who assumes the form of Brahma for the creation of the

universe. Therefore, there is no contradiction when the Lord speaks

of those born of Brahmas mind as having been born of His own will.

 

We have already discussed the nature of `Yogic Power' of the Divine

spelled out in verse 7 few days back. In verse 8 Bhagawan Sri Krishna

declares that the whole universe has emanated from Him; hence He is

both the material and efficient cause of the entire creation, and

therefore the best of all. The wheel of this creation is revolving

through His own power of Yoga; it is through His ruling power that

the sun, moon, stars and planets as the earth is regularly coursing

within their respective orbits; it is under His direction that all

living beings are working out their own destiny after being born in

the higher or lower order of creation according to their good or evil

actions. In this way to recognize God as the ruler and director of

all are to know that everything in the world moves because of God.

The Tamil saying, "Avanindri oru anuvum asiathu – Even an iota of

movement of an atom is impossible without the power of the Divine,"

agrees with the above declaration.

 

In conclusion, Lord Krishna wants to impress upon all seekers on the

importance of practicing Yoga to repossess the "Divine Power." The

divine glories are described only for that sole purpose of directing

all the seekers towards `Yoga' and should not confused to imply that

He is advertising His own self-glories! Implicitly the verses signify

the importance of acquiring `Divine Grace' through Devotion (Ananya

Bhakti). The most important part of His message is that He has

special yogic power (mAyA) by which He can witness the creation

without being a part of what has been created!

 

Harih Om!

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

advaitin, "Ram Chandran" <ramvchandran>

wrote:

>

> WHY SHOULD ONE UNDERSTAND THESE IMPLICATIONS OF CREATION FROM THE

> STANDPOINT OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COSMIC MINDS?... LISTEN:

>

>

> WHAT EXACTLY IS THE TECHNIQUE BY WHICH WE CAN GET OURSELVES

> ESTABLISHED STEADILY AND PERMANENTLY IN THE UNBROKEN EXPERIENCE OF

> THE INFINITE AS OUR OWN REAL NATURE?... LISTEN:

>

>

> What has been asserted courageously in the previous stanza has been

> systematically developed here into a technique by which the above-

> mentioned experience can be brought within the intimate personal

> comprehension of every student.

>

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Ram Chandran" <ramvchandran>

wrote:

>

> Namaste Satsanghis:

>

> Bhagawan Sri Krishna provides some clues to all seekers of the

Truth

> on the importance of 'Yogic power' in one's spiritual evolution.

To

> get a more complete understanding of verse 6, we should be

familiar

> with the Vedic definitions of cosmic day, Manvantara, Kalpa, etc.

> which are explained below.

>

> In the course of a cosmic day as many as fourteen Manus appear and

> hold office in succession, and the tenure of office of each Manu

is

> called a Manvantara. A Manvantara consists of a little more than

> seventy-one Caturyugis or rounds of the four Yugas (Satyayuga,

Treta,

> Dvapara and Kaliyuga). Reckoned in human years, Manvantara extends

to

> 306,720,000 odd years; whereas according to the computation of the

> celestials, it consists of 852,000 odd years (Visnu-Purana 1.3).

>

Namaste,

 

One can also have a detailed account of the Hindu concept of Time -

One Cosmic Day of Brahma from

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/41.html

 

PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk

[Guest guest]

Namaste Satsanghis:

 

The verse #7 is quite an important vere and it signifies the

importance of knowing the glories of Bhagavan and Him. I have

provided below the translation and explanation provided by Swami

Dayananda Sarawati of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.

 

I hope to hear some more insights from all of you,

 

Harih Om!

 

Ram Chandran

--

Swami Dayananda's explanation from

his Gita Homestudy Notes:

--

maharsayah sapta purve catvaro manavastatha

madbhava manasa jata yesam loka imah prajah (6)

 

maharsayah saptah - the seven rsis; purve - of long ago; catvarah

manavah tatha - as well as the four ma.ni/s; madbhavah - who are

(all) resolved in me; manasa/manasah jatah - born of my mind; yesam -

from whom; imah prajah - are all these living beings; toke - in the

world

The seven rsis of long ago as well as the four manus who are (all)

resolved in me, born of my mind and from whom are all these living

beings in the world.

Purve means people who lived in the remote past, long long ago.

During the creation or a particular cycle, there were seven maharsis,

Bhrguh, Marlchi, Atrih, Pulasthah, Puiah, Kratuh, and Vasistah.

 

According to the puranas there are 14 manus and we are now under the

rule of Manu called Vaivasvata. In the 4th chapter of the Gita

Bhagavan says, this yoga I taught to Vivasvan. His son is called

Viavasvata Manu. In this Manu's period, the four sub-periods are

ruled by Brahmasavarnah, Rudrasavarnah, Dharmasavarnah, and

Daksasavarnah. Savarna is the title given to them. All of them,

Bhagavan says, and the seven rsis, are madbhavah

Madbhavah, Sankara says, are those whose bhavana, disposition or

mind, is resolved in me, Bhagavan. It means they have become one with

me, being enlightened people. And they are endowed with the powers

of Visnu, meaning Isvara.

Manasa jatah, born by mind alone. They are directly born by

Isvara's mere sankalpa. These catvarah manavah and sapta maharsayah

are the direct children of Isvara according to the puranas. What we

see in the puranas is confirmed by Bhagavan Krsna here.

Yesam loke imah prajah, from whom are all the living beings in the

world. First the manus were created and then the rsis. After the

rsis the sons of rsis. From them are all the living beings in this

world, all under the mandate of Manu. That is why human beings are

called manavah. And they are also descendants of rsis so everyone

has a gotra. All of them, Bhagavan says, are from me.

 

Result Of Knowing The Glories Of Bhagavan And His Connection With Them

 

etatn vibhutim yogam ca mama yo vetti tattvatah

so'vikampena yogena yujyate natra samSayah (7)

 

yah vetti - the one who knows; etam vibhutim mama - this glory of

mine; (mama) yogam ca - and (my) connection with that; tattvatah - in

reality; sah - he; yujyate - is endowed; av/£ampena yogena - with

unshaken vision; na atra samSayah - there is no doubt about this

The one who knows this glory of mine and my connection with that in

reality, he is endowed with unshaken vision. There is no doubt about

this.

Vetti tattvatah means he knows in reality, as it is. He knows this

glory of mine that has been so far told, etatp vibhutim mama. Etam,

Sankara says, gives the sense of what was said so far. Vibhuti is

what has come from or emmanated from Isvara.

The period of each Manu's rule is one fourteenth of a day of Brahma,

4,320,000 human years so one day of Brahma consists of 14 Manu-

periods. The period of each Manu is divided into four sub-periods,

each under different rule. And he knows my association with all of

them, mama yogatn ca. He knows not only my glories but my connection

to these vibhutis in reality. How is the Lord connected to his

giories? IsVara is saccidananda svarupah so what connection can he

have? The connection between the glory and IsVara is exactly the

connection between your own atma and your limited knowledge. The

connection is: the other is, the one is; the other is not; the one

is - a satyam-msthya connection. Through maya are all the

connections. There is no other connection. Only maya connects

paramatma and any glory that is manifest. The one who knows that

knows satyam and mithya. If he knows IsVara and his glory in

reality, he knows what is satyam and what is mithya, naturally.

Once he knows that, there will be advantages for him at different

levels.

Simply accepting IsVara as the one who is the source of ail giories

in me and others, will free me from a lot of problems. If someone

sings well and he sees that it is Bhagavan's glory, he cannot be

jealous of that person. If he is able to sing well, his own glory

will not give him a big ego. He avoids pride, jealousy, hatred, etc.

simply by attitude. This attitude brings about a certain composure,

antahkaranas'uddhi and steadiness of mind, antahkarananaiticalyam.

Then if he comes to know these glories, how they come about and how

Isvara is connected to them, he himself is avikampena yogena yujyate,

endowed or connected with an unshaken vision. The clarity of the

vision of atma as Paramesvara, samyakdarganam, Sankaca says, is well-

rooted and steady, sthairyam. The one who recognizes me and my

giories properly and the connection of me with the glories etc., is

endowed with a vision that does not shake, an uninhibited vision.

Yoga here means the vision. Any other yoga will be shaky.

Na atra samjayah, there is no doubt in this. If you understand IsVara

and his glories and his connections, etc. properly, that is enough.

Then you know yourself. IsVara dartianam is atma-dar^anam. There is

no other dartianam of IsVara. That is why it is not merely

experiential. To know silence is not enough. That silence has to be

understood as does IsVara and the connection between them. IsVara

means you have to understand the whole jagat. And if you have to

understand the jagat as something born of paramatma, caitanya atma,

then the connection has to be understood properly. If that connection

is understood, you understand satyam and mithya. That is liberation.

This Isvara-caranam which is atma-darsanam is given here by pointing

out the glories.

Bhagavan thus introduces his own chapter, a chapter of his glories,

with these verses.

Because the word yoga is used, we have to clarify the meaning. Yoga

can be anything. Therefore Bhagavan gives the meaning in the next

verse.

Only knowledge can be unshaken. Appreciation of the Lord as the cause

of the world is not enough. The connection must be clear. Does the

creator really become a creator? What type or creation is it? All

these are to be understood. Only then can you understand Isvara. The

degree of reality enjoyed by the creation is-to be understood first.

If that is understood, the status of the creator is also very clearly

understood. When this is so, a person will be endowed with this

unshaken vision.

What type of vision is that which is not shaken? That is told here.

 

NATURE OF THIS CLEAR VISION

sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvatn pravartate iti matva

bhajante mam budha bhavasamanvitah (8)

aham sarvasya prabhavah - I am the creator of everything; mattah

sarvam pravartate -because of me everything is sustained; ill matva -

thus knowing; budhah - the wise men; bhavasamanvitah - endowed with

vision; bhajante mam - gain me

I am the creator of everything and because of me everything is

sustained. Thus knowing, the wise men endowed with vision gain me.

Aham sarvasya prabhavah, I am the cause for the creation of

everything. Aham here means parambrahma, the one who is called

VMsudeva. We have seen the word vasudeva before - in which alone all

things that exist have their being. Like pots have their being in

clay, the jagat has its being in the self-existent sadvastu.

Everything else depends entirely upon that. And there is only one

thing that is self-existent; that is atma. The self alone is self-

existent; everything becomes evident to it. So what is self-evident

is self-existent and anything not self-evident cannot be called self-

existent. Without my obliging the vastu with my perception etc. it is

self-evident and this self-evident atma alone is self-existent. It is

called vasudevah, that in which everything has its being. Thus, aham

sarvasya prabhavah, I am the cause of everything. Prabhavah means

creation, so I am the cause for the creation of everything.

Somebody may create something but then its care may fall to someone

else. Like modern parents. They are the cause for the children

alright but then somebody else takes care of them. Similarly Bhagavan

may create everything and then appoint somebody else to be in charge

of it. No.

Mattah sarvam pravartate, because of me everything is sustained. This

Jagat continues to exist and is sustained by me. A created object

sustains itself for a length of time undergoing partial changes and

finally a total change, in the form of disappearance. A human body

partially changes so the person I saw 10 years ago I may now see as

bald but I can recognize him. Later though, the body disintegrates.

Thus you find activities of sustenance and disintegration. There is

no real destruction only the disintegration or partial disintegration

of a particular form. This is the jagat - characterized by its

sustenance, its changes, and its disintegration. Then there are the

results and their enjoyment. This includes the experiences of

pleasure and displeasure, the places of enjoyments, and activities

which produced karmas that provide situations for enjoyment. AH these

constitute what we call jagat. I am not only the cause for coming

into being of this creation, I am also the cause for its sustenance.

Because of me alone everything exists and behaves in its own way.