Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam series: Posting 243/Desika Prabhandham :GeethArTa Sangraham : Part 4

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Lord PaarthasArathy :

 

Today we will study the THIRD Paasuram of Swamy Desikan's

GeethArTa Sangraham dealing with the SECOND adhyAyam of

SrImath Bhagavath Geetha .This chapter has 72 slOkams.

 

328. The Essence of the SECOND chapter

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Udalam azhinthidum uLL uyir onRu azhiyAthu yenaippOl

vidhumathu paRRu vidAthathu adaittha kirisaikaL

kaduka unakku uyir kAttu(m) ninaivu athanAl uLathAm

vidu mayal yenRu Visayanait-tERRinAn VitthakanE ----(3)

 

(Meaning): Oh Arjuna! I am eternal and the Lord of all (SarvEswaran).

There is no question about this matter. Similarly , there is no question

about the eternal status of the JeevAthmAs. They have no death.

AathmA inside the body does not age . AathmA does not cease

to exist as it moves from one body to the other.It is eternal (nithyan),

ever present . No one should think it is anithyam and sorrow over that

thought . Aathma can not be cut up by weapons . It can not be burnt by

fire nor dried by the wind . Jeevan is capable of penetrating through

every thing in a subtle manner. This aathmA can not be killed.

 

AathmA is indestructible. It is the height of ignorance for one to think

that he is the killer of the AaathmA and that AathmA is capable of being

killed .The term Death in the worldly parlance is nothing but the departure

of the Aaathma from one body to enter in to another body. Oh Arjuna !

It is appropriate to think that the aathmA , which resided in the physical

body of your enemies will go to Svarga lOkam , gain a body better than

that it had on this earth and enjoy all the bhOgams there .You should be

happy reflecting over that thought . Does anyone really regret over

casting aside the old and torn clothes for the good fortune of wearing

clean and brand new attire ?

 

Oh ArjunA ! You might grieve over the death of the body instead of

the AathmA .Even that thought is not proper.This body is constituted by

the five elements ( Pancha BhUthams). It is the abode of the eternal

jeevan to experience the fruits of its karmAs. When the karmaas are

exhausted , the physical body has no reason to continue its existence.

It falls down. It is absolutely natural for the physical body to undergo

changes . Oh Arjuna! Even if you do not destroy the body during your

war with the enemies , teir sareeram will die sooner or later. Therefore ,

there is no reason for sorrowing over the death of the physical body ,

the temporary home of the jeevan in SamsAric state.

 

Additional Comments:

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1. Lord Paarthasaarathy is saluted as Vitthakan here . He is addressed so

as the mysterious One here because , He performed UpadEsam for

Arjunan here on the battle field , while serving as his charioteer and

staff.

 

2. " vidumathu paRRu vidAthathu adaittha kirisaikaLE ":

With the benefit of Saasthra Jn~Anam , the chEthanan should

comprehend clearly the true nature ( Svaroopam of of the AathmA

and perform one's karmAs with no attachment to their fruits and treat

their performance as Bhagavath Kaimkaryam in the mode of NishkAmyam .

One should only detatch from the fruits of the karmAs and should never

abandon the prescribed karmAs.To engage in just wars is the duty of

a Kshathrian. There is no other lofty karma for a Kashathrian.Therefore ,

Oh Arjuna , You should engage in performing this just war , cast aside

the fruits of victory arising from such a war . When you do so , You

will be performing karma yOgam and will gain MOksham at the end.

 

3. " kaduha unakku uyir kAttum nianivu athanAl uLathAm " :

After gaining control of your mind through the practise of

this Karma Yogam , you will progress to the stage of Jn~Ana

yOgam , which is an anubhavam of unrelenting reflection on

the svaroopam of the AathmA .The subsequent stage is

Aathma SaakshAthkAram or direct experience of the AathmA .

Therefore consider that this just war ( Karma yOgam ) is

an aid to the lofty goal of aathma SaakshAthkAram (Kaivalyam)

and as a result remove your confusion that the perishable body

made up of the five elements is the same as the eternal ,

imperishable AathmA .

 

4. Swamy AlavanthAr's summary of the 72 slOkams of

this Second adhyAyam takes this form:

 

nithyAthma-sanga karmEhAgOcharaa Saankhya-yOgadhee:

dhvitheeyE sTitha-dhee-lakshA prOkthA tann-mOhasAnthayE

 

5. AchArya RaamAnujA's commentary : Arjuna fell at the feet of

the Lord and appealed : " Oh My Lord ! My mind is befuddled

with compassion for my relatives and teachers . I am bewildered

about my duties . Instruct me , Your sishyan , who has sought

Your protection as Prapannan and teach me what is certainly

auspicious for me to do ( "YacchrEya: syAnniscchitham BrUhi

tanmE sishyas-tEaham-saadhi mAmm ThvAm prapannam" ).

 

For the benefit of Arjuna , who was totally confused about

what is dharmam and what is adharmam due to love and

compassion in an inappropriate situation ( asTAnE samupasthitha

snEha kaaruNyam) , GeethAchAryan began the introduction to

Saasthram to dispell his ignorance .Starting from the Geetha slOkam ,

II.12 ( "There never was a time,when I did not exist ") to the charama

slOkam , XVIII.66 (" I will release you from all your sins, grieve not" ),

Lord PaarTasArathy instructed Arjuna about Karma , Jn~Ana

and Bhakthi yOgams as " the means for attaining the highest spiritual

fulfilment .

 

Lord PaarthasArathy instructed that AathmA ( Self) is " eternal , stable ,

immovable and primeval , unchanging , unshakable and ancient "

( " atha AathmA nithya: sTANu , achala: ayam SanAthana: sTira-

svabhAva: aprakampya: purAtana: cha").

 

Special SlOkams of this Chapter

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KarmaNyEvAdhikArastE maa phalEshu kadAchana

maa karmaphala-hEthur-bhUrmA tE sangOasthvakarmaNi

---II .47

 

(Meaning): " To work alone , You have the right and not to

the fruits. Do not be impelled by the fruits of work. Nor have

attachment to inaction". Acts performed with a desire to Phalan

lead to bondage.The opposite way ( nishkAmya Karamam ) leads

to your release from the bonds of KarmAs.

 

Yoga: karmasu kousalam --II . 50

 

(Meaning): Yoga is skill in action. Therefore strive for yOgA.

develop evenness of mind , discard good and evil as well as

the here and now. Relinquish the fruits from action and free

yourself from bondage of rebirth and ascend to My supreme

abode ( Padham gacchanthyanAmayam) !

 

SlOKam II .56

************

dukkhEshu anudhvigna manaa: sukhEshu vigathaspruha:

veetharAga Bhaya krOdha: sTithadhee: MuniruchyathE

 

(Meaning): " He whose mind is not perturbed in pain , who has

no longing for pleasures , who is free from desire , fear and

anger--he is called a sage of firm wisdom ".

 

SlOkam II . 63

************

" From anger ( KrOdhAth) there comes (Bhavathi) delusion

(sammOha:); from delusion , the loss of memory ( Smruthi vibhrama:);

from the loss of memory , the destruction of discrimination

(Buddhi naasa:); and with Buddhi nAsam , he is lost (praNasyathi) ".

 

SlOkma II . 69

*************

"What is night (nisA) for all beings (SarvabhUthAnAm) ,

in it the controlled one is awake ( tasyAm jaagarthi samyami).

When all beings are awake ( ysyAm jaagarthi bhUthAni) ,

that is the night to the sage ( Saa nisA pasyathO munE: )".

who sees

 

Additional reading Material

*********************

adiyEn's earlier postings on Swamy AlavanthAr's GeethArta

Sangaraham are archived in Bhakthi archives( dated Nov 7, 11

and 23, 1995):

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/archives

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan

 

SrimathE SrI Lakshminrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka

SrIvaNN SaThakOpa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya Nama: