A question ... ... continued

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The blessed Lord said to Arjuna:

 

"karmaNyevAdhikAraste mA phaleSu kadAcana

mA karma phalahetur bhUr mA te saGgo 'stvakarmaNi"

 

"yogasthaH kuru karmANi saGgam tyaktvA dhanaJjaya

siddhy asiddhyoH samo bhUtvA samatvaM yoga ucyate"

 

(Gita 2.47, 48)

 

"Seek to perform your duty.

But LAY NOT CLAIM to its fruits.

Be you NOT the producer of the FRUITS of KARMA;

Neither shall you LEAN towards INACTION."

 

Not an atom moves without a motive. Beings are all busy either to

GAIN something or to ward off something unwanted. In the absence of

such a motive no action needs performed.

 

But Lord induces Arjuna not to be MOTIVATED and at the SAME TIME to

be intensely ACTIVE.

Yes, here in lies the turning point in life from 'Preyas to Sreyas'.

 

Good accrues from DETACHMENT and NEVER from ATTACHMENT.

 

Karma in itself is NO evil; but it becomes so when MIXED UP with

DESIRE.

 

Desire TAINTED karma gives continuity to the wheel of birth and

death. Conquerers of DESIRE are they who CARE NOT for the fruits of

karma.

 

FREEDOM from DESIRE is REAL FREEDOM.

 

When duty is discharged UNTARNISHED by desire, clarity of

UNDERSTANDING ensues. Karma therefore has to be performed perfectly

by the aspirant UNMINDFUL of the FRUITS thereof.

 

"A boat may be floating on the water, but NO water should be ALLOWED

to get into it. Man may live in the world, but NO worldly desire

ought to take possession of him."

 

- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

 

How the desireless one works and lives in the world is explained in

the next verse:

 

"Perform ACTION, O Dhananjaya,

being FIXED in YOGA,

renouncing ATTACHMENTS, and

EVEN-MINDED in success and failure;

equilibrium is verily yoga."

 

The surrendered YOGI, the Bhakta holds ALL the activities taking

place in him as the DOINGS of Lord. He places himself in the position

of A WILLING SERVANT, ever ready to EXECUTE orders.

 

An attitude of this kind eliminates attachment. The ardent yogi holds

the successes and failures in his ENDEAVOURS free from attachment and

aversion.

This even-mindedness is equilibrium.

He is a yogi who keeps the MIND in this poised state under ALL

CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

Spiritual growth is possible to him only who keeps the mind ever

poised.

 

" BE in the world even as a MAID-SERVANT in a rich man's house.

For all intents and purposes she CLAIMS her master's children and

property as her OWN.

But at the CORE OF HER HEART she KNOWS that THEY DO NOT BELONG TO HER

and she REMAINS FIRM in that ATTITUDE.

 

Seemingly own worldly things.

BUT HAVE NO ATTACHMENT TO THEM.

 

As the maid-servant can with EASE RELINQUISH her ASSUMED OWENERSHIP

of the MASTER's property,

BE PREPARED FOR SEPARATION FROM EARTHLY POSSESSION."

 

-Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

 

"buddhi yukto jahAtIha ubhe sukRta duSkRte

tasmAd yogAya yujyasva yogaH karmasu kauzalam"

 

(Gita 2.50)

 

"The one FIXED in EQUANIMITY of MIND FREES oneself in this life from

vice and virtue alike; therefore DEVOTE yourself through this yoga;

the yoga of equanimity is skill in action."

 

Karma is classified as good or bad based on the results it produces.

Good karma is as much the the cause as the bad one, for continuity of

the wheel of birth and death. But the Karma-yogi is NOT affected by

karma of any kind.

 

This is due to his FIXING in equanimity - the STATE FREE FROM LIKES

and DISLIKES, ATTACHMENT and AVERSION.

 

Detached performance of duty adds efficiency and the required

equilibrium is maintained perfectly.

 

Bhishma fought for the WICKED to the BEST of his ability, but because

of his COMPLETE DETACHMENT he was NOT TAINTED by his action.

 

Equanimity of MIND comes to one FREE from likes and dislikes,

attachment and aversion. He is a devoted yogi of skillful action. NO

new karma ACCRUES to him.

 

The momentum of the old karma wanes away. He gains in perfecting the

MIND.

 

-------------

 

In the beginning itself, Arjuna had whole-heartedly surrendered to

Lord Krishna, thus getting rid of his ego and self identification.

 

Lord still emphasized the importance of TOTAL EXCLUSIVE SURRENDER to

Him through out the Gita.

 

"daivIhyeSA guNa mayI mama mAyA duratya yA

mAmeva ye prapadyamte mAyAmetAm taramti te"

 

(Gita 7.14)

 

Very Important verse indeed!

 

"Verily this DIVINE ILLUSION of Mine, made up of the three Gunas

(innate tendencies and modes of material nature), is HARD to

SURMOUNT!!!

 

But those who take REFUGE IN ME ALONE, they CROSS OVER this Illusory

POWER of Mine."

 

By surrendering UNCONDITIONALLY to Lord ALONE there can be Maya

(Prakriti) nivritti. Without Maya nivritti NONE can be liberated.

 

How it was accomplished by Arjuna practically?

 

Lord gave many more commandments. The most important ones stresses

again the surrender of MIND, INTELLECT and EGO to the Lord in Yoga of

Devotion.

 

'mayyeva mana Adhatsva

mayibuddiM nivezaH

nivaSyasi mayyeva

ata UrdhvaM na saMzayaH'

 

(Gita.12.8)

 

'Fix your mind on Me alone,

let your thoughts dwell in Me.

You will hereafter live in Me alone.

Of this there is no doubt.'

 

'mayyAvezya mano ye mAM

nityayuktA upAsate

zraddhayA parayopetA

ste me yuktatamA matAH'

 

(Gita 12.2)

 

'Those souls who have fixed their minds on Me,

and who, ever steadfast and endowed with supreme faith,

worship Me- them I consider perfect in yoga.'

 

"tasmAt sarveSu kAleSu

mAmanusmara yudhya ca

mayyarpita mano buddhir

mAme vaiSyasi asaMsayaH"

 

(Gita 8.7)

 

"Therefore think of Me at all times and

perform all your actions including the FIGHTING in the WAR.

There is no doubt that by giving your MIND, HEART and INTELLECT to

Me, you will SURELY attain Me."

 

(This very important ORDER from Him is repeated TWICE!)

 

'man-manA bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yAjI mAM namaskuru

mAm evaiSyasi satyaM te

pratijAne priyo 'si me'

 

(Gita 18.65)

 

'man-manA bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yAjI mAM namaskuru

mam evaiSyasi yuktvaivam

AtmAnaM mat-parAyaNaH '

 

'Fix your mind on Me. Be devoted to Me.

Sacrifice unto Me. Bow down to Me.

Having thus made yourself steadfast in Me,

taking Me as the SUPREME GOAL, you will come to Me.'

 

(Gita 9.34.)

 

If the aspiring soul can practice this, liberation from Maya as well

as God realization will be possible.

 

What more to be DONE by the aspirants be free from 'egoism'?

 

"yat karoSi yadaznAsi yajjahosi dadAsi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruSva madarpaNam"

 

"zubhAzubha phalair evaM mokSyase karma bandhanaiH

saMnyAsa yoga yuktAtmA vimukto mAmupaiSyasi"

 

(Gita 9.27, 28)

 

Lord Krishna also gives another commandment to Arjuna -

 

"What ever you do,

what ever you eat,

whatever sacrifice you perform,

whatever you give in charity,

DO IT FOR ME ALONE as an OFFERING!

 

YOUR MIND ATTACHED TO ME,

THEN YOUR ACTIONS WILL NOT BIND YOU!"

 

"sarva karmANyapi sadA kurvaNo madvyapAzrayaH

mat prasAdAd avApnoti zAzvataM padam avyayam"

 

(Gita 18.56)

 

"One to whom I am the REFUGE even while he REMAINS engaged in ALL

actions, (he) attains the eternal, immutable state through My Grace."

 

"cetasA sarvakarmANi mayi saMnyasya matparaH

buddhi yogam upAzritya macchittaH satataM bhava"

 

(Gita 18.57)

 

"MENTALLY dedicating ALL ACTIONS to Me and

accepting Me as the SUPREME,

have your MIND ever FIXED on Me

by resorting to the yoga of wisdom."

 

"maccittaH sarva durgANi mat prasAdAt tariSyasi

atha cet tvam ahaMkArAn na zroSyasi vinaMkSyasi"

 

(Gita 18.58)

 

"Having your MIND FIXED ON Me,

you will cross over ALL the difficulties through My GRACE.

 

If, on the otherhand, you DO NOT LISTEN out of EGOTISM,

you will PERISH."

 

"However much you may try to you will not achieve anything if you do

not get the GRACE of the Lord. That Grace again, is NOT easily

obtained. All EGOISM ought to be WIPED OUT as a PRELUDE to it.

 

If the egoistic feeling, "I am the DOER," takes possession of your

heart, that ATTITUDE will ALIENATE you from Iswara (Lord).

 

The Lord REMAINS HIDDEN in that heart which is TAINTED by EGOISM.

 

- Sri Ramakrishna "

 

"If filled with EGOISM, you think "I wii NOT fight," vain is this,

your resolve; your nature will COMPEL you."

 

(Gita 18.59)

 

"Jnana (wisdom) and Mukti (liberation) cannot be had as long as

EGOISM persists. Birth and death also DO NOT come to an END to him

who is given to EGOISM. - Sri Ramakrishna "

 

"tameva zaraNaM gaccha sarva bhAvena bhArata,

tat prasAdAt parAM zAntiM sthAnaM prApsyasi zAzvatam"

 

(Gita 18.62)

 

"O Arjuna, take refuge in Supreme Lord alone, with all your heart,

mind and soul! Then you shall attain His Grace.

 

It is through His Divine Grace that you can attain Supreme peace,

eternal happiness and Divine Abode."

 

The Lord finally declared in Gita -

 

"sarva dharmAn parityjya mAmekaM zaraNaM vraja "

 

"O Arjuna, ABANDON ALL THOUGHTS OF RELIGION AND IRRELIGION.

'COME TO ME ALONE FOR SHELTER.'

It is then, that I, Who am a JUDGE TO ALL, will cease to JUDGE in

your case and will instead pardon your innumerable past sins of

countless past lives, THROUGH MY GRACE!!!"

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!