Sathya Sai Baba Geetha Vahini - Chapter 1

[Guest guest]

Sathya Sai BabaGeetha Vahini

Chapter I

To understand the meaning of the Geetha, the reverential approach is necessary.

You must take up its study in an attitude of submission and expectancy. For the

Geetha is the "milk" of the Upanishads, "drawn" by the cowherd Krishna with the

help of Arjuna, "the calf", for all the "dull-witted" to drink and draw

sustenance from. There are some who argue that the Geetha as a sacred poem was

a creation later than the Mahabharatha, of which it is a part; but whatever may

be said of the composition of the Geetha, there is no doubt that the principles

and teachings of the Geetha are ancient, nay, dateless. In the first three

slokas of the fourth chapter, reference is made to the Lord instructing the

Geetha to Surya first and later to Manu; and to the fact that from Manu it

reached Ikshvaku and thence to others in succession! So, the Geetha is beyond

the category of time and it cannot be assigned to a particular point of time,

past or present.

The Geetha is a text for spiritual practitioners, for it emphasises Sadhana, and

spiritual attitudes, more than anything else. Every chapter lays down means and

methods of reaching the goal of peace and harmony. Now Sadhana is the product

of keen and steady yearning for progress. The aspirant must aspire, not

despair. He must persevere, not clamour for quick success. The Geetha is as a

boat, which takes man across from the self-imposed state of bondage to the

freedom which is his nature. He is taken from darkness to light, from

lustrelessness to splendour. The Geetha ordains for man disciplines and duties

which are free from the taints of Vasanas (tendencies and impulses) that tie

him to the relentless wheel of birth and death.

Really speaking, man has come into this Karmakshetra (field of activity) only to

engage himself in activity, not in order to earn the fruit of such activity.

That is the teaching of the Geetha, its fundamental lesson. The Geetha is the

quintessence of the meaning of all the Vedas. Yajnas and Yagas, the outward

directed activities are mentioned in the preliminary portions of the Vedas;

activities of the mind, like the Upasanas, which are directed inward are

mentioned later; and Jnana Yoga too is expounded to minds thus clarified and

purified.

Whoever the individual, however scholarly, he cannot escape delusion and so he

is subjected to grief, which acts as a brake upon activity. Arjuna, the great

hero, capable of great renunciation and of great wisdom, is deluded by the

awful needs of war and this grief handicaps his activity too. He confuses the

body and the self; he starts identifying the two. He imposes on the Atma (ever

untouched by the characteristics of the moving, changing world) the unreal and

ephemeral nature of the world and takes this delusion as true. He believes that

his duties, as laid down by that false identification, are his Atmadharma! This

is the tragedy not of Arjuna alone but of all humanity! Therefore, the Geetha

is of universal and eternal value. To study the Geetha is to learn the art of

swimming across the sea of delusion. The Geetha is the very voice of lord

Krishna. The fact that it has provided consolation and liberation to millions

of men is evidence of its divine origin. A lesser person

could not have given it that authenticity.

The way it begins and the way it ends, that gives the clue to the subject which

it expounds. The very first verse starts with the words, "Dharmakshethre,

Kurukshethre...", the word Dharma being the leading word. The last verse of the

final eighteenth chapter speaks of "Yatha Yogeswarah Krishna" and this word,

"Yogeswarah" sums up the Dharma that is taught. Thus, it is clear that the

objective of the teaching in the Geetha is just this: "Remember Dharma;

practise Dharma." How significant is this word! All Sastras are engaged in

demarcating and defining the nature and subtle characteristics of Dharma. The

Geetha incorporates this study and this analysis. It is a textbook of Dharma,

in all its aspects. It discusses all the principles underlying Dharma.

Arjuna is the Jivi, the individual. The body is the chariot and the teacher in

the chariot is Krishna, the Lord. The charioteer is the Lord, the inspirer of

the intelligence, the Brahmam which prompts It in answer to man's prayer

contained in the Gayathri Mantra "Dhiyo-yonah prachodayath..." (awaken my

discrimination, o Lord and guide me). The Kauravas represent the demonic

nature; the Pandavas represent the divine. They are Asat, these are Sat; one is

evil, the other is good. And there has ever been a struggle between the two. In

this conflict between opposing forces, Krishna (the self, the Atma) is ever on

the side of Dharma - the reality which sustains, not the delusion which

undermines. If you seek to have the Lord on your side as your guide, equip

yourself with the divine nature, (Daivi Sampath), the qualities of Dharma. For

the Lord is where Dharma is.

Of course, this does not mean that the Lord is not omnipresent...! Butter is

omnipresent in the milk, though it can be made manifest in one location, in the

milk, only by the processes of curdling and churning. So too, the Lord can be

made manifest in one location by the process of Dharma-sadhana. "Yatho

dharmasthatho jayah" - "Where there is Dharma, there victory is achieved."

Arjuna was engrossed with the physical aspect and so it was necessary to bless

him with the knowledge of the real, the Atmic aspect. The entire complex of

Sadhana is directed to the clarification of the awareness of Atma, and the

fixing of attention on that. The teaching of Krishna is just this; in fact this

is the sum and substance of the search for Truth.

Krishna answered many doubts that had entangled Arjuna, but which he failed to

express. "O Arjuna! You are grieving because these kings and princes who are

related to you are about to meet death at your hands. You talk glibly of

Dharma. But, remember, the wise do not grieve either for the living or the

dead. Shall I tell you why? Well, you are feeling grief over the body, which

alone decays on death. Did you grieve when the body underwent many changes

hitherto? The child disappeared in the boy, the boy disappeared in the youth,

the youth became lost in the middle-aged man, the middle-aged man was lost in

the aged old man and the old man is lost in death. You never wept for the

changes that affect the body so long; why then weep for this one change? Have

you, today, the body you had when you were a boy? Where is that frame you had

when you tied Dhrishtadyumna up? You still remember that boyish exploit; but

the body that achieved it is gone! So too, whatever changes your body may

suffer, the Atma, the splendour of the true wisdom, remains immortal. Being

established unshakably in this knowledge is the sign of the wise, the Jnani."

Thus said Krishna.

"You may ask whether one would not feel sad when the bodies with which one had

moved and lived for years go out of sight. But for how many have you to lament,

in case it is proper so to grieve! Have you thought of that? Joy and grief are

as day and night. They have to be put up with, gone through. If you refuse,

they won't stop happening; if you desire, they won't start happening! They are

both related to the physical, the material - the body; they do not affect the

spirit, the soul. The moment you escape from these two, that moment you are

liberated, you have Moksha."

The first discourse which teaches these truths is named Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the

despondency of Arjuna. That is the very foundation of the edifice which is the

Bhagavad Geetha. When the foundation is strong, the edifice too is lasting. The

Geetha built on that foundation, 5000 years ago, is unshaken and unshakable.

>From this you can infer how strong is the foundation on which it rests and how

wise is the person who laid it.

You refer to it as 'despondency'! But that 'despondency' was very beneficial; it

was no ordinary 'want of courage'. For it tested his sincerity and

steadfastness; it induced him to take unquestioning refuge in the Lord. That is

why it is dignified by the name, Yoga. The Geetha which begins with the Vishada

Yoga ends with the Sanyasa Yoga; Vishada is the foundation and Sanyasa, the

superstructure. Vishada is the seed and Sanyasa, the fruit.

The question may be raised: how could Arjuna be credited with a pure nature,

which alone is said to deserve the wisdom imparted in the Geetha. The word

'Arjuna' means pure unsullied, white - he is named very appropriately and he

lived up to the name that he bore. That is how he secured the immediate

presence of lord Krishna, that is how he became the instrument for the award of

the Geetha to the world.

Krishna used the word, Yoga, many times in the Geetha; the state of the

individual (or Jivi) during Yoga too is described; yet, a doubt may arise in

the minds of those who have read the Geetha that there is no agreement between

the word as used ordinarily and as used by Krishna. Krishna has extolled

Vairagya (detachment) in some places. At other places, He has declared that the

highest freedom can be earned by worship. Various methods of attaining the

supreme state of spiritual bliss are also elaborated. In the eighth discourse,

there is an account of Raja Yoga, but it is not right to say that the Geetha is

a text that teaches Raja Yoga. Complete surrender to lord Krishna, freedom from

the threefold shackles which bind one with the external world of objects, the

observance of good deeds and virtuous disciplines, these are the principal

truths underlined in the Geetha. The Lord holds these forth as the best forms

of training in the deepest secrets of inner progress.

The real meaning of the Geetha is not grasped by all. Reputed scholars and

writers, though gifted with rare intelligence, have failed to unravel the

mystery of its message. Commentators speak of the principle of perfect balance

amidst all change, or of the achievement of freedom as more important than

anything else. On the other side, others compare the Geetha with the

philosophical texts of the west with which they are familiar and start teaching

young minds in that strain! Of course, full renunciation is highly desirable.

But only a very small number can practise it. If a certain spiritual teaching

has to gain universal acceptance, it must have disciplines that can be

practised and experienced by every one in daily life and its activities.

The highest Dharma is for each one to follow his Swa - (own) dharma boldly. As

regards this problem, there is a conflict between religion and morals. "Gahana

karmano gathih", "It is difficult, fraught with danger" says the Lord, speaking

of the moral discipline. Which act is legitimate, which not? Which act is

sanctioned by morals, which not? Persons have struggled and are struggling to

decide these. But Krishna has mentioned the type of acts which are worthy, in

the Slokas:

Manmanaa bhava madbhaktho mad yajee maam namaskuruMaamevaishyasi sathyam the,

prathijaane priyo si me.Sarva dharmaan parithyajya maamekam saranam vrajaAham

thwaam sarva paapebhyo mokshayaishyami maa suchah.

"Fix thy thought on Me; be devoted to Me; worship Me; do homage to Me; thou

shalt reach Me. The Truth do I declare to thee; for thou art dear to Me. This

is my teaching, My grace.""This is the path to come to Me. Give up all Dharmas;

surrender to Me; do not grieve; I shall liberate you from the consequences of

all your acts."

Ah! Note the meaning and significance of these two stanzas. Is not this act of

surrender enough to save you and to liberate you from the round of coming to -

staying in - and leaving from this world? Thanmana - that is, seeing Him in

every being, being aware of Him every moment of existence, being immersed in

the Ananda of this awareness; Thadbhaktha - that is, merged in the relationship

caused by profound devotion and love to Him; That-yaji - all acts, big and

small, dedicated to Him, Krishna, (wish, will, attitude, activity, fruit,

consequence) everything from beginning to end, the renunciation of all

attachment to the self and the performance of all acts in a spirit of

worshipful non-attachment. This is what the Lords seeks from you.

Of course, it is hard to effect this full surrender. But if man makes the

slightest effort towards it, the Lord Himself will confer the courage to pursue

it to the end. He will walk with him and help him as a friend; He will lead me

as a guide; He will guard him from evil and temptation; He will be his staff

and support. He has said, "Swalpamapyasya Dharmasya thrayathe mahatho bhayaath"

(this course of action, if followed even to a small extent, will save him from

terrifying fear). To follow Dharma is itself a source of joy; it is the path

least beset with hurdles. That is the teaching of the Lord.

"Maamevaishyasi", "you will come near Me, you will be approaching Me;" that is

to say, you will understand My mystery, you will enter into Me, you will

achieve My nature. In these terms, Saadrisya (acquiring divine nature),

Saalokya (existence in God), Sayujya (unity in God), are indicated. When one

has attained the state of realising the divinity in every being, when every

instrument of knowledge brings the experience of that divinity, when it alone

is seen, heard, tasted, smelt and touched, man becomes undoubtedly a part of

the body of God and lives in Him and with him. When this duty to your own

progress is taken up, you will get a new strength at the very first step; you

will thrill to a new and purer joy; you will taste the fullness of bliss; you

will be refreshed by a new holiness.

This Dharma is not laid down or recommended for the extraordinary among men. It

is within the reach of all, for all have the hunger for God, all have the

discrimination to discover that there is something basic behind all this

change. Even the most heinous sinner can quickly cleanse his heart and become

pure by surrendering to the Lord in anguished repentance.

Therefore, the Lord's command is that each should pursue the special Dharma laid

down for him; each person should plan his life according to the spiritual

foundations of his culture; he should give up the 'objective' vision and listen

to the voice of God.

Those born in Bharath should deserve the privilege by listening to the voice of

the leader of Bharath - Gopala - and manifest the divinity latent in them in

every word they utter, every letter they limn, every wish they entertain, every

thought they frame, and every act they do for the winning of gross things, such

as food or shelter or health.

Then only can this Indian nation demonstrate to the world the excellence of the

ancient religion, the Sanathana Dharma, its special gift to humanity, and

ensure peace for all mankind. Acts in line with that Dharma alone can confer

the strength of spirit which can encounter all crises and achieve victory.

The sacred Geetha grants that boon by indicating clearly the Way.

http://beaskund.helloyou.ws/askbaba/geethavahini/geetha001.html

Sathya Sai Baba Gheeta Vahini Online

Edition:http://beaskund.helloyou.ws/askbaba/geethavahini/index.html

Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at HotJobs