Ch.6 pt3

[Guest guest]

I had explained in my last thread how dhyana in the 6th chapter is

nidhidhyasana, and is a proximate means to moksha, and hence,

considered vastu tantra. [My thanks to Subbu-ji for supporting this

idea in his recent post with his customary excellent refs to the

Shruti.]

 

Continuing the thread further on the shlokas of the

6th chapter - again these have to be understood in the overall

contaxt Bhagwan Krishna is dealing with in this

chapter -a step-by-step guide to nididhyasana as a proximate

step to selfrealization.

 

 

6.24 and 6.25

 

sankalpa-prabhavan kamams

tyaktva sarvan asesatah

manasaivendriya-gramam

viniyamya samantatah

sanaih sanair uparamed

buddhya dhrti-grhitaya

atma-samstham manah krtva

na kincid api cintayet

 

By giving up or renouncing desires born of mental

constructions - all of them, leaving not a trace

behind and controlling with the discriminating mind

itself all the senses from pursuing their objects from

every

side;

gradually; not impetuously, one should withdraw. With

the aid of the resolute intellect, perceiving that

Self alone is all this. - thus fixing the mind on the

Self; one should not think of anything else whatsoever.

This is the highest instruction about Yoga.

____________________________

SS

What is the highest instruction on nidhidhyasana That one's

intellect, made resolute, with a great capacity to discriminate,

should ever be directed towards the thought - "the Self alone is all

thisI alone am all this"

Why is this so? Why is nidhidhyasanam necessary through shravana and

manana my doubts are already clear? Because the mind still has a

tendency to fall back into its old modes of thinking. There is still

a spell of avidya-generated misidenitification of my true nature.

So I use my intellect to dwell on the vedantic truth. I am of the

nature of fullness - "poornamadam poornamidam" and thus alone can i

give up all other desires occuring in the realm of samsara. Once

these desires are controlled, slow by slow, the inner sense

faculties lose potency, lose the support for their ability to make

the mind run in different directions. The turbulence having been

slowly but systematically controlled by the resolute discriminating

intellect what happens is now set forth..

 

_____________________________

Striving thus to anchor the mind in the Self:

6.26

yato yato niscalati

manas cancalam asthiram

tatas tato niyamyaitad

atmany eva vasam nayet

 

"From all causes whatever" such as sounds etc.

Controlling the excessively fickle and unsteady mind

that sallies forth due to its flaws. through a

rational conideration of the truth of their causes and

reducing them to empty appearnaces and thus resorting

to detachment, let him bring the mind under the

control of the Self. Thus by the strength of yogic

practice the mind of the yogi becomes quiescent in the

Self alone.

_______________________________

SS

 

Again, nidhidhyasanam is necessary for an unprepared mind, that even

after hearing the truths contained in the mahavakyas and

understanding their import, still seems to be running riot amongst

the sensepleasures. The objective in nididhyasanam is then to

gradually enquire into this mind - rationally - by intellectually

dwelling on the vedantic truths and thereby letting the antahkaranam

come to rest in the witnessing Self. Thus it is that when the mind

comes to be rest quietly in the Self...

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6.27

prasanta-manasam hy enam

yoginam sukham uttamam

upaiti santa-rajasam

brahma-bhutam akalmasam

 

To the Yogin whose mind has been thoroughly stilled

the best i.e. peerless Bliss accrues - to the yogin

whose rajas, delusion and other afflictions have been

destroyed; who has become identified with Brahman, who

is free even while living, who has got the certitude

that Bramhman alone is all this; who is sinless,

beyond good and evil and so forth.(another reading may

be free from evil)

 

6.28

yunjann evam sadatmanam

yogi vigata-kalmasah

sukhena brahma-samsparsam

atyantam sukham asnute

 

Thus integarting the Self, according to the process

already set forth the sinless yogi, free from

the obstacles to Yoga; easily attains the Infinite

i.e. supreme, unsurpassable Bliss; in which there is

contact with Supreme Brahman.

____________________

SS

 

Nidhidhyasanam culminates in jnana-nishta - certitude that Brahman

alone is all this - and consequent Jivanmukti.

He realizes his nature to be a gunateeta - all the effects of gunas

such as rajas are permanently destroyed by the fire of jnana.

Taken out of context this "mid being thoroughly stilled" may seem to

indicate chittavrtti nirodhah, but a close attention to the context

and the preceding shlokas will put this contention safely to rest.

Also, "Contact with Brahman" is not in the sense of a physical or

mental contact with something other than me, but an understanding of

My true nature being Brahman alone.

Again, attaining the Infinite is not in the sense of a gain of

something i did not have, but the discovery of my already inherent

Infinitude.

 

Now is being elucidated the fruit of Yoga viz. the

realization of identity with Brahman, the cause of the

extinction of empirical existence .

 

6.29

sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam

sarva-bhutani catmani

iksate yoga-yuktatma

sarvatra sama-darsanah

 

He who has his mind Self-absorbed through yoga, whose

inner sense is concentrated; and who has the

vision of sameness everywhere beholds His Self

exisiting in all Beings beginning from Brahma to a

blade of grass; "in the Self" i.e. has become one with

the Sef, for he has equality of vision everywhere" -

which means that all unequal beings from Brahma down

to a blade of grass are to his vision or knowledge the

same or undifferentiated, that knowledge being the

identity of Brahman and Atman.

__________________

SS

 

A jivanmukta's antahkaranam is forever absorbed in the Self. His

indentification with the anatma is forever abolished. Such a

jivanmukta then has "samadarshanam". Everything he sees and everyone

he sees as his own Self and are as dear to Him as HimSelf.

Everything is Brahman and I am Brahman is his realization. His mind

is ever resting in the Self. Then to such a Mahatma, the divine Gods

including Brahma are no different as a clod of earth, because in a

subtantive sense they are the same.

___________________

The fruit of this realization of the unity of the Self

is being stated:

 

6.30

yo mam pasyati sarvatra

sarvam ca mayi pasyati

tasyaham na pranasyami

sa ca me na pranasyati

 

To him who sees Me, Vasudeva, who am the Self of all

things; everywhere i.e in all beings and "everything"

all created things, beginning from Brahma,in Me who am

the Self of all; to him, of one who has thus realized

the unity of the Self; I who am God am not lost

tasya,of his vision-; ca sah, and he also; na

pranasyati,

is not lost; me, to My vision. That man of realization

does not get lost to Me, to Vasudeva, because of the

indentity between him and Me, for that which is called

one's own Self is surely dear to one, and since it is

I alone who am the seer of the unity of the Self in

all.

_________________________

SS

Now is affirmed that he in indeed liberated-while-living. "One who

has this vision has achieved My Kingdom - He has attained Me -

Ishwara" is Krishna's reassurance. There is nothing else for Him to

now achieve. either living or after the death of the body. This is

again reiterated in the next verse.

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6.31

sarva-bhuta-sthitam yo mam

bhajaty ekatvam asthitah

sarvatha vartamano 'pi

sa yogi mayi vartate

 

This being so, i.e. after reiterating (in the

first line of the present verse) the idea of full

realization contained in the previous verse, the

result of that (realization), viz Liberation, is being

spoken of (in the second line): The yogi, the man of

full realization exists; mayi, in Me, in the

supreme state of Visnu; sarvatha api, in whatever

condition; vartamanah, he may be. He is verily

ever-free. The idea is that he is not obstructed from

Liberation by anything.

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