Geeta slokas 12.13 to 12.20 .....Hari Om Tat Sat

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Om Namo Naaraayanaaya!

 

Through slokas 12.13 to 12.19, Krishna outlines the qualities of a true bhakta (to be conitnued....) ; He adores that bhakta who ---

 

"adwaishta sarva bhutaa-naam maitra karuna ev cha

nirmamo nirhan-kaara sama dukha sukha shami (12.13)

santushta satatam yogi yataatmaa druda-nischaya

mayi-arpeeta mano-buddhir yo mad bhakta same priya (12.14)

"One who is free from anger towards all beings (not only Man, but also other living beings), has selfless love and compassionate, no sense of ownership, without any arrogance, equanimous in happiness and sorrow, and forgiving. Satisfied, and with determination devotes his mind and intellect to Me, such a devotee is dear to Me".

 

yas maano dwijate loko, lokanodwijate cha ya ha

harshaa-marsha bhayo-dwaigair mukto ya sa cha me priya (12.15)

"He who does not put anyone else to any trouble or difficulty and nor does he feel troubled/disturbed by anyone, and is free from excitement, envy, and fear, he is dear to Me"

 

ana-peksh shuchir-daksho udaa-sino gata-vyathaha

sarvaa-rambha pari tyaagir yo mad bhakta sa me priyaa..(12.16)

"Free from expectations, is pure of heart, not sad, ('daksha' -- i.e. is very capable, cannot be fooled), is care-free about work and its results, knowing that he is not the doer, and all works and resolve to work is vested in Me i.e. has made Me the cause, the goal, and the instrument for all works and understands therefore that all beginnings are because of Me('sarvaarambh parityaagi') and not due to him, such a devotee is very dear to Me".

 

yo na harshati na dweshti na shochati na kaangshati

shubh-ashubh phala tyagir bhakti-maanme priyo naraha..

"One who neither rejoices or feels sad, doesn't desire, doesn't worry about auspicious or inauspicious works, he is dear to Me. "

 

sama shatraush cha mitresh cha tatha maan-apmaanayo

shitoshna sukh-dukheshnu sama sanga vivarjita..(12.18)

tulya ninda stuthir maunir santushto yen kenchit

aniket sthir matir bhaktimaan me priyo naraha.. (12.19)

"One who remains equanimous amidst friend/enemy, honor/dishonor, heat/cold, joy/sorrow, is not attached, is even-minded in praise and criticism, with a steady intellect is devoted to Me, he is dear to Me."

 

"ye tu dharmaa-mritam idham yathoktam paryu-paasate

shradda-dhaanah mat parmaa bhaktaas te ateev me priya"(12.20)

"One who full of faith, partakes of this nectar, he is very dear to Me" i.e. one who practices this path of devotional service with faith, he is very dear to Me.

 

 

 

"From slokas 13-19, Krishna states the qualities of a bhakta: a true bhakta is free of anger/hatred for all living beings. Shri Ram personified this attitude when he waged a war against Ravana, wishing to kill the evils that Ravana stood for; that Rama didn't have any resentment for Ravana, the human, is shown by his instruction to Vibheeshna to carry out the cremation rites of Ravana. Vibheeshna refuses and Rama says if you don't, I will.

Shri Krishna, here in chapter 12, points out that not only is it important not to bear resentment, but also one needs to develop compassion and friendship towards all; one can't have a passive attitude and take a stand that 'I am not hurting or harming anyone, so I am good!' but try and be friendly and develop empathy towards all beings i.e. be happy for others when they are happy and share their sadness when they are sad (hence "advaistha sarva-bhutaanaam, maitra karuna eva cha"). further there is no sense of ownership because everything belongs to God ("ishaa-vaasyam idam sarvam" from the Ishaavaasyam Upanishad -- God resides everywhere; everything belongs to Him). Nir-ahankaar: who is not condescending, doesn't consider others low or of smaller or lesser stature. Also true bhaktaas are 'santushta' - not vying after material things; one's

needs and desire for more and more comforts send one on an inevitable path of endless struggle and suffering; a bhakta is confident that his needs will be fulfilled as they arise ("anan-nyaash chinto-yanto-maam, ye janaa paryu-paasate, teshaam nitya-bhi-yuktaanaam, yoga-kshemam vahaa-myaham" 9.22 - 'for one who devotes wholeheartedly to Me, thinking of nothing else, I take care of their security and prosperity'). Satatam yogi - no matter what he does, a true bhaktaa is always in union with Me. Eating, drinking, sleeping, working, he is always conscious of that fact 'God is with me' . And this awareness is not intermittent or for a few days or weeks but always. Further, that bhakta is determined -- no matter the temptations, his mind and intellect is always absorbed in Me.

"yas maano dwijate loko, lokanodwijate cha ya ha": Having these qualities help them to be undisturbed by people and nor are they a disturbance to people; one often finds people who are brilliant and clever, but not always considerate of the people around them, maybe in their families or at work; because these brilliant people fail to make the lesser mortals feel comfortable in their presence. But for a true bhakta, this is also true: he makes people feel good about themselves. Also knowing that Bhagavad-shakti is the biggest shakti, they are not unduly disturbed nor excited by happenings around them. For a billionaire, the loss or gain of a thousand or lac rupees is a matter of small consequence; similarly for a bhakta who knows the source of true bliss, anything less is of no

consequence. To be able to worship God with the same devotion, whatever the stage in life, is what a true bhakta always pray for. And hence the 'anapeksha shuchir daksha, udaasino gatvyathaha' -- he is without expectations, pure of heart and mind, alert, without any complaints. Krishna ends these slokas by saying "aniket sthir-matir, bhakti-maanme priyo naraha" -- aniket - literally, one who is without abode/house, means -- one who is not attached to the world; living in the midst of everything, but above everything, knowing that with a mind consistently devoted to God, one will surely realize Him".

 

'Hari Om Tat Sat...iti Shreemad Bhagavad Geetaa-su Upa-nishatsu Brahma vidyaayaam yoga-shaastre Shri Krushna Arjuna samvaade "Bhakti Yoga" naam dwaadasho-addhyaaya-ha'

 

Sarvam ShreeKrushnaaya Samarpayaami.

 

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References:1) Shankaracharya's Gita Bhaashya - Translation by Shri Krishna Warrier . Published by Ramkrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai.

2) The late Shri Pandurang Shastri Athawale -'Geetamrutam' -- compilation of his discourses on the Geeta in Hindi at the Geeta Paathshaala in Mumbai. Jai Yogeshwar!