[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] litmus test--Gita verses 5.22 and 2.64

June 5, 2006

Om Namo Narayanaya.Interesting topic of discussionGita 2.64 is:"raagdvesha-vimuktais tu vishayaan indriyais caran aatma-vashyair vidheyatmaa prasaadam adhigacchati" (2.64) "But that self-controlled being who follows the Vedic injunctions while amidst the objects of the senses, freed from attachment and aversion, with senses governed by the self, attains the precious mercy of the Ultimate Personality" --------------------------------and Gita 5.22: "ye hi samsparsha-jaa bhogaa dukha-yonaya eva te aady-antavantah kaunteya na teshu ramate budhaha (5.22) Those pleasures arising from the senses contacting sense objects are indeed the source of misery only; subject to a beginning and an end; therefore the spiritually intelligent never take delight in them"source: (http://bhagavad-gita.org/Gita) - Here is a nice commentary by Kesava Kashmiri, Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya, on 5.22:"It can be understood how a person being free from desires is no longer attached to sensual pleasures and focusing within and realising the atma or eternal soul is able to experience unlimited bliss. But the question which may be raised is how can one become unattached to the desire for sensual pleasures from the very beginning? Lord Krishna explains that all pleasures in the material world have a beginning and an end. When pleasures are first enjoyed they give an acute illusion of happiness but due to indomitable time when such pleasures come to an end as they all must they are the cause of acute misery. For this reason the spiritually intelligent who are endowed with the faculty of discriminative knowledge do not indulge in sense pleasures knowing them to be temporary and binding". (http://bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/verse-05-21.html)============================================No matter how much freedom we think we have, sometimes it is really hard to remain unattached to pleasures. I know watching a movie, or getting together with friends and talking idle talk is not going to be as advantageous in the long run as sitting down and reading the Gita or doing some japa; but when you live in a society surrounded by all sorts of people, how much freedom does one have? One cannot run from people. As per the Gita, desire and anger and lust or hankering after any kind of sense pleasure is the root of all problems. How many of us can consistently think about God, no matter what work we are doing? I find that inspite of my best intentions I tend to drift; it will be a few hrs later that I realize that I had set out from home thinking that I am going to try and think 'Om Namo Narayanaya' no matter what I am doing. I don't remember if it is the Bhagavata or Shankara's Vivekachudamani, or some other text, maybe the more learned members can throw light on this, but I have read somewhere that there are two types of karmas, one that you are born with, called, I think praarabdha karma and one that you build up in this life, called sanchita karma; praarabdha karma is something that you have accumulated over your previous births and don't have any control over. This is what makes you respond in a certain way in a given situation. So whatever problems and obstacles you face are the debts you pay due to the past karma. Sanchita karma is what you do now; the way to not accumulate further bad karma is to incorporate God in one's everyday life. By building your life around God, you make sure that you are building up good credit (think 'bank balance'). The simple solution suggested by all great men is to think 'Rama' or 'Krishna' continuously, and be patient with oneself, don't beat ourselves up because we slipped; the thing is to get back on track; because as Bhagawan says:ananyaash chinta-yanto maam, ye janaa

paryupaasatetesham nitya-bhiyuktaanam yoga-kshemam vahamyaham (9.22).Think of Me and focus on Me to the exclusion of all else; I promise you security and prosperity and finally yoga--i.e. Union with Me. And as in the phala-shruti of the Vishnu sahasranaamam:"aartaa vishanna shitilascha bheeta, ghoreshu cha vyaadhishu vartamaana,sankirtya naarayana shabda maatram, vimukta dukha sukhino-bhavantu"----------------Abhilash Nair <abhilash_ramachandran wrote: Dear Balagopal, Nice discussion you have brought up. I would also include the 64th sloka

2nd chapter, as conveying the same mood of freedom. I had this on my blog... http://freebird18.blogspot.com/ Regards Abhilash --- balagopal ramakrishnan <rbalpal wrote: > HARI AUM > > > During our waken life we have to keep taking > decisions > to keep moving. Most are taken sub consciously, > without much effort,some out of sheer habits, and > others due to the instincts we are born with-like we > pull back from fire, runaway from dangers we fear > facing..etc. > > Now this being the case we have choices too. (as > Sartre said-freedom of choice is the despair of man) > > Has Bhagavan given us some clues? > > I think verse 22 in Chapter 5 of Gita can be used as > the litmus test to make our selections. > > It is

very simple, easy and very effective. > > I request to understand the powerful words he has > used > so selectively, aptly and very accurately in this > verse. > > I hope those of you who are more familiar with the > Gita and other scriptures will supplement into this. > > > Regards > > Balagopal > > NARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA > > > Send instant messages to your online friends > http://in.messenger. > > >

Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1ï¿½/min.