Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter3-karmayoga

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20.yathra uparamathe chittham nirudDham yogasevayaa

 

yathra caiva aathmanaa aathmaanam paSyan aathmani

thushyathi

 

Where the mind is at rest, controlled by the practice of yoga and where one, seeing the Self by himself revels in the Self,

The reason why the one with integrated mind is free from desires and attachment is that he is enjoying, uparamathe chittham, the supreme bliss of the absolute, aathmani thushyathi, by seeing the Self in himself aathmanaa aathmaanam paSyan. What is this bliss? As explained earlier it is the absolute bliss not dependant on external objects. Joy from external objects is short lived and the same object brings unhappiness according to the time and circumstances. This is because it is not the object but the mind which creates happiness or unhappiness. In the state of yoga the mind is still, resulting happiness is pure uncontaminated bliss.

 

 

 

21. sukham aathyanthikam yath thath budDhihgraahyam

atheendhriyam

 

vetthi yathra na chaiva ayam sThithaH chalathi

thatthvathaH

 

Where one knows that supreme happiness, which can be understood by the intellect but could not be experienced by the senses , where he does not swerve from that state being established therein,

 

The bliss of Brahman is highest,, aathyanthikam, comprehensible through intellect, budDhigraahyam, but could not be experienced by the senses, athhendhriyam. The bliss of the Self realization will be experienced only when one transcends the body , mind and intellect and therefore it is not grasped by sense organs. When the ego is also absent, what remains is the pure self. As the ego is the creator of objective experiences the subjective nature of bliss cannot be experienced by the ego. But this could be understood by the intellect. When we are in deep sleep all that we experience on waking up is a sensation of peace and joy. But in deep sleep the senses, mind and intellect and even the ego do not exist because we never experienced anything then. What really existed then was the Self alone but we were not aware of it due to the ignorance that covers the cognition of Self. This we could understand through intellect but not experience till that state of yoga is reached when the body , mind and intellect are transcended. To denote that it is different from the joys of the world, Krishna says, yathra sThithaH na chalathi thatthvathaH, once the state of bliss is experienced the yogi does not slip back.

 

If it is not an objective experience why should one strive to attain that. The answer is given in the next sloka.

 

22.yam labDhvaa cha aparam laabham manyathe na aDhikaH

thathaH

yasmin sThithaH na duhkhena guruNaa api vichaalyathe

 

Attaining which one does not consider any other gain more than that and staying in which state he is not moved even by the greatest grief,

 

When it is said that the yogi once experienced the bliss never slips back the possible doubt that may arise is that whether the sorrows of the world would not affect him anymore? No, says Krishna. After gaining that beyond which there is no more to be gained, the yogi is not affected even by greatest sorrow. He has reached the stage, duhkheshvanudhvignamanaah sukheshu vigathasprhaH, (sloka-56-chapter2)

 

23.tham vidhyaath duhkhasamyogaviyogam yoga samjnitham

 

sa niSchayena yokthavyo yogo anirviNNachethasaa

 

Know that to be the yoga which separates one from the association with grief. This yoga must be practised with a firm mind free from despondency.

 

 

This yoga , is termed as duhkhasamyogaviyoga yoga,' disjunction from the conjunction with duhkha ,by Krishna. He further says that this yoga has to be practised with a mind not dejected, `anirvinna chethasaa.'

 

The purpose of yoga is to free oneself from the ills of samsara and from the cycle of births and deaths because even the joys of samsara are felt as duhkhayonayaH, source of sorrow. So the contact with everything in the world is duhkhasamyoga, contact with sorrow. The yoga outlined above is the cure for samsara and hence it is called duhkha samyoga viyoga , the disjunction of the conjunction with sorrow.

 

This yoga must be followed with firm conviction, niSchyena and without dejection or despondency. Firm conviction comes out of the decision that this is the way of salvation and anirviNna chethas , the mind without despondency is emphasized because the yoga could not come to completion if the mind is dejected at the failure to progress as one wished. In other words it should be faithfully followed.