Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter 6-yoga of meditation

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29.sarvabhoothasThamaathmaanamsarvabhoothaanichaatmani

eekshathe yogayukthaathmaa sarvathra samadharSanaH

 

The one who is integrated in yoga sees himself in all beings and al beings in himself and thus has the perception of the same everywhere.

 

The effects of yoga are outlined in these slokas. The one who has identified himself with the Self, not only sees himself as the Self but also the others. In fact there is no such concept as `others,' as everything is nothing but Brahman. As all the ornaments are nothing but gold to a goldsmith, to the yogi who has had the perception of Brahman, everything is only Brahman. Hence he sees himself in all and all in himself.

 

30. yo maam paSyathi sarvathra sarvam cha mayi paSyathi

 

thasyaaham na praNaSyaami sa cha me na praNaSyathi

 

One who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me, I never perish (cease to exist) in him nor he perishes in Me.

 

`Isavasyam idham sarvam,' says the upanishat. The whole universe is the Lord Himself. Everything came from Him and he is the inner soul of all and hence everything is the Lord Himself , the contained and the container. The teacups may be of different forms, colour and shapes but the tea is the same. Similarly the real Self in all is the Lord and the devotee-yogi sees Him in everything everywhere. But the example should not be taken too literally as the cup and the tea are two different things and exist in the relationship of the container and the contained while the Lord is both.

 

Nammazvar says, `uNnum soru o paruguneer tinnum vettrilaiyum ellaam kaNNan emperumaan,' the food, the water and betel leaves taken after food, everything is the Lord. Not only the sentient but also the insentient is perceived as the Lord by the devotee who is established in bhakthiyoga.

 

In such a devotee the Lord always exists and he exists in the Lord. That is, there is no more separation. In truth there was never a separation and the ignorance deluded us into believing that we are different from the Self and from others. It is like a king's son who got lost and believed himself to be a poor beggar but when he was made aware of his real identity he finds that he was always the son of the king. The bliss of Brahman described above is the rightful inheritance of every one but like the king's son we were led to believe that we were the imperfect beings caught in samsara. Upanishads give various examples to illustrate this. When one sees the Lord every thing and everything in the Lord this realization never goes away as it is the real truth and not delusion like believing ourselves to be finite beings subjected to sufferings of the world.

 

This idea is expressed in the Upanishads thus:

 

Dhvaa suparNaa sayujaa sakhaayaa

Samaanam vrksham parishasvajaathe

thayoH ekaH pippalam svaadhu atthi

ananan anyaH parichaakaSeethi (Mundaka Up.)

 

Two birds who were always together and friendly, occupies the same tree. One of them eats sour and sweet fruits in the tree whole the other simply observes not eating anything.

 

These two birds are the jeevathma and paramathma. The jeeva identifying itself with the body, mind and intellect experiences the sorrow and joy of the world which are denoted by the sour and sweet fruits of the world. The Paramathma or supreme self is not affected by the world and looks on as the witness. The jeeva personified as the bird eating the fruits of the tree is further described in the upanishat as rising slowly towards the top and going near the other bird it realizes that they were not two but one. That is , the jeeva realizes that it is only the Self and not the body. This beautiful metaphor conveys exactly what has been described as the effect of the yoga in the above sloka.

 

31. sarvabhoothasThitham yo maam bajathi ekathvam

aasThithah

 

sarvaThaa varthamaano api sa yogee mayi varthathe

 

That yogi who is established in the view of oneness, worships Me , he exists in Me wherever he is.

 

This sloka answers the question whether a yogi who sees the Lord everywhere will lapse back into activity or not. When he has attained the perception of oneness, worships the Lord everywhere but he continues in this world doing everything as before but with a different attitude, as the service of the Lord. What ever he does is for lokakshema as explained earlier. So in all his activities which may appear normal, he dwells in the Lord.

 

This sloka implies that one need not retreat to the forest to become a yogi but could realize the self from wherever he is if he is able to give up his desires and attachment and become engrossed in the divine.

 

32. aatmoupamyena sarvathra samam paSyathi yo arjuna

 

sukham vaa yadhi vaa duhkham sa yogee paramo mathaH

 

One who sees the likeness of athman everywhere and hence everything equally, pleasure or pain, that yogi is the highest.

 

To such a yogi as described in the foregoing slokas, who sees the Self everywhere and attained equanimity, the sThthaprajna, both pleasure and pain are the same since they do not affect him.

 

One whose mind is established in Brahman is always in bliss whether he is in meditation or engaged in worldly pursuits whether he is in company or alone. Such a yogi who looks on all as his own Self is deemed the highest.