Bhagavad Gita - Daily One Verse Brief Explanation - II 2:13 II

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|| Shree Hari ||

Ram Ram

 

II 2:13 II

 

dehino ’smin yatha dehe, kaumaram yauvanam jara

tatha dehantara-praptir, dhiras tatra na muhyati

 

Just as childhood, youth and old age take place for the indweller (soul)in this

human body, likewise is the attainment of another body. The wise never get

deluded on this subject.

 

Comment:

 

The soul always stays in immortality but the body always is moving towards

death. As the soul enters the womb, the same instant the journey of the body

towards death starts. At the completion (death) of pregnancy, the childhood is

born. The childhood dies, giving birth to youth. The youth dies giving birth to

old age. At the death of old age, soul enters into a new body, starting a new

birth. This way the various stages in the body happen but the shariri

(indweller) stays the same. The reason is that the sharir (body) and the shariri

(indweller) in the body are separate entities. Therefore, a spiritual aspirant

should not believe that he is the body. Getting bound and liberated are

happening to the self and not to the body.

 

From Gita Prabodhani in Hindi pg. 25 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

 

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Chapter 2, Verse 13 is as follows;

 

DehinaH = of the embodied soul

Asmin = in this

Yathaa = as

Dehe = in body

Kaumaaram = childhood

Yauvanam = youth

Jaraa = old age

Tathaa = so also

Dehaantara = another body

PraaptiH = attainment

DheeraH = the firm minded person

Tatra = there

Na = not

Muhyati = grieves

 

English translation:-

 

As the indweller in the body (Atman) experiences childhood, youth,

old age in the current body and also passes on to another body after

physical death; the unperturbed one is not affected thereby.

 

A living being desirous of unity with the Self, makes himself fit

for immortality by passing through a series of births and deaths. In

every birth, one makes transition from childhood to youth to old age

and meets eventual death. However, these physical changes in the

body do not correspond to any similar changes in the soul i.e.

Aatman the subset of the superset Brahman. None of its embodiments

is a permanent one.

 

An enlightened person, who truly knows the very plan and the purpose

of the Universe, remains unperplexed over death. Conversely, he who

disciplines himself to remain unperturbed under all situations

prepares himself thereby for enlightenment. Changes pertain only to

a physical body. The changelessness indweller is the Universal

Constant, which is termed as Aatman, the subset of the superset

Brahman.

 

Aatman is all pervading i.e. it resides in all sentient beings as

well as all inert objects.

 

To our human eyes, we find inert objects as without any visual

presence of the enlivening principle, as they do not move by

themselves. But as we go deeper with an electron microscope, we find

the motions of the atomic and sub-atomic particles. What forces in

nature make them move? Such questions are tackled in theoretical

physics and mathematics. We try to validate our theoretical

understandings by experimental physics and chemistry. If we find the

experimental results matching with the theoretical postulate, then

we validate that theory as `truth' and seek patents and intellectual

property rights. But please note that these truths are relative

truths as they are valid under certain qualifiers like presence of

certain temperature, pressure and catalysts etc. They may or may not

fall under the category of `Universal Truths'.

 

The concept of `Aatman' is yet to be scientifically proven. In my

limited understanding, it is not possible to prove with the limited

tools that are at our disposal. So far, we are able to prove or

disprove certain things, only on the basis of the visual presence of

their physical attributes. How do you prove the concept of `Aatman',

which has no physical attributes? In my understanding, it is only

possible by logical deduction i.e. only through the study of

scriptures. Please refer verse 54 in chapter 11 in Shreemad Bhagawad

Geeta for justification of the same by Lord Krishna.

 

Please refer verse 22 in chapter 13 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, to

understand further the concept of `Aatman'. Lord Krishna has very

nicely illustrated the various roles of Aatman such as a witness, a

permitter, a supporter and an enjoyer. It is the fraction of that

Great Supreme Being, that resides in every living beings as well as

non-living things in the Universe.

 

This is exactly the concept of a dispassionate onlooker / observer

in an inertial or non-inertial frame of references as enunciated by

the genius Albert Einstein in his theory of relativity.

 

Please refer verse 19 of chapter 7 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta. Lord

Krishna has proclaimed that, " At the end of many births, the man of

wisdom ultimately reaches Me only upon realising that all is

Vasudeva, the Ultimate Reality. Such a great soul is very difficult

to find. " In short, Lord Krishna is trying to communicate that you

will find many people who understand the relative truths but a

person who has properly understood the Universal Truth is very hard

to find.

 

It reminds me of a verse in `GaNapatee AtharvasheerSha' as follows;

 

" Rutam Vachmi, Satyam Vachmi " i.e. I reiterate both the relative

truth as well as the Universal Truth. Rutam is Universal Truth.

Satyam is relative truth. All of us have experienced the relative

truth in the current developments of the saga of `Satyam Computers'

in India.

 

The Universal Truth in my understanding is the concept of mass

energy equivalence as epitomized by the famous equation E is equal

to m C squared. Here E in energy, m is mass and C is the speed of

light. Albert Einstein has beautifully defined, " Mass is energy at

rest and that resting energy can be transformed into vibrant mass

while maintaining the total energy in the Universe as constant. "

 

The concept of `Swayam BhooH' in Vedanta philosophy is based on the

ability of that `Vasudeva' who at his own free will can transform

mass into energy and energy into mass. In verse 7 of chapter 4 Lord

Krishna has proclaimed, " Tadaa Aatmaanam Srujaami Aham " i.e. I plan

and execute my own birth and death.

 

In verse 15 of chapter 10, when this very realisation of the

Universal Truth dawns upon Arjuna he has proclaimed with utmost

joy, " Verily You Yourself know Yourself by Yourself O the Best of

men, O Source of all beings, O Lord of Beings, O God of gods, O

Ruler of the Universe. "

 

I hope and trust that every Sadhak will attempt to seek the

Universal Truth and attain `Yoga', the unity with the Self in the

due course of time.

 

Thanks & Best Wishes,

Shrikant Joshi

 

===============================================================

OTHER SADHAKS

 

This is in reference to II 2:12 II

 

-Shree Hari-

 

Reading Shree Shrikant Joshi's analogy regarding the square wave,

and the learned Krishna S. Narinedath comments, caused a little bell

to ring in my mind:

'This is one of the most fundamental problems of the Human Mind. If

the mind could know the significance of continuity and the secret of

discontinuity, it would comprehend the meaning of life itself. The

inevitability of death and the continuity of existence throughout the

recurring process of birth, death, and re-birth are two important

themes in these first chapters of Gita.'

 

You see a square wave is a sine function containing an infinite

number of odd harmonics.

 

Thus if one views a sine wave in the frequency domain, a vertical

line, but a square wave, a series of vertical lines decreasing in

size heading towards frequency of infinity. (Basically speaking).

 

To me it is perception, how one views the conundrum, I really believe

there is a huge insight there, made by the learned comments

regarding, B.G. 2:12

 

With Respect and Divine Love,

 

Mike (Keenor)

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outstanding commentary today

 

whah

dhanyawad, om

Prof. Anil Gupta

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thanks for the daily dose of enlightment. It makes a difference

Brij Bhalotra

 

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|| Shree Hari ||

Ram Ram

 

All Sadhaks can and should contribute as well. Discussion /

clarification is encouraged

 

OTHER REQUESTS FROM SADHAKS -

 

Please feel free to take the lead in any of these areas so that all

sadhaks may benefit.

 

- Introduction to Chapters (GT MODERATOR FROM SADHAK SANJIVANI)

- Chapter Summary - Principles and Laws emanating from it.(N.B. VYAS)

- Summary of Chapter from Sadhak Sanjivani " AS IS "

- Yes, Epilogue / Important Facts in each verse good to bring out.

- Any subtle thoughts / interpretation (MIKE)

- In-depth explanation of " Om Tat Saditi Srimadbhagavadgitaasu,

Upanishadsu..... " is a very good idea. (GT MODERATOR FROM SADHAK

SANJIVANI)

 

From Gita Talk Moderators

Ram Ram

-----------------------------

 

Shree Hari

Ram Ram

We deeply thank Shri Shrikantji Joshi for taking the initiative to

support this divine work of daily one verse Bhagavad Gita

explanation and Shri Madan Kauraji for the Gita Prabodhani

translation Chapter 1 and 2 and to Mrs. K Asani for requesting shloka

explanation on a daily basis.

From Gita Talk Moderators

Ram Ram