Bhagavad Gita - Daily One Verse Brief Explanation - II 2:25 II

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|| Shree Hari ||

Ram Ram

 

avyakto 'yam acintyo 'ya, avikaryo 'yam ucyate

tasmad evam viditvainam, nanusocitum arhasi

 

" This Atma is unmanifest, it is unthinkable: and it is spoken of as

unchangeable. said to be unmanifested. Therefore, knowing It as

such, you should not grieve. "

 

Comment:

 

The real nature of aspirant is unmanifest; but he considers himself

to be manifest – this is his main mistake.

The mistake of the aspirant is that looking at the visible body he

believes to be real and invisible self to be unreal. To correct his

mistake, there are three things for him to do:

 

1). The aspirant accepts his mistake that his understanding `the

body is his real nature' is wrong.

2). The aspirant repents that being a spiritual aspirant, he has

made such a mistake.

3). The aspirant makes a resolution that he will not make a such a

mistake in the future.

 

One can experience the self (consciousness) but it cannot be

described. Whatever attempt is made to describe or to think about

it, it is only describing the Prakriti (nature). But once Self is

experienced then one becomes free of sorrow for ever.

 

From Gita Prabodhani in Hindi pg. 34 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

 

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Chapter 2, Verse 25 is as follows;

 

AvyaktaH = unmanifested / unseen

Ayam = This (the Self, the Aatman)

AchintyaH = inconceivable / unthinkable

Ayam = This (the Self, the Aatman)

AvikaaryaH = unchangeable / immutable

Ayam = This (the Self, the Aatman)

Uchyate = is said

Tasmaat = therefore

Evam = thus

Viditvaa = having known

Enam = This (the Self, the Aatman)

Na = not

Anushochitum = to grieve

Arhasi = ought / should

 

English translation:-

 

This Atman is said to be unmanifested, inconceivable and immutable.

Therefore, knowing This Atman as such, you should not grieve.

 

It is very hard to conceive of an entity that cannot be perceived by

the five standard sensory organs of a human being; which are eyes,

ears, nose, tongue and skin. As per " ManaH ShashthaaNi IndriyaaNi " ,

it is Lord Krishna's invention that the mind should be considered as

the sixth sensory organ. Although it is quite different from the

sixth sense a girl / woman is supposed to possess.

 

The four basic elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air can be sensed.

They seem to undergo modifications and therefore they are treated as

`mutable' elements. However, the fifth basic element called

`Aakaasha' i.e. the Space, even though can be perceived, it does not

seem to undergo any modification and therefore it is treated as

`thinkable' but `immutable'. The Earth is the grossest and the Space

is the subtlest of the five basic elements. As you move from the

grossest to the subtlest element, a grasping ability is lost in

every transition, which is illustrated by the following tabular

construct.

 

Element GandhaH RasaH RupaH SparshaH ShabdaH

 

(Smell) (Taste)(Vision) (Touch) (Vibration)

 

Earth Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

 

Water No Yes Yes Yes Yes

 

Fire No No Yes Yes Yes

 

Air No No No Yes Yes

 

Space No No No No Yes

 

Aatman No No No No No

/ Brahman

 

When the five elements become subtle in a progressive manner, all of

them lose their individual capacity to impinge themselves upon our

sense perceptions.

 

The space is sentient but we do not know its boundaries or its

limits. It is like a limit tending to infinity in modern

mathematics. On the other hand, the Aatman and the Brahman are the

very concepts of `infinity' in mathematics.

 

Anything manifest is something that we can perceive by our sense

organs. Beyond that everything is unmanifest.

 

The Self, the Aatman is beyond these five basic elements which are

called as `Pancha Mahaabhootas'. Just like the Space, the Aatman

does not deviate from its original state. The Self, the Aatman

cannot be perceived by the standard five sensory organs and

therefore it is treated to be `unthinkable' as well as `immutable'.

 

The Aakaasha i.e. the Space is thinkable but not comprehensible in

totality, while the Aatman is unthinkable and incomprehensible;

however, in all other respects, they are treated to be identical.

 

One cannot visualise, smell, hear, taste or touch a fully grown up

tree in a mango seed and yet one understands by empirical evidence

that such a mango seed is the very starting point of every

blossoming mango tree in the future.

 

Human mind and intellect cannot ruminate over and comprehend the

Infinite Space as well as the Aatman. The Aatman is that enlivening

principle, which energises the human mind and intellect, which by

themselves are insentient. Therefore, it is but obvious that the

mind and intellect cannot make the Self as an object of their

comprehension.

 

The Self is without any distinct parts because anything that has

parts must have a definite form and shape i.e. it is finite in

nature and it undergoes changes / mutations.

 

The Self is Unmanifest, Unthinkable, Unchangeable and therefore

Immutable.

 

In fact, the Brahman, the superset of the Aatman is treated as the

most essential part or the refined extract of all sentient beings

and insentient objects everywhere in the Universe.

 

The Brahman is omnipresent i.e. present everywhere simultaneously,

omniscient i.e. knower of everything in the Universe, omnipotent

i.e. having Supreme power and influence.

 

" What the Brahman is like? It cannot be defined in words. One may be

called upon to explain what the ocean is like, to a person who has

never seen an ocean. The expounder can at best say, `It is a vast

sheet of water'. Understanding the Brahman is a matter of

`Anubhooti' i.e. realisation of the Self by the self for the benefit

of the self. " ……Swami Ramakrishna.

 

Lord Krishna advices Arjuna that having known this truth about the

immutability of the Self, no need to grieve over anyone's death.

 

Thanks & Best Regards,

Shrikant Joshi

 

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

 

|| 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