Guest guest Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 || Shree Hari || Ram Ram || 2-55 || sri-bhagavaan uvaacha prajahaati yadaa Kaamaan, sarvaan paartha mano-gataan atmanye evaatmanaa tusthah, sthita-prajnas tadochyate || 55 || Shri Bhagavaan said: " O, son of Prithaa (Arjuna)! when a man abandons all desires visiting the mind and is self-satisfied in own self, he is said to be a man of steady wisdom. " Comment: The steadiness of the intellect is considered superior than the steadiness of the mind; because with the steadiness of mind one is able to attain some occult powers but the steadiness of intellect he can elevate himself spiritually. The steadiness of mind is - the preventing the natural tendencies and habits of life, whereas steadiness of intellect is - a firm resolve about the ultimate goal. We can only give up that which is in essence has already been relinquished from time immemorial. The desire does not reside in the self but arises in the mind. But due to affinity and feeling of oneness with the mind (assumed identification of mind with self), the desires appear to be in the self. When the spiritual seeker experiences the absence of all desires in the self then his intellect automatically becomes stable. From " Gita Prabodhani " in Hindi, page 55 by Swami Ramsukhdasji ---------------------- Chapter 2, Verse 55 is as follows; Shree Bhagavaan = Lord Shree Krishna Uvaacha = said Prajahaati = completely casts off Yadaa = when Kaamaan = desires Sarvaan = all Paartha = O Arjuna! Manogataan = of the mind Aatmani = in the Self Eva = only Aatmanaa = by the Self TushtaH = satisfied Sthita-PradnyaH = person of steady wisdom Tadaa = then Uchyate = (he) is called English translation:- Lord Krishna said, " O Arjuna, when a man abandons all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self by the Self; then he is said to be a person of steadfast wisdom. " Comment: This is the answer to Arjuna's first question out of four questions that he asked in the verse 54 of chapter 2, `What is the true inner nature of a man of steady wisdom?' Fire is hot; it need not go anywhere in search of warmth, in a similar way Atma is bliss. The person imposes the bliss within himself on objects outside and goes in search of those objects believing that with their acquisition happiness will be attained. The search outside for happiness is Kaama (desire). The grabbing modifications of the mind is Kaama. The waves and ripples on the surface of water obscure the sight of the sand bed below. The ripples of Kaama in the mind obstruct the vision of Atman, the basis. All the same, the changeless bliss within reveals itself as the happiness as if coming from sense objects outside. When the mind is pacified by relinquishing all the kaama, the blissful Atman is realized in Its original glory. He is a Brahm-janani who intuits that the happiness he sought for in the world outside, is in its entirety in nhimself. He remains satsfied in the Self. Once a Yogi directs all the energies at his disposal towards the unity with the Self, his mundane desires automatically drop off; just like a completely bloomed flower, whose petals drop off during a natural process. The characteristic hallmark of a spiritually developed human being is his complete renunciation of worldly desires after having attained the ultimate state of Self-realisation. " He who is dead as it were when alive, that is to say, as desireless as a corpse, becomes competent for Brahma-jnanam " - Sri Ramakrishna It is very important to note that the nature of desire keeps changing as the body is changing from childhood to old age as shown in the following passages: When you were a child, you were completely engrossed in the process of aspiring, desiring, acquiring and playing with various toys. As if, your entire world was limited to the various offerings on display in the nearby famous departmental store called `Toys R Us'. In that stage, whether you were able to acquire a toy or not, your desire to acquire it never subsided. You kept on dreaming of owning it one day and playing with it as if experiencing a day dream. When you did acquire your dream toy, after playing with it for a while, you soon became bored with it and you threw it away and started dreaming about the next object of desire. This went on and on ad infinitum. It reminds me of a famous animated film called `Toy Story' in 1995. It depicted a story about toys that come to life when their owner is in deep sleep. When the young boy's birthday is coming up, all the toys are very nervous. They don't want to be ignored when the new one arrives. Woody the cowboy is their leader because he is the most popular one of them all. He is the only one who is not afraid of a yet to arrive new favorite one called as `Buzz Light year'. He hates him and tries everything possible to get rid of him, but as the time passes by, they learn to appreciate each other and become fast friends. Even in your adulthood, your toys or objects of desire got changed, but the `TruShNaa' i.e. the thirst to acquire and possess them did not vanish. Apple Computer in USA had captured the imagination of people around the world by their famous advertisement, which capitalised the hidden thirst in many of us: `A man has many toys; Apple Computer is one of them'. Similarly by its innovative design, simplicity of use and yet commanding a premium price, Apple i-Pod has become the object of desire around the world. It is a toy being enjoyed by countless millions for enjoying music `On the Go' and managing individual playlist of songs by its associated iTunes software program. I owe my bliss of reciting Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta by heart, to my Apple i-Pod Touch. Please note that I am not trying to advertise Apple Computer. I am advocating universal relevance and applicability of Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, which in my opinion, is far greater than the universal popularity of Apple's products and services. However when you grow old, you entertain a totally different set of desires in tune with your advanced age. As you aspire for your own spiritual development, the earlier desires in accordance with your then prevalent raw and basic instincts, now naturally drop off. In the case of highly evolved and divine person like Santa Dnyaaneshwara, they had dropped off almost in his pre-adulthood. How many people strive to excel themselves in the quest of spiritual development? A majority of us remain stagnated in the apparent bliss of mundane pursuits of name, fame, power, position, status, riches and attachment to their family, caste and creed etc. These are the toys that represent their joys. Thanks & Best Regards, Shrikant Joshi. ----------------------- || Shree Hari || Ram Ram All Sadhaks can participate in discussion / clarification of the verses. 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 ----------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 || Shree Hari || Ram Ram || 2-55 || — Lord Krsna, in this verse, answers Arjuna's first question. Sri bhagavaan uvaahca prajaahati yadaa kamansarvaan paartha manogataan aatmanyevaatmanaa tustah sthitaprajnaastadocyate Sri Bhagavaan said: O Partha (Arjuna), when a man discards all desires visiting the mind, and is self-satisfied in own self, he is said to be man of steady wisdom. || 55 || Comment:— [According to the gospel of the Gita, a striver, can attain perfection, (God-realization), by any discipline (Selfless Service or Devotion etc.,) followed according to his inclination and liking and his perfection is described by that very same spiritual discipline and means alone. Example—A striver following the Discipline of Devotion worships God constantly, worshiping Him with exclusive devotion (12/6). Therefore, in the enlightened state, he becomes free from malice towards all beings (12/13). In the Discipline of Knowledge the striver perceives him self detached from the gunas (attributes, modes) and is untainted by them (14/19) and in the enlightened state, he remains like a witness beyond all the modes (gunas), having risen above them (14/22—25). Similarly, in Karmayoga it is the abandoning of all desires that is important. Hence the enlightened soul abandons all desires. In this verse Lord Krsna talks on this point.] 'Prajahaati yadaa kaamaansarvaanpaartha manogataan' — It means that desire does not exist in the self nor does it exist in the mind, because the self is eternal while desire is transient. Moreover it does not stay permanently in the mind but comes into it—'manogataan1. Therefore how can desire even be in the mind? But the man by identifying himself with body, senses, mind and intellect, accepts the desires visiting the mind as resting in his own self. 'Jahaati' — Use of the prefix 'Pra1 before the verb 'jahaati', indicates that there is not even the slightest trace of any desire left in him. A man can neither renounce his own self nor the things which are not his own, but he can renounce only the things that actually are not his own, but he has mistaken them as his own. Similarly, desires do not exist in one's self, but one accepts them as existing in one's own self, so one has to cast them off, therefore the use of the word " pra-jahaati " . The term 'kaamaan' (desires) also includes the term 'sarvaan' (all), yet 'sarvaan' has been added to emphasize the fact that, let there not a single spec of a desire remain. Let it all be entirely cast off. 'Aatmanyevaatmanaa tushtah' — After abandoning all the desires completely, a man is satisfied in himself and with himself i.e., he is spontaneously contented in his own self. 'Sthitaprajnastadochyate' — When the " self " has accepted the infinite desires with many branches in him self, at that time too, those desires were not in him, and he was ever established in wisdom However, at that time due to considering the desires to be in him, and the intellect not been steady, he was not called as " sthithprajnya " (established in wisdom), in other words, he was unable to experience (realize) that he was established in wisdom. When he abandons entirely all his desires; in other words, when he puts aside his false beliefs rather accepts the non-existence of desires, then he is called man of steady wisdom i.e he realizes being established in wisdom. A sadhak (striver) makes effort to still the mind, but when desires are entirely renounced, he does not have to attempt to steady the mind, it naturally and spontaneously attains this state. In the fifty-third verse Lord Krsna has advised two things to Arjuna, - 1) let the intellect be unshakeable (nischal), when it comes to detaching from the world, i.e. renouncing the world; and 2) let it be steady (achal) engaged in Bhagwaan (God). The same two points – 1) renouncing the world and 2) becoming established in Bhagwaan have been explained, in many verses Gita 2:56 through Gita 2:62 and Gita 2:65 through Gita 2:72. (partial posting, also Appendix - not included) From " The Bhagavadgita - Sadhak Sanjivani " in English, page 203 - 205 by Swami Ramsukhdasji Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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