Guest guest Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 Gita 3-10 & 11 saha-yajnah prajah srstva, purovaca prajapatih anena prasavisyadhvam, esa vo 'stv ista-kama-dhuk devan bhavayatanena, te deva bhavayantu vah parasparam bhavayantah, sreyah param avapsyatha " At the beginning, the creator (Prajapati), created living beings (mankind etc.) along with the spirit of sacrifice (Yajna) and said (predominantly to human beings) - " By performing your duty as a Yajna (sacrifice), and through it lead everyone to prosperity and growth; and may this (duty in the form of sacrifice) bestow you with all the essential requirements for the sacrifice (Yajna). " By doing the sacrifice (doing your duty selflessly) you gratify the gods and let gods (by performing their duty) foster you, thus caring for each other selflessly through performance of your duties, you shall attain the supreme good. " Comment: By doing one's duty, in other words, doing actions without selfish motive, it is beneficial for oneself and the others. But by not doing one's duty it proves harmful to one and the others. The reason is, from the point of view of both the individual bodies and Atman (Spirit, Self), all persons are one and the same, and not separate from each other. The human body has been given for one's spiritual attainment only. So what is required for one's spiritual welfare - it is not necessary to undertake any new action, instead, whatever actions one normally does, just perform those actions for the benefit of others, without the attachment and expectation of fruit for oneself. By doing so, one attains supreme good. From " Gita Prabodhani " in Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji. ---------------- Chapter 3, Verse 10 is as follows; Saha-YadnyaaH = together with sacrifice PrajaaH = mankind SruShtvaa = having created Puraa = in the beginning Uvaacha = said Prajaa-PatiH = Lord Brahma Anena = by this Prasavi-Shyadhvam = you shall propagate EshaH = this VaH = your Astu = let be IShta-Kaamadhuk = milch cow of desired objects English translation:- Having created mankind in the beginning together with sacrifice (Yadnya), Lord Brahma the Creator of the Universe said, " By this shall you propagate? Let this be the milch-cow of your desired objects. " Comment: " Samastaanaam PrajaapatiH' …Manu Smruti 2.6.7.77. It means Lord Brahma is treated as the father creator of the entire Universe, of course under the implicit guidance of the Lord Vishnu. Please refer verse 10 of chapter 9 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, wherein Lord Krishna has asserted, " Under My guidance and supervision, Nature (Prakruti) gives birth to all things, both moving as well as nonmoving and because of this, O Arjuna, the world revolves. " `Yadnya' means sacrificial actions dedicated to a higher ideal. Only human beings are endowed with such a wonderful ability to sacrifice all their self-centric actions for the purpose of a noble cause. Such actions result into enhancement of productivity, efficiency and competency of every participant in a `Yadnya' and in turn such collective sacrificial actions transform the entire society as well as the entire nation into a just, knowledgeable and prosperous collective entity. It reminds me of a famous quotation in the Marathi language " Udyogaache Gharee, Rhuddee-Siddhee Vaasa Karee " i.e. for a person who is engaged in relentless `Yadnya', his home is always replete with both material and spiritual prosperity. Kaamadhuk or Kaamadhenu is the mythological cow of Sage Vashishtha, having a woman's head, a cow's body and a bird's wings. The usefulness of a human being, an animal and a bird are all combined in its unique form. The owner of such a divine cow is believed to have all his desires fulfilled. Allegorically, this milch cow is nothing else but a Sadhaka performing his bounden duty in the spirit of sacrifice and service to every mankind. A true performer of `Yadnya' is never deficient but he is always in surplus and therefore an act of sharing is just like a reflex action to him. His bounteous mind is the real Kaamadhenu and due to such a frame of a noble mind, he is always in prosperity. Only human beings enjoy such a rare gift. The higher the ideal one chooses in life, the greater the energy is generated to convert a `Mission Impossible' into a `Mission Possible'. Whenever one identifies with a noble cause, the desires pertaining to the selfish, brutish and wolfish tendencies diminish and drop down automatically, albeit in a gradual manner. By aspiring for the noblest goal of realisation of the Supreme Self, one moves gradually closure to the Divinity. Thus, by gradual escalation of one's goal accompanied by one's capacity to sacrifice, one elevates himself / herself above all the unfulfilled residual desires and in that process attains mental peace and bliss. Uncontrolled and unabated desires produce constant mental agitations and result into sorrow and misery. They ruin one's ability to focus on a given task in the present tense. Therefore, try to fix an unselfish goal in life and let you intellect and not your desires guide your actions towards the noble cause. If one works tirelessly in this manner, one will certainly achieve prosperity and peace. The unrelenting and unforgiving law of the nature is that you get what you deserve and not what you desire. Therefore, try to become a deserving candidate in every walk of life. " The way to gain anything is to lose it " by Swami Raama Teertha, a proponent of `Practical Vedanta'. He was a Professor of Mathematics at Forman Christian College in Lahore, now it is in Pakistan. He was among the first notable teachers of Vedanta philosophy to lecture in the United States in 1902. He was preceded by Swami Vivekananda in 1893 and was followed by Swami Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920. The `Yadnya' spirit is seen everywhere in nature. Therefore, this verse in a very poetic manner illustrates the fact that the Creator created the Universe along with the `Spirit of Service' and enormous, relentless `Capacity for Sacrifice' and certainly not for aggrandisement. Therefore, Lord Krishna's advice to Arjuna is to be engaged in the relentless `Spirit of Service' and all his desires will be fructified in the due course of time. The spirit of sacrifice was created by Lord Brahma as if a seed dies to give birth to a plant; a mother suffers birth pangs to create new life form. Every creation is the supreme self-sacrifice of the Lord Brahma coupled with the spirit of `Eko Aham Bahu Syaam' i.e. I am the one who has become many. It is this spirit of sacrifice that promotes maintenance of life and well being of every being in this mortal world on the Earth. Thus it is not a `slaughter of a victim' as `sacrifice' is translated by a typical English dictionary. On the contrary, it is a mystical, magical, divine transmutation of all substances and of all activities inherent in nature. In this there is no loss, but the fulfillment of a seed growing into a tree, the fulfillment of motherhood and the fulfillment of all human life forms by the realization of the Divinity. Only with the spirit of sacrifice and relentless service, every Sadhak will realize his / her oneness with the Supreme Being. Thus, sacrifice is pure love in which there is no sin or sorrow. In contemporary Hindi language, our actions should be like a `Dena Bank' i.e. ready to offer to others and not like a `Lena Bank' i.e. ready to grab things belonging to others. If our sole motive is `Pehale Mewa Aur Baadamen Ho Sake To Seva' then it will certainly lead to a life full of miseries and on the contrary, if it is `Pehale Seva Aur Baadamen Bhagawaan Ki Krupaase Mile to Mewa' then it will certainly lead to fulfillment, peace and bliss. Thanks & Best Regards, Shrikant Joshi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Gita 3-10 & 11 Link: — The Lord in the preceding verse declared, "The man is bound by actions, other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice. " Therefore, in order to be free from bondage, actions instead of being renounced, should be performed, only in the spirit of performing a duty (yajna). The Lord confirms the same fact, by giving other reasons in the next three verses.saha-yajnah prajah srstva, purovaca prajapatihanena prasavisyadhvam, esa vo 'stv ista-kama-dhuk || 10 ||devan bhavayatanena, te deva bhavayantu vahparasparam bhavayantah, sreyah param avapsyatha || 11 ||At the beginning, when the creator (Prajapati) created living beings with sacrifice (Yajna) and said, "By this shall you propagate; let this fulfil all your requirements for the sacrifice (yajna)." By this gratify the gods and let the gods foster you, these caring for each other selflessly through your duties, you shall attain to the supreme good. 10-11 Comment: 'Sahayajnah prajah srstva purovaca prajapatih' — One, who creates beings or things etc., it becomes his duty to preserve them. Brahma is the creator and Lord of creation and so he always thinks of the preservation and salvation of creation. Thus, he is known as 'Prajapati' (The Lord of creation). At the beginning of creation Brahma, the creator, created man by providing him with power for performing actions and also bestowed upon him discrimination.* The right use of desirable and undesirable circumstances, leads to salvation. Therefore, the creator bestowed upon mankind discrimination, in order to enable them to make the right use of the favourable and unfavourable circumstances. Beasts, birds and trees etc.,"even without having the power of discrimination, naturally do good to others; but by God's grace, special power of discrimination has been bestowed upon mankind. So if a man does not perform forbidden actions, by attaching importance to his discrimination, naturally actions for the welfare of others are performed by him. Though the term 'praja' (creation) stands for gods, sages, manes, mankind and other beings (beasts, birds and trees etc.,) yet mankind is particularly, responsible to rear all beings. Therefore, here the term 'prajah' stands for mankind. The Discipline of Action (Karmayoga) has been functioning from time immemorial. In the third verse of the fourth chapter, also the Lord by the term 'puratanah' declares that the same ancient Yoga has been taught to Arjuna by Him, which was lost to the world by a long lapse of time. The same fact has been pointed out here in this verse, in a different way by the term 'pura' (at the beginning) by declaring, "Not only I, but also Brahma, at the beginning of creation, having created men ordered them to follow the Discipline of Action." It means that, this Discipline of Action has been going on from time immemorial. It is nothing new. In the fourth chapter (from the twenty-fourth to the thirtieth verses), all the sacrifices for God-realization through wealth, austerities, Yoga (spiritual exercise), vital force etc., have been described. Generally the term 'yajna' is taken as oblation, or sacrifice. But in the Gita, the term stands for all the prescribed actions as laid down in the scriptures. All the duties performed according to one's caste, order of life, religion, nature, time and circumstances etc., are included in the term 'yajfia'. Actions performed for the welfare of others, are also included in yajfia (sacrifice). It is a man's responsibility, to perform such a sacrifice (duty). 'Anena prasavisyadhvamesa vo'stvistakamadhuk'— Brahma, the creator says to mankind, "By the performance of duty shall you propagate and by doing so you shall get all the requisites necessary for performing your duty." Arjuna was not willing to perform his duty. Therefore, Lord Krsna says to him that he should learn the lesson of performing his duty, from the creator's words. By performing his duty for the welfare of others, he would progress here, as well as hereafter. Performance of actions in a disinterested way, leads to salvation, while performance with a selfish motive, leads to bondage. Here, is explained the topic of performance of duty, without having any desire for fruit. Therefore, the term 'istakama' does not stand for the desired material, it stands for the required material for sacrifice (duty).* A Karmayogi (the follower of the Discipline of Action), is ever ready to render service or do good to others. Therefore, according to the ordinance of Brahma, the creator, such a Karmayogi does not lack the required capacity and material for rendering service to others, and for the maintenance of his body. All this required material is easily available to him. According to the ordinance of Brahma everybody has been offered this material, in order to enable him to perform his duty. In fact, this human body has not been bestowed upon human beings to enjoy pleasures (Manasa 7/44/1). Therefore, there is no_ mention in anyone of the scriptures, that man should enjoy worldly pleasures. Society also does not permit a person to enjoy pleasures freely. On the other hand the scriptures, as well as, society urge a man to bring comfort to others and to do good to them. It is mentioned in the scriptures, that a father should foster his son, but it is not mentioned that he is authorized to expect service from his son. Similar is the case with others, such as a son and a wife etc. A Karmayogi always wants to give but not to receive, because the desire for fruit, besides being a stumbling block to salvation, is an obstacle to receiving worldly things. This is everybody's experience, that no one wants to offer anything to a person who hankers after it. Therefore, Brahma says, that a man can attain the supreme good (salvation) by performing his duty in a disinterested manner, without having any desire for reward. In the expression 'devanbhavayatanena' the term 'deva' denotes all beings, such as men, gods, sages and manes etc., because the aim of the striver, following the path of action, is to nurture every being. So Brahma, the creator orders men to offer sacrifice, in the form of the performance of duty, in order to foster and nurture other people for their advancement. Each man devoted to his own duty, attains perfection viz., salvation (GIta 18/45). Men are free in the performance of their duty; so they should make proper use of this freedom. 'Te deva bhavayantu vah'— Trees and plants etc., naturally bear flowers and fruits, but their growth is luxuriant if these are tended properly. Similarly, a man should perform his duty by nurturing and fostering the gods by offering worship and service to them. By doing so, he is sustained by the gods with timely rain etc. But when he does not perform his duty properly, the gods do not properly protect and so he has to face calamities, such as a deluge and drought etc. 'Paraspararii bhavayantah'—This expression should not be interpreted to mean that we should serve others only, if they serve us. It should mean, that we should perform our duty by serving others, without bothering about of what others do. He, who cares for the duties of other people, deviates from his own duty, and has a downfall. Moreover, it is beyond our power to force anyone, to perform his duty. We have to perform our duty of fostering others and doing good to them, to the best of our resources, such as intellect, power, time and material etc. In that way, our affinity for the insentient (matter), will be totally renounced. We have to serve all our relatives, such as parents, wife, sons, brothers, brother's wives etc., in a disinterested way by regarding service as our obligatory duty to them according to the scriptural injunctions. We are born, to repay our debt by serving, because we are indebted to them. It is an error on our part, if we expect any reward from them or lay claim to them. We have to serve all beings, but the first preference should be given to those kith and kin, who have a claim on our service. It is an accepted fact that the body, senses, mind, intellect and possessions are neither ours nor for us. If we sincerely perform our respective duties, we will add immensely, to the welfare of the world. From "The Bhagavadgita - Sadhak Sanjivani" by Swami Ramsukhdasji To read Sadhak Sanjivani in Hindi please visit: http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org/swamijibooks/pustak/pustak1/html/SadhakSanjeevni/main.html Visit our websites: English: http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.net/ Hindi: http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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