Bhagavad Gita - Daily - II CHAPTER 4 - 4 II

March 22, 2010

Gita 4 - 4

arjuna uvaacha

aparam bhavatoh janma param janma vivasvatah |

kathametadvijaaneeyaam tvamaadau proktavaaniti|| (Gita 4/3)

Arjuna said:

" Your birth is of this age, while the birth of Vivasvaan dates back to remote

past. How, then, am I to understand that You taught this Yoga to Sun at the

beginning of creation? " (Gita 4/4)

From " Gita Prabodhani " in Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji

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

Chapter 4, Verse 4 is as follows;

Aparam = later

BhavataH = your

Janma = birth

Param = earlier

Janma = birth

VivasvataH = of Vivasvat (the Sun)

Katham = how

Etat = this

Vijaaneeyam = am I to understand?

Tvam = you

Aadau = in the beginning

Proktvaan = taught

Iti = this

English translation:-

Arjuna asked, " Later is your birth, while earlier was the birth of Vivasvat (the

Sun); how then am I to understand your assertion that you taught him this Yoga

in the beginning of the creation of the Universe?

Comment:

As per Rig-Veda 10.90.13, " ChakshoH SuryaH Ajaayata " i.e. the Sun is born from

the eyes of the Supreme Being.

From Arjuna's point of view, " You, the Vaasudeva, are the son of Vasudeva, the

father and Devaki, the mother in the present tense. Vivasvat or Vivasvaan was

born in the beginning of the creation of the Universe. In that case, without

apparent contradiction, I fail to understand how a modern personality could have

instructed an ancient one? "

This question of Arjuna expresses his curiosity and not disbelief. Please note

that in the previous Verse 3, Lord Krishna has Himself, Suo Motu declared that

Arjuna is his beloved devotee and a dear friend.

Having imparted the first and the foremost `Parama - Tattva' i.e. the Eternal

Truth of the imperishable and indestructible Aatman-the subset and Brahman-the

superset in the Chapter 2 (Conservation of Energy principle), Lord Krishna is

about to impart the second `Parama - Tattva' of the theory of incarnation

(Avatara) or rebirth of multitude of beings, the Supreme Secret to Arjuna in

this Verse 4 of Chapter 4 of Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta.

In a similar manner, Gautam Buddha had claimed to have been the teacher of

countless Bodhisattvas in the bygone ages. As per the Bible John 8:58, even

Jesus Christ had claimed, " Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born,

I am. " Don't these two claims rhyme with the solemn assertion made by Lord

Krishna? In my personal opinion, all these three claims are identical in nature;

emanating from three different manifestations of the Brahman, the infinite

source of the energy.

It reminds me of the Verse 41 in Chapter 10 of Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, wherein

Lord Krishna has stated that " Whatever and whichever being is glorious or

prosperous or powerful; please know it to be a manifestation of a part of My

Splendor alone! "

Arjuna is utterly baffled by the staggering assertion of Lord Krishna that He

had imparted the Supreme knowledge in the primeval age and also now He is about

to do so in the present tense. How could He live at two distinct and distant

periods in time? How could Lord Krishna be beyond the limitations of Space, Time

and Causation? How could Lord Krishna have transcended the cycle of life and

death?

Santa Dnyaaneshwara in `Dnyaaneshwaree' has offered this in a very poetic

manner, wherein Arjuna being moved with emotion says:

" A mother always loves her child

Even more eager

When it is a cripple of a child

She toils through her life

For this crippled child.

You are a mother of the orphaned

Succour to those who are tortured

The source of our life

Is your Love and grace

So please listen to me

And pay attention to what I say

But please do not be angry

With what I say

(Arjuna somehow gathers courage and asks an awkward and rude question to Lord

Krishna.)

This story that you weave

That your word has always been

When I see you here and now

How can you be `a have been'?

So tell me what I can fathom

Not about the distant Sun at random

What you are

I simply cannot make out

Yet I dare not call you a Liar

Out and out "

The genesis of Arjuna's confusion is in the belief that every human being has a

well defined and distinct form and a limited span of life. Arjuna's basis

question is, " If you are not an ordinary man, please tell me who are you? "

Those `Vi-bhutis' i.e. special incarnations of the enlightened souls like Lord

Krishna, Jesus Christ, Mohamed Paigambar and Gautam Buddha have always referred

to themselves as `I " as they had already transcended the material equipments of

the body, mind and intellect. `I' in the form of a Self-realised person imparted

the knowledge of the Self in the ancient past. One can impart the knowledge of

the Self, to the extent one has unfolded the Self. Therefore, the real teacher

of the Self is the Self alone and not any ordinary human being. The same `I' in

today's embodiment of Lord Krishna will now impart the knowledge of the

incarnation to Arjuna.

Thus, Lord Krishna is now set to unravel the mystery of the permanence of His

message beyond the limitations of Space, Time and Causation. It is really

interesting to note that Lord Krishna is slowly moving from the matter-of-fact

dry philosophy to the Vedic tradition of Bhakti, a loving phase that is suitable

for the adoration of a living incarnate God exemplified by Lord Krishna Himself.

The crowning glory of all actions is knowledge and the crowning glory of Supreme

knowledge of the Self and meditations is Bhakti i.e. adorable love for the

Paramatmaa.

Please note that this Supreme Secret was not imparted by Lord Krishna, even to

his father Vasudeva nor to his mother Devaki nor to brother Balaraama nor to

sister Subhadra and not even to his most beloved wife Rukmini. This merely

illustrates that there was a Divine Purpose and Divine Intervention that were

masterly planned and impeccably executed by Lord Krishna.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Shrikant Joshi.

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

To read the SADHAK SANJIVAN in Hindi please visit :

http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org/swamijibooks/pustak/pustak1/html/SadhakSanjeevn\

\i/main.html

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March 28, 2010

Gita 4 - 4

Link: — The Lord declared, that He had taught the imperishable Yoga to the sun-god etc., and He was teaching the same Yoga to him (Arjuna). Having heard His words, Arjuna had the curiosity to know, how Lord Krishna Who was sitting before him, had taught this Yoga to the sun-god, at the beginning of creation. In order to get this point cleared, Arjuna puts a question, in the next verse.

arjuna uvaachaaparam bhavatoh janma param janma vivasvatah |kathametadvijaaneeyaam tvamaadau proktavaaniti|| (Gita 4/3)Arjuna said:"Your birth is of this age, while the birth of Vivasvaan dates back to remote past. How, then, am I to understand that You taught this Yoga to Sun at the beginning of creation?" (Gita 4/4)

`aparam bhavatoh janma param janma vivasvatah' — Arjuna asks Lord Krishna, that He was born in the house of Vasudeva a few years ago, while Vivasvaan (the sun-god) was born earlier at the beginning of creation. So how could he believe, that He had taught this Yoga to the sun-god.

This question of Arjuna expresses his curiosity, rather than argument or blame. He wants to hear from Lord Krishna, the secret of His Divine descent, because only He was capable of revealing this secret, to him.

`kathametadvijaaneeyaam tvamaadau proktavaaniti" — Arjuna asks Lord Krishna, how he should understand that He had taught this Yoga at the beginning of creation; because He was born later while the sun-god had been born earlier at the beginning of creation. As the Lord had recounted about several generations of the sun-god, it proves that He had imparted this knowledge, much earlier.

From "The Bhagavad Gita - Sadhak Sanjivani" in English by Swami Ramsukhdasji======================================To read the SADHAK SANJIVAN in Hindi please visit :http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org/swamijibooks/pustak/pustak1/html/SadhakSanjeevn\\i/main.html============================Gita Discussion - Post message: Subscribe: - Unsubscribe: -