gIta sArodhdhAra English - 7

[Guest guest]

Dear hari bhaktas

 

Here is shrI Bannur Ramachandra Rao's English notes on the thirteenth and

fourteenth verses of the gIta sArodhdhAra.

 

kriShNa kRupe mADo

madhusudhana bhimasena rao

hunsur sriprasad

 

Shloka 13-30:

==========

prakrityaiva cha karmANi kriyamANani sarvasha:h

ya:h pashyati tatyhA$$tmAnamakartAram sa pashyati

 

Word-by-word meaning:

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

ya: = who

sarvasha:h = all'

karmANi kriyamANAni = actions being got done by him (at the will of the LOrd)

prakrityA Eva = only based on past actions

pashyati = understands (and)

AtmAnam = himself

akartAram = as not the independent doer (but as one doing

them under

the control of the Lord as directed by

Him)

sa:h = he

pashyati = knows correctly and qualifies for 'aparOxa'

 

Summary:

========

A person who understands that all his actions are according to his past Karma

(as a fallout of his past actions) and even then, are performed by him only

as directed by the Lord and that he has no indepedence in peforming them has

the right knowledge and becomes eligible for 'aparoxa' and moxa.

 

Explanatory notes:

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

In the next six chapters starting from Ch.13, Sri Krishna explains further

the principles already stated in the earlier 12 chapters (as stated in Gita

vivritti).

 

In the sloka being dealt with two important points are made:

 

1.The Lord has no partiality in respect of any soul though He commands all.

As stated in the Sutra 'Om vaishamya nairgrhurnye na sapExatvat darshayati Om'

and the sruti ' punyOvai punyEnakarmaNAbhavati pApa:h pApEna'(bh.3-2-13), the

supreme Lord directs all actions of each soul according to his past actions

and

has, therefore, no blemish such as partiality or dislike.

 

2. A person who is aware of the above philosophy and also that he has no

independence in regard to any of his own actions and they are all as prompted

by the Lord (based on his karma as stated as above) is the wise man having

proper knowledge and by His grace, gets 'aparoxa' and 'moxa'.

 

Shloka

========

mAm cha yo$vyabhichArENa bhaktiyOgena sEvatE

sa guNAn samatItyaitan brahmabhUyAya kalpatE

 

Word-by-word meaning:

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

ya:h = who

mAm = Me

avyabhichArENa = incessantly

bhaktiyOgEna = devotedly (as stated in ch.12)

sEvatE = meditates upon

sa:h = he

Etan = these

guNAn = qualities

samatItya = having overcome (having transcended)

brahmabhUyAya = to attain chit prkriti,that is,Laxmi

kalpatE = becomes eligible.

 

Summary:

========

Whoever being devoted to Me, meditates upon me, will get over the bondage

caused by the three 'gunas' (sattva, Rajas and Tamas) and attain Laxmi (she

being the deity

reigning over 'prakriti').

 

Explanatory notes:

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

ShrI Krishna states in the beginning of the 14th chapter that the whole world

is created by Him with Laxmi as HIs consort. She is the diety presiding over

'prakriti' and is called chit-prakriti; she receives the seed for this

creation from him (these should be taken metaphorically). The three gunas are

created by 'prakriti' and their

effect on the souls causes their bondage.

 

In this shloka, the Lord talks about the relief from this bondage of

'samsara'. He states that a person who has constant devotion to him will

transcend these gunas and attain Laxmi. The word Brahma in this sloka is

interpreted as Laxmi and not as Vishnu; instead of saying that the devotee

attains Him it is said that he attains Laxmi, and, after attaining her, the

soul will attain the Lord, i.e., get mOxa.

 

This interpretation is given to this sloka as in shloka 3 -

'mamayOnirmahdbrahma tasmin garbham dadAmyaham', the term Brahma is addressed

to Laxmi. (this interpretation given by Sri Satyadhyanatirtha and explained

here is based on Gita Tatparya).