Gita Satsangh Chapter 13 Verses 27 & 28

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Dandavat pranams to all!Gita Satsangh Chapter 13 Verses 27 & 28To listen to Swami Brahmanananda of the Chinmaya Mission chanting this Chapter...

 

 

Yaavat sanjaayate kinchit sattwam sthaavarajangamam; Kshetrakshetrajnasamyogaat tadviddhi bharatarshabha. (27)

27. Wherever a being is born, whether it be unmoving or moving, know thou, O best of the Bharatas (Arjuna), that it is from the union between the Field and its Knower.

Sankara Bhashya (Swami Gambiranda's Translation and Commentary)

 

27. O scion of the Bharata dynasty, whatever object, moving or non-moving, comes into being, know that to be from the association of the field and the Knower of the field!

 

Bharatarsabha, O scion of the Bharata dynasty; yavat kincit, whatever; sattvam, object;-as to whether they are without exception the Lord says-sthavara-jangamam, moving or non-moving; sanjayate, comes into being; viddhi, know; tat, that; as originating ksetra-ksetrajna-samyogat, from the association of the field and the Knower of the field.

 

Objection: What, again, is meant by this 'association of the field and the Knower of the field'? Since the Knower of the field is partless like space, therefore Its conjunction with the field cannot be a kind of relationship like coming together of a rope and a pot through the contact of their parts. Nor can it be an intimate and inseparable relation as between a thread and a cloth, since it is not admitted that the field and the Knower of the field are mutually related by way of being cause and effect.

Reply: The answer is: The association of the field and the Knower of the field-which are the object and the subject, respectively, and are of different natures-is in the form of superimposition of each on the other and also of their qualities, as a consequence of the absence of discrimination between the real natures of the field and the Knower of the field. This is like the association of a rope, nacre, etc. with the superimposed snake, silver, etc. owing to the absence of discrimination between them. This association of the field and the Knower of the field in the form of superimposition is described as false knowledge. After having known the distinction between and the characteristics of the field and the Knower of the field according to the scriptures, and having separated, like a stalk from the Munjagrass, the above-described Knower of the field from the field whose characteristics have been shown earlier, he who realizes the Knowable (i.e. the Knower of the field)-which, in accordance with 'That is neither called being nor non-being' (12), is devoid of all distinctions created by adjuncts- as identical with Brahman; and he who has the firm realization that the field is surely unreal like an elephant created by magic, a thing seen in a dream, an imaginary city seen in the sky, etc., and it appears as though real-for him false knowledge becomes eradicated, since it is opposed to the right knowledge described above.

 

Since the cause of his rebirth has been eliminated. therefore what was said in, 'He who knows thus the Person and Nature along with the qualities....', that the man of realization is not born again (23), has been a reasonable statement.

 

In 'He...will not be born again' (23) has been stated the result of right knowledge, which is the absence of birth owing to the destruction of ignorance etc., the seeds of worldly existence. The cause of birth, viz the association of the field and the Knower of the field brought about by ignorance, has also been stated. Hence, although right knowledge, which is the remover of that ignorance, has been spoken of, still it is being stated over again in other words: [see 28 below]

Swami Chinmayananda's Translation and Commentary

 

27. Wherever any being is born, the unmoving or the moving, know you, O best of the Bharatas, that it is from the union between the "Field" and the "Knower-of-the-Field. "

All things in the world that are born --- both the world of inert matter (unmoving) and the world of conscious beings (moving) --- arise neither from the "Field" (Prakriti) nor from the "Knower-of-the-Field" (Purusha). The source is from the marriage of Prakriti and Purusha. This combination of Matter and Spirit is not an accomplished union but is only a mutual super-imposition.

In every super-imposition, a delusion is recognised upon a substratum: the ghost in the post. Not only the form and all attributes of the ghost come to be projected upon the post, but the post also lends its existence to the non-existent ghost. As a result of their mutual exchange, we find that the non-existent ghost comes to exist in our experience, while the existing post becomes a non-existent ghost with illusions of physical limbs and ghastly behaviour. This process, which is a trick of the human mind, is called mutual super-imposition. In the Pure Consciousness there is no Field-of-Matter. The Field-of-Matter has neither existence, nor sentiency. But the spirit plays in the "Field" (Prakriti), and becomes the "Knower-of-the-Field" (Purusha), and when this Purusha works in Prakriti the combination breeds the entire phenomenal Universe constituted of the moving and the unmoving.

When, through careful discrimination, we successfully discover this play in ourselves, the vision of plurality recedes and we understand that the ultimate Truth is the substratum on which both Prakriti and Purusha play.

Ordinarily, I am a quiet man. But sometimes my heart's passion is endless. When I identify myself with the passion in my heart, I play in the world as the passionate man and perform deeds for which I myself might later on regret! Now in this example, the regret, and the regretting person, the passion and passionate entity --- all of them revel in me. They all belong to me but I am not they! Yet, when I identify myself with them, I become the perpetrator of the regrettable actions and the passionate actor in me comes to brood over what has happened, and so it suffers. Similarly, the Self contains matter possibilities --- the Self being Paripoorna. To project matter and to identify with it, is to become the Purusha, and the Purusha, maintaining Itself in the Field-of-Matter so projected, becomes the source of the entire samsara. To analyse closely with discrimination, to detach courageously with vitality, to carefully and heroically live as an observer of all that is happening within, not allowing ourselves to be misled by our own imaginations --- is the method of realising the Perfection in ourselves.

THIS SELF, WHICH IS THE SUBSTRATUM OF A GIVEN 'PURUSHA' AND 'PRAKRITI,' IS ITSELF THE ONE SELF EVERYWHERE AS INDICATED BELOW:

 

Samam sarveshu bhooteshu tishthantam parameshwaram; Vinashyatswavinashyantam yah pashyati sa pashyati. (28)

28. He sees, who sees the Supreme Lord, existing equally in all beings, the unperishing within the perishing.

Sankara Bhashya (Swami Gambiranda's Translation and Commentary)

28. He sees who sees the supreme Lord as existing equally in all beings, and as the Imperishable among the perishable.

 

Sah, he; pasyati, sees; yah, who; pasyati, sees;-whom?-parameswaram, the supreme Lord-the Lord who is supreme as compared with the body, organs, mind, intellect, the Unmanifest and the individual soul; as tisthantam, existing, having His presence; samam, equally, without distinction;-where?-sarvesu, in all; bhutesu, beings, all living things from Brahma to the non-moving;-he who sees Him existing equally in all living things. The Lord specifies them by the word vinasyatsu, among the perishable; and He also specifies Him, the supreme Lord, by the word avinasyantam, the Imperishable. This is meant for showing the absolute difference between the living things and God.

 

How?

 

For, all the modifications of an existing thing have as their root that modification of an existing thing described as birth. All other modifications of existing things that follow birth end with destruction. After destruction there is no modification of an existing thing, because the object itself becomes nonexistent. Indeed, qualities can exist so long as the thing qualified exists. Therefore, by the reiteration of the absence of the last modification of an existing thing, all its preceding modifications become negated along with their effects. Hence it is established that the supreme Lord is very greatly different from all beings, and is also Unconditioned [Free from all modifications that things are subject to] and One.

 

He sees who thus sees the supreme Lord as described.

 

Objection: Is it not that all poeple see? What is the need of specification?

Reply: True, they see; but they see contrarily! Hence the Lord specifies, 'He alone sees'. As in comparison with one who, suffering from the (eye) disease called Timira, sees many moons, the person who sees one moon is distingusihed by saying, 'He alone sees,' similarly, here as well, the man who sees the one undivided Self as described above is distinguished from those who contrarily see many and differentiated selves, by saying 'He alone sees'. Others, though seeing, do not see because they see contrarily like the person who sees many moons. This is the meaning.

 

The above-described true knowledge has to be praised by stating its result. Hence the verse begins: [29]

Swami Chinmayananda's Translation and Commentary

 

28. He sees, who sees the Supreme Lord existing equally in all beings, the unperishing within the perishing.

HE SEES, WHO SEES THE SUPREME LORD --- The Supreme Lord (Parameshwara), on whom the "Field" and the "Knower-of-the-Field" play the game of delusory identification and consequently suffer the endless sorrows of samsara, is the Eternal Principle of Pure Existence. The one factor that binds all the waves of the ocean together, that EXISTS in all waves and SUPPORTS the entire self-destroying and mutually procreating play of the waves, is the ocean. Similarly, the Substratum that supports all is the Supreme Lord "remaining the same in all beings."

THE UNDYING IN THE DYING --- To a superficial observer, the world is a field of perpetual change, a constant death. Nothing remains the same even for a moment. Things change themselves and naturally, their relationships with each other also change. This welter of change is what we observe in the world of perceptions, in the realm of feelings and in the field of thoughts. In terms of this world-of-plurality, and its ever-changing nature, the Absolute Truth is indicated as the Changeless Platform upon which these changes are staged.

Everything in the phenomenal world is subject to modifications such as birth, growth, disease, decay and death. The entire chain of modifications starts with birth; that which is born alone can grow, and ultimately passing through the various changes, reach the final change in "death." When the Supreme Lord is indicated here as the "Deathless," all other modifications are also denied in Him. This Changeless Consciousness, that supports all changes, is the undying Principle that illumines the ever-dying world-of-plurality. The gold in the ornaments is the only constant factor; out of the same bar of gold various types of ornaments are made and destroyed to make other types of ornaments. The shape and the size of the ornaments change, but the changeless factor in them all, is pure gold.

He who is capable of recognising the Supreme Lord (Parameshwara), who revels everywhere as the Pure Spirit, in all names and forms, who changes not, while the outer equipments change; he alone is the one who sees what is really to be seen. In this stanza, the term 'seeing' is a phrase borrowed from our ordinary world-of-perception, but used in the sense of "spiritual Self-realisation."

The physical world is recognised and perceived through our physical equipments. Emotions in the world around us are felt and recognised by our minds. The world of ideas is comprehended by our intellect. The Spiritual Substratum in the Universe of beings and things can be apprehended only from the spiritual centre in ourselves. Just as the EYES cannot see THOUGHTS, so too the equipments of perceptions, feelings and thoughts cannot recognise the Spirit that is subtler than them, and It lies transcending all of them.

HE ALONE SEES WHO SEES THIS --- This is a very powerful and direct assertion. Everybody sees, but not the Real. Wrong perceptions indicate mal-adjustments in the instruments-of-perception. Hallucinations and illusions, false imaginations and delusory projections of the mind veil the reality of the thing observed. Therefore, here the Yogeshwara asserts that he who recognises this harmony of the one Truth, this thread of Reality, which holds all experiences together, which is one in all beings, experiences the Truth to be realised in the world. Others see, and yet do not see; he alone sees who realises this Supreme Lord, which is the Imperishable.

TO EULOGISE THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE BY INDICATING THE RESULT OF ITS POSSESSION, THE LORD CONTINUES: [29]

 

to be continued

 

Hare Krishna!!!