Gita Satsangh Chapter 14 Verses 14 through 16

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Dandavat pranams to all!

 

Gita Satsangh Chapter 14 Verses 14 through 16

 

To listen to Swami Brahmanananda of the Chinmaya Mission

chanting this Chapter...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn3Hro5Ib4U & feature=channel_page

 

To listen to Meena Mahadevan of KailashMusic

chanting this Chapter...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9FyEwbZAOs

 

Yadaa sattwe pravriddhe tu pralayam yaati dehabhrit;

Tadottamavidaam lokaan amalaan pratipadyate.

14. If the embodied one meets with death when Sattwa has become predominant,

then he attains to the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest.

 

 

Sankara Bhashya

(Swami Gambiranda's Translation and Commentary)

 

Whatever result is achieved even after death, that is also owing to attachment

and desire; every-thing is certainly caused by the qualities. By way of showing

this the Lord says:

 

14. When an embodied one undergoes death while sattva is exclusively

predominant, then he attains the taintless worlds of those who know the highest

(entities).

 

Yada, when; deha-bhrt, an embodied one, the soul; yati, undergoes; pralayam,

death; sattve pravrddhe, while sattva is predominant; tu, exclusively; [Tu is

used to exclude rajas and tamas.-S.] tada, then; pratipadyate, he attains, i.e.

gains; the amalan, tainless, stainless; lokan, worlds; [The worlds of Brahma,

etc., which are free from the impurity of predominance either of rajas or

tamas.] uttamavidam, of those who know the highest, i.e. of those who have known

the principles-mahat and the rest.

 

Swami Chinmayananda's Translation and Commentary

 

 

14. If the embodied one meets with death when SATTWA is predominant, then he

attains to the spotless worlds of the " Knowers of the Highest. "

 

IF THE EMBODIED ONE MEETS WITH DEATH WHEN 'SATTWA' IS PREDOMINANT the

scheme of the thought-development in Geeta, Krishna now gives us an idea as to

the direction in which the mental-equipment of a dead one will move after death.

This can be, to a large extent, scientifically determined by a close and

intelligent observation of his mental behaviour even during life. A doctor

cannot, all of a sudden one fine morning, start thinking of and solving a subtle

architectural problem nor can an engineer overnight feel inspired to write out a

prescription for cancer. The doctor has trained his mind for thinking on

medicines and disease and the engineer has trained himself to solve the problems

of constructive destruction! At any given moment, the mind of a doctor will be

thinking of medicines alone, in conformity with his education and the type of

thoughts his mind is trained to entertain.

 

Thus, there is a continuity of thought-life in this embodiment; this year's

thoughts have a continuity with our last year's thoughts; this month's thoughts

are determined by the last month's thoughts; this week's thoughts are an

extension of last week's thoughts; today's thoughts are continued tomorrow. And

every moment is an extension of the previous moment's thoughts. If, thus, there

is a continuous development and growth observable in the thought-life, in its

unbroken continuity connecting the past, the present, and the future into one

unbroken flow, then, there is no reason why, at the time of death, this

continuity should suddenly end. Death is only another experience; it will

certainly colour the thoughts that follow it --- but then all experiences have

been colouring all our past thoughts, and our future thoughts are being coloured

by our present experiences. Therefore, the type of thoughts entertained during

our life-time should determine the type of thoughts we will entertain soon after

our departure from this physical structure.

 

If the embodied one leaves the present physical structure --- and therefore, his

present environments and relationship --- he should continue his thought-life.

The direction in which it will make its flight is determined by the type of

training it had acquired during its sojourn in its embodied state here.

 

If Sattwa predominates, then, HE ATTAINS TO THE SPOTLESS REGIONS OF THE " KNOWERS

OF THE HIGHEST " --- It is a concept in our Scriptures (Agamas) that the highest

realm of abundant joy, unaffected by any excessive Rajas or Tamas, is the realm

of the Creator, Brahmaloka --- supremely happy and extremely creative.

 

WHILE IN 'RAJAS,' IF ONE DEPARTS:

 

Rajasi pralayam gatwaa karmasangishu jaayate;

Tathaa praleenastamasi moodhayonishu jaayate.

15. Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action;

and dying in Tamas, he is born in the womb of the senseless.

 

 

Sankara Bhashya

(Swami Gambiranda's Translation and Commentary)

 

15. When one dies while rajas predominates, he is born among people attached to

activity. Similarly, when one dies while tamas predominates, he takes birth

among the stupid species.

 

Pralayam gatva, when one does; rajasi, while the quality of rajas predominates;

jayate, he is born; karma-sangisu, among people attached to activity, among

human beings having attachment to work. Tatha, similarly, in that very way;

pralinah, when one dies; tamasi, while tamas predominates; jayate, he takes

birth; mudha-yonisu, among the stupid species, such as animals etc.

 

Swami Chinmayananda's Translation and Commentary

 

15. Meeting death in RAJAS, he is born among those attached to action; and dying

in TAMAS, he is born in the womb of the senseless.

 

MEETING DEATH IN RAJAS, HE IS BORN AMONG THOSE ATTACHED TO ACTION --- If, at the

time it leaves the body, the mind is under the influence of Rajas, it takes,

according to its tendencies and desires, to fulfil them, an embodiment among

those who are extremely attached to action. It means that the mind will seek and

successfully discover a field where it can completely exhaust its existing

tendencies.

 

On the other hand, if one dies, when one's mind is drowned in extreme 'Tamas,'

one reaches the lower realms of irrational beings such as the animal and the

vegetable kingdoms.

 

It is a consoling philosophy, no doubt, to believe that once having come up the

ladder of evolution to become man, never shall we go into the lower strata of

evolution. But it is against the truth of what we observe around us. We find, in

fact, that even after having been given the best set of circumstances and

environments, the members of the human community are not all equally ready to

make use of them and evolve in their cultural status. A rich man's son, having

average intelligence and a good start in life, is not always ready to make use

of those conducive circumstances, but invariably, he lives a careless unhealthy

life and destroys himself later on.

 

Having been born as rational beings, how many of us behave with discrimination?

A few in society even look up to the cattle and declare that they have a nobler

life and a happier existence! That is to say, to a minority of bipeds the life

of the quadrupeds is of higher evolution!! And, when such an idea is entertained

in the mind of an individual, the life of the cattle is no devolution to him,

but is only an acquisition of something which he is thirsting for. To a

teetotaller, a drinking booth is nothing but a den of sorrow and death; but, to

the drunkard the same is his haven of joy and harbour of happiness.

 

To the Tamasic, to be born in the animal kingdom is a wonderful chance to

exhaust their appetites and to express fully their nature. Thus, philosophically

viewed, we have to accept without any reservation that the 'Tamasic' must

mentally find a complete fulfilment in animal embodiment. So they are born there

to fulfil their own elected purpose.

 

 

HERE FOLLOWS A SUMMARY OF WHAT HAS BEEN TAUGHT IN THE PRECEDING FEW VERSES:

 

Karmanah sukritasyaahuh saattwikam nirmalam phalam;

Rajasastu phalam duhkham ajnaanam tamasah phalam.

16. The fruit of good action, they say, is Sattwic and pure; the fruit of Rajas

is pain, and ignorance is the fruit of Tamas.

 

 

Sankara Bhashya

(Swami Gambiranda's Translation and Commentary)

 

A summary of the idea of the preceding (three) verses is being stated:

 

16. They say that the result of good work is pure and is born of sattva. But

the result of rajas is sorrow; the result of tamas is ignorance.

 

Ahuh, they, the wise persons, say; that phalam, the result; sukrtasya, of good;

karmanah, work, i.e. acts having the sattva quality; is verily nirmalam, pure;

and is sattvikam, born of sattva. Tu, but; phalam, the result; rajasah, of

rajas, i.e. of acts that have the qualitty of rajas-for the topic relates to

actions; is duhkham, sorrow. In accordance with its cause, the result too is

indeed sorrow, a product of rajas. So also ajnanam, ignorance; is, as before,

(the result) tamasah, of tamas, of unrighteous acts that have the quality of

tamas.

 

 

Swami Chinmayananda's Translation and Commentary

 

 

16. The fruit of good action, they say, is SATTWIC and pure; verily, the fruit

of RAJAS is pain, and the fruit of TAMAS is ignorance.

 

In this stanza, Krishna, the great conversationalist, is summarizing again what

he has already mentioned in the previous stanzas. Herein, he is indicating in

brief the results gained when a psychological being lives the three gunas

severally.

 

THE FRUIT OF GOOD ACTIONS, THEY SAY, IS 'SATTWIC' AND PURE --- If we carefully

analyse, we shall find that thought is the father of all action. Thoughts are

the seeds sown, and actions the harvest gathered. Seeds of weeds cannot but

produce weeds; bad thoughts can manifest only as bad actions. And the negative

actions in the outside world, fatten the wrong tendencies of the mind and thus

multiply the inward agitations.

 

It is, therefore, true in the logic of our philosophy --- and extremely true in

the logic of our worldly experiences too --- that if one is to live a quiet,

contented and cheerful life of service and devotion, of love and kindness, of

mercy and compassion, and live thus a " good life, " certainly such a life

indicated the Sattwic nature of one's mind. And such an individual, living such

a noble life, must necessarily grow in his inward purity.

 

It may be asked how one can start becoming good when one is already so bad at

present. If actions are the expressions of thoughts, and if the existing mental

nature is negative, how can we expect such an individual to bring about a change

in the climatic conditions within his bosom? All religions, the world over,

answer this question in their injunction and insistence that seekers of truth,

devotees of the Lord, votaries of culture --- all must strive to live ethically

a pure, moral, and noble life.

 

No doubt, disciplining the mind and changing the quality of thoughts are not

easy jobs; but to change to type of actions and to discipline our external

movements is relatively easy. Therefore, to practise goodness, to discipline our

behaviour, to act the good Samaritan, are all the beginning of this great scheme

of self-revival. When noble action is undertaken soon it becomes a habit and

this external habit of discipline tends to discipline the mind.

 

Hence, the insistence, in all cultures, that from childhood, elders must be

respected, authority should be obeyed, lies must not be uttered, scriptures are

to be read, education must be undertaken, cleanliness must be practised etc.

When these are enforced upon the child, it, perhaps, takes them all as varieties

of tyranny under which it is compelled to live. In the long run, however, these

rules bring about unconsciously a discipline in the minds of the children.

 

A thrilling joy of mental serenity, a state of minimum agitation, a capacity to

direct this mental strength of such a dynamic mind towards any single-pointed

self-application --- these are all indicated as the fruits of good actions, when

the mind grows in Sattwa-guna and purity. Passions and agitations are the

impurities in the mind; bad actions increase them; good actions, by their very

nature, quieten the mind and sap its passions.

 

THE FRUIT OF 'RAJAS' IS PAIN --- This phrase only supports our commentary on the

previous one. It has already been said that Rajas is of the nature of passion,

giving rise to insatiable desires and extreme attachment, and in our attempts to

fulfil them, we get drowned in a multiplicity of actions. (Stanzas 7, 12). Thus,

one with a mind under the influence of Rajas, entertains desires, and in order

to pacify the stormy conditions, one is forced to act in the world outside

striving to acquire, to possess, to keep, to spend, to enjoy, to save, and to

preserve what has been saved. Slowly, the individual is dragged into an

entombing morass of suffocating death, in a stinking pit of pain and agony.

" VERILY THE FRUIT OF RAJAS IS PAIN. "

 

IGNORANCE IS THE FRUIT OF 'TAMAS' --- That dullness in action, heedlessness and

illusion are the symptoms of Tamas in our subtle-body, has already been

indicated. Here it is said that Tamas veils our discriminating capacity and

foils our attempts at understanding and rightly judging the world of things and

beings and the world of happenings around us.

 

Rajas breeds agitations in the mind. And Sattwa is that condition within us when

the mind has least thought agitations and the intellect is clear and bright in

its rational and discriminative powers. In short, Sattwa is the " condition of

dynamic quietude " which is the creative moment in man's inward nature.

 

AND WHAT ARISES FROM THE 'GUNAS'?

 

to be continued...

 

 

 

 

Hare Krishna!!!