Gita Satsangh Chapter 16 Verses 8 & 9

December 6, 2009

Dandavat pranams to all!

Tasmaat shaastram pramaanam te kaaryaakaaryavyavasthitau; Jnaatwaa shaastravidhaanoktam karma kartumihaarhasi. Therefore, let the scripture be the authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the scriptures, thou shouldst act here in this world. (BG 16.24)Gita Satsangh Chapter 16 Verses 8 & 9To listen to Swami Brahmanananda of the Chinmaya Mission chanting this Chapter...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B50lu0Oilak & feature=related

Asatyamapratishtham te jagadaahuraneeshwaram; Aparasparasambhootam kimanyat kaamahaitukam. 8. They say: “This universe is without truth, without a (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause; what else?”

Sankara Bhashya (Swami Gambiranda's Translation and Commentary)

8. They say that the world is unreal, it has no basis, it is without a God. It is born of mutual union brought about by passion! What other (cause can there be)? Te, they, the domoniacal persons; ahuh, say; that the jagat, world; is asatyam, unreal-as we ourselves are prone to falsehood, so is this whole world unreal; apratistham, it has no basis, it does not have righteousness and unrighteousness as its basis; it is anisvaram, without a God-nor is there a God who rules this (world) according to rigtheousness and unrighteousness (of beings). Hence they say that the world is godless. Moreover, it is aparaspara-sambhutam, born of mutual union. The whole world is born of the union of the male and female impelled by passion. (That union is) kama-haitukam, brought about by passion. Kama-haitukam and kama-hetukam are the same. Kim anyat, what other (cause can there be)? There exists no other unseen cause such as righteousness, unrigtheousness, etc. Certainly, the passion of living beings is the cause of the world. This is the view of the materialists.

Swami Chinmayananda's Translation and Commentary

8. They say, "the universe is without truth, without (moral) basis, without a God; not brought about by any regular causal sequence, with lust for its cause; what else? " In the description of the 'Diabolically Fallen,' we recognise the picture of an utterly sceptical materialist who looks at life from his own limited intellectual standpoint, and who, naturally, fails to recognise any final purpose or permanent substratum for this seemingly confusing array of illogical happenings. Such materialists, however, have stalwart intellects and are capable of original and independent thinking, but they have to be a wee bit trained, to see something beyond what their general observation and analysis can discover for them. The materialist view-point of life and the world are explained in the stanza. WITHOUT TRUTH (Asatyam) --- Even when they are very scientific in their observation and analysis, the materialists fail to recognise the Truth that upholds the Universe. They recognise change, and the constant change itself is accepted by them as the world, without having for it any steady and changeless substratum. At the same time, scientists admit that change is a relative phenomenon and without a changeless, constant foundation, change cannot take place and give us the impression of continuity. Without a screen, steady and motionless, a running film cannot be projected; without a constant bed, the waters of the rivers cannot flow continuously. The everchanging universe cannot give us a constant APPEARANCE without its having a steady and changeless 'foundation.' This eternal and unchanging Reality behind the ever-changing Universe is called the Truth. According to the materialist, "the Universe is without Truth (Asatyam)." WITHOUT A LORD: (An-Ishwaram) --- There is no substratum; at least, is there a commanding intelligence that orders, regulates, and generally guides the happenings in the world? According to the materialist there is no such Director of Events, no Architect of Happenings. There is no Creator, no Sustainer. NOT BROUGHT ABOUT IN REGULAR SEQUENCE --- The entire universe of beings and things is formed only as a result of mutual combinations of the great elements and the sole ruling factor that determines Creation is "chance"; and the only deciding urge, propelled by which beings are born, is nothing but 'lust.' Even modern psychologists insist that the sex urge alone is the mother urge because of which everything is happening, every achievement is gained and every profit is made everywhere in life. AFTER DESCRIBING THUS, THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE PURE MATERIALIST, KRISHNA SYMPATHISES WITH THE LOT OF SUCH MEN AND TRACES THEIR INSTINCTIVE DEEDS: Etaam drishtimavashtabhya nashtaatmaano’lpabuddhayah; Prabhavantyugrakarmaanah kshayaaya jagato’hitaah. 9. Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellects and fierce deeds, come forth as enemies of the world for its destruction. Sankara Bhashya (Swami Gambiranda's Translation and Commentary)9. Holding on to this view, (these people) who are of depraved character, of poor intellect, given to fearful actions and harmful, wax strong for the ruin of the world. Avastabhya, holding on to; etam, this; drstim, view; (these people) who are nasta-atmanah, of depraved character, who have deviated from the disciplines leading to the other world; alpa-budhayah, of poor intellect, whose intellect is indeed limited, engrossed with material things; ugra-kamanah, given to fearful actions-who are cruel by nature; and ahitah, harmful; i.e. inimical to the world; prabhavanti, wax strong; ksayaya, for the ruin; jagatah, of the world. This is the construction. Swami Chinmayananda's Translation and Commentary

9. Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds, come forth as the enemies of the world, for its destruction. HOLDING THIS VIEW --- Holding the view, as described in the previous stanza, that the world has no substratum, that there is no controlling power, and that the world continues to exist and procreate by itself, if a society were to live, giving full vent to animal nature, it will only achieve restless-ness and strife, disaster and destruction for itself. RUINED SOULS --- A balanced personality can only be for the individual who has, to begin with, a clear conception and a correct judgement of himself. Whenever an individual forgets himself, he acts in a manner unbecoming to the dignity of his birth, education, culture and social status, like a mad man or a drunken fool. When a materialist thus works in ignorance of his own divine status, he, naturally, behaves as though he is an animal --- insulting the divine status of his own evolution. OF SMALL INTELLECT (Alpa-Buddhayah) --- Once an individual refuses to recognise the "Divine Presence of Truth," embracing and underlying life, he will function in life as a self-centred, selfish entity, endlessly striving to eke out his own personal satisfaction from the material world. Seeking complete fulfilment in the gratification of his sensual urges, he strives hard but discovers only a carping disappointment, a burning hunger and a sense of defeat in life. Krishna, in his infinite kindness, sympathises with such men and calls them "MEN OF SMALL INTELLECT." FIERCE DEEDS --- "If a materialist does not want to believe in the Eternal Reality, and if others must believe in some Permanent Truth, why not allow equal freedom to both --- the believers and non-believers?" This is a natural question that will arise in any man, if he be truly democratic and tolerant in his point-of-view. Anticipating such a doubt in a sincere student, Krishna says, in the second line of the stanza, that when an individual loses his faith in the Higher Reality, he becomes licentious at all levels of his expression. Prompted by his selfish urges to seek and discover his fulfilment in life, he would, perhaps, ultimately bring about irremediable disasters to his era. Historically, the world to-day is going through the same predicament as declared and anticipated in the Geeta!! Materialists, who do not recognise the Truth, seeking Its expression through life's happenings, will unconsciously bring about such a discordant note of disharmony in the community that it will plunge the world into a bloody mire of disastrous wars.

to be continued...

Hare Krishna!!!

December 9, 2009

>>>They say, " the universe is without truth, without (moral) basis, without a God; not brought about by any regular causal sequence, with lust for its cause; what else? " It is interesting that in the very next verse Arjuna does not ask, " what is the cause for the Universe? and if you are the Creator why did you make some humans incapable of virtue?'.

To tell ourselves that there is no beginning and end, the universe always was, and the very question of 'why creation' is baseless is all very well; but sometimes you do wonder...makes you wonder if the materialists don't have a point?

On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 9:55 AM, Radhe <shaantih wrote:

Dandavat pranams to all!

Tasmaat shaastram pramaanam te kaaryaakaaryavyavasthitau; Jnaatwaa shaastravidhaanoktam karma kartumihaarhasi. Therefore, let the scripture be the authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the scriptures, thou shouldst act here in this world. (BG 16.24)Gita Satsangh Chapter 16 Verses 8 & 9