Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam series: Posting 244/Desika Prabhandham :GeethArTa Sangraham : Part 5

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Lord PaarthasArathy :

 

Today we will study the FOURTH Paasuram of Swamy Desikan's

GeethArTa Sangraham dealing with the THIRD adhyAyam of

SrImath Bhagavath Geetha .This chapter has 43 slOkams.

 

329. The Essence of the THIRD chapter

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sankam tavirnthu sakam sathir peRRa DhananjayanE

pongum guNangaL puNarppu anaitthum puhavittu avaRRuL

nankaNN uraittha kirisai yelAm yenavum navinRAr

yengum aRivarhaLE yenRu NaaTan iyampinanE -----(4)

 

(Meaning): In the previous paasuram , Lord pointed out that

Karma yOgam has to be done first to get the mind under control

and then one should proceed to Jn~Ana yOgam . A question arises

here about some one , who is competent to perform Jn~Ana yOgam

directly without the intermediate step of Karma yOgam. The question is

why should such a capable person trouble himself with Karma yOgam .

The answer is that the gains of Jn~Ana yOgam can not be realized unless

Karma yOgam is mastered first. We have to perform Karma yOgam

first and please the Lord by doing karmAs without anticipation of

the fruits of the karmA . Sins are destroyed during the practise of such

karma yOgam. The mind gets cleansed. The power of dhOshams

like desire and anger diminish and the indhriyams come under

the influence of the saadhakan . This leads on to the practise of

Jn~Ana yOgam as the next step. If one does not perform Karma

yOgam first and proceeds directly to Jn~Ana yOgam , it is like

some one , who wants to build a seven tiered gOpuram by

starting with the seventh tier first. He will become a laughing

matter.

 

Further , no one can stay idle even for a second without doing

any karma except during the praLaya Kaalam . Jeevan is goaded

by one or other of the three guNams to perform one or other karmAs.

Karma yOgam is easy to practise.Mistakes do not creep in , while

one practises Karma yOgam .It is impossible not to be engaged in

KarmAs .The bodily existence will be impaired , if we abandon

Karma yOgam . Even the great souls like King Janaka , who were

fully qualified to jump start their Saadhanai with Jn~Ana yOgam

practised Karma yOgam first to show to the world the correct

sequence. If some one sets an example by doing skipping Karma

yOgam , even those , who are not competent to perform Jn~Ana

yOgam will mimic the capable ones and end up in spiritual

disaster. This will lead to the accumulation of sins by the trend

setter and he will further lose his grip on the Jn~Ana yOgam as well.

 

Additional comments on the words & Passages of this Paasuram

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1. " Sangam Tavirtthu " : When one performs Karma yOgam, one shoud

do it for Bhagavath preethi and for gaining any fruits that one may desire.

 

2. Pongum guNangaL puNarppu anaitthum avaRRuL puhavittu " :

Satthvam , Rajas and Tamas are the three guNams associated with

Prakruthi. In the body of the chEthanam , they are present in different

proportions. They are behind the performance of appropriate karmAs

as described in detail in the 14th chapter of SrImath Bhagavath GeethA .

Jeevan deludes itself by thinking that it is the doer of the karmAs.This

delusion (Bhramam) arises from the wrong conviction that Sareeram

is indeed the aathmA . In contrast to these deluded souls , those who

have a clear understanding of the Aathma Svaroopam will know

that the ability to perform karmAs is a natural attribute of the Aathma

and the association with the three guNams are the causative factor.

This is known as Karthruthva anusandhAnam .

 

3. " NangkaNN uraittha kirisaikaL yelAm yenavum navinRAr yengum aRivarhaLE "

Those who recognize that all the karmAs are performed by SarvEswaran

through His Servant , the Jeevan for the purpose of His own joy .One has

to comprehend this tatthvam , while performing Karma roopa kaimkaryams.

Those who have this practise are considered as the Masters of the essence of

all Bhagavath Saasthrams.

 

Instructing Arjuna in this manner , Lord commanded him to engage

in the practise of his karmAs as a Kshathrian and fight his enemies

in that righteous war .

 

4. Swamy AlavanthAr's sumamry of this Third adhyAyam is :

 

asakthyA lOkarakshAyai guNEshvArOpya karthruthAm

SarvEswarE vaa nyasyOkthA thrutheeyE karma-kAryathA

 

5. RaamAnujA's summary: The aathma sAkshAthkAram

( the direct visualization of the indibvidual Self/Jeevan) is

the precedent for success in practise of Bhakthi yOgam.

This is explained in the next four chaptrs starting from

the Third Chapter.

 

BhagavAn states that the practise of Jn~Ana yOgam by plunging

head long is a difficult and dangerous act ( sahasA yEva Jn~Ana

yOgO dhushkara: ).The chEthanam in this world can not exist

without action driven by the guNAs born of Prakruthi. Anyone

who says that he has skipped Karma yOga and jumped to

Jn~Ana yOga directly is a hypocrrite (MiTyAchAran). There is

every fear of downward descent in his case .Therefore , one

has no choice but to perform obligatory karmAs (niyatha

Karmaa) without seeking the fruits thereof . By performing

karmAs without attachment to the fruits of such karmAs ,

one atains the Supreme being:

 

tasmAth asaktha: sathatham kaaryam karma samAchara

asakthO hyAcharankarma Param aapnOthi purusha:

---SrImath Bhagavath GeethA: 3.19

 

GeethAchAryan goes on to say that He is " AvAptha samastha

Kaaman " ( One who has all of His desires fulfilled) and the Supreme

Master of all and yet He goes on working (performing karmAs)

for the protection of the world and its beings.

 

The Lord instructs ArjunA to surrender all of his actions

to Him with a mind focussed on Him as the antharyAmi

of all and engage in his battle ahead resolutely without

the heat of excitement :

 

Mayi SarvANi karmANi sanyasya adhyAthma chEthasA

nirAsir-nirmamO bhUthvA yudhyasva vigatha jwara:

---SrIamth Bhagavath GeethA : 3.30

 

Here , the Lord instructs ArjunA to perform all prescribed

karmAs befitting his role as a Kshathriyan free from selfishness

and in a mood of not seeking the phalans for such karmAs .

He asks ArjunA to dedicate the fruits of all those required

KarmAs to Him with adhyAthma chEthas ( with a clear mind

knowing that the Lord is the indweller in all ) and never forgetting

that Lord is his Master ( Seshi) and he is His (LOrd's) agent ( Seshan).

One who has this sEshathva Jn~Anam is the one with adhyAthma

chEthas. Lord states that thoe who do not have this Tatthva

Jn~Anam are lost forever.

 

During the rest of this third adhyAyam , Lord explains the difficulties

in the practise of Jn~Ana yOgam .GeethAchAryan stresses

the importance of controlling the senses AT THE VERY BEGINNING ,

so that both Jn~Anam ( knowledge) and Vij~nAnam (discrimination)

are not destroyed ( Geethai II . 41).

 

Next , BhagavAn rank ordered the adversaries to Jn~Ana Yogins:

The indhriyAs ( senses) are important virOdhis for gaining kowledge

(Jn~Anam). Even if the Yogi controls the senses , the mind exerts

a dominat role by lusting after the sense objects and becomes a bigger

impediment to gaining Jn~Anam. If one controls the mind , BUddhi

( the intellect ) still is a greater impedimen tthan Senses and the mind.

Even after controlling the sensory organs and the mind , the Buddhi can

play some perverted games and stand in the way of gaining Jn~Anam.

Assuming that the senses, mind and intellect are some how controlled ,

there is a virOdhi , which is the biggest of them all .That is desire

(Kaama:).

 

IndhriyANi parAnyAhu: indhriyEbhya: param Mana:

Manasasthu parA Buddhi: yO BuddhE: parathasthu Sa:

---Geethai: III. 42

 

In the final slOkam of this chapter ( III .43) , the Lord instructs

Arjuna to recognize Kaamam (desire) as the top most obstacle in

the pursuit of Jn~Ana yOgam and directs Arjuna to destroy

this enemy(desire) by stabilizing the Manas with the help of

Buddhi , which in turn is reined in by the practise of Karma yOgA

( " AathmAnam mana: AathmanA BuddhyA Karma yOgE

avasTApya , yEnam Kaama roopam dhurAsadham Sathrum

jahi (nAsaya) ithi " ).

 

Chapter 1 is about " Arjuna " s sorrow and Confusion "

Chapter 2 of Geethai is about : " Communion through Knowledge " .

Chapter 3 is about " Communion through Action " .

Chapter 4 is about " Renunciation of Action in Knowledge " .

Chapter 5 is about " Communion through Renunciation "

Chapter 6 is about " Communion through Meditation "

 

These are the six Chapters of the First Hexad united together

as a self-consistent Unit.

 

We will take up next , the study of the 42 slOkams of the Fourth chapter.

 

In the third chapter, the emphasis was on the need to practise

Karma yOgA with Phala thyAgam for both the Saadhakan with

a strong body impulses as well as for the one qualified to practise

Jn~Ana yOga.

 

In the fourth chapter , the absolute need for practising Karma YogA

is reiterated and emphasized . Further, the avathAra rahsyam of the Lord

is touched upon .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

SrI Lakshminrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka

SrIvaNN SaThakOpa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya Nama: