SOME THOUGHTS ON THE BHAGAWAD GITA--10

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Hari OmThe Transcendental Truth can be explained only in terms of the limited and the finite. Otherwise, we,who have no experience of It, will not be able to conceive or apprehend the Absolute and Eternal. The unseen is explained always in terms of the seen, and thereby the unknown becomes fully indicated rather than defined. The changeless, immutable Self has been described by Lord Krishna in terms of the ever changing world which is very familiar to Arjuna and all people like us. In the world of change,objects meet with their annihiliation

through instrument of death, or they are consumed by fire or destroyed by flood water and other natural calamities like earthquake, tornado etc. etc. All these means have been declared in the Gita as impotent in bringing about the destruction of the Self (Atma).

Says Lord Krishna in the Gita,"Weapons cleave it (Self)not,fire burns it not,water wets it not,wind dries it not. The Self can not be cut, nor burnt, nor wetted,nor dried up. It is eternal,all-pervading,stable,immoveable and ancient." (Chapter2, verses 23 and 24). Thus the Self is ever-lasting and it can not be annihiliated by any of the known methods of destruction discovered and perfected by man. That which has indestructability as declared by the Lord should naturally be everlasting

(Nitya). When we read these declarations of the Lord, we are reminded of the significant allegorical story in the Kenopanishad wherein it has been beautifully indicated that gods like Agni and Vayu etc. have no power of their own, except that which has been bestowed on them by the Eternal,Absolute. By declaring the Self is ancient

(Sanatana), the Self gets indicated as not new(nutana). Thus Self is unconditioned by time and space.

(to be continued)

G.Balasubramanian