Geeta Vahini.To understand the meaning of the Geetha.

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To understand the meaning of the Geetha, the

reverential approach is necessary. You must take up its study in an attitude of submission and expectancy. For the Geetha is the “milk†of the Upanishads, “drawn†by the Cowherd Krishna with the help of Arjuna, “the calf,†for all the “dull-witted†to drink and draw sustenance from.

There are some who argue that the Geetha as a sacred poem was a creation later than the Mahabharatha, of which it is a part; but whatever may be said of the composition of the Geetha, there is no doubt that the principles and teachings of the Geetha are ancient, nay, dateless. In the first three slokas of the fourth chapter, reference is made to the Lord instructing the Geetha to Surya (Sun) first and later to Manu; and to the fact that from Manu it reached Ikshvaku and thence to others in succession! So the Geetha is beyond the category of time and it cannot be

assigned to a particular point of time, past or present.

CHAPTER I

The Geetha is a text for spiritual practitioners, for it

emphasises sadhana (spiritual discipline), and spiritual

attitudes, more than anything else. Every chapter lays down

means and methods of reaching the goal of peace and

harmony. Now sadhana is the product of keen and steady

yearning for progress. The aspirant must aspire, not despair.

He must persevere, not clamour for quick success. The

Geetha is as a boat, which takes man across from the selfimposed state of bondage to the freedom which is his nature. He is taken from darkness to Light, from lustrelessness to Splendour. The Geetha ordains for man disciplines and duties which are free from the taints of Vasanas (tendencies and impulses) that tie him to the

relentless wheel of birth and death.

Really speaking, man has come into this Karmakshetra

(Field of Activity) only to engage himself in activity, not in

order to earn the fruit of such activity. That is the teaching

of the Geetha, its fundamental lesson. The Geetha is the

quintessence of the meaning of all the Vedas, Yajnas and

Yagas (offerings for the glory of God). The outward-directed

activities are mentioned in the preliminary portions of the

Vedas. Activities of the mind, like the Upasanas, which are

directed inward are mentioned later. Jnana Yoga too is

expounded to minds thus clarified and purified.

Whoever the individual, however scholarly, he cannot

escape delusion and so he is subjected to grief, which acts

as a brake upon activity. Arjuna, the great hero, capable of

great renunciation, and of great wisdom, is deluded by the

 

Geetha Vahini 3 4 Geetha Vahini

awful needs of war and his grief handicaps his activity too.

He confuses the body and the self, he starts identifying the

two. He imposes on the Atma (ever untouched by the

characteristics of the moving, changing world) the unreal

and ephemeral nature of the world and takes this delusion

as true. He believes that his duties, as laid down by that

false identification, are his Atma-dharma! This is the tragedy

not of Arjuna alone but of all humanity! Therefore, the Geetha

is of universal and eternal value. To study the Geetha is to

learn the art of swimming across the sea of Delusion. The

Geetha is the very Voice of Lord Krishna. The fact that it

has provided consolation and liberation to millions of men

is evidence of its Divine Origin. A lesser person could not

have given it that authenticity.

The way it begins and the way it ends, that gives the

clue to the subject which it expounds. The very first verse

starts with the words. “Dharma-kshethre (Abode of

dharma), Kurukshethre…,†the word Dharma being the

leading word. The last verse of the final Eighteenth Chapter

speaks of “Yathra Yogeswarah Krishna†and this word,

“Yogeswarah†sums up the Dharma that is taught. Thus it is

clear that the objective of the teaching in the Geetha is just

this: “Remember Dharma; practise Dharma.†How

significant is this word! All Sastras are engaged in

demarcating and defining the nature and subtle characteristics

of Dharma. The Geetha incorporates this study and this

analysis. It is a textbook of Dharma, in all its aspects. It

discusses all the principles underlying Dharma.

Arjuna is the Jivi, the individual. The Body is the

Chariot and the Teacher in the Chariot is Krishna, the Lord.

The Charioteer is the Lord, the Inspirer of the Intelligence,

the Brahman which prompts It in answer to man’s prayer

contained in the Gayathri Manthra “Dhiyoyonah

prachodayath…†(Awaken my Discrimination, O Lord and

guide me). The Kauravas represent the demonic nature. The

Pandavas represent the Divine. They are Asat, these are

Sat; one is evil, the other is good. And there has ever been

a struggle between the two. In this conflict between opposing

forces, Krishna (the Self, the Atma) is ever on the side of

Dharma—the Reality which sustains, not the Delusion which

undermines. If you seek to have the Lord on your side, as

your Guide, equip yourself with the Divine Nature, (Daivi

Sampath), the qualities of Dharma. For the Lord is where

Dharma is.

Of course, this does not mean that the Lord is not

omnipresent…! Butter is omnipresent in the milk, though it

can be made manifest in one location, in the milk, only by

the process of curdling and churning. So too, the Lord can

be made manifest in one location by the process of Dharma

Sadhana. “Yatho dharmasthatho jayahâ€; “Where there is

Dharma, there Victory is achieved.†Arjuna was engrossed

with the physical aspect and so it was necessary to bless

him with the Knowledge of the Real, the Atmic aspect. The

entire complex of sadhana (spiritual discipline) is directed

to the clarification of the awareness of Atma and the fixing

of attention on That. The Teaching of Krishna is just this; in

fact, this is the sum and substance of the search for Truth

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Geetha Vahini 5 6 Geetha Vahini

Krishna answered many doubts that had entangled

Arjuna, but which he failed to express, “O Arjuna! You are

grieving because these kings and princes who are related to

you are about to meet death at your hands. You talk glibly

of Dharma. But remember, the wise do not grieve either for

the living or the dead. Shall I tell you why? Well, you are

feeling grief over the body, which alone decays on death.

Did you grieve when the body underwent many changes

hitherto? The child disappeared in the boy, the boy

disappeared in the youth, the youth became lost in the middleaged

man, the middle-aged man was lost in the aged old

man and the old man is lost in death. You never wept for the

changes that affected the body so long; why then weep for

this one change? Have you, today, the body you had when

you were a boy? Where is that frame you had when you

tied Dhrishtadyumna up? You still remember that boyish

exploit; but the body that achieved it is gone! So too,

whatever changes your body may suffer, the Atma, the

Splendour of the true Wisdom, remains Immortal. Being

established unshakeably in this knowledge is the sign of the Wise, the Jnani.†Thus said Krishna.

“You may ask whether you would not feel sad when

the bodies with which one had moved and lived for years

go out of sight. But for how many have you to lament, in

case it is proper so to grieve! Have you thought of that? Joy

and grief are as day and night. They have to be put up with,

gone through. If you refuse, they won’t stop happening. If

you desire, they won’t start happening! They are both related to the physical, the material—the body. They do not affect the spirit, the Soul. The moment you escape from these two, that moment you are liberated. You have Moksha (Selfrealisation).â€

The First Discourse which teaches these truths is

named Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the Despondency of Arjuna.

That is the very foundation of the edifice which is the

Bhagavad Geetha. When the foundation is strong the edifice too is lasting. The Geetha built on that foundation 5000 years ago, is unshaken and unshakeable. From this, you can infer how strong is the foundation on which it rests and how wise is the Person who laid it.

You refer to it as “despondencyâ€! But that “despondency†was very beneficial. It was no ordinary “want of courage.†For it tested his sincerity and steadfastness. It induced him to take unquestioning refuge in the Lord. That is why it is dignified by the name, Yoga.

The Geetha which begins with the Vishada Yoga ends with

the Sanyasa Yoga. Vishada is the Foundation and Sanyasa,

the Superstructure. Vishada is the seed and Sanyasa, the

Fruit. The question may be raised: how could Arjuna be

credited with a pure nature, which alone is said to deserve

the Wisdom, imparted in the Geetha? The word “Arjunaâ€

means pure, unsullied, white. He is named very appropriately and he lived up to the name that he bore. That is how he secured the Immediate Presence of Lord Krishna, that is

Geetha Vahini 7 8 Geetha Vahini

how he became the Instrument for the Award of the Geetha

to the World. Krishna uses the word, Yoga, many times in the Geetha. The state of the Individual (or Jivi) during Yoga too is

described. Yet, a doubt may arise in the minds of those

who have read the Geetha that there is no agreement between

the word as used ordinarily and as used by Krishna. Krishna

has extolled Vairagya (detachment) in some places. At other

places, He has declared that the highest Freedom can be

earned by Worship. Various methods of attaining the Supreme state of spiritual Bliss are also elaborated. In the Eighth Discourse, there is an account of Raja Yoga, but it is not right to say that the Geetha is a text that teaches Raja Yoga. Complete surrender to Lord Krishna, freedom from the threefold shackles which bind one with the external world of objects, the observance of good deeds and virtuous disciplines, these are the principal truths underlined in the

Geetha. The Lord holds these forth as the best forms of training and the deepest secrets of inner progress. The real meaning of the Geetha is not grasped by all. Reputed scholars and writers, though gifted with rare intelligence, have failed to unravel the mystery of its message. Commentators speak of the principle of perfect balance amidst all change, or of the achievement of freedom as more important than anything else. On the other side, others compare the Geetha with the philosophical texts of the West with which they are familiar and start teaching young minds

in that strain! Of course, full renunciation is highly desirable.

But only a very small number can practise it. If a certain spiritual teaching has to gain universal acceptance, it must have disciplines that can be practised and experienced by everyone in daily life and its activities.

The highest Dharma is for each one to follow his Swa— (own) Dharma boldly. As regards this problem, there is a conflict between religion and morals. “Gahana karmano gathih.†It is difficult, fraught with danger, says the Lord, speaking of the moral discipline. Which act is legitimate, which not? Which act is sanctioned by morals, which not?

Persons have struggled and are struggling to decide these.

But Krishna has mentioned the type of acts which are worthy,

in the Slokas:

Manmanaa bhava madbhaktho mad yajee maam namaskuru

Maamevaishyasi sathyam the, prathijaane priyo si me.

Sarva dharmaan parithyajya maamekam saranam vraja

Aham thwaam sarva paapebhyo moksha-yaishyami maa

suchah.

“Fix thy thought on Me. Be devoted to Me. Worship Me. Do homage to Me. Thou shalt reach Me. The Truth do I declare to thee. For thou art dear to Me. This is My teaching, My grace. This is the path to come to Me. Give up all Dharmas. Surrender to Me. Do not grieve; I shall liberate you from the consequences of all your acts -

Geetha Vahini 9 10 Geetha Vahini

Ah! Note the meaning and significance of these two

stanzas. Is not this Act of Surrender enough to save you

and to liberate you from the round of coming to—staying

in—and leaving from this world? Thanmana—that is, seeing

Him in every Being, being aware of Him every moment of

existence, being immersed in the Ananda (bliss, joy) of this

awareness. Thadbhaktha—that is, merged in the relationship

caused by profound devotion and love to Him. That-yaji—

all acts, big and small dedicated to Him, Krishna, (wish,

will, attitude, activity, fruit, consequence) everything from

beginning to end, the renunciation of all attachment to the

self and the performance of all acts in a spirit of worshipful

non-attachment. This is what the Lord seeks from you.

Of course, it is hard to effect this full surrender. But if

man makes but the slightest effort towards it, the Lord

Himself will confer the courage to pursue it to the end. He

will walk with him and help him as a friend. He will lead him

as a Guide. He will guard him from evil and temptation. He

will be his staff and support. He has said,

“Swalpamapyasya Dharmasya thrayathe mahatho

bhayaath.†(This course of action, if followed even to a

small extent, will save him from terrifying fear.) To follow

Dharma is itself a source of joy. It is the path least beset

with hurdles. This is the Teaching of the Lord.

“Maamevaishyasi†(you will come near Me, you will

be approaching Me); that is to say, you will understand My

Mystery, you will enter into Me, you will achieve My nature.

In these terms, Saadrisya (Acquiring Divine Nature)

Saalokya (Existence in God) Sayujya (Unity in God), are

indicated. When one has attained the state of realising the

Divinity in every Being, when every instrument of knowledge

brings the Experience of that Divinity, when It alone is seen,

heard, tasted, smelt and touched, man becomes undoubtedly

a part of the Body of God and lives in Him and with Him.

When this duty to your own progress is taken up you will

get a new strength at the very first step. You will thrill to a

new and purer joy. You will taste the fullness of Bliss. You

will be refreshed by a new holiness.

This Dharma is not laid down or recommended for

the extraordinary among men. It is within the reach of all,

for all have the hunger for God, all have the discrimination

to discover that there is something basic behind all this

change. Even the most heinous sinner can quickly cleanse

his heart and become pure, by surrendering to the Lord in

anguished repentance.

Therefore, the Lord’s Command is that each should

pursue the special Dharma laid down for him. Each person

should plan his life according to the spiritual foundations of

his culture, he should give up the “objective†vision and

listen to the Voice of God.

Those born in Bharath (India) should deserve the

privilege by listening to the voice of the Leader of Bharath—

Gopala—and manifest the Divinity latent in them in every

word they utter, every letter they limn, every wish they

entertain, every thought they frame, and every act they do

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Geetha Vahini 11 12 Geetha Vahini for the winning of gross things, such as food or shelter or health. Then only can this Indian Nation demonstrate to the world the excellence of the Ancient Religion, the Sanathana Dharma (the eternal path), its special gift to humanity, and ensure peace for all mankind. Acts in line with that Dharma alone can confer the strength of spirit which can encounter all crises and achieve victory. The sacred Geetha grants that boon, by indicating clearly the Way. ----

Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan