Very important question on Gita Chap.8

[Guest guest]

24th verse, where Krishna describes the departing time where yogins do not return to the material world. I cannot understand the meaning due to its poetic nature, plus what the heck is a lunar month anyway? Please explain this verse.

[stonehearted]

It may be a little hard to follow because this section of the Gita deals with a rather abstract subject. Baladeva Vidyabhusana takes this section more or less figuratively, describing two paths of mixed devotion, the dark path mixed with desire for material enjoyment, and the light path mixed with a desire for liberation. Time is used as a figurative device to show the difficulties faced in passage from material existence by those on paths other than pure devotion. Essentially, what we can take away from this section is the need to concern ourselves with passing beyond time, rather than any particular time of passage.

 

A lunar month is the measure of time from a particular phase of the moon (i.e., full moon, or new moon, or 11th day of the waxing moon, etc.) to the recurrence of the same phase. That's closer to 28 days than the 30 or 31 days most calendar months have.

 

I hope this helps a little.

[Guest guest]

Just one more question. Is the third day after new moon a "BRIGHT FORTNIGHT" of the lunar month? MOre precisely, is november 3 this year (because nov. 1 was new moon day) a bright fortnight of the lunar month?

[stonehearted]

I guess so; the bright fortnight is the waxing moon (it's getting brighter).

[Guest guest]

Yes, it is bright fortnight (shukla-paksha).

 

Avinash

[Guest guest]

What is northern solstice? I guess solstice means daytime, does northern solstice mean morning till noon? If so, is 2.20pm northern solstice?

[Guest guest]

What's the significance of rain before and after a person's death and NOT at the time of death? Does this in any way correspond to the 24th verse of the gita, opening lines like fire and light etc.? Does that mean rain isn't an auspicious time to die?

[Avinash]

No, Solstice does not mean daytime. Solstice means the time of a year when the Sun is at its greatest angular distance from equator. Solstice is also defined as the time of a year when daytime and nighttime are most unequal. These two definitions are equivalent as explained below:-

 

There are two kinds of solstices: winter solstice and summer solstice. On winter solstice, nighttime is the longest and also the Sun is at its southernmost point in the celestial hemisphere. On summer solstice, daytime is the longest and also the Sun is at its northernmost point in the celestial hemisphere.

 

If there is summer solstice in a hemisphere, then there is winter solstice in the opposing hemisphere and vice-versa.

 

The two solstices occur on June 21 and December 22.

 

June 21 is Northern hemisphere summer solstice or Southern hemisphere winter solstice. December 22 is Northern hemisphere winter solstice or southern hemisphere summer solstice.

 

When people simply mention summer solstice or winter solstice without specifying the hemisphere, then the hemisphere is implied to be northern. So, we can say that Jume 21 is summer solstice and December 22 is winter solstice.

 

On summer solstice, daytime is the longest. On winter solstice, nighttime is the longest.

[Guest guest]

Is november 3 northern or southern solstice?

[Avinash]

November 3 is southern solstice.

[Avinash]

The term "northern solstice" or "southern solstice" is used in two senses. According to one northern solstice is the time when Sun is at northernmost point. This happens on June 21. Southern solstice is the time when Sun is at southernmost point. This happens on December 22. So, according to this definition Nov 3 is neither northern nor southern solstice.

 

But there is another definition. When scriptures talk of northern solstice (uttarayana) or southern solstice (dakshinayana), then they use this second definition. According to this definition, northern solstice is the time period when Sun is moving towards north. Southern solstice is the time period during which Sun is moving towards South.

 

On June 21, the Sun is at northernmost point. After this it starts moving towards south. On December 22 it is on southernmost point. So, during the period from June 21 to December 22, Sun is moving towards south. Therefore, this period is southern solstice.

 

On December 22, the Sun is at southernmost point. After this it starts moving towards north. On June 21 it is on northernmost point. So, during the period from December 22 to June 21 (of course of the next year), Sun is moving towards north. Therefore, this period is northern solstice.

 

As you can see from the above explanation, Nov 3 is southern solstice as per the second definition.

[Guest guest]

Does that mean people who leave at this time will come back to the material world, according to gita?

[Avinash]

The time of death is important according to Gita but many other things matter as well (e.g. a person's conduct during his life).

 

But I would suggest that you should not leave as of now. Wait for a few more weeks. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Guest guest]

I wasn't asking for myself. My grandma, to whom I owe my very existence, left me last thursday at 2.20pm. I just wanted to make sure she made it 'there' so she wouldn't have to come back to this world.

 

She was a Krishna devotee all her life, lived like a sanyasini and never even thought about worldly things. I don't want such a great soul to return to this world and suffer, as I am doing.

[Guest guest]

If someone is a pure devotee of Lord Krishna it does not matter the time of year, day and so on that they leave the material body.

[Avinash]

Oops sorry. I knew you were not asking for yourself. But I did not know that you were asking for somebody else. I just thought that you were asking a generic question, just out of curiosity.

 

As I mentioned earlier once, the time of death matters, but many other things matter as well. Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita that those who remember Him at the last moment reach Him. He does not say this only for deaths during northern solstice, but for deaths at any time. If somebody has been Krsna devotee all his/her life, then it is very highly likely that he/she will remember Krsna at the last moment and thus reach Him.

[Guest guest]

According to Srimad Bhagavatam and more particularly according to Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, any person who has had contact with Suddha-bhakti (pure devotion) will never have to see Yama the king of the Underworld, who punishes sinners.

 

If your grandmother was a devotee of Sri Krishna she will be perfectly fine now. She will be floating on rays of light and ascending to the worlds of the Divine Beings, the Devas. Those godly beings will help and guide her to the place of her next incarnation.

 

If someone has served Tulasi, or surrendered their heart to Krishna, or served or worshipped (with sincerity) a pure devotee, then they will take birth in a place where they will be engaged in devotional service to Sri Krishna.

 

Do not fear.

 

- Muralidhar

 

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Bhagavad Gita, chapter 9.

 

Translation and Commentary by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaj

 

http://www.scsmath.com/

 

 

31) That most degraded person very swiftly becomes adorned with virtuous practices and

attains to eternal tranquillity. O son of Kunti, declare it proclaim it My devotee is never

vanquished!

or

31) O Arjuna, promise to the public that My exclusively devoted servitors will never come

to ruin. He who declares this swiftly becomes virtuous, and truly attains eternal divine grace.

 

Commentary: The second interpretation of this verse was revealed to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

in a dream. In the Srimad Bhagavatam (11.11.32) Lord Krsna says:

ajnayaivam gunan dosan,

mayadistan api svakan

dharman samtyajya yah sarvan,

mam bhajet sa ca sattamah

"The best of honest persons are those who have left behind the forms of duties that I Myself

have recommended in the scriptures, for the general public. Although it is My direction, they

cross it and come to render loving service to Me. They are the real honest men."

In society, one must obey the law, but there is also the situation of crossing law to show faithfulness

to the king. If one risks his life and reputation, and crossing the general law, enters into the

royal chamber to combat an assassin, then he will be considered the best and most loyal servitor.

Similarly, the Lord is saying, "I have already given some direction for the general public. Do

this, don't do that, don't cross these laws, etc. But if for My interest anyone takes the risk of

committing sin, then he should be considered the best among all My devotees. So, Arjuna, you

go and declare it, promise it to the public that the ananya-bhak (9.30), the exclusively devoted

persons, will never come to ruin. Then you will get the benefit. You will become dharmatma,

religious, and attain eternal divine happiness. The ananya-bhak, the exclusive devotees, have already

crossed the threshold of dharma, the standard of dutifulness, and taken the risk to throw

themselves fully into My service. Sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja (18.66).

There is no question of them again becoming virtuous or religious. They surpassed dharma long

before, and took the risk and entered into prema-dharma, My loving service, rejecting both piety

and sinfulness."

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