Message of the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (which means "The Lord's Song") appears in the 11th
chapter of The Mahabharata. It is a mystical text that speaks about the
nature of things - about humanity, reality, our place in reality and how
we can find wisdom and happiness. It emphasizes the ways in which
humanity can deal with the mind and shows humanity's pathway to
wisdom - the Ultimate Reality. The purpose of great texts is to help guide
people towards a better life by asking questions, seeking answers and
gaining wisdom; such scriptures as the Bhagavad Gita, deliver a
message that so guides us.
The Gita begins, "Dharmakshetra, kurushetra," meaning "on the
battlefield of duty, on the battlefield of heart's desire," which
indicates that there is a battle between wisdom and ignorance - and that
the battle to overcome ignorance, gain wisdom and become detached from
what is impermanent and perishable - is in the mind of each being. This
scripture declares life is about finding contentment and happiness in
the path chosen.
The Bhagavad Gita is a message addressed to all in order to help
them solve the problem of overcoming the present and progressing towards
a bright future. This holy scripture transcends the bounds of any
particular religion or race, and is actually divine wisdom addressed to
mankind for all times.
The Bhagavad Gita enables man to liberate himself from all limiting
factors and reach a state of perfect balance, inner stability. mental
peace and complete freedom from grief, fear and anxiety. Within it is
revealed the drama of the ascent of man from a state of dejection,
sorrow and hopelessness to a state of perfect understanding, clarity,
renewed strength and triumph.
Selected stanzas from three chapters of The Bhagavad Gita are reproduced
below with commentary to give a clearer understanding of the operation
of the mind and guidance in how to transcend it in order to achieve
peace amidst daily activities and duties.
Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 12 Verses 13-19
The Yoga of Devotion
This discourse indicates that a path of devotion (intense love) is
easier than that of knowledge. In the path of devotion, one
develops a loving relationship with the Divine (the Absolute) to effect
Union.
To practice such devotion, one has to fix the mind on the Lord. As often
as the mind wanders it should be brought back. If this process of
concentration is difficult one should dedicate all actions to Him,
feeling that it is His power that activates everything. The one who
surrenders himself to the Lord attains perfect peace.
The following seven stanzas enumerate the characteristic features of the
perfect man, and thereby prescribes a correct mode-of-conduct and
way-of-life for all virtue seekers.
13. He who hates no creature, who is friendly and
compassionate to all, who is free from attachment and egoism, balanced
in pleasure and pain, and forgiving . . .
14. Ever content, steady in meditation,
self-controlled, possessed of firm conviction, with mind and intellect
dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to me.
Eleven noble qualities are indicated in the above two stanzas which
constitute the opening section. Everyone of them declares a moral phase
in the character of the 'perfect being'. One who has realised that the
Spirit everywhere is one and the same, and that that Spirit is his own
Self, cannot afford to hate anyone, because, from his vision of
understanding, there is no one other than Himself.
His attitude to all creatures will be friendly, and ever compassionate.
He offers security to all beings. He does not regard anything as his and
is completely free from the notion of egoism. Even-minded in pain and
pleasure, he remains unaffected even if beaten or abused. In every
circumstance, he is always content with the experience of the infinite
joy of the Self. Steadfast in his meditation, self-controlled and firm
in resolve, he lives joyously - with mind and intellect centered in 'I'.
15. He by whom the world is not agitated (affected),
and who cannot be agitated by the world, who is freed from joy, envy,
fear, and anxiety - he is dear to me.
He by whom the world is not agitated - The perfect man is one who will not create agitation in the world around.
Who cannot be agitated by the world - Not only does the perfect man
quieten the world around himself, but also the world, however chaotic,
cannot create agitations in him. In and through battling circumstances,
he is aware of the harmony that runs through life.
Who is freed from joy, envy, fear, and anxiety - He is free from all
inward agitation, ever peaceful with himself and the world. He rules
over circumstances and is never victimised by them.
16. He who is free from wants, pure, alert,
unconcerned, untroubled, renouncing all undertakings (or
commencements) - he who is (thus) devoted to Me, is dear to Me.
Free from Dependence - A true devotee is completely independent of the
world outside and draws his inspiration, equanimity and joyous ecstasy
from a source, deep within himself.
Pure - One aspiring to perfection will be so well-disciplined that he will
be clean in relationships with others and in the condition and
arrangements around him.
Alert - To be alert becomes the second nature of an integrated person.
Enthusiasm is the key to success of any undertaking. A dynamic person is
mentally agile and intellectually vigorous.
Unconcerned - This attribute means to economise one's mental energies and
conserve them by overlooking difficulties and discomforts.
Untroubled - Once victimised by a fascination for an object, the
individual personality becomes fearful their desire may not be
fulfilled. A true seeker is one, who never allows the inner person to
enter into such agitation.
Renouncing every undertaking - One who is a seeker of the Divine, striving
to reach higher perfection, must renounce the sense of self-importance
in the world. A devotee of Truth is ever conscious of Oneness, and
therefore, will work in the world only as an instrument not as an
independent agent in an undertaking.
17. He who neither rejoices, nor hates, nor grieves,
nor desires, renouncing good and evil, full of devotion, is dear to Me.
He who neither rejoices - 'Rejoicing' is the feeling of satisfaction and
fulfilment that comes on attaining a desired object that has been
difficult to achieve.
Nor hates - The sense of revulsion that comes to us towards undesirable things and circumstances, is generally a sense of hatred.
Neither grieves, nor desires - The perfect man is one whose beloved
object, the Self, can never be separate, and he has no sense of
attachment with any other object. Having attained the Self, the
inhabitant of his heart, the sense of fulfilment is so complete, that he
has no more desire to attain anything further. The Self being the All,
he has attained everything.
Renouncing good and evil - The happenings in the world fall under these
two categories, according to whether they arouse in us a feeling of joy
or sorrow. To one living away from dualistic experience, and has learnt
the art of drawing inspiration from something beyond, none of the
happenings, at the level of the mind and the intellect, is of
consequence.
18. He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in
honour and dishonour, who is the same in cold and heat and in pleasure
and pain, who is free from attachment . . .
19. To whom censure and praise are equal, who is
silent, content with anything, homeless, steady-minded, full of
devotion - that man is dear to Me.
Equal to foe and friend - The perfect man is one who does not identify
with a mental estimation of things, and therefore maintains a uniformity
of attitude towards friends and foes.
In honour and dishonour - A situation is judged by the intellect as
honourable or dishonourable with reference to its own existing values
and cultivated habits of thinking. These are all different tides in the
intellect; and those who are living in that realm are affected by them.
The same in heat and cold - Heat and cold are only the experiences of the
body. A true devotee is unagitated because he "Is free from attachment"
and identification with the body, mind, intellect. One detached from
these is the one who is a master of them all.
Same in pleasure and pain and praise - Worldly censure or praise has no
significance or importance. Praise and censure are in themselves nothing
more than the passing fancy of those who express them!
He is silent - A true seeker of wisdom becomes a man of few words. Silence
within is real silence. Keeping physical silence but letting the mind
loose to talk with itself, is risible. Be silent and understand how
really silent, silence can be.
Content with anything - Contented with anything. To live fully with an attitude of contentment.
Homeless - Home is generally that which provides shelter from the external
inclemencies of weather. The man of spiritual realisation is the one
trying to pull down all conditioning and free himself from the sense of
possession and material bondage. A true devotee has shelter only at the
feet of the Absolute and therefore, his mental condition is indicated by
the word 'homeless.'
Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 13 Verses 8-12
The Yoga of the Distinction between the Field and the Knower of the Field
Chapter 13 of the Bhagavad Gita, Verses 8-12 list twenty qualities of
mental and emotional attributes, moral attitudes and ethical principles
which are essential pre-requisites for the seeker eager to experience
the Self.
8. Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness,
service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, self-control.
Humility: It is the negation of vanity, the absence of self-esteem
or self-praise. The basis of pride is of possessing something in a
larger measure than others. Vanity is exaggerated pride. A humble man
dislikes respect, honour and praise and shuns fame and distinction.
Unpretentiousness: Virtue of not proclaiming one's own greatness.
Such a person never advertises his own virtuous qualities or discloses
any meritorious or charitable act done by him.
Non-Injury: Non-injuring of any living being in thought, word or deed. Living a life full of compassion.
Forgiveness: Capacity to suffer long without being upset. The man
of wisdom puts up with everything and is unaffected if others injure
him. He never retaliates and bears insult and injury calmly.
Uprightness: Free from cunning, double dealing or crookedness. He
is frank, candid and open-hearted and does not hide anything. His
thoughts and words are in agreement. He speaks his mind openly and is as
simple as a child. He does not cheat and has a heart as pure as a
crystal.
Service to the teacher: Real service to the teacher is not just
physical, but is an attempt on the part of the student to seek a mental
and intellectual identity with the teacher's pure heart and intellect.
He superimposes on his teacher all the attributes of Brahman. He
realises Brahman through his teacher.
Purity: Purity is of two kinds, external and internal purity.
External purity is the cleansing of the physical body. Internal purity
is the cleansing of the mind of the dirt of attachment, hatred and
passions by the method of Pratipaksha (i.e. the cultivation of the
opposite positive virtue and by the recognition of the evil in all
objects of the senses).
Steadfastness: Consistency of purpose and concentration of all
efforts towards achieving the cultural and spiritual goal. The aspirant
never leaves off from his efforts even though he comes across many
stumbling blocks on the path. This is steadfastness of purpose.
Self-Control: self-restraint practised on all layers
9. Indifference to the objects of the senses, and also absence of
egoism, perception of evils in birth, death, old age, sickness and pain.
Indifference to the objects of the senses: This indifference means
living in the midst of objects and to switch off one's mental
pre-occupations with them; to live amidst objects detachedly and not get
shackled by them
Absence of Egoism: The sense of individuality comes only when we
identify ourselves with the construct and its perceptions. To reduce the
delusory misconception of ourselves is an essential pre-requisite for
asserting and living our real divine nature.
Perception of the evil of pain: Only the feeling of discontent with a
current situation can goad us to discover a new state of existence.
Whether it be a nation, a community or society, as long as one does not
realise that one's current condition is despicable and tragic, one will
adapt to living in it oblivious of sorrows. To constantly recognise pain
is to feel impatience with it. This sense of revolt against pain is the
fuel that drives a seeker faster to seek perfection.
10. Non-attachment; non-identification of Self with son, wife,
home and the rest; and constant even-mindedness on the attainment of the
desirable and the undesirable.
Non-attachment: The mind's holding to objects of the world with extreme
liking is called attachment. It is mental contact with the world-outside
that brings agitation to the mind. Fire in itself cannot burn, but a
child gets its fingers burnt, not because of the fire but because its
fingers, propelled by a force called desire, come in actual contact with
fire.
Non-Identification of Self: A lover loses their personal identity when
they identify with the beloved to such an extent, that they are happy or
sorrowful when the beloved lives in joy or suffers from pain.
Evenness of Mind: can be maintained in all situations of life whether
desirable or undesirable. A mind, relieved from its pre-occupation with
its own present attachments and affections will conserve surplus energy,
which should be directed more righteously.
11. Unswerving devotion unto Me by the Yoga of non-separation,
resorting to solitary places, distaste for the society of men.
Unflinching Devotion to Me: Concentration is the focussing of the
mind upon a particular point to the exclusion of all mental excitement
and agitation. Therefore, it is said that unflinching devotion towards
the Self, is one of the conditions necessary for steady progress and
growth in Yoga.
By the Yoga of non-separation: Undivided attention and enthusiasm
in the mind of the devotee is another condition that will accomplish
better concentration. A mind, wedded to the Lord, is a mind at faithful
contemplation. An integrated life of stable mind and steady
contemplation upon a firm ideal needs the devotee to be in a solitary
place where he can avoid crowded life. Whenever the mind is fascinated
by an enchanting ideal, it loses contact with other preoccupations and
becomes wedded faithfully to its own all-absorbing theme of interest. A
devotee should live alone in himself.
12. Constancy in Self-knowledge, perception of the end of true
knowledge - this is declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is
ignorance.
Constancy in Self-Knowledge: The Knowledge of the Self is to be
lived and not merely learnt. If the Self is one everywhere and the Self
alone is real, the seeker should try to live as the Self at all levels
of personality. The constancy of living spiritual-knowledge at all
levels of contact with the world-outside, is a practice a seeker should
always keep up.
Understanding the end of True Knowledge: Sincerity of purpose and
undying devotion to the endeavour can be had if a seeker is thrilled by
the vision of the goal. Thus, the end should be kept in view. Liberation
from imperfection and limitation is the end striven for by all
spiritual seekers.
Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 16 Verses 1-3
The Yoga of the Division between the Divine and the Demonic
To develop a divine nature one needs to follow a righteous path of pure,
virtuous living. The below slokas in chapter 16 are instructive in
explaining what virtuous characteristics one should develop so as
to achieve happiness in life. The slokas sum up the qualities of a
godly man who is inclined to the path of liberation.
1. Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge,
alms-giving (charity), control of the senses, sacrifice, study of the
Shastras (scriptures) and straightforwardness.
Fearlessness: Fear is the expression of avidya (ignorance).
Identification and attachment to the body causes fear. Where there is
knowledge there is fearlessness. Fear can be removed by constant
thinking of the immortal nature of the Self. If you lead a life of
honesty and truthfulness, if you observe the precepts of the scriptures,
if you lead a life of right conduct and if you remember God always, you
will become fearless.
Purity of Heart: A virtue that implies honesty of intentions. It means
the giving up of cheating, hypocrisy and untruth in all dealings with
people and conducting one's life with honesty and integrity. On account
of purity the mind can know the Self.
Steadfastness: Only when the mind is in unison with the Soul, can
it discover in itself the necessary resolve to disengage from its
attachment to sensuous objects.
Charity: Charity must come from one's sense of abundance and from a sense of oneness between giver and recipient.
Control of Senses: Economise in how one expends energy through the
senses and use that energy turned inwards to the Self. The practice of
self-control destroys the union between the senses and sensual
objects - by separating the senses from their respective objects.
Sacrifice: Refers to devotional ritualism, which nowadays refers to living a life of regular prayer and worship.
Study of Scriptures: Daily study of spiritual literature, provides the inspiration to live a virtuous life.
Uprightness: Indicates behaviour in line with righteous intentions
and motives. An aspirant dedicated to self improvement should always be
candid, upright and straightforward.
2. Harmlessness (ahimsa), truth, absence of anger, renunciation,
peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion to beings,
non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness.
Harmlessness: Ahimsa is divided into physical, verbal and mental.
It is impossible to avoid physical harm in the world we live in, but
even while bringing about disturbance around ourselves, it is essential
to maintain a harmony in thought and motives.
Truth: Speaking of things as they are, without uttering unpleasant
words or lies. This includes self-restraint, absence of jealousy,
forgiveness, patience, endurance and kindness.
Absence of Anger: Absence of anger if one is insulted, rebuked or
under the greatest provocation. To keep as far as possible an even
temper.
Renunciation: The giving up of vasanas, egoism and the fruits of action.
Peacefulness: If a seeker is capable of living, conscious of truth
harming none, keeping an even temper, in a spirit of renunciation, in
spite of all disturbing environments and happenings around, then he is
shall come to experience peace and quietude in himself.
Absence of crookedness: To maintain speech with softness of tone, clarity of expression and honesty of conviction.
Compassion: To live with a tender heart full of compassion to those in distress.
Non-Covetousness: The senses are not affected or excited when they
come in contact with their respective objects. The senses should be
withdrawn from objects.
Modesty: To perform actions in compliance with righteous dharma.
Absence of Fickleness: The body shadows the condition of the mind.
A constant restlessness, a sudden outburst of activity, an immodest
shaking of the body and tossing of the limbs is evident in those who
don't have a steady character or purposeful personality
3. Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred,
absence of pride - these belong to the one born for the Divine Estate, O
Bharata.
Vigour, Brilliant Glow (Tejas): Vigour, energy, or lustre denotes
progress towards righteousness and realisation of the Absolute - which
overcomes the downward pull of tamas.
Forgiveness: The subtle boldness shown by a man facing the world
with an unruffled serenity even in the face of powerful opposition or
provoking situations.
Fortitude: A person who develops fortitude never gets
disheartened, even when under severe trials, difficulties or
tribulations. Dhriti is a divine energy that permeates the being and
elevates the person when disheartened, in low spirits or dejected.
Purity: There are two kinds of purity: external and internal. The
word indicates not only inner purity of thoughts and motives - but also
suggests purity of environment and cleanliness of habit and
person.
Absence of Hatred: Absence of hatred, absence of desire to injure others.
Absence of over-pride: Not believing that one is superior or more worthy of being honoured by others.
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