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?K£ BMA^ATAB-SITA.
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THE „BH AGAVAD-GiTA
A. MAHADEVA SASTRI, b. a.,
Curator, Oovemment Oriental Library, Mysore.
The G. T. A. Printing Works, MYSORE.
l.i. ^Fi IhamaFajendFaladaDaFlahaduF, l.l.§i.,
¥he Late JVEahavaia of JUysove,
Under the designation " VEDIC RELIGION " it is proposed to publish in a series English translations of some of the most important Ancient Scriptures of the Aryans with such authoritative commentaries as may throw more light upon their teachings. The Bhagavad-Glt& justly heads the series, as embodying in a most popular form the essence of the whole Vedic Religion within a short compass. The publication of the present volume and the possibility of prosecuting the work— to me, of love — further on is altogether due to the kindness and liberality of Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, k.c. s. I., the Hon*ble Sir. S. Subrahmanya Iyer k. c. i. e., and Mr. A. Ramachandra Iyer (Judge, Chief Court, Bangalore).
I have throughout attempted a literal translation of the Bh^shya, the text of the Bhagavad-Git& being also literally translated in the light of the BhiLshya. The BhiLshya has been translated in full except where a literal ^translation of the Bh&sbya of a whole verse or even of a considerable part of it would be a mere repetition of the translation of the corresponding portion of the text of the Gita ; in which case I have either altogether omitted the Bh^shya or trans- lated only those portions which rather explain the meaning of the text than merely show in what order the words in the text should be construed or merely give their synonymous equivalents. Wherever a mere literal translation of the Bhishya is not likely to bring out its full import or leaves any room for doubt as to its meaning, I have added, in the form of foot-notes, explanations mostly extracted from Anandagiri's Tik&, each such extract being marked(A)at the
Vlll PREFACE.
end. This TikA is always the clearest and most to the point and is almost indispensable for a proper understanding of some important portions of the Bhashya. An immediate disciple of 5rl-5ankarllich^rya as he is reputed to be, he should also be the safest guide.
It has always been my special aim to make the Bh­a in its English garb as clearly intelligible to a general reader as I could, without unnecessarily departing from the original, even as regards the structure of sentences. With this end in view, I have introduced into the translation as few technical terms as possible, whether of the Eastern or of the Western philosophy and theology. Where necessary, original Sanskrit terms have been used along with their English equivalents. In some cases Sanskrit terms alone have been used, inasmuch as their English equivalents are found not to convey adequately the intended idea. The exact sense of every such Sanskrit term will be found ex- plained where it occurs for the first time in the Bhdishya or may be gathered from the context in which it occurs.
Even if the translation be not quite clear when read by itself, I have no doubt that it will at least enable those who are even slightly acquainted with Sanskrit, to understand clearly the Bhashya in the original, especially as given in my edition above referred to. The Bhashya, written as it is in the author's peculiarly terse and archaic style, presents in several places difficulties — even as to the exact relation of the different parts which follow one another in the course of a discussion — which Sanskrit students who are not thoroughly conversant with the author's style and system
of philosophy can scarcely overcome without the help of Anandagiri's Tlk^ or some such help as the present transla- tion affords. It is, moreover, always a distinct gain to be thus able to study the original and avoid the errors into which commonplace readers may fall if they should confine themselves to the translation.
* * :}c ^i ♦ * *
:^
The twofold Vedic Religion. — The purpose of the Divine Incarnation. — The Git§. and the r.nTninentarYi — ]vina.^rr^cra
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man,— SutrCkshu" desires to heSur mind, the
Works are meant for the unenlightened. — Knowledge of the Immutable Self is possible, — The enlightened should resort to Jndna-Yoga. — How the Self is immutable. — No room for grief. — A warrior should fight. — Yoga. — Yoga, a
GONiPBNJIia
The twofold Vedic Religion. — The purpose of the Divine Incarnation. — The Gitfli and the Commentary. — ^JMna-Yoga is the means to the Supreme Bliss. — How Karma-Yoga is a means to the Supreme Bliss. — The specific subject and object of the Git^-5^stra. pp. i-6.
First Discourse.
The Despondency of Arjuna.
Sanjaya narrates the course of the war. — Duryodhana addresses Dro»a. — Both armies ready for battle. — Arjuna's survey of the enemy. — Arjuna's words of despondency. — Arjima's grief at the evils of war. pp. 7-13.
Second Discourse.
Sankhya-Yoga.
Arjuna's weakness condemned by the Lord. — Arjuna seeks instruction from the Lord. — Self-knowledge alone eradicates misery. — The doctrine that knowledge should be conjoined with works. — S&nkhya and Yoga distinguished — Conjunction inconsistent with the sequel. — Some cases of apparent conjunction explained. — The Self is immortal. — fendurance is a condition of wisdom. — The Real and the unreal. — The Self is unconcerned in action. — The Self is immutable. — The enlightened man has to renounce works — Works are meant for the unenlightened. — Knowledge of the Immutable Self is possible. — The enlightened should resort to Jndna-Yoga. — How the Self is immutable. — No room for grief, — A warrior should fight. — Yoga. — Yoga, a
safe course. — Wisdom is one. — No wisdom possible for the worldly-minded. — Advice to the Yogin. — Karma- Yoga. — The merit of Wisdom. — Results of Karma- Yoga. — The characteristic attributes of a perfect Sage. — (i) Satisfaction in the Self. — (2) Ekjuanimity in pleasure and pain. — (3) Absence of attachment, delight and aversion. — (4) Com- plete withdrawal of senses from objects. — Unrestrained senses work mischief. — (5) Devotion to the Lord. — Thought of sense-objects is the source of evil. — Sense-control leads to peace and happiness. — Sense-restraint conduces to steady knowledge. — (6) The Universe, a mere dream to the Sage. — Works are not meant for the sage. — (7) Subjugation of desire and personal self. — Knowledge leads to Divine Felicity. pp.14-70.
Third Discourse.
Karma- Yoga.
Arjuna*s perplexity. — No conjunction of Knowledge and Action.— Renunciation enjoined in the scriptures. — Moksha cannot be the effect of an action. — Conjunction is inconsist- ent with Arjuna's question. — Which is better, Knowledge or Action.— The paths of Knowledge and Action.— Karma- Yoga leads to freedom from action. — The ignorant are swayed by Nature.— The unenlightened should not give up Karma- Yoga.— The wheel of the world should be set go- ing.— Karma- Yoga is not meant for the Self-knower.^. Arjuna qualified for Karma- Yoga. — The wise should set an example to the masses. — The wise man's action as contrast- ed with that of the ignorant. — How an aspirant for Moksha should do actions. — Influence of man's nature on his con- duct. — Scope for man's personal exertion. — Desire is the
enemy of man. — Desire enshrouds wisdom.— The seat of desire. — How to kill out desire. pp. 71-103.
Fourth Discourse.
JSANA-YOGA.
Tradition of Jw^na- Yoga. — Divine Incarnations. — The purpose of Divine Incarnation. — Jw&na-Yoga is the sole means to moksha. — Divine dispensation of worldly benefits and salvation. — Caste as a divinely ordered human institution. — Action without attachment does not bind the soul. — The real nature of action and inaction. — Who is a Sage ? — The Sage's worldly action as an example to the masses. — The Sage's action for bodily maintenance. — The Sage's worldly action does not bind him. — Wisdom- sacrifice. — Sacrifices effected by action. — Wisdom-sacrifice is superior to other sacrifices. — How and where one should seek wisdom. — Wisdom, a consumer of all sins and actions. — The surest means to wisdom. — Wisdom, the killer
of doubt. pp. 104-138.
Fifth Discourse.
SamnyIsa-yoga.
Which is better for the ignorant, Karma- Yoga or Sawny&sa? — The question is not with reference to the enlightened. — Karma- Yoga and Sawnyfl,sa inapplicable to the enlightened. — Karma- Yoga suits the ignorant better than Sawny&sa.— S§.nkhya and Yoga lead to the same goal. — Karma- Yoga is a means to Sawny&sa. — A Sage's actions do not aflfect him. — A Sage's actions are really no actions. — Karma- Yogin is untainted by the results of his action. — The blissful embodied life of a Sage. — Nature is the source of activity.— Wisdom and unwisdom. — The Sage has no more births. — The Sage sees the One in all beings.—
The Sage is liberated while still on earth. — The Sage is free from grief and rejoicing.— The Sage's infinite joy. — The path of Nirvfiiwa.— Realisation of the Lord by Dhy&na- Yoga. pp. 139-162.
Sixth Discourse.
DhyAna-Yoga.
Dhydna-Yoga is incompatible with works. — Renunciation in action. — Action is a stepping-stone to Dhy&na-Yoga. — Who is a Yogin ? — Directions for the practice of Yoga. — Consummation. — Further directions concerning the practice of Yoga. — The eflfect of Dhy ^na- Yoga. — Practice and Indiflfer- ence are the surest means to Yoga. — Failures in Yoga and the after-career. — The best of the Yogins. pp. i63-i87«
Seventh Discourse.
VlJf^ANA-YoGA.
Realisation of the Lord by meditation. — Evolution of the Universe out of Divine Praknti. — The Divine Principle penetrating the Universe. — Mdydi : How to overcome it. — Four classes of devotees. — The ignorant worship inferior Gods. — The root of ignorance. — Divine worship leads to realisation. pp. 188-200.
Eighth Discourse.
Abhyasa-Yoga.
The seven things to be realised by meditation — Constant meditation of the Divine is necessary.— The Divine Being to be meditated upon. — Meditation of the Divine in the Prawava. — No re-birth on attaining to the Divine Being. — The Day and the Night of Brahmd,. — The Highest Goal, how reached — The Paths of Light and Darkness. — Excel- lence of Yoga, pp. 201-214.
Ninth Discourse.
Sovereign Wisdom and Secret.
Brahma-jn&na is the best Religion. — All beings rest in
the Lord. — The Lord is the source and the end of all
beings. — The Lord is not bound by His acts. — The life of
the impious. — The ways of the faithful devotees. — All
worship goes to the Lord. — The fruits of interested acts of
Vedic ritual. — The Supreme watching over His devotee's
interests. — Other devotees do but worship the Supreme in
ignorance. — Facility in Devotion to the Supreme—The
impartiality of the Supreme. — Even the low-born attain
salvation by Devotion. — The Yoga of Devotion.
pp.fii5-233.
Tenth Discourse.
Divine Manifestations.
The Lord is the source of all manifestations. — Knowledge of the Lord's Glory conduces to Yoga. — The Lord endows His devotees with wisdom. — Arjuna's question about the Lord's manifestations — The Lord's enumeration of His manifestations. — Divine Glory described in brief.
pp. 234-247. Eleventh Discourse.
The Universal Form.
Arjuna's prayer for a vision of the Universal Form. — Arjuna endowed with heavenly sight wherewith to see the Universal Form.— The manifestation of the Lord's Uni- versal Form. — Vishwu is one with the Unconditioned. — The Universal Form (continued). — The wonderfulness of the Universal Form. — ^Theterribleness of the Universal Form. — Arjuna's vision of the defeat of the enemy. — The splendour of the Universal Form.— -The Lord's advent for destruction
of worlds— Arjuna's adoration of the Universal Form.— Arjuna's prayer for the Lord's forgiveness. — Arjuna's prayer for the Lord's resumption of His usual form. — The Lord resumes His usual form. — Devotion as the sole means to the realization of the Universal Form. — The essence of the whole teaching of the Git^. pp. 248-264,
Twelfth Discourse.
Bhakti-Yoga.
Who are superior, the worshippers of 15 vara, or the worshippers of Akshara ? — The worshippers of f svara. — The worshippers of Akshara. — Salvation by worship of tsvara. —
Abhyasa-Yoga Service of the Lord. — Abandonment of
the fruits of actions.— The life of the Akshara-up^sakas.
pp. 265-276.
Thirteenth Discourse.
Matter and Spirit.
The main subject of the discourse. — The body and soul. — Identity of the soul with the Lord. — The soul is subject to evil only through ignorance. — Kshetrajwa is really unaflfect- ed by saws&ra. — Avidya inheres in the organ, not in the Self. — Scriptural injunctions apply only to the state of bondage. — Bondage and liberation are not real states of the Self. — Scriptural injunctions concern the unenlightened. — Learned but deluded. — The relation of the Self to samsira is a mere illusion. — The perception of the relation of avidyd, etc., to the Self is due to illusion. — Summary of the Doc- trine.— ^The Doctrine extolled. — Matter in all its forms. — Virtues conducive to Self-knowledge. — Brahman, the Knowable. — Brahman is beyond speech and thought.— Brahman is the source of all activity.— Brahnian is unccmdi-
tioned. — Brahman, the basic Reality in all illusory phenomena. — Brahman, theperceiver of the guwas — Brq.h- man is all. — Brahman is comprehended only by the wise. — Brahman is the one Self in all. — Brahman is the Cause of the Universe. — Brahman is the Illuminator of all. — The Light is in the heart of every one. — Seek the Light through devotion. — Praknti and Purusha are eternal. — Praknti and Purusha as the Cause of sawsira. — Avidy^ and K^ma are the cause of rebirths. — Self-knowledge removes the cause of
saw/sara The four paths to Self-knowledge Nothing
exists outside the Self. — The one Self in all. — Knowledge of the one Self leads to moksha. — Praknti acts, not the Self. — The Self is the source and the abode of all. — The Self is unaffected by the fruits of acts. — The Self illumines all. — The doctrine summed up. pp. 277-338.
Fourteenth Discourse.
The Three Gunas.
The subject of the discourse — Knowledge of the origin of the universe is necessary for salvation. — Evolution of the Universe from the union of Spirit and Matter. — The guwas bind the soul. — The nature and functions of the guwas. — The mutual action of the guwas, — How to know
when a particular guwa is predominant Life after death
as governed by the guwas. — The functions of the guwas summed up. — Realisation of the Self beyond the guwas leads to immortality. — The marks of a liberated soul — The conduct in life of a Liberated one. — Devotion to the Lord leads to liberation. — Unity of Atman. pp. 339-354.
Fifteenth Discourse.
The Supreme Spirit. The Tree of Sawsfi,ra. — Cut the Tree and seek the Goal. —
The Path to the Goal. — The Goal is the Lord's Glorious Being. — Jiva is a ray of the Lord. — How Jiva dwells in the body and departs from it. — The Self is visible only to the eye of knowledge. — No Self-knowledge without Yoga. — Immanence of the Lord, (i) as the all-illumining Light of
Consciousness. — {2) As the all-sustaining Life (3) As the
Digestive Fire in all living organisms. — (4) As the Self in the hearts of all. — The Lord beyond the perishable and the imperishable universe. — The Glory of Self-knowledge.
PP- 355-37^- Sixteenth Discourse.
Spirituality and Materialism.
I Spiritual disposition. — Materialistic disposition. — Re- sults of the two dispositions. — The materialists. — The materialist's view of the world— Men's life as guided by materialism. — The materialist's aspirations. — The materi- alist's sacrificial rites. — The materialist's neglect of Divine Commandments. — The materialist's fall. — The three Gates of Hell to be avoided. — Let the Law guide thy life.
pp. 372-383-
Seventeenth Discourse.
[The Threefold Faith.
The ignorant, but faithful. — The three kinds of Faith
Men of R&jasic and T&msic Faiths. — Threefold Food, Wor- ship and Gift. — The three kinds of Food. — The three kinds of Worship. — Physical Austerity. — Austerity in speech. — Mental Austerity. — The three kinds of Austerity according to Guwas. — The three kinds of Gift.— How to perfect the defective acts. — Works without faith are fruitless. — The teaching of the discourse summed up. pp. 384-395.
Eighteenth Discourse.
Conclusion.
*Sawny^sa' and *Ty^ga' distinguished. — Should the ignorant perform works or not ? — The Lord's decree is that the ignorant should perform works — The obligatory works should be performed without attachment. — Tamasic and Rajasic renunciations of works. — Renunciation in works is Sattvic. — From renunciation in works to renunci- ation of all works Renunciation of fruits is alone possible
for the ignorant. — Effects of the two renunciations after death. — Factors in the production of an actc — The agency of the Self is an illusion — Realisation of the non-agency of the Self leads to absolution from the effects of all works.-^ The Impulses to action. — The Impulses are threefold according to the guwas. — Sittvic Knowledge. — Rajasic Knowledge. — Tamasic Knowledge. — Sattvic Action. — Rajasic Action. — Tamasic Action. — Sattvic Agent. — Rijasic Agent. — Tamasic Agent. — Intellect and firmness are threefold according to guwas. — Sebttvic Intellect. — Rfiijasiclntellect. — Tamasic Insellect. — Sattvic Firmness. — Rajasic Firmness. — Tamasic Firmness. — Pleasure is three- fold according to gu;^as. — Sattvic Pleasure. — Rajasic Pleasure. — Tamasic Pleasure. — No man or god is free from ^ guwas. — The sequel sums up the whole Doctrine. — Duties of the four castes ordained according to nature. — Devotion to one's own duty leads to perfection. — One ought not to abandon one's own duty. — Is entire renunciation of action possible?— The Sllnkhya, Buddhistic, and Vaiseshika theories. — Refutation of the Vaiseshika theory. — Refutation
of the Pariw^ma-VAda — The Lord's theory of illusion
The enlightened alone can renounce action entirely. —
Perfection in Karma- Yoga leads to absolute Perfection. — Absolute Perfection is the consummation of Self-know- ledge.— Is Self-knowledge possible at all? — The Self reveals Himself in Pure Reason. — Cognition and the Cogniser are self- revealed. — The Path to Absolute Perfection. — The consummation of Knowledge attained by Devotion. — Renunciation of all works is necessary for Absolute Per- fection.— Devotion to the Lord by works enjoined. — Devo- tion to the Lord is the Secret of success in Karma- Yoga. — Right Knowledge and Renunciation. — What is the means to the Highest Bliss, Knowledge or Works ? — Self- Knowledge alone is the means to the Highest Bliss. — Knowledge cannot be conjoined with works. — Refutation of the theory that salvation is attained by works alone. — Refutation of the theory that the Nitya- Karma leads to no future births. — The Paths of Knowledge and Works are meant for distinct classes of aspirants — Action is a creature of Avidya. — The theory of Avidy^ does not militate against
the authority of Karma- Kawia Refutation of the theory
of the Self's agency by mere presence. — The theory of AvidySi concluded. — Qualification for instruction in the Gita Doctrine. — The merit of teaching the Doctrine. — The merit of hearing the Doctrine. — The Lord assured by Arjuna of his grasp of the Teaching. — Sanjaya extols the Lord and His teaching. pp. 396-479.
"^^^P^
THE BHAGAVAD-GITA
S'Rt S'ANKARACHARYA'S COMMENTARY.
N4r4yawa is beyond the Avyakta ; From the Avyakta the Mundane Egg is born ; Within the Mundane Egg, verily, are these worlds And the Earth made up of the seven Dvlpas.
[This is a paur&mc verse speaking of the Antary&min, the Inner Guide and Regulator of all souls. It is quoted here by the commentator in order that he may begin his important work, after the orthodox fashion, with the con- templation of his favorite God (Ishto-Devat^), namely, N§.- r^ya«a, and further with a view to shew that the Pur&wa (archaic history), the Itih^sa (ancient tradition) and the Git a teach one and the same doctrine. Nlir^yaita is, in the popular conception, the Creator who was brooding over the waters just before the beginning of Creation. Cf. Manu I, 10. According to a subtler conception, N^r^yawa is the Antary^min, the Divine Being in whom all embodied souls have their being. He is not a creature of the Avyakta, but far transcends it. It is the Avyakta, the Avy^krita, Miya, the undifferentiated matter, out of which, when in apparent union with Isvara, is evolved the principle of HirawyagarbKa', here spoken of as Af^a or the Mundane Egg, which is
THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.
composed of the five simple rudimental elements of matter. An intermingling of the five rudimental elements of matter gives rise to the principle of the Vir^j, of which are formed the Earth and all the other lokas or inhabited regions. — (AfMHdagiri). The seven Dvlpas or insular continents are Jambd, Plaksha, Kusa, Krau^^cha, 5aka, 5d.lmala and Pushkara. For further particulars regarding these, see Wilson's Vishwupur^fia Vol. I,/. 109 ff.]
The twofold Vedic Religion.
The Lord created the universe, and wishing to secure order therein He first created the PrajApatis '•' (Lords of creatures) such as Marichi and caused them to adopt the Pravntti-Dharma, the Religion of Works. He then created others such as Sanaka and Sanandana t and caused them to adopt the Nivntti-Dharma, the Religion of Renunciation, characterised by knowledge and indifference to worldly objects. It is the twofold Vedic Religion of Works and Renunciation that maintains order in the universe. This Religion which directly leads to liberation and worldly prosperity has long I been practised by all castes and religious orders (var«a-lLsrama)~from the br^h- manas downwards,— who sought welfare.
* They are ten in number. C/. Manu I. 34, 35. Authorities difter as to their names and number. See Wilson's Vislittupurina, Vol. I, pp. 100—102.
+ They were ' without desire or pas- sion, inspired with holy wisdom, es- tranged from the universe and undesir- ous of progeny.' See Vishnupurina, Part I, Ch. VII. The authorities difter as to their names and number ; see Wilson's V. P., Vol. I, pp. 77—78. These, . declining to create progeny,
remained— as the name of the first, Sanatkumara, implies — ever hoys, Ku- mdras, that is, ever pure and innocent.
I The words ' dirghena kilena' (mean- ing a long time) in the Com. are also construed, as an alternative interpreta- tion, with the next following sentence. Then it means ' a long time after,' i. e. , when the Krita and the Tret& Yugas had been over and the Dv¶-Yuga was approaching its end.— (A)
The purpose of the Divine Incarnation.
When, owing to the ascendancy of lust in its votaries, religion was overpowered by irreligion caused by the vanishing faculty of discrimination, and irreligion was advancing, it was then that the original Creator (Adi-kartri), Vishwu, known as NAriyawa, wishing to maintain order in the universe, incarnated "»" Himself as Krishna, begotten in Devakl by Vasudeva, for the preservation of the * earthly Brahman,' t of spiritual life ( Br^hmawatva ) on the earth. For it was by the preservation of spiritual life that the Vedic Religion could be preserved, since thereon depend all distinctions I of caste and religious order. The Lord, always possessed as He is of (infinite) knowledge, supre- macy, power, strength, might and vigour, controls the M4y^, — belonging to Him as Vishwu,— the MAlapraknti, the First Cause, composed of three Guwas § or energies, and He appears to the world as though He is born and embodi-
♦ The words in the Com. corresponding to this are ' amsena sambabhiiva.' As awsa means a part, it would mean that Krish- na was a partial' Incarnation of God Vlshmi. But of the several forms of the incarnation of God, Krishna is on all bands recognised as a full incarnation of Vishnu. Accordingly, ylnandagiri ex- plains *amsena' to mean 'svechchha- nUrmitena-mdyamayena svarOpena,' that is, 'in an illusory form created by His own will.'
+ The Commentator here refers to the following passage :
"That God whom Lady Devaki begat by Vasudeva for the preservation of the
earthly Brahman "
(54nti-parva, 47th Adhyilya.) " Earthly Brahman" is explained by Nllakan^ha to mean * the Vedas, the bridimanas, and yajnas or sacrifices.'"
t Kshatriyas and others require the help of the br&hmanas, the spiritual class in the performance of sacred rites and in the study of Scriptures.— (A.)
§ For a full description of the Gunas see xiv, 5 et seq.
4 THE BHAGAVAD-gITA.
ed and helping the world at large ; whereas really He is unborn and indestructible, is the Lord of creatures, and is by nature Eternal, Pure, Intelligent and Free.
[The special stress laid here on Mkyk as belonging to and being under the control of the Isvara is chiefly intended to impress the idea that Mdiy^ does not exist or act independently of Brahman, the Isvara. He is quite independent of Mkyky unlike the individual souls who are subject to its influence. The followers of the historical school of the Sankhya-darsana hold, on the other hand, that Matter and Spirit, Praknti and Purusha, are two distinct principles, the former being as real as the latter and acting in unison with it.— (A.) ]
Without any interest of His own, but with the sole intention of helping His creatures, He taught to Arjuna, who was deeply plunged in the ocean of grief and delusion, the twofold Vedic Religion, evidently thinking that the Religion would widely spread when accepted and practised by men of high character.
The Qita and the Commentary.
It is this Religion which was taught by the Lord that the omniscient and adorable Veda-Vyasa (the arranger of the Vedas) embodied in the seven hundred verses called Glt§,s.
This famous Glti-54stra is an epitome of the essentials of the whole Vedic teaching; and its meaning is very diflicult to understand. Though, to aff'ord a clear view of its teaching, it has been explained word by word and sentence by sentence, and its import critically examined by several commentators, still I have found that to the laity
it appears to teach diverse and quite contradictory doct- rines. I propose, therefore, to write a brief commentary with a view to determine its precise meaning.
fnana'Yoga Is the means to the Supreme Bliss.
The aim of this famous Glt&-54stra is, briefly, the Supreme Bliss, a complete cessation of saufs&ra or trans- migratory life and of its cause. This accrues from that Religion (Dharma) which consists in a steady devotion to the knowledge of the Self, preceded by the renunciation of all works. So, with reference to this Religion, the doctrine of the GltlL, the Lord says in the Anu-Gltft* as follows :
** That religion, indeed, is quite sufficient for
the realisation of the state of Brahman,
the Absolute." (Asv. Parva xvi. 12.) In the same place it is also said :
" He is without merit and without sin, without
weal and woe, — he who is absorbed in the one
seat, silent and thinking nothing." And He also says :
" Knowledge is characterised by renunciation."
{Ibid, xliii. 26.) Here also at the end Arjuna is thus exhorted :
" Abandoning all dharmas, come to Me alone
for shelter." (xviii. 66).
■^w^*— — *— ■ 11 w ■ I ■ ■ ■ I ■ I ■ ■ ■■■■-■■ ■ ■ ■ .1 ■ — I. Ill ■■!■■■■ I , ,^m f— — — ^— — ^ II. , ■ ■ ..
* This forms part of the A^vamedha- had gone out of his degenerate mind. KH-
parva and is contained in chapters 16-51 shna thereupon protested that He was not
of that parva or section. It professes to equal to a verbatim recapitulation of the
bs a sort of recapitulation of the teaching Bhagavad-gU4, but agreed, in lieu of that,
of the Bhagavad-GitA. Sometime after to impart to Arjuna the same Instruction
the fratricidal war was over, Arjuna in other words through the medium of a
requested Krishna " to repeat the instruc- certain ancient story."— See Sacred Books
tlon which had been conveyed to him on o/the East, Vol. VIII, pp. 197 — igg. the holy field of Kurukshetra, but whi^h
& THE BHAGAVAD-gItA.
How Karma- Yo^a is a means to the Supreme Bliss.
Though the Religion of Works, — ^which, as a means of attaining worldly prosperity, is enjoined on the several castes and religious orders, — leads the devotee to the region of the Devas and the like, still, when practised in a spirit of complete devotion to the Lord and without regard to the (immediate) results, it conduces to the purity of the mind (sattva-5uddhi). The man whose mind is pure is competent to tread the path of knowledge, and to him comes knowledge ; and thus (indirectly) the Religion of Works forms also a means to the Supreme Bliss. Accordingly, with this very idea in mind, the Lord says :
" He who does actions, placing them in Brahman,"
" Yogins perform actions, without attachment,
for the purification of the self.*' (v. lo, 1 1).
Tlie specific subject and object of tlie Qita-Sastra.
The Gitll 5^stra expounds this twofold Religion, whose aim is the Supreme Bliss. It expounds specially the nature of the Supreme Being and Reality known as V&sudeva, the Parabrahman, who forms the subject of the discourse. Thus * the Gltft-Sllstra treats of a specific subject with a specific object and bears a specific relation (to the subject and object). A knowledge of its teaching leads to the realisation of aH human aspirations. Hence my attempt to explain it.
♦ It is considered Incumbent on a the subject is the Para-Brahman ; the commentator to state, before comment- object is Salvation, Moksha. It is intend- ing on a work, the subject and the ed for those who seek deliverance from object, as well as the class of personsf or the turmoil of samsAra. It is related to whom it is intended, and the relation in the subject as an exposition thereof, and which it stands to the three severally. Here to the object as a means of attaining it.
Sanjaya narrates the course of the war.
Dhntar4shto said :
I. What did Pkndu's sons and mine do when they assembled together on the sacred plain of Kurukshetra eager for battle, O Sawjaya ?
Sawjaya said :
2. Having seen the army of the Pjlwrfavas drawn up in battle-array, prince Duryodhana then approached his teacher and spoke (these) words :
Duryodhana addresses Drona.
3. '* O teacher, look at this grand army of the sons of Pkndu, marshalled by thy talented pupil, the son of Drupada.
4. " Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna, — Yuyudhdna, Vir^/a, and Drupada, the master of a great car (mah^ratha) , *
5. " Dhrish^aketu, Chekit&na, and the valiant king of Kdisl, Purujit and Kunti-Bhoja and that eminent man Saibya ;
it Technically, ' mahiratha' means * a who single-handed can fight a thousand warrior proficient in military science archers.'
8 THE BHAGAVAD-.GiTA. [DiS. I.
6. " The herojc YudhAmanyu and the brave Uttamaujas ; the son of SubhadrA and the sons of Draupadi, all masters of great cars (mah&rathas).
7. ** But know, O best of the twice-born, who are the most distinguished among us, the leaders of my army ; these I name to thee by way of example.
8. " Thyself and Bhtshma, and Karwa, and also Kripa, the victor in war, Asvatthaman and Vikarwa, and also Jayadratha, the son of Somadatta ;
9. " And many other heroes who have given up their lives for my sake, fighting with various weapons, all well-skilled in battle.
10. " This army of ours protected by Bhlshma is inadequate, whereas that army of theirs which is under the protection of Bhtma is adequate. *
11. " And therefore do ye all, occupying your respective positions in the several divisions of the army, support Bhlshma only.'*
Both armies ready for battle.
12. His mighty grandsire, (Bhlshma), the oldest of the Kauravas, in order to cheer him, sounded on high a lion's roar and blew his conch.
it This sloka is difierently interpreted that his army, larger and led by an
by difterent commeiUators. A nandagiri's abler leader than the enemy's, is more
gloss suggests various interpretations likely to win the battle, which all go to make Puryodhana mean
6-^^iii THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA. <
cymbdls, drums and horns ware played upon, and the sound was a tumultuous uproar.
14. Then, too, MAdhava and the son of Pkndu, seated in a grand chariot yoked to white horses, blew their celestial conches.
15. Hrishtkesa blew the PAnchajanya, and Arjuna blew the Devadatta. Bhlma, (the doer) of terrible deeds, blew his great conch Pauwira.
16. Prince Yudhish/hira, the son of Kantt, blew the Anantavijaya, while Nakula and Sahadeva. blew the Sughosha and the Manipushpaka.
17. The king of Kftsl, an excellent archer, Sikhaniin, the master of a great car, Dhrish/a- dyumna and Vira/a, and the unconquered S4tyaki ;
18. Drupada and the sons of Draupadl, O lord of earth, and the son of SubhadrA, of mighty arms, all together blew their respective conches.
ig. That tumultuous sound rent the hearts of (the people) of Dhntar4sh^ra*s party, making both , heavenand earth resound.
Arjuna'5 survey of the enemy.
20-22. Then seeing the people of Dhritarsl,sh^ra's party regularly marshalled, while the discharge of weapons began, Arjuna, the son of Pkndu, whose ensign was a monkey, O King of earth, took up his bow and said thus to Krishna :
" O Achyuta (Immortal), place my chariot between the two armies, that I may just se6 those
10 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [Dw« I
who stand here desirous to fight, and know with whom I must fight in this strife of battle.
23. " I will observe those who are assembled here and are about to engage in battle desirous to do service in war to the evil-minded son of Dhritarash^ra/'
Samjaya said :
24-25. O descendant of Bharata, Hrishlkesa (Krishna) thus addressed by Gu^glkesa (Arjuna) stationed that excellent car between the two armies in frojit of Bhlshma and Drona and all the rulers of earth, and said : ** O son of Prithd, look at these assembled Kauravas."
26-27. Then the son of Pnthi saw arrayed there in both the armies fathers and grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grand- sons and comrades, fathers-in-law and friends.
27-28. When the son of Kuntt saw all the kinsmen standing, he was overcome with deepest pity and said thus in sorrow :
Arjuna's words of despondency.
Arjuna said :
28-29. Seeing these kinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed and desirous to fight, my limbs droop down, and my mouth is dried up. A tremor comes on my body and my hairs stand on end.
22 — 370 THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA. II
30. The GAnitva slips from my hand, and my skin is intensely burning. I am also unable to stand and my mind is whirling round, as it were.
31. And, O Kesava, I see omens foreboding evil. Nor do I see any good from killing my kinsmen in battle.
32. I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor King- dom, nor pleasures. Of what avail is dominion *. to us, O Govinda ? Of what avail are pleasures and even life ?
33-34. They for whose sake dominion, enjoy- ments and pleasures are sought by us are here standing, having staked their life and wealth : teachers, fathers, sons as well as grandfathers; maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, bro- thers-in-law as also (other) relatives.
35. These, O slayer of Madhu, I do not wish to kill, though they kill me, even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds ; how much less for the sake of the earth !
36. O JanArdana, what delight shall be ours after killing the sons of Dhritarash^ra ? On kill- ing these felons, sin only will take hold of us.
37. We had then better not slay our own kins- men, the sons of Dhritarfitshto ; for, how can we be happy, O MAdhava, after slaying our own people ?
la THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS, L
Arjuna'8 srrief at the evils of war.
^38-39. .Though these, whose intelligence is stricken by greed, perceive no evil in the extinction of families and no sin in treachery to friends, yet, O jan&rdana, should not we, who clearly see evil in the extinction of a family, learn to refrain from this sinful deed ?
40. On the extinction of a family, the im- memorial dharmas * of that family disappear. When the dharmas disappear, impiety (adharma) overtakes the whole family, t
.41. By the prevalence of impiety, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt. Women corrupted, there will be intermingling of castes (yarwa-sawkara), O descendant of Vrishwis.
42. Confusion of castes leads the family of these destroyers of families also to hell ; for, their fore- fathers fall (down to hell), deprived of the offer- ings of pinda. (rice-ball) and water.
4 J. By these evil deeds of the destroyers of families which cause the intermingling of castes, the eternal dharmas of castes and families are
subverted.
44. We have heard, O Jan4rdana, that necess- ary is the dwelling in hell of the men whose family dharmas are subverted.
♦ The duties and ceremonies practised + Of the destroyed (according to sonieti
by tho family in accordance With tha of the destroyer (according to some scriptural command* others).
58 — 47'] THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA. I3
45. Alas ! we have resolved to commit a great sin, inasmuch as we are endeavouring to slay our kinsmen out of a craving for the pleasures of dominion.
46. It would be better for me, if the sons of DhritarAsh^ra, with arms in hand, should slay me unarmed and unresisting in the battle,
Sawjaya said :
47. Having said thus, Arjuna, sorrow-stricken in mind, cast aside his bow and arrows in the midst of the battle and sat down in the chariot.
' *
— •♦>5*i*3>j4^|»—
Arjuna*s weakness condemned by the Lord.
and afflicted, and whose eyes were full of tears
and agitated, the destroyer of Madhu spoke as
follows :
The Lord said :
2. Whence in (this) perilous strait has come upon thee this weakness cherished by the unwor- thy, debarring from heaven and causing disgrace, O Arjuna ?
3. Yield not to unmanliness, O son of Pritha. It does not become thee. Cast off this base weak- ness of heart and arise, O tormentor of foes.
Arjuna seeks instruction from the Lord.
Arjuna said :
4. O slayer of Madhu, how shall I assail in battle with arrows Bhlshma and Drowa, who are worthy of worship, O slayer of enemies.
5. Better indeed in this world to live even upon alms than to slay the teachers of high honor. But, were I to slay these teachers, I should only in this world enjoy the pleasures of wealth, delights stained with blood.
* Which of the two-^living upon almi without slaying others, or figbtUlg thtt gnemy which ia our duty.— M)
J— xo.] Sankhya-yooa. ts
alternative for us ; nor do we know whether we shall conquer them or they will conquer us. Even the sons of Dlmtar&sh/ra, after killing whom we do not wish to live, stand arrayed against us.
7 My heart contaminated by the taint of help- lessness, my mind confounded about Dharma, * I ask Thee: Tell me what is absolutely good. I am Thy pupil. Instruct me, who have sought Thy grace.
8 I do not indeed S23 what can dispel the grief which burns up my senses, even after attaining unrivalled and prosperous dominion on earth or even lordship over gods.
Sawjaya said :
9 Having spoken thus to Hrishlkesa, Gud&keso., the tormenter of foes, said to Govinda, * I will not fight,' and verily remained silent.
10 To him who was grieving in the midst of the two armies, O descendant of Bharata, Hrishl- kesa, as if smiling, spoke these words :
Self-knowledge alone eradicates misery.
Now the portion from i. 2 to ii. 9 should be interpreted as showing whence arise those evils of grief, delusion, etc., which in sentient creatures cause the misery of samsira. — To
explain: In ii. 4 et seq . Arjuna dispkyed grief and
delusion caused- by his_^ttachment for^ and the sen^e of separation from, dominion, the elders, sons, friends, well- wishers, kinsmen, near and remote relations,--all this arising from his notion that " I am theirs and they are
♦ 'Dbarma' here means •Brahman' who supports all — (A)
t<
THE Bil^iiVAEf-atTA,
[Drs; If.
mine." Itw^is wben dfecriminaticto Wfts overpowered by grief and delusion that Arjuna, who had of himself been engaged in battle as the duty of the warrior caste, abstain- ed from fighting and proposed to lead a mendicant's life, which was the duty of a different caster's Accordingly, all creatures whose intelligence is swayed by grief and delusion and other evil influences naturally abandon their proper duties and resort to those which are prohibited. Even if they are engaged in their duties, their conduct m speech, thought and deed is egoistic and is prompted by a longing for reward. In their case, then, owing to an accumulation , of merit aiid denierif , of dharma arid a-dharma, the sa»ws^ra, which ionsisti in passing through good aind bad births, hap- piness and misery, becomes incessant. Grief and delusion are thus the cause of sams^ra; And seeing that their cessa* tidn codid Adi bs brought about except by Self-knowledge added t6 renunciation of all works. Lord V&siideva wished to teach that knowledge for the benefit of the whole world through Arjuna and began His teaching with ii. ii.
Thk Aottvtdt thai knowledsre should be conjoined
with works.
Against the foregoing view some + say: — Moksha cannot at all be attained by mere A'tmaj;iana-nish^hdp, by
'*' The br&hmanas alone are allowed to enter the fourth ^srama of samnydsa, which consists in ti^e renunciation of all formal religion and worldly possessions.
f According to A'nandagiri, the Vritti- k&ra is the commentator here referred to. A Vrittik&ra's interpretaftion of the Brahma-si^tras I. i. ii — 19 is also referred to by Sahkar&charya in his commentary on that sieetion. It is very probai>le that one and the same person was the author of the two VHUls or commentaries. The
Vrttti on the Gttli was evidently very ' voluminous, inasmuch as Sri Sankar&ch- Arya's bhashya is professedly very short in comparison with it. It is, therefore. ' HDt unlikely that the author of the Vritti , on the Gita was no other than Bodh&ya- na who is said to have written a volumin- ous commentary on ths Brahma-siktras, nearly a million slokas in extent^ and of which the 5ri-bh­a otSri R&m&nuj4- charys^ |s sai4 ^o be a iqere abstract,
t^io] sAnkmya voga. 17
mere devotion to Self-knowledge preceded by the renuncia- tion of all works. — By what then ? — Absolute freedom can be attained by knowledge conjoined with works, such as the Agnih6tra, prescribed in the 6ruti and the smnti. This is the conclusive teaching of the whole GltSi. As support- ing this view may be cited — they say — the verses ii. 33, ii, 47, iv. 15, etc. It should not be supposed that the Vedic ritual is sinful because it involves cruelty, etc. ''' — Why ?. — For, our Lord says that, since fighting which is the profes- sion of the warrior caste is the proper duty (of the caste), it is not sinful though it involves cruelty to elders, brothers, sons and the like and is therefore very horrible ; and He further says that, in the case of a neglect of this duty, " abandoning thy duty and fame thou shalt incur sin. *' (ii. 33). This is clearly tantamount to asserting that those rites which are enjoined as life-long duties by the Vedas are sinless though they involve cruelty to animals.
5ankhya and Yoga distingfuished.
This is wrong, since the Lord has made a distinction between Jw4na-nish^ha. and Karma-nish^hft, between the devotion of knowledge and the devotion of works, as based respectively upon two distinct standpoints. — The real nature of the Self as expounded here in ii. 11 — 30 by the Lord is called Sankhya ; an intellectual conviction of the truth produced by a study of that section, — that the Self is no doer, owing to the absence in Him of such changes as birth — forms the Sankhya standpoint (Sankhya-buddhi); and the en- lightened who hold this view are called Sankhyas. Yoga consists in the performance — before the rise of the foregoing
• Such as the eating of uchchhish^a or what remains of the food of which another has already eaten.— (A).
Xi THE BAGAvAD-gIta. [Dis. IL
conviction— of works as a means to moksha, requiring a knowledge of virtue and sin, and presupposing that the Self is distinct from the body and is the doer and the enjoyer. Such conviction forms the Yoga standpoint (Yoga-buddhi), and the performers of works who hold this view are Yogins. Accordingly two distinct standpoints are referred to by the Lord in ii. 39. Of these, He will assign to the S&nkbyas the J«lina-yoga, or devotion to knowledge, based upon the Sstnkhya standpoint ; and so also He will assign to the Yogins the path of Karma-yoga, or devotion to works, based upon the Yoga standpoint (iii. 3). Thus with reference to the S^nkhya and the Yoga standpoints two distinct paths have been shown by the Lord, seeing the impossibility of Jnkna. and Karma being conjoined in one and the same person simultaneously, the one being based upon the idea of fton- agency atid unity , and the other on the idea of agency and nmlHpliciiy. The distinction made here is also referred to in the 5atapatha-BrAhma?ta. — Having enjoined renuncia- tion of all works in the words, **The brahmawas who, having no worldly attachments, wish only for this region of the Self, should give up all worldly concerns, " the Br^hma- na continues thus in explanation of the said injunction :
" What have we to do with progeny, — we who live in this region, this Self?'* (Bnhad£^ra»yaka-Upa- nishad, iv. 4, 22),
In the same Brahma/ia (ibid, i. 4, 17) we are told that, before marriage and after completing the investigation into the nature of the Dharma or Vedic injunctions, the man of the world * desired ' to acquire the means of attaining to the three regions (of man, of Pitns, and of Devas), namely, a son and the twofold wealth,— the one kind of wealth being
1— lO.] SANKHYA YOGA. I9
called * human (minusha)^ ' consisting of works and leading to the region of Pityis, and the other kind of wealth being called * ^odly (daiva),* consisting in wisdom (vidy^, upasana) 1/ and leading to the region of Devas. Thus the Vedic rites are intended for him only who has desires and has no knowledge of the Self. The renunciation of these is enjoin- ed on him who seeks only the region of the Self and is free from desire. This assigning of the two paths to two distinct classes of people would be unjustifiable if the Lord had intended a simultaneous conjunction of knowledge and Vedic rites.
Conjunction inconsistent with tlie sequel.
Neither could Arjuna's question with which the Third Discourse opens be satisfactorily explained (on that theory). How might Arjuna falsely impute to the Lord — as he did in iii. I — that which is alleged (by the opponent) to have not been taught before by the Lord and to hjive not been heard by Arjuna, — namely, the impossibility of both knowledge and works being followed by one and the same person, as well as the superiority of knowledge to works ?
Mereover, if conjunction of knowledge and works be intended for all, it must have been intended for Arjuna as well. In that case how might Arjuna ask about only one of the two,
< Tell me conclusively that which is the better of the two ' (v. i) ? If a physician has prescribed a mixture composed of both sweet and cooling articles for a man who wishes to reduce bilious heat (in the system) , there cannot arise the question, * which one alone of the two ingredients can
alleviate bilious beat ? '
20 THE BHAGAVAD-GItA. [DiS. II.
Arjuna's question, it might be alleged on the other side, was due to his not having understood aright the teaching of the Lord. Even then, the reply of the Lord should have been given in accordance with the question and in the following form : ** I meant a conjunction of knowledge and works ; why are you thus mistaken ?** It would not, on the other hand, be proper to answer in the words " A twofold path was taught by Me " (iii. 3), — an answer which is not in accordance with the question and is altogether beside it.
If it be held that knowledge is to be conjoined with such works only as are enjoined in the smnti, even then the assigning of the two paths to two distinct classes of people respectively and other statements in that connection would be equally inexplicable. Moreover, Arjuna's blame of the Lord as conveyed by his words " why dost Thou command me to do this horrible deed ?" (iii, i) would be inexplicable, since he knew that fighting was enjoined in the smnti as a kshatriya's duty.
It is not, therefore, possible for anybody to show that the Gita-5a,stra teaches a conjunction of knowledge with any work whatever, enjoined in the sruti or in the smriti.
Some cases of apparent conjunction explained.
Now a person who, having been first engaged in works owing to ignorance and worldly attachment and other evil tendencies, and having since attained purity of mind by sacrificial rites, gifts, austerity, etc., arrives at the knowledge of the grand truth that "all this i^i QUg, the Brahman, the Absolute, the non-agent," may continue performing works in the same manner as before with a yievy to set an example to the masses, though neither works
I — lO] SANKHYA YOGA. 21
nor their results attract him any longer. This semblance of active life on his part cannot constitute that course of action with which knowledge is sought to be conjoined as a means of attaining moksha, any more than Lord Vasudeva's activity in His discharge of the duty of the military caste can constitute the action that is to be conjoined with His knowledge as a means to moksha, or that conduces to the attainment of any specific end of His; egotism and hope of reward being absent in both alike. He who knows the truth does not think *I act, ' nor does he long for the results.
Or to take another example : suppose a man seeking svarga or other such objects of desire goes through the ceremony of the Agni-adhana as a preliminary to the per- formance of sacrificial rites such as the Agnihotra whereby to attain his desire, and then commences the Agnihotra, which has thus became a kamya (interested) rite; and suppose further that the desire vanishes when the sacrifice is half completed, but that the man goes on with it all the same : the Agnihotra can no longer be regarded as an inter- ested rite. Accordingly our Lord says "though doing, he is not tainted," (v. 7), and **The Self neither acts nor is tainted. " (xiii. 31).
Now as regards the passages, ** Do thou also perform action as did the ancients in the olden time*' (iv. 15), and " By action alone, indeed, did Janaka and others aim at perfection" (iii. 20), we must distinguish two cases and in- terpret the passages thus :
First, suppose that Janaka and the rest were engaged in works though they knew the truth. Then, they did so lest people at large might go astray ; whereas they were sincerely convinced that *the senses' — but not the Self — were engaged
/
«2 THE BHAGAVAD-g!tA. [DIS. II.
ia the objects (iii. 28). Thus they reached perfection by knowledge alone. Though the stage of renunciation had been reached, they attained perfection without abandoning works; that is to say, they did not formally renounce works.
Secondly, suppose that they had not known the truth. Then the passages should be interpreted thus : — By means of works dedicated to tsvara, Janaka and the rest attained perfection, — * perfection ' meaning here either « purity of mind' or * the dawn of true knowledge.' It is to this doctrine that the Lord refers when he says ** The Yogin performs action for the purification of the self. " (v. 11). Elsewhere, after having said that * man attains perfedlion by worship- ping Him with his own duty' (xviii. 46) , the Lord again recommends the path of knowledge, to him who has attained perfecflion, in the following words : ** How he who has attained perfecflion reaches Brahman, that do thou learn from Me. "(xviii. 50) .
The conclusion, therefore, of the Bhagavad-glt4 is that
salvation is attained by knowledge alone, not by knowledge
conjoined with works. That such is the teaching of the
^v^ Glt^ we shall shew here and there in the following sections
iccording to the context.
The Self is immortal.
Now finding no meaiis other than Self-knowledge for the deliverance of Arjutia who was thus confounded as to his duty and was deeply plunged in the mighty ocean of grief, Lord VAsudeva who wished to help him out of it introduced him to Self-knowledge in the following words : —
The Lord said : 1 1 . For those who deserve no grief thou bast grieved,
1^12]
n
and words of wisdom thou speakest. For the living and for the dead the wise grieve not. *
Such people as Bhishma and Dro»a deserve no grief t> for they are men of good condu(5t and are eternal in their real nature. You have grieved for them saying ** I am the cause of their death; of what avail are pleasures of dominion and other things to me left alone without th^m ? " And you also speak the words J of wise men. Thus you exhibit inconsistency in yourself, — foolishness and wisdom, — like a maniac. For § , the wise ( paitdit&,h ) — those who know the Self — grieve neither for the living nor for the dead. They alone are wise who know the Self. For, the sruti says :
** Having obtained wisdom {pa;«rfitya, i. ^., know- ledge of the Self) in its entirety..." (Bn. Up. III.
5» I-) That is, you grieve for those who are really eternal and who really deserve no grief ; wherefore you are foolish.
(Question) : — Why do they deserve no grief ?
(Answer) : — For, they are eternal.
{Question) : — How ?
{Answer) : — The Lord says :
* He who knows not the Self is subject to illusion. He who is subject to illusion will obtain right knowledge by devoutly listening to the words of the Scripture and the spiritual teacher, and by investi- gating into the nature of things as they are with a view to clearly understand such teachings. This shews to what class of persons this teaching is addressed.
f Whether you regard their present
personalities or their real nature. Perso- nally they are men of good conduct ; in their real nature (as identical with the Absolute) they are eternal.
: Referring to what Arjuna said in i. 43 et seq.—iA.)
§ The second half of the verse is intend- ed to show that Arjuna's delusion was due to his ignorance of the true nature of the Self.— (A.)
24 THE jbMagAVad-gItA. [Dis. II.
12. Never did I not exist, nor thou, nor these rulers of men; and no one of us will ever hereafter cease to exist.
Never did I cease to exist ; on the other hand, I always did exist ; that is, through the past bodily births and deaths, I always existed. So also, never did you cease to exist ; on the other hand, you always did exist. So, never did these rulers of men cease to exist ; on the other hand, they always did exist. So, neither shall we ever cease to exist ; on the other hand, we shall all certainly continue to exist even after the death of these bodies. As the Self, the Atman, we are eternal in all the three periods of time (past, present and future).
The plural * us ' is used with reference to the bodies that are different ; it does not mean that there are more than one Self.
(Question) : — Now, how is the Self eternal ?
{Answer) : — Here follows an illustration :
13. Just as in this body the embodied (Self) passes into childhood and youth and old age, so does He pass into another body. There the wise man is not distressed.
We see how the embodied Self passes unchanged in the present body into the three stages (avasth^s) of childhood, youth or the middle age, and old age or the age of decay, all distinct from one another. At the close of the first of these stages the Self is not dead, nor is He born again at the com- mencement of the second ; on the other hand, we see the Self passing unchanged into the second and third stages. Just so
13 — 14] sAnkfIya -YO GA. ^5
does the Self pass unchanged into another body. Such being the case, the wise man is not troubled (in mind) about it.
Endurance is a condition of wisdom.
Now Arjuna might argue as follows : It is true that when one knows the Self to be eternal there is no room for the distressful delusion that the Self will die. But quite common among people, as we see, is the distressful delusion that the Self is subject to heat and cold, pleasure and pain, as also to grief due to the loss of pleasure or to the suffering of pain.
As against the foregoing, the Lord says :
14. The sense-contacts it . is, O son of Kuntt, which cause heat and cold, pleasure and pain ; they come and go, they are impermanent. Them endure bravely, O descendant of Bharata.*
The senses are those of hearing and the like, by which sound and other things are perceived. It is the contacts of the senses with their objects such as sound — or, according to another interpretation, it is the senses and the contacts — i. e., the sense-objects, such as sound, which are contacted by the senses, — which produce heat and cold, pleasure and pain. Cold is pleasant at one time and painful at another. So also heat is of an inconstant nature, t But pleasure and
* Here Arjuna is addressed as the ' son implies that the subjective feelings of
of Kuntr and again as the 'descendant of harmony and discord are the immediate
Bharata,' to show that he alone is fit to antecedents of pleasure and pain. The
receive the teaching who is well descen- external objects first produce subjective
ded on the father's as well as on the changes, such as the sensations of heat
mother's side. — (A.) and cold or the feelings of harmony and
+ The separate mention of heat and discord, and then produce pleasure and
cold which should properly be included pain.— (A.) under the gategory of objects (vishayas)
THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.
[Dis. 11.
pain are constant in their respective natures as pleasure and pain. Wherefore heat and cold are mentioned separately from pleasure and pain. Because '^' these sense-contacts, etc., have, by nature, a beginning and an end, therefore they are not permanent. Wherefore do thou bravely endure t them, heat and cold &c. ; i. e., give not thyself up to joy or gi ief on their account.
(Question) : — What good will accrue to him who bears heat and cold and the like ? (Answer) : — Listen.
15. That wise man whom, verily, these afiflict not, O chief of men, to whom pleasure and pain -^ are same, he for immortality is fit.
That person to whom pleasure and pain are alike, — who neither exults in pleasure nor feels dejected in pain, — who is a man of wisdom, whom heat and cold and other things such as those mentioned above do not affect in virtue of his vision of the eternal Self, — that man, firm in his vision of the eternal Self and bearing calmly the pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold), is able to attain immortality (moksha). J
♦ Some MSS. of tha BhAshya hare add: "It may be objected that it the objects of the senses or their contacts give plea- sure and pain, the wheel of mundane existence will be endless, since those ob- jects and thsir contacts with the senses are endless. This objection does not apply here, for these...',
+ Here is laid down a second condi- tion of right knowledge, viz., calm endu- rance in pleasure and pain.— (A).
4 Though by endurance alone one may not be able to secure the highest human end, still, when coupled with discrimina- tion and indifierence to worldy objects and pleasures, it becomes a means to the right knowledge, which leads to deliver- ance. He who has satisfied all the conditions laid down can realize the nature of his own eternal Sell, and then only is he fit for the final teaching that leads to deliverance.— (A),
15 — 16] SANKHYA-YOGA. 27
The Real and the Unreal.
For the following reason also it is proper that thou shouldst abandon grief and distressful delusion and calmly endure heat and cold, etc. For,
. i6. Of the unreal no being there is ; there is no non-being of the real. Of both these is the truth seen by the ssers of the Essence.
There is no bhava — no being, no existence — of the unreal (asat) such as heat and cold as well as their causes. Heat, cold, etc., and the causes thereof, which are (no doubt) perceived through the organs of perception, are not absolute- ly real (vastu-sat) ; for, they are effects or changes (vikara), and every change is temporary. For instance, no objective form, such as an earthen pot, presented to consciousness / by the eye, proves to be real, because it is not perceived apart from clay. Thus every effect is unreal, because it is not perceived as distinct from its cause. Every effect, such as a pot, is unreal, also because it is not perceived before its production and after its destruction.'^' And likewise the cause, such as clay, is unreal because it is not perceived apart from its cause, t
(Objection): — Then it comes to this: nothing at all exists. §
[Answer) : — No (such objection applies here). For, every fact of experience involves twofold consciousness (buddhij.
♦ Cp. 'Whatever exists not in the be- fore ths perception of the series of causes
ginning OF in the end exists not really in and effects must be illusory.— (A),
the present.' (Gaudap4dakdrik4s on the § The objector evidently thinks that
Mandiikya-upanishad. IV, 31).— (A). there cannot be a thing which is neither
+ This implies that the Absolute Reality a cause nor an eflect- is not conditioned by causality ; and there-
28 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis.II.
the consciousness of the real (sat) and the consciousness of the unreal (asat). Now that is (said to be) real, of which our consciousness never fails ; and that to be unreal, of which our consciousness fails. * Thus the distinction of reality and unreality depends on our consciousness. Now, in all our experience, twofold consciousness arises "with reference to one and the same substratum (samA.nidhikarawa), as, * a cloth existent,' * a pot existent,' * an elephant existent ' — not as in the expression * a blue lotus ' §— and so on everywhere. Of the two, the consciousness of pot, &c., is temporary as was already pointed out, but not the consciousness of existence. Thus, the object corres- ponding to our consciousness of pot, &c., is unreal, because the consciousness is temporary ; but what corresponds to our consciousness of existence is not unreal, because the consciousness is unfailing.
(Objection) : — When the pot is absent and the conscious- ness of it fails, the consciousness of existence also fails.
♦ There must be an Absolute Reality not two distinct realities, related to each which is neither a cause nor an effect. other as the universal and the particulars, For, what is fleeting must be unreal, and or as a substance and its attribute. If what is constant must be real. In the the pot, &c., were as real as existence case of our illusory perception of a rope we should be at a loss to explain why, mistaken for ?i snake, we hold that the with reference to one and the same sub- snake is unreal because our conscious- stratum, the two — existence and the pot ness of it fails, whereas what corresponds ©r the like— should always present them- to " this" in the perception " this is a selves together to our consciousness any snake," — viz., the rope, — Is real, because more than a pot and a cloth. Illusion, our consciousness of it is constant on the other hand, can account for the through all its illusory manifestations. twofold consciousness of existence and The reality and the unreality of things the >ot and so on, arising with reference are thus to be inferred from our own jq o^q ^nd ths same substratum, there experience. being only on 3 Reality— namely, that
§ blue and lotus being two realities. which corresponds to existence — and all
Existence and the pot refer — as in the the rest being unreal, as in the case of
sentence ' this is the man we saw' — to a rope mistaken for various other things
only one thing really existing. They are which J^re unreal,— (A),
l6] SANKHYA-YOGA. 2g
(Answer) : — No * (such objection applies here). For the consciousness of existence still arises with reference to other objects such as cloth. The consciousness of existence corresponds indeed only to the attributive (viseshawa).
{Objection) i^hike the consciousness of existence, the consciousness of the pot also arises with reference to another pot (present).
(Answer) : — You cannot say so, for the consciousness of the pot does not arise with reference to a cloth.
(Objection) : — Neither does the consciousness of existence arise in the case of the pot that has disappeared.
(Answer) : — You cannot say so, for there is no substantive (viseshya) present. The consciousness of existence corres- ponds to the attributive ; and as there can be no conscious- ness of the attributive without that of the corresponding substantive, how can the consciousness of the attributive arise in the absence of the substantive ? — Not that there is no objective reality present, corresponding to the conscious- ness of existence.
(Objection) : — If the substantive such as the pot be unreal, twofold consciousness arising with reference to one and the same substratum is inexplicable. §
(Answer): — No; for, we find the twofold consciousness arising with reference to one and the same substratum, even though one of the two objects corresponding to the twofold consciousness is unreal, as for instance in the case of a
* The consciousness of existence still § The objector means this : In all our
arises in conjunction with the absence of experience, we find both substantive
the pot. When we say ' here is no pot,' and the attributive to be real. So, here,
existence is signified by reference to the the pot must be as real as existence, — (A) place where the pot is said (o be absent.
30 THE BHAGAVAD-GtTA. [DiS.II.
mirage, where oi>r consciousness takes the form " this is water." Therefore, there is no existence of the unreal, the fictitious — such as the body and the pairs of opposites — or of their causes. Neither does the real — the Self (Atman) — ever cease to exist ; for, as already pointed out, our consciousness of the Self never fails.
This conclusion — that the real is ever existent and the unreal is never existent — regarding the two, the Self and the non-Self, the real and the unreal, is always present before the minds of those who attend only to truth, to the real nature of the Brahman, the Absolute, the All, * That'. Thou hadst therefore better follow the view of such truth-seers, shake off grief and delusion, and, being assured that all phenomena (vikaras) are really non-existent and are, like the mirage, mere fasle appearances, do thou calmly bear heat and cold and other pairs of opposites, of which some are constant and others inconstant in their nature as productive of pleasure or pain.
What, then, is that which is ever real ? Listen : —
17. But know that to be imperishable by which all this is pervaded. None can cause the destruction of That, the Inexhaustible.
Unlike the unreal, That — you must understand — does not vanish ; That, the Brahman, the *Sat', the Real, by which all this world, including the ik^sa, is pervaded, just as pots and other objects are pervaded by the ^k&sa or space. Brahman does not undergo increase or diminution and is therefore inexhaustible. This Brahman, the * Sat ', is not exhausted in Itself ; for, unhke the body It has no parts. Nor does It diminish by (loss of) anything belonging to It ; for, nothing
i6— 18] sankhVa-yoCa. 31
belongs to the Self. Devadatta, for instance, is ruined by loss of wealth ; but Brahman does not suffer loss in that way. Wherefore, nobody can bring about the disappear- ance or destruction of the inexhaustible Brahman. No- body— not even the Isvara, the Supreme Lord — can destroy the Self. For, the Self is Brahman Itself, and one cannot act upon oneself.
What, then, is the unreal (asat), whose existence is not constant ? Listen :
18. These bodies of the embodied (Self) who is ^^^^ eternal, indestructible and unknowable, are said to have an end. Do fight, therefore, O descendant of Bharata.
It is said by the enlightened that these bodies of the Self, who is eternal, indestructible and unknowable, have an end, like those seen in dreams or produced by a juggler. — The end of such objects as the mirage consists in the cessation — as the result of investigation into their nature by proper tests of truth — of the idea of reality which has been associated with them. So also these bodies have an end.
[No tautology is involved in the use of both * eternal ' and * indestructible ;' for, two kinds of eternality and of destruc- tion are met with in our experience. The physical body, for instance, entirely disappearing when reduced to ashes, is said to have been destroyed. The physical body, while exist- ing as such, may be transformed owing to sickness or such other causes, and it is then said to have ceased to be (some- thing) and to have become (something else). " Eternal *' and * indestructible ' here imply that the Self is subject to neither sort of destruction. Otherwise, the eternality of
3^ tHE BHAGAVAD-GiTA [DlS. !!•
Atman, the Self, might perhaps be understood to be hke that of clay or other material objects. It is the denial of this which is conveyed by the two epithets.]
The Self is unknowable, — not determinable by the senses (pratyaksha) or any other means of knowledge.
(Objection) : — The Self is determined by the Agama or Revelation, and by perception &c. prior to Revelation.
(Answer): — The objection is untenable, for the Self is self-determind (svatas-siddha). When the Self, the knower (pramatn), has been determined, then only is possible a search for proper authorities on the part of the knower with a view to obtain right knowledge. In fact, without deter- mining the Self — * I am I * — none seeks to determine the knov/able objects. Indeed the Self is unknown (aprasiddha) to nobody. And the Scripture (5^stra) which is the final "^^ authority obtains its authoritativeness regarding the Self, as serving only to eliminate the adhy£iropa«a or superimposi- tion (on the Self) of the attributes § alien to Him, but not as revealing what has been altogether unknown. The sruti also describes the Self thus : —
** That which is the Immediate, the Unremote, the Brahman, which is the Self, which is within all." (Bn. Up. ii. 4. i).
Because the Self is thus eternal (nitya) and immutable y (avikriya), therefore, do thou fight, — do not abstain from fighting.
* i. e., the last. The SruU teaches that realisation of this truth taught by the
the Self is the only real thing and that all sruti.— (A)
others are illusory and non-existent. ^ Such as humanity and agency- No pramana or authority can survive the
l8— ag] SANKHYA-YOGA. 33
Here the duty of fighting is not enjoined. Arjuna had already been engaged in fighting. But overpowered by grief and dehision he abstained from fighting. It is only the removal of obstructive causes (pratibandha, viz., grief and delusion) that is here attempted by the Lord. Where- fore in the words * do thou fight ' the Lord issues here no new command (vidhi) ; He only refers to what is commonly known already. *
The Self is unconcerned in action.
The Lord now quotes two Vedic verses to confirm the view that the Git^-sastra is intended to remove the cause of sa/»s^ra, such as grief and delusion, but not to enjoin works.
It is only a false notion of yours, says the Lord, that you think thus : ** Bhishma and others will be killed by me in the battle ; I will be their slayer." — How ? —
19. Whoever looks upon Him as the slayer, and whoever looks upon Him as the slain, both . these know not aright. He slays not, nor is He slain.
He who understands the Self — of whom we are speak- ing— as the agent in the act of slaying, and he who regards Him as the sufferer in the act of slaying when the body is slain, neither of these two has understood the Self aright, for want of discrimination. Those who think * I slay ' or * I am slain ' when the body is slain, and thus identify the Self with the object of the consciousness of * I,' the ego (aham), — they do not understand the real nature of the Self.
* That is to say, the Lord does not here had no reason to desist from the fighting mean that fighting is absolutely neces- In which he had engaged of himself. sary. He has simply shewn that Arjuna
34 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DlS« !!♦
Being immutable (avikriya), the Self is neither the agent nor the object of the action of slaying.
The Self is immutable.
How is the Self immutable ? — This is answered by the n3xt verse :
20. He is not born, nor does He ever die ; after having been, He again ceases not to be ; nor the re- verse. Unborn, eternal, unchangeable and primeval, He is not slain when the body is slain.
He is not born ; no such change of condition as birth takes place in the Self. Nor does He die : this denies the last change of condition called death. — * Ever * should be construed with the denial of every change, thus : He is never born, never dies, and so on. — For, the Self, having once ex- isted, does not afterwards cease to be any more. In ordinary parlance he is said to die who, having once existed, after- wards ceases to be. Neither does the Self come into existence, like the body, having not existed before. Where- fore He is unborn. For, he is said to be born who, having not existed, comes into existence. Not so is the Self. Wherefore He is unborn. And because He does not die, He is eternal. [Though, by the denial of the first and the last changes, all changes have been denied, yet it is thought necessary to directly deny the intermediate changes, in the words * unchangeable,' &c., so as to imply the absence of all such changes of condition as motion, though not specified here.] He is unchangeable : He is constant, not subject to the change of condition known as decline ( apakshaya ). Having no parts, He does not diminish in His own sub-
ig — 2i] sAnkhya-yoga. 35
stance. As devoid of qualities, He does not diminish by loss of a quality. He is primeval, not subject to the change known as growth (vriddhi) as opposed to decline. For, that which increases in size by the accretion of parts is said to grow and to be renewed. As devoid of parts, the Self was as fresh in the past (as He is now or will be in future ; i, e,j He is ever the same) ; He never grows. And He is not slain when the body is slain : He is not transformed when the body is transformed. — To avoid tautology, slaying is mterpreted to mean transformation : the Self is not subject to transformation.
This verse teaches the absence in the Self of the six '*' bhilva-vikA-ras, — of the six vihdras or changes of condition to which all bhavas or beings in the world are subject. The passage, on the whole, means that the Self is devoid of all sorts of change. Hence the words in the previous vervSe, " both these know not aright.''
The enlightenei man has to renounce works.
Having started (in ii. 19) the proposition that the Self is neither the agent nor the object of the action of slaying, and having stated in the next verse the immutability of the Self as the reason for that statement, the Lord concludes the proposition as follows : —
21. Whoso knows Him as indestructible, eter- nal, unborn and inexhaustible, — How, O son of Pnth«L, and whom, does such a man cause to slay, and whom does he slav ?
♦ Such as birth," existence, growth, transformation, decline, and destruction.
36 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. II.
He who knows the Self (described in the last verse) as indestructible, *.^., devoid of the final change called death, as eternal, i,e,, devoid of change called transformation, as unborn and inexhaustible, i,e,, devoid of birth and decline, — how does an enlightened man of this description do the act of slaying, or how does he cause another to slay ? He slays nobody at all, nor does he at all cause another to slay. — In both the places, denial is meant, since no question can have been asked.* The reason t for the denial of slaying apply- ing to all actions alike, what the Lord means to teach in this section appears to be the denial of all action whatso- ever in the case of the enlightened ; the denial, however, of the specific act of slaying being only meant as an example.
(Objection) : — What special reason for the absence of action in the case of an enlightened man does the Lord see when denying actions in the words *' how does such a man slay ? "
\j {Answer) : — The immutability of the Self has already been given as the reason for the absence of all actions.
{Objection) : — True, it has been given ; but that cannot be a sufficient reason, since the enlightened man is distinct from the immutable Self. We cannot indeed say that a man who has known an immovable pillar can have no action to do.
{Answer) : — This objection does not apply. For, the enlightened man is identical with the Self. Enlightenment (vidvatta) does not pertain to the aggregate of the body, etc. Therefore, as the only other alternative, the enlightened man should be identical with the Self, who is not included
♦ BecausefTio reply follows, t vix., the immutability of the Self.
2l] SANKHYA-YOGA. 37
in the aggregate and is immutable. No action being possible in the case of an enlightened man, it is but just to deny all action in the words ** how does such a man slay ?*' Now, for instance, the Self, while remaining immutable, is, by reason of His not being distinguished from intellectual states (buddhi-vrittis), imagined, through ignorance, to be the percipient of objects, such as sound, perceived by the intellect and other means. Similarly, the Self is imagined to be enlightened, merely because of avidya associating Him with that intellectual perception — which is unreal — which takes the form of discrimination between the Self and the not-Self, while in reality the Self has undergone no change whatever. From this assertion of impossibility of action in the case of an enlightened man, the conclusion of the Lord is evident, that those acts which are enjoined by the scripture are intended for the unenlightened.
Works are meant for the unenlightened.
{Objection) : — Even knowledge is intended for the unen- lightened only, as it would be useless — like grinding the flour over again — to impart knowledge to these who already possess it. Wherefore, it is hard to explain the distinction that works are meant for the unenlightened, and not for the enlightened.
(Answer) : — This objection does not apply. For, the distinction can be explained by the existence or non-exis- tence of something to be performed in the two cases respec- tively. (To explain) : There remains something for the un- enlightened man to do, on understanding the meaning of the injunctions regarding the Agnihotra &c. He thinks that the Agnihotra and other sacrificial rites are to be
38 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DiS. II.
performed, and that the many necessary accessories thereto should be acquired. He thinks further, ** I am the agent, * this is my duty.'* Nothing, on the contrary, remains to be performed subsequent to the realization of the truth of such teachings as are contained in ii. 20 etc., regarding the real nature of the Self. No other conviction arises except that the Self is one and non -agent. Wherefore, the distinc- tion referred to can be accounted for.
In the case of him who thinks that the Self is the doer of actions, there will necessarily arise the idea that he has this or that thing to do. A man who possesses this sort of knowledge is qualified for actions, and on him actions are enjoined. Such a man is unenlightened, for it is said that **both these know not aright'* (ii. 19). In ii. 21, the enlighten- ed man is specified, and with reference to him actions are denied in the words ** how does such a man slay ?" There- fore the enlightened man who has seen the immutable Self and the man who is eager for emancipation have only to renounce all works. '•' Hence it is that Lord N^rayawa distinguishes the enlightened Sinkhyas from the unenlight- ened followers of works, and teaches to them respectively two distinct paths (iii. 3). Accordingly, Vyasa said to his son, "Now there are two paths." (Mokshadharma, xxiv. 6). In the same connection, Vyasa said that the path, of works is the first, and that renunciation comes next. Our Lord will refer to this distinction again and again in this work. {vide iii. 27, 28 ; v. 13, &c.)
* The latter^ i. e., he who is eager for the acts enjoined on him, these acts Moksha, but who does not yet possess being not prejudicial to his devotion to Siflf-knowledge, has no doubt to perform knowledge.
2l] . SANKHYA-YOGA. 35
Knowledge of the Immutable Self is possible.
(Objection) : — In this connection some conceited pedants say : To no man can arise the conviction * I am the immutable Self, the One, the non-agent, devoid of the six changes, such as birth, to which all things in the world are subject ; ' which conviction arising, renunciation of all works is enjoined.
(Answer): — This objection does not apply here. For, in vain then would be the Scriptural teaching, such as "th6 Self is not born," &c. (ii. 20). They (the objectors) may be asked why knowledge of the immutability, non-agency, unity, &c., of the Self cannot be produced by the Scripture in the same way as knowledge of the existence of dharma and a-dharma QXi^ oi XheAoQV passing through other births is produced by the teaching of the Scripture ?
(Opponent) : — Because the Self is inaccessible to any of the senses.
(Answer) : — Not so. For, the Scripture says '* It can be seen by the mrnd alone.'* (Bn. Up. iv, 4, 19). The mind, refined by Sama and Dama — i, e,^ by the subjugation of /
the body, the mind and the senses — and equipped with the /
teachings of the Scripture and the Teacher, constitutes the sense by which the Self may be seen. Thus, while the Scripture and inference * (anumAna) teach the immuta- bility of the Self, it is mere temerity to hold that no such knowledge can arise.
* The inference may be thus stated : more than infancy, youth and old age are such changes as birth, death, agency and inherent in Him. the like are not inherent in the Sclf.any
v^
40 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. II.
The enlightened should resort to Jnnna-Yo^a.
It must be granted that the knowledge which thus arises necessarily dispels ignorance, its opposite. This ignorance has been already indicated in ii. 19. It is there taught that the notion that the Self is the agent or the object of the action of slaying is a product of ignorance. That the agency, &c., of the Self is a product of ignorance holds good in the case of all actions alike, since the Self is immu- table. It is only the agent, subject to variations of condition, that causes another person, who can be acted on by him, to do an action. This agency — direct and causative with respect to all actions alike—Lord V^sudeva denies in ii. 21 in the case of an enlightened man, with a view to show that the enlightened man has nothing to do with any action whatsoever.
• {Question) : — What, then, has he to do ?
(Answer) : — This has been already answered in iii. 3, that the Sslnkhyas should resort to Jwana-Yoga or devotion to knowledge. So also, the Lord will teach renunciation of all works in the words, "Renouncing all actions by thought, the self-controlled man rests happily in the nine-gated city, — in the body — neither acting nor causing to act " (v. 13).
(Objection) : — Here the word * thought * implies that there is no renunciation of the acts of speech and body.
(Answer): — No, for there is the qualification, *all actions.'
(Objection): — The renunciation of all mental acts only is meant.
(Answer) : — No. Since all acts of speech and body are preceded by mental activity, they cannot exist when the mind is inactive.
21] SANKHYA-YOGA. 4^
[Objection) :— Then, let him renounce all other acts of mind except such as are necessary for those acts of speech and body which are enjoined by the Scripture.
[Answer) '.—^o, for, there is the qualification, "neither acting nor causing to act."
[Objection) :— Then, the renunciation of all actions, here taught by the Lord, may be meant for the dying man, not for the living man.
[Answer):— ^o\ for, then, the qualification * rests in the nine-gated city— in the body * would have no meaning. No man who is dying can by giving up all activity be said to rest in the body.
[Objection): — Let us then construe the passage thus: Neither acting nor causing another to act, he, the disembodi- ed soul of the enlightened man, deposits ( saw -f nyas ) all activity in the body [i, e,, knows that all activity belongs to the body, not to the Self) and rests happily. Let us not, on the contrary, construe, as you have done, * he rests in the body,* &c.
[Answer) : — No. Everywhere (in thesruti and in the smnti) is emphatically asserted that the Self is immutable. '•'
Moreover, the act of resting presupposes a place to rest in,
whereas the act of renunciation does not presuppose it.
And the Sanskrit verb * saw -f nya3 ' means * to renounce,*
not *to deposit.'
Therefore, the Glta-Sastra teaches that he who has acquired a knowledge of the Self should resort to renuncia- tion only, not to works. This W3 shall show here and there in the following sections, wherever they treat of the Self.
-k Wherefore the Self cannot be the agent of an action.
42 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. IL
How the Self is immutable.
To return to the immediate subject. It has been stated that the Self is indestructible. Like what is He indestructi- ble ? Here follows the answer :
22. Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on others which are new, so the embodi- ed (Self) casts off worn-out bodies and enters others which are new.
Just as, in this world, a man casts off the clothes that have been worn-out and puts on others which are new, in the same manner, like the man (of the world), the embodied Self abandons old bodies, and, without undergoing any change, enters others which are new.
Why is the Self quite changeless ? The Lord says :
Him, i. e., the embodied Self of whom we are speaking, weapons, such as swords, do not cut. As He has no parts, they can effect no division of Him into parts. So, fire does not burn Him : even fire cannot reduce Him to ashes. Neither does water wet Him ; for, the power of water lies in disjoining the parts of a thing which is made up of parts, by wetting it ; and this cannot take place in the partless Self. So, wind destroys an object containing moisture, by drying it up ; but even wind cannot dry up the Self.
Wherefore,
24. He cannot be cut, nor burnt, nor wetted, nor dried up. He is everlasting, all-pervading, stable, firm, and eternal.
23—35] SANKHYA-YOGA. 43
Because the mutually destructive objects — namely, swords and the like — cannot destroy the Self, therefore He is everlasting. Because everlasting. He is all-pervading. Because all-pervading, He is stable like a pillar. Because stable, the Self is firm. Wherefore He is eternal, not produced out of any cause, not new.
No charge of tautology can be brought against the verses (ii. 21-24) on the ground that in ii. 20 the eternality and the immutability of the Self have been taught and that what has been said regarding the Self in these verses (ii. 21-24) ^^^s nothing to what was taught in that one verse, — something being repeated verbatim, and something more being repeated in idea. Since the Self is a thing very difficult to understand. Lord V^sudeva again and again introduces the subject and describes the same thing in other words, so that in some way or other the truth may be grasped by the intellect of the mortals (sa;;zsarins) and thus the cessation of their saws^ra may be brought about.
No room for grief.
Moreover,
25. He, it is said, is unmanifest, unthinkable and unchangeable. Wherefore, knowing Him to be such, thou hadst better grieve not.
As the Self is inaccessible to any of the senses, He is not manifest. Wherefore, He is unthinkable. For, that alone which is perceived by the senses becomes an object of thought. Verily, the Self is unthinkable, because He is inaccessible to the senses. He is unchangeable. The Self isquite unlike milk, which, mixed with butter- milk, can be made to change its form. He is changeless, also because
44 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis.II.
He has no parts ; for, whatever has no parts is never found to undergo change. Because the Self is changeless, He is unchangeable. Therefore, thus understanding the Self, thou hadst better not grieve, nor think that thou art their slayer and that they are slain by thee.
Granting that the Self is not everlasting, the Lord pro- ceeds :
26. But even if thou thinkest of Him as ever being born and ever dying, even then, O mighty- armed, thou oughtst not to grieve thus.
Granting that the Self — of whom we are speaking — is, according to the popular view, again and again born when- ever a body comes into existence, and again and again dead whenever the body dies, — even if the Self were so, as you think, O mighty-armed, you ought not to grieve thus*; for, death is inevitable to what is born ; and birth is in- evitable to what is dead.
Accordingly,
27. To that which is born, death is indeed certain ; and to that which is dead, birth is cer- tain. Wherefore, about the unavoidable thing, thou oughtst not to grieve.
To that which has had birth, death happens without failure, and birth is sure to happen to that which is dead. Since birth and death are unavoidable, therefore you ought not to grieve regarding such an unavoidable thing. If death is natural to that which has had birth, and if birth is natural to that which has had death, the thing is unavoid- able. Regarding such an unavoidable thing you ought not to grieve.
25 — 29] SAN KHYA- YOGA. 45
Neither is it proper to grieve regarding beings which are mere combinations of (material) causes and effects ; for,
28. Beings have their beginning unseen, their middle seen, and their end unseen again. Why* any lamentation regarding them ?
The origin — prior to manifestation — of beings such as sons and friends, who are mere combinations of material elements correlated as causes and effects, is non-perception (avyakta). And having come into existence, their middle state — previous to death — is perceived^ Again their end is non-perception : after death, they become unperceived again. Thus it is said :
** He has come from non -perception (the unseen) and has gone back to non-perception (the unseen). He is not thine, nor thou his. What is this vain lamentation for ?" (Mahrtbh. Strt'parva, 2-13)
About these mere illusions — first unseen, then seen, and again unseen — what occasion is there for any lamentation?
The Self just spoken of is very difficult to realise. Why am 1 to blame you alone while the cause, viz,, illusion, is common to all ? One may ask : how is it that the Self is difficult to realise ? The Lord says :
29. One sees Him as a wonder ; and so also another speaks of Him as a wonder ; and as a wonder another hears of Him ; and though hear- ing, none understands Him at all.
One sees the Self as a wonder, as a thing unseen, as something strange, as seen all on a sudden. And so, another speaks of Him as a wonder ; and another hears
46 THB BHAGAVAD'GItA. [DiS. II.
of Him as a wonder. Though seeing Him, hearing and spet^Jng of Him, none reaHses Him at all.
Or (as otherwise interpreted) : He that sees the Self is something like a wonder. He that speaks and he that hears of Him is only one among many thousands. Thus the Self is hard to understand.
Now the Lord concludes the subject of this section thus:
30. He, the embodied (Self) in every one's body, can never be killed, O descendant of Bha- fata. Wherefore thou oughtst not to grieve about any creature.
Though the body of any creature whatever is killed, the Self cannot be killed ; wherefore, you ought not to grieve regarding any creature whatever, Bhishma or anybody el^e.
A warrior should fight.
Here (in ii. 30) it has been shown that from the stand- point of absolute truth there is no occasion for grief and attachment. Not only from the standpoint of absolute truth, but also,
31. Having regard to thine own duty also, thou oughtst not to waver. For, to a Kshatriya, there is nothing more wholesome than a lawful battle.
Having regard also to the fact that fighting is a Kshatri- ya*s duty, you ought not to swerve from that duty, which is natural to a Kshatriya, — from that which is natural to you {i.e,, becoming the caste and the order to which you beloAg). This fighting is a supreme duty, not opposed to %M^, since It is conducive, through conquest of dominion,
29^14] SANKHVA-VOGA. 47
«
to the interests of Law and popular well-being ; and to a Kshatriya nothing else is more wholesome than such a law- ful battle.
And why also should the battle be fought ? The Lord says :
32. Happy Kshatriyas, O son of Prithft, find such a battle as this, come of itself, an open door to heaven.
Are not those Kshatriyas happy who find a battle like this presenting itself unsought, an open door to heaven ? Though found to be your duty,
33. Now if thou wouldst not fight this lawful battle, then, having abandoned thine own duty and fame, thou shalt incur sin.
If, on the other hand, you will not fight this battle which is enjoined on you as a duty, and which is not opposed to Law, you will, by neglecting this battle, have abandoned your duty and lost the fame that you acquired by your encounter with such persons as Mahd.deva.'^' Thus you will only incur sin.
Not only will you have given up your duty and fame, but also,
34. People, too, will recount thy everlasting' infamy ; and, to one who has been esteemed, infamy is niore than death.
♦ When YudhisWhira lost his kingdom appeared in the guise of a mountaineer
by gambling, Arjuna went on a pilgri- ( KirAta ), and, havitig £6uDd the true
mage to the Himalayas to propitiate the character of his adversary, he worshipped
gods and obtain from them celesiial wea- Him and obtained the Pasupata-astra
pons. There he fought with 5iva who a celestial missile.
48 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA [DiS. II.
People, too, will recount your infamy, which will survive you long. To him who has been esteemed as a hero and as a righteous man and as one possessing other such noble qualities, death is preferable to infamy.
Moreover,
35 The great car-warriors will think thou hast withdrawn from the battle through fear; and, having been (hitherto) highly esteemsd by them, thou wilt incur their contempt .
Duryodhana and others — warriors fighting in great cars — will think that you have withdrawn from the battle through fear of Karwa and others, but not through compassion. — Who are they that will think so? — The very persons, DuryodhanSi and others, by whom you have been esteemed as possessed of many noble qualities. Ha^ng been thus esteemed, you will again grow very small (in their estimation).
Moreover,
36 Thy enemies, too, scorning thy power, will talk many abusive words. What is more painful than that ?
There is no pain more unbearable than that of scorn thus incurred.
Now, when you fight with Karwa and others,
37. Killed, thou wilt reach heaven ; victorious, thou wilt enjoy the earth. Wherefore, O son of Kuntl, arise, resolved to fight.
Victorious : that is, having defeated Karwa and other heroes. In either case you will have an advantage only. Wherefore rise, with the resolution ** I will conquer the enemy or die."
34 — 39] SANKHYA-YOGA. 49
Now listen to the advice I offer to you, while you fight the battle regarding it as a duty :
38. Then, treating alike pleasure and pain, gain and loss, success and defeat, prepare for the battle, and thus wilt thou not incur sin,
Treating alike pleasure and pain: i.e., without liking the one and disliking the other. Thus fighting, you will not incur sin. [This injunction as to fighting is only incidental.]
Yoga.
Worldly considerations have been adduced (ii. 31 — 38) to dispel grief and attachment ; but they do not form the main subject of teaching. On the other hand, it is the realisation of the Supreme Reality that forms the main subject of this portion (ii. 12, &c.) of the discourse; and this, which has been treated of already (ii. 20 et seq.), is concluded in ii, 39 with a view to exhibit the division of the whole subject of the sjlstra. For, by making such a division of the whole subject of the sAstra as has been shewn here, that portion of the work which will treat of the two paths later on (iii. 3) will proceed the more smoothly; and the hearers also will understand it the more easily for this division of the whole subject. Hence says the Lord :
39. This, which has been taught to thee, is wisdom concerning S&nkhya. Now, listen to wisdom concerning Yoga, which possessing thou shalt cast off the bond of action.
This, which has been taught to you, constitutes wisdom (buddhi) concerning S^nkhya or the true nature of the Absolute Reality,-— that wisdom by which may be brought
50 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. ir
about the cassation of the evil * which is the cause of saws^ra,— of grief, attachment, and the like. Now, listen to the teaching (which follows presently) concerning Yoga, which is the means of attaining wisdom concerning San- khya : this Yoga, which constitutes the worship of tsvara, consists in practising samlidhi or in performing works with- out attachment, after killing all pairs of opposites (such as heat and coldj.
Now He extols the wisdom concerning Yoga, in order to create an interest in it. — When possessed of wisdom concerning Yoga, O son of Pntha, you will cast off the bond of action (karma), of dharma and a-dharmay of virtue ' and sin, of merit and demerit, this severance of the bond being effected only on attaining to a knowledge of the Self through Divine Grace (Isvara-prasilda).
Yoga, a safe course.
Moreover,
40. There is no loss of effort here, there is no harm. Even a little of this devotion delivers one from great fear.
Unlike agriculture, nothing that is attempted here — in this path to moksha, in this devotion by works— is entirely lost. That is, there is no uncertainty regarding the result of any effort in the path of Yoga. Neither is there any chance of harm resulting from it,' as it may sometimes result from medical treatment. — What is the result? — Anything done, however little it be, in this Path of Yoga, saves one from great fear, from the fear of sawsara, of birth and death.
* Th^ ignorance of the true nature of ths Self,
39—44] SANKHYA-YOGA. 5I
Wisdom is one.
The wisdom concerning Sinkhya and Yoga thus far described is of the following nature :
41. Here, O son of Kuru, there is one thought of a resolute nature. Many-branched and endless are the thoughts of the irresolute.
Here, O.son of Kuru, in this path to Bliss, there is only, one thought of a resolute nature, and it is subversive of all other many-branched thoughts opposed to it, — that thought having sprung from the right source of knowledge. Those other thoughts which are opposed to it are various. By acting up to these many-branched thoughts, sa///sara becomes endless and ever-spreading. But when, owing to discrimination produced by the right source of knowledge these thoughts of endless variety cease, sawsara also ceases. Owing to variety in each of their branches, the thoughts of the irresolute — of those who are not possess- ed of the discrimination produced by the right source of knowledge — are endless.
No wisdom possible for the worldly-minded*
As regards those who have no conviction of a resolute nature,
42-44. No conviction of a resolute nature is formed in the mind of those v^ho are attached to pleasures and power, and whose minds are drawn away by that flowery speech which the unwise — enamoured of Vedic utterances, declaring there is nothing else, full of desire, having svarga as theif
3^ TrtE BrtAGAVAD-GiTA. [t)lS. ll
goal — utter, ( a speech ) which promises birth as the reward of actions and which abounds in speci- fic acts for the attainment of pleasure and power, O son of Pfithsl.
They are unwise ; they are wanting in discrimination. They arc enamoured of the Vedic passages composed of many a praise (to gods) and unfolding various ends and means. They say that there is nothing else besides works which are the means of attaining svarga, cattle, and other such objects of desire. They are full of desires and are ever in pursuit of them. Their chief and final goal is svarga. They talk words, fine like a flowery tree, very pleasant to hear. Their speech holds out births as the reward of works, and treats of specific acts wherewith to secure svarga, cattle, progeny and the like, and wherewith to attain pleasures and power. Thus talking these foolish people wander in the saws^ra. They regard pleasure and power as necessary ; they are in love with them and have identified themselves with them. Their intelligence and wisdom are blinded ( as it were ) by this speech abounding in specific acts. In their mind — samddhi, the btlddhi, the antah-harana^ in which are gathered together all objects of enjoyment for the purusJia^ the individual soul — no conviction of a resolute nature, no wisdom concerning SAnkhya or Yoga will arise.
Advice to the Yo£:in.
The Lord now speaks of the result accruing to those lust- ful persons who are thus wanting in discrimination :
45. The Vedas treat of the triad of the gu«as. Be, O Arjuna, free from the triad of the guwas, free from pairs, free from acquisition and preserva-
44 — ^46] sAnkhya-yoga. S3
tion, ever remaining in the Sattva (Goodness), and self-possessed.
The Vedas * treat of the triad of the gunas ; samslira + is their subject. You, on the other hand, had better be free from the triad of the guwas, *. e., be without desires. Be free from pairs ( dvandvas ), from all mutually opposed objects which are the causes of pleasure and pain. Take your stand ever in the Sattva : practise purity. To him who is anxious to acquire what has not been acquired and to preserve what has been already acquired, practice of virtue is impossible ; wherefore be not anxious about new acqui- sitions or about the preservation of the old ones. Be also self-possessed: be guarded.! This is the advice you have to follow when engaged in the performance of duty.
Karma-Yo£:a.
(Question) : — If all those endless advantages which are said to result from the Vedic rituals are not to be sought after,to what end are they to be performed and dedicated to the Isvara ?
(Answer) : — Listen to what follows :
46. What utility there is in a reservoir (as compared) with an all-spreading flood of water, the same (utility) there is in all Vedas for an enlightened Br4hmana.
♦ I. «., the Karmak&nda, the ritualistic brought about by the Interaction of the
portion of the Vedas. gunas.
f which is made up of virtuous, Sinful, I Do not yield to the objects of the
and mixed deeds and their results, all senses.
54 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DiS. II*
Whatever utility— of bathing, drinking, and the like — is served by a well, a tank, and many other small reservoirs of water &c., all that, utility is only as much as the utility which is served by an all-spreading flood of water ; that is, the former utility is comprehended in the latter. So also, whatever utility there is in all the Vedic ritual, all that is comprehended in the utility of the right knowledge possess- ed by a Brahma«a who has renounced the world and has completely realized the truth concerning the Absolute Rea- lity; this knowledge corresponding to the all-spreading flood of water/'' The sruti says : — ** Whatever good thing is done by people, all that is possessed by him who knows what he (Raikva) knew." (Chh. Up. 4-1-4). The same thing will also be said here (iv. 33). Whereforet, for a man who is qualified for works it is necessary to perform works (which stand in the place of wells and tanks ) before he becomes fit for the path of knowledge.
. And as for you,
47. Thy concern is with action alone, never with results. Let not the fruit of action be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be for inaction.
You are qualified for w^orks alone, not for the path of knowledge. And then, while doing works, let there be no desire for th3 results of works under any circumstances'^ whatever. If you should have a thirst for the results of
* That is to say, all the pleasure which hended in the Infinite Bliss. Thus the
results from the performance of all works Path of Karma-Yoga, which in the end
enjoined in the Vedas is comprehended leads to the attainment of the infinite
in the bliss which the man who has realis- bliss of the Self, cannot be futile, as the
ed the Self finds as the essence of his questioner has been led to suppose.— (A) own Self; and every one must admit + Bocause the Path of Karraa-Yogi is
that all kinds of limited bliss are comprc- not futile.— (A).
46^-49] SANKHYA-YOGA. .55
works, you will have to reap those fruits. Therefore let not your motive bs the fruits of your action. When a person performs works thirsting for the results of those works, then hs will bs subject to rebirth as the result of action. Neither may you be attached to inaction, thinking " Of what avail are these painful works if their fruits should not bs desired ?"
If a man should not perform works urged by a desire for their results, how then are they to be performed? The reply follows :
48. Steadfast in devotion do thy works, O Dhanawyaya, casting off attachment, being the same in success and failure. Evenness is called Yoga.
Steadfast in devotion (Yoi^a) parform works merely for God's sake, casting off even ?uch attachment as this, *'May God be pleased," and being equanimous in success and failure. Success ( siddhi ) consists in the attainment of knowledge ( jwAiUa ) as the result of mind (Sattva) attaining purity when works are done by one without longing for their fruits ; and failure results from the opposite course.
What is that devotion (Yoga) to which Arjuna has been exhorted to resort in performing works ? The reply is this: — Evenness of mind in success and failure is called dev'otion_ jYoga) .
In comparison with action thus performed in the service of the tsvara with evenness of mind,
56 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. II.
t
(buddhi) seek thou shelter. Wretched are they whose motive is the fruit.
Action done by a seeker of its reward is far inferior to devotion in wisdom, *.^., to actioti performed with evenness of mind ; for, the former is the cause of birth and death, O Dhanawjaya. Wherefore, seek shelter in the wisdom of Yoga, or rather in the wisdom of S^nkhya, which latter arises when Yoga attains maturity. That is, seek refuge in the knowledge of the Supreme Reality. For, wretched are they who resort to inferior action, who are incited to action by thirst for its fruit. The sruti says :
" O GArgl, wretched is he who departs from this world without knowing the Akshara, the Imperish- able." (Bn. Up. 3-8-13).
The merit of Wisdom.
Now, learn as to what result lie attains who performs his own duty with evenness of mind :
50. He who is endued with wisdom casts off here both good deeds and bad deeds. Wherefore apply thyself to devotion. In regard to actions devotion is a power.
The man th^ has evenness of mind casts off in this world both merit and sin (suknta and dushknta, pu«ya and p4pa) through attaining mental purity and knowledge. Wherefore apply yourself to devotion with equanimity. For devotion is a power, — devotion being the equanimity of mind in success and failure on the part of him who is engaged in the perform- ance of his own duties, his mind resting on the tsvara all the while. It is indeed a power, because works which are
49 — 5^J SANKHYA-YOGA. S7
of a binding nature lose that nature when done with even^ ness of mind. Wherefore be equanimous. .
Results of Karma -Yoga.
51. For, men of wisdom cast off the fruit of action; possessed of knowledge (and) released from the bond of birth, they go to the place where there is no evil.
For, men of wisdom, possessing evenness of mind, cast oif the fruit of works, i.e., escape from good and bad births. They then attain knowledge. While still alive, they are released from the bond of birth, and attain the supreme abode of Vishnu — the state of moksha or liberation — which is free from all turmoils.
Or, the wisdom (buddhi) referred to in the three verses (ii. 49 — ^51) may be the S3.nkhya-(not the Yoga-) wisdom, the knowledge of the Absolute Reality, (corresponding to the wide- spread expanse of water), which arises when the mind is purified by Karma- Yoga ; for, it is said in ii. 50 that wisdom directly brings about the destruction of good and bad deeds.
When is that conviction attained which (it is said) arises as soon as the mind is purified by Karma- Yoga or devo- tion through works ? The answer follows :
52. When thy mind shall cross beyond the mire of delusion, then wilt thou attain to a disgust of what is yet to be heard and what has been heard.
When your intuition (buddhi) shall cross beyond the mire of delusion, by which the sense of discrimination between the Self and the not-Self is confounded and the mind (antaA-
5$ THE BHAGAVAD-GiXA. [DiS. If.
fl
karana) is turned towards the objects of the senses — i. e,, when your reason attains purity — then will you attain to a disgust of what is yet to be heard and what has already been heard * : they will appear to you to be of no use.
You may now ask : " When shall I attain the true Yoga or conviction of the Supreme Truth, by crossing beyond the mire of delusion and obtaining wisdom by discrimina- tion of the Self?" Listen :
53. When thy mind, perplexed by what thou hast heard, shall stand firm and steady in the Self, then wilt thou attain Yoga.
When your intuition (buddhi=anta/t-kara«a) which has been perplexed by what you have heard about the multifarious ends and means in all their relations — concern- ing the life of activity and the life of retirement — shall stand firm, without distraction (vikshepa=viparyaya) and doubt (vikalpa— sawsaya), in the Self (Samadhi, *.^, the objective point of your meditation), then you will attain Yoga, samk- dhi, i.e., the knowledge which arises from discrimination.
The characteristic attributes of a perfect 5a^e.
Having found an occasion for interrogation, Arjuna asks with a desire to know the characteristic marks of one who has attained wisdom in steady contemplation (sam^dhi- prajw-f):
Arjuna said :
* ^ • ■ '■ "^ ' ' ■ ■ — ■ ■ ■ — ■
• except, of course, the teachings of the scripture regarding the ^tman, the Self.— (A)
52—55] SANKHYA-YOGA. 59
templation ? How does one of steady knowledge speak, how sit, how move ?
How is a man who has a firm conviction that he is the Supreme Brahman, and who is intent on contemplation (sam^dhi), — how is such a man spoken of by others ? How does the man of steady knowledege himself speak ? How does he sit ? How does he move ? — In this verse Arjuna asks in order to know what the characteristic attributes of a man of steady knowledge (sthitaprajwa) are.
From ii. 55 to the end of the Discourse (adhy&ya), the characteristic attributes of a man of steady knowledge as well as the means of obtaining that knowledge are taught to him who, having from the very commencement renounced all works, has entered upon a course of Devotion to Know- ledge (j»ana-yoga-nish/ha), as well as to him who has reached that stage by means of Devotion to works (Karma- yoga). For, everywhere in spiritual science (adhyatma- sastra), the very characteristic attributes of the successful Yogin are taught as the means (of attaining that stage), since they are to be attained by effort. The Lord now points out those characteristic attributes which, as attain- able by effort, constitute the means as well.
(i) Satisfaction it| the 5eif»
The Lord said : 55. When a man, satisfied in the Self alone by himself, completely casts off all the desires of the mind, then is he said to be one of steady knowledge.
When a man completely abandons all the various desires that enter the heart and is satisfied with the True Inner-
6#. THE BHAGAVAD'GITA. [pis-H-.
most Self (Pratyagatman) in himself, without longing for external possessions, averse to everything else because of his acquisition of the immortal nectar, — *.^„ his realisation of the Supreme Truth, — then he is said to be a wise man (vidvan), one whose knowledge arising from the discrimination of the Self and the not-Self has been steadied. [If, on his abandon- ing of all desires, nothing should be found to cause satisfac- tion while the cause of the embodied state still operates, it. would follow that his behaviour would be like that of a, mad man or a maniac. Hence the words * satisfied in the Self * &c.] That is to say, he who has abandoned all desires connected with progeny, possessions and the world, who has renounced (all works), who delights in the Self and plays with the Self,— he is the man whose knowledge is steady.
(2) Equanimity in pleasure and pain.
Moreover,
56. He whose heart is not distressed in calami- ties, from whom all longing for pleasures has departed, who is free from attachment, fear and wrath, he is called a sage, a man of steady know- ledge.
His heart is not distressed in calamities such as may arise from disorder in the body*, (adhyatmikaj, &c. Unlike
♦ Calamities are divided into the thre3 Adhidaivika, arising from the action of
following classes according to their great, intelligent, cosmic farces such as
sources : those which cause rain and storm or such
Adhydtmika, arising from disorder in beings as Yaksha, R&kshasa and PisAcha.
one's own body; Pleasures also are divided into the
Adkibhautika, arising from external same three classes, objects such as a tiger;
55*^5^] sAnkhya-yoga. 6i
fire, which increases as fuel is added, his longing for pleasures does not increase as more pleasures are attained. He is said to be a man of steady knowledge. He is called a sage, a SannyAsin, one who has renounced works.
(3) Absence of attachment, delight and aversion.
Moreover,
57. Whoso, without attachment anywhere, on meeting with anything good or bad, neither exults nor hates, his knowledge becomes steady.
The sage has no attachment even for the life of the body.. He does not exult in pleasure, nor is he averse to pain that may befall him. When he is thus free from delight and distress, his knowledge arising from discrimination be- comes steady.
(4) Complete withdrawal of senses from objects.
Moreover,
58. When he completely withdraws the senses from sense-objects, as the tortoise (withdraws) its limbs from all sides, his knowledge is steady.
He, i. €.f the devotee who strives in the path of know- ledge (jwana-nish^ha), withdraws his senses from all objects as the tortoise withdraws its limbs from all sides out of fear.
{Question) : — Now, even the senses of a diseased man who is not able to partake of sensuous objects withdraw from sense-objegts, but the taste for them ceases not. How does that cease ?
{Answer) :— Listen ;
62 THE bhagavad-g!tA. [Dis. II.
59. Objects withdraw from an abstinent man, but not the taste. On seeing the Supreme, his taste, too, ceases.
The senses, — * vishayaA,* meaning literally sense-objects^ here stands for the senses^ — it is true, withdraw from objects even in the case of an ignorant person who, practising extremest austerity, abstains from all sensuous objects; but the taste or inclination (rasa) for those objects ceases not. [Rasa is used in the sense of taste or inclination in such expressions as * svarasena pravnttaA,' * rasika/^,* and ^ rasa-j«aA.'J Even that taste, that subtle attachment, vanishes in the case of the devotee who, having seen the Supreme Reality, the Brahman, thinks *I am myself That'; that is to say, his perception of sensuous objects becomes seedless (nir-blja), has lost all germ of evil. The meaning is this : In the absence of right knowledge, there can be no annihilation * of taste for sensuous objects ; wherefore, steadiness of right knowledge (prajw^) should be acquired.
Unrestrained senses work mischief.
He who would acquire steadiness of right knowledge (praj;*^) should first bring the senses under control. . For, if not controlled, they will do harm. So, the Lord says :
60. The dangerous senses, O son of Kuntl, forcibly carry away the mind of a wise man, even while striving (to control them).
* It is no fiatllacy of mutual dependance For, desire in its grossest form disappears
(anyony&sraya) to say that knowledge at the first dawn of knowledge, and, as
arises on the killing of desires and that knowledge is steadied and perfected, even
desires vanish when knowledge arises. the subtlest desires are Idlled out.
59 — 63] SANKHVA.-YOGA. 63
The senses are dangerous. They agitate the mind of the man who is inclined to sensuous objects. Having thus agitated the mind, they carry it away by force, while the man is wide awake* though the niind is posessed of discriminative knowlebge.
(5) Devotion to the Lord.
Wherefore,
61. Restraining them all, a man should remain steadfast, intent on Me. His knowledge is steady whose senses are under control.
He should bring the senses under control and sit calm and intent on Me, Vd^sudeva, the Innermost Self of all ; *. e,y he should sit thinking ' I am no other than He.' The knowledge of that devotee is steady who, thus seated, has by practice brought the senses under his own control.
Thous:ht of sense -objects is the source of evil.
Now the Lord proceeds to point out the source of all evil in the case of the unsuccessful :
62. When a man thinks of objects, attachment for them arises. From attachment arises desire ; from desire arises wrath.
Attachment for objects arises when a man thinks of them specifically § — Wrath arises when desire is frustrated by some cause or other.
* i.e. while repeatedly thinking of the § i. c, thinks of their beauty etc.
evil nature of sensuous objects.
64 THE Brt>^GAVAD-GtTA [DiS, !!•
of c6nscience; from loss of conscience he is utterly ruined.
From wrath arises delusion, a lack of discrimination be- tween right and wrong. Verily, when a wrathful man gets infatuated, he is led to insult even the Guru. From in- fatuation follows failure of memory. Despite the presence of favourable conditions, no reminiscences arise of things already impressed upon the mind by the teachings of the 54stras and of the teacher (&ch&rya). From failure of memory follows loss of conscience (buddhi) — the inability of the inner sense (anta/^-kara«a) to discriminate between right and wrong (karya and a-kilrya). By loss of conscience he is utterly ruined. Man is man only so long as his antaA- karawa is competent to discriminate between right and wrong. When it is unable to do so, the man is utterly ruined. Thus, by loss of conscience (antaA-kara»a, buddhi) he is ruined, he is debarred from attainnig human aspirations.
Sense-control leads to peace and happiness.
The contemplation of sense-objects has been described as the source of all evil. Now the means of deliverance (moksha) is described as follows :
64. He attains peace, who, self-controlled, approaches objects with senses devoid of love and hatred and brought under his own control.
The natural activity of the senses is characterised by love and hatred. He who longs for deliverance resorts only to unavoidable objects with senses — hearing, etc., — devoid of love and hatred and brought under his own control, his
53 — 66] SAN KHYA- YOGA. ^5
inner sense (atman = anta/^-karawa) being made obedient to his own will. Such a man attains peace, tranquillity, self- possession.
(Question) : — What will happen when peace is attained ?
{Answer) : — Listen :
65. In peace there is an end of all his miseries ; for, the reason of the tranquil-minded soon be- comes steady.
On the attainment of peace there is an end of all the devotee's miseries such as pertain to the body and the mind. For, the reason (buddhi) of the pure-minded man soon becomes steady, pervading on all sides like the kkksa, ; i. e., it remains steadfast, in the form of the Self.
The sense of the passage is this : — The man whose heart is pure and whose mind is steady has achieved his object. Wherefore the devout man should resort only to those sense-objects which are indispensable and not forbidden by the sastras, with the senses devoid of love and hatred.
Tranquillity is thus extolled :
66. There is no wisdom to the unsteady, and no meditation to the unsteady, and to the un- meditative no peace ; to the peaceless, how can there be happiness ?
To the unsteady (ayukta ^=: asamahita), to the man who cannot fix the mind in contemplation, there can be no wisdom (buddhi), no knowledge of the true nature of the Self. To the unsteady, there can be no meditation, no intense devotion to Self-knowledge. So, to him who is not devoted to Self-knowledge there can be no peace, no tran-
66 THE bhagavad-gIta. [DlS. 11.
quillity. To the peaceless man, how can there be happi- ness? Verily, happiness consists in the freedom of the senses from thirst for sensual enjoyment, not in the thirst (tnshnk) for objects. This last is mere misery indeed. While there is thirst, there can be no trace of happiness ; we cannot so much as smell it.
5«n5e- restraint conduces to steady knowledge.
{Question) : — Why is there no knowledge for the unsteady ?
t (Answer) : — Listen :
67. For, the mind which yields to the roving senses carries away his knowledge, as the wind (carries away) a ship on water.
For, the mind which yields to the senses engaged in their respectiM^ objects, i. e,, the mind which is altogether engrossed in the thought of the various objects of the senses, destroys the devotee's discriminative knowledge of the Self and the not-Self. — How? — As the wind carries away a ship from the intended course of the sailors and drives her astray, so the mind carries away the devotee's conscious- ness from the Self and turns it towards sense-objects.
Having explained in several ways the proposition enun- ciated in ii. 60 — 61, the Lord concludes by reaffirming the same proposition :
68. Therefore, O mighty-armed, his knowledge is steady whose senses have been entirely restrain- ed from sense-objects.
It has been shown that evil arises from the senses pursu- ing sense-objects. Wherefore, that devotee's knowledge is
66 — 69] SANKHYA-YOGA. 67
steady whose senses have been restrained from sense-objects (such as sound) in all forms, subjective and objective.
(6) The Universe, a mere dream to the 5age.
In the case of the man who possesses discriminative knowledge and whose knowledge has become steady, his experience of all matters, temporal and spiritual (laukika and vaidika, sensuous and supersensuous), ceases on the cessation of nescience (avidyA.) ; for, it is the effect of nescience ; and nescience ceases because it is opposed to knowledge. To make this clear, the Lord proceeds :
6g. What is • night to all beings, therein the self-controlled one is awake. Where all beings are awake, that is the night of the sage who sees.
To all beings the Supreme Reality is night. Night is by nature t^masic, and, as such, causes confusion of things. The Reality is accessible only to a man of steady know- ledge. Just as what is day to others becomes night to night-wanderers, so, to all beings who are ignorant and who correspond to the night-wanderers, the Supreme Reality is dark, is like night ; for it is not accessible to those whose minds are not in It. With reference to that Supreme Rea- lity, the self-restrained Yogin who has subdued the senses, and who has shaken off the sleep of Avidy^ (nescience), is fully awake. When all beings are said to be awake, i. e,, when all beings, who in reality sleep in the night of Ignorance, imbued with the distinct notions of perceiver and things perceived, are as it were mere dreamers in sleep at night, — that state is night in the eye of the sage who knows the Supreme Reality ; for, it is nescience itself.
68 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DlS. II.
Works are not meant of the sage.
Wherefore works are enjoined on the ignorant, not on the wise. Wisdom (Vidya) arising, nescience (Avidya) dis- appears as does the darkness of the night at sunrise. Before the dawn of wisdom, nescience presents itself in various forms — as actions, means and results, — is regard- ed as authoritative, and becomes the source of all action. When it is regarded as of no authority, it cannot induce action. A man engages in action regarding it as his duty — regarding that action is enjoined by such an authority as the Veda, — but not looking upon all this duality as mere illusion, as though it were night. When he has learnt to look upon all this dual world as a mere illusion, as though it were night, when he has realised the Self, his duty consists not in the psrformance of action, but in the renun- ciation of all action. Our Lord will accordingly show (v. ly et seq,) that such a man's duty consists in devotion to wisdom, in jwana-nish/ha.
(Objection) : — In the absence of an injunction (pravartaka pramawa = vidhi) one cannot have recourse to that course either.
( A nswer ) : — This objection does not apply ; for, the
knowledge of Atman means the knowledge of one's own Self. There is indeed no need of an injunction impelling
one to devote oneself to one's Atman, for the very reason that Atman is one's own very Self. And all organs of knowledge (pramawas) are so called because they ultimately lead to a knowledge of the Self. When the knowledge of the true nature of the Self has been attained, neither organ's of knowledge nor objects of knowledge present themselves
f .
69 — 70] SANKHYA-YOGA. 69
to consciousness any longer. For, the final authority, (viz., the Veda), teaches that the Self is in reality no perci- pient of objects, and while so denying, {i. c, as a result of that teaching), the Veda itself ceases to be an authority, just as the dream-perception (ceases to be an authority) in the waking state. In ordinary experience, too, we do not find any organ of knowledge necessitating further operation (on the part of the knower) when once the thing to be perceived by that organ has been perceived.
(7) 5ubjug:ation of desire and personal self.
The Lord proceeds to teach, by an illustration, that that devotee only who is wise, who has abandoned desires, and whose wisdom is steady, can attain moksha, but not he who, without renouncing, cherishes a desire for objects of pleasure.
70. He attains peace, into whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean, which, filled from all sides, remains unaltered ; but not he who desires objects.
The ocean is filled with waters flowing from all sides. Its state is unaltered, though waters flow into it from all sides ; it remains all the while within its bounds without change. That sage into whom in this manner desires of all sorts enter from all sides without affecting him — as waters enter into the ocean — even in the presence of objects;, in whose Self they are absorbed, and whom they do not enslave ; that sage attains peace (moksha), but not the other who has a longing for external objects.
Because it is so, therefore.
70 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. II.
71. That man attains peace, who, abandoning all desires, moves about without attachment, with- out selfishness, without vanity.
That man of renunciation, who,entirely abandoning all desires, goes through life content with the bare neces- sities of life, who has no attachment even for those bare necessities of life, who regards not as his even those things which are needed for the mere bodily existence, who is not vain of his knowledge, — such a man of steady knowledge, that man who knows Brahman, attains peace (nirvana) , the end of all the misery of saws^ra (mundane existence). In short, he becomes the very Brahman.
Knowledge leads to Divine Felicity.
This devotion to knowledge is extolled as follows:
72. This is the Brjlhmic state, O son of Pntha. Attaining to this, none is deluded. Remaining in this state even at the last period of life, one at- tains to the felicity of Brahman.
This foregoing state — to renounce all and to dwell in Brahman — is the Divine state, the state of Brahman. It pertains to and has its being in Brahman. On reaching this state, one is no longer deluded. Remaining in this state even at the last period of life, one attains moksha, the felicity of Brahman. And it needs no saying that he who renounces while yet a student and dwells in Brahman throughout life attains the Felicity of Brahman, the .Brahma-Nirvawa.
THIRD DISCOURSE. KARMA-YOQA.
Arjuna's perplexity.
The two aspects of wisdom — relating respectively to Pravntti and Nivntti, i.e., to the Path of Works and the Path of Renunciation — with which the Git^-5^stra is con- cerned have been pointed out by the Lord in the Second Discourse, speaking of them as wisdom concerning S^n* khya and wisdom concerning Yoga, From ii. 55 to the end of the Discourse, He has recommended renunciation of action to those who hold to the Sankhya-buddhi (Sankhya aspect of wisdom) and has added in ii. 72 that their end can be achieved by being devoted to that alone. And as to Arjuna, He has declared in ii. 47 that he should resort to works (karma) alone as based on Yoga-buddhi (the Yoga aspect of wisdom), while it has not been said that the Highest Good can be attained by that alone. * Seeing this, Arjuna is troubled in mind and therefore puts a question to the Lord. (III. i, 2).
This perplexity in Arjuna's mind is quite explicable. He thinks, "how might the Lord first describe to me — a devout seeker of Bliss — the direct means of attaining Bliss, namely adher^ice to the S&nkhya aspect of wisdom, and then com- mand me to do action which is fraught with many a tangible evil and which is but an indirect and uncertain means of at- taining Bliss ? Arjuna*s question, too points to this state of mind ; and the Lord's words in reply to the question are
♦ Vid€ ii. 49— (A)
72 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. III.
explicable only when the 5astra makes such a distinction (between Sankhya and Yoga) as has been described above.
No conjunction of Knowledge and Action.
A certain commentator* interprets the meaning of Arju- na's question differently and explains the Lord's reply as opposed (to the question) in meaning. So also, he sums up the teaching of the Glta-sastra in one way in the intro- ductory portion of his commentary, while he interprets the question and answer in this connection in a different way. — How ? — It is stated in the introduction that a simul- taneous conjunction of knowledge and action for men in all stages of religious life is inculcated in the Gita-sastra ; and moreover a specific statement is made amounting to an emphatic denial of the doctrine that moksha can be attained by knowledge alone, i, e., without those works which are enjoined by the scriptures as obligatory through- out life. But here, in the Third Discourse, he makes out that devotion to oniy one of the two paths is taught. This is tantamount to saying that the very works which are enjoined by the scriptures as obligatory throughout life have to be renounced. How is it possible either for the Lord to teach such contradictions or for the disciple to accept them ?
That commentator may perhaps explain away the contra- diction thus : — It is only to the gnhasthas (to the order of married house-holders) — but not to other orders — that salvation by mere knowledge, preceded by the renunciation of works enjoined in the sruti and in the smnti, is denied. +
* The Vrittikara is here referred to. mere knowledge is said to be possible in Vide ante note en p. i6. the case oi other orders. Thus, they hold,
t In the iii. Discourse salvation by there is no contradiction.
Introduction.]
KARMA-YOGA.
This, too, involves a self-contradiction. For, after declar- ing (in the introduction) that a simultaneous conjunction of knowledge and action is meant for all religious orders by the Gita-5astra, how could he, in contradiction thereto, say here (in iii. Discourse) that salvation by mere knowledge is meant for some religious orders ?
Then the commentator may explain away the contradiction thus : It is with reference to the srauta-karma ( action enjoined in the sruti) that the assertion is made that salva- tion by mere — i,e,, unconjoined with the srautakarma — knowledge is denied to the gnhasthas. The smarta-karma ( action enjoined in the smnti ) that is meant for a gn- hastha is ignored as if it were absent. '•' It is in this sense that sah^ation by mere knowledge is denied in the case of gnhasthas. l
This also involves an absurdity. For, how is it possible for any intelligent man to believe that salvation by know- ledge conjoined only with the smarta-karma is denied to a gnhastha alone, but not to other orders ? On the other hand, if, as a means of obtaining salvation, the smArta- karma should be conjoined with knowledge in the case of the sai«nyasins— the fourth religious order, — then it follows
* Becauss it is or secondary iniiwrt- ance to him.
I It may be further explained thus :' The samnyasins have renounced only the 5rauta-karma, but they have yet to do certain acts and be bound by certain restrictions as enjoined in the smriti. Thus a conjunction of knowledge with action as a means of obtaining salvation holds good in the casa of samnyisins. On the other hand, the srauta-karma is binding on a gribastha ; that is to say, he cannot
attain salvation by knowledge unconjoin- ed with the srauta-karma. The smdrta- karma which he is bound to do is only of secondary importance to him; and in the absence of the srauta-karma, which is of primary importance to him, the existence of the smarta-karma may be ignored in his case. Thus, while a samnyksin can at- tain salvation by knowledge conjoined with the sm&rta-karma, a grihastha can obtain it by knowledge conjoined with the srauta-karma.
THE BHAGAVAEKGlTA
[DlS. III.
that, for the gnhasthas also, knowledge should be conjoiiited only with the smArta-karma, not with the ^auta-karma.
Then, he may explain away the contradiction thus : it is only in the case of a gnhastha that a conjunction (of know- ledge) with both the srauta-karma and^the smA-rta-karma — both being of equal importance to him — is necessary fot salvation, whereas the sawnyasins can attain moksha by knowledge conjoined with the sm&rta-karma only.
If so, too much exertion in the shape of both the srauta- karma and the smarta-karma, very painful in themselves, falls to the lot of the grihastha.
Renunciation enjoined in tlte scriptures.
The commentator in question may now say : Because of this multiplicity of exertion, salvation is attained only by a gnhastha, but not by other religious orders who have not to do the nitya ox obligatory srauta-karma. *
This, too, is wrong ; for, in all the Upanishads, in the Itihasas, in the Purd,»a, and in the Yoga-s^stra, renuncia- tion of all karma is enjoined on the seeker of moksha as an accessory J to knowledge. Both in the sruti § and in the
* According to a certain ritualistic school of Mtmamsakas, renunciation of the srauta-karma is intended for those who are afflicted with physical disabilities, for the lame and the blind who cannot perform the complicated Vedic sacrifices accor(ling to prescribed rules. According to this view, the samny&sins cannot attain mdksha, as they have not performed the srauta-karma.
J If sa»my&sa were meant for the lame and the blind only, it could i:ot have been meant as an accessory to know- edge. Hence that view is wrong.
§ "On the completion of the student- life one should become an house-holder; then, leaving home, he should become a forest-dweller and then retire from the world. Or he may retire from the world when he is yet a student, or retire from the house or from the forest, whether he is engaged in austerities or not,whcther he has completed or not the student's career, whether he has quenched the sacrificial fires or not. In short, the very day on which he may get disgusted with the world, the same day he should retire from it." Jdbdla-Upanishad,^,
ta^tfioimtipn,] karma-yoga. • 75
snmtij a gradual passage (through the three orders to the foarth order) is enjoined, as well as a sudden jump (from any one of the three to the fourth order).
If so — ^the commentator in question may retort — it follows that a conjunction of knowledge with action is necessa.ry for all religious orders. *
No, (we reply). For, renunciation of all action is enjoined on the seek^ of moksha, as the following passages from the 5ruti show :
" Having given up all desire for progeny, for wealth, and for the world, they lead a mendicant life." — (Bn.
Up- 3-5-I-)
<f Wherefore, of these austerities, renunciation, th^y say, is excellent." " Renunciation alone excelled." (Taittirlya-Up. 4-79,78).
*' Not by action, not by progeny, not by wealth, but by renimciation, some attained immortality." {Ibid,ji^-i2).
" One may renounce the world when yet a student." (Jab^la-Upanishad, 4).
The following passages from the smnti may also be quoted: —
** Give up religion, give up irreligion. Give up truth, give up untruth. Having given up both truth and un- truth, give up that § by which you give them up."
• When it is said that all the religious proved to be necessary in the case of all
orders are sanctioned by the sruti, the asramas or religious orders.
duties also that are assigned to them res- § Even that idea of personality which
pectlvely are binding on them. A con- is implied in the thought, ' I have aban-
junction ol knowledge with action is thus doned these.
76 * THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DiS, III.
'"^ Finding the sawsara (mundane existence) worth- less and wishing to get at the essence, the unmarried grow quite weary of life and renounce the world. '* — (Bnhaspati).
Suka's teaching runs as follows :
**By action a person is bound, and by wisdom he is released. Therefore, the sages who see the goal do no action." (5antiparva, Mokshadharma, 241-7)^
Here (in the Bhagavad-gita) also we have, " Renouncing all actions by thought, " &. (v. 12).
Moksha cannot be the effect of an action.
Moksha, too, being no effect of an act, no action will avail a mumukshuy a seeker of moksha.
(Objection): — The performance of obligatory duties is in- tended for the mere avoidance of the sin (of their omission).
(Answer) : — No. For, the sin arises only in the case of one who has not formally entered the fourth order, the order of sawnyasins. It is certainly (as the opponent must admit) not possible to imagine that a sawnyasin will incur sin by omit- ting the agni-kdvya — worship of the sacred fire — as students (Brahmach^rins) do thereby incur when they are not yet saw/- nyasins, i,e,^ when they have not formally renounced works."^-
Neither is it, indeed, possible to imagine the generation of sin — which is a hhdva or positive effect — out of the omission of the obligatory duties, — which is an abhdva
* It is admitted by all that a Brahma- joined only on the first order (asramaV
charin alone incurs sin by omitting agni- No sin in fact is incurred by any religious
kdrya (throwing fuel into th9 sacred fire) order of men neglecting the duties not en-
and the Vedic study, which are both en- joined on that order.
IfUfcduction.'] karma-yoga. 77
or mere negation ; for, that the generation of existence out of non-existence is impossible is taught by the sruti in the words ** How can existence arise out of non-existence ?" {Ckhdndogya-Upamshad, 6-2). If the Veda should teach what is inconceivable to us, viz.y that evil arises from the omission of prescribed duties, it is tantamount to saying that the Veda conduces to no good and is therefore no authority ; for, performance and non-performance alike would only produce pain. This would further lead to the absurd '•' conclusion that s^stra or revelation is creative^ not indicative^ a conclusion which is acceptable to none. Hence no karma for sawnyasins; and hence also the absurdity of a conjunction of knowledge and action.
Conjunction is inconsistent witii Arjuna's question.
Arj Una's question (in iii,) would also be inexplicable. If, in the Second Discourse, it was said by the Lord that both knowledge and action should be simultaneously conjoined in Arjuna himself, then his question in iii. i. cannot be ex- plained. If it was taught to Arjuna that both knowledge and action should be conjoined in him, knowledge which is superior to action must certainly have been meant for him. Then there could be no occasion for the question, or the blame, which is implied in Arjuna's words ** then why dost Thou, O Kesava, direct me to this terrible action? " (iii. i.) It can by no means be supposed that knowledge, the supe- rior of the two, was forbidden to Arjuna alone by the Lord in His previous teaching, — in which case the question on the , part of Arjuna distinguishing (one path from the otherj
• I'or, il is tantamount to saying that 50 by the sastra which is of abi,oluto an abbava which in itself cannot produce authority, anything, is invested with a power to do
78 THE bhagavad-gIta. [R^BwIH.
might arise. If, on the other hand, it has been previously taught by the Lord that knowledge and action are intend- ed for two distinct classes of men respectively, on the ground that a simultaneous devotion — on the part of one man — to knowledge and action was impossible owing to their mutual opposition, then the question (in iii. i) be- comes explicable. Even supposing that the question was asked from ignorance, the Lord's answer that devotion to knowledge and devotion to action are assigned to two distinct classes of men cannot be explained. Neither can the reply of the Lord be attributed to His ignorance. From this very answer of the Lord — that devotion to knowledge and devotion to action are assigned to distinct classes of persons— follows the impossibility of a conjunction of knowledge and action.
Wherefore the conclusion of the Gita and of all the Upa- nishads is this, that moksha can be obtained by knowledge alone, unaided (by action).
If a conjunction of the two were possible (for one man), Arjuna's request to the Lord to teach him only one of the two, jwana or karma, would be unaccountable. The Lord, moreover, emphatically teaches the impossibility of devotion to ynkna. in the case of Arjuna, in the words **do thou there- fore perform action only." (iv. 15).
Which is better, Knowledge or Action.
Arjuna said : I. If it be thought by Thee that knowledge is superior to action, O Janardana, why then dost Thou, O Kesava, direct me to this terrible action ?
If it had been meant that knQwledge and action shQuld
r— i]
KAiiMA-YOGA.
be cotijortred, then the means of salvation would be one only; 'atid, in that case, a groundless separation of kttowiedge from action would have been made by Atjufta declaring knowledge to be superior to action. If the two be regarded as constituting together a single meians to a single end, they cannot at the same time be regarded to be distinct as producing distinct eflfects.* Neither could we account for what Arjuna said — ** Why thien dost TbcDta direct me to this terrible action ? '• — as if meaninfg to censure the Lord, on finding that He — ^for what reason Arjuna could not see clearly — had exhorted him to follow the unwholesome course of action after declaring that knowledge was superior to action.
Now, if a conjunction of knowledge with the smarta- karma only were intended for all by the Lofd and under- stood by Arjuna as so intended, how could we then justify the words of Aijuna § " why dost Thou direct me to this terrible action ?"
Moreover,
2. With an apparently perplexing speech, Thou confusest as it were my understanding. Tell me with certainty that one (way) by which I may attain blist.
No doubt the Lord speaks clearly ; still, to me of dull understanding the speech of the Lord appears to be perplex-
* This may be explained with reference to the present case thus: — When know- ledge and action are held to form together but one means to moksha, they cannot at the same time be supposed to become distinct as producing distinct effects, ff this were possible, ' Arjuna's consider-
ing of the two as distinct from each other might find some justification.
§ For, then, the Lord who had taught a conjunction of knowledge and action could not have enjoined m^re action on Arjuna, and so there would "be no occa- sion for Arjuna's complaint.
8o THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. III.
ing. Thereby "Thou confusest as it were my understand- ing." Arjuna means—** It is not possible that Thou wouldst confuse me, Thou who hast undertaken to remove my confusion ? Hence I say * Thou confusest as it 7mre my understanding.' " He goes on :— If Thou thinkest that knowledge and action, which are intended for two distinct classes of aspirants, cannot both be followed by one and the same person, then teach me one of the two, knowledge or action, after determining (within Thyself) that ** this one alone is suited to Arjuna, and is in accordance with the state and powers of his understanding ;'* teach me that one of the two, knowledge or action, by which I may attain bliss.
If knowledge had been intended by the Lord to be at least an accessory to devotion to action, why then should Arjuna wish to know about only one of them. It had not indeed been said by the Lord that He would teach him one only of the two, knowledge or action, but not both, — in which case alone Arjuna might ask for one only, seeing that both would not be taught to him.
The Paths of Knowleds^e and Action.
The Blessed Lord gives the following reply, w^hich is in conformity with the question :
The Blessed Lord said : ^ 3. In this world a twofold path was taifght'by Me at first, O sinless one : that of the S^nkhyas by devotion to knowledge, and that of the Yogins by devotion to action.
In this world — with reference to the people of the three castes, for whom alone are intended the teachings of the sfiistra (the Scripture), — a twofold nish^h^ or path of devotion
2 — 3] kARMA-YOGA. 8l
was taught by Me, the Omniscient Lord, when at first, at the beginning of creation, I created people and revived the tradition of the Vedic doctrine for teaching them the means of attaining worldly prosperity and Bliss. — What was that twofold path of devotion ? — One of them was j»§.na-yoga, the devotion of knowledge — knowledge itself being yoga — suited to the S&nkhyas, to those who possessed a clear knowledge of the Self and the not-Self, who renounced the world from the Brahmacharya (the first holy order or 45rama), who determined the nature of things in the light of the Vedantic wisdom, who belonged to the highest class of sawny^sins known as the Paramahawsas, whose thoughts ever dwelt on Brahman only. The other was karma-yoga, the devotion of action, — action itself being Yoga or devotion, — suited to yogins, to karmins, to those who were inclined to action.
If it had already been taught or is going to be taught by the Lord in the Git^ — and if it had been taught in the Vedas as well — that both knowledge and action should be conjoined in one and the same person as a means to one and the same end, how might the Lord teach Arjuna, who approached Him as a beloved pupil, that the two paths of knowledge and action were respectively intended for two distinct classes of aspirants ? If, on the other hand, we suppose, that the Lord meant that Arjuna, after hearing Him teach knowledge and action, would devote him- self, of his own accord, to both of them simultaneously conjoined, but that to others He would teach that the two paths were intended for two distinct classes of aspirants, then it would be tantamount to saying that the Lord is subject to love and hatred and that therefore He is no
n
82 THE bhagavad-g!ta. [Dis. III.
authority (in such matters): which is absurd. Wherefore by lio argufnent can a conjunction of knowledge and action be proved.
Karma- Yos^a leads to freedom from action.
The superiority of knowledge to action, referred to by Arjuna (ift. i), must be true, because there is no denial of it. And it must also be true that tjhe path of knowledge is in- tended for sawmy^sins only. Since it has been stated that the two paths are intended for two distinct classes of aspirants, such is evidently the opinion of the Lord. Now seeing that Arjuna, afflicted as he was at heart on the ground that the Lord had urged him to action which caused bondage, was resolved not to perform action, the Lord proceeds with iii. 4.
Or, the connection of what has gone before with the sequel may be thus stated: As devotion to knowledge and devotion to action are mutually opposed, it is impossible for one man to resort to both of them at one and the same time. From this it may follow that each leads to the goal quite independently of the other. But the truth is this : Devotion to action is a means to the end, not directly, but only as leading to devotion to knowledge ; whereas the latter, which is attained by means of devotion to action, leads to the goal directly, without extraneous help. To show this, the Lord says :
4. Not by abstaining from action does man win actionlessness, nor by mere renunciation does he attain perfection.
*Action' refers to the acts of worship (Yajwa) which, per- formed in this or a previous birth, conduce to the destruction
3 — 4] KARMA-YOGA. 83
of sins committed in the past and cause purity of mind (sattva, antaA-karawa) ; and by thus purifying mind, they cause knowledge to spring up and lead to the path of devo- tion to knowledge. It is said in the Mahabharata :
"Knowledge springs in men on the destruction of sinful karnia, when the Self is seen in self as in a clean mirror." (Sdntiparva, 204-8.)
By abstaining from action man cannot attain to actionless- ness (naishkarmya), freedom from activity, i. e,, devotion in the path of knowledge, the condition of the actionless Self. From the statement that man wins not freedom from acti- vity by abstaining from action, it is understood that by the opposite course, i,e., by performing action, man attains freedom from activity. For what reason, then, does he not attain freedom from activity by abstaining from action ? The answer follows: — For, performance of action is a means of attaining freedom from activity. Certainly there is no attaining of an end except by proper means. Devotion to action is the means of attaining freedom from activity, i. e,, devotion to knowledge, — as taught in the sruti as well as here. In the sruti, for instance, karma-yoga is declared to be a means to j«ana-yoga in the following passage :
" The Br^hmawas seek to know this (the Self) by the study of the Vedas, by yaj«a or worship.'* (Bn. Up. 4-4-22).
In this passage, karma-yoga is pointed out as a means of realising the Self that is sought after. Here (in the Bha- gavad-Glt^) the following passages point to the same view :
«* But .without Yoga, O mighty-armed, renunciation is hard to attain." (v. 6.)
84 THE BHAGAVADrGlTA. [DiS. III.
<< Having abandoned attachment, Yogins perform action for the purification of the Self." (v. 11.)
" Sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise." (xviii. 5.)
Now, the following objection may be raised: — A passage in the smriti, — '* Having promised* immunity from fear to all beings, one should resort to freedom from activity (naishkarmya),'* — shows that actionlessness can be attained by renouncing the prescribed duties. Our experience also favours the idea that freedom from activity can be attained by abstaining from action. Of what use then is the perform- ance of action to one who seeks for freedom from action ?
In reply the Lord says : Nobody can attain perfection, — i.e,, freedom from activity, or devotion in the path of know- ledge— by mere renunciation, by merely abandoning action, without possessing knowledge.
The is^norant are swayed by Nature.
For what reason, then, does a person not attain perfec- tion, i. e., freedom from activity, by mere renunciation unaccompanied with knowledge ? — The reason thus asked for is given as follows :
5. None, vferily, even for an instant, ever remains doing no action ; for every one is driven helpless to action by the energies born of Nature. The energies (guwas) are three, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.t * Every one * means every living being that is
■:*' Having promised that he would sa- all the sacrificial rites enjoined on a gri-
crifice no animal, that he would do no hastha.
harm to any being as he used to do when + For a description of these, vide Dis-
he was a grihastha, i.e., having renounced course xiv.
4 — 7] KARMA-YOGA. 85
ignorant, (aj»a), who knows not (the Self) ; for, it is said (of a wise man * that he is one) ** who is unshaken by the energies " (xiv. 23.)
Since the Sankhyas have been distinguished froni the Yogins (iii. 3), the Karma-yoga, devotion to action, is indeed meant for the ignorant only, not for the wise. As for the wise who are unshaken by the guwas, and who in them- selves are devoid of any change whatever, the Karma- yoga is out of place. And this was explained at length in our comments on ii. 21;
The unenlis:htened should not s:ive up Karma -Yos^a.
Now, for him who knows not the Self, it is not right to neglect the duty enjoined on him. So, the Lord says :
6. He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking in his mind of the objects of the senses, self-deluded, he is said to be one of false conduct.
The organs of action are the hand, &c. The self-deluded man, the man whose anta/f-kara«a is thus deluded, is called a hypocrite, a man of sinful conduct.
7. But whoso, restraining the senses by mind, O Arjuna, engages in Karma- Yoga, unattached, with organs of action, he is esteemed.
If the ignorant man, who is only qualified for action, per- forms action with the hand, with the organ of speech, &c.,
-if He who knows the Self is immovable controlled the body and the s^enses — he
by the gunas, and is therefore said to have alone is driven to action by the gunas. —
crossed over them. The man who knows (A.) not the Self and who has not completely
«
86 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DiS. III.
restraining the organs of knowledge by mind and unmindful of the result, he is more worthy than the other, who is a hypocrite.
Wherefore,
8. Do thou perform (thy) bounden duty ; for, action is superior to inaction. And even the main- tenance of the body would not be possible for thee by inaction.
Thy bounden duty is the obligatory (nitya) act, that which one is bound to perform, and which is not prescribed (in the scriptures) as a means to a specific end. Action is superior to inaction in point of result. By inaction you cannot attain success in the life's journey. The distinction between action and inaction is thus seen in our own experience.
It is also wrong to suppose that actions lead to bondage and that they should not therefore be performed. — Why ?
g. Except in the case of action for Sacrifice's sake, this world is action-bound. Action for the sake Thereof, do thou, O son of Kuntt, perform, free from attachment.
Sacrifice (Yajwa) here means Isvara, the Supreme Lord. So, the sruti* says * Yajwa, verily, is Vishwu.' * This world ' means those persons who, as qualified for action only, are bound to do it and who accordingly perform it. The world is not bound by action done for the Lord's sake. Perform action without attachment.
For the following reason also, action should be done by him who is qualified for it :
• Taittiri'ya-Sawhlta, 1-7-4.
7 — 12.] KARMA-YOGA. 87
10. Having first created mankind together with sacrifices, the Praj4pati said, "By this shall ye propagate ; let this be to you the cow of plenty.
Mankind : composed of three castes. First : at the begin- ning of creation. The cow of plenty : the cow which yields all desires.
How can this be achieved by sacrifice ?
11. With this do ye nourish the Gods, and the Gods shall nourish you ; thus nourishing one, : another, ye shall attain the supreme good.
"By this sacrifice ye nourish the Gods such as Indra. The Gods shall nourish you with rain, &c." *The supreme good' is the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman in due' course. Or, the 'supreme good* may mean 'svarga.'*
Moreover,
12. "Nourished by the sacrifice, the Gods shall indeed bestow on you the enjoyments ye desire." Whoso enjoys — without offering to Them — Their gifts, he is verily a thief.
Pleased with your sacrifices, the Gods shall bestow on you all enjoyments, including women, cattle, children, &c. He who enjoys what is given by Gods, i.e., he who gratifies the cravings of his own body and senses! without discharg-
* 'The supreme good' here spoken of whereas in the latter case it leads direct- may be either the knowledge of Brahman ly to svarga.
or svarga. The result depends upon the + i- «m he who is bent upon feeding his. motive of the aspirant, according as he own body and senses without satisfying desires salvation or worldly enjoyment. the Gods, the /?ishis and the Pitris res- in the former case, the sacrifice leads to pectively by sacrifice, by the study of the purity of heart in this or a subsequent sacred scriptures, and by ofispriug. brith and ultimately leads to knowledge.
88 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. Ill
ing the debt due to the Gods, is a thief indeed, a robber of the property of the Gods, &c.
On the other hand,
13. The righteous, who eat the remnant of the sacrifice, are freed from all sins ; but sin do the impious eat who cook for their own sakes.
Those who, after performing sacrifices to the Gods, &c., eat the remains of the food — which is called amnta, ambrosia — are freed from all sins committed at the five * places of animal- slaughter (such as the fire-place), as well as from those sins which result from involuntary acts of injury and other causes. But as to the others, who are selfish and cook food for their own sakes, what they «at is sin itself, while they themselves are sinners.
The wheel of the world should be set-s^oitis:.
For the following reason also should action be performed by him who is qualified for action. For, it is action that sets the wheel of the world going. — How ? — The answer follows :
14-15. From food creatures come forth ; the production of food is from rain ; rain comes forth from sacrifice ; sacrifice is born of action ; know thou that action comes from Brahman and that
♦ The five places referred to are the five mah4-yaj«as or great sacrifices
fire-place, the water-pot, the cutting, which every dvija ought to perform, and
grinding and sweeping apparatus. These ^^<^^ ^^^ intended to satisfy the Bhutas,
are the five places where injury to life ^^® i^ishis, men, the Gods, and the
is daily committed/ The sins committed ^Uris. Vide Manu, iii, 67—73. here are said to be washed away by the
r
12— 16.] KARMA-YOGA. 89
Brahman comes from the Imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervading Brahman ever rests in sacrifice.
All living creatures, it is evident, are born from food, which, when eaten, is converted into blood and semen. Rain proceeds from sacrifice as taught in the following text from the smnti :
" The offering thrown into the fire reaches the sun ; from the sun comes rain ; from rain food ; and from this (food) all creatures.** {Manu, iii. 76).
Yaj;»a or sacrifice here spoken of refers to what is called apArva;* and this apdrva is the result of the activities of the sacrificer and his priests (ntviks) engaged in a sacrifice. These activities are enjoined in the Veda (Brahman), and the Veda comes from the Imperishable, the Param^tman, the Highest Self. Because the Veda has arisen from the Highest Self, — the Akshara, the Imperishable, as the breath comes out of a man, therefore, the Veda, though all-com- prehending as revealing all things, ever rests in sacrifice, ». e,y it treats mainly of sacrifices and the mode of their performance.
16. He who follows not here the wheel thus set in motion, who is of sinful life, indulging in senses,. he lives in vain, O son of Pritha.
He who ought to perform action, but who, indulging in sensual pleasures, does not follow the wheel of the world
♦ The unseen form which a sacrifice is suits become manifested ; it being, in said to assume between the time of its short, the connecting link between the performanoe and the time when its re- two, the cause and the e£fect.
90 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. Ill
thus set revolving by tsvara on the basis of the Veda and sacrifices, "^^ he lives in vain.
The main drift, therefore, of this section (iii. 4-16) is that action should be performed by the ignorant man, for whom it is intended. In iii. 4-8, it was taught that till he attains the qualification for Devotion to the knowledge of the Self, the man who knows not the Self and is therefore qualified (for action only) should resort to Devotion to action as a means of attaining Devotion to knowledge ; and, further, there were incidentally propounded { in iii. 9-16 ) many reasons why the man who knows not the Self and is (therefore) qualified for action should perform it. Mention, too, has been made of evils arising from a neglect of action.
Karma- Yoga is not meant for the 5elf-knower.
Now, the Lord Himself supposes Arjuna to ask the fol- lowing question: Is the wheel, thus set in motion, to be fol- lowed by all, or by him only who has not yet attained to devotion in the path of knowledge which the Sankhyas or Self-knowers tread and which is attainable by the ignorant by means of devotion in the path of action already des- cribed ? In answer to this question, or with a view to afford, of his own accord, a clear understanding of the teaching o the sastra. He proceeds to shov/ that what is intended to be taught in the Git§,-5^stra is the same truth that is* embodied in the following passage of the sruti :
" The brdhmawas (the devotees of the Brahman, the Self), knowing this, the Self, and free from illusory
* ». «., he who does not follow the forming the sacrifices therein enjoined, wheel by studying the Vedas and per- as commanded by /svara.
l6 — 18] KARMA-YOGA. , 9I
knowledge, shake off all desires of progeny, &c., cheri- shed, of necessity, by those who are still subject to illusion; and they lead a mendicant life for the barest necessaries of life. They have nothing else to do than resort to devotion to Self-knowledge.'* (Bn. Up. 3-5-1).
17. That man, verily, who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self, who is content in the Self alone,— for him there is nothing to do.
But that man — a sawny&sin, the Sankhya, one devoted to Self-knowledge — whose joy is in the Self, not in the objects of the senses ; v/ho is satisfied only with the Self, not with food-essence, &c. ; who is contented in the Self ; — all others derive contentment from possession of external things, whereas, disregarding these, he is content in the Self only and has no desire for anything;— for such a man, for the man who knows the Self, there is nothing to do.
Moreover,
18. For him, there is here no interest what- ever in what is done or what is not done. Nor is there in all beings any one he should resort to for any object.
For the man thus rejoicing in the Self, no purpose is served by action. — Does, then, any evil called sin (pratya- vaya) arise from inaction ? — No evil whatever, either by way of incurring sin, or by way of losing the Self, arises in this world from inaction. Nor is there, in all beings from Brahma (Prajapati) down to the sthavara or immovable objects, any whose support he has to gain by action. He has no object whatever to gain, for which he has to depend
92 . THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. • [DiS. III.
upon any particular being : if he were to have any object in view, then he would have to exert himself to gain that object.
Arjuna qualified for Kartna-yos^a.
You have not attained to the right knowledge, which corresponds to the all-spreading flood of water {vide ii. 46). Wherefore:
19 Therefore, without attachment, constantly perform the action which should be done ; for, per- forming action without attachment, man reaches the Supreme.
Performing action, without attachment, for the sake of the tsvara, man attains moksha, through attaining purity of mind (sattva-suddhi).
The wise should set an example to the masses.
For the following reason also (shouldst thou perform action):
20 By action only,, indeed, did Janaka and others try to attain perfection. Even with a view to the protection of the masses thou shouldst per- form (action).
The wise kshatriyas of old, such as Janaka and Asvapati* tried by action alone to attain moksha (sawsiddhi). If they were persons possessed of right knowledge, then we should understand that, since they had been engaged in works they tried to reach moksha with action, *. ^., without abandoning
♦ Vide Chhandogya-Upanishad v. 11.4, et seq.
l8— 21.]
KARMA-YOGA.
action, * with a view to set an example to the world. If, on the other hand, such men as Janaka were persons who had not attained right knowledge, then, (we should under- stand), they tried to attain moksha through action which is the means of attaining purity of mind (sattva-suddhi).
If you think that obligatory works were performed by the ancients such as Janajca ^because they were ignorant,
and that it does not follow from that fact alone that action
«
should be performed by another who possesses right know- ledge and has done all his duties, — even then, as subject to your prarabdha-karma (the karma which has led you to this birth as a kshatriya), and having regard also to the purpose of preventing the masses from resorting to a wrong path, you ought to perform action.
Who should secure the welfare of the world ? And how ? The answer follows :
21. Whatsoever a great man does, that alone the other men do ; whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world follows.
Whatever authority the chief among men follows, whether in relation to the spiritual or temporal matters, the same is regarded as the authority by his followers.
If you have a doubt even as regards the necessity there
♦ Though such persons as Janaka were men of right knowledge, they had no right to enter the fourth order of samnya- sa, as they were kshatriyas. In obedience therefore to their prarabdha-karma(».c., the karma which led them to that birth and which had to be worked out in that
birth) which caused them to be born as kshatriyas, they went on in their spiri- tual career without renouncing works, lest, otherwise, the masses would follow their example. It is, however, proper that they should attain moksha in virtue of their right knowledge.
94 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. III.
is for the protection of the masses, why do you not observe Me*?
22 I have nothing whatsoever to achieve in the three worlds, O son of Pnth4, nor is there any- thing unattained that should be attained ; yet I engage in action.
I have nothing to achieve, for, there is nothing unattained.
23. For, should I not ever engage in action, unwearied, men would in all matters follow My path, O son of Pritha.
My : I being the chief among men.
And what harm is there in that ? — The Lord says :
24. These worlds would be ruined if I should not perform action ; I should be the cause of confusion of castes, and should destroy these creatures.
If I should not perform action, then there would be no action conducive to the continuance of the uniyerse, and all these worlds would fall into ruin. Moreover, I would be the author of confusion of castes, and thereby destroy these creatures. Thus, though working for the welfare of the creatures, I would bring about their ruin, — which would be unbecoming of Me, their lord.
The wise man's action as contrasted with that of
the ignorant.
Suppose, on the other hand, you — or suppose (for that matter ) any other man thinks that he has achieved his ends
• t. c, why do you not follow My ex- from going astray by setting a n example ample and try to prevent the masses yourself.
22 — 27.] KARMA-YOGA. 95
and has realised the Self, even he should work § for the wel- fare of others, though for himself he may have nothing to do.
25. As ignorant men act attached to work, O BhsLrata, so should the wise man act, unattached, from a wish to protect the masses.
The ignorant expect the result of their action thus: "The result of this action shall accrue to me.** The wise man : he who knows the Self.
For me, or for any other person who, knowing the Self, thus seeks the welfare of the world, there is nothing to do except it be with a view to that welfare of the world at large. To such a man who knows the Self, the following advice is offered :
26. Let no wise man cause unsettlement in the minds of the ignorant who are attached to action ; he should make them do all actions, himself ful- filling them with devotion.
An ignorant man who is attached to action believes " I should do this action and enjoy its result." No wise man should unsettle that firm belief. — What then should he do ? — Himself doing deligently and well the actions which the ignorant have to do, he should make them do those actions.
In what way is an ignorant man attached to actions ?
27. Actions are wrought in all cases by the energies of Nature. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks * I am the doer.*
Nature (Prakriti, Pradh&na) is the equipoised state of the three guwas or energies, viz., sattva (goodness), rajas
§ Even he should perform action in view of the welfare of others.
96 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. III.
(activity), tantas (darkness). It is by the guwas or the modi- fications of Nature, manifesting themselves as the body and the senses, that all our actions, conducive to temporal and spiritual ends, are done. The man whose mind (anta/j- karawa) is variously deluded by ahawk^ra, by egoism identifying the aggregate of the body and the senses with the Self, i. c, who ascribes to himself all the attributes of the body and the senses and thus thoroughly identifies himself with them — he, by nescience, sees actions in him- self: as regards every action, he thinks ** I am the doer.*'
But as regards the wise man :
28. But he who knows the truth, O mighty- armed, about the divisions of the energies and (their) functions, is not attached, thinking that the energies act upon the energies.
He who is versed in the classification of the energies (guwas) and their respective functions holds that the ener- gies as sense-organs move amid the energies as sense- objects, but not the Self. Thus holding, he forms no attachment (for actions).
Now,
29. Those deluded by the energies of Nature are . attached to the functions of the energies. He who knows the All should not unsettle the unwise who know not the All.
The foolish believe ** we do action for the sake of its result.*' These men who are attached to action look only to the results of their actions. The man who knows the All — the man who knows the Self — should not of himself
/
2 7 — 32 •] KARMA- YOGA. 97
unsettle such men, i. ^., he should not disturb their convic- tion.
How an aspirant lor Moksha should do actions.
How then should action be performed by the ignorant man who seeks moksha and who is qualified for action only ? The answer follows :
30. Renouncing all actions in Me, with thy thought resting on the Self, being free from hope, free frorti selfishness, devoid of fever, do thou fight.
To me, Vasudeva, the Divine Being, the Supreme Lord, the Omniscient, the Self of all, surrender all actions, with the wise thought that ** I, the agent, do this for the tsvara's sake as His liege." Fever : anguish, grief.
31. Men who constantly practise this teaching of Mine with faith and without cavilling, they too are liberated from actions.
Men who always follow this teaching of Mine without cavilling, ». ^., without cherishing any feeling of envy to- wards Me, V&sudeva, the Supreme Master (Parama-Guru) — ^they too are released from actions, i. d., from dharma and a-dharma, from the merit and demerit of actions.
32 But those who, carping at this. My teaching, practise it not, — know them as deluded in all know- ledge, as senseless men doomed to destruction.
Influence of man's nature on his conduct.
Then, w*hy do they, not following Thy doctrine, perform others' duties and neglect their own ?Thus opposed to Thee,
98 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. Ill*
why are t-hay not afraid of the sin of transgressing Thy com- mand ?
33. Even the man of knowledge acts in conform- ity with his own nature ; (all) beings follow (their) nature ; what shall coercioa avail ?
Nature (prakriti) is the sawskara (the latent self-repro- ductive impression of the past acts of dharma and a-dharma) manifesting itself at the commencement of the present birth. Even the man of knowledge acts according to his own nature ; it needs no saying that an ignorant man acts ac- cording to his own nature. Thus all living beings follow their own nature. What shall coercion in the shape of prohibition avail ? That is to say, to Me or to anybody else, nature is irresistible.
Scope lor man's personal exertion.
«
(Objection) : — If every being acts according to its own nature only, — and there is none that has no nature of its own, — then, there being possibly no scope for personal exertion, (purushakara), the Teaching (sastra) would be quite purposeless.
(Answer) : — The Lord replies as follows :
34. Love and hate lie towards the object of each sense ; let none become subject to these two ; for, they are his enemies.
As regards all sense-objects, such as sounds, there neces- sarily arises in each sense love for an agreeable object, and aversion for a disagreeable object. Now I shall tell you where lies the scope for personal exertion and for the Tea- ching (sastra). He who would follow the Teaching, should
33—35] KARMA-YOGA. 99
at the very commencement rise above the sway of affection and aversion. For, what we speak of as the nature (praknti) of a person draws him to its course only through love and aversion. He then neglects his own duties and sets about doing those of others. When, on the other hand, a person restrains these feelings by means of their enemy-^', then he will become mindful of the Teaching only, no IcHiger sub- ject to his own nature. Wherefore, let none come under the sway of these two ; for, they are his adversaries, obstacles to his progress in the right path, like thieves on the road.
Now, the man who is led by love and aversion may mis- understand the Teaching ; he may think that one man may follow the duty (dharma) of another because the latter is also a duty. But it is not right to think so :
35. Better one's own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well discharged. Better is death in one's own duty ; the duty of another is productive of danger.
For a man to die doing his own duty though devoid of merit is better than for him to live doing the duty of another though perfectly performed. For, the duty of another leads to danger, such as hell (naraka).
Desire is the enemy of man.
Though the source of evil has been pointed out in ii. 62, &c., and in iii. 34, yet with a view to elicit a concise and clear statement of what was but desultorily and vaguely expressed, — for, the exact cause being known, he might exert himself to exterminate it, — Arjuna asks :
_ — — - ■ - I
♦ Viveka-jnina or Right [.knowledge is jnAna or illusory knowledge, the source ths enemy; for, it is inimical tow t7A>'4- of affection and aversion.
lOO THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. III.
Arjuna said :
36. But by what dragged on, O V&rsh»eya, does a man, though reluctant, commit sin, as if constrained by force ?
Dragged on and constrained : as a servant by the king. Vdrshneya : one born in the family of the Vnshms.
The Lord says : Listen, I shall tell you who that enemy is, of whom you ask, — who the source of all evil is :
[Vasudeva is here called the Lord ( Bhagavat ), because He is one in whom the six attributes of unimpeded domi- nion, &c., ever abide collectively and in perfection, and who possesses a complete knowledge of the origin of the uni- verse &c. Says the Vish»u-Pur&»a :
" *Bhaga' means the six attributes—perfect dnmininn, might, glory, splendour, dispassion and salvation." (vi. 5-74).
" He is called the Lord (Bhagavat), who knows the origin and the end, the coming and going of beings, what is wisdom and what is ignorance," (vi. 5-78.)]
The Blessed Lord said :
37. It is Desire, it is Wrath, born of the energy of Rajas, all-devouring, all-sinful; that, know thou, is the foe here.
The enemy of the whole world is desire, from which all the evil comes to living beings. When obstructed by some cause, desire is transformed into wrath. Whence wrath is desire itself. It is born of the energy of Rajas. — Or, desire itself is the cause of the energy of Rajas ; for, wlien desire arises, it rouses the Rajas and urges the person to
35 — 39] KARMA-YOGA. lOI
action. We often hear the cry of miserable persons — who are engaged in servitude, &c., under the impulse of the Rajas, — saying * I have been led to act so by desire.' It is very sinful ; for it is only when urged by desire that a man commits sin. Wherefore, know that this desire is man's foe here in sawsara.
Desire enshrouds wisdom.
He now illustrates how it is our foe :
38. As fire is surrounded by smoke, as a mirror by rust, as the foetus is enclosed in the womb, so is this covered by it.
As a bright fire is surrounded by dark smoke co-existent with it so this is covered with desire.
^^%aft^ &c thing jc^msd to bry 'this 'and wluch Is
covered with desire ? — The answer fi^ows :
39. Covered, O son of Kuntl, is wisdom by this constant enemy of the wise, in the form of desire, which is greedy and insatiable.
The wise man knows even before suffering the conse- quence, that he has been led by desire to evil ways, and therefore he feels ever miserable. Whence desire is a con- stant enemy of the wise, not of the ignorant. For, the latter regards desire as a friend at the time he thirsts for objects, and it is only when suffering results from it, — but not be- fore,— that he learns the truth that he has been rendered miserable by desire. Wherefore it is a constant enemy of
the wise alone It is insatiable and greedy ; it never
has enough, i.e,, At finds nothing enough for itself, i, e., there is no limit to its consuming power.
102 THE BHAGAVAD-GItA. [DiS* HI.
The seat of desire.
He now tells us where is seated desire which, by envelop- ing wisdom, forms the enemy of the whole world. The seat of the enemy being known, it is easy to kill it.
40. The senses, mind, and reason are said to be its seat ; veiling wisdom through these, it deludes the embodied.
Its seat: the seat of desire. These : the senses, mind (manas), and reason (buddhi).
How to kill out desire.
Wherefore,
41. Therefore, O lord of the Bharatas, restrain the senses first, do thou cast off this sinful thing which is destructive of knowledge and wisdom.
Jwana is the knowledge of the Self and other things acquired from the sastra (scripture) and from a teacher (fi,ch^rya). Vi-jndna is the personal experience of the things so taught. Do thou cast off from you the destroyer of jnana and vijnana which lead to the highest good.
It has been taught, ** first m.aster the senses, and cast off desire, thy enemy." Now it may be asked, — Where should one take one's stand and cast off desire ? The answer follows :
42. They say that the senses are superior ; superior to the senses is mind ; superior to mind is reason ; one who is even superior to reason is He.
40 — ^43] KARMA- YOGA. IO3
The senses are five, the sense of hearing, etc. When compared with the physical body, which is gross, external, and limited, the senses are superior as they are comparative- ly more subtle and internal, and have a more extensive sphere of action. So say the wise. Superior to the senses is mind (manas, the impulsive nature) which is composed of thoughts and desires, of errors and doubts, (sawkalpa and vikalpa). Superior to mind is reason (buddhi) characterized by determination (nischaya). So, He who is behind all things visible, inclusive of reason, the Dweller in the body,whom — it has been said — desire, seated m the senses and other quarters, bewilders by enveloping wisdom, — He, the Self, the witness of reason, is superior to reason.
43. Thus knowing Him who is superior to reason, subduing the self by the self, slay thou, O mighty-armed, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer.
Thus understanding the Self who is superior to reason and subduing the self by the self, i, d., steadily composing the self by means of the self, '•' do thou slay desire. It is difficult to conquer desire, on account of its complex and incomprehensible nature.
S^ ^ ' ^ ^r^.
• ♦ The regenerated or purified mind self-couiposure (nianas-saiiiadhana)— (A), (self, mauds) is the means of attaining
Vx
FOURTH DISCOURSE. JNANA-YOQA.
Tradition of Jnana-Yo^a.
This Yoga of Devotion to knowledge taught in the last two Discourses, accompanied with renunciation and attain- ed by means of Karma- Yoga, — this Yoga in which the Vedic teaching regarding the life of activity and retirement (Praviitti and Nivntti) is comprehended, — it is this Yoga which forms the subject of the Lord's teaching throughout the Git§i. Thinking, therefore, that the Vedic Doctrine has been concluded, He extols it by relating its pedigree.
The Blessed Lord said :
I. I taught this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvat ; Vivasvat taught it to Manu ; Manu taught it to Ikshv&ku.
This Yoga, treated of in the two preceding Discourses, I taught to the Sun (Vivasvat) at the commencement of Evolution in order to infuse strength into the kshatriyas, the rulers of the world. It is only when possessed of the strength of this Yoga, that they can protect the brllhmaf^as, the spiritual class. And when the spiritual and ruling classes are well maintained, it is possible to maintain the world. That Yoga is imperishable, because of its imperishable results. Indeed, Moksha, the fruit of this Yoga of complete devotion to right knowledge, never perishes. Vivasvat taught it to Manu ; and Mana taught it to his son Ikshv&ku the first ruler.
1—4] JNANA-YOGA. i I05
2. This, handed down thus in succession, the • King-sages learnt. This Yoga, by long lapse of time, has been lost, here, O harasser of foes.
This Yoga, thus handed down in regular succession among the kshatriyas, the king-sages — men who were at once kings and sages — learnt. The tradition of this Yoga has now for a long time been broken here, O Arjuna, who harassest thy foes, like the sun, by the heat of thy prowess.
Seeing that the Yoga has been lost by falling into the hands of the weak who could not control their senses, and seeing also that the people have not been able to attain the object of life,
3. That same ancient Yoga has been today ' taught to thee by Me, seeing that thou art My devotee and friend ; for, this is the Supreme
Secret. .
»
This knowledge, this Yoga, is the Supreme Secret.
Divine Incarnations.
In order not to leave in anybody's mind an impression that an inconsistent statement has been made by the Lord, and with a view to avoid that impression, Arjuna asks as though he were to raise an objection :
4. Later is Thy birth, and prior the birth of . Vivasvat ; how am I to understand that Thou , taughtest this Yoga in the beginning ?
Thy birth is later, in the house of Vasudeva ; Vivasvat's (Aditya's) birth is prior, in the beginning of evolution ; how, then, am I to reconcile the statements that Thou taughtest this Yoga in the beginning (to Vivasvat), and that Thou, the
Io6 tH^ BttAGAVAD-clTA. [t)lS. IV.
self-same person, hast now taught it to me ?
To remove — as was the aim of Arjuna's question — from the ignorant the impression that Vasudeva was not the Omnipotent and the Omniscient, the Blessed Lord says :
The Blessed Lord said :
5. Many births of Mine have passed, as well as of thine, O Arjuna ; all these I know, thou know- est not, O harasser of foes.
TJwu hnowest mti because thy power of vision is obstruct- ed by thy past action, good and bad (dharma and a-dharma). I, on the other hand, know them, because I am by nature eternal, pure, wise, unbound, and My power of vision is unobstructed.
How, then, canst Thou, the eternal Lord, have a birth, in the absence of dharma and a^dharma ? — Listen :
6. Though I am unborn, of imperishable nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings, yet ruling over My own nature, I am born by My own Mftyft.
Though I am unborn, though by nature my power of vision (j«ana-5akti) is undecaying, though I am by nature the Lord of all creatures from Brahm^ down to grass, yet ruling over My Nature — the Praknti, the MayA of Vishnu, which is made up of the three energies of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, to which this whole universe is subject, and by which deluded the whole world knows not Vasudeva, its own Self, — I appear to be born and embodied, through my own Mkysi, but not in reality, unlike others.
r
4— IjO.] JNANA-YOGA. IQ7
The purpose of Divine Incarnation.
When and for what purpose is He so born ?— The answer
7. Whenever there is a decay of religion, O Bh&rata, and an ascendency of irreligion, then I manifest Myself.
Religion: Dharma as embodied in the institution of castes (varwa) and religious orders (asrama) which are the means of attaining worldly prosperity and salvation. Whenever Ihere isa d^ay of religion (Dharma),... I manifest Myself through Maya.
For what purpose ?
8. For the protection of the good, for the des- truction of evil-doers, for the firm establishment of religion, I am born in every age.
The good : those who are in the right path.
9. Whoso knows thus My divine birth and action in truth is not born again on leaving this body; he comes to Me, O Arjuna.
My birth is an illusion (Maya). It is Divine, peculiar to Isvara, not of ordinary nature (aprAknta). He comes to Me : He is liberated.
Jnana-Yo^a is the sole means to moksha.
This path of salvation is not recent, but it was in vogue even in ancient times :
10. Free from passion, fear and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire (tapas) of wisdom, many have reached My being.
io8 THE bhagavad-gitA. [Dis. IV.
Absorbed' in Me : knowing Brahman, i, e,, seeing their •identity with Is vara. Taking refuge in Me, Paramesvara, the Supreme Lord, i. e., firmly devoted to wisdom only. Jnana- tapas : . religious austerity (tapas) in the form of jwana or knowledge of the Highest Self, Paramat man. —This com- pound indicates that Devotion to knowledge is quite inde- pendent of all other austerities (tapases). — Having attained to highest purity by means of this fire of austerity {tapas), many have attained moksha.
Divine dispensation of worldly benefits and salvation.
Then, Thou cherishest the feelings of affection and aver- sion, since Thou awardest moksha. Thy Being (identity with Thy Self), to a few only, not to all ? — The answer follows :
II Howsoever men approach Me, even so do I reward them ; My path do men follow in all things, O son of Pnth4.
I reward men by granting them the things they desire, just in accordance with the way in which they seek Me and the motive with which they seek Me ; for, they do not seek for moksha. One cannot indeed pursue pleasure and at the same time seek for moksha. Wherefore, I reward seekers of fruits by securing to them their selfish ends ; I reward the unselfish, who do their prescribed duties and seek for moksha, by granting them knowledge ; I reward men of knowledge who have renounced the world and seek for moksha, by granting them moksha ; similarly, I reward men in distress by relieving them from distress. Thus do I reward all, just in the way they seek Me. But never do I reward any from affection or aversion, or from delusion. In ^11 things, men follow My path, the path of the tsvara who
10 — 12.] JNANA-YOGA. lOQ
exists in all forms.* [Here *men' stands for all those + who are engaged in works prescribed according to their respective ends.]
(Question) : — If Thou, Is vara, art free from affection and other evil passions, then, since Thou art gracious to all creatures alike and able to grant every desire, why do they not all desire moksha and seek Thee, with the knowledge that VIbsudeva is all ?
{Answer) : — Listen why it is so :
12. They who long after success in actions sacrifice here to the Gods ; for, soon in this world of man accrues success from action.
They who long after success in action sacrifice ^o the Gods, such as Indra and Agni. The sruti say3 :
"He who, on the other hand, worships a separate God, thinking, * He is separate from me and I am separate from Him' — he knows not. He is to the Devas as cattle (to men).'* (Bri. Up. 1-4-10).
For, quickly is the fruit of action reaped in this wotld of men by those who, with selfish ends in view, sacrifice to external Gods, performing the works enjoined on them according to their caste (varwa) and order (Asrama). It is for this world of men that Vedic injunctions are meant. — By the expression ** soon in this world of man " the Lord implies that even in other worlds actions produce results : the only difference being that it is only to this world of men that injunctions based upon eastes and religious orders apply.
♦ i. e., whether it be for a selfish end that abides as the Self in every form.— (A)
or for moksha, eVery one should follow . xt ^ 11. .l ». .
or lor liwivaxia, ' ^ ^ ,, + Not men only, but other beings as
the Lord, hi the path of works or of know- ^gn _/aj ledge. It is the Supreme Lord Himself
I IP THE .BHAGAVAD-GlTA. [DlS. IV.
:Ca^t6rasl9r4iyin6\y ordered human institution.
-" What IS tile foundation ojfthe law that the respective duties of the several castes and religious orders obtain only in:this .Jwiorld of men, but not in other worlds? — Or the questioainay be:put thus: It has been said that men, split tjfki into V the communities of several castes and orders ^yatj^as aiid^sramas), should follow Thy path in all things. Why should they necessarily follow Thy path only, but not that of any other ? — The answer follows :
i^ni'3.:.: The fourfold caste has been created by Me kdcording: to the distribution of energies and ac- tions; though I ani the author thereof, know Me as J. npn-^agentar^d immutable.
The four 'cas1:es (varwas, lit,, colours) have been created by M^v IsVata, accc«"ding to the distribution of energies (giiwas) and^oiaptions, i iThe energies ar-e Sattva (goodness), Rajas (foiilnessijactivity), and Tamas (darkness). The actions of a brahmawa ( priest ), in whom Sattva predominates, are €§renity,-S;^f -restraint, austerity, &c., (xviii. 42). The ac- tions of a kshatriya (warrior), in whom Rajas predominates ^(} 5^ttva is svibprdinate to. Rajas, are prowess^ daring, &c,j (xviii. 43). The actions of a vaisya (merchant), in .whom Rajas predominates . and Tamas is subordiniite to flajas,^re agriculture, etc. (x^viii. 44). The action of a sudra (§erv^nt), in whom Tamas predominates and Rajas is sub- ordinate -to Tamas, is only servitude. Thus have been created^ .the, four castes according to the distribution of energies and actions. This fourfold caste does not exist in other worlds. Hence the limitation ** in this world of mati/*^ (iv. 12).
12 — 15.] jNANA-VOGA.r : 111
{Objection) : — Oh ! then Thbu art t|re author 'pf th&a<:t of creating the four castes, and as such Thou, art ,boiiHd .by its effects; wherefore, Thou art not the eternal ..I^ord por the eternally unbound.
'■ i V^» "v ' J J
(Answer) :—Tho\jigh I Sivti the author of this act -When viewed from the standpoint of M^yd., still, know fhou^thiat P am in reality no agent and therefore Hot subject to i§tMskt2i4
Action without attachment does not bind the soul*
Since I am not in reality the author of those actions of which you think Me to be the author,
is not bound by actions. ^ * ; ;
• For want of egoism (ahawkara), these actions do not pollute Me by necessitating incarnation ; nor have I a desire for the fruit of these actions. On the other hand, it is but right that actions should pollute those men of the world (sawsara) who are attached to their actions, thinking themselves io'be the authors thereof, and longing for the fruits of such actions. As I have none of these, (viz., desire and ^at^ tachment), actions cannot pollute Me. Any other person,r too, who knows Me to be his Self, who thinks " I an^ no agent, I have no longing for the fruits of actions,'! — his actions too will not necessitate incarnation.
Knowing that * I am no agent, I have no longing for the fruits of actions,' -
1X2 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. IV.
also perform action as did the ancients in the olden time.
As the ancients performed action, do thou also perform action ; do not sit quiet, nor renounce action. If thou art ignorant, do thou perform action to purify the self. If thou art wise and knowest tl^e truth, do thou perform action for the protection of the masses. It was performed by the ancients such as Janaka in the olden time : it is not a recent institution.
The real nature of action and inaction.
^f action should be performed here (in this world of man) I shall perform it on the authority of Thy word. Why shouldst thou add that it was performed by the ancients in the oMen time? — (In reply the Lord says:) Listen. For there is a great difficulty in (understanding) action. — How ?
•
i6. What is action ? What is inaction ? — As to this, even the wise are deluded. I shall teach thee such action, by knowing which thou shalt be liberated from evil.
Even the wise are deluded as to what is action and what' is ina(!:tion. Wherefore I will explain to you the nature of action and of inaction, knowing which thou shalt be released from the evil of saws^ra.
Neither shouldst thou think thus: ** It is familiar to all that action means movement of the body, and inaction means absence of it, to sit quiet. What is there to be learnt about them ? "
Wherefore ?
The answer follows :
15 — 18.] JNANA-YOGA. II3
17. For, thou hast to know something even of action, something to know of unlawful action, and something to know of inaction ; hard to under- stand is the nature of action.
For there is much to be learnt about the action which is enjoined by the scripture, about the action which is un- lawful, and about inaction. In fact, it is hard to understand the true nature of action (enjoined), of inaction, and of unlawful action.
What, then, is the true nature of action and inaction, about which much has to be learnt, and which you have promised to teach ? — Listen :
18. He who can see inaction in action, who can also see action in inaction, he is wise among men, he is devout, he is the performer of all action.
* Action ' means what is done, an act in general. Inaction can be seen in action, and action in inaction, since both inaction ( niv/itti ) and action (pravritti) presuppose an agent. "^^ In fact, all our experience of such things as action and agent is possible only in a state of avidy^, only when we have not yet attained to the Real (vastu). He who sees inaction in action and who sees action in inaction, — he is wise among men, he is devout (yiikta, yogin), and he has done all action. — Thus is he extolled who sees action in inaction and vice versa,
* It has been said that action should be it presupposes no agency of the Self. For seen in inaction and vice versa because in action or inaction, Pravritti or Nivritti is both an agent is presupposed. This cannot resorted to only before obtaining a know- be objected to on the ground that nivntti ledge of the Real Self, as a means of or inaction is resorted to only when the attaining it.-T-(A.) One real Self is known, and that therefore
114 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. IV.
(Objection) : — What means this incongruity, ** who can see inaction in action and action in inaction"? Surely action can never be inaction, nor can inaction be action. How can one ever realize such an incongruity ?
{Ansufer) : — This objection does not apply to our interpre- tation. To an ignorant man of the world, what in reality is inaction appears as action, and what in reality is action appears as inaction. With a view to teach what their real nature is, the Lord says, " He who can see inaction in action," &c. Hence no incongruity. It must be a bare truth that the Lord means to teach here, inasmuch as He has said that he who realizes this view of action and in- action is zvise, and has introduced the subject by saying that there is much to be learnt about action and inaction, (iv. 17). It has also been said that * by knowing which thou shalt be liberated from evil' (iv. 16) ; and certainly freedom from evil cannot be achieved by means of false knowledge. Wherefore, we should understand that action and inaction are misunderstood by all living beings and that the Lord, wishing to remove this false view of them, teaches ** He who can see inaction in action " &c. Moreover, inaction cannot be said to be located in action or contained in it, as jujube (badara) fruits in a vessel, nor can action be said to be located in inaction ; for, inaction is but the absence of action. Wherefore (the meaning of the Lord must be that) action and inaction are not rightly understood . by people and that the one is mistaken for the other, as the mirage is mistaken for water, or as the mother-of-pearl is mistaken for silver,
{Objection) : — Action is ever action to all ; it never appears to be anything else ?
l8j J NAN A- YOGA. IIS
(Answer) : — Not so. When a ship is in motion, the motion- less trees on the shore appear, to a man on board the ship, to move in the opposite direction ; distant and moving bodies which are far away from our eye appear to be motionless. Similarly, here, (in the case of the Self ) in- action is mistaken for action, and action for inaction. Wherefore, to remove this false impression, the Lord says " He who can see inaction in action " &c.
Though such an objection has been more than once answered, people who have long bsen subject to great mis- conceptions are deluded often and often, forget the truth though often and often taught, and often and often raise objections based on false premises. Wherefore, seeing how difficult the Real is for us to know, the Lord often answers such objections.
The truth that the Self is actionless, so clearly taught by sruti, smnti, and reason, has been taught here also in ii. 20.-24 ; and it will also be taught hereafter. It is, how- ever, a deep-rooted habit of the mind to connect action with the actionless Self, though it is contrary to His real nature; wherefore, ** even the wise are deluded as to what is action and what is inaction" (v. 16). Action pertains to the physical body (deha) etc., but man falsely attributes action to the Self and imagines ** I am the agent, mine is action, by me shall the fruit of action be reaped.** Similarly, he falsely imputes to the Self the cessation of activity which really pertains to the body and the senses, as also the happiness which results from that cessation (of activity) ; he imagines * I shall b3 quiet, so that I may be happy, without worry and without action ; and I do nothing now, I ajn quiet and happy." To remove this fals^
ii6 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. IV.
impression, the Lord says " He who can see. inaction in action," &c.
Now, action which belongs to the body and the senses, while yet retaining its own nature as action, is falsely imputed by all to the Self who is actionless and immutable ; whence even a learned man thinks ** I act." Hence the passage means : — He who sees inaction in action, i. e,, he who has the right knowledge that action, which is common- ly supposed by all to pertain to the Self, does not really belong to the Self, just as motion does not really pertain to the trees (on the shore of the river) which appear (to a man on board the ship) to move in the opposite direction ; and he who sees action in inaction, i, e,, he who knows that even inaction is action, — for, inaction is but a cessation of bodily and mental activities, and like action it is falsely attributed to the Self and causes the feeling of egoism as expressed in the words ** quiet and doing nothing, I sit happy ;" — he who can realize the nature of action and in- action as now explained is wise among men ; he is devout (Yogin), he is the performer of all actions. He is released from evil ; he has achieved all.
This verse has been interpreted in a different way by some commentators. — How? — The obligatory duties (nitya- karma), performed for the sake of Is vara, do not produce any effect and may therefore bs figuratively termed inaction, i.e., they are equivalent to inaction; and neglect of those duties produces evil and may therefore, only figuratively, be termed action, i. e,, it is equivalent to action. Accordingly, they have interpreted the verse thus: — He who regards the obli- gatory duties (nityakarma) as inaction, since they do not produce any effect — ^just as a cow may be said to be no
l8] JNANA-YOGA. II7
COW when she does not serve the purpose of yielding milk, — and he who regards the neglect of obligatory duties as an action, since it produces evil such as hell (naraka), he is wise among men, &c.
This -interpretation cannnot hold good. As such knowledge cannot lead to liberation from evil, the Lord's statement that ** by knowing which thou shalt be liberated from evil " (iv. 16) would prove false. Even though it be grant- ed (for mere argument's sake) that liberation from evil accrues from the performance of obligatory duties (nitya- karma), it can never be granted that it will accrue from the mere knowledge that they do not produce any effect. Certain- ly it is nowhere revealed (in sruti) that liberation from evil accrues from the knowledge that obligatory duties do not produce effects or from a knowledge of those obligatory duties themselves. It cannot be urged that it has been taught here by the Lord.* The same argument holds good also against their view as to seeing action in inaction. Indeed, this precept enjoins, (they hold), not that neglect of obligatory duties (nitya-karma) should be regarded as action, but only that obligatory duties should be perform- ed. Moreover, no good can result from the knowledge that non-performance of obligatory duties leads to evil. Neither can non-performance (which is non-existent in itself) of obligatory duties be enjoined as an object on which to fix our thought.! Nor by a false knowledge which regards
* For, in words "by knowing which + Just as we are to fix our idea of
thou shalt be liberated from evil, " (v. 16) Vishna on a symbol such as an idol. The
the Lord refers to knowledge of the things symbol alleged to be presented here to
there, spoken of, but not to the particular fix our thought upon, is an abh^va or
knowledge that obligatory duties pro- nonentity. duce no effects.
ii8 THE bhagavad-gitA. [Dis. IV«
inaction as action can a man be released from evil, or said to be wise and devout and to have performed all actions: and such a knowledge deserves no praise. False knowledge is itself the evil ; how can it release us from another evil ? Darkness does not expel darkness.
{Objection) : — The knowledge that inaction is action or that action is inaction is not an illusion, but a figur- ative idea based upon the fact of productiveness or unpro- ductiveness of effects.
(Answer) : — No. For, nowhere is it taught that even such a figurative idea regarding action and inaction is of any good. Neither is any purpose served by thus ignoring the immediate subject of discourse and speaking of something else. It is, moreover, possible to express more directly the fact that obligatory duties do not produce effects and that their omission leads to hell. What, then, might be the purpose served by such an ambiguous circumlocution as ** he who can see inaction in action, " &c. ? Such an explanation is tantamount to saying that the Lord wanted to confound others by these utterances. It is not necessary to mystify the doctrine (of obligatory duties) by means of symbolic language, nor is it possible to maintain that it can be easily understood if expressed often and often and in more ways than one. For, the same doctrine is more clearly expressed in ii. 47, and needs no reiteration. It is only what is high and worthy of our effort that is worth knowing, but not the worthless. No knowledge is worth acquiring ; nor is its object * — which is unreal — worth knowing. No evil can arise from non-performance ; no existence can arise from non-existence. It has been said here, ** Of the unreal no
♦ The object of illusory knowledge, such as action (karma).
l8 — 19] JNANA-YOGA. IIQ
bsing there is," (ii. 16), and in the sruti '* How can the existent arise from the non-existent?'* (ChhA. Up. 6-2-2J. To say that an existent object arises from the non-existent is tantamount to saying that non-existence itself becomes exist- ence and vice versa, which cannot be maintained as it is against all evidence. The scripture (s^stra) cannot enjoin an act which is productive of no good; for, such an act is painful in- its performance, and no pain would ever be deliberately incurred. Since it is admitted that omission of such duties leads to hell, it would simply amount to this, that Revela- tion (s^stra) is of no good, since performance as well as omis- sion of duties therein enjoined alike result in pain. More- over, he who admits that obligatory duties produce no effects and at the same time holds that they lead to salva- tion, lands himself in a self-contradiction.
Wherefore, this verse admits only of a literal interpreta- tion, and we have interpreted it accordingly.
Who is a sage ?
The realization of inaction in action and vice versa is extolled as follov/s :
ig. He whose engagements are all devoid of desires and purposes, and whose actions have been burnt by the fire of wisdom, him the wise call a sage.
The man who has realized the truth described above, whose works are all free from desires and from purposes (sankalpa) which causs those desires, who performs mere deeds without any immediate purpose, — if he be engaged in worldly action, he does so with a view to set an example to the masses ; if he has renounced worldly life, he performs
120 THE BHAGAVAD-GItA. [DiS. IV.
deeds only for bodily maintenance, — whose actions good and bad, are consumed in the fire of wisdom which consists in the realization of inaction in action and vice versa : him the wise who know Brahman call a real sage (paw^ita).
The Sage's worldly action as an example
to the masses.
•
He who can see action in inaction and vice versa, (i. e,, who has realized the true nature of action and inaction), is, by virtue of that very realization, free from action ; he re- nounces (the world) and engages in no action, — only doing what is required for the bare existence of his body, — even though he had been engaged in action before realizing the truth. On the other hand, there may be a person who, having started with action and having since obtained the right knowledge of the Self, really abandons action with all its accessories, as he finds action of no use; but who, finding that for some reason he cannot abandon action, may conti- nue doing action as before, with a view to set an example to the world at large, devoid of attachment to action and its result, and therefore having no selfish end in view ; such a man really does nothing. His action is equivalent to inaction, since all his actions are consumed in the fire of knowledge. To teach this, the Lord says :
20. Having abandoned attachment for the fruits of action, ever content, dependent on none, though engaged in actions, nothing at all does he do.
He who has abandoned all concern for action and all attachment for its results in virtue of the knowledge of the truth explained above, who is always content, longing for no objects of senses ; who seeks nothing whereby to achieve
19 — 21.] J NANA- YOG A. 121
any end of his {i. e., to secure enjoyments in this birth or the next) ; who, for want of any selfish end in view, might give up action with its accessories ; but who, finding it impracticable to get away from action, engages in action as before with a view to set an example to the world or to avoid the displeasure of the orthodox, — such a man, though engaged in actions, really does nothing at all, since he is endued with knowledge of the actionless Self.
The Sage's action for bodily maintenance.
He who, unlike the one just spoken of, has, even before engaging in action, realized his identity with Brahman (the Absolute) abiding within all as the innermost actionless Self ( the Pratyag^tman ) ; who is free from desire for objects of pleasure, seen or unseen ; and who, therefore, find- ing no use in action which is intended to secure such objects of pleasure, renounces all action with accessories, except what is necessary for the bare bodily maintenance ; such a devotee, steady in his devotion to knowledge, is liberated. To teach this, the Lord says :
21. Free from desire, with the mind and the self controlled, having relinquished all possess- ions, doing mere bodily action, he incurs no sin.
He from whom all desires have departed, by whom the mind and the body (the self, the external aggregate of causes and e£fects) have been controlled, by whom all property has been disowned, who does mere bodily action (action necessary for the bare existence of the body), without attachment even for that action, — he incurs no sin which will produce evil effects. Even dharma is a sin, — in the
i6
122 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DiS. IV.
case of him who seeks liberation,— inasmuch as it causes bondage. He is liberated from both (dharma and a-dharma), i. e.y he is liberated from sawsara.
Now, what does the phrase * mere bodily action ' (sarira- karma) mean ? Does it mean action which can be perform- ed by means of the body only ? Or does it mean action required for the bare existence of the body ?
One may ask : What is the good of this enquiry ? What if * bodily action ' means * action done by means of the body ' or * action necessary for the bare existence of the body ' ?
We reply as follows :
^ Firstly : If * mere bodily action ' means * action which can be performed by means of the body only', the words would imply that even he who, by means of the body, does an un- lawful action productive of some visible or invisible results, incurs no sin. Then this teaching would contradict the teaching of the sastra. And to say that he who does by means of the body a lawful action productive of some visible or invisible results incurs no sin is to deny something which even the opponent would never advance. Moreover, the qualifications * doing bodily action * and * mere ' would imply that sin accrues to him who in speech or thought performs actions enjoined or prohibited by the sastra, res- pectively called dharma and a-dharma. To say, then, that he who does a lawful act in speech or thought incurs sin would be to contradict the scripture ; and to say that he who does an unlawful act in speech or thought incurs sin is a useless reiteration of what is known.
Secondly: If, on the other hand, ** bodily action" be interpreted to mean * action required for the bare existence
21 — 22.] JNANA-YOGA. I23
of the body,* then the teaching amounts to this : He who in deed, speech and thought does no other action, lawful or unlawful, productive of results here or hereafter ; who, in deed, speech or thought, performs in the eye of the world just those acts which are required for the bare existence of the body without even such attachment for those acts as is implied in the words ** I do,'* he does not incur sin. Since it cannot even be imagined that such a man can do any wrong which may be called sin, he is not subject to re- birth ; he is liberated without any let or hindrance, since all his actions have been consumed in the fire of knowledge. — Thus, there is here only a reiteration of the results of the right knowledge, which have b3en described already (in iv. 18). The phrase * mere bodily action ' thus understood gives no room to objection.
Since an ascetic who has disowned all property does not own even the articles of food and other things required for the maintenance of the body, it would follow that the body should be maintained by begging or such other means Now the Lord points out such means of obtaining food and other things required for the maintenance of the . body as are sanctioned by the texts like the following :
** What is not begged for, not previously arranged for, what has been brought to him without his effort. .i** {Baudhdyana'Dharmasiltray 2-8-12).
22. Satisfied with what comes to him by chance, rising above the pairs of opposites, free from envy, equanimous in success and failure, though acting he is not bound. He who i§ satisfied with whs^teyer h^ may obtain by
124 THE bhagavad-gitA. [Dis. IV.
chance, without his effort or request, who is not affected in mind by the attack of such pairs of opposites (dvandva) as heat and cold, who cherishes no feelings of envy and jea- lousy, who is calm whether he obtains or not such things as might come to him without effort, — such a devotee, feeling no pleasure or pain whether he obtains or not food and other things required for the maintenance of the body, seeing action in inaction and vice versa, ever steady in his knowledge of the true nature of the Self, always disowning agency — ** I do nothing at all, energies act upon energies," — in all acts of the body, etc., while begging or doing anything else for the bare existence of the body, — thus realizing the non- agency of the Self, he really does no act at all, not even the act of begging. But as he appears to act like the generali- ty of mankind, agency is imputed to him by people, and so far he is the agent in the act of begging and the like. From his own point of view, however, as based on the teaching of the scriptures which are the source of right knowledge, he is no agent at all. Thus, though he performs the act of begging and the like required for the bare existence of the body, and though with reference to these acts agency is imputed to him by others, he is not bound, since action and its cause, which are the source of bondage, have been burnt in the fire of wisdom. This is only a reiteration of what has bisen already said (iv, 19, 21).
Tb^ 5age*s worldly action does not bind him.
It has been shown in iv. 20 that that man does no action who, having started in life with action, has since realized the actionless Self as one with Brahman and has seen the non-existence pf agent; action and results, but who, though
22 — 24] JNANA-YOGA. 1 25
competent to renounce action, yet, on account of something preventing him from doing so, has continued in action as before. Of him who, as thus shown, does no action, the Lord Says :
23. Of the man whose attachment is gone, who is liberated, whose mind is established in know* ledge, who acts for the sake of sacrifice, — his whole action melts away.
That man from whom all attachment is gone, from whom all cause of bondage, dharma and a-dharma, has fled away, whose mind is ever fixed in wisdom alone, who acts with a view to the performance of a sacrifice * — his action with its result is dissolved away, is reduced to nothing.
Wisdom - sacrifice.
For what reason, then, is all action which he does, entire- ly dissolved, without producing its natural result ? — Listen why.
24. Brahman is the offering. Brahman the obla- tion ; by Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahman ; Brahman verily shall be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action.
The man who has realized Brahman sees that the instru- ment by which the oblation is poured in the fire is nothing but Brahm an ; that it has no existence apart from that of the Self, juist as silver has no existence apart from that of the mother-of-pearl (mistaken for silver). What (in the illustration^ appears as silver is nothing but the mother-of- pearl. WJaat people look upon as the instrument of offer-
^ y/ith a v; fc(^,toj>le3se Loi,-d, Nlir&yana (Yajna= Sacrifice, Vishwu).— (A),
126 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. IV.
ing is, to one who has realised Brahman, nothing but Brahman, Brahman is the oblation : i. e,, what is regarded as oblation is to him nothing but Brahman. So the fire wherein the oblation is offered is nothing but Brahman ; and it is by Brahman that the offering is made, i.e., the agent is none other than Brahman. The act of offering is nothing but Brahman ; and the result, the goal to be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action, is nothing but Brahman.
Thus, the action performed by him who wishes to set an example to the world is in reality no action, as it has been destroyed by the realisation of Brahman in action. This representation as a sacrifice (Yajwa) of the right knowledge possessed by him who has given up all rites and has re- nounced all action is quite in its place, as serving to extol that right knowledge. For him who has realised the Supreme Reality, the instrument of offering and other ac- cessories connected with the actual sacrifice are nothing but Brahman, who is one with his own Self. Else, it would be to no purpose to speak specifically of the instrument and other accessories of a sacrificial rite as Brahman, when every- thing is Brahman. Wherefore, to one who realises that all is Brahman, there is no action. Moreover, all idea of the accessories of action is absent; and indeed, no act of sacri- fice is ever possible in the absence of such an idea. Every sacrificial rite, such as Agnihotra, is associated with an idea (derived from the revealed texts) of the accessories of action such as a particular God or Gods to whom the oblation should be offered, and with egoism on the part of the agent and his attachment for the results. No sacrificial rite is ever found unassociated with the idea of the accessories, of action
24-] J NAN A- YOGA. 127
and results, unaccompained with egoism and a longing for the results. But this (wisdom-sacrifice) is an action wherein all idea of the instrument and other various access- ories of action, all idea of action itself and of its results, has been replaced by the one idea of Brahman. Whence it is no action at all. This is shewn in iv i8, 20 ; iii. 28; v., 8^ Thus teaching, our Lord here and there tries also to remove all idea of duality, i, e,, of action, its result and its access- ories. It is admitted in the case of the Kamya-Agnihotra — the sacrifice of Agnihotra performed for some selfish pur- pose— that it ceases to be a Kamya-Agnihotra in the absence of that purpose. So also we are given to know that actions produce different results according as they are performed deliberately or otherwise. Accordingly, here too, in the case of the wise man in whom the idea of Brahman has replaced all idea of duality — such as, the instrument and other accessories of the act of offering, the act itself and its results — his action, though appearing as such externally, ceases to be action. Whence it is said ** the whole action melts away " (iv. 23).
In interpreting this passage, some say : — What we call Brahman is the instrument of action and so on. And in fact it is Brahman that manifests Himself in the five forms, — such as action and its accessories, — and does the action. In this case, the idea of the instrument and other accessories of action does not cease to exist. On the other hand, it is taught that the idea of Brahman should be fixed upon action and its accessories in the same way that the idea of Vish«u is fixed upon an idol or the idea of Brahman is fixed upon * name.* {Vide Chh, Upanishad, 7-1-5).
Indeed, even this view would be possible if this particu-
128 THE bhagavad-gIta. [JDis. IV.
lar section of the discourse were not here concerned with the praise of the Wisdom-sacrifice (jnana-yajna). On the other hand, our Lord will here speak of the several acts of worship termed yajnas (sacrifices) and then praise wisdom, the right knowledge, in these terms : ** Superior is the wisdom- sacrifice to the sacrifice with objects.'* (iv. 33). And it has been shewn that the verse is intended to re- present wisdom as a sacrifice {vide p. 126). But, with those who maintain that the idea of Brahman should be fixed upon the sacrificial rite and all its accessories, just as the idea of Vishnu is fixed upon an idol or the idea of Brahman on * name * — the Brahma- vidy§. (knowledge of Brahman), which has been hitherto spoken of, cannot be the aim of the teaching here ; for, this verse would be mainly concerned, according to their interpretation, with the instrument, etc., connected with a sacrificial rite. Moreover, moksha cannot be obtained by that knowledge which consists in fixing the idea of Brahman on a symbol (such as a sacrificial rite). It has been here said that Brahman is the goal to be reached. It is indeed opposed to truth to maintain that moksha can be obtained without knowledge.
Such interpretation is also opposed to the context. Right knowledge is the subject of which this Discourse treats {vide, iv. 18), and the concluding portion of the Discourse treats of the same subject, as shewn by the closing verses. The Discourse indeed concludes by extolling right know- ledge (iv. 33. 39). Accordingly it is not right to maintain that, all on a sudden, and without reference to the present topic, it is here taught that the idea of Brahman should be fixed on a sacrificial act just as the idea of Vishwu is fixed on an idol.
24-25] ! JlsTANA-YOGA. . I29
Wherefore this verse should be interpreted as has been done by us.
Sacrifices effected by action.
After representing the right knowledge as a sacrifice, the Lord proceeds to enumerate other kinds of sacrifice with a view to. extol the right knowledge :
25. Other yogins resort to sacrifices to Gods ; in the fire of Brahman others offer the Self by the Self.
Some yogins, devotees to action, perform only sacrificial rites in devotion to the Gods, while others who know Brahman, the Absolute, sacrifice the Self by the Self in the fire ofl3rahman. The oblation (^huti) in this latter sacrifice is yajna, the Self, — for * yajna,' is enumerated among the terms synonymous with * atman * — who is in reality one with Brahman, but who is conditioned by the upadhis (such as buddhi) with all their attributes superimposed upon Him. This oblation of the Self is poured by the Self into Brahman, — here termed fire, the place into which that oblation is poured, — as described in the following texts:
*• Brahman is the Real, Consciousness, the Infinite.'* (Tait. Up. 2-1).
** Brahman who is Consciousness and Bliss." (Bn. Up. 3-9-28).
** Brahman who is immediately cognised by all, and . who is the Innermost Self of all " (Bn. Up. 3-2-1).
Brahman is devoid of all characteristics of mundane exis- tence (sawsara) such as hunger and thirst, inconceivable in any particular form or aspect, as taught by the Scripture in
i^o THE bhagavaB'gIta. [Dis. IV*
the terms, ''It is not thus, it is not thus." (Bii. Up. 4-4-22).
To know the conditioned Self as identical with the un- conditioned Brahman is to sacrifice the Self in Brahman. This is the sacrifice which is performed by those who, hav- ing renounced all action, are ever steady in their knowledge of the identity of the Self with Brahman.
This Wisdom-Sacrifice ( described in iv. 24 ) is here enumerated along with the Gods-Sacrifice (Daiva-yajna) and others, with a view to extol it (iv. 33).
26. Others offer hearing and other senses in the fires of restraint ; others offer sound and other objects in the fires of the senses.
Some yogins offer hearing and other senses in the fires of restraint (samyama) ; — the plural ' fires ' is used because the restraint differs with each sense ; — they are ever engrossed in restraining their senses; while others sacrifice the objects of senses in the fires of the several senses, i. ^., they regard it as a sacrifice to direct their senses only to the unforbidden objects of senses.
27. And others sacrifice all the functions of the senses and the functions of the vitality in the wisdom-kindled fire of the Yoga of Self-restraint.
Wisdom 'kindled : kindled by discriminative wisdom, as a lamp is kindled by oil. The functions of prftna, the vital air in the individuars body, are expansion, contraction, etc. The functions of the senses and of the vital air are com- pletely dissolved while the yogin concentrates the mind on the Self.
25 — 3^3 JNANA-YOGA. I3I
sacriiicers by austerity, sacrificers by Yogas, sacri- ficers by reading and knowledge, ascetics of rigid vows.
Of others, some sacrifice by way of giving away their wealth to the deserving ; some by austerity ; some by Yoga, comprising such practices as Pr&nAyftma (restraint of vital airs) and Praty&hdra (withdrawal of the mind from external objects) ; some by way of repeating Vedic texts such as the Rig-Yeda. according to prescribed rules ; some by way of studying the contents of the Scriptures (f&s(ra).
29. Others offer pr&na ( outgoing breath ) in ap&na (incoming breath), and ap&na in pr&na, restraining the passages of prina and ap&na, absorb- ed in pr&n&y&ma (restraint of breath).
Some practise the kind of pr&M&3r&ma called PClraka (fiHing in) ; some practise the kind of Prdn&yftma called Rechaka (emptying) ; some are engaged in the practice of Prdndy&ma called Kumbhaka by impeding the outward passage of the air through nostrils and the mouth, and by impeding the inward passage of the air in the opposite direction.
Moreover,
30. Others, with regulated food, offer life-breaths in life-breaths. All these are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are destroyed by sacrifice.
Regulated : limited. Whatever life-breath has been con- trolled, into it they sacrifice all other •4t{e-breaths ; these latter become, as it were, merged i^ the &^rmer.
132 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. IV.
sacrifice, they go to Eternal Brahman. This world is not for the non-sacrificer ; whence the other ? — O best of Kurus.
Performing the sacrifices mentioned above, they eat, at intervals, of prescribed food in a prescribed manner. Food so eaten is called ambrosia, amrita (immortal). If they wish for moksha, they go to Brahman in course of time, not at once, as we should understand for consistency's sake. Even this world, which is common .to all beings, is not for one who performs none of the sacrifices mentioned above. How can there be to him another world which can be secured only by superior means ?
32. Thus manifold sacrifices are spread at the mouth of Brahman. Know them all as born of action. Thus knowing, thou shalt be liberated.
Thus various sacrifices, such as those mentioned above, are spread at the mouth of Brahman, i, c, are known from the Vedas through such passages as the following : ** We sacrifice prawa in speech." Know that they are all born of the not-Self, — of action in deed, speech and thought, — for the Self is actionless. If you realise that ** these are not my actions, I am actionless, I am unconcerned,'* you will be released, by this right knowledge, from evil, from the bond of sawsd.ra.
Wisdom -sacrifice is superior to oilier sacrifices.
Right knowledge has been represented as a sacrifice in iv. 24. Then several sacrifices were taught. Knowledge is now extolled as compared with these latter kinds of sacrifices which are all means of attaining the several objects of hu- man pursuit.
31-34] • JNANA-YOGA. 133
33, Superior is wisdom-sacrifice to the sacrifice with objects, O harasser of thy foes. All action, without exception, O son of Pritha, is compre- hended in wisdom.
The sacrifice performed with material objects produces material effects, whereas wisdom-sacrifice does not. Where- fore wisdom-sacrifice is superior to the sacrifice performed with material objects. For, wisdom, which is the means to moksha, comprehends all action. So says the sruti :
"Just as (in the game of four dice) the three dice are comprehended in the fourth termed knta, so whatever good people do, all that reaches him. Any other man who knows that which he knew (obtains the same result.) — (Chha. Up. 4-1-4).
How and where one should seek wisdom.
By what means is this grand wisdom to be obtained?
34, Know this : by long prostration, by enquiry, by service, those men of wisdom who have realis- ed the truth will teach thee wisdom.
Know thou by what process it is obtained. Go to the teachers (Ach^ryas) and humbly prostrate thyself before them. Ask them what is the cause of bondage (bandha) and what the means of deliverance ; what is wisdom (vidya) and what nescience (avidydi). Do service to the Guru. Won over by these and other marks of respect, the teachers who, knowing the truth as well as realising it themselves, will impart to thee their wisdom, — that wisdom which has been described above. Some only, but not all, know as well as realise the truth. — By this the Lord means to say thai that knowledge alone which is imparted by those who
134 'THE bhagavad-gItA. [Djs, IV.
have realised the truth — and no other knowledge— can prove effective.
Then alone the following statement will hold good :
35. Knowing which, thou shalt not again thus fall into error, O P&wrfava ; and by which, thou wilt see all beings in thy Self and also in Me.
Having obtained the wisdom imparted by them, you will not be again subject to confusion as you now are. By this wisdom you will also immediately perceive all beings, from Brahmd (the Creator) down to grass, in your own Self. You will then realise that "these beings exist in Me." You will also see them all in Me, Vdsudeva, thus : " And these beings exist in the Supreme Lord;" *.^., you will realise that unity of the individual Soul (Kshetrajwa) and the tsvara which is so clearly taught in all the Upanishads.
Wisdom, a consumer of all sins and actions.
Moreover, see how excellent knowledge is :
36. Even shouldst thou be the most sinful of all the sinful, thou shalt verily cross all sin by the bark of wisdom.
With the boat of this knowledge, verily, you can cross the ocean of sin. For one who seeks liberation, even dharma proves to be a sin.
How does wisdom destroy sin ? — Here is an example :
37. As kindled fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does wisdom-fire reduce all actions to ashes.
Just as a well-kindled fire reduces fuel to ashes, so does the fire of wisdom reduce all actions to ashes, *.^., it renders
34-39-] JNANA-YOGA. " I35
them impotent. The fire of wisdom cannot indeed literally reduce actions to ashes as fire reduces fuel to ashes. Accord- ingly we should understand that right knowledge is the cause which renders all actions impotent. But the actions by which this body has been brought into existence will come to an end only when their effects will have been fully work- ed out ; for, those actions have already commenced their effects. Thus wisdom can destroy only such actions as have not yet begun to produce their effects, whether they are actions done in this birth before the rise of knowledge and along with knowledge, or those done in the many previous births.
Wherefore,
38. Verily, there exists here no purifier equal to wisdom. He who is perfected by Yoga finds it in time in himself by himself.
The seeker of moksha who has perfected and regenerated himself by Yoga — by Karma- Yoga and by Samadhi-Yoga — will after a long practice, himself find spiritual wisdom in himself.
The surest means to wisdom.
The surest means of acquiring wisdom is taught as follows :
39. He obtains wisdom who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and who has subdued the senses* Having obtained wisdom, he ere long attains to the Supreme Peace.
A man full of faith obtains wisdom. But he may be slow; whence it is enjoined that he should ever be intently devot-
136 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dfs. IV,
ed to the means of obtaining wisdom, such as constant attendance on the Teachers (Gurus)*. A man of faith and devotion may not have mastery over the senses ; whence it is also enjoined that he should withdraw his senses away from their engrossment in objects. Such a man of faith, devotion and self-control is sure to obtain wisdom. Mere external acts (iv.34), such as long prostration before the Guru,' may fail to produce the required effect, since they may be tinged with hypocrisy. But hyprocisy is impossible when a man is full of faith and so on. Whence these are the certain means of acquiring wisdom. — What is the result of this acquisition of wisdom ? — The answer follows : Having obtained wisdom, he swiftly attains the Supreme Peace, called Moksha. That the right knowledge quickly leads to moksha is an established truth clearly taught by all ssLstras as well as reason.
Wisdom the killer of doubt.
Thou shalt not doubt this, for doubt is most sinful. — How ? — Listen :
40. The ignorant, the faithless, and one of doubting self, is ruined. There is neither this world, nor the othef, nor happiness, for one of doubting self.
The man who knows not the Self is ruined, as also the man who has no faith in the teachings and the words of his Guru, and the man whose mind is full of doubts. No doubt the ignorant and the faithless are ruined, but not to the same extent as a man of doubting mind. He is the most sinful of all. — How ? — Even this world which is
* And listening to their teachings. &c.
40—42.] JNANA-YOGA. I37
common to all men is not won by a sceptic, nor the other world, nor happiness ; for, even these things come within the sweep of his doubt. Wherefore thou shalt not doubt.
Wherefore ? — For,
41. Him who has renounced actions by Yoga, whose doubts have been cloven asunder by wis- dom, who is self-possessed, actions bind not, O Dhanawjaya.
He who sees the Supreme Being renounces all actions — dharma and a-dharma— by virtue of Yoga or knowledge of the Supreme Being. He attains this stage when his doubt has been cloven asunder by the realisation of the oneness of the Self with the Isvara. As he traces all actions to the interactions of the energies (guwas), actions do not bind him ; they do not produce any effects (good or bad) in the case of him who, in virtue of his Yoga, has renounced all actions and is ever watchful over his self.
Since that man who, in virtue of the practice of karma- yoga, has all his doubts cut asunder by knowledge which arises as a result of all impurity having been washed away, is not bound by actions because they have been consumed in the fire of wisdom, and since that man is ruined who entertains doubts as to the practice of karma and knowledge,
42. Therefore with the sword of wisdom cleave asunder this doubt of the Self lying in the heart and born of ignorance, and resort to Yoga. Arise, O Bh&rata.
Doubt is most sinful. It is born of ignorance and lies in
138 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. IV
the buddhi. Kill it by wisdom, by right knowledge of the Self.
[The word " itmanaA " means * of the Self,' * concerning the Self,* but not * cherished by thyself.* Arjuna's doubt here is about the Self. If Arjuna could ever think that one man*s doubt is ever to be cut by another, then the Lord might say * kill thy doubt * as opposed to another's doubt. Even if Arjuna has been asked to kill the doubt concerning the Self, it implies also that the doubt is one cherished by Arjuna.]
Knowledge is destructive of all evil, such as grief, folly, and the like. Having thus slain doubt, the cause of thy ruin, apply thyself to Karma- Yoga, the means of acquiring right knowledge. Now arise and fight, O descendant of Bharata.
s, , , V
FIFTH DISCOURSE. SAMNYASA-YOQA.
Which is better for the is^norant, Karma -Yos^a
or Samnyasa?
In iv. i8, 19, 21, 22, 24, 32, 33, 37 and 41, the Lord has spoken of the renunciation of all actions ; and in iv. 42 He has exhorted Arjuna to engage in Yoga, in performance of action. Owing to the mutual opposition between perform- ance of action and renunciation thereof as between motion and rest, the two cannot be accomplished by an individual at one and the same time. Neither have two distinct peri- ods of time been prescribed for their respective observance. By inference, therefore, only one of them forms Arjuna*s duty ; so that thinking that, of the two, — performance of action and renunciation thereof, — he should resort to the better of the two to the exclusion of the other, Arjuna asks (v. i) of the Lord with a desire to know which is the better of the two.
(Objection): — As going to speak of entire devotion to JwAna- yoga on the part of him who has realised the Self, the Lord has taught, in the passages quoted above, that such a man has to renounce action, but not he who has not realised the Self. Since performance of action and renunciation of action thus pertain to two distinct classes of people respect- ively, Arj Una's question with a view to know which of the two is better than the other is irrelevant.
140 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. V,
(Answery^Yes ; from your standpoint the question is irre- levant. But from the questioner's (Arjuna's) own standpoint, the question, we say, is quite relevant. — How ? — In the passages quoted above, the Lord enjoins renunciation as a duty (in the form ** Let the wise man renounce") ; and it cannot be enjoined as a duty unless it (the term 'renounce') is more important than the agent {i.e.y the term *wise') ; so that this injunction of renunciation should be extended so as to apply to that man also who has not realised the Self, because renunciation is elsewhere enjoined on him also.* It cannot be made out that renunciation of action is here intended for that man only who has realised the Self.f Thus arguing, Arjuna thinks that an ignorant man may either perform action or renounce it. But, owing to the mutual opposition of the two courses as shown above, only one of them can form the duty (of an individual at a time). And inasmuch as it is the better one of the two that should be followed, but not the other, the question with a view to know which of the two is the better is not irrelevant.
The question is not with reference to the enlightened.
That this is the meaning of Arjuna's question is also evident from an examination of the meaning of the words in reply. — How ?— The reply runs as follows : "Sawnyasa and Karma- Yoga both lead to the highest bliss ; but Karma-
* When he is full of vairAgya or in- to enjoin renunciation, it cannot at the
difference to all worldly concerns. — (A). same time enjoin that renunciation should
+ The Mimtlmsakas hold that a single be resorted to by the wise alone Else it proposition can embody but a single in- would involve the fallacy of a double in- junction. Accordingly, if the proposition junction in a single proposition. "The wise should renounce "be meant
Introduction.] samnyasa-yoga. 141
Yoga is the better of the two" -(v.2). We should now ascer- tain: Is it in reference to the Karma- Yoga and the Karma- Sawnyasa resorted to by a man who has realised the Self that it is said that they lead to the highest bliss as their result, and that the Karma- Yoga is for some reason the better of the two ? Or is it in reference to those resorted to by a man who has not realised the Self that the statement is made ? — What then ?'•' — Listen: As a man who has reali- sed the Self resorts to neither . Karma- Yoga nor Sawnyasa, it is not right to speak of them as alike leading to the high- est bliss, or of the superiority of his Karma- Yoga to his Karma- Sawny^sa. If, for a man who has realised the Self, Karma- Sawny^sa and its opposite — Karma- Yoga (perform- ance of action) — were possible, then it would have been right to speak of them as alike leading to the highest bliss or to speak of the superiority of his Karma- Yoga to his Kar- ma-Sawnyasa. Inasmuch as, however, neither Karma-Sawi- nyasa nor Karma- Yoga is possible for a man who has realised the Self, it is not right to speak of them as alike leading to the highest bliss, or to say that Karma- Yoga is better than Karma- Sawny sisa.
Karma- Yoga and Samnyasa inapplicable to the
enlightened.
(Question) : — Are both Karma- Yoga and Karma-Sawmyasa impossible, or is only one of them impossible, for a man who has realised the Self? If only one of them, is it Karma- Yoga or Karma-Sawmyasa ? What is the reason for the impossibility ?
♦ How is the former supposition liable suppositions are repeated in the BM- to objection ? or how is the latter reason- shya, but they have been omitted in the able ?— ( \nandagiri ) [ Here the two translation ] .
142 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. V.
{Answer) : — Since the man who has realised the Self is free from illusory knowledge, Karma- Yoga which is based upon illusion must be impossible for him. Here, in the Git&-5astra, in the sections treating of the real nature of the Self, it is said that a man who knows the Self, who knows himself to be the Self that is devoid of all changes of birth, &c., and is actionless, and whose illusory knowledge has been replaced by right knowledge, — that such a man has to renounce all actions, ever dwelling in the true actionless Self; and it is further said that, owing to the opposition between right knowledge and illusory knowledge as well as between their efifects, he has nothing to do with Karma- Yoga, the reverse of Karma-Samny^sa, presupposing an active Self and based on the idea of agency caused by illusory knowledge. Wherefore it is but right to say that, for him who has realised the Self and who is free from illusory knowledge, Karma- Yoga which is based upon illusory knowledge is impossible.
(Question) : — What, then, are the sections treating of the real nature of the Self in which the man who knows the Self is said to have no action to do ?
(Answer) : — Inii. 17, inii. 19 and ii. 21, and in other places here and there, the man who has realised the Self is said to have no action to do.
(Objection) : — Karma- Yoga is also taught here and there in the sections treating of the real nature of the Self, e.g.f in ii. 18, 31, 47, &c. How, then, can Karma- Yoga be said to be impossible for a man who has realised the Self ?
( Answer ) :-*It is so, because there is an opposition between right knowledge and illusory knowledge as w^U as
Introduction.] samnyAsa-yoga. 143
between their effects. In iii. 3 it is said that the S&nkhyas who have realised the true nature of the Self apply them- selves to devotion in the path of wisdom — ever dwelling in the actionless Self — as distinguished from devotion in the path of action which is intended for those who have not realised the Self. The man who has realised the Self has no longer any object to gain, since he has achieved all. In iii. 17 it is said that he has no more duties to perform. In such passages as iii. 4 and v. 6 Karma- Yoga is enjoined as an accessory to the acquisition of the knowledge of the Self, while in vi. 3 it is said that the man who has obtained right knowledge has no longer anything to do with Karma- Yoga. Further, in iv. 21 all action is denied to him except that which is required for bodily maintenance ; and even with reference to such acts of hearing and seeing as may be required for mere bodily maintenance, the man who knows the true nature of the Self is directed in v. 8 always to meditate with a concentrated mind on the idea that * it is not I that do it.' It is not possible to imagine even in a dream that the man who knows the Self can have anything to do with Karma- Yoga, so opposed to right knowledge and entirely based «pon illusory knowledge. Wherefore it is the Samnyd.sa and the Karma- Yoga of the man who has not realised the Self that are spoken of (in this connection) as lead- ing alike to moksha. This Sawnydsa, which consists in renouncing a few actions only while yet there is an idea of agency,'"' is different from the one already spoken of, from the
♦ He thinks that he has yet to learn the grthasthas or the second religious
what the Ved^tas or the Upanishads order (ftsram^). This sort of renunciation
teach, to reason about it and to meditate is thus partial and is meant to afford to
upon it. He has renounced only those the aspirant greater leisure to apply him-
actlons which are specially enjoined on self to the acquisition of spiritual wisdom*
144 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. v.
renunciation of all actions, — which is resorted to by the man who has realised the Self. The former becomes very difficult of performance as it is further associated with * yama ' and *ni-yama' and the like (which are the various forms of self-control). Karma- Yoga is comparatively easier ot per- formance and is therefore spoken of as the better of the two. Thus an examination of the meaning of the words in reply leads also to the same conclusion as has been arrived at before as regards the meaning of Arjuna's question.
At the beginning of the Third Discourse, Arjuna, seeing that knowledge and action could not coexist in one man, asked the Lord ** tell me that which is the better of the two ;" and in reply the Lord declared decisively that devo- tion in the path of knowledge was meant for the Sankhyas — the renouncers, the Sawnydsins, — and that devotion in the path of action was meant for the Yogins. And from the statement ** nor by inere renunciation does he attain perfec- tion," (iii. 4) it is clear that, in the view of the Lord, renunciation with knowledge is a means of attaining perfec- tion. And Karma- Yoga, too, must lead to perfection, inas- much as it has been enjoined (iv. 42). Arjuna now asks with a view to know as to which one of them. Karma- Yoga or Sawnyasa, is better for a man who has no knowledge.
Arjuna said :
I. Renunciation of actions, O Krishna, Thou praisest, and again Yoga. Tell me conclusively that which is the better of the two.
Thou teachest renunciation of those actions which are enjoined in the sastras, and Thou teachest also that p^er- formance of those very actions is necessary. I have, there-
1 — 2] SAMNYASA-YOGA. 145
fore, a doubt as to which of them is better, performance of (prescribed) actions or renunciation of those actions. It is the better course which must be followed. Wherefore tell me conclusively that one, — it being impossible for one man to resort to both at the same time, — be it performance of actions or renunciation of actions, by which you think I may attain to perfection.
Karma- Yoga suits the ignorant better than
Samnyasa.
To state His own opinion with a view to clear the doubt, the Lord says :
The Blessed Lord said :
2. Renunciation and Yoga through action both lead to the highest bliss; but, of the two, Yoga through action is esteemed more than renunciation of action.
Sawnyasa and Karma- yoga, renunciation of actions and performance of actions, both lead to moksha, as giving rise to (spiritual) knowledge. Though both lead to moksha, yet, of the two means of attaining moksha, Karma- Yoga is better than mere — i. e., unaccompanied with knowledge — Karma- sawny^sa. Thus the Lord has praised Karma- Yoga. '•'
Wherefore ? — The answer follows :
♦ The Lord does not of course mean that is a for higher path than Karma- Yoga,
Karma-Yoga is superior to true Karma- though t^e latter is easier than, and there-
sawnyisa. True Karma-sawnyasa, that fore perferable to, that Karma-sawmyasa
which is accompanied with knowledge, which is unaccompanied with knowledge.
146 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. V.
pairs of opposites, O mighty-armed, he is easily set free from bondage.
The Karma- Yogin who neither hates pain and the ob- jects causing pain, nor desires pleasure and the objects causing pleasure, should be known as a perpetual renouncer (sawnyasin), though he is engaged in action.
Sankhya and Yoga lead to the same goal.
{Objection) : — Samnyasa and Karma- Yoga, which are meant for two distinct classes of people and are opposed to each other, should, properly speaking, be mutually opposed in their results also. They should not, on the other hand, both lead to moksha alike.
{A nswey) : — the Lord says :
4. Children, not the wise, speak of Sankhya and Yoga as distinct. He who is rightly devoted to even one obtains the fruits of both.
It is children who speak of Sankhya and Yoga as pro- ducing distinct and opposite results. But the wise, men of knowledge, believe that they produce but one harmo- nious result. He who rightly observes even one of them, Sankhya or Yoga, obtains the fruits of both. Both lead to the same result, viz,, moksha. Wherefore, there is no diversity in the result.
(Objection) : — Having started with the words *Sawnyasa' and * Karma- Yoga', how is it that He speaks of Sankhya and Yoga — with which we are not at present concerned — as producing the same results ?
(Answer) : — There is no fault here. Arjuna indeed asked
3 — 5-] SAMNYASA-YOGA. 147
the question with reference to simple Sawnyasa and simple Karma- Yoga. But the Lord, without leaving these, has added to them some additional conceptions of His own and has answered the question, speaking of them under other names, S§.nkhya and Yoga. In the opinion of the Lord, Sawnyasa and Karma- Yoga are themselves termed Sankhya and Yoga when knowledge of the Self (JM§,na) and equani- mity ( samabuddhitva ) are respectively added to them. Hence no irrelevant topic.
How can a man obtain the results of both by the right observance of only one ? — The answer follows :
5. That state which is reached by S^nkhyas is reached by Yogins also. He sees, who sees Sankhya and Yoga as one.
Sankhyas are those who are devoted to knowledge and have renounced the world. They reach the state called moksha. The same state is reached by Yogins also, — but indirectly, through the attainment of true knowledge and renunciation, — by those who perform their duties as a means of attaining knowledge, dedicating them to the Isvara, and having no selfish end in view. That man sees rightly who sees that Sankhya and Yoga are one, as leading to an identical result.
(^Question) : — If so, Sawnyasa must be superior to Yoga. How then is it that it has been declared that Karma- Yoga is better than Karma-sawnyd.sa.
(Answer) : — Listen why it is so. It is the simple Karma- sawny^sa and the simple Karma- Yoga with reference to which you have asked me " which one is the better of the two?** In accordance with the question, My answer has
148 THE BHAGAVAD-GiXA. [DiS. V.
been given. — without having regard to knowledge — that Karma- Yoga is superior to Karma- sawnyasa. But that SsLmnyksa. which is based upon knowledge is regarded by Me as Sdnkhya, and S^nkhya itself is the true (paramartha) Yoga. It is only by a figure that the Yoga through Vedic rites is called Yoga or Sawmyasa, inasmuch as it conduces to that (true Yoga or Sawmyasa).
Karma^Yoga is a means to Samnyasa.
How is it that the aim of the Karma- Yoga is that (true Yoga or Sawny^sa) ? — Listen :
6. But renunciation, O mighty-armed, is hard to attain except by Yoga ; a sage equipped with Yoga ere long reaches Brahman.
Renunciation (Sawmyasa) here spoken of is the true (paramarthika) Sawmyisa ; and Yoga is the Vedic Karma- Yoga (performance of Vedic ritual) dedicated to the Isvara and entirely free from motives. A sage (muni) is so called because of his meditation (manana) on the form of the tsvara. * Brahman ' here means renunciation (sawnyisa, which is now being spoken of), because renunciation consists in the knowledge of the Highest Self (Param^man) ; and the sruti says :
What is called **Ny4sa'* is Brahman ; and Brahman is verily the Great." {Tait. Up, 4-78).
A sage equipped with Yoga soon reaches Brahman, the true renunciation, which consists in steady devotion to right knowledge. Wherefore, I have said that Karma- Yoga is better,
5 — 9] SAMNYASA-YOGA. I49
A sage's actions do not affect him.
When the devotee resorts to Yoga, as a means of attain- ing right knowledge :
7. He who is equipped with Yoga, whose mind is quite pure, by whom the self has been conquered, whose senses have been subdued, whose Self has become the Self of all beings, — though doing, he is not tainted.
He who is equipped with Yoga, whose mind (^tman, sattva) has been purified, who has conquered the body (atman, the self) and the senses, who sees rightly, whose Inner Consciousness, the Self, has formed the Self of all beings from Brahma down to a clump of grass, — he will not be tainted, i.e., he will not be bound by actions, though he may continue to perform them for the protection of the masses, i. e., with a view to set an example to the masses.
A sage's actions are really no actions.
Neither does he really do anything. Wherefore,
8 — 9. 'I do nothing at all'; thus should the truth- knower think, steadfast, — though seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breath- ing, speaking, letting go, seizing, opening and closing the eyes, — remembering that the senses move among sense-objects.
The truth-knower is he who knows the true nature of the Self, who sees the Supreme Reality. — When and how should he think so, ever intent on the truth ? — The answer is given thus : * though seeing, &c.'
The duty of the man who, thus knowing the truth and
150 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. V.
thinking rightly, sees only inaction in actions — in all the movements of the body and the senses — consists in renounc- ing all actions ; for, he sees the absence of action. The man, for instance, who thinks of quenching his thirst in a mirage, mistaking it for water, will not, even after knowing that it is no water, resort to the same place for the purpose of quenching his thirst.
Karma- Yog:in is untainted by the results of
his action.
But as to the man who is not a truth-knower and is engag- ed in action :
10. He who does actions, offering them to Brahman, abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin, as a lotus leaf by water.
He offers all actions to the tsvara, in the faith that *I act for His sake', as a servant acts for the sake of the master. He has no attachment for the result, even for moksha. The result of actions so done is only purity of the mind, and nothing else.
Because,
II By the body, by the mind, by the intellect, by mere senses also, Yogins perform action, without attachment, for the purification of the self.
Mere : free from egotism, resohite in the faith that * I act only for the sake of the Lord, not for my benefit.' *Mere' should be construed along with *body' &c., with each one of them separately. Yogins are those who are devoted to works, free from egotism in all their acts, without attach-
9 — 13] SAMNYASA-YOGA. i ^i
c
ment for their results. They act only for the purification of the mind, (sattva). Wherefore, as thy duty lies only there, do thou only perform action.
Also because,
12. The steady-minded one, abandoning the fruit of action, attains the peace born of devotion. The unsteady one, attached to the fruit through the action of desire, is firmly bound.
The steady-minded man who, resolved that ** I do actions for the sake of the Lord, not for my benefit," abandons the fruit of action attains the peace called moksha, as the result of devotion, through the following stages : first, purity of the mind ; then, attainment of knowledge ; then, renunci- ation of all actions ; and lastly, devotion to knowledge. But he who is unsteady is led by desire and is attached to the fruit, thinking * I do this act for my benefit.' He is firmly bound. Wherefore, be thou steady-minded.
The blissful embodied life of a sage.
But as to the man who sees the Supreme Being,
13. Renouncing all actions by thought, and Self-controlled, the embodied one rests happily in the nine-gated city, neither at all acting nor causing to act.
Actions are either the obligatory duties (nitya-karmawi), or those arising on the occurrence of some special events (nai- mittika-karma/n), or those intended for securing some special ends, and which are only optional (kamya-karmd,wi), or those which are forbidden (pratishiddha-karma/n). The man who
152 THE BHAGAVAD-GltA. [DiS. V.
has subdued the senses, renounces all actions in speech, thought, and deed, by discrimination, by seeing inaction in action, and rests happily. He rests happily because he has given up all action in speech, thought and deed, because he is without worry, because his mind is calm, because, excepting the Self, all interests ( foreign to the Self) have departed from his mind. — Where and how does he rest ? — In the body which has nine openings : seven in the head, be- ing the organs of sensation ; two nether ones for the passage of the urine and the dung. As having these nine open- ings, the body is said to be a nine-gated city. It is like a city, with the Self for its Monarch, inhabited by the citizens of the senses, mind, intellect, as well as their objects, — all working for the sole benefit of their Lord and producing consciousness of various objects. In such a nine-gated city the embodied one rests, having renounced all action.
(Objection) : — Of what use is the qualification ** he rests in the body "? Every man, be he a sawny^sin or not, rests in the body only. So, the qualification is meaningless.
[AnswevY—YiQ that is ignorant identifies himself with the mere aggregate of the body and the senses, and thinks : ** I rest in a house, on the ground, on a seat." Such a man, regarding the mere body as himself, cannot indeed cherish the idea that he rests in the body as in a house. But in the case of a man who regards the Self as distinct from the ag- gregate of the body, &c., the idea that he rests in the body is quite possible. And it is also right that he should renounce by thought — by knowledge, by discriminative wisdom — the action attributed to the Self through ignorace, but which really pertains to the not-Self. Though a man has attain- ed discriminative wisdom {i. e.^ has realised his true Self as
I3---I4] SAMNYASA-YOGA. 1 53
distinguished from the not-Self) and has renounced all con- cern with action, still, it may be said that he rests in the nine-gated city of the body as in a house, inasmuch as his personal consciousness (of resting) arises only with reference to the body in virtue of the traces of the unspent portion of the prarabdha-karma— the karma which brought the present body into existence— still continuing to be felt. Thus the qualification * he rests in the body ' has a meaning, as pointing to a distinction between the respective standpoints of the wise and the ignorant.
{Objection) : — It is true that he renounces the actions of the body and of the senses attributed falsely to the Self through ignorance ; still, the power of acting and of causing to act may be inherent in the Self and may remain in him who has renounced actions.
{AHsw3y): — The Lord says : He nsicher acts himself, nor causes the body and the senses to act.
(Question) : — Do you mean that the power of acting and of causing to act is inherent in the Self and that it ceases by renunciation, like the motion of a moving person ; or that the power is not inherent in the Self ?
(Answsy) : — The pDwer of acting or of causing to act is not inherent in the Self; for, the Lord has taught that the Self is unchangeable (ii. 25), and '* though seated in the body, he acts not, nor is he tainted" (xiii. 31). Thesruti says, **lt thinks as it were and moves as it were." ( B/i. Up. 4-3-7).
Nature is the source of activity.
Moreover,
154 '^^^ BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. V*
create for the world, nor union with the fruits of actions. But it is the nature that acts.
The Self, the Lord (of the body), does not create agency i.e.y does not of Himself urga any one to action, *do this.' Neither does the Self create cars, jars, mansions, and other objects of desire. Nor does the Self unite him who makes a car or the like with the fruit of the act.
(Question): — If the Self in the body does not Himself act nor cause others to act, what then is it that acts and causes others to act ?
{Answer) : — Listen. It is Nature, Svabhdva, Praknti, Maya, * the Divine Maya made up of guz/as ' '•' ( vii. 14 ).
Wisdom and Unwisdom.
In reality,
15. The Lord takes neither the evil nor even the good deed of any ; wisdom is enveloped by un- wisdom ; thereby mortals are deluded.
Of any : even of His devotees.
[Question) : — With what object then is done by devotees any m3ritorioa3 act, — an act of worship, sacrifice, or charity, the offering of an oblation into the fire, or the like ?
[Answev): — The Lord says in reply: Discriminative knowledge is enveloped by ignorance. Thereby the ignorant mortal creatures in sawsara are deluded and think, ** I act, I cause to act, I shall enjoy, I cause to enjoy," and so on.
16. But to those whose unwisdom is destroyed by wisdom of the Self, like the sun wisdom illumi- nates that Supreme.
* That is to say, A tman forms the agont, throuf^h avidya— (A), the enjoyer, and the Lord of Creation,
.14 — 1 8.] SAMNYASA-YOGA. 155
When that unwisdom by which the mortals are envelop- ed and deluded is destroyed by wisdom or discriminative knowledge of the Self, then, as the sun illuminates all objects, so wisdom illuminates the whole of the Know- able, the Supreme Reality.
The sage has no more births.
The Supreme Reality having been illuminated by wisdom,
17. With their consciousness in That, their Self being That, intent on That, with That for their supreme goal, they go never again to return, thejr sins shaken off by means of wisdom.
Fixing their consciousness in Brahman and realising that the very Supreme Brahman is their Self, they renounce all actions and dwell in Brahman alone, — the Supreme Brah- man being their highest goal, their delight being solely in the unconditioned Self. In the case of such men, all sins and other causes of mundane existence (saws^ra) are destroyed by wisdom described above, and they depart from here, never returning to embodied life.
The sage sees the One in all beings.
How do those wise men see truth whose ignorance of the Self has been removed by knowledge ? — Listen :
18. In a BrjLhmana endued with wisdom and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, as also in a dog and in a dog-eater,* the wise see the same.
Humility is tranquillity, the condition of a well-disciplin-
* A cban^&la, an outcaste.
156 THE bhagavad-gItA. [DlS. V.
ed soul. Of the creatures mentioned, the highest is the brdhma«a who is spiritually regenerated and highly S^ttvic (i,e,, in whom the energy oi Sattva predominates). Next comes thecow, not spiritually regenerated, and Rajasic (».^., in which the energy of Rajas predominates). Last come the elephant, &c., which are purely Tamasic (the energy of Tamas predominating). In all of them the sages see the same, the One who is immutable in Himself and quite un- touched by Sattva and other energies, or by the tendencies born of those energies, whether Sattvic, Rajasic, or Tamasic.
The sage is liberated while still on earth.
(Objection) : — They (the sages just spoken of) are sinful persons, whose food should not be eaten by others. For, the Law says :
** Where one's equals are honored in a different manner, and where persons who are not one's equals are honor- ed in the same manner as oneself, a dinner must not be eaten." (Gautama's Institutes, xvii. 20.)
(Answer) : — They are not sinful ; for,
mind rests on equality. Spotless, indeed, and
equal is Brahman; wherefore in Brahman they rest.
Even while living here on earth, birth has been brought under control by those sages who see the One, and whose intuition (antaA-karawa) rests unwavering on the equality (i, e.f homogeneity) of Brahman in all creatures. Though, to the ignorant, Brahman in such impure bodies as those of
r8— iQ.]
SAMNYASA-YOGA.
dog-eaters and the like appears to be contaminated by their impurities, yet He is unaffected by them and is therefore spotless. Further, He is not heterogeneous either, owing to any heterogeneous attributes inherent in Himself ; for, consciousness (chaitanya) has no attributes. And the Lord speaks of desire and the like as the attributes of the Kshe- tra — of the body, of the not- Self (xiii 6), — and He speaks also of the Self as beginningless and without attributes (xiii. 31). Nor are there what are called * ultimate particu- lars (antyaviseshas) ' as the basis of individual distinctions in the Self, since no evidence can be adduced to prove their existence in relation to the several bodies.'*' Hence Brahman \s homogeneous and one. Wherefore they (the sages) rest in Brahman only. Not in the slightest can blemishes of bodies affect them, since they have no egotism and do not identify themselves with the aggregate of the body and the like. It is only to those who are egotistic and who identify the Self with the aggregate of the body and the like, that the institute quoted above is applicable, since it refers to persons who are the objects of honor. In honoring and giving gifts, some special qualifications are taken into account, such as a knowledge of Brahman, a knowledge of the six auxiliary sciences (awgas), a knowledge of the four Vedas and the like. But Brahman is free from all attributes, good
♦ According to the Vaiseshika system of philosophy ' antya-viseshd' is that in- definable peculiar attribute inherent in an eternal substance which distinguishes it from another eternal substance. It is that in an eternal substance which marks its individual identity. The existence of such an attribute is only inferred in order to account for a distinction which is other- wise perceived. The eternal substances
are thus enumerated: — The atoms of Earth, of Water, of Light, ind of Air ; ^kasa (ether), Time, Space, /4tman (soul) and Manas (mind). The antya-viseshas in the Atman is only inferrible from a distinction in the Self, for which Veddnta sees no evidence. Distinctions in the body cannot certainly point to distinctions in the Self since a yogin can simultane- ously assume, various bodies.
158 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. V.
and bad. Hence the statement * they rest in Brahman.' Moreover, the institute quoted above is taken from a section which is concerned with works (Karma), whereas this portion of the Gltd' (from v. 13 to the end of the adhyiya) is a section treating of renunciation of ail works.
The sage is free from grief and rejoicing.
B3cause Brahman, the Self, is blemishless and homoge- neous, therefore,
20. He who knows Brahman can neither rejoice on obtaining the pleasant, nor grieve on obtaining the unpleasant, — steady-minded, undeluded, resting in Brahman.
Pleasant and unpleasant objects can cause pleasure and pain to them only who regard the body as the Self, not to him who sees the pure Self, since the latter never comes by pleasant and unpleasant objects. He is undoubtirigly conscious that the Self is one, homogeneous, and spotless in all creatures. He is free from delusion. He rests in Brahman described above ; that is, he does no action, he has renounced all action.
The sage's infinite joy.
Moreover, resting in Brahman,
21. With the self unattached to external con- tacts, he finds the joy which is in the Self; with the Self engaged in the contemplation of Brahman he attains the endless joy.
When his intuition (anta^-karawa) is uncontaminated by attachment to things contacted by the senses, to the sound
19 — 22.] SAMNYASA-YOGA. 159
and other sense-objects which are all external (to the Self), the sage realises the joy which there is in the Self. When his intuition ( antaA-kara;^a ) is engaged in Yoga, in Sam^dhi, in a deep and steady contemplation of Brahman, then the sage attains the imperishable bliss. Therefore, he who seeks for the endless joy of the Self should withdraw the senses from the momentary pleasure of external objects.
For the following reason also he should withdraw (the senses from external objects) : —
22. For, those delights which are born of contacts are only generators of pain, having a beginning and an end, O son of Kuntl ; a wise man rejoices not in them.
The pleasures that are caused by contacts of the senses with sense-objects are only generators of pain, since those delights are caused by nescience (avidya). We do find that all troubles arising in the body (adhy^tmika), etc., are tra- ceable to them (delights) only. As in this world, so in the other,-^-as the word *only* indicates. Seeing that there is no trace of joy in the ScLms'^ra., the devotee should withdraw the S3n333 from the mirage of senss-objects. Not only do the delights causci pain, but also they have a beginning and an end. The contact of a sense with its object marks the begin- ning of a pleasure, and their separation its end. Delights are temporary, occurring in the moment of interval (between the origin and the end). A man who possesses discrimina- tion and who has realised the Supeme Reality does not re- joice in them. It is only quite ignorant persons that are, like cattle and the like, found to rejoice in the sense-objects.
l6o THE- BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. V.
The path of Nirvana.
And there is also a wicked thing, an enemy on the path to Bliss, a most difficult thing to deal with, the source of all evil, very difficult to w^ard off, so that, very mighty efforts should be made, says the Lord, to repel the enemy :
23. He that is able, v^hile still here, to with- stand, before liberation from the body, the impulse of desire and anger, he is a Yogin, he is a happy man.
While still here : while yet living. Before liberation f}om the body : up to the point of death. By thus marking death as the limit, the Lord teaches that the impulse of desire and anger is unavoidable during life, since its causes are in- numerable, and that till the very moment of death it should not be trusted. Desire (K^ma) is the longing for a pleasure- giving agreeable object of our experience when coming with- in the ken of our senses, heard of, or remembered ; and anger (krodha) is the aversion for the disagreebale, for the cause of pain, when being seen, heard of, or remembered. The impulse of desire (k^ma) is the agitation of the mind (anta/t-karawa) as indicated by hairs standing on end and by a joyful countenance ; and the impulse of anger is the men- tal agitation indicated by the trembling of the body, by perspiration, lip-biting, fiery eyes, and the like. He who can withstand the impulses of desire and anger is a Yogin, and he is a happy man here on earth.
What sort of a man resting in Brahman attains Brah- man?— The Lord says :
«3' — 26] samnyAsa-yoga.' ^61-
Yogin attains Brahman's bliss, himself becoming Brahman.
Withm: in the Self. He attains the bliss (nirv^Ma) in Brahman, — i, ^., he attains moksha, — whilei still living here on earth.
Moreover,
25. The sages attain Brahman's bliss, — they whose sins have been destroyed and doubts remov- ed, who are self-controlled and intent on the welfare of all beings.
Sages (^ishis) : men of right knowledge and renuncia- tion. Intent, &c. : injuring none.
Moreover,
26. To the devotees who are free from desire and anger, who have controlled their thought, and who have known the Self, Brahman's bliss exists everywhere.
Those who have renounced all actions and attained right knowledge are liberated, whether living or dead.
Realisation of the Lord by Dhyana-Yoga.
It has been said that those who, renouncing all actions, remain steady in right knowledge obtain instant liberation. It has often been and will be declared by the Lord that Karma- Yoga, which is performed in complete devotion to the Lord and dedicated to Him, leads to moksha step by step : first the purification of the mind, then knowledge, then renunciation of all actions, and lastly moksha. And now, with a view to propound at length the Dhygbna-Yoga, the proximate means to right knowledge, the Lord teaches the
;2i
i6a THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. V<
Dhy&na-Yoga in the following few aphoristic verses :
27-28. Shutting out all external contacts and fixing the sight between the eye-brows, equalising the out-going and the in-going breaths which pass through the nostrils, controlling the senses, mind and intellect, having moksha as his highest goal, free from desire, fear and anger, — the sage who ever (remains thus) is verily liberated.
The sound and other sense-objects enter the mind within through the respective organs. These objects which are external are kept outside when a man does not think of them. A sage (muni) is one who is given to contemplation (manana) and who renounces all actions. Keeping the body in the posture described, he should always look up to moksha as his supreme goal. When the sage leads constant- ly this kind of life, renouncing all, he is no doubt liberated : he has nothing else to do for liberation.
What has he — he whose mind is thus steadily balanced — to know and meditate upon in the Dhya.na-Yoga ?
29. On knowing Me, — the Lord of all sacrifices and austerities, the Great Lord of all worlds, the Friend of all beings, — he goes to Peace.
I am Nlir&yawa, the Lord of all sacrifices and austerities, both as their author and as their Devat4 (i. e., as the God whose grace is sought by their means). I am the Friend of all, doing good to them without expecting any return for it. Lying in the heart of all beings, I am the dispenser of the fruits of all actions and the witness of all cognitions. On kno\ying Me, they attain peace, the cessation of all sawsfi^rat
SIXTH DISCOURSE. DHYANA-YOGA.
Dhyana-yog^a is incompatible with worlcs*
At the close of the next preceding Discourse, Dhydna- Yoga — Yoga by meditation, — which is the proximate means to right knowledge has been taught in a few aphoristic verses (v. 27-29). Here commences the Sixth Discourse which occupies the position of a commentary thereon. Now, action, (karma) is an external aid to Dhy&na-Yoga ; and a gii- hastha, (householder) on whom action is enjoined, should perform it till he is able to attain to Dhy&na-yoga ; and bearing this in mind, the Lord extols action in vi. i.
(Objection) : — *Now, since action which is enjoined should be performed throughout life, what is the meaning of the limitation, * till he is able to attain to Dhy&na- Yoga * ?
(Answer): — This objection does not apply here, because of the specification that, * for the sage who wishes to attain to Yoga, action is the means' (vi. 3) ; and because it is also said that he who has attained Yoga has only to resort to renunciation (sama). If it were meant that each of them — he who wishes to attain to Yoga as well as he who has attained to Yoga — should resort to both action and renun- ciation, then it would be useless to specify that action and renunciation are respectively intended for him who wishes
♦The Samuchchaya-Vadin maintains action if It should produce the intended that knowledge should be conjoined with result.
164 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. VI.
to attain Yoga and for him who has attained Yoga, or to divide them into two distinct classes.
(The opponent) : — Among religious devotees (4sramins=gn- hasthas), one class comprises persons who wish to attain Yoga, another class comprises persons who have already attained Yoga, while the rest are those who neither wish to attain Yoga nor have attained Yoga ; and it is but right that the first two classes should be specified and shown separately as distinguished from the third. *
( Ansiner)\ — No; the words 'for the same devotee (in vi. 3) and the repetition of ' yoga ' in the clause * when he has attained to Yoga ' imply this, that the same person who at first wished to attain to Yoga has only to renounce action when he has attained Yoga, this renunciation leading to the fruition of Yoga. Thus, no action forms a necessary duty throughout life.
Failures in Yoga are also spoken of here (vi. 37, 38). If, in the Sixth Discourse, Yoga were meant for a gnhastha, then there could be no occasion for the supposition of his ruin, inasmuch as he, though a failure in Yoga, may obtain the fruit of Karma. An action done, whether interested (kamyajf or obligatory and disinterested {nitya)^ must produce its effect ; — (it cannot of course produce) moksha, which, being eternal, cannot be produced by an action. We have also said + that the obligatory duty (nitya-karma), as taught by so great an authority as the Veda, must produce a result
* Th6 opponent drives at this conclu- sthas, renounce Karroa, though they
sion, that while the first and third classes may practise Yoga with a view to realise
of aspirants are bound to perform Karma, the true nature of the Self,
those who have attained Yoga should t Vide commentary on iv. i8. not, as belonging to the order of gdha-
Introduction.] dhyana-yoga. 165
of its own, since, otherwise, the Veda would serve no purpose. Neither would it be proper to speak of a gnhastha as a failure in both ways ; for he would still perform Karma and there would therefore be no occasion for a failure therein* {The opponent): — The Karma which has been done has been offered to the Lord ; wherefore, such Karma can bring in no result to the author.
{Answer): — No; for, the offering of Karma to the Lord must lead to still greater results.
{The opponent) : — It leads only to moksha. — The offering of all actions to the Lord, when conjoined with Yoga, leads to moksha and to no other result ; but, since he has failed in Yoga, it is but right to suppose that such a man will be ruined.
{Answer) :-^No; for, the verses vi. 10,14, enjoin renun- ciation of action. It is not possible to think of any kind of wife's aid at the time of Dhy^na; if it were possible, then it might be argued that loneliness is enjoined (vi. 10) with a view to prohibit that aidf. And what is taught in vi. 10 — "without desire, without property'* — is not compat- ible with the life of a gnhastha. The question (vi. 38), too, regarding him who may prove a failure in both ways would not arise.
{The opponent) : — In vi. i, a man of action (Karmin) is said to be both a Sawnyisin and a Yogin, and it is further said that he who does no action or keeps no fire cannot be a Yogin or a Sawnyllsin.
{Answer): — No; vi. i, merely extols the abandonment of
t That is to say, DhyAna-Yoga as he cannot fulfil the conditions laid down taught in 'the sequel is not meant for a in vi. lo, 14, etc. grihastha who is engaged in works ; for
:i66 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. VI.
attachment for results of actions, performance of which forms an external aid (bahiranga) to Dhydna-Yoga, (». e, which leads one to Dhydna-Yoga in due course). — It is not he alone who is without fire and without action that is both a Sawnyd.sin and a Yogin, but also one devoted to action, who, abandoning attachment for the results of actions, per- forms them for the purification of the mind (sattva-suddhi). Thus by way of praise the latter is said to be a Sawnyasin and a Yogin. It is, moreover, not proper to hold that one and the same proposition,'*'' both praises the abandonment of attachment for results of actions and forbids the fourth order. Further, the Lord cannot contradict the sruti, the smnti, the Pur^was, the Itihdsa and the Yoga-sastras, which clearly teach that a man who is without fire and without action — i.e who is literally a sawnyasin — is a Sawny^sin and a Yogin. To forbid the fourth order would contradict what the Lord Himself teaches in iv. 13, xii. 16, 19, ii. 71.
Therefore, for the sage who wishes to attain Yoga and has already "entered on the career of a gyihastha, action (such as the Agnihotra) performed without a desire for its fruit becomes, by way of purifying the mind, a means to Dhydna-Yoga. On this ground he is said to be a Sawnydsin and a Yogin by way of praise.
Renunciation in action
The Blssed Lord said :
I. He who, without depending on the fruits of action, performs his bounden duty, he is a Sawtny^sin and a Yogin : not he who is without fire and without action.
♦ Vide note t on p. 140.
1.] dhyAna-yoga. 167
He who desires the fruits of actions is dependent thereon ; but different from him is the man in question ; he is not de- pendent on the fruits of actions.
He who is thus free from a desire for the fruits of actions and performs action, such as the Agnihotra or fire-sacrifice as a bounden duty (nitya-karma), — not as a k^mya-karma or action done with a motive, as a means of attaining some immediate specific end in view, — he who performs actions thus is superior to those who perform actions in a different spirit. With a view to impress this truth, the Lord says that he is a Samny&sin and a Yogin. He should be regarded as possessing both the attributes, the attributes of renun- ciation (samny&sa) and steadfastness of mind (Yoga). Not he alone should be regarded as a sawny^sin and a Yogin who is without fire and without action, who neither lights sacrificial fires nor engages in other actions, such as austeri- ties and the like which require no help of sacrificial fires.
(Objection) : — In the sruti, in the smnti, and in the yoga- sdstras, it is plainly taught that a Sawny^sin or a Yogin is one who is without fire and without action. How is it that the Lord teaches here a strange doctrine that he who lights fire and performs actions is a Sa;»ny4sin and a Yogin ?
(Answer) : — This is not to be regarded as a fault ; for, it is intended to represent a devotee to action as a Sawnyisin and a Yogin in a secondary sense of the two terms. He is regarded as a Sawny^sin because of his renunciation of the thoughts concerning the fruits of action ; and he is regarded as a Yogin because he performs action as a means of attaining to Yoga or because he abandons thoughts con- cerning the fruits of actions as causing unsteadiness of
1 68 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. VL
mind. Thus, it is only in a secondary sense that the two terms are applied to him. It is not, on the other hand, meant that he is in reality a Saw^ny^sin and a Yogin. The Lord, accordingly, says :
2. Do thou, O P4nrfava, know Yoga to be that which they call renunciation ; no one, verily, be- comes a Yogin who has not renounced thoughts.
Do thou understand that the Yoga, which consists in performance of action, is that which those who are versed in the sruti and the smnti declare to be sawny^sa, the true renunciation which consists in the abandonment of all action as well as its fruit.
(Question) : — On what point of similarity between Karma- Yoga which consists in the performance of action (pravntti) and the pure Sawny^sa which consists in abstaining from action (nivntti) is the representation of identity ' of the former with the latter based ?
{Afiswer) : — There is of course a certain amount of simi- larity between Karma- Yoga and pure sawny^sa so far as the agent is concerned. For, he who is a pure Sawny^sin, who has renounced all actions as well as their accessories, abandons thoughts (sawkalpa) concerning all actions and their fruits, — those thoughts causing the desires which impel one to action. A follower of Karma- Yoga, too, renounces thoughts of results, while he performs actions. This the Lord teaches in the following words : No devotee to action who has not given up the thought of reward can be a Yogin, a man of steadfastness ; for, the thought of reward causes unsteadiness of mind. That is to say, that devotee to action
I— *3] dhyAna-yoga. 169
who has given up all thoughts of reward will become a Yogin, a man of steadfastness, a steady-minded man, inas- much as all thought of reward which is the cause of unsteadiness has been given up.
Action is a stepping-stone to Dhyana-Yo^a.
Thus, having regard to the likeness between pure Sawnyisa and Karma- Yoga in so far as the devotee in either case renounces (the thoughts concerning the fruit of action), Karma- Yoga has been represented in vi. 2. as Sawnyasa with a view to extol it. And the Lord extols it bacause the Karma- Yoga, practised without regard to the fruit of action, forms an external aid (bahirawga) to Dhy^na-Yoga, i, e., leads the devotee to Dhy^na-Yoga (in due course). He now proceeds to show how Karma- Yoga is a means to Dhy^na-Yoga.
3. For a devotee who wishes to attain to Yoga, action is said to be the means. For the same (de- votee), when he has attained to Yoga, quiescence (sama) is said to be the means.
For a devotee (muni) who has given up the fruit of action, and who wishes to attain to Yoga,—**, e, who has not already risen to it, who is unable to remain steady in Dhyana- Yoga,—action (karma) is said to be the means '•' of attaining his end. For the same devotee, on the other hand, when he has attained to Yoga, quiescence — i.c^ the abstaining from all action — is said to be the means (of attaining his end). The more thoroughly does he abstain from action, the more free he is from trouble, the more the senses are controlled,
» His end is Dhyana-Yoga, and this the mind and then creates desire and he attains by action which first purifies capacity for Dhyana-Yoga.
170 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. VI..
and the more steadfast his mind remains. Then he be- comes a Yog&ruiha, one who has attained to Yoga. Ac- cordingly it is said in the Mahabh^rata :
" For a Br^hmawa there is no wealth equal to this, viz., (knowledge of) oneness and homogeneity (of Brahman in all creatures), truthfulness, character, steadiness, harmlessness, straightforwardness, and re- nunciation of the several actions." — (5^ntiparva, 175-38).
Who is a Yogin?
When is a man said to be a Yogaru^^ha, to have attained to Yoga ? — The answer follows :
4. When a man, renouncing all thoughts, is not attached to sense-objects and actions, then he is said to have attained to Yoga.
When a Yogin, keeping the mind steadfast, feels no at- tachment for the objects of the senses such as sound, nor thinks that he has to do any action, — whether nitya (obli- gatory) or naimitiika (obligatory and incidental) or hdmya (done with a motive) or pratishiddha (forbidden by law), — regarding it as of no use to him ; and when he has learned to habitually renounce all thoughts which give rise to desires for objects of this world and of the next, then he is said to have become a Yog&r6iha, to be one who has attained to Yoga. — The words " renouncing all thoughts" imply that all desires as well as all actions should be renounced. For, all desires spring from thoughts, as the smriti says :
** Verily desire springs from thought (sa/wkalpa), and of thought yaj/^as are born." — {Mami ii. 2).
3 — 5] DHYANA-YOGA. I7I
" O Dasire, I know where thy root lies. Thou art bom of thought. I shall not think of thee, and thou shalt cease to exist as well as thy root." — (Mah&bha- rata, Santiparva, 177-25).
On the abandonment of all desires, the abandonment of all actions necessarily follows, as passages in the sruti like the following show :
'• Whatever forms the object of desire, that he wills; and whatever he wills, that he acts.**— (Bn. Up. 4-4-5).
Reasoning also leads to the same conclusion. For, on surrendering all thoughts, one cannot move at all. Where- fore, by saying that the aspirant should renounce all thoughts, the Lord implies that he should abandon all de- sires and all actions as well.
When a man has attained to Yoga, then the self is raised by the self from out of the numerous evils of sawsira. Therefore,
5. Let a man raise himself by himself, let him not lower himself; for, he alone is the friend of himself, he alone is the enemy of himself.
Let a man lift up himself who is drowned in the ocean of saws^ra, i, e,, let him so train himself as to become a Yogkrudha., let him practise and attain to Yoga. Let him not lower himself; for, he alone is the friend of himself. There is. indeed no other friend that can lead to liberation from saws&ra ; nay, the so-called friend is only inimical to him- who seeks liberation, as the former forms an object of affection, which is the cause of bondage. Hence the emphasis * he alone is the friend of himself.* And he alooQ is the enemy of himself. The other enemy who is outside is made an
172 THE BHAGAVAD-GtTA. [DiS. VI.
enemy only by himself. Hence the emphasis * he alone is the enemy of himself/
It has been said that **he alone is the friend of himself, he alone is the enemy of himself." Now it may be asked, what sort of a man is the friend of himself and what sort of a man is the enemy of himself ? — The answer follows :
6. To him who has conquered himself by him- self, his own self is the friend of himself, but, to him who has not (conquered) himself, his own self stands in the place of an enemy like the (external) foe.
His self is the friend of himself who is self-controlled, who has brought under control the aprgregate of the body and the senses. But in the case of a man who is not self- controlled, his own self does injury to himself, just as any external foe may do injury to him.
7. The self-controlled and serene man's Supr- eme Self is steadfast in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, as also in honour and disgrace.
When a man has subdued the aggregate of the body and the senses, when his mind (anta/i-karawa) is tranquil, when he has renounced all actions, then the Supreme Self actually becomes his own Self.
8. The Yogin whose self is satisfied with know- ledge and wisdom, who remains unshaken, who has conquered the senses, he is said to be a saint, — for whom a lump of earth, a stone and gold are equal.
When the Yogin is satisfied with knowledge (j«&na) of things as taught in the scriptures, and with wisdom (vjijff&na),
5 — lo] DHYANA-YOGA. 1 73
i.e., with the realisation (in his own experience) of the things so taught,... then he is said to be saint (yukta), he is said to have attained samadhi or steadfastness of mind.
Moreover,
9. He is esteemed, who is of the same mind to the good-hearted, friends, foes, the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful, relatives, the righteous, and the unrighteous.
He is esteemed : He is the best among the Yog^ruihas, among those who have attained to Yoga. [There is also another reading which means * he is liberated.'] Who is of the same mind : who thinks not of a man as to what he is or what he does. A * good-hearted * man does good to another without expecting any service in return ; an * indifferent ' man is one who is partial to neither of two contending sides ; a ' neutral' man is one who means well by both the contending sides. The righteous are those who follow the Sastras, and the unrighteous are those who resort to forbidden acts.
Directions for the practice of Yog^a.
Wherefore, to attain the highest results,
10. Let the Yogin try constantly to keep the mind steady, remaining in seclusion, alone, wuth the mind and body controlled, free from desire, and having no possessions.
Yogin : he who meditates. In seclusion ; in a mountain - cave, or the like. The words *in seclusion ' and * alone' evidently show that he should resort to renunciation (sa;«- ny&sa). Not only should he renounce the world when he practises Yoga, but he should also abandon all possessions.
174 "^^E BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. VI.
Now, in the sequel, the Lord proceeds to prescribe for him who practises Yoga particular modes of sitting, eating, recreation and the like as aids to Yoga, as also to define the characteristic marks of the man who has attained Yoga, and to describe the effects of Yoga and other particulars in connection v/ith it. First of all, He prescribes a particular mode of sitting as follows :
11. Having in a cleanly spot established a firm seat, neither too high nor too low, with cloth, skin, and kusa grass thereon ;
Cleanly : either naturally so, or made so by artificial improvements. Cloth, &c., should be spread on the seat in the reverse order of their enumeration here.
What should be done after establishing the seat ?
12. Making the mind one-pointed, with the actions of the mind and the senses controlled, let him, seated there on the seat, practise Yoga for the purification of the self.
He should withdraw the mind from all sense-objects before concentrating it. The self', the anta/i-kara»a, the inner sense, the mind.
The external seat has been described. Now, what should be the posture of the body ? — Listen :
13. Holding erect and still the body, head, and neck, firm, gazing on the tip of his nose, with- out looking around j
An erect body may be in motion ; hence the qualification
' still.* He is to gaze as it were on the tip of his nose Here
we have to understand the words *as it were' ; for, the Lord
Jl — 15.] DHYANA-YOGA. 1 75
means to prescribe, not the very act of * gazing on the tip of his nose*, but the fixing of the eye-^ht within (by with- drawing it from external objects) ; and this, .of course, de- pends <m tbe steadiness of mind. If, on the other hand, the very act of *gazing on the tip of his nose' were meant here, then the mind would be fixed only there, not on the Self. As a matter of fact, the Yogin is to concentrate his mind on the Self, as will be taught in vi. 25, * Making the mind dwell in the Self.' Wherefore the words * as it were ' being understood, * gazing 'means here * the fixing of the eye-sight within.'
Moreover,
14. Serene-minded, fearless, firm in the vow of godly life, having restrained the mind, thinking on Me, and balanced, let him sit, looking up to Me as the Supreme.
The vow of a godly life (Brahmachari-vrata) consists in doing service to the Guru, in eating of the food obtained by begging, &c. He should strictly observe the vows of godly life. He should also restrain the mind, i.e,, repress its modifications. He should ever think of Me, the Paramesvara, the Supreme Lord. He should also regard Me as the Supreme. A lover may always think of a woman, but he never regards her as supreme. He regards either his sovere- ign, or Mahddeva (the Great God), as the case may be, as the Supreme. The Yogin, on the other hand, ever thinks of Me, and also regards Me as the Supreme Being.
Now the fruit of Yoga is described as follows :
176 THE BHAGAVAD-GtTA. [DiS. VI.
Peace abiding in Me, which culminates in Nirvslna (moksha.)
Thus : in the manner prescribed above.
Here follow regulations as regards a Yogin'^s food, &c :
16. Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much, nor for him who does not eat at all, nor for him who is addicted to too much sleep, nor for him who is (ever) wakeful, O Arjuna.
Eats too much : eats more food than what is suited to him. The sruti says :
** Whatever food is suited to oneself, that protects ; it injures not. A greater quantity injures and a smaller quantity protects not.** — (5atapatha-Brahmawa).
The Yogin should therefore eat neither more nor less than what is suitable for him. Or it may mean this : Yoga is not possible for him who eats more than the quantity pres- cribed for a Yogin in the Yogas^stra. The quantity of food is thus prescribed :
** Half (the stomach) for food and condiments, the third (quarter) for water, and the fourth should be reserved for free motion of air."
How then can Yoga be achieved ? — The answer follows :
17. To him whose food and recreation are moderate, whose exertion in actions is moderate, whose sleep and waking are moderate, to him accrues Yoga which is destructive of pain.
To him who resorts to food and recreation (such as walking) within prescribed limits, and who sleeps and who
IS — 20] DHYANA-YOGA. 1 77
wakes up at the prescribed hours, to him accrues Yoga which is destructive of the misery of ssjnsiva,.
Consummation
When does he become a saint (Yukta) ? — The answer follows :
18. When the well-restrained thought is established in the Self only, without longing for any of the objects of desire, then he is said to be a Saint.
Well-restrained : which attained to one-pointedness or con- centration. In the Self only : having abandoned all thoughts of external objects, the thinking principle (chitta) remains steadily in the Self. Objects of desire : seen or unseen.
The simile of such a Yogin's steadfast mind is described below :
19. *As a lamp in a sheltered spot does not flicker,' — this has been thought as the simile of a Yogin of subdued thought, practising Yoga in the Self.
This simile has been thought out by those versed in Yoga, by those who know the ways of the thinking principle.
Having thus, by virtue of the practice of Yoga, become one- pointed (fit for concentration), like a lamp sheltered from the wind,
20. When thought is quiescent, restrained by the practice of Yoga ; when, seeing the Self by the self, he is satisfied in his own Self;
When the mind is restrained from all quarters by practice of Yoga, the Yogin sees the Self— the Supreme Intelligence
iyS THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. VI.
(cbaitanya) and the All-resplendent Light — by self (the antaAkarawa, the inner sense), by the mind which has been purified by samadhi, and attains satisfaction in the Self. And:
21. When he knows that Infinite Joy which, transcending the senses, can be grasped by reason ; when, steady (in the Self], he moves never from the Reality ;
He: the wise man. That joy can be grasped by reason (buddhi), independently of the senses. It lies beyond the ken of the senses ; it is not produced by sense-objects.
And :
22. When, having obtained it, he thinks no other acquisition superior to it ; when, therein esta- blished, he is not moved even by a great pain;
It : the gain of the Self. Therein : in the real Self. Pain : such as may be caused by a sword-cut, etc.
This Yog^a, — this peculiar state of the Self which has been described in so many of its attributes in the verses begin- ning with vi. 20 :
23. This severance from union with pain, be it known, is called tmion (Yoga). That Yoga must be practised with determination and with unde- pressed heart.
S eve} ance from union with pain is called Yoga (which means union) by a sort of irony. Having thus concluded speaking of the effect of Yoga, the Lord again refers to the necessity of it, with a view to show that determination and non-depression (self-reliance) are necessary means to Yoga. That Yoga ;
20 — 26.] D^IYANA-YOGA. 1 79
the Yoga which can produce the results described above. Further directions concerning: the practice of Yoga.
Moreover,
24. Abandoning without reserve all fancy-born desires, v^ell-restraining all the senses from all quarters by the mind ;
By the mind : endued with discrimination.
25. Little by little let him withdraw, by reason ( buddhi ) held in firmness ; keeping the mind established in the Self, let him not think of any- thing.
He should make the mind constantly abide in the Self, bearing in mind that the Self is all and that nothing else exists. This * is the highest form of Yoga,
Now, as to the Yogin who thus strives to make the mind abide in the Self,
. 26. By whatever cause the wavering and un- steady mind wanders away, from that let him . restrain it and bring it back direct under the control of the Self.
Sound and other objects are the causes which make the mind wander away. It is a natural weakness of the mind to be thus led away by sense-objects. By convincing one- self of the illusoriness of sense-objects through an investiga- tion into their real nature, and by cultivating indifference to worldly objects, the mind can be restrained from sense- objects and brought back to the Self wherein to abide firmly. In virtue of this practice of Yoga, *tfee Yogin's
♦ The steadiness qi mind. — (A.)
i8o THE . bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. VL
mind attains peace in the Self.
The effect of Dhyana-Yog^a.
27. Supreme Bliss verily comes to this Yogin, whose mind is quite tranquil, whose passion is quieted, who has become Brahman, who is ble- mishless.
, Whose passion f &c, : in whom all passion, including attach- ment and other causes of pain, has disappeared ; who has become a Jtvan-muhta (a man whose soul is liberated while still alive), convinced that all is Brahman ; who has no blamish whatsoever, who is not affected by dharma and a-dharma.
28. Thus always keeping the self steadfast, the Yogin, freed from sins, attains with ease to the infinite bliss of contact with the ( Supreme ) Brahman.
Always : unimpeded by any of the obstacles to Yoga.
Now will be described the effect of Yoga, the perception of oneness with Brahman, which leads to the cessation of all samsira :
29. The Self abiding in all beings, and all be- ings (abiding) in the Self, sees he whose self has been made steadfast by Yoga, who everywhere sees the same.
He sees all beings — from Brahmdi, the Creator, down to a clump of grass — as one with the Self ; and in all the differ- ent beings — from Brahm&, the Creator, down to inanimate objects — he sees the same ; i, e,y he sees that the Self and Brahman (the Absolute) are one.
t6 — 32*3 dhyAna-yoga. 181
Now will be described the effect of this perception of the unity of the Self :
30. He who sees Me everywhere and sees every- thing in Me, to him I vanish not, nor to Me does he vanish.
He who sees Me, V^sudeva, the Self of all, in all beings, and who sees Brahm&, the Creator, and all other beings, in Me, the Self of all ; — when he has thus seen the unity of the Self, I — ^who am the tsvara — never leave his presence, nor does that wise man leave My presence ; for his Self and Mine are one, and one*s own Self cannot but be manifest to oneself.
Now, referring to the knowledge imparted in the preceding verse — namely that * I Myself, the Self of all, am the seer of the unity of Self, — the Lord will speak of moksha as the effect of that knowledge :
31. Whoso, intent on unity, worships Me who abide in all beings, that Yogin dwells in Me, what- ever his mode of life.
This man of right knowledge dwells in Me, in the supreme state, in the state of Vishwu ; he is ever liberated ; nothing obstructs his path to moksha.
Moreover,
32. Whoso, by comparison with himself, sees the same everywhere, O Arjuna, be it pleasure or pain, he is deemed the highest Yogin.
He sees that whatever is pleasant to himself is pleasant to all creatures, and that whatever is painful to himself is painful to all beings. Thus seeing that what is pleasure or
i82 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis, VI
pain to himself is alike pleasure or pain to all beings, be causes pain to no being ; he is harmless. Doing no harm, and devoted to right knowledge, he is regarded as the highest among all Yogins.
Practice and Indifference are the surest nienn^
to Yoga.
Seeing that the Yoga above described, the Yoga of right knowledge, is very difficult of attainment, Arjuna wished to know the surest means of attaining it, and said :
Arjuna said :
33. This Yoga in equanimity, taught by Thee, O Destroyer of Madhu, — I see not its steady con- ti nuance, because of the restlessness (of the mind).
This is a well-known fact :
34. The mind verily, is, O Knshwa, restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate. Thereof the restraint I deem quite as difficult as that of the wind.
* Knshwa * is derived from * krish ' to scrape. Krishna is so called because He scrapes or draws away all sins and other causes of evil from His devotees. — Not only is the mind restless, but also turbulent : it agitates the body and the senses and makes them subject to foreign influences. It is not possible to restrain it by any means, as it is quite irrepressible. It is as impossible to cut it as to cut Jhe tantun^ga, the V^ruwa-pS/sa, a kind of shark. ' Tp restrain the mind of such a nature is even more difficult than to restrain the wind.
The Lord says :— So it is, as you say : .
3^^371 DHYANA-YOGA. 183
The Blessed L6rd said :
35. Doubtless, O mighty-armed, the mind is hard to restrain and restless ; but by practice, O son of Kuntl,^nd by indifference it may be restrained.
* Practice * consists in constantly repeating the same idea 6r thought regarding some one object of thought. 'Indiffer- ence * means freedom from desire for any pleasures seen or unseen, attained through a constant perception of evil in them. It is by practice and indifference that vikshepa, the passage of thought in the direction of external objects, can be restrained. — It is thus that the mind is restrained.
But as regards him who is not self-controlled :
36. Yoga, methinks, is hard to attain for a man of uncontrolled self; but by him who (often) strives, self-controlled, it can be acquired by (proper) means.
Uncontrolled self: the anta/j-kara?;a not controlled by means of constant practice and by indifference to worldly gain. Self- controlled : who has subdued the mind.
Failures in Yoga and the after-career.
On engaging in the practice of Yoga, all works which are the means of attaining success in this world and in the other world have been renounced, while the right know- ledge, which is the result of perfection in Yoga and which is the means to moksha, has not yet been attained ; and the Yogin's mind strays away from the path of Yoga at the time of death. Arjuna thought that such a man would meet destruction and therefore asked :
184 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. YI.
Arjuna said :
37. He who strives not, but who is possessed of faith, whose mind wanders away from Yoga, — having failed to attain perfectionwin Yoga, what end, O Krishna, does he meet ?
He has faith in the efficacy of Yoga but does not strive in the path of Yoga ; and during the last moments of life his mind wanders away from Yoga, with memory lost. Having failed to attain the fruition of Yoga — namely, right knowledge — what end does such a man meet ?
38. Having failed in both, does he not perish like a riven cloud, supportless, O mighty-armed, and perplexed in the path to Brahman ?
Both : the path of Karma and the path of Yoga. The path to Brahman: the path by which Brahman can be reached.
39. This doubt of mine, O Krishna, do Thou dispel completely ; for none other than Thyself can possibly destroy this doubt.
None other : be he a i?ishi or a Deva. Thou alone canst destroy this doubt.
The Blessed Lord said :
40. O PArtha, neither in this world nor in the next is there destruction for him ; none, verily, who does good, My son, ever comes to grief.
He who has failed in Yoga will not be subject to a lower
birth than the present one either here or hereafter. My son :
[Sk. * tita ' is translated into * son *] . * T&ta * in Sanskrit
means * father ' because the father propagates (Sk, root *tan')
37 — ^44*] DHYANA-YOGA. 185
himself in the form of his son. Since thus the father himself is the son, the son also is called tdta. Even a disciple, though not a son, is addressed as son because he is like a son. What, then, will happen to him ? ,
40. Having attained to the worlds of the right- eous, and having dwelt there for eternal years, he who failed in Yoga is reborn in a house of the pure and wealthy.
This is said, as the context shows, of a sawnyeisin engaged in the path of (Dhy^na-) Yoga. The righteous : those who worship by the asva-medha or horse- sacrifice, &c. Having completely enjoyed the pleasure (he is entitled to) in such a world, he is reborn in a house of the pure and wealthy. The pure : acting according to the prescribed rules.
42. Else, ha is born in a family of wise Yogins only. This, verily, a birth like this, is very hard to obtain in this world.
Or else he is born in quite a different family, that of poor wise Yogins. A birth in a family of this sort, in a family of poor Yogins, is more difficult to obtain than the one mentioned above.
And for the following reason :
43. There he gains touch with the knowledge that was acquired in the former body and strives more than before for perfection, O son of the Kurus.
More than before : with greater vigour than that with which he strove in the former birth.
i86 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. VI.
though unwilling. Even he who merely wishes to knowof Yoga rises superior to the Word-Brahman.
The man who failed in Yoga is borne on towards perfec- tion by the force of the practice of the former birth. If he had done no unrighteous deed (a-dharma) which could over- power the tendency caused by the practice of Yoga, then, certainly, the tendency of Yoga prevails. If a-dharma be stronger, then, even the tendency born of Yoga is certainly overpowered by a-dharma. But on the exhaustion of adharma the tendency caused by Yoga begins to produce its effects : that is to say, it is not liable to destruction though it may have long b2en in abeyance. Thus he — i, e,^ as the context shows, a sawny^sin who has failed in Yoga — who works in the path of Yoga, only wishing to know its nature, even he will free himself from the Word-Brahman (Sabda- Brahman), from the effects of the observance of Vedic Kar- ma : what need is there to say that he who knows Yoga and practises it in steady devotion will be free from its effects ?
The best of the Yogins.
And why is the life of a Yogin preferable ?
45. Verily, a Yogin who strives with assiduity, purified from sins and perfected in the course of many births, then reaches the Supreme Goal.
In the course of many births he acquires facility in Yoga little by little, and by the aggregate facility thus acquired in many births he is perfected. Then he obtains right knowledge and reaches the Supreme Goal.
Wherefore,
44 — 47'] DHYANA-YOGA. 187
he is also superior to men of action ; therefore be thou a Yogin, O Arjuna.
Knowledge: of the teachings of the s^stra. Action: such as Agnihotra, worship of the sacred fire.
47. Of all Yogins, whoso, full of faith, worships Me with his inner self abiding in Me, he is deemed by Me as most devout.
Yogins: those who meditate upon Rudra, A'ditya, etc. The inner self abiding in Me: The anta/p-karawa kept stead- fast in Me, Vfi^sudeva.
S, . ' , V.
SEVENTH DISCOURSE. VIJNANA-YOQA.
Realisation of the Lord by meditation*
Having given in vi. 47 an occasion for further interroga- tion, and wishing to teach, without being asked, that *« so and so is TVTy Real Being, and such and such is the one whose inner self abides in Me," the Lord said :
The Blessed Lord said :
1. With the mind intent on Me, O P&rtha, practising Yoga, and finding refuge in Me, how in full without doubt thou shalt know Me, that do thou hear.
The Yogin's mind is intent on Me, the Supreme Lord, possessed of such attributes as will be mentioned below. He practises Yoga or steadfastness of mind and finds refuge in Me alone, the Supreme Lord. He who seeks a human end resorts to some action such as Agnihotra, or to an austerity, or to a gift or the like, as a means of attaining that end. The Yogin, on the other hand, resorts to Me alone, abandoning all other means with his thought intent on Me alone. Now, listen to what 1 am going to say as to how you also, thus acting, will, without doubt, know Me in full, possessed of infinite greatness, strength, power, grace and other attributes ; you will know Me undoubtingly, that ** The Lord is so and so only.*'
2. I shall fully teach thee this knowledge combined with experience, which being known, nothing more besides here remains to be known.
i — 4.] VIJNANA-YOGA. 189
And this knowledge concerning Me, as borne out by My own experience, I shall relate to thee in full. — In the latter portion of the verse the Lord extols the knowledge which is going to be taught, with a view to prepare the hearer to follow it. — Nothing more ; no other means to a human end. He who knows Me in truth becomes omniscient. Thus the knowledge is productive of great results and is therefore very hard to obtain.
How ? — Listen :
3. Among thousands of men, one perchance strives for perfection ; even among those who strive and are perfect, only one perchance knows me in truth.
Perfect : they are indeed perfect who strive for moksha.
Evolution of the Universe out of Divine Prakriti.
Having prepared the hearer for the teaching by inducing in him a taste for it, the Lord proceeds thus :
4. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, thought (Manas) and reason (Buddhi), egoism (Ahawkara) — thus is My Prakriti divided eightfold.
Earth stands for the subtile rudimental element or Tan- matra, the Prithivl-tanm&tra or the subtile rudimental element of earth ; and so water, fire, air and ether stand for the Tanmfijtras of water, etc. Thought (Manas) stands for its cause Ahamhdra or egoism ; reason (Buddhi) for the Mahat principle, which is the cause of Ahawk&ra ; and Ahawkara for the Avyakta, the Unmanifested, conjoined with Avidy^ or nescience. Just as food which is mixed with poison is itself called poison, so the Avyakta, the First Cause, conjoined
igo THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. VII.
with the vksan§bj or latent unconscious impression, of Ahawk&ra, is itself called here Aha;»k^ra inasmuch as Ego- ism is the impelling cause of all. As a matter of fact, we find, from our ordinary experience, that egoism is the cause
of the activity of every being. Thus divided eightfold is My
»
Praknti, the May^ belonging to the Isvara.
5. This is the inferior (Praknti) ; but as distinct from this know thou My superior Prakriti, the very life, O mighty-armed, by which this universe is upheld.
This Praknti is inferior, impure, productive of evil, itself constituting the bondage of sawsdra; but the superior Praknti is pure : it is My very Self, the Kshetrajwa, that by which life is sustained, that which enters within the whole universe and sustains it.
6. Know that all beings have their birth in these. So, I am the source and dissolution of the whole universe.
These, My inferior Nature (Praknti) and My superior Nature (Praknti), matter (Kshetra) and spirit (KshetraJ7?a), are the womb of all creatures. Because my Praknti is the womb of all beings, I am the origin and the end of the whole universe. That is to say, through this twofold Praknti, I, the omniscient isvara, am the cause of the universe.
Wherefore,
7. There is naught else higher than I, O Dhanawjaya : in Me all this is woven as clusters of gems on a string.
4 — 9*1 VIJNANA-YOGA. igi
There is no other cause besides Me, the Supreme Lord : I alone am the cause of the universe. Wherefore all beings as well as the whole of this universe are woven in Me, as a cloth in the warp, or clusters of beads on a string.
The Divine Principle penetrating the Universe.
What are Thy attributes showing that the whole of this is woven in Thee ? — Listen :
8. I am the sapidity in water, O son of Kuntl. I am the light in the moon and the sun. I am the syllable Ow in all the Vedas, sound in ether, hu- manity in men.
The essence of water is sapidity. In Me who am that sapidity waters are woven. — So in all cases. — Just as I am the sapidity in waters, so am I the light in the moon and the sun ; I am the Prawava, the syllable Om in all the Vedas : in Me who am that Prawava all the Vedas are woven. So also, I am humanity in men, /. e., I am that in a person which makes that person regarded a human being. In Me as humanity all persons are woven. Sound is the essence of ^k^a : in Me as sound akasa is woven.
g. And I am the agreeable odour in the earth and the brilliance in the fire, the vitality in all be- ings, and I am the austerity in ascetics.
In Me as odour the earth is woven.— Odour by itself is agreeable ; the disagreeableness of odour in the earth and of the like being due to the combination of one element with some other element or elements under the influence of the avidya anda-dharma of individual souls in the world. The
192 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. VIU
agreeableness thus spoken of with reference to the earth applies also to the agreeableness of the sapidity in waters, and so on. — I am the vitality in all beings, that by which all beings live. In Me as austerity the ascetics are woven.
10. Know Me, O P&rtha, as the eternal seed of all beings ; I am the intelligence of the intelli- gant, the bravery of the brave.
Seed : the cause of growth. Intelligence ; the discrimi- native power of the anta/t-karawa.
11. And of the energetic am I the energy de- void of passion and attachment ; and in (all) beings I am the desire unopposed to dharma, O lord of the Bharatas.
Passion (Kama) : thirst for objects not present to the senses. Attachment (r&ga) : love for those presented to the senses. I am that energy which is necessary for the bare sustenance of the body, certainly not that which causes thirst and attachment ( for sense-objects ) in the case of worldly mortals. So I am the desire not opposed to the teaching of the scriptures : 1 am, for instance, the desire for that much of eating and drinking, etc., which is necessary for the bare sustenance of the body.
Moreover,
12. And whatever beings are of Sattva or of Rajas or of Tamas, know them to proceed from Me : still, I am not in them, they are in me.
Know that all beings, whether formed of Sattva, or of Rajas, or of Tamas, and which come into existence as the result of the respective karma of living beings, proceed from
ig — ^4.] VIJNANA-YOGA. 193
Me. Though they thus proceed from Me, I am not subject to them like mortal beings (saws&rins). On the other hand, they are subject to Me : they are dependent on Me.
Maya : How to overcome it.
The Lord now expresses His regret that the world does not understand Him, who is thus the Supreme Lord ; who by nature is eternal, pure, intelligent and free ; who is the Self of all beings, devoid of all attributes ; by knowing whom they might burn up the evil which is the seed of saws&ra. — What is this ignorance on the part of the world due to ? — Listen.
13. Deluded by these three (sorts of) things composed of guwas, all this world knows not Me as distinct from them and immutable.
All living beings are deluded by such things as love, hatred and attachment, which are all modifications of gunas. Immutable : devoid of such changes as birth and the like, which pertain to all things in the world.
How then can one surmount this Divine Illusion (M&ya) of Vishwu made up of the three guwas ? — Listen :
14. Verily this Divine Illusion of Mine, made up of guwas, is hard to surmount. Whoever seek Me alone, they cross over this Illusion.
This Illusion (Miy&), formed of guwas, is inherent in Me, Vishnu, the Lord. Such being the case, whoever abandon all formal religion (Dharma) and completely devote them- selves to Me, their own Self, the Lord of Illusion, they cross over the Illusion which deludes all living beings ; they are liberated from the bondage of samsara.
tg4 THE BHAGAVA0-GiTA. [DiS. .VII.
If those who resort to Thee cross over the IHtisioA, v/hy do not atll resott t6 Thee only ? — Listen :
15. Not Me do the evil-doers seek, the deluded,^ the vilest of ttieft, deprived of wisdotil by Illusion, following the ways of the Demons.
Me, the Supreme Lord^ N&.raya»a. The ways of the Demons are cruelty, untruth, and the like.
Four classes of devotees.
But as to the best of meuj men of good deeds :
16. Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Atjuna^-^the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeket" of wealth, and the wise man, O lord of the Bharatas.
The distressed : he who is in distress, overpowered by a robber, a tigfer, illness or the like. Knowledge : of the reed nature of the Lord. The wise man : he who knows the real nature of Vishnu.
17. Of them the wise man, ever steadfast and devoted to the One, excels; for, excessively dear am I to th6 wise, and he is dear to Me.
Of the four, this wise man, as knowing the truth, is ever steadfast, and devoted to the One, finding no othet object of wotiship. Thus, he who is devoted to the One is su|>erior to all others. Since I am his very Self, I am excessively dear to the wise man. — It is well-known to all in this work! that the Self is dear to every one. Therefore Vdsudeva^ as the Self of the wise man, is dear to him. — And the wise man is My very Self and is therefoiie very dear to Me.
15--19J VijnIna-yoga. 195
Then tk& three others, the distressed and the rest, are not dear to V&sudeva? — Not so. — What then ?
18. Noble indeed are all these ; but the wise man, I deem, is the very Self; for, steadfast in mind, he resorts to Me alone as the unsurpassed goal.
These are all noble indeed ; i.e., those three also are dear to Me. There is no devotee of Mine but is dear to Me, Valsudeva. There is, however, this difference : the wise man is excessively dear to Me. — Why so ? — It is my con- viction that the wise man is the very Self, not different from Me. The wise man strives to reach Me, firm in the faith that he himself is the Lord V^sudeva and is no other than He. He seeks Me only, the Supreme Brahman, as the highest goal to be reached.
The wise man is again extolled :
19. At the end of many births, the man of wisdom comes to Me, (realising) that Vslsudeva is the all : he is the noble-souled (Mahgltman), very hard to find.
At the end of many births occupied in spiritual regenera- tion as preparatory to the attainment of wisdom, the man of mature wisdom resorts to Me, V^sudeva, the innermost Self (Pratyagi.tman). — How ?— Realising that Vasudeva is the AIL He who thus comes to Me, N^rayawa, the Self of All, is a Mahatman, a man of high soul ; there is no other either equal to him or superior to him. Therefore such a man is very hard -to find ; it has indeed been said that " among thousands of men^ one perchance strives for perfection ** (vii. 3.)
196 THE bhagavad-gItA- [Dis. VIL
The ignorant worship inferior Qods.
Now will be shewn the cause of (the people) not seeing that the Self or Vdisudeva alone is the All :
20. Those whose wisdom has been led away by this or that desire resort to other Gods, engaged in this or that rite, constrained by their own nature.
Their desires for progeny, cattle, svarga and the like deprive them of their power of discrimination, and they resort to other Gods (Devat&s), other than Vasudeva, the Self. They engage in rites peculiar to the worship of these Gods; they being constrained to do so by their own nature (praknti), by that peculiar tendency (sawskara) which they acquired in the previous births.
Of these lustful men,
21. Whatever devotee seeks to worship with faith what form soever, that same faith of his I make unflinching.
Whatever form of God (DevatA) a man of desire worships in devotion and faith, I confirm his faith in the worship of that same form.
By whatever faith a man is naturally actuated and seeks to worship a particular form of Devatd.,
22. Possessed of that faith he engages in the worship of that (form) ; thence he obtains his de- sires, these being indeed ordained by Me.
Possessed of that faith ordained by Me, he engages in the worship of that form of God. From the God worshipped in this form he obtains the objects of his desire as ordained
ao— 24] VI J NAN A- YOGA. I97
by Me, the Supreme Lord, the Omniscient, as I alone know the precise relation between actions and their fruits. Be- cause their desires are all ordained by the Lord Himself, therefore the devotees are sure to obtain them.
Another interpretation is also given which would make the last part of the verse mean that desires are beneficiah But desires can be beneficial only in a secondary sense ; for, strictly speaking, they are beneficial to nobody.
Because they are unwise and full of desires and resort to the means of attaining finite results, therefore,
23. That result indeed is finite, (which accrues) to those men of small intellect. Worshippers of Gods (Devat&s) go to Gods (Devatas) ; My de- votees come unto Me.
Though there is the same amount of exertion (in the two kinds of worship), people do not resort to Me so that they may attain infinite results. Alas ! it is very miserable. — Thus does the Lord express His regret.
Why do they not come unto Me ? — it may be asked. The answer follows :
24. The foolish regard Me as the unmanifested coming into manifestation, knowing not My high- er, immutable, unsurpassed nature.
Not knowing my higher nature as the Supreme Self, the ignorant think that I have just now come into manifesta- tion, having been unmanifested hitherto, though I am the ever luminous Lord.
To what is their ignorance due? — Listen :
igS THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis# VIIh
25. I am not manifest to all, veiled (as I am) by Yoga-M&y&. This deluded world knows not Me, unborn and imperishable.
I am not manifest to all people ; that is to say, I am manifest only to a few who are my devotees. I am veiled by Yoga- May&. — Yoga-MAyA is the Md,y4 which is none other than the Yoga or union of the three guwas. — Or, Yoga is the firm will of the Lord or Is vara. The Illusion or veil thereby spread is called Yoga-Mayd. — Wherefore people are deluded and know Me not as unborn and imperishable.
That Yoga-M^ya by which I am veiled and on account of which people do not recognise Me, is Mine, i, e,, subject to My control, and, as such, it cannot obstruct My know- ledge—the knowledge of the Isvara, of the possessor (or wielder) of the Miyky just as the glamour (m&ya) caused by a juggler (m^y&vin) does not obstruct his own knowledge. Wherefore,
Nobody knows Me, except that one man who worships Me and seeks refuge with Me. Just for want of knowledge of My real nature, nobody worships Me.
The root of i^fnorance.
It may be asked, " What is that obstacle to their know- ledge of My real nature, whereby deluded, all creatures that are born know Me not ? " — Listen :
27. From the delusion of pairs caused by desire and aversion, O Bh^rata, all beings are subject to illusion at birth, O harasser of thy foes.
25^—28-] VI J N Ana-yoga- i99
The very desire and aversion which are opposed to each other like heat and cold, and which, arising in connection with pleasure and pain and their causes, occur to every being in its turn, are known as pairs (dvandva). Now, when desire and aversion arise on the occurrence of pleasure and pain or of the causes thereof j they cause delusion in all be- ings and create obstruction to the rise of a knowledge of the Supreme Reality, the Self, by subjugating to themselves the intelligence of those beings. To one whose mind is subject to the passions of desire and aversion, there cannot indeed arise a knowledge of things as they are, even of the external world ; and it needs no saying that to a man whose intellect is overpowered by passion there cannot arise a knowledge of the Innermost Self, inasmuch as there are many obstacles in its way. All creatures coming into existence are born subject to this delusion. Wherefore every being has its intelligence obscured by the delusion of pairs ; and thus de- luded it knows not that I am the Self, and therefore worships Me not as the Self.
Divine worsliip leads to realisation.
Who then are free from the delusion of pairs and know Thee and worship Thee as their Self according to the Teaching (Sastra) ? — In answer to this, the Lord says :
«
come to an end, who are freed from the delusion of pairs, they worship Me with a firm resolve.
Those persons of good deeds — good deeds causing purity of mind — whose sin has almost come to an end are freed from the delusion of pairs spoken of above and worship Me, their Highest Self. They resolutely abandon all else, firm
20O THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. VII.
in the conviction that ** This is the Supreme Reality and no other."
With what object do they worship ? — Listen :
29. Whoever resorting to Me strive for libera- tion from decay and death, they realise in full that Brahman, the individual Self, and all action.
Those who, with the mind steadfast in Me, the Supreme Lord, strive for liberation from decay and death, realise in full, That, the Supreme (Para) Brahman. They realise in full the Reality underlying the Innermost individual Self (adhy^tma), and thsy know all about action (karma).
30. Those who realise Me in the Adhibhftta (physical region), in the Adhidaiva (the divine re- gion) and in the Adhiyajna ( region of Sacrifice ), realise Me even at the time of departure, steadfast in mind.
S. . ^ V
EIGHTH DISCOURSE. ABHYASA-YOQA.
The seven things to be realised by meditation*
In vii 29, 30 such things have been mentioned by the Lord as have given occasion to Arjuna to put a question. Accordingly Arjuna proceeds to ask thus :
Arjuna said : I — 2. What is that Brahman ? What about the Individual Self (Adhy&tma) ? What is action (Karma), O Purushottama ? And what is declared to be the physical region (AdhibhAta) ? And what is the divine region (Adhidaiva) said to be ? And how and who is Adhiyajna (the Entity concerned with Sacrifice) here in this body, O MadhusAdana, and how at the time of death art Thou to be known by the self-controlled ?
The Lord proceeds to answer these questions in their order :
The Blessed Lord said : 3. Brahman is the Imperishable (Akshara), the Supreme. The Ego is said to be the Individual Self (Adhy&tma, He who dwells in the body). The offering which causes the origin of physical beings is called action (Karma).
Brahman is the Akshara, the Imperishable, the Supreme Self (Pai-am&tman) ; the sruti says *« O Gdrgi, it is at the
202 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. VIII.
command of this Akshara, the Imperishable Paramatman, that heaven and earth remain, held in their places." (Bn. Upanishad, 3-8-9). * Akshara * does not here mean the syllable ** Om/' ; for, the latter is subsequently specified thus : — "Uttering the syllable *0m,* the Brahman" (viii. 13). And the epithet * supreme * applies better to Brahman, the Imperishable, who transcends all, (than to the syllable ' Om ').
The same Supreme Brahman existing as the Ego, as the Innermost Self, as the Pratyag^tman, in every individual body, is said to be Adhydtma: that which first shows itself as the Innermost Self in the body and turns out in the end to be identical with the Supreme Reality, the Brahman, is known by the term * Adhyatma '.
The sacrificial act which consists in offering cooked rice, cakes and the like to the Gods (Devat^s), and which causes the origin of all creatures, is known by the term * Karma * ; for, it forms the seed as it were of all beings ; it is in virtue of this act that all beings, animate and inanimate, come into existence, after passing through rain and other regions of life.
4. The physical region (Adhibftta) is the perish- able existence, and Purusha or the Soul is the di- vine region ( Adhidaivata) . The Adhiyajwa (Entity concerned with Sacrifice) is Myself, here in the body, O best of the embodied.
The Adhibhuta is that which gathers itself round the whole animated creation and is composed of the whole perishable existence, i. e., of every thing that has birth.
Purusha is, literally, that by which every thing is filled, (pri=to fill) or that which lies in the body (p6r), i. e., the
3 — 7*] ABHYASA-YOGA. 2O3
Hirawyagarbha, the Universal Soul abiding in the Sun (Aditya), the Sustainer and the Stimulator of the sense- organs of all living beings.
The A dhiyajna is He who identifies himself with all acts of sacrifice, the Deity named Vishmi ; the sruti says : ** Yaj«a (Sacrifice) is verily Vishwu." (Taittiriya-Sarwhita, 1-7-4) He is verily Myself. I am the Deity concerned with all acts of sacrifice in the body. — As an act of sacrifice (yaj«a) has to be performed by the body, it is said to be inherent in it, and as such it may be said to rest in the body.
5. And whoso, at the time of death, thinking of Me alone, leaves the body and goes forth, he reaches My being ; there is no doubt in this.
Me : Vishwu, the Supreme Lord. My being : My real being as Vishwu. In this : as to whether he reaches or not.
Constant meditation of the Divine is necessary.
Not to Me alone does this rule apply ; but also :
6. Of whatever Being thinking at the end a man leaves the body, Him alone, O son of Kunti, reaches he by whom the thought of that Being has been constantly dwelt upon.
-B^'w^: a particular Devata or Deity. At the end: at the time of life's departure. Him alone : Only the Being thought of, and no other. Dwelt upon : constantly meditated.
Because thus the final thought determines the character of the body to be attained next,
7. Therefore at all times do thou meditate on Me and fight : with mind and reason fixed on Me thou shalt doubtless come to Me alone.
204 THE bmagavad-gIta. [Dis.VIII
Meditate : According to the Teaching (sdstra). Fight : do ttiou perform thy proper duty of fighting. Me: V^sudeva. Come to Me : as meditated upon by thee.
The Divine Bein^: to be meditated upon.
Moreover,
8. Meditating with the mind engaged in the Yoga of constant practice, not passing over to any thing else, one goes to the Supreme Purusha, the Resplendent, O son of Frithk,
Practice consists in the repetition of one and the same idea, uninterrupted by any other thought, with reference to Me, the sole object of your thought. Such a practice is itself said to be Yoga. With the mind thus solely engaged in Yoga, not passing over to any other object, the Yogin who meditates according to the teaching of the scripture and of the teacher — of the s^stra and ach^rya — reaches the Purusha, the Transcendental Being in the Solar Orb.
What sort of Purusha does he reach ? — Listen :
9 — 10. Whoso meditates on the Sage, the Ancient, the Ruler, smaller than an atom, the Dis- penser of all, of unthinkable nature, glorious like the Sun, beyond the darkness, (whoso meditates on such a Being) at the time of death, with a steady mind endued with devotion and strength of Yoga, well fixing the life-breath betwixt the eye-brows, he reaches that Supreme Purusha Resplendent.
Sage : the Omniscient. The Ruler : of the whole world. Dispenser : who allots to all living beings actions and their results in all their variety. It is very difficult for anybody
7-^1 !•] ABHYASA-YOGA. i05
to conceive of His form though it exists. Like the Sun, He is glorieus with the splendour of His Eternal Intelligence (Nitya-Chaitamya) which is beyond tiu darkness of delusion or nescience (Aj#Ana). The strength of Yoga consists in the steadiness of mind which results from the after-effects of the (constant practice of) sam&dhi* At first the mind (chitta) is subdued in the lotus of the heart (hndaya- puwiarika) ; then, by means of the up-going nkdi (sushumna), after gradually obtaining control over the several stages of matter (earth and the other four rudimental elements), the life-breath of the heart is drawn up and carefully fixed betwixt the eye-brows. By this means the wise man, the Yogin, reaches the Supreme Purusha, who is resplendent.
Meditation of the Divine In the Pranavm*
The Lord now assigns a name to that Brahman whom the Vogin wishes to reach by means to be pointed out again in the sequel, and who will be now described in such terms as * being declared by the knowers of the Veda,' &c. :
II. That Imperishable Goal which the know- ers of the Veda declare, which the self-controlled and the passion-free enter, which desiring they lead the godly life, — That Goal will I declare to thee with brevity.
Those who understand the teaching of the Veda declare the Imperishable as devoid of any attribute whatsoever. The sruti says : " This verily is that (which you wished to know of), the Imperishable, O G&rgl, as the br&hma«as ( the knowers of the Brahman ) declare, * not gross, not subtle'" &c. (Bn-Upa. 3-8-8.) The sawmyasins, ever con- trolling themselves, free from passion, enter the Imperish-
2o6 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. VIIL
able, on attaining to right knowledge. And desiring to know the Imperishable they enter on godly life (Brahma- charya) with a Guru. Of That , Goal which is called Akshara, the Imperishable, I shall tell thee with brevity.
Having started with the words " He who verily among men meditates on the syllable * Om * till death, what region will he thereby attain to ? " he (Pippaldda) said to him (Satyakdma) : " O Satyak^ma, this, the Brahman, the Higher and the Lower, is the syllable ' Om *." (Prasna-Upa- nishad, 5 — i, 2) ; and it was subsequently said : ** He who will meditate on the Supreme Purusha by the three-lettered syllable * Om ' — he is borne up by the S^ma-hymns to the Brahma-loka, to the region of Brahman." {Ibidy ^'^).
Again, having started with the words " Elsewhere than in dharma and elsewhere than in a-dharma, tell me what thou seest ; " (Ka^ha-Upanishad, 2-13), thesruti says, ** that goal which all the Vedas speak of (/.^., are intended for), which all the austerities speak of, desiring which they lead the life of Brahmacharya (celibacy), that goal I tell thee in brevity : It is this, the syllable *0m.* '* (Ibid 2-14).
In such passages as these, the syllable * Om *, regarded either as an expression of the Para-Brahman or as a symbol of Him like an idol, is intended for persons of dull and mid- dling intellects as a means of knowing the Para-Brahman ; and the contemplation of the *0m* is said to produce moksha at a subsequent period. Now, the same contemplation (conjoined with firmness in Yoga) of the syllable *0m', productive of mukti at a subsequent period — the ' Om * forming, as shown above, a means of knowing the Para- Brahman described here (viii. 9, 11) — has to be taught here as well as some minor matters connected with the main
11 — 14.] abhyAsa-yoga. 207
subject. With this view, the Lord proceeds with the sequel :
12-13. Having closed all the gates, having con- fined mind in the heart, having fixed his life- breath in the head, engaged in firm Yoga, uttering Brah- man, the one-syllabled *Om,' thinking of Me, who- so departs, leaving the body, he reaches the Supreme Goal.
Having closed all the avenues of knowledge and having concentrated thought in the lotus of the heart, and with thought thus controlled, he ascends by the N^i which passes upwards from the heart, and then fixing life-breath in the head, he utters the syllable * Om *, the appellation of the Brahman, and meditates on Me. — * Leaving the hody^ shows the mode of departure. The departure takes place by the Self leaving the body, not by the Self being destroyed.
No re -birth on attaining to the Divine Bein^:*
Moreover,
14. Whoso constantly thinks of Me and long, to him I am easily accessible, O son of Prithd, to the ever-devout Yogin.
He who thinks of Me, the Supreme Lord, long— t. ^., not for six months or a year, but uninterruptedly through- out life, — to that Yogin who is ever steadfast in thought, I am easily accessible. This being so, therefore, without thinking of another, one should ever dwell steadfast in Me.
It may be asked, " What if Thou art easily accessible ?** — Listen ; I shall tell you of what use is My being thus easily accessible :
2o8 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis^ VIII-
15. Having attained to Me, they do not again attain birth, which is the seat of pain and is not eternal, they having reached highest perfection.
Having attained to Me, the fsvara, having reached My being, they are not again subject to birth. Birth here is the seat of all pain arising from the body, etc., and is of an ever- changing nature. Having reached the highest stage called moksha, they do not attain birth again. Those, on the other hand, who do not attain to Me, return again (to the earth).
Do those again return who have reached any other being than Thyself? — Listen:
16. (All) worlds including the world of BrahmS, are subject to returning again, O Arjuna; but, on reaching M3, O son of Kuntl, there is no rebirth.
The Day and the Night of Brahma.
Why are all the worlds including the world of Brahma subject to returning? — Because they are limited by time. — How?
17. They — those people who know day and night — know that the day of Brahmd is a thousand yugas long and the night is a thousand yugas long.
Brahma is the Prajd»pati, the Vir^j. Those persons who know how to compute Time know that Brahm4*s day is a thousand yugas long, and that His night is of the same duration as His day. Because the worlds are thus limited by time, therefore they return again.
What takes place during the Praj4pati*s day and what takes place during His night will now be described ;
15 — 19] ABHYASA-YOGA. 20$
i8. From the Unmanifested all the manifesta- tions proceed at the coming on of day ; at the coming on of night they dissolve there only, in what is called the Unmanifested. I
The Unmanifested (Avyakta) is the sleeping condition of the Prajapati who is asleep. Out of That, all manifestations (vyaktis), all creatures, unmoving and moving (sthdvara and jawgama), are manifested at the coming on of day, ». e,, when Brahm^ awakes. So, at the coming on of night, i, e., when Brahma goes to sleep, all the manifestations dissolve there only, in what is called Avyakta, the one already spoken of.
With a view to avoid the fallacious implication that a man reaps the fruits of what he has not done, or that he does not reap the fruits of what he has done, with a view to show that the teaching of the scripture concerning bondage (bandha) and liberation (moksha) has a purpose to serve, and with a view further to teach detachment from saws^ra by show- ing that, as the effect of karma caused by avidy^ (nescience) and other sources of evil, all creatures involuntarily come into being again and again and dissolve, the Lord says :
ig. This sam3 multitude of beings, having come into being again and again, is dissolved at the coming on of night, not of their will, O son of PrithS,, and comes forth at the coming on of day.
This multitude of beings comprising those that move as well as those that do not — the same multitude that existed in the preceding kalpa or age, and no other — involuntarily comes into being at the coming on of day, and is dissolved again at the coming on of night, at the close of the day.
. 2/
210 THE BHAGAVAD-gITA. [DiS. VIII.
Again, at the coming on of day, it involuntarily comes into existence.
The Highest Qoal — how reached.
In viii. 13, etc., has been shown the way, by which to reach the Imperishable (Akshara) described above. Now, with a view to indicate the nature of the Akshara, with a view thus to specify that so and so is the thing to be reached by this path of Yoga, the Lord proceeds as follows :
20. But that other eternal Unmanifested Be- ing, distinct from this Unmanifested (Avyakta), — He does not psrish when all creatures perish.
* But' indicates that the Akshara who is to be described now is distinct from the Avyakta. Being : the Supreme, the Para-Brahman, called the Akshara. Though distinct from the Avyakta, one may suppose that He is of the same nature as the Avyakta. To remove this impression, the Lord qualifies Him by * other *, meaning thereby that He is of a different nature from the Avyakta. He is unmanifest- ed, imperceptible to the senses. He is distinct from the Avyakta mentioned above, which is Avidya itself, the seed of the whole multitude of created beings ; that is to say, He is of quite a different nature from the Avyakta. He does not perish when all beings from Brahm^ downwards perish.
21. What is called the Unmanifested and the Imperishable, That, they say, is the highest goal ; w^hich having reached none return. That is My highest place.
That : that Avyakta which is called Akshara, the Imper- ishable, the Unmanifested Being. Having reached that
^9 — 23.] ABHYASA-YOGA. 211
state, none has returned to sa^isara, the mundane life. That is My (t. t, Vishwu's) Supreme Abode.
The means of attaining to that state will now be pointed out:
22. Now, that Highest Purusha, O son of Pnth4, within Whom all beings dwell, by Whom all this is pervaded, is attainable by exclusive devotion.
Purusha is so called because He rests in the body, or because He is full. Than Him none is higher. He is at- tained by exclusive devotion, i,e,^ by jw^na or knowledge of the Self. All the created beings abide within the Purusha; for, every effect rests within its cause ; and by that Purusha the whole world is pervaded.
The Paths of Light and Darkness.
Now it is necessary to speak of the Uttaram^rga, * the Northern Path', the Path of Light by which the Yogins just spoken of attain to Brahman, — those Yogins who meditate here on Brahman as inhering in the Prawava, in the syllable * Om ', and who attain to moksha later on. * And this will be taught in the section beginning with viii. 23. The path of return is also described, only with a view to extol the other path.
23. Now, in what time departing, Yogins go to return not, as also to return, that time will I tell thee, O chief of the Bharatas.
* In what time ' should be construed with * departing.' *To return * means to be reborn—* Yogins ' stand for those who are engaged in meditation (i, ^., those who are properly
* At the end of the kalpa.
212 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. VIII.
called Yogins) as well as for Karmins, i, c, those who are engaged in karma or action. The latter are spoken of as Yogins only by courtesy; and they are so spoken of in iii. 3. — I shall tell you, when dying the Yogins are not bom again, and when dying they will be born again.
He speaks of that time :
24. Fire, light, day-time, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice, — then de- parting, men who know Brahman reach Brahman.
* Fire ' is the deity presiding over time ; so also is * light ' a deity presiding over time. — Or, it may be that * fire * and
* light ' are the deities so called ; the reference, however, to the path as a whole by the expressions * in what time * and
* that time ' being due to the predominance of the deities presiding over * time.' — The * day-time ' is the deity presid- ing over the day-time, the * bright fortnight ' is the deity presiding over the bright fortnight. The six months of the northern solstice : here also, it is the deity that forms the path. The principle on which this interpretation of the passage is based has been established elsewhere. * Those who die, having been engaged in the contemplation of Brahman, reach Brahman by this path. The expression ** in course of time" should be understood after * reach'; for, those who are firm in devotion to right knowledge and attain to immediate liberation have no place to go to or to return from.
25. Smoke, night-time, and the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern solstice, — attaining by these to the lunar light, the Yogin returns.
* 5^riraka-Min){ims&, iv. 3-4.
23 — 28] ABHYASA-YOGA. 21 3
■
* Smoke/ * night time ' the * dark fortnight,* and the *six months of the southern solstice,' are all deities presiding over smoke and periods of time spoken of. By this pat h, the Yogin — the Karmin who performs sacrifices (to Gods) and other works — attains to the lunar light, and, on the exhaustion thereof, returns again to earth.
26. These bright and dark Paths of the world are verily deemed eternal ; by the one a man goes to return not, by the other he returns again.
The one is bright '•' because it illumines knowledge ; the other is dark * because it is wanting in that light. The two paths are open to those only in the world who are engaged in action or devoted to knowledge ; they are not open to the whole world. They are eternal, because sams&ra is eternal. By the one : by the bright one.
27. Knowing these paths, O son of Pritha, no Yogin is deluded : wherefore at all times be stead- fast in Yoga, O Arjuna.
The Yogin who knows that one of the two foregoing paths leads to sa/wsara and that the other leads to moksha is no longer deluded, t
Excellence of Yoga.
Now, hear of the greatness of that Yoga :
*The two paths are respectively ^ine knowledge, is reached by avidy& or
called Devayana and Pitriyana, the path ^^.^j^^^^^ ^^^ j^ ^^.^cd throughout by
to the Devas and the path to the Pitris. ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^
The one is said to be bright because it ^ ^^ ^^^ y^^^^ j^^j^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^
illumines knowledge and is reached by ^ight in his Meditation, he will not re- knowledge, and its course is marked ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ throughout by bright objects ; the other resort to.— (A.) is said to be dark because it does not illu-
214 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. VIII.
28. Whatever fruit of merit is declared to accrue from the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities and gifts, — beyond all this goes the Yogin on knowing this; and he attains to the Supreme Primeval Abode.
Whatever fruit of merit is declared by the scriptures to be attainable when the Vedas are properly studied, when the sacrifices are performed in all their parts, when austerities are well practised, — beyond all this multitude of fruits rises the Yogin who rightly understands and follows the teaching imparted (by the Lord) in His answers to the seven ques- tions, and he then attains to the highest abode of tsvara — which existed even in the beginning ; — He attains Brahman, the Cause.
Z-,
i .
Brahma-Jnana is the best Religion.
In the eighth discourse has been declared the Yoga of concentration (dh^ra«4) through nail * as well as its pro- cess+, and its result has been shown to be 'none other than the attainment of Brahman — at a subsequent period, through * fire and light ' and the like, — whence there is no return. Now, with a view to give no room to the supposi- tion that the attainment of moksha is possible only by this means and by no other, the Lord proceeds as follows :
The Blessed Lord said :
I. To thee who dost not cavil, I shall now declare this, the greatest secret, knowledge com- bined with experience, t which having known thou shalt be liberated from evil.
This : the Brahma-jwana, the knowledge of Brahman, which is going to be declared, and which has been declared in the preceding discourses. Now : this word points to the superiority of knowledge (over Dhy^na): this right knowledge alone forms the direct means of attaining moksha, as declar- ed in the sruti and the smnti :
" V&sudeva is the All'* — {Bhagavadgitd, vii. 19.)
* The Stishumnd 'the bright." Con- + Such as closing all the gates (vlii. 12,1 3. centration (dharana) is only an anga or X 54 *sAa/*flm, intuitive or direct percep- auxiliary of Yoga. tion.
2l6 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DiS. IX.
" All this is the Self."— (CAMwi. Upa., 7-25-2.) " One only without a second " — [Ihid, 6-2-1.)
And nothing else is a direct means to moksha, as the pass- ages of the sruti like the following declare :
** Now the other princes who understand otherwise than thus,* they shall attain to perishable regions.'* — {Ihid, 7-25-2.)
On attaining this knowledge you will be liberated from the bondage of saws^ra.
And it is
2. The Sovereign Science, the Sovereign Secret, the Supreme Purifier is this; immediately com- prehensible, unopposed to Dharma, very easy to perform, imperishable.
Of sciences it is the king, because it is of great splendour. Indeed, the science of Brahman is the most brilliant \ of all sciences. So also, it is the king of secrets. Of all the purifiers, this knowledge of Brahman is the best purifier. That it is a purifier needs no saying, since it reduces karma to ashes in an instant, root and all, — all the karma, dharma and a-dharma, which has been accumulated during many thousand births. Moreover, it § can be comprehended by pratyakshay by immediate perception, like the feeling of pleasure and so on. What is possessed of many a desirable quality may be opposed to dharma ; but not so is the know-
* That all this is one Brahman. with the Brahmu-jnana, revealed by the
I Greater reverence is shewn to those sruti and the smriti, it is not known
who know Brahman than to other men through revelation solely, but it is known
of learning. by pratyaksha, by immediate or intuitive
§ The Brahma-jnana or its effect. Un- perception, as well, like the other things which are, equally
I — 3.] SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET. 21 7
ledge of Atman opposed to Dharma ; on the o*her hand it is not separable from Dharma, i, e,, not opposed to it. Even then it may be supposed that it is very difficult to attain ; but it is not so, says the Lord. It is very easy to acquire, like the power of discriminating gems. * Now, of the other acts, those which involve little trouble and are easily ac- complished are seen to be productive of small results, and difficult acts are found to be productive of great results. Accordingly it may be imagined that this Brahma-jwdna which is so easily attained perishes when its effect is ex- hausted : to prevent this supposition, the Lord says that it is imperishable. It does not perish like an act when the effect is exhausted. Wherefore knowledge of Atman (Self) is worth acquiring.
But,
3. Persons having no faith in this Dharma, O harasser of thy foes, without reaching Me, remain verily in the path of the mortal world.
Those, who have no faith in this Dharma (law, religion) viz.y knowledge of the Self, those who do not believe in its existence or in its effects, the sinful who follow the doctrine of the Demons (Asuras), regarding the physical body itself as the Self,— these greedy and sinful persons do not attain to Me, the Supreme Lord. — The attaining of Me is certain- ly out of question ; wherefore, the implication is that they do not attain even to devotion (Bhakti) which is one of the paths leading to Me ; they are sure to remain in the path of
* Verily this knowledge is easily ac- Brahmia-jfiAna. quired when taught by an adept ; .so is
2i8 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. IX,
the mortal world, in that path only which leads to hell (naraka) and to the lower kingdoms of animals, etc.
All beings rest in the Lord*
Having prepared Arjuna ( to listen to the Doctrine ) by extolling it, the Lord says:
4. By Me all this world is pervaded, My form unmanifested. All beings dwell in Me ; and I do not dwell in them.
All this world is pervaded by My Highest Being, My form being invisible to the senses. In Me, of unmanifested form, dwell all beings from Brahm^ down to the plant. No being devoid of the Self can ever become an object of experience. Wherefore they dwell in Me, i,e,, they are self-existent (or have an individual existence) through Me, the Self, {i. e., they are what they are in virtue of Me, the Self, underlying them all.) Since I am the Self of all those beings, it would seem to the deluded as though I dwell in them. Wherefore I say : I do not dwell in those beings, be- cause of the absence of contact with others, unlike corporeal things. I am, certainly, the innermost essence even of the aka.sa. That which is unconnected with any object cannot indeed be contained anywhere as though in a receptacle.
Wherefore, as I am unconnected with any object,
5. Nor do those beings dwell in Me; behold My Divine Yoga ! Sustaining all beings, but not dwelling in them, is My Self, the cause of beings.
And yet these beings, from Brahmft downwards, dwell not in Me ; behold My Divine working, the Divine Mystery,
3 — 7l SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET. 2ig
the real nature of the Self. Accordingly, the sruti speaks of the unattached condition of the Self, seeing that He is unconnected with any object : ** Devoid of attachment, He is never attached.*' — ( Brih. Up. 3-9-26.)
Behold, there is yet another mystery. Though unattach- ed, My Self supports all beings, but does not dwell in them, as shown above with reasons. * — Then how to justify the Lord's .words, * My Self? — We answer: Separating ( from the Real Self ) the aggregate of the physical and other material environments, and regarding that aggregate as the * I ', the Lord speaks of the Self as * My Self*, — so far following only the popular conception ; not certainly that He believes, as the masses ignorantly believe, that the Atman, the Self, is distinct from Himself, t And further it is Myself that cause all beings to come into being, that cause all beings to grow.
By way of illustrating by an example what has been taught in the two preceding verses, the Lord says :
6. As the mighty wind moving everywhere rests ever in the ^k^sa, so, know thou, do all beings, rest in Me.
It is observed in our. ordinary experience that the wind, moving everywhere and mighty in expans3, ever rests in the kk&sa, ; so also in Me, who am all-pervading like the ^kasa, do all beings rest, without any contact at all.
The Lord is the source and the end of all beings.
Thus, as the wind rests in the dkasa, so do all beings rest in Me as long as the world lasts.
it Because the Self is unconnected + Because such a relation between the
With any object. — (A. ) Self & the bodily aggregate is illusory. (A)
2^0 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DiS. IX.
7. All beings, O son of Kuntt, go into My Prakriti at the end of a kalpa. I send them forth again at the beginning of (the next) kalpa. Prakriti : the inferior one composed of the three guwas. The end of a kalpa is the time of dissolution (pralaya), and the beginning of a kalpa is the time of production (utpatti).
Thus :
Resorting to My Prak7'iti, I again and again send forth this whole multitude of beings, power- less under the control of the Prakriti.
With the help of the Praknti, i.e., of Avidy^, which is subject to Me, I cause all these beings we now see to emanate again and again from the Praknti ; all of them being rendered powerless by avidy^ and other sources of evil under the influence of the Praknti, i, e, of Svabhava or Nature.
The Lord is not bound by His acts.
Then as creating this multitude of beings of unequal conditions, Thou, the Supreme Lord, shalt be subject to dharma and a-dharma arising from that act ? — In reply, the Lord says :
9. Nor do these acts, O Dhananjaya, bind Me, remaining like one unconcerned, unattached to those acts.
The acts involved in the unequal creation of the multitudi- nous beings do not bind Me, the Is vara. — Now, the Lord gives the reason why He is not affected by the acts : — I, knowing the immutability of the Self, remain like one who is unconcerned, without attachment for the fruit of the act,
7 — 10.] SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET. 221
ue.f without the egotistic feeling *I do. ' Wherefore, in the case of others also, the absence of the egotistic feeling of agency and the absence of attachment for results is the cause of freedom (from dharma and a-dharma ). Otherwise, the deluded man is boimd by his own acts like the silk- worm in the cocoon.
Now, the statements * 1 send forth this multitude of beings ' (ix. 7) and * remaining like one unconcerned * involve a self-contradiction. In explanation thereof, the Lord says :
10. By Me presiding, Prakriti produces the mov- ing and the unmoving ; because of this, O son of Kunti, the world revolves.
By Me presiding : as a mere viewer on evey side and the immutable witness. My Miya, ix,, the Avidy^, composed of the three gu«as, produces the universe comprising the moving and the unmoving objects. So says the chant :
* The one, the luminous, hidden in all beings, all- pervading, the Inner Self of all, the superintendent of all acts, the abode of all beings, the witness, the perceiver, alone, and free from qualities.' — {Svetasvatara-Up, 6-11).
Because I am the witness, because I preside, this universe comprising the moving and the unmoving objects, the manifested and the unmanifested, moves on through all stages. Indeed, all activity in the world — such as * I shall enjoy this,* * I see this,' * I hear this,' * I feel pleasure,' * 1 feel pain,' ' To gain this I shall do it,' * I shall learn this ' — arises by way of forming an object of consci- ousness ; it has its being in consciousness and has its end in consciousness. Such chants as * Who in the Supreme Heaven (of the heart) is the witness of this ; ' (Tai. Br. 2-8-9)
^12
tHE bMagavad-gItA.
[Dis. IX.
point only to this view. Accordingly* as there is no conscious entity other than the One Divine Being, there cannot be a separate en j oyer ; and it is therefore irrelevant to ask or to answer the question +, * Of what purpose is this creation by the One, the Divine, the pure all-witnessing Spirit or Consciousness, having really no concern with any enjoy- ment whatever ? * So says the srutij :
*Who could perceive (It) directly, and who could declare whence born and why this variegated crea- tion? '— (Tai. Br. 2-8-9). The Lord has also said :
* Wisdom is enveloped by unwisdom; thereby mortals are deluded.' § — (v. 15).
The life of the impious.
Though I am thus eternal, pure, wise, and free by nature. Omniscient, the Self of all,
II. Fools disregard Me clad in human form, not knowing My higher being as the Great Lord of beings.
Fools, unable to discriminate, despise Me living among them with a human body, these fools not understanding My
* The /svara being the creator of the Universe is the mere witness thereof.
+ It is not right to ask or answer the question • what is the purpose of Crea- tion ?• We cannot say that it is meant for the enjoyment of the Supreme ; for, the Supreme jreally enjoys nothing. It is pure consciousness, a mere witness. And there is no other enjoyer, for there is no other conscious entity. The /svara is one only ; and what is not conscious cannot enjoy.
Nor is Creation intended to secure mok- sha, because it is opposed to moksha Thus, neither the question nor an answer to it is possible ; and there is no occasion for it, as Creation is due to the l/Lkyk of the Supreme. — (A. )
I This sruti means that it is very hard to know the Supreme Self.
§ This passage shows that creation is due to ajnana or nescience.
10 — 13] SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET. 223
higher being, — not knowing that I am the Supreme Self, that I am, like ^k^a, more intimately connected with things than even dk4sa, that I am the Great Lord, the very Self, of all beings. Then by continually despising Me, these poor creatures are ruined.
How (is their condition pitiable) ?
12. Of vain hopes, of vain actions, of vain knowledge, devoid of discrimination, partaking only of the delusive nature of Rdkshasas and Asuras.
They cherish vain hopes. The agnihotra and other actions performed by them are fruitless, because they insult the Lord, because they neglect their own Self. Even their knowledge is fruitless. They are devoid of discrimination. They partake of the nature of R&kshasas and Asuras.* They see no self beyond the body and engage in cruel deeds, their rule of conduct being * cut, break, drink, devour, rob others' property.'
The ways of the faithful devotees.
But, the faithful who are engaged in devotion (Bhakti) to the Lord, i. e,, who walk in the path of moksha,
13. The Mahitmans, O son of Pnth^, partaking of the nature of the Devas, worship Me with mind turned to no other,+ knowing (Me) as the imperish- able source of all beings.
Mahdtmans : the high-souled. J The nature of the Devas
* After death such people will be bom f with the mind resting on Me, the
as RAkshasas or Asuras. The nature of Innermost Self, who am no other than
K&ktfhasas consistB in committing deeds their own Self.
of cruelty, and that of Asuras in rob- I Those whose mind (sattva) has been
bing another's property, in the absence purified by yajna or sacrifice, &o. of charity and of sacrifice.
224 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. IX,
(Gods) consists in their control over the body, mind and the senses, in kindness, in faith and the like. Beings : bhtitas, all living creatures as well as all elements of matter.
How (do they worship) ?
vows, and reverent, they worship Me with love,
always devout.
They always talk of Me, their Lord, the very Brahman. They ever strive by way of subjugating the senses, by way of cultivating the virtues of self-control, kindness, innocence, and the like. Firm in their vows, they worship Me in love, Me who am their very Self lying in the heart.
In what different ways do they worship ? — Listen :
13. Worshipping by the wisdom-sacrifice, others adore Me, the All-faced, in various ways, as One, as different.
Knowledge of the Lord is itself a sacrifice. Worshipping by this sacrifice of wisdom, others* adore Me, having abandoned all other forms of worship. x\nd that knowledge varies thus : — Some worship with the knowledge of the real truth that ' One, verily, is the Para- Brahman.' Some worship with the knowledge that the Lord Vishwu Himself exists as different beings, as the sun, the moon and the like. Others worship Him, — who exists in all forms — as the All- faced, thinking that the one Lord exists in all the different forms, with his face on all sides.
All worship goes to the Lord.
If they worship in so many different ways, how do they (as Thou sayest) worship Thee only ? — The Lord says :
* The Brahma-nisb/has, those who are devoted to Brahman,
13 — l6J SOVEREIGN WISDOM AN0 SECRET. 225
i6. I am kratu, I am yaj»a, I am svadhA, I am aushadha, I am mawtra, Myself the butter, I am fire, I the act of offering.
Kratu IS a class of Vedic sacrifices. Yajm is the worship enjoined in the smnti. Svadhd is the food offered to ancestors (Pitns). The aushadha means plants in general, including rice and barley, eaten by all living beings. — Or, svadhd is food in general, and aushadha is the medical (food) serving to alleviate sickness. — I am the mantra, the chant with which the oblation is offered to the Pitns and the Devat&s. I am the fire into which the offering is poured.
And,
17. I am the father of this world, the mother, the dispenser, and grandsire ; I am the knowable, the purifier, the syllable * Om,' and also the i?ik, the S&man, and the Yajus also.
The dispenser : of the fruits of action.
And,
18. I am the Goal, the Sustainer, the Lord, the Witness, the Abode, the Shelter and the Friend, the Origin, Dissolution and Stay ; the Treasure-house, the Seed imperishable.
I am the goal, the fruit of action I am the witness of
what is done and what is not done by all living beings, I am the abode wherein all living beings dwell. I am the shelter for the distressed ; I relieve from distress those who come to Me. I am the Friend : I do good without ex- pecting any return. I am the source of the world. I am that in which it is dissolved, and that in which it stays. I
226 TH£ bhagavad-gItI. [Dis« I}C;
am the traosuFe-hoase, thftt which living bemgs shall enjoy in ft future period. I am the imperishable seed, that which causes the growth of all thing3 that germinate, and which endures as long as the world ( saufs&ra ) endures. Nothing indeed springs up without a seed ; and since growth is con- stanti it is understood that continuity of the seed never fails.
And,
19. I give heat, I hold (back and send fcNrth rain, I am the immortality as well as death, exist- ence and non-existence, O Arjuna.
A« tJie sun I give heat by some powerful rays; by certain rays I send forth rain ; and having sent it forth Itake it back by certain rays during eight months, and again send it forth in the rainy season. I am the immortality of the gods (devas) and the death of the mortals. I am existence, {the manifesUdy the effect), which manifests itself in relation (to the cause) ; and I am the reverse, the non-existence (the unmanifestedf the cause). — Indeed the Lord can never be altogether non-existent ; nor ( can it be said ) that the effect is existence and the cause is non-existence.*
The fruit5 of Interested acts of Vedic ritual.
Those men of wisdom who are devoted to Me, adoring Me by the sacrifices mentioned above, leading lives of Retirement in various forms described above, and r^arding Me as One or as diffierent, — they reach Myself accordmg to
♦ The manifested world of effects is spoken of as non-existence, . as it Is Un- spoken of as 'existence' and the un- possible to conceive existence arising out manifested cause as 'non-existence. ' We of non-existence ; for the sruti itself sajrs, cannot indeed hold that the Divine "How can existence come out of non- essence is non-existence, for then we aire existence ? " — {ChhAnd, Up. 6.) driven to nihilism; nor can the cause be
li^M} SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET. 22'^
their knowledge. But as regards those who are ignorant and who long for objects of desire,
20. Men of the three Vedas, the soma-drinkers, purified from sin, worshipping Me by sacrifices, pray for the goal of heaven ; they reach the holy world of the Lord of the Gods and enjoy in heaven the heavenly pleasures of the Gods.
Men who know the three Vedas, the /^ik, the Sskman and the Yajus ; who drink Soma and are thereby purified from sins; who worship Me as the Vasus and other gods by sacrifices such as the Agnishtoma ; who seek for Svarga as the reward of their sacrifices; — they go to the world of Indra who had performed a hundred sacrifices, and there enjoy supernatural (a-prakrita) pleasures.
21. They, having enjoyed that spacious world of Svarga, their merit (puwya) exhausted, enter the worldof the mortals; thus following the Dharma of the Triad, desiring (objects of) desires, they attain to the state of going and returning.
The Dhamia of the Triad : mere Vedic ritual (karma) that which is enjoined by the three Vedas. They have to go and return, and never attain independence anywhere.
The Supreme watching over His devotees* interests.
Now, as regards those men of right knowledge who are free from desires,
22. Those men who, meditating on Me as non- separate, worship Me all around, — to them who are ever deyout, I secure gain and safety.
228 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiS. IX.
Those men of renunciation (sawnydisins) who worship Me all around,* ever meditating on Me, regarding themselves as non-separate, — i.e,y looking upon the Supreme God, Nar6,ya«a, as their own Self, — to these who see the Reality, who are ever devout, t I secure gain. I secure to them what is not already possessed ; and I secure to them safety, i.e,y preservation of what is already possessed. As said in vii. 17, 18, they form My very Self and are dear to Me.
(Objection): — To other devotees also the Lord secures gain and safety.
(Anstifer) : — True, He undoubtedly secures (to them gain and safety) ; but there is this difference : while other devo- tees work themselves also for their own gain and safety, those who see nothing as separate from themselves do not work for their own gain and safety. Indeed these latter never cherish a desire for life or death ; the Lord alone is their refuge. Wherefore the Lord Himself secures to them gain and safety.
Other devotees do but worship the Supreme
in ignorance.
{Objection) : — If other gods (Devatds) are Thyself only, their devotees also worship Thyself.
(Answer) : — ^Just so, indeed :
23. Even those who, devoted to other Gods,, worship Them with faith, worship Myself, O son of Kunti, in ignorance.
f'l
* i. «, , Who see Me all around, as + Constantly and earnestly engaged iq
Infinite,— (A. ) dbySna,
22 — 25.] SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET. 229
With faith: believing in the efficacy (of the worship of those Gods).
Why dost Thou say that they worship in ignorance ? —
For,
24. I am indeed the Enjoyer, as also the Lord, of all sacrifices; but they do not know Me in truth ; whence they fail.
As the Devat^* (*. ^., as the God to whom sacrifices are offered) 1 am the Enjoyer and the Lord of all sacrifices enjoined in the sruti and the smnti. I am indeed the Lord of yajwa or sacrifice, as said in viii, 4. So they do not know Me as I am; whence, having worshipped in ig- norance, they fail to attain the fruit o'f the sacrifice. +
The fruit of sacrifice certainly accrues \ to them also who, devoted to other gods, worship Me in ignorance. — How?—
25. Votaries of the Gods go to the Gods ; to the Pitns go the votaries of the Pitns ; to the Bhiitas go the worshippers of the Bhfitas; My worshippers come to Myself.
The votaries of the Gods, those whose devotion and vows are directed to the Gods, go to the Gods. The votaries of the Pitris such as the Agnishv^ttas, engaged in performing sraddha and other rites in devotion to the Pitns,
♦ As the Vasus and other DevatAs to region to which they attain as the result
whom the sacrifices are offered, I am the of their sacrifice.
Enjoyer of all sacrifices; amd as the Antar- : The worship of the Gods is not quite
y&min, as the Inner Regulator of , the useless. The worshippers do attain results
Universe, I am the Lord of all saprifices. suited to the form of worship, but they
t Not having dedicated their actions to have to return to this world after a time. Me, they return to this world firom ttio
230 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis* IX.
go to the Pitns. The Bhiitas are the Vin^yakas, the hosts of Matris, the four Bhaginis and the Hke. My worshippers^ i.e.y Vish»u*s votaries, come to Myself, Notwithstanding the equality of trouble, people do not worship Me alone^ because of their ignorance. Wherefore they attain very small results.
Facility in Devotion to the Supreme.
Not only do My devotees attain an endless result, i.e., attain a state from which there is no return to this world, but it is also easy for them to worship Me. — How ? —
26. When one offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, — that I eat, offered with devotion by the pure-minded.
Because it is so, therefore,
27. Whatever thou doest, whatever thou eatest, whatever thou sacrificest, whatever thou givest, in whatever austerity thou engagest, do it as an offering to Me.
Whatever thou doest of thy own accord (i.e., not enjoined in the s&stra) and whatever thou offerest in sacrifice as enjoined in the sruti or the smnti, whatever thou givest — such things as gold — to the br^hmawas and others,... do all that as an offering to Me.
Now listen as to what will accrue to you doing thus :
28. Thus shalt thou be liberated from the bonds of actions which are productive of good and evil results ; equipped in mind with the Yoga of renunciation, and liberated, thou shalt come to Me.
i
25 — 29.] SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET. 2J1
Thus : when you thus offer everything to Me. This (act of oflfering everything to Me) constitutes the Yoga of renun- ciation. It is renunciation inasmuch as everjrthing is offered to Me; and it is also Yoga inasmuch as it is an action (karma). Thus, with mind equipped with Yoga and renun- ciaticm, thou shalt be liberated from bonds while yet living ; and when this body is dead, thou shalt come to Me.
The impartiality of the Supreme.
{Objection) : — Then the Lord has love and hatred, since He bestows His grace on His devotees, not on others.
(Answer) : — Not so :
29. The same I am to all beings ; to Me there is none hateful or dear ; but whoso worship Me with devotion, they are in Me, and I am also in them.
I am like .fire : just as fire does not ward off cold from those who are at a distance and wards it off from those who go near it, so I bestow My grace on My devotees, not on others. Those who worship Me, the Lord, with devotion are in Me, as a matter of course, but not owing to any attach- ment on My part. In them also I am, only as a matter of course, not in others. By this behaviour, I cannot (be said to) hate the latter. *•'
* Those who are devoted to Me, where, is reflected in a clean mirror, so
performing the duties of their caste and also is the Supreme . Lord present as a
order, become pure in mind, in virtue of matter of course in those persons only
that very devotion of unthinkable grand- from whose minds all dirt has been re.
eur ; and they are in Me, t. e., their minds moved by devotion. It has been said in
are rendered fit for My presence. And, ix. 13 that those are devoted to the Lord,
being in their presence as a matter of who partake of the nature of the devas.
course, I ever do good to them. Just as — (A.) he Sun's light, though pervading every-
232 THE BHAGAVAD-Gixi. [DiS. IX*
Even the low-born attain salvation by Devotion.
Now I shall tell you how excellent a thing devotion to Me is :
30. If one of even very evil life worships Me, resorting to none else, he must indeed be deemed righteous, for he is rightly resolved.
He is rightly resolved : he is a man of good resolution.
By abandoning evil ways in his external life, and by the power of his internal right resolution,
31. Soon he becomes righteous and attains eternal peace ; do thou, O son of Kunti, proclaim that My devotee never perishes.
Listen, this is the real truth : thou mayest proclaim that He who is devoted to Me in his inner soul never perishes.
32. For, finding refuge in Me, they also who, O son of Prithd,, may be of a sinful birth — women, vaisyas as well as stidras, — even they attain to the Supreme Goal.
The Yoga of Devotion.
33. How much more then the holy br&hma»as and devoted royal saints. Having reached this transient joyless world, do thou worship Me.
Holy : of pure birth. This werld : the world of man, human birth * which is the means of attaining spiritual
■* As non-human bodies such as those human birth should lead a life of devotion of animals are not fit for a life of devotion to the Lord, to the Lord, those who have attained to
30— 340 SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET. ^33
aspirations (purushdrtha), and which is very hard to attain. Moreover,
34. Fix thy mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. Thus steadied, with Me as thy Supreme Goal, thou shalt reach Myself, the Self.
Me : VjLsu'deva. Steadied : in thought (chitta). I am the Self of all beings, and I am the Supreme goal.
The Lord is the source of all manifestations.
In the seventh discourse and in the ninth, the essential nature of the Lord and His manifestations have been pointed out. Now it is necessary to point out in what forms of being the Lord should be thought of; and it is also necessary to describe the essential nature of the Lord, — though it has been described already, — as it is a hard thing to under- stand. With this view, the Lord says :
The Blessed Lord said :
1. Again, O mighty-armed, listen to My Supreme word, which I, from a desire for thy well-being, shall speak to thee who art delighted.
Supreme: as revealing the. unsurpassed Thing. Delighted: you are intensely delighted with My speech, as though you are drinking the immortal nectar.
Why should He speak of it ? — The Lord says :
2. Neither the hosts of the Gods nor the Great i?ishis know my origin ; for I am the source of all the Gods and the Great iJishis.
Pvahhava (interpreted as origin) may also mean " Great Lordly Power." Rishis : such as Bhrigu.
I^— 5*] DIVINE MANIFESTATIOHS. 235-
Moreover,
3. He who knows Me as unborn and beginning- less, as the great Lord of the worlds, he among mortals is undeluded, he is liberated from all sins.
Because I am the source of the Gods and the Great i^ishis, none else exists as the source of My existence; wherefore, I am unborn and beginningless. Because I am beginningless, therefore I am unborn. Undeluded : devoid of delusion. All sins: consciously or unconsciously incurred.
For the following reason also I am the great Lord of the worlds :
4-5. Intelligence, wisdom, non-illusion, patience, truth, self-restraint, calmness, pleasure, pain, birth, death, fear, and security ; innocence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, beneficence, fame, shame ; (these ) different kinds of dispositions of beings arise from Me alone.
Intelligence (buddhi) is the power which the inner sense ( anta^-karana ) has of understanding subtle objects of thought. He, indeed, is said to be intelligent who is possessed of this power. Wisdom is the knowledge of the Self and other such things. Non-illusion consists in acting with discrimination when any thing has to be done or known at the moment. Patience: not being agitated in mind when assaulted or abused. Truth : giving utterance to one's own actual experience of things, as heard or seen, with a view to impress it on the mind of another. Self- nstraint: quieting the external senses. Calmness: the tran^
quillity of the inner sense or anta^-karawa Innocence: not
iBJuring living beings. Contentment: being satisfied with
THB BHAGAVAD-gItA.
[D|s. X.
one's present acquisitions. Austerity : bodily torture accom- panied with the restraint of the senses. Beneficence : sharing (one's own things) with others as far as one's own means may permit. Fame : due to dharma. Shame : due to a- dharma. All these different dispositions of living beings mentioned above, such as intelligence, arise from Me alone, the Lord (Dvara), according to their respective karma. Moreover,
6. The seven Great i?ishis as well as the four ancient Manus, with their being in Me, were born of mind ; and theirs are these creatures in the world.
The seven great /i^ishis such as Bhngu, as well as the four Manus of the past ages known as S&varwas, had directed their thoughts to Me exclusively and were therefore endow- ed with the power ot Vishwu. They were produced by Me by mind alone. Born in the creation of these Manus and of the Great i?ishis are these creatures comprising the moving and the unmoving beings.*
Knowledgfe of the Lord's Glory conduces to Yoga.
7. He who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine is endowed with unshaken Yoga ; there is no doubt of it.
♦ The Lord is not only the material cause ( prakriti ) of all, but, as the Omni- scient Lord of all. He is also the Ruler of all , for He produced the Great i?ishis and the Manus. The Great i?ishis, from BhHgu to Vasish^ha, were omniscient and were the original teachers of the Tra- ditional wisdom. The Manus were the Rulers of creatures and were themselves
Lords. Both these belonged to the pri- meval age and were born of the mind of the Lord. The Great i^ishis and the Manus had their thought directed to the Omniscient Lord and were therefore en- dowed with the power of Vishnu and obtained wisdom and power. The present denizens of this world are their creatures, by birth and by knowled^e.~(A.)
5—90
He who knows in truth this vast extent of My being * and My achievement (Yoga) — or Yoga may here stand for what is born of Yoga, viz., the power of achieving and controlling mighty things as well as Omniscience t — he is endowed with unshaken Yoga, i. c, with steadiness in right
knowledge-l
What is that unshaken Yoga with which they are en- dowed ? — The answer follows :
8. I am the source of all ; from Me everything evolves ; thus thinking the wise worship Me, en- dowed with contemplation.
I, the Supreme Brahman, termed V^sudeva, am the source of the whole world. From Me § alone evolves the whole universe in all its changes, including existence and disappearance, action, effect and enjoyment. Thus think- ing, the wise who know the Supreme Reality I1 worship Me, ardently engaged in the contemplation of the Supreme Reality.
Moreover,
9. With their thought on Me, with their life absorbed in Me, instructing each other, and ever speaking of Me, they are content and delighted.
* He who knows Me as infinite. — (A.)
f i. e. , he who knows the fact that the Great i?ishis and the Manus possessed their power and wisdom, as partaking of a very small portion of the Lord's power and wisdom. — (A.)
X The knowledge of the Conditioned is the doorway leading to the knowledge of the Unconditioned. — (A. )
$ Controlled aitd impelled by Me as
the Inner Regulator, every thing moves on in accordance with the Law. — (A. )
IT It is only those who see the emptiness of the worldly life that are fit for a life of devotion to the Lord. When men know the Lord as the Self of all, the Cause of all, the Omniscient Lord of all, they be- come devoted to Me. The knowledge of the Supreme Reality leads to love, regard and earnestness, and these lead to devo- tion to the Lord. — (A . )
238 THE bhagavad-g!tA, [Dis, X.
All their senses (pr&nas) such as the eye are absorbed in Me. Or — according to another interpretation — their very life (pr&na) is devoted to Me. They ever speak of Me as possessed of supreme wisdom, power, might and other qualities. They thus obtain satisfaction and are delighted as if in the company of the beloved.
The Lord endows His devotees with wisdom.
As to those who worship Me devoutly in the ways men- tioned above,
10. To these, ever devout, worshipping Me with love, I give that devotion of knowledge by which they come to Me.
To them who are ever devout, worshipping Me, not for any purpose of their o-.vn, but out of love for Me, — to them I give that devotion of right knowledge (buddhi-yoga) of My essential nature by which they * — those who worship Me " with their thought on Me" (x. 9) and soon — ^know Me, the Supreme Lord, the Self, as their own Self.
Why doest Thou give the devotion of knowledge (buddhi- yoga) to Thy devotees ? — And what is that obstacle in the path leading to Thee which the devotion of knowledge that Thou givest to Thy devotees serves to remove ? — In answer to this question, the Lord says :
11. Out of mere compassion for them, I, abid- ing in their self, destroy the darkness born of ignorance, by the luminous lamp of wisdom.
* I'hose alone who are thus devoted to karana produced by Dhyana, by which the Lord can attain to Buddhi-Yoga, that they reach that form of the Lord which is extremely superior condition of the antah- devoid of all limitations. — (A. )
9—13.]
Out of mere compassion : out of mercy, anxious as to how they may attain bliss. I dwell in their antaA-karana * which is engaged in thinking exclusively of the Self and destroy the darkness of ignorance, — that illusory knowledge which is caused by the absence of discrimination, — by the lamp of wisdom, by the lamp of discriminatory knowledge, fed by the oil of pure Devotion (Bhakti-pras&da), fanned by the wind of earnest meditation on Me, furnished with the wick of right intuition purified by the cultivation of piety, chasti- ty and other virtues, held in the antaA-karana which is com- pletely detached from all worldly concerns, placed in the wind-sheltered enclosure of the mind which is withdrawn from the sense-objects and untainted by attachment and aversion, and shining with the light of right knowledge generated by incessant practice of concentration and meditation.
Arjuna'5 question about the Lord's manifestations.
Having heard of the Lord's Glory and His mysterious power, Arjuna says :
Arjuna said :
12-13. The Supreme Brahman, the Supreme
Light, the Supreme Purifier art Thou. All the
* f* e., in the anta/i-karana functioning on the plane of Spirit exclusively. Dark- ness here includes both the beginningless nescience and the illusory perception resulting from that nescience. It cannot be removed by matter or any material phenomenon, belonging as it does to the same class as darkness; therefore the Lord has said that He Himself destroys darkness. But the Spirit (Chaitanya) can- not directly remove darkness. It is only
an intellectual state that is found to illu- mine an object unknown before. Hence it is that the Spirit removes ignorance by itself shining through a state of the intel- lect such as the one induced by the teach- ing of the 54stra. It is either the Spirit manifesting itself through an intellectual state, or an Intellectual state pervaded by the Spirit, that can destroy nescience and illusory knowledge.
2J^0 the BHAGAVAD-GtTA. [DiS. X.
i?ishis declare Thee as Eternal, Divine Purusha, the Primal God, Unborn, Omnipresent ; so said the divine sage Ndrada, as also Asita, Devala and Vy&sa ; and Thou Thyself also sayest (so) to me.
The Supreme Brahman: the Highest Self. The Primal God : the God who existed before all other Gods. Rishis : such as Vasish^ha.
14. I believe to be true all this which Thou sayest to me ; for neither the Gods nor the D&na- vas, O Lord, know Thy manifestation.
Because Thou art the source of the Devas and others, therefore,
15. Thou Thyself knowest Thyself as the Self,* O Purusha Supreme, O Source of beings, O Lord of beings, O God of Gods, O Ruler of the world.
Knowest Thyself: as the Lord,t as the Is vara possessed of unsurpassed wisdom, sovereignty and other powers.
16. Thou shouldstl indeed tell, without reserve, of Thy divine Glories, by which Glories Thou remainest pervading all these worlds.
17. How§ shall I, ever meditating, know Thee, O Yogin; in what several things, O Lord, art Thou to be thought of by Me ?
* Thou r/tj^s^//, i. e. , without being J Since Thy nature, which it is necess-
taught ; knowest Thyself, i. e. the uncondi- ary to know, is invisible to others. (A. )
tioned nature of Thyself. As the Self: § In what manner should I, who am
not as something external. — (A. ) of dull understanding, meditate constant-
+ Not even Thy conditioned nature as ly on Thee, in order that my reason may
the Lord of the Universe, 8cc. , can be thereby be purified so as to be able to
seen by others. — (A. ) know Thy uncoadUioned being: — (A. )
1^^—50.] DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS. 24I
18. Tell me again in detail, O Jan&rdana, of Thy power and Glory, for there is no satiety for me in hearing the immortal.
Tell me in detail of Thy mysterious power (Yoga) and sovereignty (aisvarya) and the various things to be meditat- ed upon. — ^Janftrdana is so called because He sends — or causes to go (ardayati) — the Asuras, those people (janas) who are the enemies of the Gods, to hell and the like ; or be- cause He is prayed to by all people for worldly success and salvation. — Tell me again of them, though described be- fore; for, there is no satiety in hearing the immortal (ambrosia) of the speech issuing from Thy mouth.
The Lord*s enumeration of His manifestations.
The Blessed Lord said :
19. Now will I tell thee of My heavenly Glories, in their prominence, O best of the Kurus ; there is no limit to My extent.
Now I will tell you of My heavenly Glories, in their pro- minence, i. e,f where they are severally the most prominent. It is not, indeed, possible even in a whole century to describe all of them, as there is no Umit to the extent of My Glories.
Now, listen to this, in the first place :
20. I am the Self, O Gui^k^sa, seated in the heart of all beings ; I am the beginning and the middle, as also the end, of all beings.
You should think of Me as the innermost Self, seated in
the heart within of all beings. — * Giiddkesa ' means either
* conqueror of sleep ' or * thick-haired ' — He who is unable
to think of Me as the Self should think of Me in those
242 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. X»
things which are mentioned below ; for I am the source, the stay, and the end of all beings.
21. Of the Adityas I am Vishnu; of the radi- ances, the resplendent Sun ; I am Marlchi of the Maruts ; of the asterisms, the Moon.
Of the twelve Adityas, I am the Aditya known as Vishnu. Maruts are a kind of Devat^s.
22. Of the Vedas I am the S&ma-Veda, I am V&sava of the Gods, and of the senses I am the mind, I am the intelligence in living beings.
Gods : such as the Rudras and the Adityas. Vdsava : 1.^., Indra. Of the eleven senses I am the mind. Chetana, senti- ency or intelligence, is that state of * the intellect (buddhi) which manifests itself in the aggregate of the body and the senses.
23. And of the Rudras I am Sankara, of the Yakshas and Rakshasas the Lord of wealth, and of the Vasus I am Agni, of the mountains I am the Meru.
The Rudras are eleven in number, and the Vasus eight. The Lord of wealth : Kubera.
24. And of the household priests of kings, O son of PrithA, know Me the chief one, Brihaspati ; of generals I am Skanda, of lakes I am the Ocean.
Brihaspati is the chief of priests, because he is the house- hold priest of Indra. Skanda is the general of the Gods. Of
■#- It exhibits itself in the aggregate tation of the Spirit or Consciousness body, pervading it throughout till death, (Chaitanya.), — (A. ) and forming the medium for the manifes-
20—28] DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS. 243
the natural — *. c, made by the Gods — reservoirs, I am the Ocean.
25. Of the Great i?ishis I am Bhngu ; of words I am the one syllable * Om ;' of offerings I am the offering of Japa (silent repetition), of unmoving things the Himalaya.
26. Of all trees (I am) the Asvattha, and Ndrada of divine ifishis, Chitraratha of Gandharvas, the Sage Kapila of the Saints (Siddhas) .
Divine Rishis : Who are Devas and are at the same time ijishis or seers of mantras. The Saints (Siddhas) : those who at their very birth attained to a very high degree of Dharma, of knowledge, of detachment ( vairagya ) from worldly concerns, and of supremacy.
27. Know Me among horses as Uchchais- sravas, born of Amrita, of lordly elephants the Air^vata, and of men the king.
UchchaiS'Sravas is the name of the kingly horse, who was born in the ocean when it was churned for the amnta (ambrosia). Know Me among kingly elephants as the Airdvata, the offspring of Irlbvatl.
28. Of weapons I am the thunderbolt, of cows I am the K^madhuk, I am the progenitor Kan- darpa, of serpents I am Vasuki.
The thunderbolt : the Vajra made of Dadhichi's bone. Kdmadhuk : that cow of Vasish/ha which yielded all objects desired ; or any cow in general which may yield plenty of milk. Kandarpa : K^maor love. Vdsuki : the lord of serpents.
244 THE bhagavad-gIta. [DiSfX.
of water-beings, and Aryaman of Pitris I am, I am Yama of controllers.
Ananta : the king of snakes. Varum : the king of water- gods. Water-beings : the Devat&s or Gods connected with waters. Aryaman is the king of Pitns.
30. And PrahUda am I of Diti's progeny, of reckoners I am Time, and of beasts I am the lord of beasts, and Vainateya of birds.
The lord of beasts : the lion or the tiger. Vainateya : Vinat&'s son, Garutmat,
31. Of purifiers I am the wind, R&ma of warriors am I, of fishes I am the shark, of streams I am the Ganges.
Of those who bear weapons I am R4ma, Dasaratha's son.
32. Of creations I am the beginning and the middle and also the end ; of all knowledges I am the knowledge of the Self, and V&da of disputants.
I am the source, the stay and the end of all evolution. — At the commencement ( x. 20 ) it was said that He is the beginning, the middle, and the end of all sentient existence ; but here the whole creation in general is referred to. The knowledge of the Self is the chief among all knowledges, because it leads to moksha. By * disputants * we should here understand the several kinds of disputation, — vada, jalpa, vitawidi,"^' &c. VSida is the chief of them, as it is a means of determining truth.
* ' Vdda is that way of arguing, of of his adversary by overbearing reply or
which the object is to arrive at truth re- wrangling rejoinder. * Vitandd ' c<mslsts
garding a certain question. 'Jalpa ' is an in idly carping at the arguments or asser-
argument in which a disputant tries to tlons of another without attempting to
assert his own opinion and to refute that establish the opposite side of the question
29 — 36'] DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS. ^4S
33. Of letters the letter *A' am I, and dvanAva of all compounds ; I am, verily, the inexhaustible Time ; I am the All-faced Dispenser.
* Time' here refers either to what is generally so called, — viz., * kshawa,' a moment, the ultimate element of time, — or to the Supreme Lord who is the Time (Kala=the Measurer) even of time. I am the Dispenser of results of actions to the whole world.
34. And I am all-seizing Death, and the pros- perity of those who are to be prosperous ; of the feminine (I am) Fame, Fortune and Speech, Me- mory, Intelligence, Constancy, Endurance.
Death is of two sorts, he who seizes wealth, etc., and he who seizes life. Of them the seizer of life is the all-seizer. I am He. Or, I am the Supreme Lord who is the All-seizer, because of His carrying all away at the time of pralaya or dissolution. I am the prosperity — ^and the means of attain- ing it — of those who are to be prosperous in future, who are fit to attain prosperity. I am Fame, &c., the best of the feminine ; and possessed of the mere semblance thereof, people regard themselves successful in life.
35. Of Sdmans also I am the Brihat-Sdman, of metres Gd,yatrt am I, of months I am M&rgasirsha, of seasons the flowery season.
* Brihat'Saman ' is the chief of the Sdmans. Of the 7?iks, composed in Gayatrl and other metres, I am the Gayatri i?ik. The flowery season is what is called Vasanta^ the spring.
36. I am the gambling of the fraudulent, I am the splendour of the splendid, I am victory, I am effort, I am the goodness of the good.
246 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. X.
Gambling : such as dice-play. I am the victory of the victorious ; I am the effort of those who make an effort.
37. Of the Vrishwis I am V&sudeva, of the PAniavas I am Dhananjaya, and of the saints I am Vy&sa, of the sages I am Usanfi.s the sage.
Vdsudeva : Myself, who am your friend. Vrishnis : the descendants of Yadu. The saints : those who are engrossed in meditation and know all things. Sages : those of extens- ive knowledge, the omniscient beings.
38. Of punishers I am the sceptre, of those who seek to conquer I am the polity, and of things secret I am also silence, the knowledge of knowers am I.
39. And what is the seed of all beings, that also am I, O Arjuna. There is no being, whether moving or unmoving, that can exist without me.
To conclude the present section, the Lord summarises His Glory (vibhiiti) as follows : — There is no being without Me ; for, anything into which I have not entered would be without Self (could not exist) and would be void (s^nya). Wherefore, everything is of My nature, ( *. e,, I am the essence of everything).
40. There is no end of My heavenly Glories, O harasser of thy foes ; but the details of My Glory have been declared only by way of instance.
It is indeed not possible for anybody to describe or know the exact extent of the Divine Glories of the Lord, the Self of all.
36— 420 DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS. 247
Divine Qlory described in brief.
42. Whatever being is glorious, prosperous, or strong, that know thou to be a manifestation of a part of My Splendour.
My : the Isvara's.
42. But, of what avail to thee is this vast thing being known, O Arjuna ? I stand sustaining this whole world by one part (of Myself).
Of what avail to you can be this knowledge of vast but imperfect details ? Listen, I will tell you completely of it. I stand sustaining firmly this whole world by one part, by one limb, by one foot ; *. «., one part of Myself constitutes all beings. So says the chant :
* All beings form His foot.' — ( Taittifiya Aranyaka^ 3-i2 ).
Arjuna's prayer for a vision of the Universal Form.
The Glories of the Lord have been described. Now, on hearing the Lord's statement that * I stand supporting the whole world by one part of Myself,' Arjuna was desirous to see with his own eyes that Primal Form of the Lord which is manifested as the universe, and accordingly said :
Arjuna said :
1. By that speech which has been delivered by Thee for my benefit, — that highest secret which is called Adhysitma, — this, my delusion, is gone.
Adhydtma : that which treats of the distinction between the Self and the non-Self. Delusion : non-discrimination.
Moreover,
2. The origin and the dissolution of beings, veri- ly, have been heard by me in detail from Thee, O Lotus-eyed, as also Thy inexhaustible greatness.
In detail : not in brevity. Lotus -eyed : having eyes like lotus- leaves.
3. So it is, as Thou, O Supreme Lord, hast declared Thyself to be. (Still) I desire to see Thy form as Isvara, O Purusha Supreme.
Form S^c] that of Vishwu, as possessed of (infinite) wisdom, sovereignty, strength, power, prowess and splendour.
1—70 THE UKlVfiRSAL FORM. 249
4. If Thou, O Lord, thinkest it possible for me to see it, do Thou, then, O Lord of Yogins, show me Thy Eternal Self.
Then : because I am very anxious to see.
Arjuna endowed with heavenly sight where- with to see the Universal Form.
Thus implored by Arjuna, the Lord said :
The Blessed Lord said :
5. See, O son of Prith4, My heavenly forms, by hundreds and thousands, of different sorts, and of various colours and shapes.
Heavenly: Supernatural. By hundreds and thousands: in- numerable. Colours: such as blue, green and the like. Shapes : arrangements of parts.
6 Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Asvins, and also the Maruts; behold many marvels never seen before, O Bh^rata.
Behold the twelve Adityas, the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the two Asvins, the seven heptads of Maruts. Behold also many other marvels never seen before by you or any- body else in this world of man.
Not this alone :
7. Now behold here in My body, O Gurf4kesa, the whole world established in one, — including the moving and the unmoving — and whatever else thou desirest to see.
Whatever else : Your success or defeat, about which you have entertained a doubt (ii. 6).
250 THE BHAGAVAD-gItA. [DiStXIt
But,
8. Thou art not indeed able to see Me with this thy eye alone ; I give thee a divine eye ; behold My lordly Yoga.
Me : putting on the Universal Form. This : Praknta, of praknti, natural, (fleshy, of the earth). I give thee a divine eye, by which you will be able to see Me. By that eye, behold My great miraculous power of Yoga, that which belongs to Me as tsvara.
The Lord's manifestation of the Universal Porm.
Sawjaya ^aid :
9. Having thus spoken, O King, then, Hari, the great Lord of Yogins, showed to the son of PrithA the Supreme Form as Isvara.
King : Dhntarash^ra. Hari : Nar&ya»a. Form : the Uni- versal Form.
10. Containing many mouths and eyes, possess- ed of many wondrous sights, of many heavenly ornaments, of many heavenly weapons held up ;
Such a form He showed.
Moreover,
11. Wearing heavenly garlands and vestures, anointed with heavenly unguents, all-wonderful, resplendent, boundless, with faces on all sides.
With faces on all sides : as He is the Self of all beings. Such a form He showed ; or, such a form did Arjuna see.
Here follows an illustration, by an example, of the splendour of the Lord's Universal Form :
8—15.3 THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 25I
12. If the splendour of a thousand suns were ever to present itself at once in the sky, that would be like the splendour of that Mighty Being.
In the sky: in antariksha or the middle loka ; or in the heavenly region, which forms the third (from here). The Mighty Being : the Universal Form. — If no such thing can ever exist, then the splendour of the Universal Form excels all else.
Moreover,
13. There, in the body of the God of Gods, the son of P&wdu then beheld the whole world establish- ed in one, and separated into many groups.
There ; in that Form. Many groups : Devas, Pitns, men and other sorts of beings. The sen of Pdndu : Arjuna. God of Gods: Hari.
14. Then he, Dhanawjaya, filled* with amaze- ment, with his hair standing on end, bowed down with his head, and, with joined palms, thus address- ed the God.
Then: having seen Him. The God : putting on the Uni- versal Form. With joined palms : in order to bow down.
How ? — Arjuna declares his own experience, viz., that he sees the Universal Form shewn by the Lord :
Arjuna said :
15. I see all the Gods, O God, in Thy body, as also hosts of various classes of beings : Brahm^, the Lord, seated on the lotus-seat, and all ifishis and heavenly serpents.
1 1 >i >
7S2 THe BH AGAVAD-gJtA, [DiS. XI .
Various classes of beings : both animate and inanimate, and of various forms. Brahma : the Four-faced, the Lord of crea- tures. He is seated in the centre of the Earth-Lotus, on the Meru which forms the cup or seed-vessel as it were of the Earth-Lotus. Riskis : such as Vasish^ha. Serpents: such as Vdsuki.
i6. I see Thee of boundless form on every side with multitudinous arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes ; neither Thy end nor the middle nor the begin- ning do I see, O Lord of the Universe, O Universal Form.
Middle : what lies between two extremities. Moreover,
17. I see Thee with diadem, club, and discus ; a mass of splendour shining everywhere, very hard to look at, all around blazing like burning fire and sun, and immeasurable.
Immeasurable : whose limits cannot be fixed.
Vishnu is one with the Unconditioned.
From this vision of Thy power of Yoga ( wonder-working ) I infer,
18. Thou art the Imperishable, the Supreme Being worthy to be known. Thou art the great Abode of this Universe ; Thou art the undying Guardian of the Eternal Dharma, Thou art the ancient Purusha, I deem.
To be knotm : by seekers of liberation.
The Universal Form (continued.)
Moreover,
15 — 22,] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 253
19. I see Thee without beginning, middle or end, infinite in power, of manifold arms ; the sun and the moon being Thy eyes, the burning fire Thy face ; heating the whole Universe with Thy radiance.
20. This space betwixt heaven and earth and all the quarters are filled by Thee alone. Having seen this, Thy marvellous and awful form, the three worlds are trembling, O High-souled Being. Thee : in Thy Universal Form.
Now, in order to remove the doubt entertained by Arjuna (ii. 6) as to his success, the Lord proceeds to show that vic- tory for P&w^avas is certain. Seeing Him, Arjuna goes on :
21. Into Thee, indeed, enter these hosts of Suras ; some extol Thee in fear with joined palms ; ** May it be well ! " thus saying, bands of great i?ishis and Siddhas praise Thee with hymns com- plete.
These Jwsts of Suras : these warriors now fighting, all of them Devas, — the Vasus and others, — who have incarnated themselves as human beings for lightening the earth's burden. They are seen entering into Thee. Some of them only call out to Thee, unable even to flee. Having discover- ed portents and other forebodings of evil as the war approached, the great i?ishis and Siddhas say * May it be well for the world ! ' and oflfer their prayers to Thee in full hymns.
The wonderfulness of the Universal Porin*
Moreover,
254 "THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XI.
22. The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, and SAdhyas, Visvas and Asvins, Maruts and tFshmap&s, hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, and Siddhas, — they are all looking at Thee, all quite astonished.
tishmapds : a class of Pitns. Gandharvas : such as H&ha and Hiihu. Yakshas ; such as Kubera. Asuras : such as Virochana. Siddhas : such as Kapila.
The terribleness of the Universal Form.
For,
23. Having seen Thy immeasurable Form, possessed, O Mighty-armed, of many mouths and eyes, of many arms and thighs and feet, and of many stomachs, and fearful with many tusks, the worlds are terrified, and I also.
The worlds : all living creatures in the world.
Here follows the cause (of my terror) :
24. On seeing Thee (Thy Form) touching the sky, blazing in many colours, with mouths wide open, with large fiery eyes, I am terrified at heart and find no courage nor peace, O Vishwu.
Many colours ; fearful, putting on different shapes.
Wherefore ? —
25. Having seen Thy mouths which are fearful with tusks and resemble Time's Fires, I know not the four quarters, nor do I find peace ; be Thou gracious^ O Lord of Gods and Abode of the Universe !
Timers Fms : the fires which consume the worlds at the
2^—r30.] THE. UNIVERSAL FORM. 255
time of dissolution (pralaya). / know mt the four quaff ers : I cannot distinguish the East and the West, I cannot dis- criminate the different quarters.
Arjuna's vision of the defeat of the enemy.
My fear, too, of defeat at the hands of others is gone ; for,
26—27. And all these sons of Dhritar&sh^ra, with hosts of princes, Bhtshma, Drowa and that son (Karwal of a charioteer, with the warrior chiefs of ours, enter hurrying into Thy mouth, terrible with tusks and fearful to behold. Some are found sticking in the gaps betwixt the teeth with their heads crushed to powder.
Sons : such as Duryodhana. Ours : such as Dhrish^a- dyumna. Sticking : like a piece of flesh.
How do they enter into Thy mouth ? — Arjuna says :
28. As many torrents of rivers flow direct to- wards the sea, so do these heroes in the world of men enter Thy flaming mouths.
These : such as Bhishma.
Why and how do they enter ? — Arjuna says :
29. As moths hurriedly rush into a blazing fire for destruction, just so do these creatures also hurri- edly rush into Thy mouths for destruction.
The splendour of the Universal Form.
But,
30. Thou lickest up devouring all worlds on every side with Thy flaming mouths, filling the whole world with flames. Thy fierce rays are blaz- ing forth, O Vishwu.
256 THE BHAGAVAD-GlTi. [DiS. XL
Viskttu : all-pervading.
Because Thou art so fierce, wherefore,
31. Tell me who thou art, so fierce in form. I bow to Thee, O God Supreme ; have mercy. I de- sire to know Thee, the Original Being. I know not indeed Thy doing.
The Lord'5 advent for destruction of worlds.
The Blessed Lord said :
32. I am the mighty world-destroying Time, now engaged in destroying the worlds. Even with- out thee, none of the warriors arrayed in hostile armies shall live.
Warriors ; Bhishma, Drowa, Karwa and others.
Such being the case,
33. Therefore do thou arise and obtain fame. Conquer the enemies and enjoy the unrivalled do- minion. By Myself have they been already slain ; be thou a mere instrument, O Savyasdchin.
Fame : that Bhishma and other atirathas (great warriors ) arrayed in the hostile army, unconquerable even to Devas, have been defeated by Arjuria. Such a fame is the result only of good karma. Enemies : such as Duryodhana. Savyasachin : Arjuna who could shoot arrows even with the left hand.
34. Drona and Bhishma, Jayadratha, Kama and other brave warriors, — these, killed by Me, do thou kill; fear not, fight, thou shalt conquer the enemies.
i
30-35'] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 257
The Lord speaks of these warriors — whom Arjuna had any reason to fear — as killed by Himself. Now it is evident why there should be any hesitation (on the part of Arjuna) concerning Drowa and Bhishma. Dro«a was his teacher in the science of archery, was possessed of celestial weapons and was especially his (Arjuna's) own dear greatest Guru. Bhishma had his death at his own command and was possessed of celestial weapons. He, once entered into a single combat with Parasu-Rama and was not defeated. As to Jayadratha, his father was engaged in austerity, firmly re- solved that " whoever causes my son's head to drop down on earth, his head too shall fall.** Karwa, too, was furnish- ed with an unerring Sakti (missile) given him by Indra. He was a son of the sun, born of a maiden. Wherefore he is also mentioned by name. Enemies : such as Duryodhana.
Arjuna*s adoration of the Universal Form.
Sawjaya said :
35. Having heard that speech of Kesava, the crowned one! Arjuna), with joined palms, trembling, prostrating himself, again addressed Krishna, stammering, bowing down, overwhelmed with fear.
When a man is overpowered with fear or with love, his eyes become full of tears, owing to the attack of pain or owing to the rise of joy: then his throat is choked up with phlegm, and this again causes indistinctness and dulness in speech. Thus did Arjuna speak in a stammering tone.
Sawjaya's speech on this occasion is very significant. — How? — Sawjaya hoped that on seeing that his (Dhnta- rash^ra's) son would certainly be killed for want of support if the imconquerable four, including Drowa, should be killed
258 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. XL
by Arjuna, Dhntar^sh^ra might despair of success and bring alxDut peace. Thus he hoped there would be happiness to both. Even to this, Dhntarash^ra did not listen, owing to mighty Destiny.
Arjuna said ;
36. It is meet, O Hrishikesa, that the world is delighted and rejoices by Thy praise ; R^kshasas fly in fear to all quarters, and all hosts of Siddhas bow to Thee.
Praise : description of Thy glory. This verse may be also rendered so as to mean : The Lord is the proper object of delight and love, for the Lord is the Self of all and the Friend of all beings. Siddhas : such as Kapila. It is meet that such should be the case so far as Thou art concerned.
For the following reason also the Lord is the object of delight, etc. :
37. And how should they not, O Mighty Being, bow to Thee, Greater (than all else), the Primal Cause even of Brahma, O Infinite Being, O Lord of Gods, O Abode of the Universe ; Thou art the Imperishable, the Being and the non-Being, That which is the Supreme.
Brahma : the Hirawyagarbha. (Because Thou art the Mighty Being), therefore Thou art the proper object of de- light and worship. Thou art the Supreme Being, as revealed in the Vedantas ( Upanishads ) : Thou art the Sat and the A-sat. The existent, as well as the non-existent — i. e., that with reference to which arises our consciousness of non-existence, — form the upadhis ( conditions ) of the
35 — 400 THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 259
Akshara, on account of which He is spoken of as the Sat or the A -sat, the existent or the non-existent. In reality, the Imperishable (Akshara) whom the Veda-knowers speak of transcends the Sat and the A -satf and He is Thy- self and none else.
He again extols the Lord thus :
38. Thou art the Primal God, the Ancient Purusha; Thou art the Supreme Abode of all this, Thou art the Knower and the Knowable and the Supreme Abode. By Thee is all pervaded, O Being of infinite forms.
Pnmal God: because Thou art the creator of the Universe. Purusha: so called because He lies in the body. Abode: that in which the Universe rests during the Great Pralaya and such other periods. Kmwer: of all the knowable things. Supreme Abode : of Vish/m.
Moreover,
39. Thou art Vtlyu, Yama, Agni, Varuwa, the Moon, Praj4pati, and the Great Grand-Father. Hail ! Hail to Thee ! a thousand times, and again and again hail ! hail to Thee !
Prajapati: such as Kasyapa. Great Grand-Father: the father even of Brahmd. Again : This shows Arjuna*s dis- satisfaction due to his extreme faith and devotion.
And,
40. Hail to Thee before and behind ! Hail to Thee on every side! O All! Thou, infinite in power and infinite in daring, pervadest all; wherefore Tbou art All.
26o .THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis.XI.
Before : in the East. On every side : as thou art present in all quarters. A man may be powerful, but he may not dare to slay the enemies, or he may be slow in daring ; but Thou art infinite both in power and in daring. Pervadest : by Thy One Self. O All : without Thee nothing exists.
Arjuna's prayer for the Lord's forgiveness.
Because I have been a sinner for want of knowledge of Thy greatness, therefore,
41-42. Whatever was rashly said by me from carelessness or love, addressing Thee as " O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend," looking on Thee merely as a friend, ignorant of this Thy great- ness,— in whatever way I may have insulted Thee for fun while at play, on bed, in an assembly, or at meals, when alone, O Achyuta, or in company — that I implore Thee, Immeasureable, to forgive.
Looking on Thee merely as a friend : owing to misconception. Greatness', The Universal Form as Isvara. Carelessness: the mind being attracted elsewhere. Love : confidence born of affection. That : all those offences.
For,
43. Thou art the Father of this world, moving and unmoving. Thou art to be adored by this (world), Thou the Greatest Guru ; (for) Thy equal exists not ; whence another, superior to. Thee, in the three worlds, O Being of unequalled greatfti^ss ?.
Thy equal exists not : for there cannot be two Isvaras or Lords ; if there were more than one tsvara, the world could
40^46.] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 261
not get on as it now does.* When even Thy equal exists not, how can there exist a being superior to Thee ?
Because it is so,
44. Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I implore Thee, adorable Lord, to forgive. It is meet Thou shouldst bear with me as the father with the son, as friend with friend, as the lover with the beloved.
As the father, etc. As a father forgives his son's offences.'
Arjuna's prayer for the Lord's resumption
of His usual form.
45. I am delighted, having seen what was un- seen before ; and (yet) my mind is confounded with fear. Show me that form only, O God ; have mercy, O God of Gods, O Abode of the Universe.
What was unseen before: the Universal Form never before seen by me or anybody else. Therefore show me only that form (which Thou wearest) as my friend.
46. I wish to see Thee as before, crowned, possessed of the club, with the discus in the hand, in Thy former form only, having four arms, O Thousand-armed, O Universal Form.
Thy former form \ as the son of Vasudeva. TJumsand-armed: referring to the Universal Form manifested at present.
♦ When one /svara desires to create, efifort of one /svara in one direction
another may desire to destroy. There is would be neutralised by that of another
no guarantee that all the different /svaras in the opposite direction. The world
would be of one mind ; and as they would could not exist as it exists now. — (A.) 9,\\ be independent of each other, the
362 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DiS. Xl«
Withdrawing Thy Universal Form,' do Thou put on Thy former one.
The Lord resumes His usual form.
Seeing Arjuna afraid, the Lord withdrew the Universal Form ; and consoling Arjuna with sweet words, He said :
The Blessed Lord said :
47. By Me, gracious to thee, O Arjuna, this Supreme Form has been shown, — ^by my sovereign power — full of splendour, the All, the Boundless, the Original Form of Mine, never before seen by any other than thyself.
The Lord praises that Form on the ground that ' Thou (Arjuna) shouldst be considered to have attained all thy ends by this vision of My Form.*
48. Not by study of the Vedas and of the sacri- fices, nor by gifts, nor by rituals, nor by severe austerities, can I be seen in this Form in the world of man by any other than thyself, O hero of the Kurus.
Though a regular study of the four Vedas includes that of the sacrifices also, the study of the sacrifices is seperately mentioned in order to imply that a knowledge of the sacrifices is necessary.* Rituals : such as Agnihotra. Austerity: such as Chdndr^yawa.t
^^^^_^__ iT -■- -
* Some believe that the study of the consumption of food by one mouthful
Vedas consists in learning the texts by every day for the dark half of the month
rote without understanding the meaning. beginning with 15th at the full moon until
It is therefore necessary to separately the quantity is reduced to zero at the
enjoin that the meaning of the Vedas, new moon and then increasing it in like
i. e., of the nature of the sacrifices treated manner during the fortnight of the moon's
of in them, should also be learnt. — (A.) increase.'
t It consists in ' diminishing the daily
46'^54*] 'THS UNIVERSAL FORM. 263
a terrible form of Mine as this ; free from fear and cheerful at heart, do thou again see this My form- er form.
Fovmer form: which is'sodear to you, — four-armed, wearing a conch, a discus and a club.
Sanjaya said:
50. Havinp: thus spoken to Arjuna, Vasudeva again showed His own form; and the Mighty Being, becoming . gentle in form, consoled him who was terrified.
His own : as born in Vasudeva's family.
Arjuna said:
51. Having seen this Thy gentle human form, O Jandrdana, now I have grown serene, and re- turned to my nature.
Devotion as the sole means to the realization
of the Universal form.
The Blessed Lord said :
52. Very hard to see is this Form of Mine which thou hast seen ; even the Devas ever long to be- hold this form.
Long to behold: though they long to seethe Form, yet they have not seen It as you have done, nor shall they ever see It.
Why?
53. Not by Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice, can I be seen in this Form as thou hast seen Me.
How canst Thou be seen ? — Listen :
264 THE BHAGAVAD-GtXA. [DiS. XL
Form, be known and seen in reality, and entered into, O harasser of thy foes.
Undistracted devotion (Bhakti) : that devotion which never seeks any other object except the Lord, and in virtue of which no object other than V^sudeva is cognized by any of the senses. Of this Form : of the Universal Form. By this sort of devotion it is possible not only to know Me as declared in the s^stras, but also to intuitively realise Me as I am, and to enter into Me, i.e., to obtain liberation.
The essence of the whole teaching of the Qita.
Now the essential teaching of the whole Git^-sistra which conduces to Highest Bliss will be summed up here, the teaching being such as every one should follow :
Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is
free from attachment, who is without hatred for any
being, he comes to Me, O Pd^trfava.
A servant works for his master, but he does not look upon that master as the highest goal for him to reach after death ; but My devotee works for Me and also looks on Me as the Supreme Goal; I am his Supreme Goal. He is devoted to me ; he serves Me alone in all manner of ways, with his heart and soul. He is not attached to wealth, to progeny, to friends, to wife, to kinsmen, or to pleasures ; for them he has no attachment or love. He cherishes no feeling of enmity for any of the creatures, even though these latter may have done great injury to him. Such a man comes to Me. I am his highest Goal, and he seeks nothing else. This is the teaching I have to offer to thee, O P^;^ava.
TWELFTH DISCOURSE. BHAKTI-YOQA.
Who are superior — the worshippers of Isvara, or the worshippers of Akshara ?
Now Arjuna is supposed to have addressed the Lord thus : — In the discourses beginning with the second and ending with the tenth which treats of Divine Glories, Thou hast taught the worship of the Supreme Self, the Imperish- able (Akshara) Brahman, devoid of all up^dhis (conditions) ; and Thoii hast also taught here and there worship of Thy- self as the Lord of the Universe, associated with the upddhi (condition) of that energy (sattva) which has the power of carrying on all evolutionary process and of know- ing everything. And in the (eleventh) Discourse treating of the Universal Form, Thy Primal Form as tsvara manifest- ing itself as the whole Universe has also been shown by Thee for the same purpose of worship. And having shown that Form, Thou hast exhorted me to do works for Thy sake only (xi. 55), and so on. Wherefore, I ask of Thee with a desire to know which of these two ways is the better.
Arjuna said :
I. Those devotees who, alwdys devout, thus contemplate Thee, and those also who (contem- plate) the Imperishable, the Unmanifest, — which of them are better versed in Yoga ?
Thus : referring to what was said in the last preceding verse, * He who does works for Me ' ( xi. 55 ) and so on.
266 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XII.
Always devout \ engaged without intermission in doing works for the Lord's sake and in doing other things taught before, steadfast in mind. These devotees, seeking nobody else for their refuge, meditate on Thee in. the Universal Form just manifested. There are others who, having abandon- ed all desires and renounced all actions, meditate on the Imperishable (akshara) Brahman — also described above, — who is unmanifest (avyakta, *. ^., incomprehensible to the senses), as devoid of all upadhis or conditions. — That indeed is said to be manifested (vyakta) which is visible to the senses, as the root of the word * vyakta * implies ; but this, the Imperishable ( Akshara) , is not so. — These others meditate on the Imperishable, the Unmanifested, 51s defined by other attributes to be enumerated below. Of the two classes, who are better versed in Yoga ?
The worshippers of Isvara.
The Lord says : As to the worshippers of. the Imperish- able (Akshara) who see rightly and have abandoned desires, let them remain ; we shall say later on what has to be said regarding them. But as regards the others ;
The Blessed Lord said :
2. Those who, fixing their thought on Me, con- template Me, always devout, endued with supreme faith, those in my opinion are the best Yogins.
Those devotees (bhaktas) who fix their mind on Me in the Universal Form, the Supreme Lord, and worship Me as the Governing Lord of all Masters of Yoga, who is omni- scient, whose vision is free from the timira ( purblindness ) of attachment and other evil passions, — they who always
1-4.] BHAKTP-YOGA 267
contemplate Me steadfastly (in the manner described in the closing verse of the preceding discourse), endowed with supreme faith, — these, I think, are the best Yogins. Indeed, they pass their days and nights in incessant thought of Me. Wherefore it is but proper to speak of them as the best Yogins.
The worshippers of Akshara.
Are not the others, then, the best Yogins ? — Stop ; hear thou what I have to say regarding them :
3 — 4. Those who ever contemplate the Im- perishable, the Indefinable, the Unmanifest, the Omnipresent and the Unthinkable, the Unchange- able, the Immutable, the Eternal, — having restrain- ed all the senses, always equanimous, intent on the welfare of all beings, — they reach Myself.
Because the Imperishable (Akshara) is unmanifest, He is not accessible to words and cannot therefore be defined. He is unmanifest, not manifest to any of the organs of knowledge. They contemplate the Imperishable every whera all round. — Contemplation (Up^sana) consists in approach^ ing the object of worship by way of meditating it accord- ing to the Teaching (s^stra) and dwelling for a long time steadily in the current of same thought (continuous) like a thread of descending oil. — The Imperishable who is the object of contemplation is thus qualified : He is omnipresent, pervading all like the ^k^a. He is unthinkable, because He is unmanifest. Whatever is visible to the senses can be thought of by the mind also ; but the Akshara is invisible to the senses "and is therefore unthinkable. He is unchange- able (KO^astha) — * K<\tdt, * means a thing which is good to all
268 THE bhagavad-gItA, [Dis. XII
appearance but evil within. Accordingly it refers here to that seed of sawsira — including avidya (nescience) and other things, — which is full of evil within, designated by various terms such as Maya, A vydkrita {{ludifferentiaied), as in Svetd^vataropanishad (iv. lo) and in the Git^ (vii. 14.) 'Ku^astha' means He who is seated in M^ya as Its Witness, as Its Lord. — Or, * Ku^astha * may mean * remaining like a heap.' Hence He is immutable and eternal. They who contemplate the Imperishable, curbing all their senses, aiid always equanimous whether they come by the desirable or the undesirable, — they come to Myself. — It needs indeed no saying that they come to Me ; for, it has been said that * the wise man is deemed My very Self (vii. 18). Neither isit necessary to say that they are the best Yogins, — seeing that they are one with the Lord Himself.
But,
set on the Unmanifest ; for, the Goal, the Un-
manifest, is very hard for the embodied to reach.
Great indeed is the trouble of those who are engaged in doing works for My sak6, and so on ; but greater still is the trouble of those who identify themselves with the Imperish- able and contemplate the Supreme Reality, — the trouble arising from the necessity of having to abandon their at- . tachment for the body. The Goal, the Imperishable, is very hard for the embodied to reach, for those who are attached to their bodies. Therefore''' their trouble is greater.
Salvation by worship of Isvara,
Later on we shall describe the conduct in life of the worshippers of the Imperishable (Akshara-Upasakas).
■.falo
Because of the necessity there is for abandoning attachment to the body.
4 — 9*] BHAKTI-YOGA. 2^g
6 — 7. But those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me Supreme, meditat- ing on Me with exclusive devotion (yoga) ; for them whose thought is fixed on Me, I become ere long, O son of PrithA, the deliverer out of the ocean of the mortal sawsara.
Me : the Isvara, the Lord. Exclusive : having no other object of wofship except Myself, God in the Universal Form. Devotion (Yoga) : samidhi or steadfastness of mind. Those who are engaged in contemplating Me exclusively, I, the Lord, will lift up from the ocean of mortal sawsira, since their thoughts are fixed on Me in the Universal Form. — Sa^iskvB. is an ocean, because it is very hard to cross beyond it.
Because it is so., therefore,
8. Fix thy mind in Me exclusively apply thy reason to Me, Thou shalt no doubt live in Me alone hereafter.
Fix thy mind (manas) — thy purposes and thoughts — in Me, the Lord in the Universal Form. Fix in Me thy reas^on (buddhi) also which resolves and determines.— What will be the result ?— Listen : Thou shalt without fail abide in Me as Myself, on the death of this body. Thou shalt not doubt it.
i Abhyasa-Yog:a.
9. If thou art unable to fix thy thought steadi- ly on Me, then by yoga of constant practice do thou seek to reach Me, O Dhanawjaya.
If you cannot fix your thought on Me steadily in the manner I have mentioned, then seek thou to reach Me in the
270 THE BHAGAVAD-GItA. [Di$. XII.
Universal Form, by yoga of constant practice (abhylLsa- yoga). Practice (abhySisa) consists in withdrawing thought from all quarters and fixing it again and again on one particular object. * Abhydsa-yoga ' means samdidhana or steadfastness of mind acquired by such practice.
Service of the Lord.
ID. (If) thou art not equal to practice either, then
be thou intent on (doing) actions for My sake.
Even doing actions for My sake, thou shalt attain
perfection.
Even if thou doest mere actions for My sake without practising yoga, thou shalt attain perfection ; — thou shalt first attain purity of mind, then yoga or steadfastness, then knowledge, and tlien perfection (moksha).
Abandonment of the fruits of actions.
11. If thou art unable to do even this, then refuged in devotion to Me, do thou abandon the fruits of all actions, self-controlled.
If thou canst not even be intent on doing actions for My sake as thou hast just been taught, then do thou perform actions renouncing them all in Me, and abandon the fruit
of those actions.
Now He extols the abandoning of the fruits of all actions.
12. Better indeed is knowledge than practice ; than knowledge is meditation more esteemed] than meditation the abandonment of the fruits of actions ; on abandonment, Peace follows immedi- ately.
^^JX.] JIHAKTI-YOGA. 2yi
Knowledge is better than practice* accompanied with ignorance;! better than that knowledge is meditation (dhyana) with knowledge; better than meditation with knowledge is the abandonment of the fruits of actions. From such an abandonment of the fruits of actions, accom- panied with the qualification J mentioned above, cessation of sawsara and of the cause thereof follows immediately ; it admits of no delay.
Abandonment of the fruit of all action is taught as a means to Bliss in the case of an ignorant person engaged in action, only when unable to tread the paths taught before, but not at first. Wherefore the act of abandoning the fruit of all action is merely extolled by the declaration, in this verse, of the superiority of one over another ; for it has been taught as the course to be adopted when a man is unable to follow the paths already taught. 1^
In what way does it (the declaration ) form a mere praise ?
In the Ka^hopanishad (vi. 14) it is said that immortality results from the abandonment of all objects of desire ; and this is a truth quite familiar ^ to all. And all objects of desire are fruits of actions enjoined in the sruti and in the smriti. In the case of the enlightened person who is steadily
* A bhydsa (practice) — occurring in the- with discrimination.' text and the commentary — may mean J The qualification being 'self-con- either (i) the act of listening to the teach- trolled.' (xii. II).— (A.) ing of the srutis with a view to obtain IT The abandonment of the fruits of knowledge, or (2) the practice of dhyana actions forms here the subject of praise, with a firm resolve.— (A.) because it is the path intended to be
t Two different readings are found »*"«ht in this connection-(A.)
here in the MSS. of the bh­a : (i) ^ As taught in the sruti. {Vide Bfi.
viveka-purvakdt, and (2) aviveka-pHrvakdt. Up. 4— 4— 6)~(A.) The former would mean ' accompanied
Zy2 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis.XII.
engaged in contemplation, Peace immediately follows the abandonment of desires. Now mere abandonment of desires constitutes a factor of even an ignorant man's abandon* ment of the fruits of actions ; and because of this point of similarity, mere abandonment of the fruits, of all actions is praised — with a view to create a desire to follow the course —in the same way that, in saying that the ocean was drunk by the brahmawa sage Agastya, even the br&hmawas of this age are praised for the mere reason that they too are br^hmawas.
Thus, it has been taught that Karma-yoga accompanied with the abandonment of the fruits of actions is a means to Bliss.
The life of the Akshara-upasakas.
Here, it is by presupposing a distinction between Isvara and Atman, the Lord and the Self, that Yoga — which con- sists in concentrating thought on the Lord, on the Universal Form, — and the performance of works for the sake of the Lord have been taught. As it is hinted — in the words * If thou art unable to do this either '(xii. ii) — that Karma- Yoga is associated with ignorance (ajnana), we should understand that the Lord here means to say that Karma- yoga is not meant for the worshipper of the Akshara, for him who sees no distinction (between the Lord and the Self). Similarly, the Lord shows the impossibility of the worship of the Akshara to a Karma-yogin. To explain : Having — in the words *They reach Myself ' (xii. 3) — declared that the worshippers of the Akshara are independent as regards the attainment of liberation (kaivalya), the Lord (xii. 7) has shewn — in the words * for them I become the deliverer'
II — 14.] BHAKTI-YOGA. 273
(xii. 7) — that the others are dependent on the Lord, on an external Being. If these were deemed as the very Self of the Lord, they would be the very Akshara themselves owing to their realisation of the identity ; so that it would have been inappropriate to speak of them as persons to be delivered by the Lord. Moreover, -^^ the Lord who is pre- eminently a well-wisher of Arjuna recommends to him only Karma-yoga (iv. 15) based on an idea of distinction and quite dissociated from right knowledge. Nor would any man like to be subordinate to another after knowing him- self to be the Lord through proper sources of right know- ledge ; for, the two are mutually opposed states. There- fore + it is with reference to the worshippers of the Akshara, to the sawnyasins who are devoted to right knowledge and have abandoned all desires, that He proceeds to teach those attributes — such as * absence of hatred of any being ' — which form the direct means to immortality .
13-14. He who hates no single being, w^ho is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from attachment and egoism, to whom pain and pleasure are equal, who is enduring, ever content and balanced in mind, self-controlled, and possessed of firm conviction, whose thought and reason are directed to Me, he who is (thus) devoted to Me is dear to Me.
He hates nothing, not even that which causes him pain. He regards all beings as himself. He is friendly and com- passionate. He is full of compassion for the distressed ; i. ^.,
* This is another reason why Karma- + Because the attributes mentioned
yoga cannot be combined with Akshara- below cannot, all of them, be cultivated
Upasana in one and the same person at by the followers of Karma, who are
one and the same time.— (A). ignorant of Self— (A).
274 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis.XII.
he has offered security of life to all beings, he is a sawnya- sin. He does not regard anything as * mine ' and is free from egoism, from the notion of * I *. Pain and pleasure do not cause in him hatred and attachment. He remains un- affected when abused or beaten. He is always content ; he thinks he has enough whether he obtains or not the means of bodily sustenance. He is also satisfied whether he comes by a good thing or not. He is a yogin, always steadfast in thought. He has a firm conviction regarding the essential nature of the Self. This sawny^sin has directed to Me exclu- sively his Manas — purposes and thoughts — as well as his Buddhi — the faculty of determining. Such a devotee is dear to Me. The same truth which was indicated in vii. 17 — * I am very dear to the wise man and he is dear to Me ' — is here described at length.
15. He by whom the world is not afflicted and who is not afflicted by the world, who is free from joy, envy, fear and sorrow, he is dear to Me.
He : the sawny^sin. Joy consists in the elevation or exhilaration of the mind (antaA-karawa) on attaining an object of desire, and is indicated by horripilation, tears, and so on.
16. He who is free from w^ants, who is pure, clever, unconcerned, untroubled, renouncing all undertakings, he who is (thus) devoted to Me is dear to Me.
He is indifferent to the body, the senses, the sense- objects and their mutual connections. He is possessed of purity both internal and external. He is able to decide rightly on the spot in matters demanding prompt attention.
.14 — 19'] bhakti-yoga. t275
He does not take the side of a friend and the like. He habitually renounces all actions calculated to secure objects of desire, whether of this world or of the next. Moreover,
17. He who neither rejoices, nor hates, nor grieves, nor desires, renouncing good and evil, he who is full of devotion is dear to Me.
He does not rejoice on attaining what is desirable. He does not fret on attaining what is undesirable. He does not grieve on having to part with a beloved object. He does not desire the unattained.
18-19. ^^ '^ho is the same to foe and friend, and also in honor and dishonor; who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain; who is free from attachment; to whom censure and praise are equal; who is silent, content with anything, home- less, steady-minded, full of devotion ; that man is dear to Me.
He has no attachment for objects of any kind. He is content with the bare means of bodily sustenance. It is said (in the Mahabharata),
*Who is clad with anything, who is fed on any food, who lies down anywhere, him the Gods call a brah- ma»a. (Sdnti-pat va, Moksha-Dharmay2^^' 1 2) .
He has no fixed abode, he is ^houseless* as has been said in another smriti. His thought is fixed steadily on the Supreme Reality.
The enumeration, which was commenced in xii. 13, of the various attributes of the sawnyasins— the worshippers of
276 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XII.
the Akshara who are constantly devoted to the knowledge of the Supreme Reality — is concluded as follows :
20. They, verily, who follow this immortal Law described above, endued with faith, looking up to Me as the Supreme, and devoted, they are exceedingly dear to Me.
They : the samnyasins. Immortal : as leading to immorta- lity. Above: in the portion beginning with xii. 13. Looking up to Me as the Supreme : whose highest unsurpassed goal is Myself, the Imperishable Self. " Devoted: resorting to the highest devotion, which consists in the knowledge of the Supreme Reality. What was implied in the words, * I am exceedingly dear to the wise man* (vii. 12) has been ex- plained at length and concluded here thus : * They are exceedingly dear to me.' The meaning of the verse is : Because he who follows the Immortal Law which has been now described becomes exceedingly dear to Vishwu, the Supreme Lord, therefore this Immortal Law should be zealously followed by every seeker of Liberation, by every one who desires to attain to the Supreme Abode of Vish»u.
.•33-K®®jK<» —
The main subject of the discourse.
In the Seventh Discourse two Prakntis (Natures) of the Supreme Lord were shown, — the one composed of the three gunas and divided eightfold, forming the inferior (apard) Praknti, because of its being the cause of saws&ra or mun- dane life ; and the other, the superior (parS,) Praknti, form- ing the very life (jiva), the Kshetrajwa or * the Knower of Matter', being essentially one with the Lord Himself. And through these two Prakntis, the Lord becomes the cause of the origin, sustenance and dissolution of the Universe. Now this discourse on Kshetra (Matter) is com- menced with a view — by way of describing the two Prakntis of Kshetra and Kshetrajwa — to determine the essential nature of their possessor, the Lord (is vara).
Again, in the last preceding discourse, from verse 13 to the end, the path of the sawnyasins who possess the know- ledge of Truth, — i, e,, what sort of life they lead, — has been described. Now arises the question : Possessed of what sort of knowledge of truth do they become dear to the Lord by following the rule of life set forth above ? — The present discourse is also intended as an answer to this question.
The body and the soul.
That Praknti which is composed of the three guwas transforms itself into all objective forms, such as the bodies (kibrya), the senses (karawa), and sense-objects (vishaya), and is combined into various aggregates of the body and
278 THE bhagavad-gItI. [Dis. XIII.
the senses, to subserve the two ends of Purusha or Spirit, viz., enjoyment and liberation. Such an aggregate is this, our body. In reference to this body, the Lord says :
The Blessed Lord said :
1. This, the body, O son of Kuntt, is called Kshetra ; him who knows it, they who know of them call Kshetrajita.
In the words * the body * the Lord specifies the thing referred to by the pronoun * this.* Kshetra — the field, the body, matter — is so-called because it is shielded from injury, or because it is destructible, or because it is liable to decay, or because the fruits of actions are reaped in it as in a field. This body is designated as * Kshetra,* * the field '
* matter.* He who knows this Kshetra, *. ^.', he who comprehends it in understanding from head to foot. He who perceives it as distinct from himself by knowledge, natural or imparted by others, — him they designate as Kshetrajwa,
* the knower of the field,* * the comprehender of matter*, — they who know of Kshetra and Kshetrajwa.
Identity of the soul with the Lord.
Thus Kshetra and Kshetrajna have been described. — Is this all the knowledge that one has to acquire about them ? — No. Listen :
2. And do thou also know Me as Kshetrajwa in all Kshetras, O Bharata. The knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajwa is deemed by Me as the knowledge
Do thou also know the Kshetrajna, described above, to be Myself, to be the Supreme Lord, not a being of the
2.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 279
world (saws&ra). The meaning is this : — The Kshetrajwa who is in all Kshetras, and who is diflferentiated by the manifold up§,dhis or Kshetras, from BrahmA down to a clump of grass, is, you should understand, really devoid of all the various upadhis (conditions) and is inaccessible to any such word or thought as * sat * or * asat ', existent or non- existent. As nothing else remains to be known apart from the true nature of Kshetra, Kshetrajwa and the Isvara, that knowledge by which the two objects of knowledge, Kshetra and Kshetrajwa, are known is considered by Me — the Lord, Vishwu — to be the right knowledge.
The soul is subject to evil only through ignorance.
(Objection) : — If only one Being, namely, Isvara, exists in all Kshetras, if there exists no being, no other enjoyer, distinct from Him, it would follow either that the Isvara is a sawsHrin ; or that there is no sawsara because there is no sa^wsarin, none else apart from the Isvara. Neither conclusion is acceptable; for, then, it would follow that the scriptures which treat of bondage and liberation and their respective causes would have no purpose to serve. Moreover, the conclusion is opposed to all evidence, includ- ing sensuous perception (pratyaksha). In the first place, pleasure and pain and their causes, which together consti- tute the saws&ra, are known to us by immediate perception. And from our perception of variety in the world may also be inferred the existence of saws^ra arising from dharma and a-dharma. All this would be inexplicable if the Atman and the Isvara, the Self and the Lord, be identical.
(Answer): — No; for, that can be explained as due to a distinction between jw&na and aj^/ana, between knowledge and ignorance. It has been said ;
28o THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XIII.
" These, what is known as wisdom and what is known as unwisdom, are quite distinct and lead to different goals." — (Ka^ha-Up. ii. 4.)
And so also a distinction through effect between vidy^ and avidya, wisdom and unwisdom, as producing quite opposite results, — the right and the sweet, — is pointed out (in the same Upanishad and in the same context), wisdom leading to the right, while the sweet is the effect of unwisdom. Accordingly, Vy^sa says :
* Then there are these two paths, &c/ — (Moksha- dharma, 24-6.)
* There are only these two paths,' &c.
Here (in the Git^) also two paths have been spoken of. Now, we learn from the sruti, smnti and reasoning, that unwisdom with its effect should be got rid of. As to the sruti, the following passages may be quoted :
** If in this world a person knows (the Self), then the true end is gained ; if a person in this world does not know (the Self), then there will be a great calamity." — (Kena- Upanishad, 2-5).
* He who knows Him (the Supreme Self) thus be- comes immortal here ; there is no other way to reach the Goal.' — (Purusha-stikta.)
*The wise man is afraid of nothin j '— (Taittiriya- Upanishad, 2-4).
As regards the ignorant person : —
*But to him there is the fear (of sawsara).'~(Ibid. 2-7.)
* Those who live in the midst of avidyfi, or ignorance
2.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 28x
go round and with an erring step, deluded as blind
people led by the blind ! * — (Ka^ha-Upanishad. 2-5).
* He who knows Brahman is Brahman Itself.' — (Muniaka-Up. 3-2-9).
" Whoever worships another Deity, thinking *He is another, another am I,' he does not know ; for, he is like a beast for the Gods." — (Bnhad^ra^^yaka-Up. 1-4-10).
As to him who knows the Self,
*He becomes all this.* — {Ibid. 1-4-10).
" When men can roll up the sky like leather, then ( only, not till then ) can the end of sorrow be, without men knowing God" (Sveta .Up. 6-20).
And passages from the smriti — the Bhagavad-Gitdi v. 15, 19, and xiii. 28, — may also be quoted. By reasoning (ny&ya) also we come to the same conclusion. It is said :
* Men avoid by knowledge serpents, thorns and wells ; by ignorance some fall into them ; see how estimable is the effect of knowledge.' — (Mokshadharma, 201-16)
Thus* we see that an ignorant man regards the physical body, etc., as the Self, is impelled by attachment and hatred and the like, performs righteous and unrighteous deeds (Dharma and A-dharma), and is born and dead, while those are liberated who, knowing the Self to be distinct from the body and the like, give up attachment and hatred, and no longer engage in righteous or unrighteous deeds to which those passions may lead. This nobody can deny by argu- ment. Suchf being the case, the Kshetrajiia, who is the fsvara Himself, appears to be a saws^rin owing to a distinct-
* Here follows the nyiiya or reasoning \ Knowledge and ignorance being, as above referred to.— (A). shewn above, distinct in kind and in
282 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIII.
ion in the upddhis set up by avidya, in the same way that the Atman or individual Self appears (by avidy^) to be identical with the physical body, &c. It is a well-ascer- tained truth that that notion of identity of the individual Self with the not-Self, — with the physical body and the like, — which is common to all mortal creatures is caused by avidy^, just as a pillar (in darkness) is mistaken (through avidyfii) for a human being. But thereby no essential quality of the man is actually transferred to the pillar, nor is any essential quality of the pillar actually transferred to the man. Similarly, consciousness never actually pertains to the body ; neither can it be that any attributes of the body — such as pleasure, pain and dulness — actually pertain to Conscious- ness, to the Self; for, like decay and death, such attributes are ascribed to the Self through avidya.
Kshetrajna is really unaffected by samsara.
(Objection) : — No, the two cases are dissimilar. The pillar and the man are both objects of cognition ( i,e., exter- nal to the Self) and are as such mistaken one for the other by the cogniser through avidya, whereas you say that the body and the Self, which are respectively the cognised and the cogniser, are mistaken one for the other. Thus the illus- tration differs from what has to be illustrated. Wherefore* the attribute of the body, though an object of cognition, actually pertains to the Self, the cogniser.
(Ans7ver): — No; for, then the Self would also become unconscious, &c. If the attributes — such as pleasure, pain.
eflfect, the Supreme BeinfC and the in- rin— an illusion set up by avidyli.— (A),
dividual Self must be essentially identi- ♦ The identifying of the Self with the
cal, though, through the upadhis such as bo^y being no mere illusion (bhrama). Buddbi, the Self appears to be a samsa-
2.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 283
delusion, desire, hatred — of the body, etc., i. e. of Kshetra
(Matter) which is an object of cognition, could ever pertain
to the Self, the cogniser, then it would be necessary to
state a reason for the diflference, — i, ^., to explain why a few
attributes only of Khetra (an object of cognition) which are
ascribed to the Self by avidy^ actually pertain to the Self,
while others such as decay and death do not. On the other
hand, we are led to infer that those qualities of Kshetra
do not actually pertain to the Self, because, like decay
and death, they also are attributed to the Self by avidy& ;
as also because they are objects shunned or sought for, and
so on. Such being the case, — inasmuch as saws^ra which
consists in doing and enjoying, and which has its root in the
cognized, is only attributed to the cognizer by avidyi, — the
cogniser is not thereby affected, just as the ^kAsa or ether
is not affected by the attributes of dirtiness and concavity
which are ascribed to it by children through ignorance.
Thus, it cannot be imagined that the Kshetrajiia, the Lord, though existing in all Kshetras, can ever so much as smell of the nature of a sawsd.rin. Nowhere in our ex- perience have we found anything improved or spoiled by a quality being falsely attributed through avidy^.
As to the contention that the illustration is not quite analogous, we reply that it is wrong to say so. — Why ? — For, the intended point of agreement between the illustra- tion and the thing illustrated consists in something being falsely attributed through ignorance. In this respect, both agree. But as to the contention that no false attribution of the qualities of the object to the subject is ever experi- enced, it has been shewn that even this contention fails in the case of decay and death.
284 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIII.
Avidya inheres in the organ, not in the Self.
( Objection ):— As possessed of avidy^, Kshetrajna is a sai»sS>rin.
{Answer): — No; for avidy^i is bornofTamas. As partak- ing of the nature of a veil, avidy& — whether causing percep- tion of what is quite the contrary of truth, or causing doubt, or causing nescience or non -perception of a truth— is a Timasic notion, i.e., o. notion born of Tamas ; for, on the dawn of the light of discrimination, it disappears; and ( for instance ) we find the same three modes of avidya — such as non-perception, &c., — arising also from timira (an eye-disease causing dimness of sight), which is T^masic, as partaking of the nature of a veil.*
[Objection): — Then avidyH is an inherent property (dharma) of the cogniser.
[AmweY): — No; for, we see that it is the organ of sight that is affected with the disease of timira,
{To explain ):—Y on (the opponent) say: Avidyfi, is an inherent property of the cogniser. As possessed of this avidya, Kshetrajna is a sawsarin. It is therefore unjust to say that Kshetrajna is the Isvara Himself and not a sawsirin.
We reply : It is not right to say so ; for, we see that such diseases as lead to the perception of what is contrary to truth, and so on, pertain to the eye, to the organ. Neither the perception of what is contrary to truth, nor the cause thereof ( viz., the disease oi timira), pertains to the perci- pient ; for, when timira is removed by the treatment of the eye, the percipient is no longer subject to such perception,
* That is to say, the three forms of are not therefore attributes of the Se!^ ftvidyil are due to a certain disorder, and (A).
2.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 285
which is therefore not a property of the percipient. Similarly, non-perception, false perception, and doubt, as well as their cause, properly pertain the instrument, to one or another sense-organ, but not to the Kshetrajna, the cogniser. Moreover, they are all objects of cognition and cannot therefore form the properties of the cogniser, any more than the light of a lamp. And because they are cognisable, it follows also that they can be cognised only through some organ which is distinct from the cogniser ; and no philosoph- er admits that, in the state of liberation wherein all the sense-organs are absent, there is any such evil as avidya. If they ( false perception, &c.) were essential properties of the Self, of the Kshetrajna, as the heat is an essential property of fire, there could be no getting rid of them at any time ; and it is impossible for the immutable and formless Self, all- pervading like the ak^a, to unite or part with anything whatsoever. Wherefore we conclude that the Kshetrajna is ever identical with Isvara. The Lord also says, " Being beginningless and without qualites."* Cxiii. 31 ).
Scriptural injunctions apply only to the state of bondage.
(Objectiony.—Then, in the absence of sa;»s§,ra and saws^rins, the conclusion is inevitable that the sastra or scripture serves no purpose, and so on.
{Answer): — No ; for, it is admitted by all. The burden of explaining an objectionable point admitted into their systems by all those philosophers who argue the existence of Atman does not lie on only one of them.— In what way do all classes of philosophers admit into their systems this
♦ The I*ord teaches here that the Self is devoid of attributes.— (A.)
286 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIII.
objectionable point ? — All philosophers who admit the exis- tence of a Self agree that liberated Selfs are not conscious of sawsAra or of the state of being bound to sawslbra ; still, it is not belived that their systems are open to the objection that the sdstra serves no purpose. So, according to our view, when the Kshetrajnas become one with the Lord, then let the s&stra serve no purpose. It has, however, a purpose to serve where there is avidy^. Just as, with the dualists (dvaitins) of all classes, the s^stra has a purpose to serve only in the state of bondage, but not in the state of liberation, so with us also.
Bondage and liberation are not real states
of the 5elf . {Objection): — All dualist ic philosophers (Dvaitins) hold that states of bondag3 and liberation are real conditions of the Self, real in the literal sense of the term. Since thus there really exist something to be avoided and something to be attained, as also the means thereto, the sdstra has some purpose to serve. But in the case of the non-dualists (Advaitins), the dual world is unreal ; and as the bondage of the Self is caused by avidy&, it is also unreal. Thus the sdstra would have no subject to treat of and would therefore serve no purpose.
(Answer): — No ; for, the Self cannot (really) exist in differ- ent states. — If bondage and liberation be states of the Self, they must be either simultaneous or successive. They can- not be simultaneous states of the Self as they are mutually opposed, just as motion and rest cannot be simultaneous states of one and the same thing. If successive, they are either caused or uncaused by another. If uncaused by another, there can be no liberation. If caused by another.
2.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 287
they cannot be inherent in the Self and cannot therefore be real. And this is opposed to the hypothesis*. Moreover, if we would determine the order of their occurrence, the state of bondage should come first, without a beginning, but having an end ; and this is opposed to all evidence. Similarly, it has to be admitted that the state of liberation has a begin- ning and has no end ; which is alike opposed to all evidence. Nor is it possible to maintain the etemality of that which passes from one state to another.
Now, if, in order to avoid the objection of non-etemality, it be held that the states of bondage and liberation do not pertain to the Self, then even the dualists cannot avoid the objection that the 54stra has no purpose to serve. The dualists and the non-dualists being thus similarly situated, the burden of answering the objection does not lie on the non-dualists alone.
Scriptural injunctions concern the unenlightened.
In point of fact, the objection that the sAstra would have no purpose to serve cannot be brought against non-dualism ; for, the 5&stra is concerned with the ignorant who view things as they present themselves to their consciousness. — It is, indeed, the ignorant who identify themselves with the cause and the effectt , with the not-Self. But not the wise ; for, these latter do not identify themselves with the cause and the effect, since they know that the Self is distinct from the cause and the effect. Not even the dullest or the most insane person regards water and fire, or light and darkness, as identical ;how much less a wise man. Wherefore, the in-
* That the states of bondage and libera- enjoyment ; or the cause is karma, a- tion are real conditions of the Self. drish^u, and the effect is the body to which
f The cause is agency and the effect is karma has given rise.— (A.)
288 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis.XIII.
junctions and prohibitions of the s^stra do not apply to him who knows the Self to be distinct from the cause and the eiFect. Of course, when a certain person has been commanded to do an action in the words " Do this, O Devadatta,'* no other person, such as Vish»u-mitra, though standing near and hearing the word of command, thinks that he (Vish«u- mitra) has been so ordered ; he might, however, think so if he did not understand to whom the injunction has been ad- dressed. So, too, in the case of the cause and the effect here.
{Objection): — Notwithstanding his knowledge that the Self is unconnected with the cause and the effect, it is quite possible for a wise man to regard himself — in reference to the connection ( between the Self and the body, etc., ) once Set up by avidya (praknti) — as still bound by the injunc- tions of the s&stra, thinking that he has been enjoined to adopt a certain course of action by which to attain a desir- able end, and to avoid a certain other course of action which leads to an evil; just as a father and his sons* regard every one among themselves as bound by the in- junctions and prohibitions addressed to every other, not- withstanding their knowledge that they are all persons distinct from each other.
(Answer): — No; it is only prior to the knowledge of the Self unconnected with causes and eflfects that it is possible for one to identify the Self with them; for, it is only after having duly observed the injunctions and prohibitions of the s&stra — but not beforef — that a person attains to the knowledge that the Self is quite unconnected with causes and effects. Hence the conclusion that the injunctions and
♦ Vide Brtha. Up. 1-5-17. + Vide Vedlmta-Sdtras III. iv. 26-27.
2.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 289
prohibitions of the 5&stra concern only the ignorant.
(Objection): — Neither those who know that the 'Self is independent of the body, etc., nor those who regard the mere body as the Self are, (according to non-dualists), concerned with the injunctions such as ** He who desires svarga must sacrifice," " Let none eat kalanja " ; thus, there being no person who would observe scriptural injunctions, the sdstra would have no purpose to serve.
{Answey): — Performance of enjoined acts and abstention from prohibited acts are possible in the case of those who know of the Self only through the Scriptures. — He who knows Brahman and has realised the identity of the Kshetra- jna with the Lord does not certainly engage in the Vedic rites. Neither does the person who denies the existence of the Self and of the other world engage in such rites. But, he who derives his idea of the Self only from the scriptural injunctions, — i.Cy who believes in the existence of the Self * because the teaching of the sAstra enjoining certain actions and prohibiting (certain others) would otherwise be inex- plicable, but who does not directly know the Self in His essential nature,— cherishes a longing for the results of the Vedic rites and devoutly performs them : a fact which is evident to us all. Wherefore, it cannot be said that the s&stra would have no purpose to serve.
{Objection): — On seeing the wise not performing Vedic rites, their followers also may not perform them ; and thus the skstiSL would serve no purpose at all. ^
(Answer): — No ; for, very rare is the person who attains
♦ Knowing nothing more than that the conviction l)eing formed on the basis of 3elf exists s^d survives the body ; this the teaching of the Karma-kfiwrfa.
290 THE bhagavad-gItA [Dis. XIII.
wisdom. It isy indeed, only one among many that attains wisdom, as we now see. Nor do the ignorant follow the wise men ; for, attachment and other evil passions neces- sarily lead to action. We do see people engaging in the practice of Black Magic."^' Lastly, action is natural to man» as has been said already, " It is nature that acts" (v.14).
Therefore, saws^ra is only based on avidya and exists only for the ignorant man who sees the world as it appears to him. Neither avidy^ nor its eftect pertains to Kshetrajna pure and simple. Nor is illusory knowledge able to affect the Real Thing. The water of the mirage^ for instance, can by no means render the saline soil miry with moisture. So, too, avidyi can do nothing to Kshetrajna, Wherefore it has been said, * Do thou also know Me as Kshetrajna* (xiii. 2) ; and *By unwisdom wisdom is covered' (v. 15).
Learned but deluded.
(Objection): — How is it that the learned (pawrfits) also feel — " I am so and sot," " thisj is mine,"— like the saw/s&rins ?
(Answer): — Listen. Their learning consists in regarding the body itself as their Self ! §
If, on the other hand, they really see the immutable Kshetrajna, they would desire neither pleasure nor action with the attachment * let it be mine' ; for, pleasure and action are but changes of state.
if This fact shews that the Ignorant do § That is to say, those who hold this
not always follow the wise men. In spite belief are not pandits in the proper sense
of protests of wise men, we find some of the term. We do admit the existence
Ignorant men resorting to Sorcery or of such a belief; only we regard it as
Black Magic. prAtibhAsika, as due to illusion, while, in
+ Referring to superior birth, etc. point of absoluU truth, the Self te unaflect-
X Referring to wife, children, etc. ^ ^^ sams&ra.
2.J Matter and spirit. 291
•
Thus, then, it is the ignorant man who, longing for results, engages in action. The wise man, on the contrary, who sees the immutable Self, cherishes no longing for results and does not therefore engage in action ; and when, as a conse- quence, the activity of the aggregate — of the body and the senses — ceases, we say, only figuratively, that he abstains from action.
There is, again, another sort of learning professed by some other (class of pawiits), which may be stated as follows:— The Lord Himself is Kshetrajwa, and Kshetra is quite dist- inct from Kshetrajwa who perceives it ; but I am a sawsarin subject to pleasure and pain. To bring about the cessation of saws&ra I should first acquire a discriminative knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetraj»a, then attain a direct perception of the Kshetrajwa, the Lord, by means of dhydnaor medita- tion of the Lord, and then dwell in the true nature of the Lord.* He who is given to know thus and he who teaches thust, neither of them is the Kshetrajwa.
He who holds this view and hopes to make out that the sistra concerning bondage and liberation has a meaning is the meanest of the learned. He is the slayer of the Self. Ignorant in himself, he confounds others, devoid as he is of the traditional key (samprad^ya) to the teaching of the sdstras. Ignoring what is directly taught J, he suggests what is not taught. Therefore, not being acquainted with
* The individual Ego is distinct from | . ^ ^j^^ p^^jj ^^^ ^^^ teaclier-(A)
the Lord, and should strive to attain j in such passages as "That Thou arf'
to the state of /svara by means of the ..This Self is Brahman. "-(Mandukya-^
knowledge which can be brought about up v through dhyana.— (A)
2g2 THE BHAGAVAD-GlTi. [DiS. XIII.
the traditional interpretation, he is to be neglected as an ignorant man, though learned in all s^stras.
The relation of the Self to samsara is a mere illusion.
Now as to the objections that the tsvara would be a saw- s&rin if He be one with Kshetraj»a, and that if Kshetraj»as be one with the Is vara there can be no saws^ra because there is no sawsarin : these objections have been met by saying that knowledge and ignorance are distinct in kind and in effects, as admitted by all.* — To explain : The Real Entity {vtjs,, Is vara) is not affected by the defect (sawsara) attributed to Him through ignorance of that Real Entity. This has also been illustrated by the fact that the water of the mirage does not wet the saline soil. And the objection raised on the ground that in the absence of a saws^rin there can be no sawsd,ra has been answered by explaining that the sa;«sara and the sawsarin are creatures of avidy^.
(Objection) : — The very fact that Kshetrajiia is possessed of avidy^ makes Him a sawsarin ; and the eftect thereof — happiness and misery and so on — is directly perceived.
{Answer) — No; for, what i% perceived is an attribute of Kshetra (matter) ; and Kshetrajwa, the cogniser, cannot be vitiated by the blemish due to it. To explain : whatever blemish — not inhering in Kshetrajwa — you ascribe to Him, it comes under the cognised, and therefore forms a property of Kshetra, and not a property of Kshetrajwa. Nor is Kshetrajwa affected by it, since such intimate association of the cogniser and the cognised is impossible. If there should be such an association, then that blemish could not
♦ That is to say, by saying that the while illusion makes Kshetrajna a saw- Lord and the soul are one in reality, s4rin — (A).
.2.]
be cognised. That is to say, if misery and nescience were properties of the Self, how could they be objects of immediate perception*? Or, how could they ever be regarded as the properties of the Self ? t Since it has been determin- ed that all that is knowable is Kshetra (xiii. 5-6) and that KshetraJMa is the knower and none else (xiii. i), it is noth- ing but sheer ignorance which may lead one to contradict it by saying that nescience and misery and the like are the attributes and specific properties of Kshetrajna and that they are immediately perceived as such.
The perception of the relation of avidya, etc., to the Self is due to illusion.
I Now asks (the opponent) : — Whose is this avidyA ?
[To explain : — This avidya which accounts for the mistaken notion is not an independent entity and should inhere in something else which has an independent existence. But it cannot inhere in Chit or Consciousness which is vidyA by nature, and there is no independent entity outside Chit. Hence the question. — (A)]
(Reply): — By whomsoever it is seen.
[To explain : Do you ask to know whether avidyd inheres as an attribute in something else which is an independent entity, or to know in particular what that entity is wherein
* If the Self could perceive His own properties, He could also perceive Him- self ; which is absurd, since one and the same thing cannot be both the agent and the object oi an action.
+ Whatever is perceived, as for in- stance form and colour, cannot be a ivoperty of the perceiver.
4. In the following discussion, the oppo* nent tries to drive the Advaitin to the conclusion that the Kshetrajna is tainted with Avidyk and cannot therefore be identicarwith the /svara,while the Advait- in avoids it by shewing that the Kshetra- jna can really have no connection what- ever with avidyi which, cognised as it is by Him, is always distinct from him.
0^ THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIU,
it inheres ? In the first case, there is no occasion for the question at all, for, if avidyi be cognised, then, since it cannot exist by itself, it must be cognised as inhering in something else. If, on the other hand, avidy& be not cognised, then how do you know that avidydi exists at all?
The opponent perhaps means to ask what that entity is wherein avidyei inheres. Hence the question that follows* — (A)]
{Opponent): — By whom is it seen ?
(Reply): — As regards this we say: There is no use asking the question, " By whom is avidy& seen ?" For, if avidy^ is perceived, you perceive also the one who has that avidyfi.. When its possessor is perceived, it is not proper to ask, *• Whose is it ?" When the possessor of cows is seen, there is no occasion for the question " whose are the cows ?"
[To explain : Since avidya is an object of cognition, and since the Self wherein it inheres reveals Himself in one's own consciousness — there is no occasion for the question. —
(A)] .
{Opponent) : — The illustration is not analogous to the case in point. Since the cows and their possessor are objects of immediate perception, their relation is also an object of immediate perception ; and so the question has no meaning. But not so are avidy& and its possessor hoth objects of immediate perception. If they were, the question would have been meaningless.
{Reply): — If you know to what particular entity, not immediately perceived, avidy& is related, of what avail is it to you ?
[The meaning is : — Though the possessor of avidy^ is
not immediately perceived, still, you know in what entity avidyd inheres. Where is then any occasion for your question ?
The opponent does not understand the real drift of the reply and proceeds as follows: — (A)]
^ (Opponent) : — Since avidya is the cause of evil, it is a thing that should be got rid of. [So, I ask to know whose is avidyd. — (A)] .
(Reply) : — He who has avidyi will get rid of it, [and it can be no other — (A).]
(Opponent) : — Why, it is I who have avidy^, [and I should try and get rid of it — (A.)] .
(Reply) : — Then you know avidyfi, and the Self, its pos- sessor, [so that your question has no meaning — (A)] .
(Opponent) : — I know, but not by immediate perception. [Hence my question — (A)] .
(Reply) : — Then you know the Self by inference.* How can you perceive the relation between the Self and avidyd ? It is not indeed possible for you to perceive your Self as related to avidyA, at the same moment (that your Self cognises avidy^) ; for, the cogniser (the Self) acts at the moment as the percipient of avidyi.t Neither can there be a (separate) cogniser of the relation between the cogniser (the Self) and avidy&, nor a separate cognition of that (relation) ; for then you would commit the fallacy of infinite
• The inference meant here may be as for instance the liberated souls, do not
stated as follows:— I must be the pos- feel the eftects of avidy4— (A), sessor of avidy&, because I feel the
efifects of avidy& such as misery. If I T The Self cannot be both the per-
have no avidy&, I should not feel its ceiver and the perceived at the same
efiects ; for, those who have no avidya, time.^-<A).
296 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIII.
regress (anavasth^). — If the relation between the cogniser (the Self) and the cognised could be cognised, another cogniser should be supposed to exist ; then another cogniser of that cogniser ; then another of that again ; and so on ; and thus the series would necessarily be endless. If, on the other hand, avidya — or, for that matter, anything else — is the cognised, then it is ever the cognised only. So also the cogniser is ever the cogniser ; he can never become the cognised. Such being the case,* Kshetrajwa, the cogniser, is not at all tainted by nescience, misery and the like.
(Objection) : — There is in the Self this blemish, viz,, that He is the cogniser of Kshetra or matter which is full of blemishes.
(Answer) : — No ; for, it is only by a figure of speech that the Self, the immutable Consciousness, is spoken of as the cogniser, just as, in virtue of its heat, fire is said, by a figure, to do the act of heating. We have shewn how here, in ii. 19, iii. 27, and v. 15 and other places, the Lord has taught that the Self has in Himself no concern with action or with its accessories or with its results, that they are imputed to the Self by avidy&, and that they are therefore said to belong to the Self only by a figure of speech. And we shall also explain how the same truth is taught *in the sequel.
(Objection) : — Well ! if the Self has in Himself no concern with action or with its accessories or with its results, and if they are ascribed (to the Self) by avidyd., then it would
* Because the Self cannot be cognised And the Self reveals himself In every by anything beyond, there is no proof phase of consciousness.HA), whatever that avidyi inheres in the Self-
2 — 3'] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 297
follow that the rituals ( karmas ) are intended only for the ignorant, not for the wise.*
{Ans7ver) : — Yes,t it does follow, as we shall explain when commenting on xviii. ii . And in the section (xviii. 50, etseq,) where the teaching of the whole skstra, is summed up, we shall dwell more particularly on this point. No need here to expatiate further on the subject ; so we conclude for the present.
Summary of the Doctrine.
Here follows a verse which forms a summary of the teaching of the Discourse on Kshetra {i, e,, thirteenth Dis- course), which is already contained in brief in the verses xiii. I, 2 ; for, it is but proper to give beforehand a summary ot the whole doctrine to be explained at length in the sequel.
3. And what that Kshetra is, and of whs^t nature, and what its changes ; and whence is what ; and who He is and what His powers ; this hear thou briefly from Me.
^That Kshetra' refers to what was spoken of as * this body ' (xiii. i). What that Kshetra is : what it is in itself. Of what nature : what it is in its properties. And whence is what : what effects arise from what causes. Who He is etc.: Who He is that was spoken of as Kshetrajna and what His
• And this is opposed to the sAstra list the knowledge of the existence of a
which often says that] one should per- Self beyond the body, not also the
form the sacrificial rituals with know- knowledge that that Self is free firom
ledge.— (A). all attributes, such as hunger.
t Tbe 5&stra demand^ from the ritus^-
298 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIII.
powers (prabhivas, saktis, such as the power of seeing) are which arise from the upd.dhis or environments (such as the eye). Do thou hear My speech describing briefly the true nature of Kshetra and Kshetrajna in all these specific aspects ; and on hearing that speech, thou wilt understand the truth. — The (five) and's imply that one should under- stand Kshetra and Kshetrajna in all these aspects.
The Doctrine extolled.
The Lord now extols what He has proposed to teach, — namely, the doctrine of the true nature of Kshetra and Kshetrajna, — with a view to interest the mind of the hearer :
4. Sung by sages, in many ways and distinctly, in various hymns, as also in the suggestive words about Brahman, full of reasoning and decisive.
Sages (i?ishis) : such as Vasish^ha. Hymns : such as the Rik. The true nature of Kshetra and Kshetrajna has also been taught in the Brahma-sMras, ».^., in the passages treating of Brahman, — such as "Only as the Self, let a man contemplate Him " (Bn. Up. 1-4-7), — in the words through which^alone Brahman is known. They are full of reasoning. They admit of no doubt, i, e,y they are productive of certain knowledge.
Matter in all its forms.
To Arjuna who has, by this praise (of the doctrine), been prepared to hear it, the Lord says :
5. The Great Elements, Egoism, Reason, as also the Unmanifested, the ten senses and one, and the five objects of the senses;
3 — 6.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 2gg
The Great Elements (Mah^bhAtas) are so called because they pervade all vikd.ras, all modifications of matter. The elements here referred to are the subtle ones (sukshma), not the gross (sthula) elements, which latter will be spoken of as " the objects of the senses."
Egoism ( Ahawk&ra ) : self-consciousness, consciousness of ego, the cause of * the Great Elements'. Reason (Buddhi) is defined by determination and is the cause of Ahawkara. The cause of Reason (Buddhi) is the Avyakta, the Unmani- fested, the Avy&k/ita or Undifferentiated, the Energy of the Lord (tsvara-Sakti) spoken of in vii. 14. So much alone is Prakiiti, divided eightfold.* The ten senses are made up of the five " buddhi-indriyas", senses of knowledge — such as hearing, — so called because they produce knowledge, and of the five "karma-indriyas," senses of action such as speech and hand, so called because they bring about action. And the one : the manas, which is composed of thoughts and purposes (sawkalpa) and so on, is the eleventh sense. The five objects of the senses are sound, etc. The S^nkhyas speak of these as the twenty-four principles (tattvas).
6. Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate, intelligence, courage ; — the Kshetra has been thus briefly described with its modifications.
Now, the Lord proceeds to teach that even those which the Vaiseshikas speak of as the inherent attributes of Atman (the Self) are merely the attributes of Kshetra (matter), but not the attributes of Kshetrajna (the knower of matter).— Desire (ichchhS.) is that which impels a person who has once
%^i» ^»m*a^ ■■ I - ri ■ I I -■ - __— ■■■_■,■■■■■„ , .1 , , I I '
* The /svara-5akti here referred to is consciousness (chaitanya) ; i.e., the Mdla- the root of the insentient matter, spoken praknti in its eight modifications. — (A) of aa MItya in vii. 14, not the root of
3oa THE bhagavad-gItA. tDis. Xlil.
experienced a certain object of pleasure to seek — on again perceiving an object of the same class, — to get hold of this latter as conducive to pleasure. This, namely desife, is a property of the inner sense (anta/t-karawa) ; and it is Kshetra (matter) because it is knowable. So also, hatred is that which leads a person, who once experienced a certain object of pain, to dislike an object of the same class on perceiving this latter. This, namely hatred, is only Kshetra (matter), be- cause it is knowable. Pleasure is the agreeable, the tranquil, made up of the Sattva principle. Even this is Kshetra, because it is knowable. Pain is the disagreeable; and it is Kshetra because it is knowable. The aggregate is the com- bination of the body and the senses. Intelligence is a mental state which manifests itself in the aggregate — ^just as fire manifests itself in a burning metallic mass, — pervaded by the semblance of the consciousness of the Self. It is Kshetra, because it is knowable. Courage is that by which the body and the senses are upheld when they get depressed ; and it is Kshetra because it is knowable. — Desire and other qualities mentioned here stand for all the qualities of the inner sense (anta/t-karawa). The Lord concludes the present subject as follows: the Kshetra has been thus briefly described, with its modifications such as Mahat (Buddhi).
Virtues conducive to Self-knowledge.
The Kshetra, of which the various modifications in their totality have been spoken of as " this body " (xiii, i), has been described in all its different forms, from * the Great Elements' to *courage' (xiii. 5-6).* The characteristic marks
♦. The cosmic body and the individual shew that he alone who has grown In- bodies (samash/ideha and vyash/idehas) difierent (virakta) to them is qualified for have been described here with a view to knowledge. — (A)
6-7*] MATTER AND SPIRIT. ^OV
of Kshetrajna will be shortly described. Inxiii. 12, the Lord Himself will describe Kshetrajna in detail, — that Kshetra- jna through a knowledge of whose powers immortality can be attained. But, now, the Lord prescribes, as means to that knowledge, virtues such as humility, which qualify a person for a knowledge of the Knowable, intent on which a sawny^sin is said to be a jiiana-nish^ha, a firm devotee in the path of konwledge, and which are designated as knowledge (jndna) because they are the means of attaining knowledge.
7. Humility, modesty, innocence, patience, up- rightness, service of the teacher, purity, steadfast- ness, self-control ;
Humility : absence of self-esteem. Modesty : not pro- claiming one's own virtues. Innocence : doing no injury to any living being. Patience : not being affected when others have done any injury. Service of the teacher : doing acts of service to the preceptor (ich^rya) who teaches the means of attaining moksha. Purity : washing away the dirt from the body by means of water and earths, — the inner purity of mind consisting in the removal from it of the dirt of attach- ment . and other passions by cultivating the idea* that is inimical to them. Steadfastness : concentration of all efforts exclusively in the path of salvation. Self -control: control of the self, of the aggregate of the body and the senses. This aggregate is spoken of as the self, because it is of some service to the true Self.t Self-control consists in directing exclusively to the right path the body and the mind which
* The recognition of evil in all objects of senses. — (A)
+ There is another reading of the gate ' is inimical to the Self and should commentary which means that ' the aggre- therefore be restrained.
302 tHE BHAGAVAb-GlxA [DiS. XIII.
are by nature attracted in all directions. Moreover,
8. Absence of attachment for objects of the senses, and also absence of egoism ; perception of evil in birth, death and old age, in sickness and pain ;
Absence of attachment : for sense- objects such as sound, for pleasures seen or unseen. Perception^ etc. : thinking of what evil there is severally in birth, etc. Thus the evil in birth lies in having to dwell in the womb and to issue out through the uterus. Similarly in death. The evil of old age consists in the decay of intelligence, power and strength, and in being treated with contempt. So also may be seen the evil caused by sickness such as head-disease ; or the evil caused by pain^ whether ^dhy^tmika, ».^., arising in one's own person, or ^dhibhautika, i.e., produced by external agents, or kdhi- daivika, i,e., produced by supernatural beings.
Or, the passage may be thus interpreted: — Pain itself is evil. Birth, etc., should be regarded as painful, as shewn above. Birth is a misery ; death is a misery ; old age is a misery ; and sickness is a misery. Birth, etc., are all miseries, because they produce misery ; they are not miseries in themselves.
From this perception of the evil of pain in birth, etc., there arises indifference to the pleasures of the body and of the senses ; and then the senses turn towards the Innermost Self to obtain a glimpse of the Self. Because the percep- tion of the evil of pain in birth, etc., conduces to knowledge, it is itself spoken of as knowledge.
g. Unattachment, absence of affection for son,
7-IO.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 303
wife, home and the like, and constant', equanimity on the attainment of the desirable and the unde- sirable ;
Unattachtmnt : absence of liking for things which may form objects of attachment. Affection is an intense form of attachment and consists in complete identification with another, as in the case of a man who feels happy or miser- able when another is happy or miserable and who feels himself alive or dead when another is alive or dead. The like : others who are very dear, other dependants. Un- attachment and absence of affection are termed knowledge because they lead to knowledge. Constant equanimity con- sists is not being delighted on attaining the desirable, and in not chafing on attain. ng the undesirable. This equani- mity also is (conducive to) knowledge,
10. Unflinching devotion to Me in Yoga of non- separation, resort to solitary places, distaste for the society of men ;
Yoga of non-separation : apnthak-sam&dhi, a steady un- flinching meditation on the One with the idea that there is no Being higher than the Lord, Visudeva, and that there- fore He is our sole Refuge. And this devotion is (conducive to) knowledge. Solitary places : which are naturally free, or made free, from impurities, as also from fear of serpents, thieves and tigers : such as a jungle, the sandbank of a river, the temple of a God, and so on. It is in solitude that the mind becomes calm ; so that meditation of the Self and the like is possible only in a solitary place. Wherefore resort to solitude is said to be ( conducive to ) knowledge. Society of fnen : of the ordinary unenlightened and undisciplined
304 THB bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIII.
people, not of the enlightened and disciplined men, be- cause the society of these latter is an aid to knowledge. Distaste for the society of ordinary men is knowledge, because it leads to knowledge.
Moreover,
II. Constancy in Self-knowledge, perception of the end of the knowledge of truth. This is declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance.
Self-knowledge : knowledge of the Self and the like. Percep- iiofty etc: Knowledge of truth results from the mature development of such attributes as humility (xiii. 7), which are the means of attaining knowledge. The end of this knowledge is moksha, the cessation of mortal existence, of sa;»sara. The end should be kept in view ; for, it is only when one perceives the end of the knowledge of truth that one will endeavour to cultivate the attributes which are the means of attaining that knowledge. These attributes — from * humility ' to * perception of the end of the knowledge of truth * — are declared to be knowledge, because they are conducive to knowledge. What is opposed to this — viz., pride, hypocrisy, cruelty, impatience, insincerity and the like — is ignorance, which should be known and avoided as tending to the perpetuation of saws&ra.
Brahman, the Knowable.
What is it that has to be known by this knowledge ? — In answer to this question the Lord proceeds with xiii. 12, etc.
(Objection) : — Humility and the like are only forms of self-control (yama and niyama) ; by them cannot be perceived the Knowable. Never indeed have we found humility and
IO-r.12.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 305
other attributes (mentioned above) serving to determine the nature of anything. And in all cases, it is only the knowledge or consciousness of an object that has been found to deter- mine the nature of that object of knowledge. And, certainly, no object can be determined through the knowledge of another object, any more than fire can be perceived through the knowledge of a pot.
(Answer): — This objection does not apply here; for, we have said that humility and the like are spoken of as know- ledge because they conduce to knowledge, or because they are secondary or auxiliary causes of knowledge.
12. That which has to be known I shall des- cribe; knowing which one attains the Immortal. Beginhingless is the Supreme Brahman. It is not said to be * sat ' or * asat.*
That which has to be known, I shall fully describe as It is. — The Lord then goes on to describe what the result of that knowledge will be, in order to call the hearer's atten- tion by way of creating in h'm a desire to know of It. — It, the unsurpassed One, the Brahman, just spoken of as * That which has to be known,' has no beginning.
With a view to avoid tautology "•'' some split the express- ion * anadimatparam ' into * anddi matpavam * , and explain it differently ; thus : Brahman is beginningless, and I am Its Para-5akti, the Supreme Energy called V&sudeva.
(But we say) : — True, tautology might thus be avoided, provided the given interpretation were possible. But the
♦ Tautology involved in taking '• ana- Bhashyakdra has done. dimat/ as one compound, as the
3o6 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIII.
•
interpretation does not hold good, for it is intended here to expound the nature of Brahman by denying all specific attributes. It is a self-contradiction to speak of Brahman as possessed of a particular kind of energy and at the same time as devoid of all specific attributes. Therefore tautology should be explained as due to the exigencies of the metre.
Brahman is beyond speech and thoug^ht.
After saying that He is going to speak of what, as leading to immortality, is worth knowing, and after having thus called the hearer's attention by creating a desire for the knowledge, the Lord says: It is not said to be *sat (existent) * or * asat (non-existent).*
{Objection) : — After proclaiming very loudly that He is going to speak of the Knowable, it does not become the Lord to describe It as neither * sat * nor * asat.*
(Answer) :— No ; it is quite the right thing that has been said. — How ? — Thus : being inaccessible to speech, Brah- man, the Knowable, is defined in all Upanishads only by a denial of all specialities, — * Not thus * (Bn. Up, 2-3-6) and * not gross, not subtle * {Ibid, 3-8-8) — in the terms *• It is not this.'*
{Objection) : — That thing ( alone ) exists which can be spoken of as existing. If the Knowable cannot be spoken of as existing, then It cannot exist. And it is a contradic- tion in terms to say that It is knowable and that It cannot be spoken of as existing.
(Answer): — Neither is It non-existent, since It is not an object of the consciousness of non-existence.
(ObjectionJi^Evevy state of consciousness involves either
12,] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 307
the consciousness of existence or that of non-existence. Such being the case, the Knowable should be comprehended either by a state of consciousness accompanied with the conscious- ness of existence, or by a state of consciousness accom- panied with the consciousness of non-existence,*
(Answer): — No; for, being beyond the reach of the senses. It is not an object of consciousness accompanied with the idea of either (existence or non-existence). That thing, indeed, which can be perceived by the senses, such as a pot, can be an object of consciousness accompanied with the idea of existence, or an object of consciousness accompanied with the idea of non-existence. Since, on the other hand, the Knowable is beyond the reach of the senses and as such can be known solely through that instrument of knowledge which is called *Sabda* (the Word, ».^., Revelation), It cannot be, like a pot, etc., an object of con- sciousness accompanied with the idea of either (existence or non-existence) and is therefore not said to be *sat* or *asat'.
Now, as regards the allegation that it is a self-contradic- tion in terms to say that the Knowable is not said to be * sat * or *asat*, (we say that) there is no contradiction ; for, the sruti says,
*It is other than the known and above the unknown.' — (Kena-Up.2-3.)
(Objection): — Even the passage of the 5ruti just quoted is self- contradictory,! just as the sruti is self-contradictory when, after putting up the hall for the sacrifice, it says
* If not, you cannot escape the conclu- authoritative, since that passage alone is sion that Brahman is indefinable— (A). accepted as authoritative which contra-
t If so, we do not accept the passage as diets np accepted authority.— (A)
3o8 THE bhagavad-gitA. [Dis. XIII.
" (who knows) there exists (any good) in the next world ?** (Taittirlya-Sa;»hita, 6-1-1).
(Answer) : — No; the passage which says that "It is other than the known and above the unknown, teaches, by itself, something which should be accepted as true, * whereas the passage quoted by the opponent — " who knows if there exist any good in the next world ?'* — is a mere artha-vada, a statement which, to be understood in its full import, should be read along with the injimction to which it is subsidiary.!
Moreover, it stands to reason to say that Brahman cannot be expressed in words such as *sat'; for, every v/ord employed to denote a thing denotes that thing — when heard by another— as associated with a certain genus, or a certain a€ty or a certain quality, or a certain mode of relation. Thus : cow and horse imply genera, cook and teacher imply acts, white and hlach imply qualities, wealthy and cattle-owner imply possession. But Brahman belongs to no genus J wherefore It cannot be denoted by such words as * sat (existent)'. Being devoid of attributes, It possesses no qualities. If It were possessed of qualities, then It could be denoted by a word implying a quality. Being actionless, It cannot be indicated by a word implying an act. The wSruti says:
" It is without parts, actionless and tranquil.'* (5 vet. Up. 6-19).
* That is to say, we should not reject be accepted as authoritative in itself.-(A)
the passage as teaching no new truth ; \ Hence it is no authority in itself— (A)
for, it teaches this new truth, namely, % Brahman is described in the sruti as
that Brahman is no other than one's belonging to no class, as possessing no
own Inner Self, and it should theref<n:e colour, aad so on. — (A)
12 — 13.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 309
It is not related to anything else ; for It is one, It is with- out a second, It is no object (of any sense), It is the very Self. Wherefore, it is but right to say that It can be denoted by no word at all ;and the passages of the sruti like the following point to the same thing:
Whence (t.^., away from Brahman, unable to ap- proach Brahman) all words return." — (Tait. Up. 2-4-1.)
Brahman is the source of all activity.
When it is said that Brahman the Knowable is not accessible to the word or thought of * sat * (existent), one may perhaps suppose It to be * asat ' or non-existent. To prevent this supposition the Lord proceeds to declare Its existence as manifested through the up§,dhis, through the senses of all living beings.
[To explain : Since nothing is found which is devoid of all conditions and quite beyond all speech and thought, — nay, since everything we experience is of a contrary nature, — one may suppose that Brahman as described above must be a void or non-entity (sunya). To prevent this supposition, the Lord proceeds to teach that Brahman exists (i) as the Inner Self (Pratyak), (2) as the source of all activity of the senses and the like, (3) as the source whence arises our consciousness of existence with reference to all duality which is imaginary, (4) as l5vara or the Lord of the universe. First of all, here, the Lord proves, by way of inference, the existence of Brahman as the Inner Self-consciousness: there must be some self-conscious principle (pratyak-chetana) behind insentient principles in activity, such as the physical body ; for, we invariably find
310 tHE BHAGAVAD-GtTA. [DiS. XIIL
self-consciousness lying behind all insentient objects in activity, such as a carriage in motion. — (A)]
13. With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes and heads and mouths everywhere, with hearing everywhere. That exists enveloping all.
The Knowable has hands and feet everywhere. The existence of Kshetrajwa is indicated by the up&dhis of the sense-organs * of all living beings. Kshetrajwa (the self- conscious principle lying behind the sense-organs) is so- called because of the upddhi of Kshetra ; and this Kshetra is of various forms, such as hands, feet, etc. All the variety caused in Kshetrajwa by the variety in the upadhis of Kshetra is but illusory, and it has therefore been said — in the words " It is not said to be * sat * or * asat ' " — that It should be known as devoid of all variety. Though what is caused (in Kshetrajwa) by upadhis is illusory, still it is spoken of — in the words that * It has hands and feet every- where ' — as though it were an attribute of the Knowable, only with a view to indicate Its existence. Accordingly there is the saying of the samprad^ya-vids — of those who know the right traditional method of teaching — which runs as follows : " That which is devoid of all duality is describ- ed by adhyaropa and apavada," i.e., by superimposition and negation, by attribution and denial. Hands, feet and the like, constituting the limbs of all bodies in all places, derive their activity from the Energy inherent in the Know- ablet, and as such they are mere marks of Its existence and are spoken of as belonging to It only by a figure of speech.— All the rest should be similarly interpreted.— It
* Because there must be self-conscious- t i' «•• they act in virtue ot {the mere Qess at the back Qf their activity .—(A) presence of that Knergy.-KA)
13 — 14] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 3II
(Brahman) exists in the world, in the whole animal creation, pervading all.
Brahman is unconditioned.
The purpose of this verse is to prevent the supposition that the Knowable is {really) possessed of the updidhis — the sense-organs such as hands, feet, and the like, — which are merely superimposed (upon It).
14. Shining by the functions of all the senses, (yet) without the senses, unattached, yet support- ing all ; devoid of qualities ; yet enjoying, qualities.
All the senses: the buddhi-indriyas and karma-indriyas, the organs of knowledge and the organs of action. The inner senses, — manas and buddhi, — which alike form the upd.dhis of the Knowable, are included in the term * all the senses'. Moreover, even hearing and other senses form up&dhis only through the upd.dhi of the anta/t-kara»a, the in- ner sense. Thus, we should understand that Brahman mani- fests Itself through the upadhis of external and internal senses through the functions of all the senses, viz., determination, purposes and thoughts, hearing, speech and the like. That is to say, the Knowable functions, as it were, through the functions of all the senses. The 5ruti says :
" It meditates as it were. It moves as it were.'* (Bn. Up. 4-3-7).
Why should it not mean that It actually functions? — Says the Lord : It is not possessed of any of the senses. Wherefore, the Knowable does not actually function when the senses are functioning. And as regards the verse, " Without hands and feet He is swift, He grasps ;
312 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XII I.
He sees without the eye, He hears without the ear." (Svet. Up. 3-19).
there, the sruti implies that the Knowable has the power to accomodate Itself to the varying functions of all the senses which are Its upidhis, but not that It actually possesses swift motion and such other activities. The verse should be interpreted * like the passage " The blind one saw the gem." (Taitt. Arawyaka, i. 11). Because It is devoid of the senses, therefore It is unattached, devoid of all attachments.
Brahman, the basic Keality in all illusory phenomena.
Though It is so, yet It supports all. Indeed, everything is based on the * sat,* the Existent ; for everywhere the idea of * sat * is present. Not even the mirage and the like exist without a basis. Hence it is said that It supports all.
Brahman, the perceiver of the Qunas.
There is this yet another gate to a knowledge of the iBxistence of the Knowable : Though devoid of the guwas, — Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas — yet * the Knowable is the en- joyer, the perceiver, of the guwas which, assuming the forms of sound and other (objects of sense), transform themselves into pleasure, pain and delusion.
Brahman is all.
Moreover,
* That is to say, the arthav&da passage to contradict the main subject of the should not be understood in its literal section. — (A) sense ; it must be so interpreted as not
I4-I5*] MATTER AND SPIRIT. %i^
moving as also the moving. Because subtle, That is incomprehensible ; and near and far away is That.
Without : What lies outside the body which is inclusive of the skin and which is regarded through ignorance as one's own self. Atid * within * refers to the Inner Self, Pratyagkt- man, lying inside the body. — The statement that It is 'without and within* may imply Its absence in the middle.* To prevent this implication, the Lord says that It is * the unmoving as also the moving.' It is Brahman, the Know- able, that appears as the bodies, moving and unmoving, just as a rope appears as a snake.
Brahman is comprehended only by the wise.
(Objection) : — If all things we perceive, the moving and the unmoving, were the Knowable, then how is it that Brah- man is not directly comprehended by everybody, as * This It is*?
{Answer) :— True, It manifests Itself as everything ; but It is subtle § like the ^k^a. Wherefore, on account of Its subtlety, It is incomprehensible to the unenlightened, though knowable in Itself. It is, however, always known to the enlightened, as revealed in the following texts :
'All this is the Self and the Self alone' (Bn. Up. 2-4-6.)
' All this is Brahman and Brahman alone.* {Ibid.2'S-i.) It is far away when unknown ; for. It is unattainable by the unenlightened even in millions of years. And to the enlightened It is very near, because It is their own Self.
#
*. e. in the body which intervenes objects, between the Pratyag^man and external § Beyond the reach of the senses.
314 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XIII*
Brahman is the one Self in all.
Moreover,
16. And undivided, yet remaining divided as it were in beings ; supporter of beings, too, is That, the Knowable ; devouring, yet generating.
It is undivided in the different bodies. It is one like the dik^a. Still, it appears to be different in all the different bodieS) inasmuch as It manifests Itself only in the bodies.
Brahman is the Cause of the Universe.
The Knowable supports beings during sthitif the period of sustenance of the Universe ; and It devours them at pralaya^ i.e., at the time of dissolution. It generates them at the time of utpatti, the origin of the Universe, just as a rope gives rise to an illusory snake.
Brahman is the Illuminator of all.
{Objection) ; — If the Knowable, though existing every- where, is not perceived, then It is but darkness (Tamas).
{Answer) : — No. — What then ? —
Moreover :
17. The Light even of lights, That is said to be beyond darkness. Knowledge, the Knowable, the Goal of knowledge, ( It ) is implanted in the heart of every one.
That, the Knowable, is the Light even of lights * such as the sun. Indeed these latter shine only when illumined by
♦ The existence of Brahman, the Know- lumining the sun, etc., and reason able, can be recognised as the Light il- (buddhi;, etc.— (A.)
l6 — 18,] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 315
the light of the consciousness of the Self. The Chants say : * That Light by which illumined the sun shines * — (Taitt. Br. 3-12-9.)
' By Its light all this shines ' — (Svet. Up. 6-14).
So says the smnti also here (intheBhagavad-glt^ xv. 12.) It is said to be uncontaminated by Tamas, by ajǤ.na, by nescience.
The Lis:ht is in ttie tieart of every one.
Now, with a view to cheer up Arjuna who seemed dejected at the thought of the knowledge (of Brahman) be- ing very difficult of attainment, the Lord says: Knowledge, such as humility (xiii. 7-1 1); the Knowable, as described in xiii. 1 2- 1 7 ; and the same thing, viz,, the Knowable, which, when known, forms the fruit of knowledge and is therefore said to be the Goal of knowledge, and which as a thing to be known forms the Knowable : these three (knowledge, the Know- able, and the Goal of knowledge) are implanted pre-eminent- ly in the heart (buddhi) of every living being ; it is indeed there that the three are distinctly manifested.
5eek ttie Lig^tit ttirous^ti devotion.
Here follows the verse which concludes the subject just treated of:
18. Thus the Kshetra, as well as knowledge and the Knowable, have been briefly set forth. My devotee, on knowing this, is fitted for My state.
Thus the Kshetra^ described above (xiii-5-6), beginning with the * Great elements* and ending with * firmness ;' knowledge, comprising the attributes which have been enumerated, beginning with * humility * and ending with * perception of
3i6 THE bhagavad-g!tA. [Dis, XIII.
the end of the knowledge of truth* (xiii. 7-11); and the Knowable, described in xiii -12-17 J — these have been set forth in brief.
Such, indeed, is the, whole doctrine, the doctrine of the Vedas and the doctrine of the Gltd, taught in brief.
{Question) : — Who is fit to attain this right knowledge ?
{Answer) : — He who is devoted to Me, who r^ards Me — V&sudeva, the Supreme Lord, the Omniscient, the Supreme Quru — as the Self (Soul, Essence) of everything, i.e., he who is possessed (as it were) with the idea that all that he sees or hears or touches is nothing but the Lord, Vasudeva. Thus devoted to Me, and having attained the right know- ledge described above, he is fit to attain to My state, *. ^., he attains moksha.
Prakrit! and Purusha are eternal.
In the seventh discourse were described two Prakntis, the superior and the inferior, corresponding to Kshetra and Kshetrajiia; and it was said that they are the womb of all creatures (vii. 6). — It may now be asked, how can it be said that the two Prakntis, Kshetra and Kshetrajna, are the womb of all beings ? — This question will now be answered:
19. Know thou that Prakriti as well as Purusha are both beginningless ; and know thou also that all forms and qualities are born of Prakriti.
Praknti and Purusha, Matter and Spirit, are the two Prakntis of the fsvara, the Lord. These two, Prakriti and Purusha — you should know — have no beginning. . As t)ae t5vara is the eternal Lord, it is but right that His Pra- kritis also should be eternal. The Lordship of the i^vara
j8-ig.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. ^If
consists indeed in His possession, of the two PrakHtis by which He causes the origin, preservation and dissolution of the iiniverse. The two Prakntis are beginningless, and they are therefore the cause of saws^ra.
Some construe the passage so as to ; niean that the two Prakntis are not primeval. It is by such an interpretation, they hold, that the causality of the Isvaria can be established. If, on the other hand, Praknti and Purusha were eferbal, it would follow that they are the cause of the universe, and that the Isvara is not the creator of the universe.
It is wrong to say so; for. the Dvara would then be no livara, inasmuch as there would be nothing for Him to rule over prior to the birth of Praknti and Purusha. Moreover, if saws^ra had no cause (other than I5 vara), there could be no cessation * thereof; and thus the 5^stra (the scripture) would have no purpose to serve. Likewise, there could be neither bondage nor salvation, t
Prakriti and Purusha as the Cause of samsara.
If, on the other hand, the Prakntis of the t5vara be eternal, all this can be explained. — How? — Know thou that all forms, all emanations (vik&ras) from buddhi down to the physical body, and all qualities (guwas) such as those which manifest themselves as pleasure, pain, delusion and other mental states to be described hereafter, spring from
* If the /svara were the sole cause of sdra. — (A)
the universe, quite independently of the + Before the birth of the two Prakritis,
two PrakHtis, the samsara would be end- there could be no bondage and conse-
less, inasmuch as there is nothing to quently no moksha. If at any time there
prevent even the emancipated souls from were neither bondage nor moksha,
being hurled into sawsara, so long as there could be no cause which would ever
there is /svara, s^s the sole cause of saw bring them into existence,— (A).,
3l8 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA, [DiS. XIII.
Praknti, M^yd., composed of the three gunas, that Energy of the tsvara which constitutes thecause of (all) emanat- ions. Know thou that they are all modifications of Prakiiti.*
What {hen are those forms and qualities which are said to be born of Prakiiti ? — Says the Lord :
20. As the producer of the efifect and the instru- ments t, Praknti is Said to be the cause ; as experi- encing pleasure and pain, Purusha is said to be the cause.
The effect (k&rya) is the physical body, and the instruments (kara»as) are the thirteen J located in the body. The five elements (bhCitas) which build up the body, and the five sense-objects which are the emanations of Praknti as mentioned above, are included under the term * effect ;' and all qualities, such as pleasure, pain and delusion, which are born of Praknti, are included under the term * instru- ments,' since those qualities are seated in the instruments, the senses. In the production of the physical body, of the senses and their sensations, Praknti is said to be the cause, for, it generates them all. Thus, as producing the physical body and the senses, Praknti is the cause of sajnskra,.
In the place of 'karana' which means instrument, some read *k&ra»a' which means cause. — Whatever is a modifica- tion of another is the effect or emanation (vik&ra) of that other; and that from which it emanates is the cause
* Prakfiti is that out of which all less and without qualities.— M)
forms and qualities come into existence. | or, (according to another interpre-
Since Pra*rtti is thus eternal and is the tation), the effect and the cause,
source ofall forms (vik&ras) and qualities j Five organs of sensation, five of
(gunas), ^tman remains ever change- activity, Manas, BuddhI, and AbankAra.
I9-20]
(kixawa). Praknti is the source of the cause and the effect, which comprise the same things, (that were denoted by the terms * the effect and the instruments *). Or, it may be that the sixteen vihdras * or emanations are here spoken of as the effect ; and the seven t which are at once praknti and viknti, cause and effect, and which are there- fore called Prakiiti-Vikntis, are spoken of as the cause. In the production of these, the cause is Praknti, as generat- ing them all.
And now will be shown how Purusha is the cause of samsdra. ^Purusha,* ^Jiva, ^ Kshetrajna^* ^Bhoktri (Enjoyer)'I are all synonymous terms. Purusha is said to be the cause, as perceiving pleasure, pain, and other objects of experience.
( Objection ) : — Why should Praknti and Purusha be regarded as the cause of saws&ra by way of generating causes and effects and experiencing pleasure and pain ?
(Answer): — How could there be saws&ra at all without Praknti transforming itself as causes and effects, as the body and the senses, as pleasure and pain, and without the conscious Purusha experiencing them ? § When, on the other hand, there is a conjunction — in the form of avidya or nescience — of Purusha, the experiencer, with Praknti, the opposite, the object of experience, in all its
* The ten sense-organs, Manas and the five sense-objects. — (A),
T viz., Mahat, Ahamklira, and the five TanmAtrasor rudimental elements. Each of these is an emanation from its prede- cessor and is in turn the cause of its successor. As producing all these, the Miilaprakriti is their cause, their basis.—
X The three last terms are respective*
ly intended to show that Purusha here
referred to is not the Param&tman or the
Highest Self^ is an intelligent (chetana)
principle, is a conditioned being.— (A)
§ For, the ^tman who is ever free <nitya-mukta) from saiMs&ra, cannot of Himself be subject to sams&ra— (A).
j2p THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XIIJ*
transformations as the body and' the senses, as pleasiird and pain, as causes and effects, then only is sawsira possi- ble. Wherefore it is but r^ht to say that Praknti and Purusha are the cause of sawsira ; the one generating the body and the senses, the other experiencing pleasures and pains.
{Objection) :— What, then, is this ^awsEira ?'•'
{Answer): — Sawsdra is the experience of pleasure and pain ; and Purusha is the saws^rin, as the experiencer of pleasure and pain, f
Avidya and Kama are the cause, of rebirths.
It has been said that Purusha is the sawsdirin as experi- encing pleasure and pain.' What is this (experiencing of pleasure and pain) due to ? — The Lord says :
21. Purusha,'when seated in Praknti, experiences the qualities born of Prakriti. Attachment to the qualities is the cause of his birth in good and evil wombs.
Because Purusha, the experiencer, is seated in Praknti, in avidyi or nescience, — that is to say, because he identi- fies himself with the body and the senses which are emanations of Praknti, — he experiences the qualities bom of Praknti, manifesting themselves as pleasure, pain and delusion ; he thinks, " I am happy, I am miserable, I am
♦ The objector means : If A tman be pleasure or pain, the Self, the experienc-
immuuble (avikriya), not subject to er remains quite unchanged. It Is this
changes of state, then it is not proper to experience (bhoga) which constitutes
say that He is ever subject to sawsara.— His samsara, and which makes Him a
(A). . sams&rin— (A).
t That is to say : while experiencing
20-21.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 52X
deluded, I am wise." Over and above avidya (the cause of birth), His attachment to {i. e.j identification of Himself with ) what He experiences, — namely, the qualities of pleasure, pain and delusion, — forms the main cause of Purusha's birth. The 5ruti says :
** As is his desire, so is his will.*' {Bri. Up. 4-4-5.)
Accordingly the Lord says here : — The experiencer*s attachment for qualities leads him to births in good and evil wombs.
Or, the second half of the verse may be construed, by supplying the word * sawssLra,* so as to mean : Attachment for qualities is the cause of His sawsara through births in good and evil wombs.
Good wombs are those of Devas and the like ; evil wombs are those of lower animals. We may also add, as implied here — being opposed to no teaching, — the wombs of men which are (partly) good and (partly) evil.
The sense of the passage may be explained as follows : Avidya, — spoken of as ( Purusha's ) being * seated in Praknti,* — and Kama or attachment for qualities, together constitute the cause of sawsara.*
Self-knowledg:e removes the cause of satnsara.
This twofold cause has been taught here for avoidance, {i.e., in order that we may try to remove it). The means of bringing about the removal of the (twofold) cause are Jii4na and Vairagya, i. e.y knowledge and indifference con- joined with sawnyasa or renunciation t as has been clearly
♦ Avidya being the updddna or material l<nowledge coupled with sawnyasa brings
cause, and kama the nimitta or efficient about the cessation of avidya and kama.—
cause. — A A.
t Vairagy^i leads to samnyasa ; and
3W THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis.XIIL
taught in the Glt&-sastra. This knowledge, the knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajua, has been imparted in the begin- ning of this discourse. And it has also been imparted in xiii. 12, et. seq.j both by eliminating foreign elements (xiii. 12) and by attributing alien properties (xiii. 13,^^. seq,)
Now again the Lord proceeds to teach directly what that knowledge is :
22. Spectator and Permitter, Supporter, En- joyer, the Great Lord, and also spoken of as the Supreme Self, (is) the Purusha Supreme in this body.
Spectator (Upadrash^n) : a bystander and a witness, Him- self not acting. When priests and the sacrificer are engaged in a sacrificial act, there is another, an expert in sacri- ficial matters, sitting by their side, not taking part in the act, and discerning what is good and what is bad in the acts of the sacrificer and of the priests ; just so, not taking part in the activitias of the body and the senses, the Self is distinct from them, a near witness of the body and the senses and all their acts. — Or, it may be also explained thus : The body, the sense of sight, Manas, Buddhi, and the Self are the seers. Of these, the body is the most external seer; and viewed from the body inwards, the Self is the innermost and nearest seer, and beyond Him there is no seer in the interior. Thus, b3ing the nearest seer. He is spoken of as * Upadrash/n.* Or, the Self is Upadrash^n because, like the UpadrashM in the sacrificial rite, He watches all. He is also the Permitter ( Anumantn ), expressing approbation or satisfjaction concerning the acts of those who are engaged in action. — Or, though Himself not engaged in ac- tion while the body and senses are active, He seems
21-23.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 223
to be active in co-operation with them. — Or, being their mere witness, He never stands in the way of those that are engaged in their respective activities. Supporter (Bhartn) : The Self is called the Supporter, because the body, the senses, Manas and Buddhi — which aggregate together to serve the purposes of some one else, viz,y the Intelligent Self, and which are, or which convey, mere reflections of the Intelligence — are what they are, only as made by that Intelligent Self. Enjoyer (Bhoktn) : The Self is the enjoyer because by the Self who is * nitya-chaitanya- svartipa', i, e,y whose inherent nature is eternal intelli- gence, just as heat is the inherent nature of fire, are clearly perceived, in their mutual relations, all states of mind (buddhe/j-pratyay^/j), constituted of pleasure, pain and delu- sion, which, as they come into being, are permeated as it were by the intelligent Self. The Great Lord : As one with the whole universe and independent of all. He is the Great One as well as the Lord.
The Supreme 5<?// (Paramatman) : the Self who has been defined as the Spectator, etc., is Supreme, because He is superior to all those th'ngs — from the physical body up to the Avyakta — which are through ignorance mistaken for the Inner Self. Whence He is spoken of as *Paramatman' in the 5ruti also. — Where is He ? — Purusha, who transcends the Avyakta, as will be described hereafter in xv. 17, is here in this body.
The Self treated of in xiii. 2 has been described at length, and the subject has been concluded. As to him who knows the Self thus described :
324 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XIII,
is not born again.
He who knows Purusha in the manner mentioned above,* i.e., he who directly perceives Him as his very Self, * This I am,* he who knows Praknti or AvidyS. described above t with all its modifications, i. e., he who knows the Praknti as resolved into nothing (abh^va) by vidyd or knowledge, — whatever life he may lead, {i. e.y whether he is engaged in the prescribed duties or forbidden acts), he is not born again ; that is, he will not have to put on another body on the death of this, i, e., at the end of the birth in which he has attained wisdom. How much more so the wise man who stands firm in the path of duty.
(Objection) : — What acts are neutralised by knowledge ? — Absence of rebirth subsequent to the attainment of know- ledge has indeed been taught here. But, inasmuch as it is not right (to suppose) the annihilation, before producing their respective effects, of those acts which were done (in the present birth) before the attainment of knowledge or of those acts which may be done thereafter, or of those which had been done in the many past births, there should be at least three (more) births ; for it is not right to suppose the ann hilatlon of these acts any more than to suppose the annihilation of the deeds whose fruits are being reaped in the present birth. And we see no distinction between (these two groups of) acts J. Accordingly, the three clasess of acts
• As the basic Reality underlying knowledge, so that there is no force In all manifestations such as Jiva, /svara, the possible argument that the acts which and so on.— A. can be neutralised by knowledge are
+ , . , , i„j^fi„„ui^ those which have not yet begun their
As beginningless, as indefinable ^ **
, , , , » ,. £11-1 eflfects, not those which have already be-
(anirvkchya), as the source of all evil. — •'
• gun their effects by way of generating the
J As all acts alike result from ajndna* ^ ^' '
(hey mu§t all allHe be neutralised by
•^30
will give rise to three births ; or all of them combining together will give rise to a single birth. Otherwise, the possibility of annihilation of what has been done would lead to uncertainty everywhere, and the s&stra (all scriptural injunctions) would become useless. Wherefore it is not right to say that * he is not born again.'
(Answer) : — No, (it is right), as the following passages of the sruti show :
* His deeds perish.' — (Mund. Up. 2-2-8.)
* He who knows Brahman, becomes Brahman It- self.'— {Ibid.y 3-2-9).
* For him there is only delay so long as he is not delivered ( from the present body ), — ( Chh^nd. Up. 6-14-2).
* As the soft fibres of the ishlk4 reed are burnt in the fire, so all his actions are burnt.' — {Ibid., 5-24-3).
Consumption of all acts has been taught here also in iv. 37 and will be taught also hereafter.* And this also stands to reason ; for, only those acts which spring from avidya (nescience), from desire (k^ma) and such other affections, which are the seeds t of all evil, can cause future births ; and it has also been stated by the Lord here and there in the GltsL that those actions which are accompanied with
• In xvili. 66. the Lord teaches Arjuna to abandon all Dharmas, thus showing that knowledge consumes all actions — A.
t These seeds of evil, termed klesas are avidyi, asmit^, raga, dvesha, and abhi- nivesa. Only those acts of dharma and adharma which are occasioned by these klesas can bring about incarnate exist- ence, But as to the acts of si wise man,
their seeds have been fried in know- ledge ; those acts are said to exist only in so far as they present themselves to his consciousness, pratltim&tradeh&h. Being karmdbh&sas, mere semblances of karma,they lare not elective causes and cannot bring about births ; a burnt cloth, for instance, cannot serve the purposes of a cloth— A,
326 The bhagavad-gItA [Dis. XI I L
egotism and desire — but not other actions — ^are productive
of results. It is also said elsewhere,
i* As the fire-burnt seeds do not sprout again, so the body cannot be formed again by wisdom-burnt affec- tions.**
{Objection) : — Granted that knowledge consumes acts done subsequently to the attainment of knowledge, inasmuch as they are accompanied with knowledge ; but it is not possi- ble to explain how it can consume acts done in this life before the attainment of knowledge, and those done in the several past births.
(Answer) : — Do not say so, because of the qualification * all acts ' (iv. 37).
(Objection) : — It m'ay mean all those acts only which are done subsequently to the attainment of knowledge.
(Answer) : — No, for, there is no reason for the limitation.
Now as regards the contention that just as the actions which have begun their effects by way of bringing about the present birth do not perish in spite of knowledge, so also even those acts which have not yet begun to produce their eflfects cannot perish, (we say) it is wrong. — How ? — For, the former have, like an arrow discharged, begun their effects. Just as an arrow once discharged from a bow at an aim does not, even after piercing through the aim, cease to act till it drops down on the exhaustion of the whole force with which it was propelled,* so also, though the purpose
♦ i. e., provided its action is not checked arises with its power checked by that
by some overpowering obstacle in the karma, as the latter has already began
way. And Self-knowledge is no such to operate. Accordingly, the effects of the
obstacle in the way of the karma which prdrabdha-karma should be worked out
has bsought about the present birth ; for, in full.— A. even while that knowledge arises, it
25-24.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 3^7
of the bodily existence has been gained, the effects of actions which have produced the body continue as before till the exhaustion of their inherent energy. (On the other hand), just as the same arrow when not yet propelled with the energy which is the cause of its activity, i. e.y when not discharged, can be withdrawn, though already fixed in the bow, so also, the acts which have not yet begun their effects, which only abide in their own seat,* can be neutra- lised by the knowledge of truth. Thus it is but right to say that when the body of a wise man perishes < he is not born again.'
The four paths to Self-knowledge.
Now, there are several paths to Self-knowledge, and they are mentioned here as follows :
24. By meditation some behold the Self in the self by the self, others by SAnkhya-Yoga, and others by Karma- Yoga.
Meditation ( Dhy^na ) consists in withdrawing by con- centration hearing and other senses into the Manas away from sound and other sense-objects, then withdrawing Manas into the Inner Intelligence, and then contemplating (that Inner Intelligence). Hence the comparison, " thei crane meditates as it were ; the earth meditates as it were
the mountains meditate as it were" (Chh&, Up. 7-6-1)
Dhy&na is a continuous and unbroken thought like a line of flowing oil. By meditation the Yogins behold + the Self,
* Sv^raya, sabhdsa - antaA - karawa, t These Yogins, who are of the highest *'. e., the inner sense or Manas contain- class of aspirants (uttam4dhik4rins) be- ing the reflection of Spiritual IntelH- hold the Self, by meditation, to be identi* gence. — A. cal with the Param4tman.— A.
238 THE BHAGAVAD-GlTA. [DiS. XIII.
the Inner Intelligence, in the self (Buddhi) by the self, by their own intelligence, i. e., by the antaA-kara«a refined by Phy&na. — Sankhya consists in thinking thus : * these, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, are Gu»as, Atman is the witness of their acts, eternal, and distinct from the Guwas.' By Sinkhya- Yoga * some t behold the Self in the self by the self. — Karma is Yoga J, i,e,y that Karma or action which is per- formed in the service of the Lord (Isvara). Such a course of action is Yoga — only by a figure of speech — inasmuch as it leads to Yoga. Some § behold the Self by this Yoga of action, which, causing purity of the mind (sattva), gives rise to knowledge.
25. Yet others, not knowing thus, worship, having heard from others ; they, too, cross beyond death, adhering to what they heard.
But there are yet others, who, not able to know the Self described above by any one of the several methods already pointed out, learn from others, from ^.ch^ryas or teachers who tell them ** Do thou thus meditate upon this"; they then engage in worship, u ^., they contemplate the idea in full faith. Even they cross beyond death, i.^., beyond sawsara which is associated with death— even they whose best equipment when commencing to tread the path of moksha consists in what they have heard, u e,, who solely depend upon the authority of other's instructions and are
-k S4nkhya is knowledge got through X As causing purity of mind. Karma
Intellectual investigation (vichara). As leads to Yoga, to the concentration of
leading to Yoga, it is spoken of as Yoga mind.— A.
|. j£ ^ § These are the lowest class of aspir-
t These are the aspirants of the middl- ing class (madhyamadhikarins). — A.
ants. — A
24-26] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 329
themselves ignorant. How much more so, then, those who can independently appreciate evidence and discriminate.
Nothing: exists outside the Self.
The knowledge of the identity of Kshetrajfia with the Isvara — of the individual soul with the Lord — as taught in xiii. 2 has been spoken of in xiii. 12 as the means to moksha. — For what reason is it so ? — The Lord proceeds to explain the reason.
For,
26. Whatever being is born, the unmoving or the moving, know thou, O best of the Bharatas, that to be owing to the union of Kshetra and Kshetrajfia.*
{Ohjectiov): — Of what sort is this union of Kshetra and Kshetrajna meant to he ? The union of Kshetrajfia with Kshetra cannot certainly be a relation through contact (sa;;/yoga) of each other'^ parts, as between a rope and a vessel, inasmuch as Kshetrajua is, like the akasa, without parts. Nor can it be of the nature of samavilya or insepar- able inherence, inasmuch as it cannot be admitted that Kshetra and Kshetrajua are related to each other as cause and effect.
{Answer) : — The union between Kshetra and Kshetrajua, between the object and the subject, which are opposed to each other in nature, is of the nature of mutual adhyisa ; i.c^ it consists in confounding them as well as their attributes with each other owung to the absence of a discrimination between the nature of Kshetra and that of Kshetrajfia, like
* EverythinR is born of the union of wh3 is one with the Paramitman ; there- Kshetra and Ksheirajna; there exists no foreknowledge of thit unity .alone can being whatever apart from Kshctraj/ta lead to nipksha.— A.
330 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis, XIIL
the union of a rope and a mother-of-pearl respectively with a snake and silver when they are mistaken the one for the other owing to the absence of discrimination. The union of Kshetra and Kshetrajiia which is of the nature of adhyisa — which consists in confounding the one with the other — is a sort of illusion (mithyajudna) ; and this illusion vanishes — because of its opposition to the right knowledge — when a man attains to a knowledge of the distinction between Kshetra and Kshetrajua as defined in the s&stra, when he is able to separate Kshetrajiia from Kshetra like the ishikd reed from the muiija-grass and to realise that Brahman, the Knowable, which is devoid of all up&dhis as described in the words ** It is not said to be existent or non-existent " (xiii. 12) is his own Self, when he is convinced that, like the elephants and palaces projected by a juggler's art, or like a thing seen in a dream, or like a gandharva- nagara (an imaginary city in the sky), Kshetra is non- existent and only appears to be existent. As the cause of birth has vanished in the case of such a man, it stands to reason that the wise man is not born again (xiii. 23).
The one Self in all.
It has been said (xiii. 23) that the effect of right know- ledge is the cessation of births through the removal of avidyd (nescience) and the like '•' which form the seed of sawsara. It has also been said that the cause of birth is the union of Kshetra and Kshetrajiia caused by avidy&. Therefore, the right knowledge which alone can remove avidy^, though already described, will again be described in other words as follows :
♦ t. «., effects (samsk&ra) of avidyS— A.
■ 1
26-27.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 33 1
remaining the same in all beings, the undying in the dying.
The Supreme Lord exists, without any difference, in all living beings, from Brahma down to the unmoving object (sthavara). He is the Lord Supreme as compared with the body, senses, Manas, Buddhi, the Avyakta (the unmanifest- ed, i, e,, the causal body, the kd,rawa-5arira, avidy^) and the individual soul (Atman, Jiva). All living beings are perish- able while the Supreme Lord is imperishable. Thus there is a great disparity between the Supreme Lord and the created beings. For, of all changing states of a being (bh&va-vik^ras), the change of state called birth is the root; all the other changes ending with destruction occur subse- quently to birth. There can be no change of state subse- quent to destruction, since the object itself does not exist. Attributes can exist only when the substance exists. Where- fore, the denial of the final change of state comprehends the denial of all the preceding changes as well as their effects. Thus it may be seen that the Supreme Lord is quite unlike all beings and that He is one and immutable in all. He sees (rightly) who sees the Supreme Lord as now described.
{Objection) : — The whole world sees ; why this one in particular ?
{Answer) : — True, the world sees; but it sees erroneously. Hence the particularisation * he alone sees.* A man whose eye is affected with timira sees more moons than one ; and with reference to him, he who sees one moon may be specified thus, * he alone sees.' Similarly here, he who sees the one undivided Self as described above is distinguished — from those who erroneously see many distinct selfs — ix\
3}a
THE BHAGAVAD-gITA.
[Dis. XIIL
the words * he alone sees.* Others, though seeing, yet do not see, inasmuch as they see erroneously like those who see more moons than one.
Knowledge of the one Self leads to moksha.
To praise the Right Knowledge described above by way of stating its results the Lord* proceeds as follows :
28. Because he who sees the Lord, seated the same everywhere, destroys not the self by the self, therefore he reaches the Supreme Goal.
He who realises that the Isvara described in the last preced- ing verse is the same — i. e., he who sees that He dwells in all creatures alike — destroys not his 'own self by himself. Because he does not destroy the self, he reaches the Supreme Goal, he attains moksha."''
(Objection) : — No living being whatever destroys itself by itself. Where then is the necessity for the denial ** He destroys not the self by the self," any more than for the prohibition + ** fire should be consecrated not on earth, not in the sky, not in heaven " (Tait. Saw. 5-2-7) ?
(Answer) : — This objection does not apply here ; for, the necessity may be explained on the ground that ignorant men are guilty of ignoring the Self. An ignorant man
♦ Knowledge destroys ignorance, and with it all evil is destroyed. On the destruction of nescience ( aj«&na ) and false knowledge ( mithyd-jwana ), the two veils that have hidden the true nature of the Self, the sage attains the highest goal, the highest end of man, the Supreme Bliss (Paramananda^. — A.
+ The prohibition of the construction of the altar on Earth has a meaning, be-
cause it is possible to erect one on earth. But the prohibition of the construction of altars in the sky and in the heaven has no meaning, as there is no occasion for the procedure. It has been therefore determined that the prohibition in this latter case should not be understood literally. Similarly we cannot under- stand the denial here litcr?lly. — .\.
27-29.] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 33J.
ignores the Self who is quite manifest to all, self-manifested, and directly visible, and he regards the not-Self (physical body, etc.) as himself. Having performed good and evil works (dharma and a-dharma), he kills even this self (the physical body, etc.) which he had accepted and accepts another new self ; he kills this again and accepts another, and so on ; thus he goes on killing every new self that he- has accepted. An ignorant man is, accordingly, a slayer of the self. Even the real Self is always killed by avidya, inasmuch as there is no perceptible effect of His existence. Thus, all ignorant men are but the slayers of the self. He who, on the other hand, sees the. Self as described above, kills not self by self in either of the ways shown above. Wherefore, he reaches the supreme goal ; he reaps the fruit spoken of above.
Prakriti acts, not the Self.
It has been said that he who sees the Lord (the Self) remaining the same in every being destroys not the self by the self. This may be objected to on the ground that there are many selfs, differentiated by differences in their respective deeds (karma) and qualities. To remove this objection the Lord says :
Praknti is the Lord's M^ya composed of the three guwas. So the Mantra reads,
" Let him know that M^ya is the Praknti and that the Great Lord is the possessor of M^yd. — (Svetasva- tara-Up. 4-10.)
By Praknti, — i. e., MAya, the 5akti or inherent energy
THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.
[DiS. XIII,
of the Lord, not the other, i. e., not the (Pradhina, the self-existent) Prakriti (of the S^nkhyas) described as trans- forming Itself into causes and effects such as the Mahat, — are done all sorts of actions, whether done in speech, thought, or deed. He sees, who realises this truth and also the truth that the Self (Kshetrajna) is devoid of all up&dhis or conditions ; — i, ^., he sees the supreme truth. There is no evidence to show that there is any variety in Him who is non-agent, unconditioned, and free from all specialities, just as there is no variety in the dkkssi.
The Self is the source and the abode of all.
The same Right Knowledge is again expounded in other words : *
30. When a man realises the whole variety of beings as resting in the One, and as an evolution from that (One) alone, then he becomes Brahman.
When, in accordance with the teachings of the sistraand of the teacher, he sees that all the various classes of beings abide in the One, in the Self, i, ^., when he intuitively realises that all that we perceive is only the Selff, and when he further sees that the origin, the evolution, (of all) is from that One, the Self, — as stated in the passage ** From the Self is life, from the Self is desire, from the Self is love, from
♦ With a view to prevent the supposi- tion that Pralcriti and its modifications are quite distinct from Purusha, quite external to him, as the Sinkhyas say— A.
+ To explain : on seeing that the whole universe of being in all its variety, from Prakriti down to the ultimate particulars (visesha), is evolved from the Self, has derived its being from the Self, he
reatisss the essential unity of the universe with the Self. To realise this unity, one must merge ths Prakriti also in unity with the Self; for it is not possible to merge the universe of forms in unity with the pure Self except by merging also the Prakriti. the root of th3 whole universe, in the Self.— A.
29-31 •] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 335
the Self is kkksa, from the Self is light, from the Self are waters, from the Self is manifestation and disappearance, from the Self is food." ( Chhd. Up. 7-26-1 ) — then he becomes Brahman indeed.*
The Self Is unaffected by the fruits of acts.
If the one Self be the Self in all the bodies, then He must be necessarily affected by their defects. To avoid this conclusion it is said :
31. Having no beginning, having no qualities, this Supreme Self, imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O son of Kuntt, neither acts nor is tainted.
The Self has no beginning, no cause. That which has a cause perishes by itself, whereas This(Self) does not perish, because, as having no cause, He is without parts. Further, He doss not perish because He is without qualities; for that which has qualities perishes by loss of qualities ; whereas the Self does not perish, because He is devoid of qualities. Thus the Supreme Self is imperishable. He suffers no destruction. Therefore, though dwelling in the body, — the Self is said to dwell in the body because the Self is manifested in the body, — yet He does not act. Because He does not act, He is not affected by the results of acts. The meaning is this : — He that is an agent is affected by the fruit of the act ; but this (the Self) is a non- agent and is therefore not tainted by the fruit of action.
( Objection ) : — Who, then, in the bodies acts and is tainted ? If, on the one hand, an embodied self, distinct
ir That is to say, he realises the all- as the cause of all limitation has been pervsiding nature of the Self, inasmuch absorbed Into unity with Self.— A.
336 THE BHAGAVAD-GirA. [DiS. XIII.
from the Supreme Self, acts and is tainted, then the identi- ty of Kshetrajua with the Isvara spoken of in such places as xiii. 2 would be inexplicable. If, on the other hand, there be no embodied self distinct from the Isvara, then tell me who acts ajid is tainted : or say that the Isvara is not Supreme."^' On the ground that the doctrine of the Upanishads taught by the Lord is thus in every way diffi- cult to understand and difficult to explain, it has been abandoned by the Vaiseshikas, as well as by the S^nkhyas, the Arhatas, and the Buddhists.
(Answer): — As regards this objection,, the following answer f has been afforded by the Lord Himself. — ** It is Nature that acts " (xiii. 2), The idea that there is one who acts and is tainted is a mere illusion (avidy&) and nothing else. Action does not really exist in the Supreme Self. It has, for tliis very reason, been pointed out by the Lord here and there that there is no necessity of performing works (karma) for those devotees of Wisdom, for the order of Paramahawsa-ParivrAjakas, who adhere to this doctrine of Supreme Truth ( Paramartha-Sankhya-darsana ) and have risen above avidyd and vyavahaYa^ nescience and all experience (due to avidyd).
Like what does He not act, like what is he not tainted? — Here follows the illustration :
subtletyt, never soiled, so the Self seated in the
body everywhere is not soiled.
rjf If the /svara be the doer and c.ijoyer, Him by avidyd. Therefore the Lord's
He is no longer the /svara, any more teaching should be accepted as true.— A
than ourselves. — A. t Because <ik4sa is so subtle that it
+ The answer is this : The Supreme is pervades all without obstruction, it is
in reality neither the doer nor the enjoyer. not at all affected by mire, etc., which It
Agency and enjoyment arc attributed to pervades.— A.
3^2-34«] MATTER AND SPIRIT. 337
The Self illumines all.
Moreover,*
33. As the one sun illumines all this world, so does the embodied One, O Bh&rata, illumine all bodies.
The embodied one ( Kshetrin ), the Supreme Self (Param^tman), is one and illumines all bodies, the whole material being (Kshetra), from the Avyakta (the unmanifest- ed material cause of the universe) down to the unmoving objects, from the * Great Elements ' down to * firmness * (xiii. 5-6), — The illustration by means of the sun serves here a double purpose with reference to the Self, — showing that, like the sun, the Self is One only in all bodies, and that like the sun, He is unsoiled.
The doctrine summed up.
The teaching of the whole discourse is concluded as follows :
34. They who by the eye of wisdom perceive the distinction between Kshetra and Kshetrajna, and the dissolution of the Cause of beings, — they go to the Supreme.
They who in this manner perceive the exact distinction, now pointed out, between Kshetra and Kshetrajna, by the eye of wisdom, by means of that knowledge of the Self
it The Lord proceeds to show that the affected by the attributes ot the cognis- Salf, bsing the cogniser, cannot be ed.— A.
^3
338 THE BHAGAvAD-gItA. [DiS, XIII.
which has been generated by the teachings of the slistra and the master (Ach^rya), and who also perceive the non- existence of Praknti, Avidy^, Avyakta, the material cause of beings, — they reach Brahman, the Real, the Supreme Self, and assume no more bodies.
The subject of the discour^.
It has been said that all that is born is produced by the conjunction of Kshetra and Kshetrajiia.— How can it be so ? — The present discourse is intended as an answer to this question.
Or the connection may be explained thus ; With a view to show that it is Kshetra and Kshetrajiia, both dependent on the tsvara, — but not independent in themselves as the Sankhyas hold, — that constitute the cause of the universe, it has been stated that the dwelling (of the Kshetrajiia) in the Kshetra {i, c, his self- identification with Kshetra) and his attachment for the Guwas form the cause of sawsara (xiii. 2i). — In what Guwas and in what way is He attached? What are the Guwas ? How do they bind him ? How is liberation from the Guwas attained ? What are the cha- racteristics of a liberated soul? — With a view to answer these questions, the Lord proceeds as follows :
[Knowled^re of the orison of the universe is necessary for Salvation.
The Blessed Lord said :
I, I shall again declare that sublime knowledge, the best of all knowledges; which having learnt, all the sages have passed to high perfection from here.
Though decl?^re4 mQre than once m the precediag dis-
340 THE bhagavad-gItA [Dis. XIV*
courses, I shall again declare that knowledge which is sublime as concerning itself with the Supreme Beinjy, and which is the best of all knowledges'as productive of the best result. * All knowledges * does not refer to those which have been spoken of as knowledge in the verses xiii. 7-10, but to those kinds of knowledge which relate to sacrifices and other such things to be known. These (latter kinds of knowledge) do not lead to salvation, whereas the knowledge which is going to be imparted in this discourse does lead to salva- tion. So, the Lord praises this latter knowledge by the epithets * sublime * and * best,' in order to rouse interest in the minds of the hearers. And having learnt this know- ledge, all the sages (munis) — the sawnyHsins, those who are devoted to contemplation (manana) — have passed from here — from this bondage of the body — to high perfection, known as moksha or liberation. |
The Lord now proceeds to declare that this knowledge unfailingly leads to perfection :
f . They who, having resorted to this knowledge, have attained to unity with Me, are neither born in the creation, nor disturbed in the dissolution.
* Unity' (s^dharmya) here means 'identity.' It does not mean * equality in attributes,' since in the GltA-sistra no distinction is made between the tsvara and the Kshetrajua. And a declaration of the (true main) end (of knowledge) is here necessary to praise the knowledge.* They who, having resorted to this knowledge, — i, e,, having practised the
♦ If equality were meant here, then it dhy&na, not that of knowledge, of which would only be a statement of the fruit of the Lord is here speaking.— A.
1-4.] THE THREE GUNAS. 34I
necessary means whereby to attain that knowledge, — have attamed to identity with Me, the Supreme Lord, are neither bom at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution ; i . ^., they are not affected even at the time of Brahma's dissolution.
Evolution of the universe from tlie union of
Spirit and Matter.
The Lord now proceeds to explain what sort of conjunc- tion of Kshetra and Kshetrajna is the cause of all beings:
3, My womb is the great Brahman ; in that I place the germ ; thence, O Bhirata, is the birth of all beings.
My womh : My own Praknti, — i, ^., the Praknti which belongs to Me, the M&ydi made up of the three Guwas, the material cause of all beings. This Praknti is spoken of as great because it is greater than all effects ; and as the source and nourishing energy of all Its modifications, It is termed Brahman. In that Great Brahman I place the germ, the seed of the birth of the Hirawyagarbha, the seed which gives birth to all beings. I who am possessed of the two potencies (5aktis), the two Prakntis of Kshetra and the Kshetrajna, unite the Kshetrajna with Kshetra, the Kshetrajna conforming Himself to the up^dhis of avidya (nescience), k^ma (desire), and karma (action). This act of impregnation gives rise to the birth of all beings through the birth of the Hirawyagarbha.
4. Whatever forms are produced, O son of Kuntl, in any wombs whatsoever, the Great Brahman is their womb, I the seed-giving Father.
342 THE bhagavad-gItA, [Dis.XIV.
Wombs : such as the Devas, the Pitns, men, cattle, beasts. Forms : such as the bodies which are the condensed aggregations of several parts and limbs. Of these forms, the Great Brahman ( Praknti ) which passes through all states of matter is the cause ; and I, the Isvara, am the Father, the author of impregnation of the seed in the womb.
The ^unas bind the soul.
What are the guwas ? How do they bind ? — The answer follows :
5. Sattva, Kajas, Tamas, — these guwas, O mighty-armed, born of Praknti, bind fast in the body the embodied, the indestructible.
Sattva (goodness), Rajas (vigour, activity, passion ) and Tamas (darkness) — ^thus are the guwas. named. — * Guwa ' is a technical term. It does not mean a property, attribute or quality, such as colour, as opposed to the substance in which it is said to inhere.* No separate existence of a guwa and a guwin — of an attribute and a substance — is [meant here. Accordingly, the guwas here meant are so called because, like the attributes of substances, they are ever dependent on another, namely, the Kshetrajwa, as they are only forms of avidy^ or nescience ; and they bind fast as it were the Kshetrajwa. They are said to bind Kshetrajna because they come into being with Kshetrajwa as the basis of their existence. Bom of the Lord's MayS., they bind fast as it
* These Gunas are the primary const!- be said to be qualities inhering in thes« tuents of the Prakriti and are the bases substances. — A, pf all substances ; theycaiuiot therefor^
4-6,3 THE THREE GUNAS. 343
were in the body the embodied* one, the indestructible Self.t That the Self is indestructible has been shown in xiii. 31. Mighty-armed : with powerful arms reaching down to the knees.
{Objection) : — It has been said that the embodied one is not tainted (xiii. 31). How then, on the contrary, is it said here that the guwas bind him ?
{Answer) : — We have met this objection by adding * as it were ' , * they bind him as it were'
The nature and functions of the ^unas.
Of these three guwas, Sattva is thus defined :
6. Of these, Sattva, which, from its stainless- ness, is lucid and healthy, binds by attachment to happiness and by attachment to knowledge, O sinless one.
It is stainless like a pebble-stone, and therefore lucid and healthy. t Sattva binds the Self by making Him think * I am happy ; * — it binds Him by causing in Him attach- ment to happiness §, by bringing about a union of the sub- ject, (the Self,) with the object, (happiness). It makes Him think, ** Happiness has accrued to me.*' This attachment to happiness is an illusion ; it is avidy^. An attribute of the object cannot indeed belong to the subject; and it has
it Him who identifies himself with the reflect Consciousness ; healthy, because
body— A. it is so pure as to perfectly mirror the
+ They make it appear that the Self Spiritual Bliss.— A.
undergoes all the changes that take place § The happiness and knowledge here
in them. — A. spoken of are those modifications of the
t It is stainless, because it is able to Sattva in which ^ tman's inherent happi-
ward ofi all veiling ; lucid, as able to ness and consciousness are manitested.-A
344 '^^^ bhagavad-gItA. [Dis.XIV.
been said by the Lord that all the qualities from * desire ' to
* courage ' (xiii. 6) are all attributes of Kshetra (matter), the object. Thus it is through avidyd alone — which forms an attribute (dharma) of the Self as the non-discrimina- tion .between the object and the subject, — that Sattva causes the Self to be attached as it were to happiness which is not His own, causes Him, who is free from all attachment, to be engrossed as it were in happiness ; causes to feel happy as it were Him who does not possess the happi- ness. Similarly, Sattva binds the Self by attachment to knowledge. From its mention here along with * happiness,'
* knowledge ' meant here must be an attribute of the antaA- karawa — of the Kshetra (matter), of the Object^ — not of the Self; for if it were an attribute of the Self, it cannot be an attachment and cannot be a bondage. Attachment to knowledge arises in the same way that attachment to happiness arises.
7. Know thou Rajas (to be) of the nature of passion, the source of thirst and attachment ; it binds fast, O son of Kuntl, the embodied one by attachment to action.
Rajas is of the nature of passion, coloring (the soul) like a piece of red chalk, &c. Know it to be that from which arise thirst and attachment, — thirst after what has not been attained, attachment or mental adherence to what has been attained. It binds fast the embodied Self by attachment to action, by making Him attached to actions productive of visible and invisible results "•''
* Though the self is not the agent, the doer.'— A Rajas makes Him act with the idea ' I am
6-IO.] THE THREE GUNAS. J4.5
8. But, know thou Tamas to be born of un- wisdom, deluding all embodied beings ; by heed- lessness, indolence and sloth, it binds fast, O Bhdrata.
The third gu«a, Taftuis, causes delusion or non-discrimi- nation.
Again the action of the gunas is briefly described as follows :
9. Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to ac- tion, O Bharata, while Tamas, enshrouding wis- dom, attaches, on the contrary, to heedlessness.
Tamas, by its very nature as a veil, covers the judgment caused by Sattva and attaches one to heedlessness, ». ^., to the non- performance of necessary duties.
The mutual action of the sfunas.
When do the guwas produce the effects described above ?* — The answer follows :
10. Sattva arises, 0 Bharata, predominating over Rajas and Tamas ; and Rajas, over Sattva and Tamas ; so Tamas, over Sattva and Rajas.
When Sattva increases, predominating over both Rajas and Tamas, then, asserting itself, Sattva produces its own effect, knowledge and happiness. Similarly, when the gu»a of Rajas increases, predominating over both Sattva and Tamas, then it gives rise to its own effect, viz,, action such as husbandry. Similarly, when the gu«a called
• The question is : Do they produce case, do they act in mutual concord or their efifects simultaneously, or at difler- discord ?— The answer is that they act at ent times, each in its turn? In the former difterent times, each in its turn.— A.
346 THE bhagavad-gItI. [Dis. XIV.
Tamas increases, predominating over both Sattva and Rajas, then it produces its own eftects, the covering of wisdom, etc.
How to know when a particular ^funa is
predominant.
What is the characteristic mark by which to know when a particular guns, is predominant ? — The answer follov/s :
11. When at every gate in this body there shoots up wisdom-light, then it may be known that Sattva is predominant.
All the senses such as hearing are for the Self the gate- ways of perception. When at all these gates in this body there arises what is called light, illumination (prakisa), — i,e, the presence of antaA-karawa, of buddhi, — then we have what is called knowledge Qnina), When the light of know- ledge thus springs up, than, by that mark of knowledge, it may be known that Sattva is predominant.
The characteristic marks of predominant Rajas are these :
12. Greed, activity, the undertaking of works, unrest, desire, — these arise when Rajas is predomi- nant, O lord of the Bharatas.
Greed : a desire to appropriate the property of another. Activity : action in general. Unrest : giving vent to joy, attachment &c. Desire : thirst after all things in general. These are the characteristic marks seen when Rajas is predominant.
13. Darkness, heedlessness, inertness, and error, — these arise when Tamas is predominant, O descendant of Kuru.
I0-l6] THE THREE GUNAS. 347
Darkftess : absence of discrimination. Inertness : Extreme inactivity, the result of darkness. Heedlessness and error are also the effects of darkness.
Life after death as governed by the gunas.
Whatever result is obtained after death, — even that is caused by attachment and desire and is all due to the guwas. This is taught as follows :
14. If the embodied one meets death when Sattva is predominant, then he attains to the spot- less regions^ of the know^ers of the Highest.
The embodied one : the Self. The Highest : the Mahat and the like principles (Tattvas).
15. Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those attached to action ; and, dying in Tamas, he is born in the wombs of the irrational.
If he meets death when Rajas is predominant, he is born among men, who are attached to action. The irrational : cattle and the like.
Here follows a summary of what has been taught in the preceding verses :
16. The fruit of good action, they say, is S4tt- vic t and pure ; while the fruit of Rajas is pain, and ignorance is the fruit of Tamas.
Good action : Sd.ttvic action. They : the wise. Rajas
• The Brahma-loka and the like, + t. c., brought about by Sattva; devoid
where Rajas and Tamas never predomi- of impurities, such as may arise from
nate, as we are told in the scriptures Rajas and Tamas. — A, (&gamas). — A.
34$ THE BHAGAVAD-GiTl. [DiS. XIV.
means R^jasic action, as this section treats of actions. The fruit of Rajasic actions is only pain, which is R&jasic ; for, the effect should be consonant with the cause. Tamas means TAmasic action, a-dharma or sin.
The functions of the gunas sjummed up.
And what arises from the gu»as ?
1 7. From Sattva arises wisdom, and greed from Rajas ; heedlessness and error arise from Tamas, and also ignorance.
From Sattva ; When Sattva asserts itself. Moreover,
i8. Those who follow Sattva go upwards ; the R&jasic remain in the middle ; and the Tdmasic, who follow in the course of the lowest gu«a, go downwards.
Those who follow the course of Sattva-guf/a will be born in the region of the Devas or the like. The Rajasic will dwell among men ; The Tamasic — those who follow the course of Tamas, the lowest guwa — will go down, i.^., they will be born in the wombs of cattle and the like creatures.
Realisation of the Self beyond the gunas leads
to immortality.
It has been briefly taught in the preceding discourse that the cause of sa;»sara — of the Purusha*s birth in the wombs of high and low creatures — is the attachment which the Purusha, when under the influence of the illusory know- ledge that leads him to identify himself with Praknti, has for objects of experience, i. ^., for the gu/fgs which assume
lj6«20j THE THREE GUNAS. 349
tiie forms of pleasure, pain and delusion, — the attachment which makes him feel ** I am happy, miserable, deluded.*' The same thing has been described at length here (xiv. 5, et. seq.) : the nature of the guwas, their functions, how they bind by their functions, the destination of the persons enslaved by the functions of the gunas ; all about the cause of bondage rooted in illusion. Now, with a view to teach that moksha accrues from right knowledge, the Lord says :
ig. When the seer beholds not an agent other than the gunas and knows Him who is higher than the guwas, he attains to My being.
When a man is enlightened and realises that there is no agent other than the guwas which transform themselves into the bodies, senses and sense-objects, when he sees that it is the guwas that in all their modifications constitute the agent in all actions ; when he sees Him who is distinct from the gunas, who is the Witness of the guwas and of their functions, then he attains to My being : i, ^., seeing that All is V^sudeva, he becomes V^sudeva.*
Now the Lord proceeds to teach how he attains to it.
•
20, Having crossed beyond these three guwas, which are the source of the body, the embodied one is freed from birth, death, decay and pain, and attains the immortal.
The wise man crosses, while still alive, beyond the three gunas which constitute the up&dhi of Maya t and the
♦ Then his identity with Brahman be- ^.,, , . ,.,, . ,
"^ of Ukyk, the upAdhi, and are the source
comes manifest.-A. ^^ ^j evlU-A, t The three ganas are the constituents
350 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis, XIV.
seed out of which the body is evolved. He is emancipated, while still alive, from birth, death, decay and pain, and attains to immortality : in this way he attains to My being.
The marks of a liberated soul.
When it was said that (the wise man) crosses beyond the guwas and attains to immortality while still alive, Arjuna found an occasion for a question and asked :
Arjuna said :
21. By what marks, O Lord, is he known who has crossed beyond those three guwas ? What is his conduct, and how does he pass beyond those three gunas ?
Having been thus asked by Arjuna as to what are the characteristic marks of one who has crossed beyond the guwas and as to the means of crossing the guwas, the Lord proceeds to answer the two questions. First as to the question * by what marks is he known who has crossed beyond the guwas? ' listen to what follows :
The Blessed Lord said :
22. Light and activity and delusion present, O Panrfava, he hates not, nor longs for them absent.
Light is the effect of Sattva, activity of Rajas, and delusion of Tamas. He does not hate these when present, when they clearly present themselves as objects of consciousnes. It is only in the absence of right knowledge that a man hates them thus : * I have now a Td,masic idea by which I am deluded ; there has arisen in me the R^jasic activity which is painful, and urged on by this Rajas I have fallen from
20-25.] THE THREE GUNAS. 35I
my true nature, and painful is this fall from my true nature ; and the S^ttvic guna, which is luminous, binds me by way of ascribing discrimination to me and causing attachment to happiness.* But the man who has risen above the guwas does not thus hate them when they present themselves to his consciousness. Unlike a man of Sattva (or Rajas or Tamas) who longs for the S5.ttvic (or R^jasic or Tamasic) states which first presented themselves to his consiousness and then disappeared, he who has risen above the gu»as does not long after things which have disappeared. — This is a mark which others cannot perceive ; it serves as a mark for the individual himself, as it can be perceived by himself alone ; no man indeed can perceive the hatred or the desire which presents itself to another man*s consciousness.
The conduct in life of the Liberated one.
Now follows the answer to the question, what is his conduct who has risen above the gunsLS ?
23. He who, seated as a neutral, is not moved by guwas ; who, thinking that guwas act, is firm and moves not ;
Moreover,
24. He to whom pain and pleasure are alike, who dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth and stone and gold are alike, to whom the dear and the undear are alike, who is a man of wisdom, to whom censure and praise are same ;
The Self-knowing sawny^sin, like a neutral man who inclines to neither party,* treads firmly the path t by which
♦ This is to illustrate how the Self- himself as the doer of actions and does knower, in virtue of his knowledge of the not engage in any action. — A. immutability of the Self, ceases to regard f This path is Self-knowledge.— A.
35^ tHE BHAGAVAD-Gixi. [DiS, XlV.
he seeks to rise above the gu»as ; he does not swerve from the state of discrimination. This is made clearer by what follows next : the gu»as transforming themselves into the body, senses and sense-objects, act and react upon each other. Thus thinking, he remains unshaken, «. e., he remains in his own true nature. — There is another reading which makes this part mean " thus thinking, he acts.*" Who dwells in the Self: who is calm.
Moreover,
same towards friends and enemies, abandoning all
undertakings, — he is said to have crossed beyond
the guwas.
The same : unaffected. Though neutral from their own standpoint, some appear to others as if they were on the side of friends or on the side of foes ; but this man appears to be same to friends and foes. He renounces all actions, pro- ductive of visible and invisible results, except those which are necessary for the bare maintenance of the body.
Devotion to the Lord leads to liberation.
The attributes described in xiv. 23, 24, 25, form a rule of conduct laid down for the sawnyd,sin who seeks moksha, so long as they are to be achieved by effort ; but when they are firmly ingrained in his nature, as may be perceived by himself, they form marks indicating that the devotee has risen above the guwas. t
•k This action is the continuation ot a acquired with special efiort prior to the
mere semblance of action which, he attainment of Self-knowledge (vidya);
knows, does not pertain to him — A. and the aspirant for Self-knowledge
+ These attributes, such as indilier- should therefore cultivate these virtues,
ence to the various modifications and as they are the means of attaining it.
functions of , the gunas. have to be But, on the rise of Self-knowledge, when
^5-27']
The Lord proceeds next to answer the question * How does one pass beyond these three guwas ? '
26. And he who serves Me with unfailing Devotion of Love, he, crossing beyond those three guwas, is fitted for becoming Brahman.
A sawny^sin (yati), or even a man of works (karmin), who serves Me — the tsvara, N^r^iyawa — dwelling in the heart of all beings, with a never-failing Bhakti-Yoga,* in devotion to discriminative knowledge, — this Bhakti- Yoga being indeed the result of the Grace and Mercy of the Lord, — he crosses beyond the three guwas mentioned above and is fit for becoming Brahman, i. e,y for moksha.
Unity of Atman.
How can it be sol ? — Listen :
27. For I am the abode of Brahman, the Im- mortal and the Immutable, the Eternal Dharma, and the unfailing Bliss.
For, in Me, in the Pratyagatman, in the true Inner Self, abides Brahman, the Supreme Self (Param^tman) who is immortal and immutable ; who is the Eternal Dharma, *. e,, who is attainable by the Dharma of JMna-Yoga or wisdom- devotion ; who is the unfailing Bliss, the Supreme Bliss, the Bliss Immortal. Because I, — the Pratyagatman, the
the aspirant becomes a Jivanmukta Cone who is liberated while still living in the body,) all the attributes mentioned here form part and parcel of his nature and serve as marks of liberation which he can perceive for himself. — A.
• Bhakti- Yoga is that Supreme Love ( Parama-preman ) which leads to com- munion with the Supreme. To serve
God in Bhakti- Yoga means to constantly contemplate Him by completely with- drawing the mind from all external objects, from the non-Self. In virtue of the Divine Grace, he is endued with right knowledge. Thus enlightened, he becomes Brahman while still alive. — A.
T i. e., how can the sage be himself Brahman ?
354 THE BHAGAVAD-GlTi. [DiS, XIV*
Immortal Self, — am the abode of the Supreme Self, there- fore by Right Knowledge one sees that the PratyagAtman is the very Supreme Self. It is this truth which has been declared in the preceding verse in the words "he is fitted for becoming Brahman. "
The meaning of the passage may be explained as follows: It is through His tsvara-5akti, — through the power He has to manifest Himself as tsvara or the Lord of the uni- verse,— that Brahman shews His grace to His devotees, and so on. I am only that power or 5akti in manifestation, and am therefore Brahman Himself; for 5akti — power, potentiality, energy — cannot be distinct from the one in whom it inheres.
The verse may also be explained as follows :
By * Brahman,' is here meant the Conditioned Brahman, who alone can be spoken of by suiy such word as * Brah- man.'— I, the Unconditioned and the Unutterable, am the abode of the Conditioned Brahman, who is Immortal and Indestructible. I am^also the abode of the Eternal Dharma of Wisdom- Devotion, and the abode of the unfailing Bliss born of that Devotion.
r^my^
The Tree of Samsara.
Because all living beings are dependent on Me for the fruits of ( their ) actions, and the wise for the fruit of their knowledge, therefore those who serve Me with Bhakti- Yoga (Devotion of Love) cross beyond the gu»as by My Grace, through the attainment of knowledge, and attain liberation (moksha) ; much more so those who rightly understand the real nature of the Self. Wherefore the Lord proceeds in the present discourse to teach the real nature of the Self, though unasked by Arjuna,
First he describes the nature of sawsdra or mundane existence by a figurative representation as a tree* in order to produce vair&gya or absence of all attachment. For, he alone who is free from all attachment, and no other person, is fit for attaining the knowledge of the real nature of the Lord.
The Blessed Lord said : I. They speak of the ilidestructible Asvattha having its root above and branches below, whose leaves are the metres. He who knows it knows the Vedas.
As Brahman with May4 1 or the unmanifested potentia- lity is subtle in point of time, as He is the Cause J, as He
♦ Samsira is represented as a tree be- J This is to shew how Brahman is
cause it can be cut oft lilce a tree.— A. " subtle in point of time." Brahman is
§ Brahman who is KiUastha (immutable) the Cause because He is the invariable
cannot by Himself be tbe cause.— A,j antecedent of all efiects.— A«
356 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XV.
is eternal, as He is great, He is spoken of as the One above. The One above is the root of this Tree of Sawsara, which is therefore said to have its root above. The 5ruti says:
" With root above and branches below, this Asvarttha is eternal." (Ka^ha-Up. 3-2-1).
In the Pur&wa also it is said :
" The root from which the Eternal Tree of Brahman*
has sprung is the Avyakta, the Unmanifested. It has
developed by the strength of the same (Avyakta). Its
trunk is Buddhi, the sense-apertures Its hollows, the
jgreat elements Its boughs, the sense-objects Its leaves
and branches, dharma and a-dharma Its fair blossoms,
pleasure and pain Its fruits affording livelihood to all
creatures. And this is the resort i of Brahman (the
Highest Self), and that Highest Self is (the essence) of
that Tree of Brahman. Having cut asunder and split
the Tree with the mighty sword of knowledge J and
then attained to the Bliss of the Self, none comes back
from there again."
They speak of the illusory sawsira as a tree rooted above.
The Mahat, the Ahawkara ( Egoism ), the Tanm6.tras (the
Elemental Essences), etc, are its branches as it were, and
these extend downwards ; whence the Tree is said to have
its branches below. They call this tree * Asvattha ' because
* i. <5., the Tree occupied, presided Tree of samsara ; for, this infinite uni-
over, led, governed, guided, by Brah- verse has its basis in Brahnian and in
man. It is said to be eternal becauss it nothing else. It is indeed Brahman Him-
cannot be cut except by knowledge.— A. self that, owing to avidy&, manifests
t It is in this Tree of samsira that Brah- Himself in the form of this universe.— A. man abides.— This portion is interpreted J The knowledge " I am Brahman,"— A, ^o mean " Brahman is the resort of this
1-2.] THE SUPREME SPIRIT. 357
it will not abide the same even till tomorrow, because it undergoes destruction every moment. The illusion (Md,y§,) of saws^ra having existed in time without beginning, they say that this Tree of sawsara is eternal ; for, it rests, as is well known, on a continuous series of births which is without beginning or end and is thus eternal. The Tree of Sawsara is further qualified thus: The metres ( chhandases ) are its leaves as it were ; they are so called because, like leaves, the metres ( Vedas ) such as i?ik, Yajus and Sd,man protect (* chhad ' to cover) the Tree of Sawsara. Just as the leaves of a tree serve to protect the tree, so do the Vedas * serve to protect the Tree of Saws^ra, as treating of dharma ( merit ) and a-dharma (demerit), with their causes and fruits. He who knows the Tree of Sawsara and its Root as described above is a knower of the Teaching of the Vedas. Indeed nothing else, not even an iota, remains to be known beyond this Tree of Sawsdra and its Root. He who knows It is therefore omni- scient.—This i$ to extol the knowledge of the Tree of Saw- s^ra and its Root.
Now follows another figurative representation of the members of this Tree of Sawsara.
2. Below and above are its branches spread, nourished by the guwas, sense-objects its buds; and below in the world of man stretch forth the roots ending in action.
From man down to unmoving objects below, and from him up to the abode of Brahma, the Creator of the Uni-
-k The ritualistic sections of the Veda of the soul ; they protect sawsira by tres^t of the path of ascept j^nd descend concealing Its defects.— A,
358 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XV.
verse, whatever r^ons are attained as the suitable reward of knowledge and action, — each varying according to the character of knowledge or of action, — they are the spread- ing branches as it were of that Tree ; they are nourished and fattened by the gu»as of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, which form their material basis (upid^na). The sense- objects such as sound are the buds, as it were, sprouting from the branches of the physical and other bodies which are the result of actions. — The Highest Root of the Tree of Sa^^sdra has been mentioned already, and now will be mentioned the secondary roots as it were (of the uni- verse), as leading to acts of dharma or a-dharma: viz,, the latent impressions (v^san6.s) of the feelings of attachment and aversion, etc., which were caused by the fruits of ac- tions. These roots are spread in this world of man below * — below the regions of Devas and the like — and give rise to acts of dharma and a-dharma, these acts springing up on the up-springing of those vasan^s. Those roots are spread especially in the world of man. It is while here, as is well- known to all, that men concern themselves with action t.
Cut the Tree and seek the Qoal.
And as to the Tree of SawsSira just described,
3. Its form is not perceived as such here, neither its end nor its origin nor its existence. Having cut asunder this iirm-rootcd Asvattha with the strong sword of dispassion,
if i. e., in the linga-sariras of men t That Is to say, It is while in the hu-
these feelings of attachment and aversion man body especially, that one is fit to are constantly present,— A. engagg In action.— A.
whither having gone none return again. " I, seek refuge in that Primeval Purusha whence streamed forth the Ancient Current."
As such : as described above. Its form as such is perceiv- ed by nobody here ; for it is very much like a dream, a mirage, a gandharva-nagara (an imaginary city in the sky) produced by a juggler's art ; indeed, it appears and dis- appears.* It has therefore no finality, no endt. Neither has it a beginning : nobody knows * It has proceeded from this point.' Its existence — i»e,, its nature between the origin and the end — is perceived by nobody. Dispassion : freedom from attachment to children, to wealth, and to the world. Strong : strengthened by a resolute bent of mind towards the Supreme Self and sharpened again and again on the whetstone of the practice of true discrimination. Cut asunder : uprooted the Tree of sawsdra with its seed.
Then the aspirant should seek for and know the abode of Vishwu beyond that Tree. Those who have reached this Goal never return to sawsara. — How is that Goal to be sought after ? — It is sought after thus : " I seek refuge in Him, the Primeval Purusha, " who is spoken of as the Goal ; i, e., He is to be sought for by way of seeking refuge
if One may suppose that the Tree of SawisiUra, constantly kept up as it is by attachment etc., has no beginning and is not liable to destruction in itself, and that it is not even possible for one to cut it asunder. To remove this idea, the Lord says that the Tree of Samsara described above, though not perceived through our sense-organs, should be inferred to be as described above from the teachings of the s&stra (scripture). So it is possible
for one to cut it asunder by means o f knowledge. — A.
T In the absence of knowledge, sams^a has no end, inasmuch as illusion, vasa- nas (latent tendencies acquired in the past) and works give rise to one another, by action and reaction Samsara is firm- rooted ; and one should therefore put forth a very strong effort to uproot it, by re- sorting to renunciation through practice of indifierence. — A.
360 THE bhagavad-gItA [Dis. XV.
in Him. — Who is this Purusha ? — It is that Purusha from whom the emanation of the Tree of illusory Sai«s4ra streamed forth, just as illusory sights (mfi»ya) issue from out of a juggler.
The Path to the Qoal.
What sort of persons reach that Goal ? — Listen ;
5. Free from pride and delusion, with the evil of attachment conquered, ever dwelling in the Self, their desires having completely turned away, liberated from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, the undeluded reach that Goal Eternal.
Dwelling, etc, : constantly engaged in the contemplation of the nature of the Supreme Self. Their desires, etc : they become sawnyisins, all desires having fled without leaving any taint behind. That : described above.
The Qoal is the Lord's Glorious Being:.
That Goal is again specified thus :
6. That, the sun illumines not, nor the moon, nor fire ; That is My Supreme Abode, to which having gone none return.
The sun, though possessed of the power of illumining all, does not illumine that Abode, the Abode of Light. That Abode to which having gone none return, and which the sun and other (luminous bodies) do not illumine, is the Highest Abode of Vish«u.
Jiva is a ray of the Lord.
It has been said *to which having gone none return.* But, as everybody knows, going ultimately leads to returning,
5-7»] THE SUPREME SPIRIT. 361
union to disunion. How can it be said that there is no returning of those who have reached that Abode ?^-Listen ; how that may be is thus explained ;
7. A ray of Myself, the eternal Jtva in the world of Jlvas, attracts the senses, with manas the sixth, abiding in Prakriti.
An integral portion of Myself — of the Supreme Self, of N4r4ya»a, — is the eternal Jlva (individual soul) in saw/s^ra, manifesting himself in every one as the doer and enjoyer. He is like the sun reflected in water ; the reflected sun is but a portion of the real sun ; and on the removal of water the reflected sun returns to the original sun and remains as that very sun. — Or, it is like the ^kasa (space) in the jar, which is limited by the up^dhi of the jar. This kkksa. of the jar is but a portion of the infinite fi/ka^a and becomes one with the latter on the destruction of the jar which is the cause of limitation ; then it returns no more. Thus the statement " to which having gone none return ** is quite explicable.
(Objection) : — How can there be a portion of the Supreme Self who has no parts ? If He has parts. He would be liable to destruction on the separation of parts.
[Amwer) : — Our theory is not open to this objection ; for, it is only a portion limited by the up^dhi sjet. up by avidy^ ; it is a portion as it were, an imaginary portion. This truth was established at length in the thirteenth discourse. *
* It has been shewn there that, as a ParamAtman, that he is identical with matter of fact, Jiva is not a portion of the Supreme Self —A.
362 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XV.
How Jiva dwells in the body and departs from it.
How does the Jiva or individual Soul, who is only an imaginary portion of Myself, live in the world ? Or how does he leave it ?* — Listen : He draws round himself the (five) senses, such as hearing, with the manas, the sixth sense — those six senses which abide in the Praknti, u e,y in their respective seats such as the orifice of the ear.
When ( does he draw them round himself) ?
8. When the Lord acquires a body, and when He leaves it, He takes these and goes, as the wind takes scents from their seats.
When the Jiva, the lord of the aggregate of the body and the rest, is to leave the body, then (he draws round himself the senses and the manas). When he leaves a former body and enters another, he does so, taking these — the (five) senses with the manas the sixth — with him as the wind takes with it the scents of flowers.
What then are those (senses) ?
9. The ear, the eye and the touch, the taste and the smell, using these and the manas, he enjoys the sense-objects.
Using the manas along with each sense separately, the Dweller in the body enjoys the sense-objects such as sound.
The Self is visible only to the eye of knowledg^e.
10. Him who departs, stays and enjoys, who is conjoined with guwas, the deluded perceive not ; they see, who possess the eye of knowledge.
♦ t\ «., if Jiva' is the Supreme Self, how as departing from this world ?— A. Is it that he is spoken of as a sams&rin, or
7-1 1.] THE SUPREME SPIRIT. 363
Him who thus dwells in the body, who leaves the body once acquired, who stays in the body, who perceives sound and other objects, who is always in association with guwas, u e,y whom all dispositions of mind — such as pleasure, pain delusion — invariably accompany, the deluded do not recognise. They do not see Him, though in this way He comes quite within the range of their vision, because they are deluded in various ways, their minds being forcibly attracted by the enjoyment of objects seen and unseen. * Ah ! such is human perversity. — Thus does the Lord regret. — But those whose wisdom-eye t has been opened by an authoritative source of knowledge, i,e,, who possess the power of dis- crimination, do recognise Him.
No self-knowleds:e without Yoga.
A few, however, ,
II. Those who strive, endued with Yoga, perceive Him dwelling in the self; though striving, those of unrefined self, devoid of wisdom, perceive Him not.
Those who strive, well balanced in their mind, behold Him, the Self, dwelling in their own mind (buddbi) : they recognise Him, " This I am. " But though striving to know Him by means of proper authorities such as the scriptures (s^stra), men of unrefined self — whose self (mind) has not been regenerated by austerity (tapas) and s^l)jii- gation of the senses, who have not abandoned their evil
♦ Though A tman is nearest and therefore + The wisdom-eye here spoken of refers
most easily perceivable, still, all do not to the scriptures (sftstra), Raided by reflec-
see Him, because of their complete tioutmcl ttman Ihyaydnugiihlta), which
subservience to sense-objects.— A, fofva a means to knowledge.— A.
364 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XV.
ways, whose pride has not been subdued, — behold Him not.*
Immanence of the Lord, (i) as the all illumining:
Lig^ht of Consciousness.
That Goal (the Supreme Self) which even such luminaries as fire and sun, the illuminators of all, do not illumine ; which haying reached, the seekers of moksha never return towards sawsAra ; of which the Jlvas (individual souls) are only parts manifesting themselves in conformity to the yp&dhis, as the ^kasa (space) in a jar is but a portion of the all-pervading ^k^a, — with a view to show that that Goal is the essence of all and the real basis (*. ^., object) of all experience, the Lord proceeds in the next four verses to give a brief Summary of His manifestations.
12. That light which residing in the sun illu- mines the whole world, that which is in the moon and in the fire, that light do thou know to be Mine,
Light : splendour. Mine : Vish«u*s.
Or, * light* may be understood to mean the light of consciousness (chaitanya).
{Objection) ': — The light of consciousness exists in all alike, in the moving and unmoving objects : then why this qualification of light as * residing in the sun, ' etc. ?
(Answer) :— This objection does not apply here ; for, the
* A mere study oi scriptures, aided by realised the distinction between the per-
rcason and reflection, will not be of much manent and the impermanent, the real
avail to those whose minds are stilt and the unreal. — A. impure and who therefore have not yet
II-I3] THE SUPREME SPIRIT. 365
qualification may be explained on the ground that the better manifestation (of consciousness in the sun, etc.) is due to a higher proportion of Sattva. In the sun and other bodies (mentioned here) the Sattva is very brilliant and luminous ; wherefore it is in them that the light of conscious- ness is better manifested. Hence the qualification ; not that the light is a specific attribute of those bodies only. To illustrate it by an example from ordinary experience : A man's face is not reflected in a wall, in a piece of wood or the like ; but the same face is reflected in a mirror in a greater or less degree of clearness, according as the mirror is more or less transparent.
(2) As the all-5ustaining: Life.
Moreover,
13. Penetrating the earth I support all beings by (My) Energy ; and having become the watery moon I nourish all herbs.
Energy (ojas) : the energy of the Isvara. It is devoid of desires and passions. It permeates the earth for support- ing the world. Held by that energy, the massive earth does not fall down and is not shattered to pieces. So it is chanted as follows : —
" Whereby the vast heaven and the earth are firmly held. ** " He held the earth firm."— (Taittiriya-Sa;«hit§,, 4-1-8).
Thus do I, penetrating the Earth, support the moving and unmoving objects. Moreover, becoming the savoury moon, I nourish all the herbs germinating on the Earth, such as rice and wheat, and make them savoury. Soma (the mooff)' is the repository of all savours. It is indeed the savoury
366 THE BHAGAVAD-GixA. [DiS. XV«
moon that nourishes all herbs by infusing savours into them.
(3) A5 the Digestive Fire in all living: organisms.
Moreover,
14. Abiding in the body of living beings as Vaisv&nara, associated * with Pr&wa and Ap&na, I digest the four-fold food.
Vaisvdnara : the fire abiding in the stomach, as said in the sruti :
" This fire is Vaisvd.nara, which is within man and by which this food is digested. " — (Bn. Up. 5-9-1.)
Fourfold food : the food which has to be eaten by mastica- tion, that which has to be sucked out, the food which has to be eaten by devouring, and that which is eaten by licking.
He who regards that the eater is the Vaisvinara Fire, that the food eaten by Fire is the Soma (moon), and that thus the^^two together form Fire-Soma (Agnl-shomau), is free from all taint of impurity in food, i
(4) As the Self in the hearts of all.
Moreover,
15. And I am seated in the hearts of all : from Me are memory, knowledge, as well as their loss ; it is I who am to be known by all the Vedas, I am
* Kindled by Prftfia— A. fonn of eater and eaten is made up of
t Incidentally the Lord teaches here that Agni and Soma is u,iVtQjaidied by evil
he who at the time of eating contemplates a^rising from bad food,— A. that the whole universe which is in thQ
13-16.] THE SUPREME SPIRIT. 367
indeed the author of the Ved&nta as well as the knower of the Vedas.
I dwell in the hearts (buddhi) of all sentient beings as their Self.* • Wherefore from Me f, the Self of all sentient beings, are memory, knowledge, J as well as their loss. Just as knowledge and memory occur in righteous persons as a result of their good deeds (puwyakarm&m), so, as a result of their sins, loss of memory and knowledge occurs in the sinful. I, the Supreme Self, am to be known in all the Vedas. It is I who cause the Teaching of the Ved^nta (Upanishads) to be handed down in regular succession, and It is 1 who know the Vedic Teaching.
The Lord beyond the perishable and the imperishable universe.
From XV. 12, et seq a. summary has been given of the glories of Nir^yawa, the Blessed Lord, as manifested through superior upadhis.§ Now, in the following verses, the Lord proceeds to determine the true nature of the same (Blessed Lord), who is pure and unlimited, being quite distinct from all perishable (kshara) and imperishable (akshara) up^dhis. First, then, the Lord arranges all that is taught in the preceding as well as in the succeeding discourses in three groups and says :
* I am the witness of all that is good I Memory of what was experienced in
and evil in their hearts.— A. the past births, and knowledge of things
t Who am the wire-puller (Sutra-dhara) transcending the ordinary limits of space,
standing behind the machine of the time, and visible nature.— A.
universe, who presides over all ac- § Such as the sun.— A. tions. — A.
368 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XV.
the perishable and the imperishable : the perishable comprises all creatures ; the immutable is called the imperishable.
In sawsdra, there are two categories, we see, arranged in two separate groups of beings, spoken of as * purushas ' * The one group consists of the perishable (kshara) ; and the other is the imperishable (akshara) — the contrary of the first — viz., the Maya-Sakti, the Illusion-Power of the Lord, the germ from which the perishable being takes its birth, the seat of all the latent impressions (sawskAras) of desires, actions, etc., pertaining to the numerous mortal creatures. As to what the two beings (Purushas) comprise, the Lord Himself says : The perishable comprises the whole uni- verse of changing forms; the imperishable is whkt is known as immutable ( kCi/astha ) — that which remains immovable like a heap. Or, * knta, ' means illusion, and * kA^astha * means that which manifests itself in various forms of illusion and deception. As the seed of sa>»s4ra is endless t, it is said to be imperishable.
Distinct from these two, — the perishable and the imperish- able,— and untainted by the evils of the two upadhis of the perishable and imperishable, eternal, pure, intelligent and free by nature is the Highest Spirit.
17. But distinct is the Highest Spirit spoken of as the Supreme Self, the indestructible Lord who penetrates and sustains the three worlds.
•k They are spoken of as ' purushas ' | in the absence of Brahma-jnana the j
because they are the upadhis of the seed does not perish — (A). j
Purusha» the one Spirit. (A) :
l6-l8.] THE SUPREME SPIRIT. 369
•
But the Highest Spirit is quite distinct from the two. He is the Supreme SelL He is Supreme as compared with the other selves set up by avidy^, such as the physical body ; and He is the Self as constituting the unfailing Inner Consciousness of all beings. He is therefore known as the Supreme Self in the VedAntas (Upanishads). The Highest Spirit is further specified thus : He is the Eternal Omni- scient Lord, N4r&ya»a, who penetrates by His Vital Energy (Bala-Sakti) * the three worlds—the Earth (Bh^A), the Mid-region (BhuvaA) and Heaven ( SuvaA ) — and supports them by His mere existence in them.
'Purushottama,* the Highest Spirit, is a well-known name of the Lord described above. Now the Lord, while show- ing, by a declaration of the etymology of the word, that the name is significant, shows what He really is, " I am the unsurpassed Lord."
18. Because I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, therefore am I known in the world and in the Veda as Turushot- tama,* the Highest Spirit.
Because I transcend the perishable, the Tree of illusory sawsara called Asvattha, 'because 1 am higher than even the imperishable which constitutes the seed of that Tree of the illusory sawsara, because I am thus superior to the perishable and the imperishable, I am known in the world and in the Veda as the Highest Spirit : devotees know Me as such, and the poets, too, incorporate this name in their poems and other works.
-k • Bala* means energy, the energy of and 'saktl' means M&yA which lies Consciousness or sentiency (chadtanya), therein.— A.
370 THE BttAGAVAD-Gixl. (DlS^XV.
The Qlory of Self-knowledsre.
Now the Lord speaks of the fruit accruing to him who realises the Self as described above :
19. He who, undeluded,* thus knows Me, the Highest Spirit, he, knowing all, worships Me with his whole being, O Bhdrata.
Me : the Lord as above specified. Knows : * that I am He/ With his whole being : with his whole thought devoted exclusively to the Self of all.
A knowledge of the true nature of the Lord having been imparted in this discourse, — 3, knowledge which leads to moksha, — it is now extolled as follows :
20. Thus, this most Secret Science has been taught by Me, O sinless one ; on knowing this, ( a man ) becomes wise, O Bharata and all his duties are accomplished.
Though the whole of the Glt& is called Science (Sslstra), yet from the context it appears that the fifteenth discourse alone is here spoken of as the Science, for the purpose of extolling it. In fact the whole teaching of the Gita-5S.stra has been summed up in this discourse. Not the teaching of the Glta-S^stra only, but the whole teaching of the Veda is here embodied; and it has been said that * be who knows it (the Asvattha) knows the Veda (xii. i), and that * It is I who am to be known by all the Vedas' (xv* 15). On knowing this science as taught above — but not other- wise— a man becomes wise. He has accomplished all duties.
it Never looking upon the physical himself. — A. body, ctc*t as himself or as belonging to
I9-20.] THE SUPREME SPIRIT 371
Whatever duty a brdhmawa of superior birth has to do, all that duty has been done when the real truth about the Lord is known ; that is to say, by no other means can a man's duty have been accomplished. And it has been said "All actions, without exception, O son of Pntha are comprehended in wisdom*' ( iv. 33 ). And here is the saying of Manu :
" This is the fulfilment of the birth, especially for a bra,hma»a ; for, by attaining to this does the twice-born become the accomplisher of all duties, and not other- -wise" (xii. 93).
Sirite you have heard from Me this truth about the Supreme Being, you are a happy man, O Bhdrata.
Spiritual disposition.
In the ninth discourse were indicated three kinds of nature (prakriti) belonging to sentient beings, namely, the nature of the Gods, that of the Asuras, and that of the Rakshasas. The sixteenth discourse proceeds to describe them at length. Of these the nature of the Gods (Daivl Prakriti) leads to liberation from saws&ra, and those of the Asuras and the Rd.kshasas lead to bondage. Accordingly the nature of the Gods will be described with a view] to its acceptance, and the other two with a view to their rejection.*
The Blessed Lord said :
I. Fearlessnesst, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga ; alms-giving, self-restraint and worship, study of one's own (scriptures), austerity, uprightness ;
Purity of heart : purity of the antaA-kara«a (sattva), *. e,, abandonment of deception, dissimulation, falsehood and the like, in all transactions ; that is to say, transacting business in perfect honesty. Knowledge consists in under- standing the nature of things, such as the Self, as taught
• These are respectively the S&ttvic, in actions and spoken of in XV. a as
RAjasic, and Tkmasic natures, manifested the secondary roots of samsara.— A.
in men according to the Icarma of their 4. _
^ ui-*i, -ri. *u . J T Devout observance of scriptural pre-
previous births. They are the tenden- , _,,, , . . .
*^, , . . w u . .u , *^®P^s without doubting.— A, cies (v&sanas) [sJiowing themselves out
1-2.] SPIRITUALITY AND MATERIALISM. 373
in the Scripture (sastra) and by the Teacher (Achlirya). Yoga consists in making what has been thus learnt an object of one's own direct perception, by concentration (one- pointedness) through the subjugation of the senses. This — viz,^ fearlessness, purity of heart, and steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga — forms the Daivi or Sattvic nature by pre-eminence. Whatever attributes among those (men- tioned in xvi. I — 3) can possibly pertain to the disciples treading a particular path, * they constitute the Sattvic nature of the disciples in that particular path. Alms-giving : distributing food and the like as far as lies in one's power. Self-control : the subjugation of external senses ; that of the anta/^kara;ea (internal sense, manas) being mentioned in the next verse. Worship : including the fire-worship (agni- hotra) and the like enjoined in the sruti, as also the worship of the Gods (Deva-yajna) and the like enjoined in the smnti. Study y etc : study of the i?ig-Veda and the like with a view to some unseen results (adrish^a). Austerity : bodily mortifi- cation and other penances, which will be mentioned in the sequel. Uprightness : this should be a constant attitude.
Moreover,
2. Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, serenity, absence of calumny, com- passion to creatures, uncovetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness ;
Harmlessness : abstaining from injury to sentient beings. Truth : speaking of things as they are, without giving utter- ance to what is unpleasant or what is false. Absence of
• Karma- Yoga or J»&na-Yoga. The and Karma- Yogins. The latter, though
first three of the attributes mentioned wanting in the first three attributes, are
here can be found in J n4na- Yogins only, nevertheless 9la8se4 apioog S4Uvi6 men, tbe rest being conunQO to Jn4na-Yogins
-374 THE bmagavad-gItA [Dis. XVI.
Mnger : suppression of anger arising when beaten or reviled. Renunciation : * tyaga ' (/fV., giving up) is thus explained, since •alms-giving* has already been mentioned. Serenity : tran- quillity of mind (antaA'karana). Compassion to creatures : to those in suffering. Uncovetousness \ unaffectedness of the senses when in contact with their objects. Absence of fichle- ness : not to speak or move hands and legs in vain.
Moreover,
3. Energy, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride; these belong to one born for a divine lot, O Bhirata.
* Tejas ' means energy, not brightness of the skin. Forgiveness : unafFectedness when beaten or reviled. We have explained * absence of anger ' to mean suppression of anger when it arises. Thus 'forgiveness* and 'absence of anger* should be distinguished from each other. Fortitude : that state of mind (antaA-kara/^a) which removes the exhaustion of the body and senses when they droop down, and upheld by which the body and senses no longer get dejected. Purity : of the two sorts, the external and the internal ; the one being accomplished by means of earths and water, the other consisting in the taintlessness of mind and heart, in freedom from impurities such as deception and passion. Absence of hatred : absence of a desire to injure others. Pride : consists in supposing oneself worthy of a high honor. These — from 'fearlessness* to 'absence of pride* — are found in one who is born for a divine lot, i.e,, who is worthy of the powers of the Devas, i, e., for whom there is happiness in store.
Materialistic disposition.
Here follows ^ description of the demoniac (^suric) nature ;
2*6.] SPIRITUALITY AND MATERIALISM. 375
4. Ostentation, arrogance and self-conceit, anger as also insolence, and ignorance, belong to one who is born, O P4rtha, for a demoniac lot.
Ostentation : pretending to be righteous. Arrogance : pride of learning, wealth, high connection, etc. Insolence : in speech ; e, g, to speak of the blind as having eyes, of the ugly as handsome, of a man of low birth as one of high birth, and so on. Ignorance : misconception of duties and the like.
Results of the two dispositions.
The effects of the two natures are spoken of as follows :
5. The divine nature is deemed for liberation, the demoniac for bondage. Grieve not, O P4w^ava; thou art born for a divine lot.
Liberation : from the bondage of sawsira. The demoniac (^suric) nature leads to an unfailing bondage, and so does the fiendish (R^kshasic) nature. — Now, seeing some such question as ** Am I possessed of demoniac nature, or of divine nature ? " occur in the mind of Arjuna on hearing what has been said, the Lord again says : grieve not ; thou art born for a divine lot ; i, ^., thou hast happiness in prospect.
The materialists.
6. There are two creations of beings in this world, the divine and the demoniac. The divine has been described at length ; hear from Me, O P&rtha, of the demoniac.
Creation: means what is created. The men who are created with the two kinds of nature, the divine and the
376 tHE BiiAGAVAt)-GlTi. [Dis. 3^VI.
demoniac, axe here spoken of as the < two creations.' It is said in the sruti,
* Verily there are two classes of Prajdpati's creatures, Devas and Asuras.* (Bn. Up. 1-3-1).
Every being in this world is included in the one or the other of the two creations, the divine and the demoniac. The purpose of repeating again what has been already said is stated thus : — The divine has been declared at length, beginning with xvi. i, but not the demoniac; therefore, do thou hear and understand the demoniac nature to be described at length by Me in the sequel here in order that you may avoid it.
The demoniac nature will be described, — to the very end of the discourse — as an attribute of some living men ; for, only when it is recognised in the visible, its avoidance is possible.
7. Neither action nor inaction do the demoniac men know ; neither purity nor good conduct nor truth is found in them.
They do not know what acts they should perform to achieve the end of man, nor from what acts they should abstain to avert evil. Not only do they not know * action and inaction,' there is neither purity nor good conduct nor truth in them. Indeed, the demons are persons who are wanting in purity and good conduct, who are hypocrites and liars
The materialist's view of the world.
Moreover,
8. They say, ** the universe is unreal, without a basis, without a Lord, born of mutual union, brought about by lust ; what else ? "
6-11.] SPIRITUALITY AND MATERIALISM. 377
These demons of men say, " As we are unreal, so this whole universe is unreal. Neither are dharma and a-dharma its basis. There exists no Isvara ruling the universe accord- ing to dharma and a-dharma. Universe is, therefore, they say, without a Lord. The whole universe is, moreover, caused by the mutual union of man and woman under the impulse of lust. It is brought about only by lust. What else can be the cause of the universe ? There is no other cause whatever, no invisible cause, of the universe, no such thing as karma." This is the view of the materialists (Lokayatikas), that sexual passion is the sole cause of all living creatures.
Men's life as guided by materialism.
9. Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect, of fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world * for its destruction.
Ruined souls : having lost all chances of goinj to the
higher worlds. Their intellect is small, as it concerns
itself only with sense-objects. Of fierce deeds : intent on injuring others.
10. Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypo- crisy, pride and arrogance, holding unwholesome views through delusion, they work with unholy resolve ;
11. Beset with immense cares ending only with death, sensual enjoyment their highest aim, assured that that is all t ;
♦ World : Sentient beings — A. thing as the happiness of another world,
t Sensual enjoyment is the supreme — A. source of happiness : there i§ no 5ucb
3.7^ THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVI.
They give themselves up to care. * Sensual enjoyment : Enjoyment of sense-objects such as sound. They are convinced that this sensual enjoyment is the highest end of man.
12. Bound by hundreds of bands of hope, given over to lust and wrath, they strive to secure by unjust means hoards of wealth for sensual enjoy- ment.
They are attracted here and there, bound by a hundred bands of false hopes. They secure wealth for sensual enjoyment, not for (performing acts of) dharma. By unjust means : by robbing other men's wealth.
The materialist's aspirations.
Their aspiration is expressed as follows :
13. This to-day has been gained by me ; this desire I shall attain ; this is mine, and this wealth also shall be mine in future.
In future :'m the coming year this wealth also shall be mine, and thereby I shall be known to be a man of wealth.
14. " That enemy has been slain by nie, and others also shall I slay. I am a lord, I enjoy, I am successful, strong and healthy.
That unconquerable enemy, say Devadatta by name,
♦ The immeasurable care as to the innumerable objects of desire. — A. means of acquiring and preserving the
II-I7I SPIRITUALITY AI4D MATERIALISM. 37^
has been slain by me, and others also shall I slay. What can these poor men do ? There is none equal to me in any respect. — How ? — I am a lord, I enjoy, I am successful in every way, blessed with children and grandchildren ; I am no ordinary man, I am alone strong and healthy.
15. " I am rich and well-born. Who else is equal to me ? I will sacrifice, I will give, I will rejoice." Thus deluded by unwisdom,
16. Bewildered by many a fancy, entangled in the snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul hell.
Well-born : born in a family learned in the scriptures for seven generations. Even in this respect none is equal to me. I will surpass others even in respect of sacrificial rites. I will give (money) to actors and obtain a high delight. Many a fancy : such as those described above. Delusion is a snare, as it is of the nature of an enclosure or envelope. They are addicted to sensual gratification ; and with sins thus accumulated they fall into a foul hell, such as Vaitarant.
The materialist'^ sacrificial rites.
17. Self-honored, stubborn, filled with the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name with hypocrisy, without regard to ordinance.
Self-hofwred : Esteeming themselves as possessed of all good qualities ; they are not esteemed as such by th^
380 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVI.
righteous. They perform sacrifices without regard to the
several parts and obligations enjoined in the scriptural
ordinances.
The materialist's nes:lect of Divine Commandments.
18. Given over to egotism, power, haughtiness, lust, and anger, these malicious people hate Me in their own and other's bodies.
Egotism : they esteem themselves very high for qualities which they really possess and for those which they falsely attribute to themselves. This egotism is what is called avidy^ ; and it is the hardest thing (to overcome), the source of all perversities (doshas), of all evil acts. Power: accom- panied with lust and passion, and seeking to humiliate others. Haughtimss : when this arises one transgresses the path of virtue ; it is a peculiar vice seated in the antaA- karana. Lust: sexual passion, and the like. Anger : at something unpleasant. They are given over to these and other great vices. Moreover, they hate Me, the Isvara, abiding in their own and other bodies as the Witness of their thoughts and actions. To hate Me is to transgress My commands.* They are malicious, jealous of the virtue of those who tread the right path.
The materialists fall.
19. These cruel haters, worst of men, I hurl these evil-doers for ever in the worlds into the wombs of the demons only.
These : the enemies of the right path and haters of the righteous. Worst : because they are guilty of unrighteous
* Not caring to know and follow th3 5rutl and the Smriti.— (A) /jvara'a commands ae embodied in the
17-21.] SPIRITUALITY AND MATERIALISM. 381
deeds (a-dharma). Worlds : paths of saws&ra passing through many a hell. Wombs of the demotis : wombs of the most cruel beings such as tigers, lions and the like.
20. Entering into demoniac wombs, the de- luded ones, in birth after birth, without ever reaching Me, O son of Kuntl, pass into a condi- tion still lower than that.
These deluded creatures are born, birth after birth, only in T&masic wombs and pass into lower and lower states. Without ever reaching Me, the Isvara, they fall into a condi- tion which is still lower (than they are in at present). Without reaching Me : Certainly there is no room whatever even for the supposition that they will ever reach Me. The meaning, therefore, is, 'without ever attaining to the right path taught by Me.' *
The three Gates of Hell to be avoided.
Here follows a summary of the whole demoniac (isuric) nature in which, in its three forms, the whole variety of &suric nature, though endless, is comprehended ; which be- ing avoided, the whole ^suric nature becomes avoided, and which is the source of all evil.
21. Triple is this, the gate to hell, destructive of the self : LUST, WRATH, and greed. Therefore, these three, one should abandon.
The gate to hell : the gate leading to hell (naraka). By
♦ The meaning on the whole is this. The while he Is yet a free agent, while he has
&suric nature, as leading to a series of not yet passed into a birth which would
evils, is inimical to all human progress. A make him entirely dependent on others,
man should, therefore, try and shake it ofi —A.
382 THfi BrtAGAVAD-GiTA. * [DiS. 5tVl.
merely entering at the gate, the self is ruined, ». c, is fit for no human end whatever. Since this gate is ruinous to the self, let every one abandon these three : lust, wrath and greed.
Here follows the praise of this abandonment :
22. A man who is released from these, the three gates to darkness, O son of Kuntl, does good to the self, and thereby reaches the Supreme Goal.
Gates to darkness : leading to hell (naraka) which is full of pain and delusion. He who is released from lust, wrath and greed will act for the good of the self, because of the absence of that by which obstructed he has not heitherto so acted. By so doing he even attains moksha.
Let the Law ^uide thy life.
The scripture (s&stra) is the authority on which all this renunciation of &suric nature, and the observance of what is good, are based. One would engage in these only on the authority of the scriptures (sd,stra), not otherwise. There- fore,
23. He who, neglecting the scriptural ordin- ance, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Goal.
Scriptural ordinance : the command of the Veda in the form of injunctions and prohibitions, giving us to know what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Perfection : fitness for attaining the end of man. Happiness : in this world. Supreme Goal : Svarga or Moksha, (as the case may be).
21-24.] SPIRITUAITY AND MATERIALISM. 383
24. Therefore, the scripture is thy authority in deciding as to what ought to be done and what ought not to b3 done. Now, thou oughtest to know and perform thy duty laid down in the scrip- ture-law.
Authority: source of knowledge. Scripture-Law: The scripture itself is the Law, which says " thou shalt act so and so, thou shalt not act so and so." Now : referring to the stage where the disciple is fit for Karma- Yoga.
r^^y^
The is:norant, but faithful.
* The Lord's words (xvi. 24) having given Arjuna an occasion for a question, he said :
Arjuna said :
I. Whoso worship, setting aside the ordinance of the scripture, endued with faith, — what faith is theirs ? Is it Sattva, or Rajas, or Tamas ?
Whoso : not exactly specified. It must refer to those who, endued with faith, *. e., thinking that there is some- thing beyond, — on observing the conduct of the learned, — worship the Gods and the like, unaware of the procedure laid down in the scriptures, the sruti and the smnti. Those, on the other hand, who, while knowing the injunctions of the scripture, set them aside and worship the Gods, &c., contrary to those injunctions, — they cannot indeed be meant here, because of the qualification that they are * endued with faith *. We cannot suppose that those men are endued with faith who, while knowing the scriptural injunctions about the worship of the Gods, etc., set them aside.
if The Lord has described the future believe in their teachings. Now Arjuna
lots of ftstikas and n&stikas, of believers proceeds to ask as to the fate of the
and unbelievers, of persons who, seeing believers who do not know the scriptures,
with the eye of the scriptures, do or do not — A.
1-ii.] tHE tHREEFOLD FAITH. 385
without caring for them*, and engage in the worship of the Gods which is not in accordance with the injunctions. Therefore it is only the persons of the other class described above that are here referred to. Arjuna's question may be thus stated : Is the worship offered by them to the Gods, etc., based in Sattva, or Rajas, or Tamas ?
The three kinds of Faith.
Seeing that such a general question cannot be answered without reference to the several particular aspects of it, the Blessed Lord said :
The Blessed Lord said : 2. Threefold is that faith born of the individual nature of the embodied, — Sdttvic, R4jasic, and T4masic. Do thou hear of it.
Faith, of which thou hast asked, is of three sorts. It is borft of the individual nature (svabh^bva) : i. e,, the sawsk^ra or tendency made up of the self- reproductive latent impressions of the acts — good and bad, Dharma and Adharma — which were done in the past births and which manifested themselves at the time of death. Sdttvic : faith in the worship of the Gods (Devas) which is an effect of Sattva. Rdjasic : faith in the worship of the Yakshas and the Rakshasas, which is an effect of Rajas. Tdmasic : faith in the worship of the Pretas and the Pis^chas, which is an effect of Tamas. Do thou understand the threefold faith which is going to be described.
♦ And who are therefore to be classed preceding discourse. — A. among demons (asuras), as shewn in the
^9
386 THE BHAGAVAD-GixA. * [DiS. XVII
As to this threefold Faith,
3. The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Bharata. The man is made up of his faith ; as a man's faith is, so is he.
Each : every living being. Nature (Sattva) : the antaA- kara;ia with its specific tendencies or sawskara. Man : Jiva, saws^brin. So : in accordance with that faith.
So the S&ttvic faith or the like has to be inferred from its characteristib effects, namely, the worship of the Gods or the like. The Lord says :
4 SMtvic men worship the Gods ; RAjasic, the Yakshas* and the R&kshasas ; the others, — T&ma- sic men, — the Pretas and the hosts of Bhutas.
* Hosts of BhiXtas : as alsD the seven M^tnkas.
Men of Rajasic and Tamasic Faiths.
Thus, by a general principle laid down in the scripture, Sittvic and other devotions have been determined through their respective effects. Now only one in a thousand is Sattvic and devoted to the worship of the Gods, while the Raljasic and Tamasic creatures form the majority. How ?
5. Those men who practise terrific austerities not enjoined by the scripture, given to hypocrisy and egotism, endued with the strength of lust and passion ;
it Gods : such as the Vasus. Yakshas : after death, attained V&yu-dehas (serial
Such as Kubcra. Rdkshasas : such as bodies). We may understand that all
Nairrita. Pretas : thos3 who, while they thase beings, when worshipped, answer
had been on earth as brahmanas, etc., the prayers of the devotees by granting
peglected their proper duties, and who, their respective desires— A.
3- 7-] THE THREEFOLD FAITH 387
6. Weakening all the elements in the body — fools they are — and Me who dwell in the body with- in ; know thou these to be of demoniac resolves.
Terrific : causing pain to himself and toother living beings. Endued, etc : This portion of the text may also be inter- preted to mean * possessed of lust, passion and strength.' Elements : organs. Me : N^rayawa, the Witness of their thoughts and deeds. To weaken Me is to neglect My teaching. Know thou that they are demoniac (asuric) in their resolves, so that you may avoid them. This is a word of advice to Arjuaa.
Threefold Pjod, Worship, Austerity and Gift.
Now will be shown what sort of food — which is divided into three classes, viz.y that which is savoury and oleaginou?, and so on — is dear to the S^ttvic, R^jasic and T^masic men respectively, sd that a man may know that he is one of Sattva or of Rajas or of Tamas as indicated by his own par- tiality for one or another particular class of food — such as the savoury and the oleaginous — and then give up the Rd.jasic and T§.masic food and resort to Sittvic one. Simi- larly, the object of the threefold division here made of sacrifice and the like according to the Sattva and other gunas is to show how a man may find out and give up the Rd.jasic and T^masic ones and resort exclusively to the SSittvic ones. The Lord says :
7. The food also which is dear to each is three- fold, as also worship, austerity and gift. Do thou hear of this, their distinction.
Each : Every living being that eats. This : that which is going to be described » Their : of foodj (5iharaj j etc.
I « i .
388 THE bhagavad-gitI. [Dis. XVII
The three kinds of Pood.
8. The foods which increase life, energy, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness, which are savoury and oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the SMtvic.
Oleaginous : oily, fatty. Substantial : which can last long in the body.
9. The foods that are bitter, sour, saline, exces- sively hot, pungent, dry and burning, are liked by the Rajasic, causing pain, grief and disease.
Excessively : should be construed with all, thus, excessively bitter, excessively hot, &c.
10. The food which is stale, tasteless, putrid and rotten, refuse and impure, is dear to the Tflmasic.
Stale : Half-cooked. * Ydtayama ' {lit, cooked three hours ago) meaning * powerless ' is thus explained, to avoid tautology ; for, the next word ' gatarasa * (tasteless) means the same, «'.^., * powerless.' Rotten: the cooked food over which one night has passed. Refuse : left after a meal. Impure : unfit for offering.
The three kinds of Wcrship
Now the three sorts of worship will be described :
11. That worship is S^ttvic which is oifered by men desiring no fruit, as enjoined in the Law, with a fixed resolve in the mind that they should merely worship.
8-15.] THE THREEFOLD FAITH. 389
That they should merely worship : that their duty lies in the mere performance of the worship itself, that no personal end has to be achieved by that means.
12. That which is offered, O best of the Bha- ratas, with a view to reward and for ostentation, know it to be a Rfi-jasic worship.
13. They declare that worship to be T&masic which is contrary to the ordinances, in which no food is distributed, which is devoid of mantras and gifts, and which is devoid of faith.
Distributed : to brilhmawas. Devoid of mantras : with hymns defective in utterance and accent. Gifts : prescribed fees (to priests).
Physical Austerity.
Now the three kinds of austerity will be described :
14. Worshipping the Gods, the twice-born, teachers and wise men, — purity, straightforward- ness, continence, and abstinence from injury are termed the bodily austerity.
Tlie bodily austerity : that which is accomplished by the body, i. e., in which the body is the chief of all factors of action, — the doer, etc., — of which the Lord will speak in xviii. 15.
Austerity in Speech.
15. The speech which causes no excitement and is true, as also pleasant and beneficial, and also the practice of sacred recitation, are said to form the austerity of speech.
390 THE BHAGAVAD-GlTA. [DiS. XVII.
Excitement : pain to living beings. Pleasant and befteficial : having respectively to do with the seen and the unseen. •Speech' is specified by the attributes of * causing no excite- ment * and so on. An invariable combination of all these attributes is here meant. ' That speech addressed to others which, though causing no pain, is devoid of one, two or three of the other atttributes — i.e., is not true, not pleasant and not beneficial — cannot form the austerity of speech ; so, that speech which, though true, is wanting in one, two, or three of the other attributes cannot form the austerity of speech ; so, an agreeable speech which is wanting in one, two or three of the other attributes cannot form the auste- rity of speech. So, the speech which, though beneficial, is wanting in one, two, or three of the other attributes cannot form the austerity of speech. — What forms the austerity then ? — The speech that is true, that causes no excitement, that is agreeable and good, forms the austerity of speech ; * as for example, " Be tranquil, my son, study (the Vedas) and practise yoga, and this will do thee good." Practice of sacred recitation : according to ordinances.
Mental Austerity.
i6. Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, silence, self-control, purity of nature, — this is called the mental austerity.
Good-heartedness : the state of mind which may be inferred from its effects, such as the brightness of the face, &c. Silence : even silence in speech is necessarily preceded by a control of thought, and thus the effect is here put for the
Jf ». e. the austerity practised specially plays the leading part.— A. in regard to speech, i. e., in which speech
I5-18.] THE THREEFOLD FAITH. 39I
cause, viz., the control of thought. Self-control : a general control of the mind. This is to be distinguished from silence (mauna) which means the control of thought so far as it concerns speech. Purity of nature : Honesty of purpose in dealings with other people.
The three kinds of Austerity according: to Gunas.
The Lord proceeds to show that the foregoing austerity, — bodily, vocal and mental, — as practised by men, is divided into classes according to Sattva and other guwas.
17. This threefold austerity, practised by de- vout * men with utmost faith, desiring no fruit, they call S4ttvic.
Threefold : having respectively to do with the three seats — body, speech, and mind. With faith : believing in the existence of things (taught in the scriptures.)
18. That austerity which is practised with the object of gaining good reception, honour and wor- ship, and with hypocrisyt, is said to be of this J world, to be Rdjasic, unstable and uncertain.
Good reception : in such words as * Here is a good br^th- mana of great austerities.' Honour : the act of rising to greet, of making a reverential salutation, &c. Worship : the wash- ing of feet, adoring and feeding. Unstable : as productive of a transient effect.
• Balanced in mind: unaffected in sliow.— A.
success and failure— A. J Yielding fruit only in this world— A.
\ With no sincere belief, for mere
392 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XVII.
ig. That austerity which is practised out of a foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of ruining another, is declared to be T&masic.
The three kinds, of Gift.
Now the threefold nature of gift will be described.
20. That gift which is given — knowing it to be a duty to give — to one who does no service, in place and in time, and to a worthy person, that gift is held S&ttvic.
Given to. one, etc : to one who cannot return the good, or to one from whom, though able to return the good, no such return is expected. Place : Kurukshetra &c. Tinie : Sajn- kranti (passage of the sun from one Zodiacal sign to another), etc. Worthy : as learned in the six sciences (angas) &c.
21. And that gift which is given with a view to a return of the good, or looking for the fruit, or reluctantly, that gift is held to be Rajasic.
With a view, &>c : hoping that he (the donee) will in time return the service, or that the gift will secure for himself some (now) unseen reward.
22. The gift that is given at a wrong place or time, to unworthy persons, without respect or with insult, that is declared to be Tamasic.
At a wrong place and time : at a place which is not sacred and which is associated with mlechchhas (Non-aryans), with unholy things and the like, and at a time which is not auspicious — i,e,, which is not marked with any such speciality as the sun's passage from one zodiacal sign tg) another.
I9-24-] THE THREEFOLD FAITH. 3^3
Unworthy persons : such as fools or rogues. Without respect : without agreeable speech, without the washing of feet, or without worship, though the gift be made in proper time and place.
How to perfect the defective acts.
The following instructions are given with a view to per- fecting sacrifices, gifts, austerities, &c.
23. "Om,Tat, Sat ": this has been taught to be the triple designation of Brahman*. By that . were created of oldt the brahmanas and the Vedas and the sacrifices.
Taught: in the Ved^nta by the knowers of Brahman. By that etc.: by the triple designation, etc. This is said in praise of (the triple) designation.
24. Therefore, with the utterance of 'Ow,' are the acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity, as enjoined in the scriptures, always begun by the students of Brahman t.
Acts of sacrifice : acts in the form of sacrifice, &c.
25. With ' Tat, ' without aiming at the fruits, are the acts of sacrifice and austerity and the various acts of gift performed by the seekers of moksha.
With * Tat * : with the utterance of * Tat *, which is a designation of Brahman. Tlie fruits : of sacrifice, &c. Acts of gift : gifts of land, gold, &c.
^ ■ ■ ■ ■■■'■' ■ ■ ■ .IN. - ■ ■ -— ■ ■ - ^ I I ■■■ ■ ■■!! I — — ■■, I ,« ■, ,1 ,^^mM^
fr When a sacrificial rite or the like is + At the beginning of creation by the
foimd defective, it will be perfected on Prajapati. — A.
the utterance of one of the three deslg- "♦• « t» u_ . i,^ .,f j , *
* ^. ' Brahman* here means 'Veda.'— A.
nations. — A.
THE BHAGAVAD-gItA.
[Dis. XVII.
: The use of * Om ' and of * Tat * has been explained. Now the use of * Sat * is given as follows :
26. The word ' Sat ' is used in the sense of reality and of goodness ; and so also, O Partha, the word ' Sat ' is used in the sense of an auspicious act.
In expressing the reality of an object which is unreal — as for example, the birth of a son who is unreal — and in expressing that a man is one of good conduct who is not so, this designation of the Brahman, viz,^ the word * Sat,' is employed. It is also used with reference to the act of marriage and the like*.
27. Devotion to sacrifice, austerity and gift is also spoken of as ' Sat ' ; and even action in connection with these is called * Sat.'
SiKYtfice : the act of sacrifice. Spoken of : by the learned. These : sacrifice, gift and austerity. Or, * tadarthiyam karma * may be interpreted to mean action for the sake of the Lord whose triple designation is the subject of treat' ment here. These acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity, — even such of them as are not of the Sattvic class and are imperfect, — turn out to be Sd.ttvic and perfect ones, on
♦ It may be further explained thus : A son when born Is said to come into existence. From the stand-point, how- ever, of the Absolute, he never exists. Thus the word ' Sat' meaning 'real' properly applicable to Brahman who alone is real, is applied also to a son who is unreal or is only relatively real. Similarly, the word ' Sat, ' properly applicable to Brahman who is absolutely
Good and absolutely Auspicious, is applied to a man whose conduct is not good or is only relatively good, or to an act which is not auspicious or which is only relatively auspicious. This is only to illustrate how to imperfectly per- formed acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity the designation of Brahman may be applied— as enjoined here— with a view to make them perfect.
25-28.] THE THREEFOLD FAITH. 395
applying to them with faith the triple designation of Brahman.
Works without faith are fruitless.
Because all these acts become perfect when done in full faith, therefore,
28, Whatever is sacrificed, given, or done, and whatever austerity is practised, without faith, it is called * asat,' O Partha ; it is naught here or hereafter.
Given : to the brahmawas. Deed : such as adoration and obeisance. Mat : as they are quite outside the path by which I (the Isvara) may be reached. It is naught : though costing much trouble, it is of no use here as it is despised by the wise ; nor can it produce any effect hereafter.
The teaching of the discourse summed up.
[ The teaching of this discourse may be thus summed up : — There are devotees, who, though ignorant of the scriptures, are yet endued with faith, and who, according to the nature of their faith, may be classed as S&ttvic, Rijasic, or Tdmasic. These should cultivate pure Saltva by avoiding Rd.jasic and Tdmasic kinds of food, worship, gift and austerity, and resorting exclusively to S^ttvic ones. When their acts of worship, gift, and austerity are found defective, they may be perfected by uttering the three designations of Brahman, * Om, ' * Tat, ' and * Sat. ' With their reason (buddhi) thus purified, they should engage in the study of scriptures and in the subsequent stages of investigation into the nature of Brahman. Thereby they attain a direct perception of Truth an3 are filially liberated. -A.]
' Samnyasa ' and ' Tya^a ' distinguished.
In the present discourse the Lord proceeds to teach, by way of summing up, the doctrine of the whole of the Glta- 5astra, as also the whole of the Vedic Doctrine. Verily, the whole of the doctrine taught in the preceding discourses is to be found in this discourse. Arjuna, however, asks to know only the distinction in meaning between * samnyasa' and * fydga\
Arjuna said :
I. Of * samny^sa ' O Mighty-armed, I desire to know the truth, O Hrishikesa, as also of * tyS.ga', severally, O Slayer of Kesin.
Samnydsa : the connotation of the term • samnydsa.' Tydga : the connotation of the term *tydga\ Severally : as distin- guished from each other. Kesin was an Asura whom the Lord, the son of Vasudeva, slew, and the Lord is therefore addressed as *Kesi-nishtidana,' the Slayer of Kesin.
The words * sawnyisa * and * tyaga ' have been used here and there in the preceding discourses, their connotations, however, not being clearly distinguished. Wherefore, with a view to determining them, th2 Lord addresses Arjuna, who desired to know of them, as follows :
X'2,] CONCLUSION. 397
The Blessed Lord said :
2. Sages understand * sawny^sa ' to be the re- nouncement of interested works ; the abandon- ment of the fruits of all works, the learned declare, is * tyaga '.
A few sages understand by * sawmy^sa ' the abandonment of kdmya-karmdniy of works (such as the Asvamedha, Horse- sacrifice) acccompanied with a desire for fruits. The learned declare that * tydga ' means abandonment of the fruits of all the works that are performed, — nitya and naimittikay ordinary and extra-ordinary duties, — i, e,^ of the fruits that may accrue to the performer.
The abandonment of interested works and the abandon- ment of fruits (of works) being intended to be expressed (by the two words), the meaning of the words * saw/ny^sa ' and * ty&ga * is in any way one and the same so far as the general idea is concerned, namely, ahaftdonment. They are not quite so distinct in meaning as the words * jar ' and * cloth '*.
{Ohjection) : — The nitya and naimittiha w^orks, ordinary and extra-ordinary duties, are said to produce no fruits. How is it that the abandoning of their fruits is here spoken of? It is like speaking of the abandoning of a barren woman's son.
[Answer) : — No such objection may be raised here, since, in the opinion of the Lord, ordinary and occasional duties
• To explain the two words as meaning As explained here, the two words convey two altogether distinct things would be the same general idea with some distinc- in contravention to the accepted usage, tlon. — A.
398 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
produce their own fruits, as He will show in xviii. 12, where, indeed, while teaching that sawnyaisins alone (those alone who have renounced all desire for the fruits of works) have no connection whatever with those fruits, the Lord teaches also that those who are not sawny^sins will have to reap the fruits of the ordinary works which they are bound to perform.
Should the ignorant perform works or not ?
3. That action should be abandoned as an evil, some philosophers declare ; while others (declare) that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be given up.
Some philosophers, following the doctrine of the San- khyas, etc., declare that all action should be given up as an evil, even by those who are fit for Karma- Yoga. As an evil : this may be interpreted to mean either that all Karma should be given up as involving evil since it is the cause of bondage ; or that it should be given up like passion and other such evil tendencies. With regard to the same class of persons {viz,, those who are fit for Karma- Yoga), others say that the acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity ought not to be abandoned.
It is the Karma- Yogins that form the subject of discussion here ; and it is with reference to them that these divergent views are held, but not with reference to the jnd.na-nishifhas (wisdom-devotees), the sawnyasins who have risen (above all worldly concerns). Those persons who have been raised above the path of Karma in iii. 3 are not spoken of in this connection.
2-5] CONCLUSION. 399
(Objection) : — Just as the persons who are qualified for works form the subject of discussion here — in the section where the whole doctrine of the sS.stra is summed up, — though their path has already been specified in iii. 3, so also the Sankhyas, the devotees of wisdom, may also form the subject of discussion here,
{Answer) : — No, because of the inconceivability of their abandoning of duty from delusion or on account of pain. (To explain) : The Sdnkhyas (men of knowledge) perceive in the Self no pain whatever arising from bodily trouble, since desire, pain, &c., are said to be the attributes of Kshetra or matter. Wherefore they do not abandon action for fear of bodily trouble and pain. Neither do they perceive action in the Self. If they could ever perceive action in the Self, then it would be possible to imagine their abandoning of obligatory works from delusion. In fact, they abandon works because they see that action pertains to guwas and think * I do nothing at all * (v. 8). How those men who know the truth renounce works has been described in v. 13, &c. Therefore it is only the other class of persons who are ignorant of the true nature of the Self and are qualified for works, and in whose case the supposition of the abandon- ing of duty from delusion or for fear of bodily trouble is possible, — it is only these that are censured as T&masic and Rijasic relinquishers (tySigins) in order to praise the abandoning of the fruits of action resorted to by the follow- ers of works who do not know the Self. And the sa;«ny4sih proper has been distinguished — by the Lord, when defining the man who has transcended guwas — as one " renouncing all undertakings... who is silent, content with anything, homeless, steady-minded, " (xii. i6 — 18),
400 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIJI.
And the Lord will hereafter describe (his devotion) as " that supreme consummation of knowledge " (xviii. 50). Thus, it is not the sa?«nyasins, who are the devotees of wisdom, that are referred to here. It is only the abandoning of the fruits of works that, by reason of its being Sattvic, is spoken of as sawnyS.sa in contradistinction to the Tamasic and RS.jasic (abandoning of works) ; but not the sawny^sa proper, that pre-eminent renunciation of all works.
{Objection) : — Since xviii. 1 1 states the reason why renunciation of all action is an impossibility, it is only the sawny^isa proper that is spoken of in this connection.
[Answer) : — No, because the passage referred to as a statement of the reason is only intended to praise (some- thing else enjoined). Just as the passage " on abandonment peace closely follows *' (xii. 12) is only a praise of the aban- donment of the fruits of works, since it is addressed to Arjuna who is ignorant of the Self and who could not therefore follow the several paths previously spoken of, so also, the passage here referred to goes to praise the aban- donment of the fruits of action. It is not possible for any one to point out an exception to the proposition ** Re- nouncing all actions by thought, and self- controlled, the embodied one rests happily in the nine-gated city, neither at all acting nor causing to act. " (v. 13). Wherefore these alternative views regarding sawnyfi,sa and tyaga concern those persons only for whom works are intended. On the other hand, the Sankhyas, those who see the Supreme Reality, have only to follow the path of knowledge, accompanied with the renunciation of all works ; and they have nothing else to do, and do not therefore form the subject of the alternative views set forth here. And so we
3-5«] CONCLUSION** 401
established this proposition while commenting on ii. 21 and at the commencement of the third discourse.
The Lord's decree is that the ignorant should
perform works.
Now, as to these divergent views,
4. Learn from Me the truth about this aban- donment, O best of the Bharatas ; abandonment, verily, O best of men, has been declared to be of three kinds.
Do thou learn from My words the truth as to the alternatives of abandonment and renunciation referred to. Abandonment (ty%a) : the Lord has used this single word here, implying that 'the meaning of * tydga ' and * sawny^sa' is one and the same. Of three kinds : Tamasic, &c. Declared : in the slistras. Because it is hard to know the fact that the threefold (Tamasic, &c.) abandonment denoted by the words * ty^ga ' and * sawnyasa ' is possible in the case of him alone who does not know the Self and for whom works are intended, — not in the case of him who sees the Supreme Reality, — therefore no one, other than Myself, is able to teach the real truth about the subject. Wherefore, learn from Me what My — the Lord*s^-decree is as to the real teaching of the s&stra.
What is the decree then ? — The Lord says :
5. Practice of worship, gift, and austerity should not be given up ; it is quite necessary ; worship, gift and austerity are the purifiers of the wise.
The three sorts of action should be performed; for, they
40i THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XVIII.
cause purity in the wise, i. ^., in those who have no desire for fruits.
The obligatory works should be performed without attachment.
6. But even those actions should be performed, setting aside attachment and the fruits ; this, O son of PrithA, is My firm and highest belief.
Those actions, &c : the acts of worship, gift and austerity, which have been said to be purifiers, should be performed, setting aside attachment for them and abandoning their fruits.
A proposition was started in the words, * Learn from Me the truth about this * (xviii. 4) ; and as a 'reason for it, it has been stated that worship, etc., are the purifiers ; so that the
words " even those actions should be performed
this is My firm and highest belief" form a mere conclusion of the proposition started in xviii. 4. ''Even those actions should be performed *' cannot be a fresh proposition ; for, it is better to construe the passage as related to the immediate subject of the present section. The word "even*' implies that these actions should be performed by a seeker of liberation, though they form the cause of bondage in the case of one who has an attachment for the actions and a desire for their fruits. The words * even those ' cannot certainly refer to actions other (than the acts of worship, etc).
But others explain : Since obligatory (nitya) actions bear no fruits, it is not right to speak of ** setting aside attach- ment and the fruits." Therefore in the words " even those actions" etc., the Lord teaches that even those works
5-8.] CONCLUSION. 403
which are intended to secure objects of desire — /. e., even hdmya or interested works, as opposed to nitya or obligatory works — should be performed ; how much more then the obligatory acts of worship, gift and austerity.
It is wrong to say so ; for, it has been declared here that even obligatory actions are productive of fruits, in the words ** worship, gift and austerity are the purifiers of the wise " (xviii. 5). To a seeker of liberation who would give up even the obligatory works, looking upon them as the cause of bondage, where is an occasion to engage in interested works ? ** Even these actions " cannot refer to interested (kfi,mya) works, inasmuch as these have been despised as constituting an inferior path (ii. 49) and decisively declared to be the cause of bondage (iii. 9, ii. 45, ix. 20, 21), and are too far removed from the present section.
Tamasic and Rajasic renunciations of works.
Therefore for a seeker of liberation who is ignorant and is (therefore) bound to perform works,
7. Verily, the abandonment of an obligatory duty is not proper ; the abandonment thereof from ignorance is declared to be Tamasic.
Not proper : since it is admitted to be a purifier in the case of an ignorant man. To hold that a duty is obligatory and then to abandon it involves a self-contradiction. Therefore, this sort of abandonment is due to ignorance and is said to be Tamasic, inasmuch as ignorance is Tamas.
Moreover,
404 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XVIII.
R4jasic abandonment, and he shall obtain no fruit whatever of abandonment.
He does not obtain moksha, which is the fruit of the renunciation of all actions accompanied with wisdom.
Renunciation in works is Sattvic.
What then is the SS.ttvic abandonment ? — The Lord says:
9. Whatever obligatory work is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning attachment and also the fruit, that abandonment is deemed to be S§<ttvic.
Abandoning etc. : These words of the Lord form, as we have said, the authority which declares that obligatory (nitya) works produce fruits.
Or thus : — An ignorant man may even suppose that, though the fruits of obligatory works are not declared in the Scripture, the obligatory works, when performed, do produce their fruits for the doer in the form of self-regenera- tion, or by way of warding off pratyaviya or the sin of non-performance. But even this supposition is prevented by the words ** abandoning the fruits. " Hence the appropriateness of the words ** abandoning attachment and the fruits. " That abandonment : the abandoning of all attachment for, and of the fruits of, obligatory works.
(Objection) ; — It is the threefold abandonment of works — referred to as * sawnydsa ' (xviii. 7) — that forms the subject of the present section (xviii. 4, &c.). Out of the three, the R&,jasic and Tamasic (sorts of abandonment of works) have been treated of. How is it tUat the abandonment of attach-
8-IO.] CONCLUSION. 405
ment and of the fruits of works is spoken of as the third ? It is something like saying, ** Three brahmawas have come ; two of them are proficient in sha^angas or the six auxiliary sciences, and the third is a Kshatriya "
(Answer) : — No such objection can be raised here ; for, the object of this section.is to praise (the abandonment of the fruits of works, as compared with the abandonment of works, i, e,y by comparing the two abandonments), both being alike abandonments. In fact the abandonment of works and the abandonment of desire for the fruits do agree in so far as they alike imply abandonment. Accordingly, by despising the two sorts of the abandonment of works, as
R^jasic and Tamasic abandonments, the abandonment of desire for the fruits of the works is praised as being the S^ttvic abandonment in the words * that abandonment is deemed to be Stlittvic.'
Prom renunciation in works to renunciation
of all works.
When the man who is qualified for (Karma- Yoga) per- forms obligatory works without attachment and without a longing for results, his inner sense (anta/j-kara/ia), unsoiled by desire for results and regenerated by (the performance of ) obligatory works, becomes pure. When pure and tranquil, the inner sense is fit for contemplation of the Self, Now, with a view to teach how the man whose inner sense has been purified by the performance of obligatory works and who is prepared to acquire the Self-knowledge, may gradually attain to jnSina-nish/hA or devotion in knowledge, the Lord proceeds as follows :
4o6 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
10. He hates not evil action, nor is he attached to a good one, — he who has abandoned, pervaded by Sattva and possessed of wisdom, his doubts cut asunder.
Evil action : the Kamya-karma, the interested action, which becomes the cause of saws^ra by producing a body. He does not hate evil action, thinking ** of what avail is it?*' G(?orf<?w^: nitya-karma, obligatory action. He cherishes n\j attachment for it by way of thinking that it leads to m6Jcsha by purifying the heart and thereby conducing to knowledge and to devotion in knowledge. — Of whom is this said ? — Of him who has abandoned attachment and desire, and who, having abandoned attachment to action and desire for its fruit, performs obligatory works ( nitya- karma). — When does he hate no evil action ? When is he not attached to a good one ? — When he is permeated with Sattva, which causes a discriminative knowledge of the Self and the not-Self. As he is permeated with Sattva, he becomes gifted with wisdom, with knowledge of Self. As he becomes possessed of wisdom, his doubt caused by avidyi is cut asunder by the conviction that to abide in the true nature of the Self is alone the means of attaining the Highest Bliss, and that there is no other means.
That is to say, when a man who is qualified (for Karma- • Yoga) practises Karma- Yoga in the manner described above and thereby becomes gradually refined in the self (antaA- karawa), then he knows himself to be that Self who, as devoid of birth or any other change of condition, is immut- able ; he renounces all action in thought ; he remains with- out acting or causing to act y he attains devotion in wisdom,
10- 1 1.] CONCLUSION. 407
i, e,, he attains freedom from action. Thus, the purpose of the Karma- Yoga described above has been taught in this verse.
Renunciation of fruits is alone possible for the
i^^norant.
For the unenlightened man, on the other hand, who wears a body by way of identifying himself with it, who, not yet disabused of the notion that the Self is the agent of action, firmly believes that he is himself the agent, — for him who is thus qualified for Karma- Yoga, abandonment of all works is impossible, so that his duty lies only in perform- ing prescribed works by abandoning their fruits, — not in abandoning those works. To impress this point, the Lord proceeds thus:
II. Verily, it is not possible for an embodied being to abandon actions completely ; he who . abandons the fruits of actions is verily said to be an abandoner.
An embodied being: a body- wearer, i. e,, he who identifies himself with the body. No man of discrimination can be called a body- wearer, for it has been pointed out (ii.21, etc.) that such a man does not concern himself (in actions) as their agent. So, the meaning is : it is not possible for an ignorant man to abandon actions completely. When an ignorant man who is qualified for action performs obligatory works, abandoning merely the desire for the fruits of his actions, he is said to be an abandoner (tyagin) though he is a performer of works. This — the title ** abandoner,*' — is applied to him for courtesy's sake. Accordingly, the abandonment of all actions is possible for him alone who,
4o8 THE bhagavad-gitA. [Dis. XVIII
realising the Supreme Reality, is not a * body- wearer,' i. e., does not regard the body as the Self.
Effects of the two renunciations after deatli.
Now, what is the benefit which accrues from the abandonment of all actions ? — The Lord says :
12. The threefold fruit of action, — evil, good, and mixed, — accrues after death to non-abandoners, but never to abandoners.
Fruit : brought forth by the operation of various external factors. It is a doing of avidya ; it is like the glamour cast by a juggler's art,'very delusive, inhering, to all appearance, in the Innermost Self ; by its very etymology, the word * phala, ' fruit, implies something that vanishes, some- thing unsubstantial. Action (karma) : Dharma and A- dharma. Evil : such as hell (naraka), the animal kingdom, etc. Good : such as the Devas. Mixed : Good and evil mixed together in one ; the humanityo These three sorts of fruits accrue after death to non-abandoners, to the unenlightened, to the followers of Karma-yoga, to the abandoners (sawmyasins) not strictly so called '^^ but never to the real sawnyasins, engaged exclusively in the path of knowledge(jiiana-nish^h^) and belonging to the highest order of sawnyasins, the Paramahawsa-Parivrajakas. Indeed, exclusive devotion to Right Knowledge cannot but destory avidy^ and other seeds of sawsara.
Accordingly, a complete abandonment of all works is
* That is to say, those who perform will necessarily reap, after death, the works without desire for theh: fruits fruits of their respective actions.— A.
12-14.] CONCLUSION. 409
possible for him alone who has attained to Right Know- ledge, inasmuch as he sees that action and its accessories and its results are all ascribed to the Self by avidyd. ; but, for the unenlightened man identifying himself with the body, etc., which constitute action, its agent and acces- sories, complete abandonment of action is not possible. This truth, the Lord proceeds to teach in the following verses :
Factors in the production of an act.
13. These five factors in the accomplishment of all action, know thou from Me, O mighty-armed, as taught in the S&nkhya which is the end of action.
These : which are going to be mentioned. Learn : this exhortation is intended to secure steady attention on the part of the hearer to what follows, as well as to indicate the difference (in the view which is going to be presented) as to the nature of those things. In the words "taught in the Sdnkhya,** the Lord praises them, as they are things that ought to be known. Sankhya : the Ved^nta (the Upanishads) in which all the things that have to be known are expound- ed. It is qualified by the epithet ** krita-anta '*, the end of action, that which puts an end to all action (karma). The vrerses ii. 46. and iv. 33 teach that all action ceases when the knowledge of the Self arises ; so that the Ved^nta, which imparts Self-knowledge, is * the end of action.*
14. The seat and actor and the various organs, and the several functions of various sorts, and the Divinity also, the fifth among these ;
4IO THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVHI.
The seat : the body which is the seat of desire, hatred, happiness, misery, knowledge and the like ; i. e., the seat of their manifestation. Actor: the enjoyer, partaking of the character of the upWhi with which it may be associated. The various organs : such as the sen^e of hearing, by which to perceive sound, &c. Functions : of the air (v^yu), such as outbreathing and inbreathing. Of various sorts : twelve in number. Divinity : such as the Aditya and other Gods by whose aid the eye and other organs discharge their functions.
15. Whatever action a man does by the body, speech and mind, right or the opposite, these five are its causes.
Right : not opposed to dharma, taught in the sistra. The opposite : what is opposed to dharma and opposed to sastra. Even those actions, — the act of twinkling and the like, — which are the necessary conditions of life are denoted by the expression ** the right or the opposite ", since they are but the effects of the past dharma and a-dharma. Its causes : the causes of every action,
(Objection) : — The body, etc. (xviii. 14), are necessary factors in every action. Why do you speak of (a distinction in actions) in the words ** whatever action a man does by the body, speech or mind ? "
(Answer) : — This objection cannot be urged against us. In the performance of every action, whether enjoined or forbidden, one of the three — body, speech or mind— has a more prominent share than the rest, while seeing, hearing, and other activities, which form mere concomitants of life, are subordinate to the activity of that one. All actions
I^. 1 6] CONCLUSION. 411
are thus classed into three groups and are spoken of as per- formed by body, or speech, or mind. Even at the time of fruition, the fruit of an action is enjoyed through the instrumentality of body, speech and mind, one of them being more prominent than the rest. Hence no gainsaying of the assertion that all the five are the causes of action (xviii. 14).
The^a^ency of the Seii is an illusion.
16. Now, such being the case, verily, he who, as untrained in understanding, looks on the pure Self as the agent, that man of perverted intelli- gence sees not.
Now : with reference to what we are speaking of. Such being the case ; every action being accomplished by the five
causes described above. Now case: this shows the
reason why the person here referred to is said to be a man of perverted intelligence. The unenlightened one, in virtue of his ignorance, identifies the Self with the five causes and looks upon the pure Self as the agetit of the action, which is really accomplished by those five causes.— Why does he regard them so ?— For, his understanding (buddhi) has not been trained in the Ved^nta, has not been trained by a master's teaching, has not been trained in the principtes of reasoning. Even he who, while maintaining the existence of the disembodied Self, looks upon the pure Self as the agent, is a man of untrained understanfing ; he does not therefore see the truth about the SeH aad action. He is therefore a man of perverted intelligence,— his intelligence talces a wrong direction, is vicious,, continually leading to birth and death. Though seeing, yet hQ does not see
412 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIll.
(the truth), like a man whose //w/m-afFected eye sees many moons, or like one who regards that the moon moves when the clouds are in motion, or like a man who, seated in a vehicle, regards himself as running when it is the others (the bearers) that run.
Realisation of tlie non-agency of the Self leads to absolution from tlie effects of all works.
Who then is the wise man that sees' ri^tly ? — The answer follows :
17. He who is free from egotistic notion, whose mind is not tainted, — though he kills these creatures, he kills not, he is not bound.
He whose mind has been well trained in the scriptures, well-trained by a master's instructions, and well-trained in the sound principles of reasoning, is free from the egotistic notion that * I am the agent.* He thinks thus : It is these five — the body, &c., ascribed to the Self through avidy^ — that are the causes of all action, not I. I am the witness of their actions, I am * without breath, without mind, pure, higher than the Indestructible which is Supreme " (Mu»^. Up. 2-1-2). I am pure and immuta- ble. He whose anta/t-karawa (buddhi), which is an up&dhi of the Self, is not tainted, does not repent thus : " I have done this; thereby I shall go to naraka (hell).'* He is wise ; he sees rightly ; though he kills all these living creatures, he commits no act of killing, nor is he bound by the fruit of a-dharma as an effect of that act.
(Objection) : — Even supposing that this is intended as a mere praise, the statenrent that ** though he kills all these creatures, he does not kill *' involves a self-contradiction.
16-17.] CONCLUSION. 413
(Answer) : — This objection cannot stand ; for, the state- ment can be explained by distinguishing the two stand- points of worldly conception and absolute truth. From the stand-point of worldly conception, which consists in thinking * I am the killer * by identifying the Self with the physical body, &c., the Lord says, ** though he kills ;" and from the stand-point of absolute truth explained above, He says, * he kills not, he is not bound.* Thus both are quite explicable.
(Objection) : — The Self does act in conjunction with the body, &c., as implied by the use of the word * pure ' in xviii. 16, * he who looks on the pure Self as the agent.'
(Answer ) : — This contention is untenable ; for, the Self being, by nature, immutable, we cannot conceive Him to act in conjunction with the body, &c. What is subject to change can alone conjoin with others, and thus conjoined can become the agent. But there can be no conjunction of the immutable Self with anything whatsoever, and He cannot therefore act in conjunction with another. Thus, the isolated condition being natural lo the Self, the word * pure ' simply refers to that natural condition. And His immutability is quite evident to all, as taught by the sruti, smfiti, and reason. In the G!t^ itself, for instance, it has been over and over again taught in the words, ** He is unchangeable" (ii. 25) ; ** actions are wrought by guwas" (HI. 27) ; ** though dwelling in the body, he acts not" (xiii. 31). And the same thing is also taught in the pass^es of the sruti such as " It meditates as it were, It moves as it were" (Bn. Up. 4-3-7). By reasoning also we may establish the same, thus: — That the Self is an entity without parts, is not dependent on another, and is immu-
414 THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA. [DiS. XVIII.
table, is the royal road (». e. is undisputed). Even if it bo admitted that the Self is subject to change, He should only be subject to a change of His own ; the actions of the body, &c., can never be attributed to the agency of the Self. Indeed, the action of one cannot go to another that has not done it. And what is attributed to the Self by avidyfii can- not really pertain to Him, in the same way that the mother- of-pearl cannot become silver, or (to take another illustra- tion) in the same way that surface and dirt ascribed by children through ignorance to ak^a cannot really pertain to llk^a. Accordingly, any changes that may take place in the body, &c., belong to them only, not to the Self. Where- fore, it is but right to say that in the absence of egotism and of all taint in the mind, the wise man neither kills nor is bound.
Havin<? started this proposition in the words " he slays not, nor is he slain*' (ii. 19), having stated in ii. 20 as the reason therefor the immutability of the Self, having in the beginning of the skstt^ (ii. 21) briefly taught that to a wise man there is no need for works, and having introduced the subject here and there in the middle and expatiated upon it, the Lord now concludes it in the words that the wise man ** kills not, nor is he bound,** with a view to sum up the teaching of the s^stra. Thus in the absence of the egotistic feeling of embodied existence, the sawnyisins renounce all avidy&-generated action, and it is therefore right to say that the threefold fruit of action ** evil, good and mixed*' (xviii. 12J, does not accrue to the sawny^sins; and the further conclusion also is inevitable that quite the reverse is the lot of others. This tealching of the Glta- sd.stra has been concluded here, To show that thisr essetice
^
I7-I8.] COMQLVSIQN. 4^5
of the whole Vedic Teaching should be investigated and understood by wise men of trained intelligence, it has been expounded by us here and there in several sections in accordance with the Scripture (sdistra) and reason.
The impulses to action.
Now will be mentioned the impulses to action :
i8. Knowledge, the object known, the knower, (form) the threefold impulse to action ; the organ, the end, the agent, form the threefold basis of action.
Knowledge : any knowledge, knowledge in general. Simi- larly the object known refers to objects in general, to all objects of knowledge. The knower : the experiencer, partak- ing of the nature of the up&dhi, a creature of avidy^. This triad forms the threefold impulse to all action, to action in general. Indeed, performance of action with a view to avoid a thing or to obtain another and so on is possible only when there is a conjunction of the three, — knowledge, etc. The actions accomplished by the five (causes of ac- tion),— by the body, &c., — and grouped into three classes according to their respective seats — speech, mind, body, — are all traceable to the interplay of the organ, &c. ; and this is taught in the second part of the verse. The organ : that by which something is done ; the external organs being the organ of hearing, &c., and the internal organs being buddhi (intelligence), &c. The end : that which is sought for, that which is reached through action by the agent. The agent : he who sets the organs going, partaking of the nature of the upWhi (in which he works). In these three all
4^6 THE bhagavad-gIta [Dis. XVIII,
action inheres, and they are therefore said to form the threefold basis of action.
The Impulses are threefold according to the ^unas.
Inasmuch as action, the several factors of action, and the fruit, are all made up of the gu«as, the Lord now pro- ceeds to teach the threefold distinction of each, according to the three distinct guwas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas :
19. Knowledge and action, and the agent, are said in the science of the guwas to be of three kinds only, according to the distinction in guwas. Hear thou duly of them.
Action (ksLvmB.) : * karma' here means action (kriyi). It is not used in the technical sense of the word denoting the object of an action, what is sought to be attained by means of action. Agent : the performer of acts. They are of three kinds only. — This restriction is intended to imply the ab- sence of distinctions other than that caused by the guwas. — Gunas : such as Sattva. The science of the guwas here re- ferred to is Kapila's system of philosophy. — Even Kapila's science of guwas is certainly an authority so far as it con- cerns the guwas and their experiencer (bhoktn). Though they are opposed to us as regards the supreme truth, viz,, the oneness or non-duality of Brahman, still the followers of Kapila are of acknowledged authority in the exposition of the functions of the guwas and of their products, and their science is therefore accepted here as an authori- ty as serving to extrol the teaching which follows. Hence no inconsistency. Hear, &c : Pay attention to the teaching which follows here, concerning knowledge and the rest, as well as their various distinctions caused by different guwas,
a8-22.] CONCLUSION. 417
as I describe them duly, according to the science, according to reason.
Sattvic Knowledge.
Here follows the threefold character of knowledge :
20. That by which a man sees the one Indes- tructible Reality in all beings, inseparate in the separated, — that knowledge know thou as Sftttvic.
Reality (Bhava) : the one Self. Indestmctihlc : which can- not be exhausted either in itself or in its properties ; Ku^a- stha or immutable. All beings : from Avyakta, or the unmanifested matter, down to the sthivara or unmoving objects. That Reality, the Self, is not different in different bodies ; like the ^kasa, the Self admits of no division. Know thou this direct and right perception of the non-dual Self as Sftttvic.
Rajasic Knowledge.
The dualistic fallacious systems of philosophy are R^jasic and Tllmasic, and therefore they cannot directly bring about the cessation of sawsira.
21. But that knowledge which, by differentia- tion, sees in all the creatures various entities of distinct kinds, that knowledge know thou as R^jasic.
By differentiation : regarding them as different in different bodies. Entities : Selfs. Which sees, &c. ; This should be interpreted to mean * by which one sees,' since knowledge cannot be an agent.
Tamasic Knowledge.
4i8 THE bhagavad-g!tA. [Dis. XVIII.
as if it were all, without reason, having no real object, and narrow, that is declared to be T&masic.
TdiHiasic knowledge is engrossed in one single effect, — such as the body or an external idol — as though it is all-com- prehensive, thinking * this body is the Self * or * that is God', and that there is nothing higher than that. Jiva (soul), for example, dwelling in the body is regarded by the naked Srama;*akas*, etc., as being of the size of that body ; and the isvara is regarded (by some) to be the mere stone or piece of wood f . This knowledge is not founded on reason and does not perceive things as they are. Because it is not founded on reason, it is narrow, as extending over a limited area, or as producing very small results. This knowledge is said to be Tamasic, because it is found only in T&masic beings possessing no faculty of discrimination.
Sattvic Action.
The threefold nature of action is next described :
23. An action which is ordained, which is free from attachment, which is done without love or hatred by one not desirous of the fruit, that action is declared to be S&ttvic.
Ordaimd : Obligatory (nitya). It is not an action done by one impelled by love or hatred.
Rajasic Action.
24. But the action which is done by one long- ing for pleasures or done by the egotistic, costing much trouble, that is declared«to be R&jasic.
* The Jains. Some MSS. read Ksha- f The material of which the image is
panakas. made.
22-26.] CONCLUSION. 419
Pleasures : as fruits of action. The Egotistic : not as dis- tinguished from one who has realised the true nature of the Self (who is absolutely free from egotism), but as distin- guished from one who is free from pride, in the sense in which an ordinary srotriya (a devotee of the Vedic Religion) of the world is expected to be free from egotism. For, he who is absolutely without egotism, ».^., one who has rea- lised the Self, cannot even be imagined to long for the fruit of an action or to do an action costing much trouble. Even the doer of a Sllttvic action is ignorant of the Self and is egotistic ; much more so are the Rdjasic and T&masic doers. In common parlance, a srotriya who is ignorant of the Self is said to be free from egotism ; we say " He is a modest (unegotistic) brihma?^." It is only from this class of persons that the doer of a R&jasic action is distinguished as being egotistic.
TaitiHsic Action.
25. The action which is undertaken from delu- sion, without regarding the consequence, loss, injury, and ability, that is declared to be T&masic.
Loss : Loss of power and of wealth accruing from the action done. Injury : to living beings. Ability : one's own ability to complete the work.
Sattvic A^ent.
Now the Lord proceeds to treat of the distinction among agents :
26. Free from attachment, not given to ego- tism, endued with firmness and vigour, unaffected in success and failure, ah agent is said to be Sattvic.
4^K> THE BHAGAVAD-Glri. [DiS. XVIII.
Success : Attainment of the fruit of the action done. Unaffected : as having been impelled to act merely by the authority of the sAstra, not by a desire for the fruits.
Rajasic Agent.
27. Passionate, desiring to attain the fruit of action, greedy, cruel, impure, subject to joy and sorrow, such an agent is said to be Rajasic.
Greedy : thirsting for another's property, not giving away one's own property to worthy persons, &c. Cruel: doing harm to others. Impure : devoid of external and internal purity. Subject to joy and sorrow : rejoicing on the attain- ment of what is desirable, and feeling sorry on the attain- ment of what is not desirable or on parting with what is desirable. Joy or sorrow may arise at the success or failure of the action in which be is engaged.
Tamasic Agent.
28. Unsteady, vulgar, unbending, deceptive, wricked, indolent, desponding, and procrastinating, (suchy an agent is said to be Tfi,masic.
Vulgar : quite uncultured in intellect (buddhi), who is like a child. Unbending : not bowing like a stick to anybody. Deceptive : concealing his real power. Wicked : setting others at variance with each other. Indolent', not doing even what ought ta be done. Desponding : always depressed in spirit. Procrastimting -..postponing duties too long, alwalys sluggish, not doing even in a month what ought to be done to-day or to-morrow.
26-3OV] CONCLUSION. 421
Ifitetlect and Firmness are threefold according to
Sfunas.
29. The threefold division of intellect and firmness according to qualities, about to be taught fully and distinctively (by Me), hear thou, O Dha- nanjaya.
Qualitits : Guwas, such as Sattva. The first half of the verse contains in an aphoristic form what is goiag to be taught. Dhatumfaya : the conqueror of wealth. Arjuna is so called because he acquired much wealth, — human and divine, material and spiritual, — during his tour of conquest through the four quarters of the earth.
Sattvic Intellect.
30. That which knows action and inaction, what ought to be doae and what ought not to be done, fear and absence of fear, bondage and libera- tion, that intellect is Sattvic, O Pdrtha.
Action (pravyitti): the cause of bondage, the karma- m^rga, the path of action as taught in the s&stra. Inaction (nivyitti) : the cause of liberation, the path of sawny&sa. — As * action * ( pravntti ) and * inaction * (nivntti) occur in connection with * bondage' (bandha) and 'liberation* (moksha), they have been interpreted to mean the paths of action and renunciation (karma and sawnyd.sa). What,,, dofte : the necessity for doing or not doing — by one who relies on the sistra — at particular places and times, actions pro- ducing visible or invisible results, according as they are enjoined or prohibited by the scriptural or social ethics. Fear etc. : the cause of fear and the cause of fearlessness,
422 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
either visible or invisible. Bondage and liberation : together with their causes. Knowledge is a vntti or function or state of intellect (buddhi), whereas intellect is what functions or
undergoes change of state. * Even firmness (dhnti) is only a particular function or state of intellect.
Rajasic Intellect.
31. That by which one wrongly understands dharma and a-dharma, and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, that intellect, O P&rtha, is Rdjasic.
Dharnta is what is ordained in the scriptures and a-dharma i^ what is prohibited in them. What,,,dom : the same that was mentioned already. (xviii.3o).t Wrongly : in opposition to what is determined by all (authorities).
Tamasic Intellect.
32. That which, enveloped in darkness, sees adharma as dharma and all things perverted, that intellect, O P4rtha, is Tamasic.
It takes quite a perverted view of all things to be known.
Sattvic Firmness.
* This is to show how the knowledge of refer to the ' apArva ' i. e., the forms
(jMana) whose threefold nature has been which actions assume after their per-
described already (xvili. 20-22) is diflfer- formance till their effects become per-
ent from the intellect (buddhi) whose ceptible; whereas kftrya and a-ki^Ta refer
threefold nature is here described.— A. to ihe perfiwmance or the non-perfbrm-
t Dharma and a-dharma here spoken ^i^ce of the acts. Hence no tautology.— A.
3O-3S0 CONCLUSION. 423
life-breaths and sense-organs, O P&rtha, are held fast, such a firmness is S&ttvic.
Yoga : samidhi or concentration of mind. Held fast : restrained from rushing into ways which are opposed to the s^stra. It is only when they are restrained by firmness (of the intellect) that they do not rush into ways which are opposed to the sd.stra. The meaning of the passage is this : He who, by unflinching firmness, restrains the activities of thought(manas), of life-breaths and sense-organs, restrains them by Yoga. *
Rajasic Firmness.
34. But the firmness with which one holds fast to dharma and pleasures and wealth, desirous of the fruit of each on its occasion, that firmness, O Pdrtha, is R&jasic.
Dharma S»c. : when a person is firmly convinced at heart that dharma, pleasure and wealth ought always to be secur- ed and is desirous of the. fruit of each whenever that one (dharma or pleasure or wealth) occupies his attention, the firmness of such a person is R&jasic.
Tamasic Firmness.
35. That with which a stupid man does not give up sleep, fear, grief, depression and lust, that firmness, O Partha, is Tamasic.
The stupid man holds sensual gratification in high
* That is to say, one can restrain these By mere firmness, which is not so accom-
activlties by that firmness only which is panied by samsidhi, one cannot invariably
ever accompanied by samadhi, by con- restrain them. — A. centration of mind in the Brahman.
424 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
esteem and never gives up lasciviousness. He regards sleep, etc., as things that ought always to be resorted to.
Pleasure is threefold according to gunait.
The threefold division of actions and of the several factors (k&rakas) concerned in action, has been described. Here follows the threefold division of pleasure which is the effect of actions :
36. And now hear from Me, O lord of the Bharatas, of the threefold pleasure, in which one delights by practice and surely comes to the end of pain^.
Hear : Pay steady attention to. Practice : familiarity, frequency. The end : cessation or alleviation.
Sattvic Pleasure.
37. That which is like poison at first, like nectar at the end, that pleasure is declared to be Sftttvic, born of the purity of one's own mind.
i^ike poison at Jirst : on its first occurrence it is attended with pain as it is preceded by much trouble in the acquisition of jnftna or spiritual knowledge, of vairigya or indifference to worldly objects, of dhy&na and samftdhi. At the end, the pleasure is like nectar, arising from mature knowledge and indifference to external objects. Declared : by the wise. Born^ etc : born of the purity of one's own buddhi or antaA- karana ; or, born of the perfectly clear knowledge of the Self. Being so born, the pleasure is SAttvic.
♦ The second half of this verse is not make it clear how it should b<»
construed by other commentators, such construed, I have, following Anandagiri,
as 5ridhara and Madhusudana, with the made the whole verse appear to be a
next verse. Though the bh­a does description of the threefold pleasure^Tr,
35-4^1 CONCLUSION. 425
Rajasic Pleasure.
38. That pleasure which arises from the contact of the sense-organ with the object, at first like nectar, in the end like poison, that is declared to be Rs^asic.
In the end like poison : after indulgence, the (sensual) pleasure proves to be like poison, because it leads to deterioration in strength, vigour, colour, wisdom, intellect, wealth and energy ; and because it leads to a-dharma, and, as an eflfect thereof, to hell (naraka).
Tamasic Pleasure.
39. The pleasure which at first and in the sequel is delusive of the self, arising from sleep, indolence, and heedlessness, that pleasure is declared to be Tslmasic.
In the sequel : after the termination.
No man or god is free from saunas.
Here follows the verse which concludes the present subject :
40. There is no being on earth, or again in heaven among the Devas, that can be free from these three guwas born of Prakriti.
Being : animate or inanimate. Gunas : such as Sattva. On earth : among men.
The sequel sums up the whole Doctrine.
The whole saw^s^ra, manifested as action, instruments of action, and results, made up of the g\ina,s (Sattva, Rajas,
426 THE bhagavad-gItA.. [Dis. XVIII.
and Tamas), and set up by avidya, — the evil of saws&ra has been thus described as well as its root. It has also been figuratively represented as a tree, in xv. i, et seq. It has also been said that after having cut the tree of sawsara asunder with the strong sword of non-attachment, " then That Goal should be sought after " (xv. 3, 4). From this it may follow that, as everything is made up of the three gu»as, a cessation of the cause of saws&ra cannot be brought about. Now, it is with a view to show how its cessation can be brought about, with a view, further, to sum up the whole teaching of the Git4-5&stra, and with a view to show what the exact teaching of the Vedas and the smntis is which should be followed by those who seek to attain the highest end of man, — it is with this view that the next section, from xviii. 41 onward, is commenced.
Duties of the lour castes ordained according: to nature.
41. Of Brglhmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, as also of Sftdras, O Parantapa, the duties are divided according to the qualities born of nature.
5Cidras are separated from others — who are all men- tioned together in one compound word — because Stidras are of one birth and are debarred from the study of the Vedas. Divided : the duties are allotted to each class, as distinguished from those pertaining to the other classes. — By what standard ? — According to the qualities (gu»as) born of nature. Nature (svabh^va) is the Isvara's Praknti, the Mkyk made up of the three guwas. It is in accordance with the guwas of the Praknti that duties — such as serenity and the like — are assigned to the BrAhmawas, etc. respectively.
41.] CONCLUSION. 427
Or to explain in another way : The source of the Brah- mawa's nature (svabhiiva) is the gu»a of Sattva ; the source of the Kshatriya*s nature is Rajas and Sattva, the latter being subordinate to the former ; the source of the Vaisya's nature is Rajas and Tamas, the latter being subordinate to the former ; the source of the Sudra's nature is Tamas and Rajas, the latter being subordinate to the former. For, as we see, the characteristic features of their nature are serenity, lordliness, activity, and dullness respectively.
Or to interpret yet in another way : — Nature (svabhava) is the tendency (Sawskara, Vasan^) in living beings acquired by them in the past births, and manifesting itself in the present birth by way of being ready to yield its effects : and this nature is the source of the gu;jas, it being impossible for the guwas to manifest themselves without a cause. The assertion that nature (Sawskara, V&sana) is the cause (of the guwas) means that it is a kind of specific cause.* The duties, such as serenity, are assigned to the four classes in accordance with the guwas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, which are brought into manifestation by their respective natural tendencies, and which lead to those duties as their natural effects.
(Objection) : — The duties of Br&.hmawas, &c., are enjoined by the sastra and are assigned to them by the s&stra. How then can it be said that they are divided according to the Sattva and other guwas ?
(Answer) : — There is no room here for any such objection. By the sastra, too, are the duties — such as serenity —
it Nimitta-kdrana or secondary cause. material cause of the gunas, namely, as opposed to the UpAd^a-k&rana or Prakrlti.— A,
428 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XVIII.
assigned to the Brahmawas, &c., only in accordance with their respective guwas, such as Sattva, but not independently of them. Wherefore it is said that duties are assigned according to guwas, though it has also been said that they are assigned by the sastra.
What then are those duties ? — The answer follows :
42. Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and also uprightness, knowledge, wisdom, faith, — these are the duties of the Brglh- manas, born of nature.
'Serenity* and *self-restraint' have already been explained (xvi. I, 2). Austerity: physical austerity, and so on, mentioned above ( xvii. 14, 15, 16). Purity: already ex- plained. Faith : in the teaching of the scriptures. Born of nature : this means the same here as in the latter portion of xviii. 41.
43. Bravery, boldness, fortitude, promptness, not flying from battle, generosity and lordliness are the duties of the Kshatriyas, born of nature.
Fortitude : that by which upheld one is not subject to de- pression under any circumstances whatever. Promptness : the performing, without confusion, of duties which present themselves quite unexpectedly and demand ready action. Not flying from battle : not turning away from the foes. Lordliness : exercise of ruling power over those who are to be ruled.
41-45'] CONCLUSION. 429
nature of service is the duty of the Stldra, born of nature.
Devotion to one's own duty leads to perfection.
These duties, respectively enjoined on the several castes, lead, when rightly performed, to Svarga as their natural result, as stated in the smritis, such as the following : "Men of several castes and orders, each devoted to his respective duties, reap the fruits of their actions after death, and then by the residual (karma) attain to births in superior countries, castes and families, possessed of comparatively superior dharma, span of life, learning, conduct, wealth, happiness and intelligence. " ( Apastamba-DharmasMra, 2-2-2, 3 ). And in the Parana also are specified the different results and worlds which the several castes and orders attain. But, from the operation of a new cause * the following result accrues :
45. Devoted each to his own duty, man attains perfection ; how one, devoted to one's own duty, attains success, that do thou hear.
Each to his own duty : as ordained according to his nature. Man : he who is qualified (for Karma- Yoga). Perfection (samsiddhi) : which consists in the body and senses being qualified for the devotion of knowledge (jnana-nish^hi) after all their impurities have been washed away by the per- formance of one's own duty. — Can this perfection be attain- ed directly by the mere performance of one's own duty t ? —
* That is, when the same duties are f The questioner understands • per-
performed, not for the sake of their fection' in the sense of absolute perfection
immediate results, but for the sake of i. e., Moksha. It is, of course, impossible
Moksha.— A, to attain Moksha by works alone.-r-A.
430 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
No. — How then ? — Learn how it can be attained :
beings, by whom all this is pervaded, — by worship- ping Him with his proper duty, man attains perfection.
« Pravntti * ( in the text ) may mean either evolution or activity ; and it proceeds from the f svara, the Antaryftmin, the Ruler within. Beings : living creatures. His proper duty: each according to his caste, as described above. Worship- ping the Lord by performing his duty, man attains perfec- tion, in so far only as he becomes qualified for the devotion of knowledge (jnana-nish^ha).
Such being the case, therefore,
47. Better is one's own duty (though) destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. Doing the duty ordained according to nature, one incurs no sin.
Just as a poisonous substance does not injure the worm born in that substance, so, he who does the duty ordained according to his own nature incurs no sin.
One ought not to abandon one's own duty.
It has been said that he who does the duty ordained according to his nature incurs no sin like a worm born in poison, that the duty of another brings on fear, and that he who does not know the Self cannot indeed remain even for a moment without doing action. Wherefore,
46-48.] CONCLUSION. 431
undertakings are surrounded with evil, as fire with smoke.
Born with oneself: bom with the very birth of man. Faulty : as everything is composed of the three gu»as. All undertakings : whatever the duties are ; by context, one's own as well as other's duties ; for, the reason here assigned is that they are all made up of the three guwas.
Though a man may perform another's duty, abandoning what is called his own duty, the duty born with himself, he is not free from fault ; and another's duty brings on fear.* And since it is not possible for any man who does not know the Self to give up action entirely, therefore he ought not to abandon action (karma).
Is entire renunciation of action possible ?
(Now, let us enquire) : Is it because of the impossibility of entire abandonment of action that no one ought to re- nounce one's own (nature-bom) duty, or is it because some sin t accrues from the abandoning of the duty born with oneself?
{Question) : — Now, of what good is this enquiry ?
(Answer) : — In the first place, if the duty born with one- self ought not to be abandoned (merely) because of the impossibility of renouncing action entirely, then it would follow that there can be nothing but merit in renouncing it entirely.
it Therefore, it is not right to do neglect of the duty enjoined in the stutl another's duty.— A. as obligatory.— A.
+ The sin ( pratyavliya) arising from the
432 THE bhagavad-gIta [Dis. XVIII.
The Sankhya, Buddhistic and Vaiseshika theories.
( Objection ) : — Yes ; but an entire renunciation is not possible. — Is the soul (Purusha) always mobile like the guwas of the Sankhyas ? Or, is action itself the actor (soul), like the five Skandhas of the Buddhists, undergoing destruction every moment ? In either case, an entire renun- ciation of action is impossible.-^'
Now there is also a third theory : — When the thing (soul) acts, then it is active ; when it does not act, then it is actionless. Such being the case, it is possible to renounce action entirely. And there is this peculiarity in this theory : neither is the thing (soul) ever mobile, nor is action itself the actor ( the soul ) ; but it is a permanent fixed substance, wherein action which was non-existent before arises, and wherein action which has been existent ceases while the substance remains pure (actionless), with the potentiality (of the activity) in it, and as such forms the actor. — Thus say the followers of Kaw^da. What objection is there to this theory ?
Refutation of the Vaiseshika theory.
(Answer) : — There is certainly this objection, that it is contrary to the Lord's teaching. — How do you know ? — For, the Lord has said * there can be no existence of the non-existent ' (ii. i6) and so on. But according to the followers of Kawlbda, the non-existent comes into existence, and the existent becomes non-existent. Wherefore their theory is contrary to the Lord's teaching.
(Objection) : — How can it be objected to if it agrees with
"■■ — —■■ ■ ■ ■ ■■"■ ''''"■■■■ ' ■ . I Ii 11 1 I ^
* Inasmuch as it would imply that the soul undergoes change in its very nature.— A.
48.] CONCLUSION. 433
reason, though it may be opposed to the Lord's teaching ? {Answer) : — We reply :
This view is certainly objectionable, because it is opposed to all evidence. — How ? — If a dvyawuka (an aggregate of two atoms) or other substance is absolutely non-existent before its production, and if, remaining for a time after production, it again becomes non-existent, then it follows that what was non-existent becomes existent, and v/hat is existent will become non-existent ; that non-entity becomes an entity and an entity becomes non-entity. In that- case it must be that a non-entity ( ahhkva. ) which is to become an entity (bh&va) is like a rabbit's horn before becoming an entity, and that it becomes an entity by the action of the threefold cause, — of the material, the non-material or acci- dental, and the efficient causes, (samavlbyi-asamav§»yi-nimitta -k§,ra»as). Now, it is not possible to hold (in the present case)that a non-entity is born and needs a cause ; for, it does not apply to other non-entities, such as a rabbit's horn. If a pot or the like, which is to be produced (as an effect), be of the nature of an entity, then we can understand that when it is to be produced as an effect, it needs a cause so far merely as regards its manifestation.
Moreover, if the non-existent should become existent and the existent should become non-existent, then nobody can be certain as to anything whatsoever in matters of evidence and things ascertainable by evidence, inasmuch as there can be no certainty that the existent will continue to be existent and the non-existent will continue to be non- existent.
Moreover, when they (the followers of Ka«4da) say that a dvyawuka or such other substance is produced as an efiect,
434 '^HB BHAGAVAD-GirA. [Dis. XVIII.
they speak of it as connected with its cause and as existent. Having been non-existent before production, it becomes, in virtue of the operation of its cause, connected with that cause — the ultimate atoms — ^and with existence, by the rela- tion known as samavlLya, i, e,, intimate or inseparable rela- tion. When (thus)related, i.e., when it is inseparably connect- ed with the cause, it becomes existent. Here they may be asked to explain how the non-existent can have a cause of its own. We cannot indeed think of a thing which can cause the birth of a barren woman's son or his relation to anything else.
(Objection): — The Vabeshikas do not hold that the non- existent is related to anything. It is substances, such as dvyanukas, that are said to be intimately related to their causes.
(Answer) : — No; because they are not supposed to exist prior to this relation. — The Vaiseshikas do not argue that a pot or the like exists prior to the action of the potter, the potter's stick and wheel. Neither do they hold that clay assumes by itself the form of a pot. Wherefore, as the only other alternative, they have to admit that the non-existent (pot) becomes related (to the cause).
(Objection) : — It is not opposed to reason to hold that, though non-existent, it may be related by samavfi,ya or intimate relation (to the cause).
(Answer) : — Not so; for, no such thing can be admitted in the case of a barren woman's son. — If we are to hold that the antecedent non-existence ( prligabhAva ) of a pot or the like becomes related to the cause, but not the barren woman's son, notwithstanding that both are alike non- entities (abhdiva), it is necessary to show how one non-entity can be distinguished from the other. Non-existence of one,
48.] CONCLUSION. 435
non-existence of two, non-existence of all, antecedent non- existence ( prdgabhAva ), non-existence after destruction (pradhvaw/sabh&va), mutual non-existence (anyonya.bhava) absolute non-existence (atyant&bhjLva), — nobody can point out any definite distinction among these in themselves. In the absence of a distinction, it is unreasonable to hold that only the antecedent non-existence of a pot becomes a pot through the action of a potter, &c., that it becomes related to a cause of its own, viz., the pot-shreds which are exist- ent, that when thus related it can very well be spoken of as being produced and so on, but that such is not the case with regard to the non-existence after destruction (pradhvawslibh&va) of the same pot, though both alike are non-existent. It is unreasonable to hold that other non- existences (abhilvas), such as non-existence after destruc- tion, can never become ( an existent effect ) and so on, whereas antecedent non-existence alone, such as that of dvyawuka and the like substances, can become (an existent effect) and so on, though it is an abhava or non-existent quite as much as non-existence after destruction or absolute non-existence.
{Objection) : — We do not hold that the non-existent be- comes the existent.
( Answer ) : — Then the existent becomes existent, — for instance, a pot becomes a pot, a cloth becomes a cloth. This, too, is opposed to all evidence, like the theory that non-existent becomes existent.
Refutation of the Parinama-Vada.
As the Pariwama (transformation) theory of the S4nkhyas, even that theory does not differ from the ' th^btf of the
43^ THE bhagavad-gitA. [Dis. XVIII.
Vaiseshikas, inasmuch as it postulates the production of properties non-existent before, as well as their destruction. Even admitting their explanation that by manifestation or disappearance (an effect is said to come into existence or undergo destruction), the theory is all the same opposed to evidence, as may be found if we enquire whether the manifestation and disappearance are previously existent or non-existent.
For the same reason, we have to condemn that theory also which says that production, etc^ of an effect, are only different states of the cause itself.
The Lord's theory of illusion.
As the only other alternative, there remains this theory, that the One Existence, the sole Reality, is, by avidyi, imagined variously, as so many things undergoing produc- tion, destruction and the like changes, like an actor on the stage. This doctrine of the Lord has been stated in ii. i6; the consciousness of the existent (sal) being constant and the consciousness of all the rest being inconstant.
The enli£:htened alone can renounce action entirely.
(Objection) : — Then, the Self being immutable, where is the impossibility of renouncing all action entirely ?
{Answer): — Action is the property or attribute of the gu»as, be they regarded as real things, or as things set up by avidyd. It is ascribed to the Self through avidyi, and it has therefore been said that no ignorant man (avidvan) can renounce action entirely even for a moment (iii. 5). On the other hand, he who knows the Self is able to renounce action entirely, inasmuch as avidylL has been expelled by vidySi or wisdom ; for, there can be no residue left of what
48-49O CONCLUSION. 437
is ascribed by avidyi. Indeed, no residue is left of the second moon created by the false vision of the timira-offected eye, even after the removal of timira. Such being the case, the statements contained in v. 13, xviii. 45, 46 are quite reasonable.
Perfection in Karma-Yo^^a leads to absolute Perfection.
It has been said that the perfection reached by means of Karma- Yoga consists in becoming qualified for jftkna- nish^hfi,, the Path of Wisdom ; and it is with a view to describe, as the fruit thereof, the naishkatmyasiddhiy — perfec- tion in the form of absolute freedom from action, known as jw^na-nish^hi,— that the Lord now proceeds to teach as follows :
49. He whose reason is not attached anywhere, whose self is subdued, from whom desire has fled, he by renunciation attains the supreme state of freedom from action.
He whose reason (buddhi, anta/^-karawa) is free from attachment to sons, wife, and other objects of attachment, whose self (antaA-karawa) is brought under his own control, from whom desire for the body, for life, and for pleasures has fled, — a person of this sort who knows the Self attains to the supreme perfection, to absolute freedom from action (naishkarmyasiddhi), by sawnyasa. In virtue of his know- ledge of the unity of the actionless (nishkriya) Brahman and the Self, all actions have fled from him. This is known as the state of absolute freedom from action ; and it is a siddhi or perfection. — Naishkarmyasiddhi may also mean
438 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
the attainment (siddhi) of naiskkarmya, the state in which one remains as the actionless Self. It is supreme as dis- tinguished from the perfection attainable by Karma- Yoga ; it is the state of immediate liberation (sadyo-mukti). This state is attained by sawny^sa or right knowledge, — or better still, by the renunciation of all actions for which one is prepared by his right knowledge, and so says the Lord inv. 13.
Now, tbe Lord proceeds to teach how a man who, having attained perfection (as described above in xviii, 46) by performing his duty (as taught above) in the service of the Lord, has come by the discriminative knowledge of the Self, can attain the perfection known as naishkavmya or absolute freedom from action, i, ^., a firm unswerving stand in the knowledge of the pure Self.
50. How he who has attained perfection reaches Brahman, that in brief do thou learn from Me, O son of Kuntt, — that supreme consummation of knowledge.
The perfection he has already attained consists in the body and the senses being prepared for devotion to knowledge, as a result of the Grace of the Lord worshipped through his duty. Reference to this (perfection) serves as a prelude to what follows. — What is that perfection to which that reference forms a prelude ? — It is the process of jwiina- nish^ha, or devotion to knowledge, by which he attains Brahman, the Supreme Self. That process, ttie way to the attainment of j»§,na-nish^ha, do thou understand with certainty from my speech. — Is it to be described at length ? — No, says the Lord; it will be described only in brief.
49-50*] CONCLUSION. 439
Absolute perfection is the consummation of
Self - knowledsre.
What the attainment of Brahman — referred to in the words " how he reaches Brahman," is, the Lord proceeds to specify in the words " that supreme consummation of knowledge.** Consummation (nish^hd) means perfection, the final or highest stage.
* (Question) : — Consummation of what ?
(Answer) : — Of Brahma-jn^a or knowledge of Brahman.
(Question) : — Of what nature is the consummation of Brahma-jMna ?
(Answer) ; — Of the same nature as AtmajnAna or Self- knowledge.
(Question) : — Of what nature is the Self-knowledge ?
(Aftswer) : — Of the same nature as the Self.
(Question) : — Of what nature is the Self ?
(Answer) : — Of the nature described by the Lord and in the passages of the Upanishads, and (ascertainable) by nyAya or reasoning (upon the scriptural texts).
Is Self-knowled£:e possible at all ?
(Objection) : — Knowledge or cognition (jn4na) is of the form of its object. But it is nowhere admitted that the Self is an object of cognition or has a form.
it The following discussion in the form ledge, and the nature of the Self Is de^
of questions and answers is intended to fined here in ii. 20 and in the Upanishads;
show that the consummation of know- and it can also be ascertained by rea-
ledge is a well-defined end as spoken of soning upon scriptural texts, which
here. It is the consummation of Brahma- describe him as "devoid of attachment
jn&na (knowledge ot Brahman). Brahma- and immutable ".—A. inkaa. is not different from Sell-know- ^
440 THE bhagavad-gItI. [Dis. XVIII.
(Answer) : — The Self has a form, as taught in the scrip- tural passages, ' In colour like the sun ' (Sve. Up. 3-8) ; < Luminous in form' (ChhA. Up. 3-14-2) ; * Self-luminous' (Bfi. Up. 4-3-9)-
(Objection) : — No ; those passages are intended to remove the idea that the Self is of the nature of darkness (Tamas). — When the Self is said to be neither of the form of a sub- stance nor of an attribute, it would follow that the Self is of the nature of darkness : and the preventing of this idea is the aim of the descriptions such as * In colour like the sun.' Form is specifically denied, the Self being described as ' formless ' (Ka^ha-Up. 3-15). Neither is the Self an object of cognition, as taught in passages like the following : " His form stands not in (our) ken, nor can any one see Him with the eye " (Sve. Up. 4-20) ; ** Without sound and touch " (Ka^ha-Up. 3-15). Wherefore it is wrong to speak of a cognition of the form of the Self.
Such being the case, how can there be a cognition of the Self? Indeed, all cognition, whatever be its object, is of the form of that object. And it has been said that the Self is formless. If both the Self and the cognition thereof be formless, how is the constant meditation of Self-knowledge or the consummation thereof to be attained ?
The Self reveals Himself in Pure Reason.
(Answer) :— Do not think so ; for, it can be shown that the Self is extremely pure, extremely clear, and extremely subtle. And Buddhi ( reason ) being as pure, etc., as the Self, it can put on the semblance of that aspect of the Self which is manifested as consciousness. Manas puts on a semblance of Buddhi, the sense-organs put on a semblance of Manas, and the physical body again puts on a semblance
56] CONCLUSION. 441
of the sense-organs. Wherefore common people look upon the mere physical body as the Self. And the Loka- yatikas (materialists) who argue that consciousness is a property of the physical body declare that the Purusha or Soul is identical with the physical body endued with con- sciousness. Similarly, others argue that consciousness is a property of the senses ; others again argue that con- sciousness is a property of 'Buddhi. There are a few who hold that there is something within even beyond the Buddhi, viz. J the Avyakta (the Unmanifested) also called the Avydknta (the Undifferentiated), in the form of Avidy^; and they say that the Avy&kfita is the Self.* Everywhere, from Buddhi down to the physical body, the cause of illusory identification of each with the Self is its wearing a semblance of the consciousness of the Self ; and it is therefore unnecessary to impart directly a knowledge of the Self. — What then is necessary ? — What is necessary is the mere elimination of the 'not- Self associated with the Self, — names, forms and the like ; but it is unnecessary to try and teach what the consciousness of the Self is like, inas- much as it is invariably comprehended in association with all objects of perception which are set up by avidya. Accordingly, the VijMnav^dins, the Buddhistic Idealists, hold that there is nothing real except ideas, and that these ideas require no external evidence(to prove their existence), inasmuch as it is admitted that they are self- cognized. Therefore we have only to eliminate what is falsely ascribed to Brahman by avidy^ ; we have to make no more effort to
• Those who study and contemplate the Antarydmin, the Avyikilta endued upob the Cause of the universe regard with cousciousness as the Self.— A.
442 THE bhagavad-gItI. [Dis. XVIII.
acquire a knowledge of Brahman as He is quite self-evident. Though thus quite self-evident, easily knowable, quite near, and forming the very Self, Brahman appears — to the unen- lightened, to those whose reason (Buddhi) is carried away by the differentiated phenomena of names and forms created by SLVidyk — as unknown, difficult to know, very remote, as though He were a separate thing. But to those whose reason (Buddhi) has turned away from external phenomena, who have secured the grace of the Guru and attained the serenity of the self (manas), there is nothing, nothing else so blissful, so well-known, so easily knowable, and quite so near as Brahman. Accordingly, the knowledge of Brah- man is said to be immediately comprehended and unopposed to dharma. (ix. 2.)
Some conceited philosophers hold that reason (Buddhi) cannot grasp the Self, as He is formless, and that there- fore the Devotion of Right Knowledge is impossible of attainment.
True, it is unattainable to those who have not been pro- perly initiated into the traditional knowledge by the Gurus (the Great Ones), who have not learned and studied the (teachings of the) Ved&nta, whose intellect is quite engrossed in the external objects of senses, and who have not been trained in the right sources of knowledge. But, for those who are differently situated, (t. e., who have been duly initiated, etc.,), it is quite impossible to believe in the reality of the dual — the perceiver and the perceived — of our external perception, because they perceive no reality other than the consciousness of the Self. And we have shewn in the preceding sections that this— not the reverse — is the truth, and the Lord also has declared the same in ii.
50.] CONCLUSION. 443
69. Wherefore it is only a cessation of the perception of the differentiated forms of the external world that can lead to a firm grasp of the real nature of the Self. For, the Self is not a thing unknown to anybody at any time, is not a thing to be reached or got rid of or acquired. If the Self be quite unknown, all undertakings intended for the benefit of oneself would have no meaning. It is not, indeed, possible to imagine that they are for the benefit of the physical body or the like which has no consciousness ; nor is it possible to imagine that pleasure is for pleasure's sake and pain is for pain's sake. It is, moreover, the Self- knowledge which is the aim of all endeavour.* Wherefore, just as there is no need for an external evidence by which to know one's own body, so there is no need for an external evidence by which to know the Self who is even nearer than the body. Thus it is clear that, to those who can
discriminate, the Atma-jn^na-nish^h^ (devotion to Self knowledge) is easy of attainment.
Co^ition and the Cog^niser are self-revealed.
Those also who hold that cognition (jwAna) is formless and is not known by immediate perception must admit that, since an object of knowledge is apprehended through cognition, cognition is quite as immediately known as pleasure or the like.
Moreover, it cannot be maintained that cognition is a thing which one seeks to know. — If cognition were unknown.
if All action enjoined in the smti is knowledge! Vide, Ved&nta-Sutras III. iv intended only as a means to Self- 26-27— A.
444 THE BHAGAVAD-Glxi. [DiS. XVIII.
it would be a thing which has to be sought after just as an chject of cognition is sought after. Just as, for example, a man seeks to reach by cognition the cognisable object such as a pot, so also would he have to seek to reach cognition by means of another cognition. But the fact is otherwise. Wherefore cognition is self-revealed, and therefore, also, is the cogniser self-revealed.
Therefore it is not for the knowledge (of Brahman or the Self) that any effort* is needed ; it is needed only to prevent us from regarding the not-Self as the Self. Therefore, Devotion to Knowledge (j^ana-nish^ha) is easily attain- able.
The Path to Absolute Perfection.
How is this consummation of knowledge! to be attained? Listen ;
51, Endued with a pure reason, controlling the self with firmness, abandoning sound and other objects, and laying aside love and hatred ;
Pure : free from illusion (m^y&), from doubt and mis- conception. Reason (buddhi) : the determining faculty. Th6 Self: the aggregate of the body and the senses. Abandoning S'C, : ( as we should understand from the context ) all superfluous luxuries, all objects except those only which are necessary for the bare maintenance of the body, and
• With a view to bring into existence t A continuous current of the know- something that does not already exist by ledge of Brahman ; the reason merging means of an act enjoined in* the 5ruti. ** Brahman through the elimination of ~A. all alien attributes ascribed to Him.~A.
50-53'] coMCLustoN. 44§
laying aside love atid hatred even for those objects which appear necessary for the maintenance of the body. Then,
52. Resorting to a sequestered spot, eating but little, speech and body and mind subdued; always engaged in meditation and concentration, endued with dispassion ;
Resorting^ &c* : ever accustomed to resort to such se- questred spots as a jungle, the sandbank of a river, the mountain -cave. Eating but little : as conducive to the sere- nity of thought by keeping ofi sleep and such other evils. This devotee of wisdom should also restrain his speech, body and mind. With all the senses thus quieted, he should always and devoutly practise Dhyana or meditation upon the nature of the Self, and Yoga or concentration of the mind on the Self. Always : this implies that he has to do nothing else, no mantrajapa (repetition of chants or mystic formulae), etc. Dispassion : absence of desire for visible and invisible objects. This should be a constant attitude of the mind.
Moreover,
53. Having abandoned egotism, strength, arrog- ance, desire, enmity, property, free from the no- tion of ** mine,'' and peaceful, he is fit for becom- ing Brahman.
Egotism : identifying the Self with the body, &c. Strength: that strength which is combined with passion and desire, but not the physical or any other strength : the latter being natural, its abandonment is not possible. A^ogance : which
44^ THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis. XVIII.
follows the state of exultation and leads to the transgression of dharma, as said in the smnti :
" When a man exults, he becomes arrogant, and when he becomes arrogant, he transgresses dharma " — (Apastamba-Dharmasutra, 1-13-4).
Property : though a man is free from all passions of the mind and the senses, he may own so much of external belongings as is necessary for bodily sustenance and for the observance of his duties (dharma) ; but even this the aspirant abandons ; i. c, he becomes a Paramahai^^sa-Parivr&jaka, a samny&sin of the fourth or highest order. He does not regard even the bodily life as his. Peaceful : free from exultation and care. Such a devotee of wisdom is fit to become Brahman.
The consummation of Knowledg^e attained
by Devotion.
In this way,
54. Becoming Brahman, of serene self, he neither grieves nor desires, treating all beings alike ; he attains supreme devotion to Me.
He who has reached Brahman and attained self-serenity does not grieve regarding his failure to accomplish an object or regarding his wants. It is not indeed possible to suppose that he who knows Brahman can have a longing for any object unattained ; therefore the words " he neither grieves nor desires " is tantamount to saying that such is the nature of the man who has become Brahman. — Another reading makes the passage mean " he neifHef grieves nor exults." — Treating all beings alike : he regards the pleasure
53-55-] CONCLUSION. 447
and pain of all creatures equally with his own, (i. ^., that they would affect them just as they affect himself). — It is not meant here that he sees the identity of the Self in all, as this will be mentioned in the next verse. — Such a devotee to wisdom attains highest devotion to Me, the Supreme Lord, — the fourth or the highest of the four kinds of devotion, — viz,, the Devotion of Knowledge, — spoken of in vii. i6«
Then,
55. By Devotion he knows Me in truth, what and who I am ; then, knowing Me in truth, he forthwith enters into Me.
By Bhakti, by the Devotion of Knowledge, he knows Me as I am in the divers manifestations caused by upadhis. He knows who I am, he knows that I am devoid of all the differences caused by the upadhis, that I am the Supreme Purusha, that I am like unto akasa ; he knows Me to be non-dual, the one Consciousness (Chaitanya), pure and simple, unborn, undecaying, undying, fearless, deathless. Thus knowing Me in truth, he enters into Myself immed- iately after attaining knowledge.
It is not meant here that the act of knowing and the act of entering are two distinct acts. — What then is the act of entering ?— It is the knowledge itself ; for, there is nothing to be effected ( by knowledge ) other than itself, as the Lord has taught, ** Do thou also know Me as Kshetra- jwa. (xm. 2).
(Objection) : — The statement that "by the supreme devotion of knowledge he knows Me," involves a contradiction. —
448 THE bhagavad-gIta [Dis. XVIIL
How? — Thus: when the knowledge of a certain object arises in the knower, then and then alone the knower knows that object ; no devotion to that knowledge, no repe- tition of the knowledge, is necessary. Therefore, the state- men( that " he knows Me, not by knowledge, but by devotion to knowledge, by a repetition of knowledge," involves a contradiction.
{Answer) : — This objection does not apply here ; for, the word " devotion (nish^h^)" means that the knowledge aided by all the favourable conditions of its rise and development and freed from obstacles culminates in a firm conviction by one's own experience. When the knowledge of the unity of the individual Self (Kshetrajwa) and the Supreme Self (Param^tman), generated by the teachings of the Scriptures and the master under conditions favourable to the rise and ripening of that knowledge — viz,, purity of mind, humility and other attributes (xiii. 7, et seq,), — and accompanied with the renunciation of all works which are associated -with the idea of distinctions such as the agent and other factors of auction, culminates ip a firm conviction by one's own experience, then the knowledge is said to have attained supreme consummation. This jMna-nish^ha (Devotion of Knowledge) is referred to as the Supreme or fourth kind of Devotion, Bhakti (vii. 17), — supreme as compared with the remaining three kinds of Devotion, with that of the distressed, &c., (vii. 16). By this supreme devotion the aspirant knows the Lord as He is, and immediatly after- wards all consciousness of difference between the fcvara and the Kshetrajwa disappears altogether. Thus there is no contradiction involved in the statement that "by the Devo- tion of Knowledge (the aspirant knows) Me. "
55-] CONCLUSION. 449
Renunciation of all works is necessary for
absolute perfection.
Then alone can the well-ascertained teaching of all scrip- tures— viz., the Upanishads, Itihiisas, Purdwas and Smritis — enjoining retirement have a meaning. The scriptural texts are such as the following :
** Knowing It, they renounce and lead a mendicant life."— (Bn. Up. 3-5-9).
" Wherefore they say that renunciation is excellent among these austerities." — (Ydjniki-Up. 79).
" Renunciation excels." — {Ibid. 78).
" Sawnyasa is the renunciation of actions."
* 'Having abandoned Vedas, this world and the next," etc. — (Apastamba-Dharmasutra, 2-23-13).
** Renounce dharma and a-dharma."
And so on. Here, in the Git^ also, passages of similar import (such as v. 12) occur. It cannot be held that these passages are meaningless. Nor can it be held that they are arthavddas, mere explanatory or incidental remarks (not meant as obligatory injunctions) ; for, they occur in the sections which specially treat of renunciation.
Moreover, (renunciation of works is necessary) because Moksha consists in the realisation of the immutability of one's own Inner Self. He who wishes to reach the eastern sea should not indeed travel in the opposite direction, i. e,, by the same road that the man who wishes to go to the western sea chooses. And the Devotion of Knowledge (jMna- nish^ha) consists in an intent effort to establish a continuous current of the idea of the Inner Self (Pratyag^tman) ; and
450 THE bhagavad-gItI. [Dis. XVIIL
there would be a conflict if that devotion were to be con- joined with ritual (karma), which is like going towards the western sea. It is a firm conviction of philosophers that the difference between the two is as wide as that between a mountain and a mustard seed. Hence the conclusion that the Devotion of Knowledge ( jnana-nish^hd. ) should be practised by renouncing all action.
Devotion to the Lord by works enjoined.
The perfection accruing as the fruit of that Bhakti-Yoga which consists in worshipping the Lord through one's own duties qualifies the aspirant for the Devotion of Knowledge which culminates in moksha. This Bhakti-Yoga, the Yoga of Devotion to the Lord, is extolled here, in this section which sums up the teaching of the 5&stra, with a view to firmly impress that teaching.
56. Doing continually all actions whatsoever, taking refuge in Me, — by My Grace he reaches the eternal undecaying Abode.
Doing all actions including even the prohibited actions, whoso seeks refuge in Me, V^sudeva, the Lord, with his whole self centred in Me, reaches the eternal Abode of Vish«u by the Grace of the Lord.
Wherefore,
57. Mentally resigning all deeds to Me, regard- ing Me as the Supreme, resorting to mental con- centration, do thou ever fix thy heart in Me.
Mentally: with discriminative faith.* All actions: pro-
*».«., the faith that knowledge alone not works, finally leads to salvation.— A obtainable by the Lord's Grace, — but
55-61.] CONCLUSION. 451
ducing visible and invisible results. Me: the Lord. As taught in ix. 27, do thou dedicate all thy actions to Me. Regarding : regarding Me, VAsudeva, as the highest goal ; his whole self centred in Me. Resorting^ &c : resorting to the Buddhi-Yogii (sam^hita-buddhitva, steady- mindedness, firm faith) as thy sole refuge.
58. Fixing thy heart in Me, thou shalt, by My Grace, cross over all difficulties ; but if from ego- tism thou wilt not hear (Me), thou shalt perish.
Difflculties : the impassable obstacles arising from (a vidyA), the cause of ssjnsira.. Egotism : the idea that thou art a learned man. If thou wilt not abide by my advice, then thou shalt be ruined.
Neither shouldst thou think, ** I am independent ; why should I obey the dictates of another'* ?
59. If, indulging egotism, thou thinkest * I will not fight,' vain is this, thy resolve; nature will constrain thee.
Thinkest, resolvest. Vain : for, thy nature as a Kshatriya will constrain thee to do so. Also because,
60. Bound (as thou art}, O son of Kuntl, by thy own nature-born act, that which from delu- sion thou likest not to do, thou shalt do, though against thy will.
Nature-horn : such as prowess, &c., mentioned above (xviii. 43). Against thy will : in subjection to some external force.
For,
452 THE bhagavad-gitA. [Dis. XVIIL
O Arjuna, whirling by Maya all beings (as if) mounted on a machine.
The Lord (Isvara) : the Ruler, Nftrdyawa. Arjuna: pure in the internal self, of a pure anta/f-kara«a. The word " arjuna " is used in the sense of * pure ' in the i?ig-Veda, " The dark day and the light day." (6-9-1). He causes all beings to revolve as if — * as if ' being understood — mounted on machines, like wooden dolls mounted on a machine. By Mdyd: by causing illusion. * Whirling* should be construed with * dwells.'
62. Fly unto Him for refuge with all thy being, O Bharata ; by His Grace shalt thou obtain supreme peace (and) the eternal resting place.
Seek thou that Lord as thy sole Refuge with thy whole being for relief from the distress of sawsara. Then, by His Grace, thou shalt obtain supreme peace and attain to My — i, e., Vishwu's — Supreme Eternal Abode.
63. Thus has wisdom, more secret than all that is secret, been declared to thee by Me; reflect thou over it all and act as thou pleasest.
Me : the Omniscient Lord. It : the Sastra, the teaching declared above. A II : everything that has been taught.
Devotion to the Lord is the Secret of success
in Karma- Yog^a.
Listen to what I am again going to say :
64. Hear thou again My word supreme, the most secret of all ; because thou art My firm friend, therefore will I tell thee what is good.
6 1-66.] CONCLUSION. 453
Again : though it has been more than once declared. I do not tell thee either from fear or from hope of reward ; thou art My firm friend, thou art ever beloved of Me ; and for this reason I shall tell thee of the supreme good, the means of attaining knowledge. This last is, indeed, the highest of all kinds of good.
What is it ? — The Lord says :
65. Fix thy thought on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, do homage to Me. Thou shalt reach Myself. The truth do I declare to thee ; (for) thou art dear to Me.
Thou shalt reach Myself: thus acting — i,e,t looking up to V^sudeva alone as thy aim, means, and end — thou shalt come to Me. In this matter I make a solemn promise. — The meaning of the verse is this : Thus, knowing that the Lord's declarations are true, and being convinced that moksha is a necessary result of devotion to the Lord, one should look to the Lord as the highest and sole Refuge.
Rig^ht Knowledge and Renunciation.
Having taught in conclusion that the supreme secret of the Devotion of Karma- Yoga, is the regarding of the Lord as the sole Refuge, the Lord now proceeds to speak of the Right Knowledge, the fruit of the Devotion of Karma- Yoga, as taught in the essential portions of all the Ved^n- tas (Upanishads) :
66. Abandoning all righteous deeds, seek Me as thy sole Refuge ; I will liberate thee from all sins ; do thou not grieve.
Righteous deeds (dharma) : including unrighteous deeds
454 THE bhagavad-gItI. [Dis. XVIII.
(a-dharma) also, since naishkarmya or freedom from all action is intended to be taught here. Here may be cited such passages of the sruti and the smnti as the following :
" Not he who has not abstained from evil deed... can attain It." — (Ka^ha-Up. 1-2-24)
** Abandon dharma and a-dharma." So, the passage means " renouncing dll works." Me atom : the fsvara, the Self of all, dwelling the same in all. Seek Me as thy sole Refuge : in the belief ** I myself am that Isvara ;" i.e., do thou understand that there is naught else except Me. When thou art firm in this faith, I shall liberate thee from all sins, from all bonds of dharma and a-dharma, by manifesting Myself as thy own Self. So it has been already said here,
** I destroy the darkness born of ignorance by the luminous lamp of wisdom, abiding in their self." —
(x. II.)
Wherefore do thou not grieve.
What is the means to the Highest Bliss, — Knowledge
or Works?
What has been determined in this GltA-sastra as the means of attaining the Highest Bliss (nis-sreyasa) ? Is it Knowledge Qnana),or Works (Karma), or both together?
Whence this doubt ?
It has been said " Knowing which one attains the Im- mortal*' (xiii. 12), and ** Then knowing Me in truth, he forthwith enters into Me" (xiii. 55) : these and other pass- ages teach that the Highest Bliss is attained by mere knowledge. Such passages again as " Thy concern is with action alone" (ii. 47), and " Do thou also perform
66.] codjCLusioN. 455
action," (iv» 15), teach that performance of works is quite obligatory. Since it has been taught that both knowledge and works are obligatory, there may arise a doubt as to whether also the two conjoined may not constitute the means to the Highest Bliss.
What is the good of this enquiry at all ?
It is this, viz.y to determine which one of them forms the means to the Highest Bliss. Wherefore, the subject is very wide and is worth investigating.
Self- Knowledge alone is the means to the Highest
Bliss.
Pure Self-knowledge alone is the means to the Highest Bliss ; for, as removing the notion of variety, it culminates in liberation (kaivalya). Avidy^ is the perception of variety involving actions, factors of action, and the ends of actions. It is always present in the Self. ** Mine is action ; I am the agent ; I do this act for such and such a result :" in this form, avidy^ has been active in time without a beginning. The remover of this avidy^ is the knowledge of the Self arising in the following form, "Here I am, free, a non-agent, actionless, devoid of results"; for such a knowledge removes the notion of variety which causes one to engage in action. — The word " alone " (in the opening line of this paragraph) is intended to exclude the two other alternatives : neither by works alone, nor by works and knowledge conjoined together, is the Highest Bliss attained. Since, moreover, the Highest Bliss is not an effect to be accomplished by action, works cannot be the means to it. Indeed, the Eternal Reality is not produced either by knowledge or by works.
456 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
(Objection) : — Then, even the pure knowledge serves no purpose !
(Answer) : — Not so ; for, by removing avidya, it culmi- nates in emancipation, which is a visible result. — We know from experience that knowledge which removes the darkness of avidyA culminates in emancipation as its result ; for instance, in the case of a rope (mistaken for a serpent), as soon as the light of the lamp removes the dark- ness which caused the error, the rope is no longer mistaken for a serpent. The result of illumination culminates indeed in the emancipation of the rope, in freeing the rope from the various mistaken notions of serpent, etc., which then cease altogether. So, too, as regards the Self-knowledge.
Knowledge cannot be conjoined with Works.
Now, when the agent and other factors of action are operating in the act of cutting or in the act of churning fire, —each act producing a visible result, — they cannot (at the same time) operate in another act productive of another result different from severance or the kindling of a fire ; so also when the agent and other factors of action are con- cerned in the act of knowledge-devotion (jnana-nish^h^), — whereof alike the result is visible, — they cannot at the same time operate to bring about another act productive of a result other than the emancipation of the Self. Wherefore, the Devotion of Knowledge cannot be conjoined with works.
(Objection) : — They may be conjoined, just as the act of eating and the acts of fire-worship (agnihotra), &c., are con- joined.
(Answer) : — No ; for, emancipation being the result of knowledge, (the devotee of knowledge) cannot desire the
66.] CONCLUSION. 457
result of works. — When there is an all-spreading flood of water close by nobody would ever think of constructing wells and tanks to any purpose. So also when knowledge leading to emancipation as its result has been attained, no- body would ever desire any other result or seek to do an act by which to obtain that other result. He who is engaged in an act by which he hopes to acquire a whole kingdom will not certainly engage in an act which can at best secure for him a piece of land, nor will he cherish a desire for it. Therefore works are not the means to the Highest Bliss. Neither is a conjunction of knowledge and works possible. Nor can it be held that knowledge which leads to emanci- pation requires the aid of works ; for, as removing avidysb, knowledge is opposed to works. Indeed, darkness cannot remove darkness. Therefore, knowledge alone is the means to the Highest Bliss.
Refutation of the theory that salvation is attained
by works alone.
(Objection) : — No. For, by neglect of nitya or obligatory works one incurs sin (pratyavaya) ; and kaivalya or emanci- pation is eternal.
{To explain) : — It is wrong to say that emancipation is attained by knowledge alone ; for, by neglect of the nitya-harma or obligatory works enjoined in the sruti, a man incurs sin which leads him to hell, etc.
{Counter-objection) :— Thus, then, since moksha is not to be attained by works, there can be no hope of attaining moksha at all.
458 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
{Rejoinder) : — There is no room for any such objection, in- asmuch as moksha is eternal. The sin of omission (pratyavaya) is avoided by the observance of the nitya-harma or obliga- tory works ; by avoiding the prohibited acts, no obnoxious bodies are generated; by avoiding the Aaw^^-A^rwa or interested acts no desirable body either is generated ; and when the present body perishes on the exhaustion of the fruits of the works which have given rise to the body, no more causes then exist which can generate another body ; and when attachment and other passions are expunged from the heart, the emancipation of the Self — i. e,, the realisation by the Self of His own true nature — is attained without any eftort.
(Counter-objection) : — Those of the acts done in the past innumerable births, which have not yet begun their effects, and of which some lead to heaven and others to hell, and so on, have not been extinguished, because their effects have not been enjoyed.
(Rejoinder) : — No ; for we argue that the fruits of those works are reaped in the form of the trouble and pain involved in the performance of the nitya-karma. Or, the nitya-karma may, like the prayaschitta or expiatory act, serve to destroy past sins. The works which have begun their effects being exhausted by the enjoyment of their fruits, and no new works being undertaken, it follows that emancipation is attained without any effort.
(Answer): — No; for the sruti says that there exists no other road to moksha than knowledge :
** Knowing Him alone, one crosses beyond death ; there exists no other road to the Abode" (5vet. Up. 3-8).
The Sruti says, further, that moksha is as impossible for
66.] CONCLUSION. 459
the unwise man as it is impossible for men to compress the ^k^a like leather {Ibid. 6 — 20). And the Pura.wic tradition also says that * one attains emancipation by know- ledge.'
Moreover, the good deeds (puwya-karma) which have not yet begun their effects cannot be said to have been exhausted. Just as the existence of sins which have not begun their effects is possible, so also the existence of good (puwya) deeds which have not yet begun their effects is possible ; and as these cannot be exhausted without gen- erating another body, moksha is not possible.
Neither is it possible to generate no new merit and de- merit (dharma and adharma in this body), inasmuch as destruction of love and hatred and delusion which lead to acts of merit and demerit cannot be effected except by means of Self-knowledge. Because the sruti says that the nitya^karma produces merit (puwya) as its result, and because the smnti says that, by performing their proper duties, the several castes and orders attain to a high immeasurable happiness, the exhaustion of works is not possible.
Refutation of the theory that the Nitya-Karma
leads to no future births.
Now, as to the contention : As painful in itself, the nitya- karma is itself the fruit of sinful deeds committed in the past ; apart from itself, the nitya-karma bears no distinct fruit, because the sruti speaks nowhere of its fruits, the mere circumstance of a man being alive forming a sufficient ground for its necessary performance.
We say, no ; for, it is impossible for those deeds to yield their fruits which have not yet begun to work out their
4^0 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
effects. Neither can there be any variety in the pain (in- volved in the performance of the nitya-karma).
(To explain) :— It is wrong to say that the fruits of the sinful deeds committed in the past births are reaped in the form of the trouble and pain involved in the performance of the nitya-karma. We cannot indeed understand how the fruit of the deeds which did not sprout up for fruition at the time of death can be reaped in the birth caused by another set of deeds. Otherwise, there would be nothing unreason- able in the supposition that infernal suffering is possible in the very birth that has been generated by Agnihotra (fire- sacrifice) for the enjoyment of the fruit thereof**.^., for the enjoyment of heaven (svarga).
Moreover, the pain involved in the performance of the nitya-karma cannot answer to that variety of suffering (which should result from the variety) of acts of sin. While many acts of sin productive of as many distinct kinds of suffering may possibly exist, to suppose that their effects consist in the mere trouble and pain involved in the observance of the nitya-karma would lead to the further supposition — which it is impossible to hold — that the suffer- ing inflicted by the pairs of opposites, diseases and the like, has no cause of its own, and that the trouble and pain involved in the observance of the nitya-karma is alone the effect of past sins, but not the pain of carrying stones on the head or the like.
Besides, it is irrelevant to say that the trouble and pain involved in the observance of the nitya-karma constitutes the result of the sinful deeds done in the past. — How ? — It has been urged that no extinction of the past sin which has not begun to bear fruit is possible ; whereas you say that
66.] CONCLUSION. 461
the fruit of the deed which has begun to bear fruit — not the fruit of the deed which has not begun to bear fruit — is reaped in the form of the trouble and pain involved in the observance of the nitya-karma. If, on the other hand, you mean that the whole sin committed in the past has begun to bear fruit, then there is no ground for the specification that the mere trouble and pain involved in the observance of the nitya- karma are the fruits (of those sinful deeds which have not be- gun to produce their effects). It would then also follow that the enjoining of the nitya-karma has no purpose to serve ; for, the sinful deeds which have begun their effects can be extinguished by merely undergoing the effects so produced.
Moreover, if pain be the result of the nitya-karma enjoined in the sruti, that pain may arise from the trouble involved in the observance of the nitya-karma itself as from any other active exercise : it is therefore unreasonable to suppose that it is the result of another action.
Again, as enjoined on a man on the mere ground of his being alive, the nitya-karma cannot be, any more than a prayaschitta or expiatory act, the effect of gins committed in the past. An expiatory act, enjoined by reason of a certain act of sin having been committed, is not the fruit of that sinful act. If, on the other hand, the pain of the expiatory act be the effect of the very sinful act which forms its occasion, then, it would follow that the trouble and pain involved in the performance of the nitya-karma occasioned by the man's being alive, &c., is the effect of that very state of being alive which has occasioned the necessity ; the nitya-karma and prdyaschitta being alike necessitated by the particular occasions respectively.
462 THE bhagavad-gItA.. [Dis. XVIII.
Moreover, the trouble and pain involved in the per- formance of a nitya-agnikotra (fire-worship done as a duty) and a kdmya-agnikotra (fire-worship done with a motive) being equal, and no special reason being found as to why the trouble and pain involved in the performance of the nitya-karma alone should constitute the result of sins com- mitted in the past, but not the trouble and pain involved in the performance of the k^mya-karma, it would follow that the latter also is the result of sins committed in the past. Such being the case, it is wrong to infer, on the ground of consistency (arthapatti), that because no mention is made in the sruti of the nitya-karma's results and because the injunction thereof is otherwise inexplicable, the trouble and pain involved m the performance of the nitya-karma is the result of sins committed in the past. The injunction being otherwise inexplicable, we should even infer that the nitya-karma is productive of results distinct from the pain and trouble involved in its performance.
The opponent is also guilty of inconsistency. When it is once admitted that through the performance of the nitya- karma the fruit of another deed is reaped, this reaping forms itself the fruit of the nitya-karma, and it is therefore inconsistent to hold at the same time that the nitya-karma produces no fruits of its own.
Moreover, when the kfi^mya-agnihotra is performed, the nitya-agnihotra is also said to have been performed simulta- neously, as included in that self-same act ; and therefore the fruit of the k§.mya-agnihotra should become exhausted with the trouble and pain involved in the nitya-agnihotra, inas- much as the k^mya-agnihotra is not a distinct act from the nitya-agnihotra. If, on the other hand, the effect of the
66] CONCLUSION. 463
k&mya-agnihofra be something distinct, such as svarga, then it would follow that the trouble and pain of its per- formance must also be distinct ; but it is not so, for it is opposed to facts. In point of fact, the trouble and pain involved in the performance of the nitya-karma is not distinct from that of the kd.mya-karma.
Furthermore, an action which is neither enjoined nor prohibited (in the sruti) is productive of immediate results ; but an act which is enjoined or prohibited by the s^stra cannot be productive of immediate result. If this latter were productive of immediate results, then no effort would be made with a view to attain an unseen result, even though it be svarga or the like, so long as it is held that in the case of Agnihotra or the like — despite the absence of all distinction in the nature of the act — the fruits of the act when per- formed as a nitya-karma are reaped in the form of the mere trouble and pain involved in its performance, whereas when performed as a kimya-karma the self-same act produces a superior result — such as svarga — merely because there is a longing for its results, although the latter act is not superior to the former in any of the subsidiary parts or in the mode of performance. Wherefore it is in no way reasonable to contend that the nitya-karma does not lead to results in the unseen future.
The Paths of Knowledge and Works are meant for distinct classes of aspirants.
So*, knowledge alone can cause total destruction of
' ' -I ■ M« ■ II — ■! ■■ II I I ■ ■■ III ■■■■■«■■ I III _■! _ ■ , ,. » ,„_— I , I ^
♦ Because the nitya-karma, like the it is not^^intended for the removal of sins ;
kdmya-karma, yields its fruits in the in- and therefore Self-knowledge alone, it
visible future by way of taking the de- must be admitted, conduces to that snd.
votee to the regions of Pitris and the like, —A.
464 THE bhagavad-gIta [Dis. XVIII.
good or evil deeds caused by avidya — not the performance of the nitya-karma. For,avidy^ and kdma (nescience and desire) constitute the seed of all action. Accordingly it has been declared that Karma- Yoga pertains to the ignorant and that J»llna-nish^h& or knowledge-devotion accom- panied with renunciation of all works pertains to the wise. Vide ii. ig, 21 ; iii. 3, 26, 28 ; v. 8, 13 ; vii. 18 ; ix. 21, 22 ; X. 10. From the last verse here quoted it should be inferred that ignorant men who are devoted to action can- not approach the Lord. And therefore, notwithstanding that ignorant men, who are followers of works, are most de- vout, rendering service to the Lord, they resort only to one of the several paths mentioned (xii. 6- 11) in their descending order, the lowest of them being that which consists in abandoning the fruits of action. But as regards those who are devoted to the Undefinable and the Indestructible, the attributes, they cultivate are mentioned in xii. 13-20 ; and their path of knowledge is also described in the three dis- courses commencing with the (thirteenth) discourse on the Kshetra*. The triple result of action. — such as the evil, good and mixed fruit, — (xviii. 12) does not accrue to those who have renounced all works generated by the five causes such as the body (xviii. 14), who know that the Self is one and non-agent, who are engaged in the higher devotion of knowledge, who have known the true nature of the Lord, — to the Paramaha;»sa-Parivr&jakas {i. ^., the sawny&sins of the fourth or highest order) who have obtained refuge in the unity of the Self and the Divine Being. But it does accrue to others who are ignorant, who follow the path of
♦ Vide xiii. 7-1 1, xiv. 22-26, xv 3-5.— A.
66.] Conclusion. 465
works, who are not sawnyasins. Thus should we assign the paths of duty taught in the Gitk-sistr^,
Action is a creature of Avidya.
{Objection) : — It cannot be proved that all action is caused by avidy&.
(Answer) : — No ; it can be proved, as in the case of brdhmanicide (brahmahatya). — The nitya-karma is no doubt taught in the slistra ; but it concerns the ignorant alone. Just as the act of brahmanicide, which, as prohibited in the s^stra, is known to be a source of evil, is committed only by him who is ignorant and influenced by passion and other evil tendencies, — his concern in it being otherwise inexplicable — so also, all nitya, naimittika, and kamya karmas, i, ^., all works comprising the constant and occasional duties as well as all interested sacrificial rites, concern only him who is ignorant (of the Self).
(Objection) : — So long as it is not known that the Self is distinct from the body, it is not likely that any man would undertake to perform the nitya-karma, etc.
(Answer) : — Not so ; for, we see that a man engages in an act thinking " I do" the act, v/hich, being of the nature of motion, is really done by the agency of the not-Self, (of the body, etc.).
(Objection) :— The regarding of the aggregate of the body, etc., as the Self is only a gau^^a-pratyaya or a figuratively expressed notion ; it is not an illusion (mithygi).
(Answer) : — Not so ; for, then its effects, too, must be gau»a, must have been figuratively spoken of.
466 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
{To explain the objection) : — When we speak of the aggregate of the body, etc., — which are things belonging to the Self, — as the Self, our words should be understood in a figurative sense, as when, for instance, addressing the father the sruti says " thyself art he who is spoken of as thy son.'' In common parlance, too, we say " this cow is my very life.** In the present case there is certainly no mithyi- pratyaya or illusory notion. It is only when the distinction between the two is not perceived, — as when a pillar is mis- taken for a man, that we have an instance of illusion.
(To explain the answer) : — Not so. A gauwa-pratyaya can- not lead to a real effect ; for, a figurative expression, — the sign of similarity being understood, — is merely intended to extol the subject. For example, such expressions as **Devadatta is a lion** and ** the student is fire** are intended merely to extol the subjects, Devadatta and the student, because of their respective resemblance to the lion and fire in point of fierceness and yellowishness ; but no effect of the existence of a real lion or of a real fire is accomplished in virtue of that figurative expression or idea. On the other hand, one actually experiences the evil effects of an illusory notion.
Furthermore, one knows what the subject in reality is when it is figuratively spoken of as some other thing ; one knows that Devadatta is no lion and that the student is no fire. So also, if the bodily aggregate be figuratively spoken of as the Self, the act done by the bodily aggregate would not be regarded as an act done in reality by the Self, by the real subject of the notion " I.'* Indeed, no act done by a gauwa (figurative) lion or fire can become an act done by a real lion or fire. Neither is any purpose whatever of
66.] CONCLUSION. 467
an actual lion or fire served by fierceness or yellowishness, it being merely intended to extol (the subject).
Moreover, he who is thus praised knows that he is not a lion, that he is not fire ; he never regards an act of a lion or of fire as his. So, (if, in the present case, the bodily aggre- gate were figuratively spoken of as the Self), one would think rather that the act of the (bodily) aggregate ** is not mine," i, e,y not the real Self's, than that " I am the agent, mine is the action."
And as regards the theory that the Self actually does an act, — his memory, desire and effort forming causes of action, — we say that such is not the case, because they proceed from illusion. In fact, memory, desire and effort proceed from impressions produced by the experience of desirable and undesirable effects of actions set up by illu- sion. Just as in this birth dharma and a-dharma and the experience of their fruits are due to the identifying of the Self with the aggregate of tbe body, &c., to affection and aversion and so on, so also in the last previous birth and in the birth previous to that, and so on. Thus we are to infer that saws^ra, past and future, is caused by avidya and is with- out a beginning. Wherefore it follows that the final cessation of saws^ra is attained through devotion to knowledge accompanied with renunciation of all works.
Because attachment to the body is an aspect of avidy^, therefore, when avidy^ ceases, the body also must cease to be, and then saws^ra necessarily ceases. — The identifying of the Self with the aggregate of the body, etc., is an aspect of avidy^ ; for, nobody in the world who knows ihat he is distinct from a cow, &c., and that the cow, &c., are distinct
468 THE bhagavad-gitA. [Dis. XVIII.
from him, regards them as himself. Only an ignorant man identifies the Self with the aggregate of the body, etc., for want of discrimination, in the same way that one mistakes the branchless trunk of a tree for a man ; — but not he who knows the truth by discrimination. *
As to the son being spoken of as the father himself in the sruti, " thyself art he who is spoken of as thy son," it is a gauwa-pratyaya, a figuratively expressed notion, because of their relation as the generator and the offspring. By what is only figuratively spoken of as the Self, no real purposes of the true Self can be accomplished, any more than the son can eat for the father. No real purposes, for instance, of a real lion and a real fire can be achieved by what are only figur- atively spoken of as a lion and fire.
{Objection) : — Since the scriptural ordinances are of undis- puted authority in the transcendental matters, the purposes of the Self can certainly be achieved by what are figuratively spoken of as the Self — viz,, the body, the senses, and so on.
(Answer) : — No ; for, they are selfs set up by avidyd). The body and the senses and the like are not figuratively spoken of as the Self. On the other hand, being really not-Self, they are regarded as selfs by illusion; for, they are regarded as the Self so long as there is illusion, and they cease to be regarded as the Self when illusion disappears. It is only children, the ignorant people, who, for want of knowledge, think, ** I am tall, I am yellowish," and thus regard the aggregate of the body, etc., as the Self. On the other hand, those who can discriminate and understand that ** I am distinct from the
66.] CONCLUSION. 469
aggregate of the body," &c., do not identify themselves with the aggregate of the body, &c. This notion of identity is therefore — because it does not exist in the absence of illusion — caused by illusion ; and it is not a gauwa-pratyaya. It is only when similarity and difference are distinctly seen between two things — as between a lion and Devadatta, or between a student and fire, — that those two things may be figuratively spoken of in word as identical or so regarded in thought, but not when similarity and difference are not perceived. And as regards the appeal made to the authority of sruti, we say that no such appeal should be made, inas- much as sruti is an authority in transcendental matters, in matters lying beyond the bounds of human knowledge. Sruti is an authority only in matters not perceived by means of ordinary instruments of knowledge, such as pratyaksha or immediate perception; — i,e,, it is an authority as to the mutual relation of things as means to ends, but not in matters lying within the range of pratyaksha ; indeed, sruti is intended as an authority only for knowing what lies beyond the range of human knowledge. Wherefore it is not possible to suppose that the notion of " I '* which arises in connection with the aggregate of the body, etc., and which is evidently due to illusion, is only a figurative idea. A hundred srutis may declare that fire is cold or that it is dark ; still they possess no authority in the matter. If sruti should at all declare that fire is cold or that it is dark, we would still suppose that it intends quite a different mean- ing from the apparent one ; for, its authority cannot other- wise be maintained ; we should in no way attach to sruti a meaning which is opposed to other authorities or to its own declaration.
THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
The theory of Avidya does not militate against the authority of Karma-Kanda.
{Objection) : — As a man does an action only when he is subject to illusion, it would follow that when he ceases to be an agent* the sruti ( which treats of works ) would prove false.
(Answer): No; for, sruti is still true in the matter of Brahma-vidyd.
(Objection) : — If the sruti which treats of works should be no authority, the sruti which teaches Brahmavidy^, too, can be no authority.
(Answer) : — Not so ; for, there can arise no notion that can remove (Brahmavidyd). — The notion that the Self is identi- cal with the aggregate of the body, etc., is removed when the true nature of the Self is known from the sruti which teaches Brahmavidy^ ; but not so can this knowledge of the true Self be ever removed in any way by anything whatso- ever : for, knowledge of the Self is necessarily associated with its result(t. ^., the absence of avidy4)like the knowledge that fire is hot and luminous.
Our theory, moreover, does not drive us to the conclusion that the sruti teaching works proves useless; for, by restraining the first natural activities one by one and there- by gradually inducing fresh and higher activities, it serves to create an aspiration to reach the Innermost Self. Though the means is mithy^ or illusory, still it is true, because the end is true, as in the case of the arthav^das or
♦ f . «., on the cessation of avidya.— A.
66.] CONCLUSION. 471
explanatory statements subsidiary to a main injunction. And even in ordinary affairs, when we have to induce a child or a lupatic to drink milk or the like, we have to tell him that thereby his hair will grow, and so on. — Or, we may even argue that the sruti treating of works is an authority in itself* under other circumstances (t. ^., before the attain- ment of Self-knowledge), just as pratyaksha or sense-percep- tion caused by attachment to the body is held to be authori- tative prior to (the attainment of) Self-knowledge.
Refutation of the theory of the Self s agency
by mere presence.
Another theory runs as follows : — Though not directly engaged in action, the Self does act by mere presence. This by itself constitutes the real agency of the Self. A king, for instance, though himself not acting, is said to fight when his soldiers fight, in virtue of his mere presence, and he is said to be victorious or defeated. Similarly the commander of an army acts by mere word. And we find that the king and the commander are connected with the results of the act. To take another example : the acts of the ritviks or officiating priests are supposed to belong to the yajam^na or sacrificer. So the acts of the body, etc., we may hold, are done by the Self, inasmuch as their results accrue to the Self. To take yet another example : since the loadstone or magnet makes a piece of iron revolve, real agency may rest with what is not actually engaged in an act. And so also in the case of the Self.
{We reply) : — It is jiot right to say so ; for it would be
♦ Sdkshdt, directly, ». «., independently of Brahma vidyi— -A.
472 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVlII.
tantamount to saying that that which does not act is a k&raka or an agent.
(The opponent says): — Yes, karakaor agency may. be of various kinds.
{We reply) : — No ; for, we find that the king, &c., (as in- stanced above), are direct agents also. In the first place, the king may be personally engaged in fighting. He is a direct agent as causing others to fight, as paying them wages, and also as reaping the fruits accruing from success and defeat. The sacrificer, too, is a real agent as offering the main oblation and as giving presents. Wherefore, we should understand that to speak, by courtesy, of a man as an agent when he is not actually engaged, amounts to a figure of speech. If real agency, which consists in one be- ing actually engaged in the act, were not found in the case of such agents as the king and the sacrificer, then we might suppose that even agency by mere presence constitutes real agency, as in the case of a magnet causing a piece of iron to revolve. On the contrary, we do find the king and the sacrificer actually engaged in some acts. Wherefore agency by mere presence is merely a gauwa or figurative agency. Such being the case, even the connection with results can only be gauwa or unreal. By a gauwa or figurative agent no real action is performed. Therefore it is quite unreason- able to say that the activity of the body, etc., makes the actionless Self a real doer and enjoyer.
The theory of Avidya concluded.
But all this becomes explicable when traced to illusion as its cause, as in the case of dreams and the juggler's art (maya). And no agency or enjoyership or any other evil of
66-67.] CONCLUSION. 473
the sort is experienced in sleep, sam^dhi and similar states in which there is a break in the continuity of the illusory notions identifying the Self with the body, etc. Wherefore the illusion of saws&ra is due solely to an illusory notion and is not absolutely real.
Therefore we conclude that Right Knowledge conduces to absolute cessation of sams^ra.
Qualification for instruction in tlie Qita Doctrine.
Having concluded the whole doctrine of the Gltfii-s&stra in this discourse, and having also briefly and conclusively stated the doctrine especially here at the end to impress it the more firmly, the Lord proceeds now to state the rule as to the handing down of the instruction.
67. This (which has been taught) to thee is never to be taught to one who is devoid of austeri- ties, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who does not do service,* nor to one who speaks ill of Me.
This sistra has been taught to you by Me for your good, for the destruction of sawsara. Not devoted : without devo- tion to the Guru and to the Deva. Never : under no cir- cumstances whatever. It should not be declared to him who, devoted and full of austerities as he may be, renders no service. One who speaks ill of Me : he who looks upon Me, Visudeva, as an ordinary man, and who in his ignorance
* '* Smriisli^ " literally means ' one who desires t
474 THE bhagavad-gIta. [Dis, XVIII*
declares Me guilty of self-adulation and does not like to be told that I am the tsvara. He, too, is not fit ; and the sdstra should not be taught to him. By implication we should understand that the sastra is to be taught to him who does not speak ill of the Lord, who is a man of austeri- ties, who is devoted, and who renders service. Now, as it has been elsewhere said that it should be taught " either to a man of austerities, or to an intelligent man," it should be declared to a man of austerities who is devoted and renders service, or to an intelligent man possessed of the two attri- butes ; it should not be taught to a man of austerities or to an intelligent man if he is not devoted and does not render service. It should not be taught to him who is jealous of the Lord, though he may be possessed of all attributes. It should be taught to one who is devoted and renders service to the Guru. This is the rule as to how the s&stra should be handed down.
The merit of teaching: the Doctrine.
Now the Lord proceeds to state what fruits will accrue to him who hands down the instruction :
68. He who with supreme devotion to Me will teach this Supreme Secret to My devotees, shall doubtless come to Me.
This Supreme Secret : the Secret Doctrine taught above in the form of a dialogue between Kesava and Arjuna. It is Supreme because it conduces to^ tbe Highest Bliss. Teach : establish by teaching both Xb^ /text itself and the
Sy-yo.] CONCLUSION. 475
doctrine, as I have established it by teaching it to thee. By repetition of * devotion ' here, it is meant that by devotion alone one becomes worthy of being taught thesastra. — How should he teach it ? — In the faith that he is thus doing service to the Eternal Lord, to the Parama-Guru, the Supreme Teacher. As the fruit of this act, such a teacher will go to the Lord, he will be liberated.
69, Nor is there any among men who does dearer service to Me than he ; nor shall there be another on earth dearer to Me than he.
Nor, Sh:, : There is none in the present generation. He : the man who hands down the sastra. Shall be : in future time. On earth : in this world.
70. And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped by the sacrifice of wisdom, I deem.
Dialogue : this work which is in the form of a dialogue. Of the four kinds of sacrifice such as vidhi or ritual, japa or a loud prayer, upamsu or a prayer uttered in a low voice, tndnasa or a prayer offered with the mind. The jndna-yajna or wisdom-sacrifice comes under the head of mdnasa and is therefore the highest. Thus the Gltd-s&stra is extolled as a jMna-yajna.
Or, we may regard this passage as revealing what the real effect (of the act enjoined here) is, viz,, that the act will produce an effect equal to that of wisdom-sacrifice of the contemplation of a Devata or the like.
476 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIIL
The merit of hearing: the Doctrine.
The benefit accruing to the hearer is stated as follows :
71. And the man also who hears, full of faith and free from malice, even he, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of the righteous.
Even he : much more so he who understands the doctrine. L«^^m^^^ : from sin. The righteous: those who have per- formed Agnihotra or such other sacrifices.
The Lord assured by Arjuna of his grasp
of the Teaching:.
The Lord now asks with a desire to know whether the pupil has understood or not the teaching of the s^stra, the object of the question being that He might make the pupil understand the teaching by some other means, if the latter be found to have not understood it. And this is to show that it is the duty of the teacher to try again to make the pupil understand the teaching and enable him to attain his object.
72. Has it been heard by thee, O PArtha, with an attentive mind ? Has the delusion of ignorance been destroyed, O Dhananjaya?
It : what I have told thee. Heard : have you heard it without distraction and understood ? Delusion of ignorance : that absence of discrimination which is caused by ignorance and which is natural. Has your delusion been destroyed ? Its destruction is the object of all this exertion on your
71-74'] CONCLUSION. 477
Arjuna said :
73. Destroyed is delusion, and I have gained recognition through Thy Grace, O Achyuta. I am firm, with doubts gone. I will do Thy word.
Delusion : born of ajn^na or ignorance, the cause of the whole evil of sawsdra, hard to cross like the ocean. / : who have sought Thy Grace. Recognition : of the true nature of the Self. When this recognition is obtained, then will all the ties of the heart be loosened. — This questioning and answering about the destruction of delusion shows con- clusively what the purpose of a knowledge of the teaching of the whole 5&stra is, namely, the destruction of delusion and the attainment of a recognition of the Self. So the sruti (Chh&. Up, 7-1-3, 26-2) begins with the words " Not know- ing the Self, I grieve " and then speaks of the loosening of all ties by means of Self-knowledge. There are also scriptural passages such as " The tie of the heart is broken " {Mund. Up. 2-2*8) and " To him who sees unity, what delusion is there, what grief ? " (tsa. Up. 7). / am firm : in Thy com- mand. Do thy word : Arjuna means to say " Through Thy Grace I have achieved the end of life ; I have naught to do/
Sanjaya extols the Lord and His teaching.
The teaching of the sastra is over. Now, in order to connect it with the main narrative, Sanjaya goes on :
Sanjaya said :
478 THE bhagavad-gItA. [Dis. XVIII.
between V&sudeva and the high-souled P&rtba, which makes the hair stand on end.
75. Through the grace of VysLsa have I heard this Supreme and most secret Yoga direct from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, Himself declaring it.
Through the gfoce of Vydsa : by obtaining from him the divya-chakshus or divine vision. Yoga : this dialogue ; the work is called Yoga because it leads to Yoga. Or, the word may mean Yoga itself. Himself: it is not through mere tradition that I have heard it.
76. O king, remembering every moment this wonderful and holy dialogue between Kesava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again.
King : Dhritarish^ra, Holy : as the mere hearing of it destroys sin.
77. And remembering every moment the most wonderful Form of Hari, great is my wonder, O king ; and I rejoice again and again.
Form : Visvariipa, the Universal Form.
Not to dilate much,
78. Wherever is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, wherever is Arjuna, the archer, there fortune, victory, prosperity and polity are established, I deem.