Bhagavad Gita Introduction

Every human being is busy pursuing different types of goals; some short term or long term goals. All our lives are spent in trying to fulfill these goals. These short term and long term goals vary from individual to individual. While one person is struggling to buy a property another is struggling to sell a house. While one is struggling to get married while another is struggling to get rid of a marriage. Thus goals are different and often opposite. These goals also get revised from time to time. What we may have been searching for frantically a few years ago, we discard later on even when given freely.

Thus we find that the goals are infinite in number, vary from individual to individual and time to time and even age to age. A few centuries before our children would never have asked for a computer games while in your childhood days you never heard about them. Though the goals vary from individual there are certain goals common to all human beings. These are universal, basic goals which do not change from age to age. Even animals have these basic fundamental goals, in animals these are basic while in human beings they are well defined. This can be classified into three for our convenience.

a) Security: I want security in my life and consequent desire for food and shelter. This basic desire is universal among all living beings including animals and human beings. We work for every type of insurance, an instance for our desire for security. House insurance, car insurance and if one is a big musician even throat insurance. Even I think I should have a throat insurance…(laughs). Therefore security and safety is a basic universal, eternal and fundamental goal.

b) Peace: The next universal goal is that I want to lead a peaceful live. I want to be peaceful and comfortable with myself. Trying to find peace from one resort to another and having extra houses in Kodaikanal and Ooty. Therefore the second universal desire is peace, shantih.

c) Desire for happiness: Then the third natural and universal goal is desire for fulfillment and desire for enjoyment. Sukam or Anandah in Sanskrit is the third universal eternal goal. All the human beings are running after security, peace and happiness. 

However, different people consider different means for attaining the above goals. E.g. some consider money as providing security, another may consider having a lot of relatives around will give security, another may consider status to give security, and another may consider real estate to give security. Some people consider gold, share, position, job etc. The means for seeking security varies but the end is universal.

            Similarly for peace also. Two soldiers were talking about reasons for joining the army. One said,” I am not married. I love war and that’s is why I joined the army.” Another said,” I am married and I love peace and therefore I joined the army.” Different people seek peace in different methods.

With regards to these three fundamentals goals or destinations, our scriptures make an observation. All three basic needs are available within you. The next statement is actually more disturbing is: these three basic needs are available within you and they are within you only! The significance of the word “only” is that they are not available outside. Therefore, if you seek them outside, all of them will elude you. The other day I went to a house for biksha and they gave me a semiya (vermicelli or pasta) soup. I was given a spoon and you know the nature of semiya as it sticks out in different layers. Even now I don’t know how to handle semiya and I know I am in a soup. Then I understood the meaning of what it is to be in a soup. ….(laughs). Don’t ask me how I managed for it is a different story. What I am saying is that this security, peace and happiness is like that semiya in your life which is in soup!

And if you are looking for these goals outside then the search is misplaced. According to the scriptures, the fundamental human problem is the misplaced search for something in a place where it is not available. Therefore the intelligent approach is to search for something in a place where it is available. Now the question is why do the human beings commit such a mistake? 

Then why do human beings struggle and run from one object to another for fulfillment? And why is all our lives in a soup? The Scriptures point us that these three basic needs are within but are hidden. They are covered or hidden by layers just like bore well water. One Swamiji was struggling for water in his ashram where lot of people were there.  A house is small shrama while an ashram is a-shrama, big problem. He dug all over the place for water but could not find any source. For years he struggled from this water problem, actually this is a real case. One day he was waiting for a government official from water department who came with a hydro meter or some device that detects groundwater. He kept the meter at the gate and they found a lot of water underneath. The Swami had dug all over the place except at the gate where they had a huge and perennial source of water. The Swami was jumping with joy on discovery. Now the question is why was he struggling for ten years? What he wanted he had but it was covered. Similarly the scriptures point out that we have the perennial bore well of security, peace and happiness (SPH) within ourselves. But we have different layers covering them. Sometimes the water is so deep, one clay layer then one rubble layer. Therefore what is required to get these three universal goals? Scriptures tell us to removes the layers of covering and tap the bore well. Tap the eternal spring of SPH. This process is called Discovery. Means dissing the cover! Removing the cover. The Swamiji did not produce the water but he only removed the covering between him and water. What are the layers covering these?

Layers of impurity

The scriptures point out that there are three layers covering the spring of Security, Peace and Happiness.

a) The grossest: Malam Layer or impure layer

b) The subtle: Vikshepaha - disturbance caused by extroverted-ness or outgoing tendency.

c) The subtlest final layer: Avaranam or ignorance or Ajnanam

Malam or impurity refers to varieties of mental problems normally enumerated as the six fold impurities or enemies or obstacles to discover our inner joy. Those impurities are:

i) Kama - desire

ii) Krodha - anger

iii) Loba - greed

iv) Moha - delusion

v) Mada– arrogance or vanity

vi) Matsaryam – Jealousy or competitiveness

The second layer of obstacle is Vikshepaha refers to mental restlessness or mental wandering or mental extroverted-ness because of which I cannot access SPH within me. When the water is turbulent or muddied you cannot see the bottom of the river properly. The muddied water has got malam impurity. The turbulent water has got vikshepa obstacle. When these two are there you cannot see what is down there below. Similarly when the mind has got impurity and turbulence you cannot recognize the truth behind. So Vikshepah or chanchallyam.

The third obstacle is ignorance of the fact that I am only source of these three. I am spring of ananda, I am the embodiment of security, I have abundance of shanti. This fact I am ignorant, this ignorance is the third layer. Avaranam refers to ignorance of the fact that I am the only source or spring of these three – Security, Peace and Happiness.

The 3 means to remove impurities

What is then needed is removal of these three layers by appropriate Sadhana. Sadhana refers to any discipline or exercise or discipline you practice to remove these three obstacles. Each discipline is called Yogah. Yogah means that which unites the seeker with the destination, the destination being Security, Peace and Happiness. Like when the treasure hunter who uses different instruments; each instrument helps remove an obstacle. So each instrument is a yoga that unites treasure hunter and the treasure. That which causes the union is called yogah. Like the marriage broker who combines different horoscopes, he can be called a yogi (laughs). In Ramayan Anjeneya served that purpose of uniting Rama and Sita. The whole Ramayana is compared to a spiritual journey. We have to use three different disciplines or yogas to recover the treasures. To claim my own treasures.

The three Yogas prescribed in the scriptures are:

i) Karma Yoga – to remove the first layer of obstacle

ii) Upasana Yoga – to remove the second layer of obstacle

iii) Jnana Yoga – to remove the third layer of obstacle

Karma Yogena Mala Nivritti, Upasana Yogena Vikshepa Nivritti, Jnana Yogena Ajnana Nivritti.

These three Yogas do not bring me anything, but it connects me to my own treasure. It helps me claim my own treasure. Like someone may die without writing a will and for the relatives to claim their own right they have to go through so many procedures. You may even develop vairagyyam (I don’t want any wealth). And ultimately what do you get? You don’t get money, you have only claimed the money that is already yours. You are only claiming your birthright as Tilak said. Thus three yogas are prescribed.

Karma Yoga is a lifestyle consisting of proper action and proper attitude. Proper action is any action which will primarily contribute to reduction of Kama, kroda, loba, moha, mada, matsaryam instead of increasing them. Which is any action that reduces one’s impurity. Proper attitude is the right attitude towards the action and result of the action. This will help me grow in every experience. Healthy attitude is one that one will help me grow in every experience even through the most painful ones. Karma yoga removes the first layer of impurity.

Upasana Yoga consists of different types of meditation. All different forms of meditation will help in quietening the mind. The extrovert, turbulent, restless, outgoing, wandering, fidgety mind has to have some relaxation. A stress free mind is the result of Upasana yoga which is called Vikshepa Nivritti.

Mala Nivritti can be positively presented as Chitta Shudhi. Removal of impurity can be translated as attaining purity. Similarly Upasana yoga will lead to Vikshepa Nivritti. Removal of restlessness can be positively presented as attaining the steadiness of the mind.  Instead of wandering the mind is steady and calm. In Sanskrit it is called Chitta Nischalatvam. Nischalatvam is opposite of Vikshepah just as Shudhi is opposite of Malam. Removal of Malam is equal of getting of Shudhi. Then comes the third yoga. Jnāna Yogaha consists of enquiry into my real nature. Do I require peace, security & happiness from outside? Or is my very nature peaceful, secure and happy? Jnana Yoga consists of self-enquiry and self-analysis, Atma Vichara. If a person goes through karma yoga, Upasana yoga and Jnana yoga then all the three layers of impurities are removed.

Are there any options?

There is no option in the above three Yogas because we all the three types of impurities. In fact very very thick layers we have got. In order for us to go from uncovering one layer after the other and also help us discover the inner SPH our scriptures guide us. These wonderful scriptures that guide us is called the Vedas. The Vedas’ only aim is to help us tap our own wealth. Veda means Source of Knowledge. Vid means to know, vedah means a source of knowledge. These Vedas are revelations from the Lord himself which have come down to us through the Rishis. God is the transmitting centres and rishis are the receiving centres just like we have transmitting stations and receiving stations. Receiving hence rishis, this is my interpretation!

These Vedas have four portions.

a) Mantra Bhagaha or Samhita Bhagaha

b) Brahmana Bhagaha

c) Aranyaka Bhagaha

d) Upanishad Bhagaha

Of these four Bhagahas, the second Bhagaha – Brahmana Bhagaha deals with Karma Yoga, hence called Karma Bhagaha or Karma Kandam. This helps in Malam Nivritti. Aranyaka Bhagaha teaches us Upasana Yoga hence called Upasana Kandam. Kandam means portion or section. This helps us in Vikshepa Nivritti.  Upanishad Bhagaha which teaches us Jnana Yoga, hence called Jnana Kandam. This helps us in Ajnana Nivritti.

Mantra Bhagaha deals with prayers or Suktams which are addressed to various deities. Only if we pray to Lord, we will be able to diagnose our problems. Only a prayerful life will help us in diagnosing the problem. Only then will we come to these three Yogas. If the Lord’s grace is not there, we will never look inwards and be materialistic people and eternally searching for peace and happiness through material objects. You can never take a treatment until you diagnose. The problem of most human beings is that he has not even diagnosed the problem. The problem is misplaced searching. Going to a closed shop and looking for a shoe. Like that Brahmana who went to the Mahamaham tank which is in South Kombakonam. And every 12 years there is a big function. He took a dip with thousands of people. And he dropped his ring while bathing. He could not bend and search because there was no place even for bending for it is jam packed. So he came out and while wandering saw another tank where was no crowds at all. He said to himself,” It is a wonderful place for searching.” Another social minded person came and saw this person searching and he asked,” What are you searching?” The first man said,” my lost ring.” The volunteer also kept searching and soon there were for more than twenty people who were looking for a ring. Then came a person who asked,” Where did you drop the ring?” The Brahmana said,” In the other tank.” The man said,” O fool, why are you searching here?” The man said,” It is comfortable to search here.” You can search eternally but you will never find the lost ring. You are laughing now but we are all like that brahmana only. And if the search has to be redirected it needs Bhagawan’s anugraha. Therefore Mantra Bhagaha changes the direction from Bhoga to Yoga.

And this Veda is a very very voluminous scripture. It has got four branches

a) Rig Veda b) Yajur Veda and its two braches comprising Shukla Yajur Veda and Krishna Yajur Veda c) Sama Veda and d) Atharvana Veda

For many people, the original Vedas themselves are inaccessible. Out of compassion the Lord himself has given us a condensed version of the Vedas, consisting of all the three Yogas. This condensed sara of the Veda is the Bhagavad Gita. Gita a relatively small work compared to the Vedas consisting of 700 verses. This occurs in Mahabharata in the form of a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. And if you learn the Gita you have learnt the entire Veda. Therefore all our acharyas point out that you may not study the entire scriptures in the original it does not matter but at least learn the Bhagavad Gita. As Sankara says in Bhaja Govindam. भगवद् गीता किञ्चिदधीता गङ्गा जललव कणिकापीता । सकृदपि येन मुरारि समर्चा क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा. Minimum study the Bhagavad Gita for it will help you get a direction to your life.

            Bhagavad Gita is generally studied after studying a set of prayer verses called the Bhagavad Gita Dhyana Shlokas. Many acharyas have written commentaries on the Gita including Sankaracharya. One acharya by name Madhusudana Sarasvati has written a very beautiful commentary of the Gita and also these prayerful verses called the Gita Dhyana slokas consisting of nine verses. We always start any activity with a prayer to the Lord so as to ward off all obstacles. This week you have come for the classes and who knows what the obstacles are for coming to the next class. So we always start with a prayer and I have chosen Madhusudana Saraswati’s Dhyana slokas. In these nine verses he offers namaskārams to Mahabharatam (Mahabharatam namaskar for Gita occurs in the Mahabharatam), namaskarams to Bhagavad Gita and looking upon Gita as sakshat Saraswati Devi, the mother of wisdom. Nourishing us with the milk of wisdom. The thirdly he offer namaskarams to Vyasacharya who is the author of the entire Mahabharatam including the Bhagavad Gita. And finally Krishna namaskarams for Krishna happens to be guru, the jagadguru who teaches Arjuna and through Arjuna teaches the entire humanity. And HE is going to teach us also. Thus we get Bharata namaskara, Gita namaskara, Vysa namaskara and Krishna namaskara. In the next class we will see these nine Dhyana slokas before we enter into the actual Gita. Hari Om.