GitAmRta-mahodadhiH by R. Visvanatha Sastri

Ch.5 YogAmRtam

Shlokas 151 - 177

Continued from Page 8

 

yaj~nArthaM karma kartavyaM  iti shAstreShu coditaM .

nAhaM karomi niShkAmaH iti karma samAcara .. 151 ..

 

pUrNo.ahaM ca tathAsa~NgI iti karma samAcara .

kRRitaM shreShTaishca vidvadbhiH iti karma samAcara .. 152 ..

 

prakRRityA kriyate karma iti karma samAcara .

guNA guNeShu vartante iti karma samAcara .. 153 ..

 

mayi saMnyasyate sarvaM iti karma samAcara .

nistraiguNyasthitashcAhaM iti karma samAcara .. 154 ..

 

tayorna vashamAgacchhediti karma samAcara .

svadharmAkaraNe doShaH iti karma samAcara .. 155 ..

 

shatruH kAmo nihantavya iti karma samAcara .

gItAmRRitodadhirayamiti karma samAcara .. 156 ..

 

yatheShTAcaraNaM pApamiti karma samAcara .

j~nAnAgni dagdha-karmAhaM iti karma samAcara .. 157 ..

 

gatasa~Ngashca mukto.ahaM iti karma samAcara .

ayaj~nasya ca no lokA iti karma samAcara .. 158 ..

 

Do works. But why and how? Because the shastras have told us to do  works as a yajna. I am not doing anything. I have no desires. I am Infinite; I have no attachments. It is the guNas that involve themselves with other guNas. Everything merges in me. I am ever fixed beyond the three guNas. I shall not get into their clutches. If the svadharma is not done that is a default. It is Desire that is the enemy. That has to be vanquished. This Fullness of mine is the Ocean of Gita-nectar. Working according to the whims of the lower self is sin. All actions are consumed in  the Fire of Knowledge. Thus shall you do works and thus only shall you do works.

 

j~nAnayaj~ne sarva-huti nAhaM karteti dhIradhIH .

j~nAnAsinA yoganiShTaH shokamohau taratyathoM .. 159 ..

 

Everything shall be offered to the yajna-fire of Knowledge. The wise man, cuts asunder sorrow and delusion by the sword of Knowledge, that is, by the attitude of ‘I-am-not-the-doer’.

 

ahaMkAraH nAtmAnamAvArayituM shaknoti . AvArayati cet svayamapyaprakAsho bhavati . niShkAma-karmAnuShTAnArambha-kAla eva ahaM niShkAma iti manaH svAsthyaM svashuddhatva-viShaye apekShyate karmA~Ngatvena . sva-kartRRitva-bhAvanAM vihAyaiva karma kuryAt iti shAsyate . karmAnuShTAna-kAle.api yaj~na  eva ijyate ArAdhyate iti sadA vicArayet . jIveshvara-jagadapavAdena svasvarUpAvasheShaNArthaM  satAM saMgaH nissaMgatAsiddhyai sadA sevyA iti satsu pravartayati bhagavAn . yatra sarvaM bhUyate iti sarva-hRRidyaj~naH sUktoktaH ..

 

The ego cannot engulf the Atman. If it does so it does it to itself also. Even as one starts doing his karma desirelessly, right at the beginning, one fixes one’s mind on  the subject of Pure Consciousness as if it is part of the very karma that is being performed.  The injunction is that one should do  works only after  abandoning the agency of the action. The doing of rituals also has to be done as a yajna in the same manner. The superimposition of the  universe on the Reality, has to be discarded.  It is only by the association with noble souls that this can be achieved.  (I am leaving the last sentence untranslated ..  VK)

upadekShyanti te j~nAnaM iti satsu pravartanaM .

saMshayAshca nivartyantAM iti satsu pravartanaM .. 160 ..

 

AcAraH prathamo dharmaH iti satsu pravartanaM .

bhImAdayo na gaNyante iti satsu pravartanaM .. 161 ..

 

j~nAninA hRRidayaM vedyaM iti satsu pravartanaM .

bahirveShAnmA.astu mohaH iti satsu pravartanaM .. 162 ..

 

The noble ones teach the Knowledge and clear doubts. Regulated behaviour is the first dharma.  “bhIma, etc.” are not of any value. The resident inside has to be known only by a jnAni. Do not be carried away by outer glamour.  Thus may you seek the company of the noble sAtvic ones.

 

 

yAvatA svAtmani vishrAntirna bhavati tAvatA vicAraNaM kAryameva . indriyebhyaH parA hyarthAH iti sapta-prAkAra-madhyasthaH parameshvaro ra~NgarAjaH koshavicAreNa vij~nAtavyaH paritaH . parItya lokAn parItya bhUtAni parItya sarvAH pradisho dishashca iti sarvatastadastitvameva vicArya j~nAtavyaM . dharma-mArgaM caritreNa iti sadAcArasya abhilaShitvAt ..

 

Synopsis: So long as you don’t see Peace in Your Self, that long the enquiry (into the Self) has to be pursued. Recall the saying about Sri Rama: ‘dharma-mArgam charitreNa’

 

evaM turIyAdhyAyAnte tRRitIyAmArukSati .

j~nAninaH kAma-saMkalpavarjitA iti shAsanaM .. 163 ..

 

Thus by the end of the fourth chapter one ascends the third step of ‘tanu-mAnasI’ – thinning of the mind.  The wise men are supposed to be devoid of all sankalpa, that is, wishful resolution.

 

yasyAM ca procjhitAsheSha-saMkalpa-kalanaH pumAn .

saMkalpanaM mano viddhi manasA nyAsa iShyate .. 164 ..

 

Man has to erase all such wishful thinking without any residue whatsoever. Such fanciful thinking is purely a mental activity. The mind has to renounce it.

 

mAyA sRRiShTe ca manasi pratyayAshca sahasrashaH .

vividhAH kalpanAstyaktvA mano yu~njyAcca shAntaye .. 165 ..

 

All these imaginations have been created by me in my own mind.  Renouncing all such imaginations, the mind has to be yoked to the Absolute on the road to Peace.

 

mano nikShipya sAmye ca nirdoShe brahmaNi sthitaH .

sa brahma-yoga-yuktAtmA dhIndriyANi niyacchhati .. 166 ..

 

Having established the mind in that Equanimity that is Brahman the blemishless,  the yogi now yoked in brahma yoga controls his intellect as well as the senses.

 

sarva-saMkalpa-saMnyAsI hyAste ca nitarAM sati .

nivAtasthita-dIpena sAmyaM prApnoti sarvathA .. 167 ..

 

Such a renouncer who has relinquished all imaginations remains always like the lamp in the windless environment and attains the Equanimous state of Peace.

 

cittaM niruddhaM yogena nistara~Nga samudravat .

guNAtItaH shAntamanAH ArUDhaH samadarshanaH .. 168 ..

 

Yoga has dammed the mind and made it like an ocean without waves. He is the one who has transcended the gunas, with Peace in the mind, and an equanimous view all around. He is the one who has made the Ascent.

 

akhaNDabhagavadrUpe yogArUDhashca vartate .

upAyena tu vashyAtmA shabda-brahmAtivartate .. 169 ..

 

The Yogi who has got to the peak of yoga lives in that conscious presence of the Infinite. Having conquered the Self by proper means he goes beyond the shabda-brahman, that is, the scriptural literatur

 

AtmAkAramano vRRittyA sarvadA sthIyate tviti .

bhUmikAtritayaM jAgrat ShaShTenaiva samApyate .. 170 ..

 

With his mind engulfed by the Self he stands there. Thus the three steps of the ascent  (considered as corresponding to the waking state) are concluded in the sixth chapter of the Gita.

 

Note:  The word ‘jAgrat’ is significant here. The next (fourth) step that is going to come in shloka 171 is being declared by the author to correspond to the ‘dreaming state’ and later on the ‘sleep state’  is also coming. But the logic, rationality or significance of this correspondence is not clear to me: VK

 

tRRitIyA bhUmikA tanumAnasItyucyate . saMkalpa-vikalpAtmakatvameva manaH . kAyena manasA buddhyA . sarvakarmANi manasA . sAmye sthitaM manaH. yatInAM yatacetasAM . yatendriya-manobuddhiH . samaloShTAshma-kA~ncanaH . samabuddhirvishiShyate . ekAgraM manaH kRRitvA . manassamyamya maccittaH . yogI niyatamAnasaH . yadA viniyataM cittaM . yogino yata-cittasya . AtmasamsthaM manaH kRRitvA . yato yato nishcarati manaH . prashAnta-manasaM . caMcalaM hi manaH . mano durnigrahaM calaM . ityAdi gItA shlokeShu manastAnavapratipAdakeShu tRRitIyA bhUmikoddharaNaM kriyate ..

 

The third Step is ‘tanumAnasI’ – thinning of the mind. Mind is nothing but resolution and perturbation. How the thinning of the mind happens – is portrayed in several gita shlokas quoted here; V – 11, 13, 19, 26, 28; VI – 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 25, 26, 27. 34, 35.

 

svapnAvasthA caturthIti sattvApattyAkhya-bhUmikA .

samaM sarvatra pashyanti saccidAnanda-rUpataH .. 171 ..

 

sadasattatparaM brahma arUpaM rUpavarjitaM .

vishvarUpaM mahArUpaM anantaM saumyamadbhutaM .. 172 ..

 

dvAdashAntaM caturthA hi bhUmikA svapnavatkila .

ananya-bhakti-sAdhyA ca vara-prakRRiti-niShTatA .. 173 ..

 

rasaprabhA-shabda-gandhAH grAhyAssUkShmAshca sarvadA .

sarve bhAvA bhagavataH mAyikA iti nishcayaH .. 174 ..

 

uddhartavyaM ca tajjyotiH AsamantAcca rAdhyate .

tadArAdhanamityuktaM pApAnte bhavati dhruvaM .. 175 ..

 

vyutthAyomiti dRRishyAcca vicArAttanumAnasaH .

ananyacintayaikatvaM sattvApattyAM ca labhyate .. 176 ..

 

vibhUtInAM ca vij~nAnAt eka-vij~nAnamiShyate .

dvaita-shAntyA sthirAdvaitaM sAmyatvasyAvasheShataH .. 177 .

 

sattvaM vishuddhaM vasudeva saMj~nitaM yatra pratIyate vAsudevaH vishuddhasattvaM tava dhAma shAntaM j~nAnaM vishuddhaM paramArthamekaM iti bhAgavatokta-prakAreNa sattvApattiH ..

 

Synopsis:   Of the seven steps, the fourth step called ‘sattvApatti’ (attainment of sattva)  corresponds to the dream state. Because of the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss form they see the same Absolute everywhere. It is formless. It is the absolute Brahman – Existence as well as Non-existence. Its form comprises the entire universe, it is grandiose, infinite, beatific and wonderful. This fourth step is attainable by a one-pointed devotion. All the sense-objects like sound, smell etc. are all only the effect of the Lord’s mAyA. That effulgence has to be drawn out (*uddhartavyaM*). And it has to be propitiated (*rAdhyate*)  from all counts (*aa*). That is called *ArAdhanaM*. And thus one rises up with the awareness of ‘AuM’ from the visible universe.  By this enquiry one is led to the thinning of the mind. With one-pointed deliberation of this One-ness one attains the *sattvApatti*.  In the BhagavataM (4-3-23)  Lord Shiva says the One Unique Absolute is given the name of Vasudeva because that is where He is revealed without any covering, as Pure Consciousness. This realisation is “satvApatti”, that is, the mind in  the pure sattva.

 

  Next page    Text of YogAmRtam in Devanagari.    

Notation for Transliteration of Sanskrit words in the Comments

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Ó Copyright V. Krishnamurthy   Nov.15, 2006