Thursday 25 August 2022

Bhagavad Gita Summary Chapter 18: Moksha Sanyasayoga or The Yoga of Liberation and Renunciation 2/2

Chapter 18: Moksha Sanyasayoga or The Yoga of Liberation and Renunciation 2
The final chapter, the third to deal with the Gunas, is the longest, and perhaps aims to be a final summary, or recapitulation of sorts, returning again to the fundamental questions of action, knowledge, devotion, detachment and renunciation.
8- The Four Castes (40-44)
No man or god is free from gunas. (40) The sequel sums up the whole Doctrine. 
Duties of the four castes ordained according- to nature. (41 -44)
41. Of Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, as also of Sudras, O Parantapa, the duties are divided according to the qualities born of nature.
42. Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and also uprightness, knowledge, wisdom, faith,—these are the duties of the Brahmanas, born of nature. 
43. Bravery, boldness, fortitude, promptness, not flying from battle, generosity and lordliness are the duties of the Kshatriyas, born of nature. 
44. Ploughing, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of the Vaisyas, born of nature. And of the  nature of service is the duty of the Sudra, born of nature. 
The hard and fast hereditary castes of India of the present day are not meant by the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras of this chapter. In earlier days, before the ancient teaching had become materialized, marriage was a sacred and religious contract; family life was so understood and conducted as to provide proper environment for egos of the same nature as the family on spiritual, psychical and other lines. Then there existed natural castes where all lines of heredity conjoined; in these degenerate days the castes are mixed and there are those born in castes whose nature does not conform to the original caste whose name and privileges they take and abuse. Nevertheless, the castes exist everywhere; but no longer does social position or physical environment distinguish them. In all countries at the present time, there are those in high place and power who by nature are Sudras, and many who are Brahmans by nature are lower in our social scale, for this is Kali Yuga when the powers of darkness are in the ascendancy. The ancient castes performed duties which were the outcome of their several natures, and were so recognized by all. There was no pride of caste nor jealousy and there existed an ideal community of mutual helpfulness; hence, the duties of the castes were “determined by the qualities which predominated in each.” (Crosbie, Essays on the Gita, 234-235) 
9- One’s Natural Work (45-48)
Devotion to one's own duty leads to perfection. (45-47) 
45. Devoted each to his own duty, man attains perfection; how one, devoted to one's own duty, attains success, that do thou hear. 
Dharma is the word which in our language is translated as “duty,” but it has a much wider range and meaning than that which we accord to the word “duty.” There are many who think that duty is something that others think we should do; others again consider “duty” to be irksome, and as actions to be performed under duress, and therefore to be avoided; it is therefore necessary to grasp the meaning of the word “duty” as used in the Gita. Dharma means “the sacred Law,” the fulfillment of our karmic destiny through many incarnations, the working out and elimination of defects which have brought us into earth life under the conditions in which we find ourselves, which conditions we should feel and know to be the very opportunities needed for our further progress. This is why one of the great Teachers wrote,  “Duty is the royal talisman; duty alone will lead us to the goal.” (Crosbie, Essays on the Gita, 207) 
One ought not to abandon one's own duty. (48)
 48. The duty born with oneself, O son of Kunti, though faulty, one ought not to abandon ; for, all undertakings are surrounded with evil, as fire with smoke. Is entire renunciation of action possible ? 
Arjuna, though own Dharma (Swadharama) is difficult to observe one should keep in mind the fruits one would gain from it. If we start disliking our own Dharma because it is difficult then shall we not miss the bliss of liberation? Even if our mother is a hunchback, her love on which we survive is not hunchback. Even if ghee has better qualities than water can fish live in ghee? What is poison to the world is like nectar to the organisms living in it. Therefore, even though it is difficult to observe, everyone should do only what is prescribed for him and that which will liberate him from the worldly troubles. To adopt other people's behaviour because it appears good is like walking on your head instead of by your feet. 
Therefore Arjuna, is it not necessary to make a rule that one should practice one's own Dharma and avoid others? As long as there is no Self-realisation actions are going to be there and doing any action will always be difficult in the beginning. When every action has its difficulties then why should we blame our own Dharma for them. If doing even those actions which we like involves labours then how can we say that actions prescribed by Shastras are difficult. Is there any fruit other that sorrow when one accumulates sins by labouring one's organs and spending time of our life? Therefore one should practice only one's own natural Dharma because it will mitigate your labours and fetch you liberation, the highest among the four obligations of man (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha; see notes under Ch 12). 
Then God, pleased by the great worship of observation of one's own Dharma destroys the Tama and Raja attributes from the mind and directs one's eagerness towards Sattva attribute resulting into the conviction that this earth and heaven are like poison. The person then achieves the detachment of the type implied by the word "Sansiddha" used earlier (in the Gita Shloka No 45) to explain the meaning of detachment. (Dnyaneshwari; 18: 923-955, transl. M.R. Yardi)   
10- Perfection  (49-58)
Perfection in Karma-Yoga leads to absolute Perfection. (49-50) 
It has been said that the perfection reached by means of Karma-Yoga consists in becoming qualified for jnananishtha, the Path of Wisdom ; and it is with a view to describe, as the fruit thereof, the naishkarmyasiddhi,—perfection in the form of absolute freedom from action, known as jnana-nishtha,—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, antah-karana) is free from attachment to sons, wife, and other objects of attachment, whose self (antah-karana) 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 samnyasa. In virtue of his knowledge 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 perfections Naishkarmyasiddhi may also mean the attainment (siddhi) of naishkavjiiya, the state in which one remains as the actionless Self. It is supreme as distinguished from the perfection attainable by Karma-Yoga ; it is the state of immediate liberation (sadyo-mukti). This state is attained by samnyasa 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 in V. 13. (Baghavad Gita, with the Commentary of Sri Sankaracharya, transl. A. Mahadeva Sastri, 1901)
The Path to Absolute Perfection. (51-53) 
51. Endued with a pure reason, controlling the self with firmness, abandoning sound and other objects, and laying aside love and hatred ; 
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 : ever accustomed to resort to such sequestred spots as a jungle, the sandbank of a river, the mountain-cave. Eating but little : as conducive to the serenity of thought by keeping off 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 viantrajapa (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. (Baghavad Gita, with the Commentary of Sri Sankaracharya, transl. A. Mahadeva Sastri, 1901)
53. Having abandoned egotism, strength, arrogance, desire, enmity, property, free from the notion of " mine," and peaceful, he is fit for becoming Brahman. 
The consummation of Knowledge attained by Devotion. (54-55) 
54. Becoming Brahman, of serene self, he neither grieves nor desires, treating all beings alike; he attains supreme devotion to Me. 
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 (Baghavad Gita, with the Commentary of Sri Sankaracharya, transl. A. Mahadeva Sastri, 1901)
Such a person is not caught in the web of worldly things like the body etc. His love for the world becomes dulled. He does not consider his sons, wealth and family as his even if they go by his wishes. Then his intellect scalded by the sense pleasures reverses into seclusion (become introspect). His conscience does not beak the vow of not turning towards external objects. Then that seeker grips his mind in the grip of oneness with God and turns its interested towards Soul. At that time his desire for the worldly and beyond the world subjects vanishes. Therefore if mind is controlled then desire also vanishes. Thus the illusions about the realness of the world vanish and he comes to the state of true knowledge (of the Self). His past karmas are nullified by going through the process of enjoying or suffering for them and new karma is not created, because the ego of being the doer of the actions has already vanished. This state is called "Karma-samyadasha" or the state of null karmas. When this state of null karmas is attained he meets his Guru automatically. Once he meets his Guru, his actions and his responsibility as doer stops. The ignorance of the seeker then is destroyed by the blessings of the true Guru. (Dnyaneshwari; 18: 956-970, transl. M.R. Yardi)   
Devotion to the Lord by works enjoined. (56-58) 
56. Doing continually all actions whatsoever, taking refuge in Me,—by My Grace he reaches the eternal undecaying Abode. 
57. Mentally resigning all deeds to Me, regarding Me as the Supreme, resorting to mental concentration, do thou ever fix thy heart in Me. 
58. Fixing thy heart in Me, thou shalt, by My Grace, cross over all difficulties ; but if from egotism thou wilt not hear (Me), thou shalt perish. 
11- Take refuge in me (59-63)
61. The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, 
62. Fly unto Him for refuge with all thy being, O Bharata ; by His Grace shall thou obtain supreme peace (and) the eternal resting place. 
State of actionlessness Once the ignorance gets destroyed then the triad of actions, the doer and the act of doing vanishes and karma is abandoned automatically. Thus when the visible world is wiped away by destroying the ignorance which is the root cause of all actions then the seeker realises that what he was endeavouring to know is he himself. When ignorance goes, it takes with it the knowledge also and what remains is the actionless consciousness. Therefore that state of pure knowledge is called non-doing (or actionlessness). He then remains in the state of his original form. The state of complete actionlessness is the Siddhi of actionlessness and is naturally the most superior among the Siddhis. There is nothing more to be gained beyond the state of actionlessness. This state is attained by the blessings of a true Guru. Who can say that a person whose inclination has become steady in the Self by the destruction of duality after listening, due to his good fortune, to the advice of his true Guru has any action remaining to be done? Without doubt, such a person has nothing left to be done. But it is not everybody that can reach that state. What a person, who has not yet been able to reach the state of Self-realisation, should do is explained in the following. (Dnyaneshwari; 18: 971-991, transl. M.R. Yardi)   
12- Final Secret – Devotion (64-69)
Devotion to the Lord is the Secret of success in Karma-Yoga. (64-65) 
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. 
Right Knowledge and Renunciation.
66 " I destroy the darkness born of ignorance by the luminous lamp of wisdom, abiding in their self." — (x. II.) 
Qualification for instruction in the Gita Doctrine.  (67) 
67. This (which has been taught) to thee is never to be taught to one who is devoid of austerities, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who does not do service, nor to one who speaks ill of Me. 
68. He who with supreme devotion to Me will teach this Supreme Secret to My devotees, shall doubtless come to Me.
13- The merit of the Bhagavad Gita (70-78)
The merit of teaching the Doctrine. (70)
The merit of hearing the Doctrine. (71) 
The Lord assured by Arjuna of his grasp of the Teaching. (72-73) 
Sanjaya extols the Lord and His teachin'. (74-78) 

 

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