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Shri Bhagavad-Gita 14 страница<4:51 &c. 20. 'That,(yoga), wherein by practice, the restrained mind revels,that wherein the mind perceiving atma,rests content in atma;' &c. 21. ' That, wherein one feels infinite intellectual bliss in excelsis;that, wherein once planted firmly, no one would be inclined to retire from its (beatific)experience;'
1. Sri Bhdgavatia, Ill-24-44, gives another illustration ; ‘ Prasant- ormir iva udadhih; meaning: like the ocean with its waves subsided.
22. 'That, which gained, no other is considered a higher gain;/Aa/, wherein harboured, no afflic tion,ever so heavy,can agitate one;' rT &c. 23. 'Know, that is called meditation (yoga),—the disunion from union with pain ;thcUy into which one, with misery-less mind, shall positively penetrate,' That meditation, wherein, by dint of practice, the completely abstracted mind feasts, i. e., wherein it gets transported with ecstatic felicity; Wherein,the mind, perceiving atma, attains supreme contentment,leaving nothing else to be desired for; Wherein is experienced by the intellect,that ineffable bliss, beyond the range ofthe senses to comprehend. Wherein,established, one does not desire to give up the exquisite happinessfelt; Which (meditation) when achieved,one,even in the hours of non-meditation, does not think there is any higher gain ; That, wherein established, one, whether immersed in its(meditation's)depths or risen therefrom(yiraiah),is not shaken by afflictions even as grave as the bereavement (by death)of bright and good sons etc.. Learn that is called meditation which shall sever connection with affliction; or meditation is that which is antithetical to affliction. Knowing the nature of meditation to be such, one should enter its portals with the mind steeped in faith (or certitude), and freed from all embarassments,/,e',, a mind happy and contented. &c. 24.' Completely forsaking all will-born desires, welj ruling the community of the senses by the mind.' &c. 25. ' Slowly and slowly, let one, by force of trained will(buddhi)^ retire; and fixing the manas^ in atma,let naught be thought.' Desires are of twofold character, sparsa-jdh and sahkalpa-jdh. Sparsajdh are contact-born,i. e., sensation- born (bodily desires'). Sankcdpa-jdh are will-born or mind- born,i.e., desires which have a mental origin. The former are such as cold, heat etc. The latter are such as sons, land etc. Between these, the will-born desires are abandon- able in toto. Whereas, the .sensational experiences are those which cannot be averted. By an effort of the mind, it may be made to abandon the will-born desires by making it to cease thinking on them ; and the pains and pleasures arising from sensations,cold, heat etc., are possi ble to be resisted by an attitude ofindifference. Thus, in every wa)', diverting or abstracting the group of senses from their corresponding (external) objects,—by slow degress,byeffortsofa wiseresolute will—, shallthe mind be made to retire from all thingssave atma; and, rested in atma, nothing shall it think.* &c. 26. ' From thence and thence to whence the fickle, unsteady mind rambles,shall it again be forced back;and placed under the powerof atma alone.' Whithersoever the mind,by nature fickle,and refusing to stay in atma, wanders out to cling to its cherished objects,let effort be made to withdraw it therefrom, and rested in atma, persuading it to believe (or think) that therein is found supreme happiness. Supreme bliss verily comes to that yogT whose mind hasattained peace,whose rajas-nature has been calmed, who is stainless and draima-like.' 'Mind in peace' means: mind immovably fixed in atma,or mind placed in atma. From this state, it (naturally) follows that the yogi has had all his stains or sins expunged. This implies that the rajas-c^aWty(or passion-nature) has been stilled down (or eradicated). Hence is he brahma-like. Brahma is atma. Brahma like is to be re-established in his own true essence. To such a yogi(or one who has reached the pinnacle of meditation), comes exquisite transcendent felicity, i. e., atma-beatitude. Hi,translated as' verily.'is an indeclinable particle, giving a reason ; meaning that by reason of atma-nature being essentially blissful,(the yogi attains to" it). &c. 28. ' Ever thus^ vowed to atma,the yogi is cleansed ofsin,and, with ease,tasteth the endless bliss of contact(or communion) with brahma.' Completely vowed to atma, the yogi is delivered from all the vast past accumulation of sins. And he comes to enjoy infinite bliss arising from brahma-communion. Brahma-satnsparsa means:contact with brahma,mean ing bliss like that of brahma-bliss. Atyanta^endleas or eversomuch, means limitless. With ea.se {sukkena) means, without effort {andydsena).
i< 'Thus'or in the manner described in verse 10,ff
That the mature state of meditation is offour kinds,is now described (verses 29 to 32):—
The meditation-absorbed equal-seer everywhere, perceives atma abiding in all beings and all beings abiding in atma.' Equal-seeing everywhere^ {=.sarvatra sania-darsana\ means the realizing,that atma, wherever it do abide in one self or in other beings, is of the self-same essence, looked at from the point of'intelligence' or'consciousness' (jflana) which is an attribute,equal or common to all atmas. This is equality,sameness,or agreement which is perceived when atma-nature is divested ofits matter-connection (/. e., atma in its disembodied condition). Inequality or difference comes from viewing atma in its matter-conditioned states. The yogi or he who is ripe in meditation does not see the differences produced by matter-environments, but perceives the sameness of atma-nature, wherever it do abide, by its essential or inherent common attribute or pro perty of'intelligence'or'consciousness.'Thisis equal-seeing. Thus the equal-seer is he who perceives the atma in him to be the same or of the same character, as the atmas which abide in other creatures,and that other creatures are equal to himselfin this respect. (In other words, he sees atmas in all beings aslike his own atma,and sees his atma as like atmas ofother beings). The conclusion is that all atmas being ofone essential nature, when one atma's nature is known or seen, the nature of all atmas are become known or seen. Thissense is expressed by the sentence:— 'He isaseer ofsameness everywhere'(VI-29). Referred to again in : ' What this,sameness-seeing meditation(yoga) is, that Thou hast declared.' {yo-^yam yogah VI-33.
This sameness was what was again alluded to in:— nirdosham &c)\—'Verily is brahma (atma) stainless and the satne'^ (V-19). ^ &c. 30. ' Whoso perceiveth Me everywhere, and percei- veth att in Me,to him I am never lost, nor to Me is he lost,'* Even more advanced (in yoga)is he who approaches nearer to My nature,in the manner declared in the $ruti:— 'Stainless,heattainstosupremeequality(orsameness).'® Whoso thus realizes that atma-nature, when viewed in its essence, in its state of purity or exemption from all good ahd evil,is equal,or comparable, to Me; whoso, so seeing,realizes again that I am in all atma-principle, and realizes that allatma-principie is in Me,that is to say,reali zes that when the nature of atma is known in one instance (as described)it is known in other cases; to him, who so realizes his own atma-nature,I do not veil Myself, for My nature is the same as his. On My part, I lake him who sees the equality ofhis own nature with Me as My Ownself; I look upon him to be equal to Myself, and ever reveal Myselfto his vision.* The still more mature stage of meditation is (now) described:— 31. "He,taking his stand in unity, worshippeth Me, Abidant in all beings,—that yogi,in whatever condition he be, dwelleth in Me.'
1. Cp. ‘Yastu sarvani Dhutani atma- ny-ev-Anupasyati&c.’ (Isa:U°: 6).
2. Cp. IV-35.—(Mehkdbhikrama &?.,) ‘lost? means ‘ lost sight of’, for says Amatakoga: vinisas-syfd-adar- sanam.?
3. ‘Niranjanah paramam simyam- upaiti.? Afund: Up. iii-1-3.
4. Equivalent to: ‘I seek him who seeks Me,’
Ekatva»t-dsthitak=^& taking stand, or the being established, in unity, means the eschewing ofall the diffe rencesarising from material conditions;and theexpanding ofthe yogi's consciousness'in his meditative moments, so as to cognize Me as abiding everywhere. In whatever condition he be means: whether he be immersed in meditation, or awake froi® out of that state [vjyutthdna),or whateverhe bein. Theyogisofaradvanced, seeing hisownselfandseeing all creatures,ever'dwelleth in Mel i?.,ever seeth Me alone. Dwelling in Me means: he ever sees Meand Me alone; i. e., he ever feels-that his atma-nature as well as the atma- nature of all beings are like Mine.* The still further advanced stage of meditation is now stated:— STRVmsf &c. 32. 'He is to be known as thesuperior yogi, Arjuna I who, by reason of atma-similitude, looketh everywhere,on happiness or misery,as equal.' Atma-similitude consists in the sameness of all atmas as well as his(yogi's)own, in its native character of all- pervading consciousness. Knowing thus that atma has no connection with happiness or misery,helooks on them asonelike theother, whether they befal him or befal others;—happiness or joy in the shape ofa son being born etc., and misery or grief in the shape ofthat son dying etc.—In other words,it is the same to him whether other people's sons are born or die,or his sons are born or die etc.
1. According to Ramanuja, consci- ousness is rendered finite in bondage, and recovers its natural infinite state
in freedom.
z. Thisisthe yogi who realises Vatshnava Parama-pada,(Vide San- kara’s Commentary).
He who looks on all joy and affliction with such supreme indifference,is to be classed as the highest yogi.
Queries Arjuna:— &c. 33. What this sameness-seeing yoga (or doctrine of meditation) is, that thou hast expounded, Madhusudana!', I do not, from heedlessness, understand the exact nature of.' ^ &c. 34. 'Krishna!*,verilyisthe mind wavering,tumultuous, virulent and wayward. Restraining it,I deem,is as extremely hard as(catching) the wind.' (Arjuna said):—I do not comprehend thoroughly the character ofthe Yoga (or the doctrine ofmeditation,or the spiritual mode by which one is able to view kosmos as full ofsoul and as fullofGod),thatthou hast expounded;— the Yoga of Equality (or sameness, similarity, or resem blance ofatmas,vijs.,thej^ualityofJivatmason the one hand viewed from the aspect of intelligence {jftana or consciousness) being shared by them all as a common characteristic; and the equality of Jivatmas with Isvara (God)on the other hand,viewed by the common attribute ofexemption from work(-bondage=karma)which,emanci pated souls share in common with Isvara; such Yoga(or spiritual mode ofseeing things)of'looking equally on all' {sarvatra samadarsana-yoga), being in direct conflict with theimmediateevidencepresented,allthe while,byouractual (phenomenal)experience ofseeing differences(not equality) among the Jivatmas on the one hand, consisting in the existence of a variety of natures as represented by the divine,the human etc., natures; and again the actual evi dence pfseeing differences(not equality) betweenjivas(in dividual souls)and Isvara(Universal Soul=God).
1. Abhydsa = Exercise or effort or exertion or the Practice of Meditation as laid down in verses 10 ff.
2. Vairdgya= freedom from pas- sions, contempt for life, dispassion, un- worldliness, asceticism, non-attach-
ment.
3. Cp. Patanjala Yoga-Siitra I-12. ‘Abhydsa vairigyabhydm tan-niro- dhah’ also Cf, Bh. Gita. VIII-8 and XII-9. Vide also Annie Besant’s ‘Path of Discipleship,’ pp: 50-53-
4 Yoga means here the queiscent
State into which by practice &c., the mind is disciplined. It is the state of mind freed from all thoughts or trains of consciousness relating to worldly concerns. This state of mind func- tioning purely on the spiritual plane is called samddhz, when all conscious- ness of body and self are withdrawn for the time being. It is the state of trance, or spiritual ecstasy. (vide, my Lectures on Inspiration, Intuition and Ecstasy in 3 Parts).
Not to beabletorealizethe view ofthings that,the Yoga Thou hast taught,would determine,can only be accounted for by the fugitive character ofthe mind failing to grasp it. So it is,indeed. For,even in matters of ordinary expe rience,the naturally fickle mind eludes the attemptsofman to fix it on to a certain thing. The mind powerfully twists and tossesthe man about,and irresistibly flies away whither soever it pleases. While such is the case in matters of ordinary experience,how much more difficult would it not be to govern the mind and bend it so as to dwell on atma,—a matter of in-experience!? I believe that to control the mind is as difficult a work as that ofattempting to oppose a (fragile) fan against the fierce blasts of wind blowing in the face. Thou hast thus need to teach me the way how to control the mind. , Sri Bhagavan(Lord Krishna)responds:— &c. 35. ' Doubtless,O mighty armed!the roving mind is difficult to subdue; but by industry^ and dis- passion*, Kaunteya!it is governable.'® wmrsRT &c. 36. ' My belief is that yoga* is hard to be won by him of ungoverned mind ; but can be won by him of mind mastered, using (proper) means (therefor).' That it is difficult to arrest the mind,which by nature is of a roaming character, is beyond denial. But the possibility oftaming it anyhow depends upon generating in the mind a love(or liking)for atma by accustoming it to reflect on its(atma's excellences), and an aversion (or dislike) for objects other than atma, b> presenting before its imagination the inherent imperfections ofthose objects. By him who has notsubjugated the mind,yoga^is cer tainly difficult to achieve,but it yogaofspiritual equa lity, or the cognizing sameness of spirit everywhere), is feasibleto him who gains control over mind,by using proper methods. Mind-control is attainable by the performance of the already described Wisdom-based Karma-Yoga,—which is worshipping Me—. Arjuna asks again, in order to understand well, the greatness(or virtue)of(Karma-)yoga,he had already heard about,in the verse: 'In this there is no loss ofeffort' &c.,(II-40). The greatness of Karma-yoga there described is cer tainly that which embodies atma-wisdom (or that which involves atma-wisdom) within it, and culminating in yoga (meditation or atma-union by meditation). That great ness ofyoga itself,* (is what Arjuna now asks:)— wm: &c.
1. See note 4, p. 212.
2. The meaning is that the nature of Karma-yoga declared inLecture III should not be considred as in any way differing from what is taught here ; for Karma-yoga is that which has calm atma-meditation for its culmination, previous to @tma-revealment,
37. ' Which way goeth he, Krishna! who,ardent,yet for want ofapplication, hath his mind moved away from yoga, and (hence) doth not reach yoga-perfection ?' • 38. ' Is he,cutofffrom both(ends),lost,likea divided cloud,unfixed {apratishtho),and unenlightened in the Path of Brahma? &c. 39. ' Thou art fit, Krishna! to thoroughly clear this doubt of mine. None else,save Thee, have I, to cut this doubt asunder." One may ever so enthusiastically embark on yoga,but if he lack persistent application, his mind is liable to be distracted therefrom, and he must fail to reach perfection in yoga. What will be the fate (^a^t) ofsuch a person? Doth he not get lost or disappear like a broken bit of cloud leaving one big mass ofcloud behind, and failing to unite with another in front? What is meant by the double loss('cut offfrom both', see text).? The one is the non-fixture {apratishtho) and the other is non-enlightenment or ignorance of the Path of Brahma {brahmanahpathivimudhatva). The first loss is the failure to secure svarga,' the fruit appropriate for works performed. Works(or karma) per formed with that object in view,liberally promisethatfruit. But works are done by this person with nosuch intent; and hence he forfeits the (material)fruit on the one side. The second loss consists in the' ignorance ofthe Path of Brahma.' This means that the (spiritual) Path (/. e., doing works with no regard to reward, and contemplating on selfand God etc.,) is begun to be trodden,but the nian fails to pursue in it steadily, and strays away. So he is cut offfrom this side. When,then,one is so cut off from both ends, is he lost or not lost? This doubt of mine, Krishna!*, Thou canst clear. Thou art Omnipresent and Omniscient. Thou canst there fore cut my doubts asunder. 3rl Bhagavan*(Lord Krishna) replies:— siTg^ &c. 40. ' Neither here nor in the next (world), Partha! is there destruction for him. Verily none,Belov ed! who is a doer of good work, goeth the evil way.'® Neither here(in the present life) nor there (in the life to come) is there loss for him, who, in all earnestness engages in yoga,but who may fall away therefrom. Destruction means deprivation or forfeiture of the material enjoyment ofsvarga,on the one hand, and spiri tual(Brahma-)enjoymentson theother hand,eitherofwhich he could have aspired for. Destruction means the intervention of undesirable obstacles,in the shape ofevils. But,when one has performed even a little ofthe yoga of this super-excellent character (described already), he will not indeed find himselfat a loss, neither in the past, nor the present,nor the future. How can it be so? Answer:— &c. 41. ' The yoga-fallen, on attaining to the realms of the meritorious, and having dwelt there for long years, is well-born again in a family of well-to-do people {srimatam)' Whatever was the desire which diverted one from pur suing to the very end the Path of Yoga,that desire will find its fulfilment,—and exquisitely enhanced manifold,—in the regions of those men who did most virtuous deeds: He enjoysthere to the utmost limitofhis capacity to enjoy; -^that enjoyment extending over a considerable period. This, by virtue of the yoga, which he trod and left(un finished). After enjoying there to his utmost, his capacity for more pleasure comes to an end. And then he is again re incarnated in a family of pure and prosperous souls, quali fied for prosecuting Yoga. To be thus born in favorable environments, is also due to the efficacy of the Yoga which the disciple began to tread but swerved therefrom.^ &c. 42. ' Or,he is born in a family of wise yogis, but this kind of birth indeed is in this world most seldom merited. If he had diverged from Yoga almost at the stage of fruition, he is (now)born in a family of illuminated sages (yogis), or those who are themselves versed in the Science of Yoga and can indoctrinate others too in it. In both these cases,difficult among mankind is such re-incarnation viz\(i) that of being born among the yoga-fit, and (2) of being born among the yoga-full. When it doth take place, itis a result ofthe efficacy ofYoga pursued to a certain ex tentalreadyand discontinued for(some reason or the other).
Here picketh he up,the memory-link connected with his previous body;thence again,O Son of Kuru!doth he strive towards(yoga)-perfection.' &c. 43 'By the previous habitalone,is he attracted into it(yoga),even involuntarily.' In the re-incarnation that comes, he gets back the yoga-memory or links ofreminiscence connected with the habits cultivated in his previous body,—when,like one roused from slumber, he again presses on towards yoga- consummation,without encountering further obstacles. The affiinities ofthe old yoga-practice are such as to impel him forward in that course,instinctively as it were,or as it were out ofhisown power(notto continuethe process). Verily the power and greatnessofYoga,is well-known to be such. &c. 44. ' Even he who hasthe(mere)desire to know Yoga passes beyond the name-great^(sabda-brahma).' Even he who may not actually embark on Yoga,but is a mere inquirer, resumes such inquiryif he had dis continued the same on a previous occasion(orincarnation). And he gradually comes again to walk the Path of Karma- yoga, and eventually transcends the name-great, [or the vast expanse of matter which is the cause of names and forms {sabda-brahmd)\ Sabda-brahma signifies matter,for itis the great matter- stuffin its manifested modification which getsto be named (sabdita)as devas, men,earth,the sky,svarga, etc. Hence that which is nameable is the.name-great(matter-stuff.)
1. Mame-great or the innnite : matter-expanse, the greatness of © which consists in having names and forms. The Namieless-Great is the Omnipresent Spirit, in contrast with the name-great (matter-stuff)
Even the mere inquirer as to what Yoga is, acquires merit, and ultimately passes beyond sabda-brahm. This means that he becomes unfettered from matter's coils, and attains to atma, the sole harbour ofintelligence and bliss {jftana and atianda), or that which cannot be named as can be named those objects as are matter-moulded, such as deva, man etc. &c. . 45. ' The sedulously exerting yogi becomes assoiled ofsin; and obtaining perfection after many births,' thence passes on to the Supreme State. Such is the greatness or virtue ofthis Yoga that merit goes on accumulating as man passes through many an incarnation,and purifying him by disengaging him from all defilement. Thus does he become more and more competent for prosecuting Yoga. And,by force ofstrenuous effort, des pite(failures or breaks),he surely makes his way to the Supreme Goal. Thesuperiority,above all others,of that yogi, who has chosen the Highest of human Ambitions(atma-realisation) is now stated:— &c. 46. •The yogi ranks higher than the tapasvis, higher yet than the jfldnis; higher is he than the karmis. Hence,Arjuna! becomethou the yogi.' As Yoga(or The Path)leads to the highest aspiration of man,it is greater than what is attainable by the austere and ascetic mode of life itapas); greater than what is attainable by various kinds of knowledge^ inferior to atma- knowledge, (this is the jfldni meant here); greater even than whatisattainable by performers of Asvamedha* and other Veda-writ ritualistic ceremonies(the karmls). Hence the yogi is superior to the tapasvis, to the jfldttis and to the karmis. " Thou, Arjuna!,become,therefore, this(kind of)yogi. So far, thus, the subject relating to(or how to acquire) atma-intuition (or atma-knowledge) as preliminary to the Higher knowledge(Para-vidya=God-intuition,or God-wis dom or Theosophy) propounded by Frajapati in the (Upanishad)passages,(Chh:Up. VIII-7,et seqCJi,has been discoursed upon. This verse is a eulogy on this Higher Theosophy. &c, 47. ' Even more beyond the yogis and ofall,is hesaid to be the most superior who,in faith,and with his inmost manas immersed in Me, worship- peth Me.'**"
4. Lit: horse-sacrifices, a cere- mony emblematic of the immolation of a horse, by a king ambitious of universal empire. See Yajur-Vedua, 22nd to 25th Chapters. They are not real sacrifices, but emblematic cere- monies. After certain prayers have been recited, the victims are let loose without injury. If the animals are actually immolated, they are in turn said to wreak their vengeance on the Sacrificer. Vide, Skdgavata ; 1V-28-
26: ‘I am yajfia-pasavoznena sam-
jiiapta ye 2 dayaluna, kuth@rais chic- chiduh kruddh&h smaranto 2 mIvam asya yat.”
3 The reader is referred to Ramanuja’s Proem to Lec: III and the Table of Vidyais appended at end of Lec: III.
By See Proem to Lect. III; this verse is introductory to the 2nd Divi- sion of Bhagavad-gita, the Bhakti- yoga, Lectures (VI to XII). See Proem to Lect ? XII and XII-2,
The genitive case of the word yogindm has the force of the ablative yogibhyah \yogindm thus meaning not of the yogis, but beyond the yogis.(The ablative case gives the sense that the yogi of this verse is not one amongstthe four kinds of yogis described (in the twenty-ninth verse,ff. ante),but is thefifth above and beyond,and superior to,the four kinds. The description of the four kinds ofthe yogis is as contained in verse(sarva-bhutastham etc.,):— ' Perceives Atma abiding in all beings etc., (vi-fp.) and following verses:(vi-30,31 and 32). As the yogi referred to in this verse,does not fall as one of this four-fold classification, the genitive case has not the force ofspecifyingaclassamongthosealready men tioned. Apisarveshdm,—'and ofaif'. refers to those mentioned in verse forty-seven, viz the tapasvis etc., Likewise here,as ofthe y/otdyogindm,thegenetive caseofthe wordsarveshdm, has theablative force,for reasons the same as stated above; in this case meaning thatthis yogi(described in this verse and the following lectures, vii to xii, viz., the bhakta, the Lover of God)is greaterthan all the yogis(verses 29 to 32) and the tapasvis etc.,(verse effp In comparison with this yogi,they are all,by inferiority,
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