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and thickets; thence still more back into the condition of

grass(the lowest type of plants),sticks, clod, stones etc.

How the upward ascenttakes place is now explained,—

by those who,by adopting a strict course offood', and by

thedisinterested performance of meritorious works,gradual

ly become moreand more Satva-natured,and transcend the

(combination of the)qualities.

&c.

19. 'When Ihe Seer cognizes no agent other than the

qualities and knows whatis beyond the quali

ties,then doth he reach to My state.'

Thus by eating food of Satva-description,and perform

ing works without regard to fruit but solely intended as

worship to the Blessed Lord, the Rajas and Tamas quali

ties must be completely suppressed; and one should

become thoroughlyestablished in the pure Satva-quality.—

When this Seer(conversant with the ways of the qualities)

perceives that thus there is no actor or agent beyond ^the

qualities themselves,in other words that the qualities them

selves are the actors according to their respective natures;

when the Seer also perceives that there is atma,the action-

^ess, beyond the qualities, he reaches My state, orstate like

unto Mine.

The purport is that atma perse is perfectly pure, that

agency in performing various acts comps to it derived or

as a result <j/"the union with the qualities as may be prede

termined by the past Karmas; that atma by itself is no

actor, and is essentially ofthe nature ofinfinitely exp,and-

ing intelligence. When atma-nature is thus realized, then

is reached a state equal to My State.

It is stated that after cognizing the actionless nature of

atma, which is beyond or other than,the action-full quali

ties,the state ofthe Blessed Lord is gained. What is this

.state like is now described:—

^i^DHdMcTM &c.

20. 'Transcendingthesethree body-bred qualities,the

embodied (ego), freed from the pains of death

and age,tastes immortality.'*

These three qualities Satvam etc., are born ofthe

matter-stuff symbolized by'body.' When the embodied

(entity)overcrosses the^e and cognizes that which is differ

ent from them, viz; atma, which is essentially ofthe nature

ofintelligence,he becomesrelieved from birth,death,dotage

and other such sorrows and attains to atma-enjoyment.

This is(akin to)My state.

Atjuna queries as to what.sort ofconduct distinguish

es the person who has transcended the qualities and how

he can so transcend them ?

&c.

21. 'By what signs is he to be(recognized),O Lord 1

who has surmounted these three qualities?

What is his conduct, and how doth he step

beyond the.se qualities?'

=signs=Characteristics which distinguish the

person who has surmounted the three qualities. Achara=

conduct or his behaviour in life, connoting his nature.

How=hy what means he transcends the qualities,

Satvam etc?

The Blessed Lord answers:

STOT &c.

22. '

He(the man who hascrossed the qualities) is

one, Pandava! who Lsexempt from hate, when

lucidity,activity and folly prevail; who, when

they prevail not,desireth them not.'

Prakdsa=\\ic\d\ty, or brightness of disposition, the

effect of Satvam.

Pravritti=iE.^orl or activity or the disposition to

engage in active work,is the effect of Rajas.

MjAassFolly or infatuation or having a distorted dis

position,isthe effect of Tamas.

Things external to atma are of a two-fold character,

the one which men desire to have ; the other which they

hatefully shun. (The sign by which one may understand

that. he.is above the qualities is thatof his) not feeling a

hatred when lucidity etc., may be found to be prevailing

regarding things unwished for, and not feeling a longing

when they(lucidity etc.,) may be found to be not prevail

ing regarding things wished for.

&c.

23. '

Sitting unconcerned, whoso is by qualities not

rqflled, who.so calmly reflects: "the qualities

revolve," is not disturbed.'

Like one unconcerned{uddsinavat\ because his delight

consists in atma-vision, and therefore he is indifferent

to anything else.

Whoso is never agitated by desires and aversions

which the qualities beget;and who keeps silent by reflect

ing:

It is natural for the qualities to parade themselves

as lucidity {^prakdsa) etc.,' is never disturbed i. e., does not

allow himselfto be impelled to act as the qualities would

provoke him so to act.

&c.

24. '

Equal in griefand joy;self-centred ;looking on

clod,stone and gold alike;the same in likes and

dislikes ; equal to blame and praise ; wise;

Equal-minded for honoftr or ignominy;the same

towards friends and foes; retired from all effort;

^—such an one is called the surmounter of the

qualities.'

Equal=Keeping the mind (or heart) balanced

in both grief and joy.

Self-centred=he who is established in him

self, i. e., from his love centred in atma, his mind is not

distracted with regard to external things,such as theevents

ofrejoicing,the birth ofason etc.,and events ofgrief, such

as his death etc..

Hence a lump of earth, or stone or gold appear of

equal(worth)in his eyes. And hence there is to him

nothing which he particularly loves or particularly .hates.

Dhirah-=SN\SQ=\\t who is edified as to the distinction

between matter and atma. Hence he preserves equanimity

whether blame or praise come to him ;for love of praise

is a.consequence of egotism which inheres in the body,

but which is mistakingly referred to atma, making one to

think that it is a great honor to get praise. Similarly his

aversion to blame,isa consequenceofthesameegotism mak

ing him to think that it is an ignominy to get blame ;

but neither of these illusions exists in the case of him who

is atma-wise,—a wisdom which perceives that no adventi

tious limitations such as being a man etc., attach to atma.

For thesame reason that egotism is foreign to atma,what

pertains to egotism,such as honor and disgrace,friends and

enemies,does notaffect atma. He who has such (spiritual)

light isunconcerned about such matters. Similarly, since

all effort or activity is the outcome ofthe embodied state

ofexistence, the atina-wi.se abandon all such effort.

Such a person is said to be the surmounter of the

qualities.

The chief Means by which tosurmount the aforesaid

qualities, is now stated: •

'IT &c.

26. '

And whoso serves Me with unerrinpf Bhakti-

yoga, surmounts these qualities and is fit to

become like Brahm.'

Not by mere reflection over the matter-soul distinc

tion,in the manner declared in: '

No agent other than

the qualities etc.,'(Gi:XIV-19),can qualities be crossed ;

for reflection is ever liable to be violated by habits ini

mical to it which the mind has contracted in the long past.

.^<f=The Infallible-willed, the Infinitely Merciful, the

Ocean of Love to My faithful,etc.

Avjya6Aickdrena='Lit: without adulteration: means un

erring^one-pointed and exclusively devoted (to Me).

BhakU-yof;a=Intense incessantand all-absorbing love-

devotion to Me. The votary of Bhakti will surmount the

otherwise insurmountable qualities, Satvam etc.

Brahma-bhftvdva = Brahma-hhdvdya = Eligibility to

partake of.the nature of Brahm. This state is the realiza

tion ofthe essential nature of atma,—atma, immortal and

imperishable.

siwnt &c.

27. 'I indeed am the Support of brahma (=soul),

the eternal and infinite, and of the eternal

Dharma ; and of the absolute Bliss.'

^1=Indeed: inasmuch as when by unerring Bhakti-

yoga I am worshipped {vide XIV-26), I become the Sup

port(or Centre)for the eternal and infinite(brahma)"soul.

Eternal Exquisite eternal happiness.*

1. This refers to kaivalya-moksha

or soul-acquisition (which is found in

Me the Seat).

2. This refers to material felici-

ties, such as Svarga étc,

Ekdntika-sukha^N\isa\\x\s. unique Bliss, which is the

fruit ofthe saint {jHdni) who answers to the description:

Vasudeva is all' etc.,(G/: VII-19).'

Although the expre.ssion 'Eternal Dharma'(the eter

nal laws, promulgated in the Vedas) usually implies a

Means'to accomplish an

End,'here it means the'

End'*

itself, occurring as the expression does between two other

expressions which also imply 'Ends' {viz; braknuino hi

pratishthd =soul-acquisition and ekdntika-sukha =God-ac

quisition).

The purport is that as declared in the Stanza:

Verily is this. My divine maya, guna-imbued, and

hard to surmount; but those who resort to Me alone as

their Refuge pass this maya' {(ri: XII-14), and other

stranzas following it, the surmounting of the qualities

first and thence the securing ofany ofthe goals (i)aksh-

ara(soul-gain),(2)aisvarya(material prosperity),(3)Bha-

gavat-prdpti(joining the Blessed Lord Himself), depends

upon the Only Means being employed, viz: loving

devotion to the Lord and praying Him to grant them.

Thus it has now been shown that by means of Bhakti-

yoga,the qualities are to be surmounted (Gi: XIV-26)

and thence Brahma-state is attained {Gi: XIV-27).

OM TAT SAT.

Thus closes Discourse Fourteen

Named the Guna-traya-vibhdga-Yoga

The Division of the Three Qualities

With Sri RdmanujSs Commentary thereon.

Between Sri Krishm and Arjuna,

In the Science of Yoga,

In the Theos'ophy of the Vpanishads

Or the Chants of Sri Bhagavan

The Bhagavad-Gita

t. This refers to Brahma-prapti

or God-acquisition.

2, The End, #3, Svarga etc.,

which would be gained by following

the laws (rituals etc.,) laid down. in

the Vedas,

SRI

BHAGAVAD-GITA

THE DIVINE LAY.

WITH

SRI RAMANUJA'S VISISHTADYAITA

COMMENTARY.

LECTURE XV

NAMED

THE PURANA-PURUSHOTTAMA-YOGA,

THE WAY TO THE PRIMAL SPIRIT SUBLIME.

Srt Ydmundchdrya, GilArtha-Sangraha,{Stanza,ig).

DistinctJrom souls, both stainedand cleansed, is the Lord Supreme,

For H^sin all,props, owns,rules. Such is Fiftunth^s themd.

Sri YogiPdrthasdrathi Aiycutgdr,

AU M

*1BhAGAYAD-(xITA

WITH

SRi ramanuja's visishtadvaita commentary.

THE FIFTEENTH LECTURE,

NAMED,

THE PURANA-PURUSHOTTAMA-YOGA

TffE WAY TO THEPRIMEVAL SPIRITSUBLIME,

PROEM.

JNtheLecture(XIII),treatingofthedistinctionbetween

the- natures of matter and soul in their relationship

as Kshetra (the abode) and Kshetiajfla (the abider)

respectively, it was shown that the association of the pure

and infinitely (essentially) conscious soul with matter

as represented by the bodies ofdeva, man etc.,—brought

about by his attachment for eons to the qualities (of

matter)—was one which has had no beginning.

In the next Lecture(XIV), the points treated of were

that:—

(1) This association with matter in both its subtle

and manifested forms, due to the attachment which the

soul has for(matter's)qualities—is by the decrees of the

Blessed Lord Himself (XIV-3 and 4);

(2) The manner,in some detail,in which this associa

tion with the qualities is formed (XIV-6 to 25); and that

(3)The" method by which to surmount these qualities

and realisesoul nature is by Loving Devotion tothe Blessed

Lord (XIV-26-27).

Now in this Lecture (XV), will be shown how the

Worshippable Blessed Lord's Sovereign glory of the

Universe is constituted ofkshara—transient bound souls'—

and akshara—freed souls, for eternity*—and how from this

twofold kshara and akshara souls constituting His Kosmos

the Lord differs, He being the Supreme Person[Purushot-

tama), supreme beyond description, and distinguished as

He who is endowed with Glorious Attributes,as he Who is

exempt from all thatis evil. For the elucidation of this

truth, the Blessed Lord takes the Asvattha Tree as the

symbol,' to represent the evolved material universe asone

of bondage (or keeping the kshara souls in bondage)and

as one which (».«., the Tree) the souls ought to exter

minate, so that the kshara souls may escape from the

bondage (in this Tree ofSamsara),to become the akshara

souls of His glorious scheme of evolution. And this

freedom (from the Tree of Samsara) is to be effected

by cutting the Tree asunder by the weapon of non-

attachment.

The Blessed Lord continued:—

&c.

I. 'With root above and branches below,they speak

of an Asvattha Tree' indestructible, ofwhich

the leaves are the Vedas. Whoso knows this

knows the Vedas.'

1. Called Lila-vibhiti or Bhoga-

vibhiti.

2. Called Nitya-vibhiti-

3- For yogic interpretation of this

Symbol consult Uttara-Gita : ch: I-

15, 17. Also see Simon Magus, p: 78.

Samsara is emblematized as the Tree Asvattha, with

root above and branches below. Its indestructible or ever

lasting nature is declared in the Srutis thus:

Having rootabove,and branches below,this Asvattha

is primeval*,'

Whoso,now,knows this Tree,ofrootabove and bran

ches below etc., etc..

The Tree is said to have the root above,since thefour-

faced Brahma fthe Demiurge of the Brahmanda, or a

mundane eggl is seated above the seven' worlds. It is

said to have branches below since on earth below,are all its

denizens, man, animals, beasts, worms, insects, moths,

plants etc.

It is said to be indestructible,[avyayam)or never-end

ing like a stream flowing for ever,or a Tree which cannot

be felled, till the dawning of spiritual illumination which

would wean one from (material)clingings.

Chhanddmsi^the Srutis=the Vedas, which are said

to be the Tree's leaves,since the TreeofSamsara flourishes

in proportion to the performance ofSruti-enjoined kdtnya-

karmas(or works performed with a view to obtain material

pleasures). Such asare declared in:

*The desirer ofriches{prosperitj')shallsacrificea white

(victim)for Vayu (-deva).'*

The desirer ofoffspring shall oblate to Indra-Agni in

eleven cups(or dXshess^kapdlaY etc.

Leaves are supposed to be instrumental in preserving

trees.

Whoso has the knowledge of this aforesaid Tree is

the knower of the Vedas, since the Vedas teach the way

how to fell the Tree. He is called the knower of the

Vedas, since a knowledge of the nature ofthis destruction-

worthy Tree,is essential as giving the knowledge necessary

for felling the same.

&c.

Below as well as above,do its branches spread

nourished by the Gunas'; its sprouts(are)

the sense objects.'

This Tree having the branches of man etc., ramify

downwardsalong with other branches,—arisingfrom kannu-

showing out as men,animals etc. It ramifies upwards in

the shape of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Devas etc. The

branches get nourished by the Gunas, viz\ Satvam etc.

{Vide-. Lecture XIV). It has for its sprouts the various

objects ofthe senses.

How?

&c.

2. * Below,in the world of men,do stretch its karma-

bound rootlets'.

This Tree having the root in Brahma-loka, and the

(branch-)ends in(the world of) man,has its rootlets again

in this world ofman. And these rootlets are karma-bound,

i. e,, karmas are their causes, and they make these rootless

in this world of man. For, works(karma) wrought when

in the state of man,are the roots from which,on the one

hand, the conditions of man,animals etc., result on lower

levels, and the conditions ofdevas etc., on higher levels

above.

&c.

2^. '

Neither its shape as such, nor its end, nor

beginning nor source,is here understood'.

By people immersed in Samsara,the shape (f. e., the

meaning)ofthis Tree is not understood in that it has its

root above,—the four-faced Brahma being the origin

there—;in that it has branches spreading gradually down

wards having man at the terminals; and in that its

branches again spread upwards and downwardsdetermined

by karmas enacted when in the condition of men.* What

they perceive is simply this much,viz;'I am man ; the

son ofDevadatta I am;the father of Yajhadatta I am,' etc.,

and occupy themselves in such worldly affairs as are

appropriate to these relations.

They perceive not too that an end can be put to this

Tree by weaning themselves from the Guna-generated en

joyments;nor dothey perceivethat itsbeginning liesin the

connectionformed with the Gunas;nor do they,too,perceive

the source or origin wherefrom the tree springs, viz:un

wisdom producing the delusion of mistaking what is not

ego for what is ego(or what is body for what is soul).

Pratishthd—^owxcQ,origin,or theseat wherein all this-

want of understanding (or perception) is fixed, viz\ un

wisdom {ajMna)itself.

&c.

cTcT:'!^ &c.

3. 'Having by the mighty weapon of non-attach

ment, hewn down this firm-rooted Asvattha;

Then is that state to be sought after, reaching

which they return not again.'

The Asvattha Tree of the aforesaid kind has its diverse

roots wide spreading below.

The strong axe or weapon is that of non-attachment

for the Guna-sated enjoyments,—a weapon furnished by

ripe spiritual enlightenment.

I. Unwisdom is the perversity or wrong use ofour free-will.

Cleaving the Tree asunder by this weapon,detachment

from(or dislike for)sense-delights, is produced,followed up

by a search for that(high spiritual) state which, when once

attained,there is no falling back from.

How will this attachment for Guna-full pleasuies,

persisting fora long time past,depart? And its(attachment's)

cause,viparita-jflana or perverted understanding?

&c.

4. '

Let Him the Primal Purusha alone be sought

as the Refuge—He from Whom is the old

with derived.'

Heis Primalor the Beginning ofeverything,as declare

ed in such Stanzas as:

'By Me the Presider, matter begets all the Mobiles

and the Immobiles' {fit:IX-io).

I am the Origin ofall, from Me operates everything

(Gi;X-S),)

,'Naught whatsoever higher than I the Primal Purusha;

exists,Dhanafijaya!'{Gi: VII-6^);and let Him therefore

be sought as the Refuge, inasmuch as all old material ins

tinctsin the shape ofattachment for Guna-charged enjoy

ments proceed from Him, the all-Creator {vide, Gi: XIV

3 and 4).

I Myselfhave already declared;—

Verily is this My divine Maya Guna-full, hard to

surmount. Those who resort to Me alone as their Refuge,

do pass this Maya'{Gi: VII-14).

A variant in this Stanza is ^prapady-cyatah' Instead

of'prapadyed-yatah' In this case the division ofthe former

compound term would be 'prapadya,iyatah'; The inter

pretation ofthe Stanza would then stand thus -

By the mere step taken {iyatd)viz.,of having taken

Him as Refuge, all those (spiritual) instincts of old will

awaken in him. Instincts are impulses which are means to-

dispel all ignorance etc. They are called old because they

are the instincts of the ancient moksha-seekers, {mumuk-

skus) for they of old sought Me alone as their Asylum,

and became released from bondage.—'

&c.

5. ' enduringstate,only those enlightened reach,

who are rid of love for non-self;—those victors

over the evils ofattachment;—the soul-absorb

ed;—the weaned from lusts;—the freed from

the '

pairs' ofjoys and griefs —

Attaining to Me as their Shelter or Saviour, they be

come rid ofsuch illusionsasthelove ofnon-self(or non-soul).

The evils of attachment are those of attachment to

Guna-impregnate enjoyments. They conquer this,

Adhyatma-nityah: adhyatma is soul-knowledge; who

so are engrossed in that knowledge are the soul-absorbed.

Lust-weaned=Thos& from whom all other appetites

save the one for soul alone, have departed.

And they become delivered from the

pairs of opposi-

tes'characterized as joys and griefs.

Enlightened— in the wisdom discriminating bet

ween soul-nature and non-soul nature.

Avyayam padam=Enduring state:is the realization of

the true nature of atma,inits unbounded-intelligence-char

acterized state (or infinitely expanded consciousness).

To those who claim Me as their Saviour(or Protector),

all theseveralstagesoftheaforesaid(spiritual)characterfor

mingare effected through Mysole agency. Those statesare

easilytraversed throughtillperfection(orthegoal)isreached.

6. 'That which the sun illumes not,nor the moon nor

fire; Thai, My supreme light, going whence

they return not.'^

That atma-Iight, no sun can illuminate(by its light),

nor the moon nor the fire; for intelligence (or wisdom)in

deed is that which gives lightto all. The external lumina

ries are only so far helpful as to scatter the obscurity that

intervenes between the senses and their objects. What

illumines(or reveals) this—viz.,atma—is Yoga.^

Its antagonist is the time-less karma; and conquest

of this (antagonist), it was shown, is by accepting the

Blessed Lord as the Deliverer, by attaining Whom there

is no reversion to the world,etc., {Gi:XV-4).

That light supreme(—paramam dhama)is Mine,i. e.,

belongs to Me,i. belongs to My splendour; is a portion

{amsa)of Myself.

The supremacy ij=-paramatvam)ofthis light consists

in its efficiency to light up(with its intelligencej even the

sun etc., for, the lights, such as the sun and the rest can

never illumine the light ofintelligence(jMna or conscious

ness); intelligence alone is the all-illuminator.

&c.

7. '

This portion of Myself,—ancient,—(is)the life-

entity in this world oflife; it attracts to itself

the matter-seated senses (five) with manas the

sixth.''

1. Yoga: meditation, devotion etc

walking any of the several Paths of

Salvation.

2. Consult Br: S#: I11-3-42:

‘Amso nand-vyapadesatvit’ etc.,

and Manu : 1-16; Pras: Up®: II-9-

10; Punarbhavam ete.’

This(atma)ofthe aforesaid nature, ancient (=eter-

nal), constituting a portion of Myself, yet becomes en

meshed in the immemorial nescience of karma, and be

comes a life-entity in the world of life (=conditioned

existence), and attracts to itself the(five)senses and the

manas(mind)the sixth, having their seat in matter and

fashioned out into specific shapesas deva, man etc. But

when it treads the path laid down already {Gix XV-4-5),

it frees itselffrom the nescience {avidva)^ and re-asserts it

selfin its native character(ofsoul-nature.)

The living (or incorporeated) entity is very much

limited in intelligence and power. Taking hold ofthe

senses and the manas—of which he becomes lord—which

he finds in the karma-begotten matter-moulded body,

drags with them hither and thither.

sfrat &c.

8. '

Whicheverbody the lord(soul)enters or it quits,

it takes them (the senses) and goes, like the

wind the odour from its seat.''

Whatever body is entered into, or whatever body is

departed from, the lord of the senses(the soul)always

takes them ^the senses) along with him, as also the

essences of the elements(or rudimental elementary essen

ces); like the wind abstracting from their seats,the flowers,

sandal(chandand\, musk etc., their scents along with their

fine dust,and carrying them elsewhere.

What these senses are, is explaind:—

^ &c.

9. '

Presiding over hearing,sight, touch, taste and

smell,and manas,it(soul)enjoys sense-objects.*

Ruling these senses in such manner as they are fitted

to.function, the soul enjoys their appropriate objects, viz.,

sound etc.

'dfshHci &c.

10. 'The unenlightened perceive not(it, the soul),the

Guna-cohjoined quitter, dweller, enjoyer ; but

they perceive,—the wisdom-eyed.'

Vimildhah—^t. unenlightened=those who fancy the

corporeal outward configuration, man etc., to be the soul ;

and these perceive not the soul itself—which is z^na-

conjoined i. e., is bound intothe conditions of man and other

guna-full matter-moulded forms,—or as it which is dis-

coverd to quitsuch corporeal forms,—or as it which is seen

to abide in such forms,—or as it which is seen to enjoy

or taste of guna-sated sense-objects,—or as it which is

distinct from all human and other matter-made fleshly

forms, or as it which is essentially intelligent {jfldnaik-

dkdrani].

jAdna-chakshiishah= The wisdom-eyed:are those who

are enlightened as to how atma-nature differs from body-

forms. And these perceive atma in its essential nature,

wherever it may dwell or whatever it may be doing.

&c.

II. 'And the persisting Yogis perceive him who in

body dwells;but if they be of mind unrefined

and impotent,they perceive him not in spite of

their effort'

The persistenceis the effort ofthe Yogisin the Paths of

Karma etc., undertaken after resorting to Me(to crown

their efforts with success). Their culture in these Paths

purify their inner nature,and with the eye of Yoga, they

perceive the true nature of atma abiding in the body

{dtmani) as distinct from the body.

But if their effort is destitute of confidence and trust

in Me,their inner nature remains unrefined; and therefore

are they impotent or of feeble mind, incapacitated for

atma-vision,and hence such do not perceive him.

After affirming that both the state ofliberated souls—

described as the light ofintelligence(}Mna-Jyotih\ lighting

up even the external luminaries,the sun, moon fire, etc.

whose power,it was said, was but limited to that ofremov

ing the gloom preventing the senses from perceiving

objects;—and the state of bound souls {haidh-atma) are

both of them the constituent feature ofBhagavan'smanifes-

ted Kosmic glory, as in Stanzas: 'That, My supreme

light'{G'f. XV-6),'This portion of Myself—ancient—(is)

the life-entity in this world of life'((?/: XV-7);it is now

declared that even the lights ofthoseluminaries,etc., which

are but matter so disposed is a part of Bhagavan's glory.

&c.

12. '

Know thatlightin the sun which lights up all the

Kosmos, that in the moon, and that in fire,

as Mine.'

All the lights that are of the Sun etc., which illumine

the worlds,is Mine i. e., it is light granted them by Me in

answer to the worship which they severally paid to Me.

The power in the earth to support all beings that

rest thereon,is also Mine'is now stated:—

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