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Shri Bhagavad-Gita 28 страницаand 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 or 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 OR THE DIVINE LAY. WITH SRI RAMANUJA'S VISISHTADYAITA COMMENTARY. LECTURE XV NAMED THE PURANA-PURUSHOTTAMA-YOGA, OR 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 OR 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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