Bg 14.21
arjuna uvāca
kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho
kim-ācāraḥ kathaṁ caitāṁs trīn guṇān ativartate
Bg 14.22
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
prakāśaṁ ca pravṛttiṁ ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava
na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati
Translation
Arjuna said: 21. What are the marks of him who has crossed over the three GUNAS, O Lord? What is his conduct, and how does he go beyond these three GUNAS?
The Blessed Lord said: 22. Light, activity, and delusion, when present, O Pandava, he hates not, nor longs for them when absent.
Commentary
It is, indeed, a rare experience to be a God-man upon the earth. What then are the marks of such a liberated soul, so that we may understand him and also recognise this State in ourselves? How will he conduct himself in society and what exactly will be the relationship of such a Master living the God-experience, with the world outside?
ARJUNA GETS AN OCCASION FOR ASKING THESE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE NATURE AND BEHAVIOUR OF SUCH A GOD-MAN:
The Geeta is written in a conversational style, to remove the tedium unavoidable in the early studies of any philosophy, and to make it more entertaining. In this conversation between the Lord of Perfect Knowledge and the mortal of extreme delusion, Vyasa, the poet, has evidently not forgotten the human element in his philosophical pre-occupation. In any Hall of Knowledge, the questions of Arjuna sound like some childish inquisitive-ness, the play of some intellectual pranks. The patience with which the Lord answers all the questions of the lesser types of intellect, clearly indicated the duties of a true Brahmana in answering exhaustively al the questions raised by the sceptic, nay even by the non-believers.
Even though we are blessed by such a healthy tradition in our literature, somehow, a cruel spirit of secrecy has come to rob this healthy spirit from our glorious culture. Philosophical ideas putrefy when they are not properly ventilated. Every disciple has the full freedom to seek, first of all, to understand properly the logic of the philosophy. Understanding alone can give rise to a true appreciation, and unless we appreciate an idea, we will never be able to live it in our day-to-day life. The Hindu philosophy is a WAY OF LIFE, and therefore, it is essentially to be lived.
Arjuna asks here three definite questions: (1) What are the marks by which a man who has gone beyond the influences of these three gunas can be recognised? and, (2) what would be, in that State-of-Perfection, his relationship with the world outside and how is his behaviour among us who are still under the persecutions of the three gunas? and, lastly, (3) how does such a Man-of-Perfection conquer his inner confusions and entanglements and attain spiritual glory?
THE LORD PROCEEDS TO ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING STANZAS. FIRST, HE ENUMERATES THE CHARACTERISTIC MARKS BY WHICH WE CAN RECOGNISE ONE WHO HAS CROSSED THE THREE GUNAS:
In answering the first question of Arjuna, the Lord tries to explain how the man of right understanding does not hate the effects of the three gunas when they are clearly present in his inner life; nor does he long for them when they have disappeared. Equanimity is the essence of perfection and a Man-of-Knowledge is ever in perfect balance. He craves for nothing, nor does he strive to acquire anything new. To have and not to have --- both are equal to him, because he is beyond both, living a life of inward peace which is totally independent of all environments.
LIGHT ACTIVITY AND DELUSION, WHEN PRESENT, HE HATES NOT --- The three terms LIGHT, ACTIVITY and DELUSION are the effects of their respective causes, the predominance of "Sattwa," of "Rajas" and of "Tamas." The three gunas are indicated here by their effects. Their presence within him, does not create in him either any special attachment nor any particular aversion. Whether his mind and intellect are under the influence of Rajas or Tamas, even when he feels agitated or deluded, he is not in the least affected by them, and therefore, he hates them not. It is only in the absence of Self-Knowledge, that one hates them.
He who has risen above the gunas, is unaffected when they appear in his mind. No doubt, a man who is Sattwic develops an attachment for its essential peace and serenity, its thrills and joys, and he hates when this inward joy is disturbed by agitations (Rajas) or by dullness (Tamas).
NOR LONGS FOR THEM WHEN ABSENT --- Not only has he no particular attachment for them, but also, he is not at all worried by their absence, because he has risen much above these three gunas, and they, together or severally, have nothing to offer him which he has not already gained! To a millionaire, it is immaterial whether or not he gets, by chance, a 25-paise coin on the roadside. He may stoop down and pick it up but he would never congratulate himself for it as much as a poor man would do under the same circumstances.
Thus, he who has extricated himself from the entanglements of the gunas, has transcended fully the equipments of the mind and intellect and lives the infinite joys of the Self. To him, the ordinary vehicles of joys and sorrows can no more supply any special quota of experiences. Ever steady and balanced, he lives beyond all storms and clouds in a realm of unbroken peace and brilliance. He conquers the world of Pure Awareness --- attains the State of Godhood.
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
arjuna uvāca
kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho
kim-ācāraḥ kathaṁ caitāṁs trīn guṇān ativartate
Bg 14.22
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
prakāśaṁ ca pravṛttiṁ ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava
na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati
Translation
Arjuna said: 21. What are the marks of him who has crossed over the three GUNAS, O Lord? What is his conduct, and how does he go beyond these three GUNAS?
The Blessed Lord said: 22. Light, activity, and delusion, when present, O Pandava, he hates not, nor longs for them when absent.
Commentary
It is, indeed, a rare experience to be a God-man upon the earth. What then are the marks of such a liberated soul, so that we may understand him and also recognise this State in ourselves? How will he conduct himself in society and what exactly will be the relationship of such a Master living the God-experience, with the world outside?
ARJUNA GETS AN OCCASION FOR ASKING THESE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE NATURE AND BEHAVIOUR OF SUCH A GOD-MAN:
The Geeta is written in a conversational style, to remove the tedium unavoidable in the early studies of any philosophy, and to make it more entertaining. In this conversation between the Lord of Perfect Knowledge and the mortal of extreme delusion, Vyasa, the poet, has evidently not forgotten the human element in his philosophical pre-occupation. In any Hall of Knowledge, the questions of Arjuna sound like some childish inquisitive-ness, the play of some intellectual pranks. The patience with which the Lord answers all the questions of the lesser types of intellect, clearly indicated the duties of a true Brahmana in answering exhaustively al the questions raised by the sceptic, nay even by the non-believers.
Even though we are blessed by such a healthy tradition in our literature, somehow, a cruel spirit of secrecy has come to rob this healthy spirit from our glorious culture. Philosophical ideas putrefy when they are not properly ventilated. Every disciple has the full freedom to seek, first of all, to understand properly the logic of the philosophy. Understanding alone can give rise to a true appreciation, and unless we appreciate an idea, we will never be able to live it in our day-to-day life. The Hindu philosophy is a WAY OF LIFE, and therefore, it is essentially to be lived.
Arjuna asks here three definite questions: (1) What are the marks by which a man who has gone beyond the influences of these three gunas can be recognised? and, (2) what would be, in that State-of-Perfection, his relationship with the world outside and how is his behaviour among us who are still under the persecutions of the three gunas? and, lastly, (3) how does such a Man-of-Perfection conquer his inner confusions and entanglements and attain spiritual glory?
THE LORD PROCEEDS TO ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING STANZAS. FIRST, HE ENUMERATES THE CHARACTERISTIC MARKS BY WHICH WE CAN RECOGNISE ONE WHO HAS CROSSED THE THREE GUNAS:
In answering the first question of Arjuna, the Lord tries to explain how the man of right understanding does not hate the effects of the three gunas when they are clearly present in his inner life; nor does he long for them when they have disappeared. Equanimity is the essence of perfection and a Man-of-Knowledge is ever in perfect balance. He craves for nothing, nor does he strive to acquire anything new. To have and not to have --- both are equal to him, because he is beyond both, living a life of inward peace which is totally independent of all environments.
LIGHT ACTIVITY AND DELUSION, WHEN PRESENT, HE HATES NOT --- The three terms LIGHT, ACTIVITY and DELUSION are the effects of their respective causes, the predominance of "Sattwa," of "Rajas" and of "Tamas." The three gunas are indicated here by their effects. Their presence within him, does not create in him either any special attachment nor any particular aversion. Whether his mind and intellect are under the influence of Rajas or Tamas, even when he feels agitated or deluded, he is not in the least affected by them, and therefore, he hates them not. It is only in the absence of Self-Knowledge, that one hates them.
He who has risen above the gunas, is unaffected when they appear in his mind. No doubt, a man who is Sattwic develops an attachment for its essential peace and serenity, its thrills and joys, and he hates when this inward joy is disturbed by agitations (Rajas) or by dullness (Tamas).
NOR LONGS FOR THEM WHEN ABSENT --- Not only has he no particular attachment for them, but also, he is not at all worried by their absence, because he has risen much above these three gunas, and they, together or severally, have nothing to offer him which he has not already gained! To a millionaire, it is immaterial whether or not he gets, by chance, a 25-paise coin on the roadside. He may stoop down and pick it up but he would never congratulate himself for it as much as a poor man would do under the same circumstances.
Thus, he who has extricated himself from the entanglements of the gunas, has transcended fully the equipments of the mind and intellect and lives the infinite joys of the Self. To him, the ordinary vehicles of joys and sorrows can no more supply any special quota of experiences. Ever steady and balanced, he lives beyond all storms and clouds in a realm of unbroken peace and brilliance. He conquers the world of Pure Awareness --- attains the State of Godhood.
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
No comments:
Post a Comment