Gita Acharan

Children always look to their parents to understand the world, learn new things, manners, behaviours etc. and that's why it's said that the best way to bring up a child is to lead by example by walking the talk. The same dependence continues in the later stages too. It might be dependence on friends, teachers, mentors etc. This implies that there are people who are always dependent on us and look towards us for guidance. Whatever we do influences them. It is in this context that Krishna says (3.21) whatever a superior being does, other persons imitate and his actions set a standard for the people of the world.  Krishna further explains "There (3.22) is nothing in three worlds that should be done by Me, nor anything unattained that has to be attained; yet I engage in action. If (3.23) at any time I did not continue to perform actions, without pause, men would wholly imitate My way. These (3.24) worlds would perish if I did not perform action. I would be the caus...

Krishna assures us that (3.19) by performing actions without attachment, one reaches the supreme and gives the example of King Janak (3.20) who attained perfection by action alone.  Krishna emphasises the point that a king who lives in luxuries and has several responsibilities can also attain the supreme by performing all actions without attachment, implying that we too can similarly reach the supreme, irrespective of our circumstances. In history, there are hardly any instances where two enlightened people have interacted. One such conversation is between King Janak and sage Asthavakra, known as the Asthavakra Gita, which is rated as one of the best for seekers.  As per legend, a guru once sent one of his disciples, who lived modestly with a few loincloths and a begging bowl, to Janak for the final lesson. He comes to Janak and wonders why his guru sent him to this man who is in the midst of luxuries but stays on in the palace. One morning, Janak takes him for a b...

There are two ways of living. One is ' Sangharsh ' -struggle and the other ‘ Samarpan ', which means surrender. Samarpan is not a helpless surrender like the surrender of the defeated in war, it's surrender with awareness and active acceptance. Struggle is to be ahead of others; to have more than what is given to us; to have something different than what we have. On the other hand, Samarpan is gratitude for every living moment. Krishna says (3.16) that "one lives in vain if one rejoices in the senses and doesn't follow the wheel in motion." It's a life of struggle for someone on the path of satisfying these senses, which can never be satisfied. This struggle brings tension, worry and misery which is living in vain.   Krishna explains the wheel of existence (3.14) using the example of rain. Rain showcases the wheel of selfless action of water which evaporates and rains selflessly. Such selfless action is the source of supreme power (3.15)....

Water is essential for life on earth and Krishna uses rain as an example (3.14) to explain selfless actions. Basically, rain is a part of a cycle where water evaporates because of heat, forming clouds thereafter. Given the right conditions, it comes back down as rain.  This process involves selfless actions and Krishna names them ' yagna '. Oceans let the water evaporate to form clouds and clouds sacrifice themselves to turn into rain. Both these actions are selfless actions - yagna .  Krishna indicates that selfless action of yagna holds the supreme reality or supreme power (3.15). In the beginning, using this power the creator created  (3.10) and advised everyone to use it to further themselves (3.11). This is nothing but aligning ourselves with the supreme reality to tap its power through selfless action of yagna .  In this interconnected process of rain, if clouds were to feel proud and hoard water, then the cycle would collapse. Krishna calls such h...

Krishna says (3.8), "Perform your obligatory actions, as action is superior to inaction; and even the maintenance of your body would not be possible by inaction. " Actions like gathering and consumption of food are essential for the survival of the human body. Further, the human body consists of many organs, systems and chemicals which perform thousands of internal actions on a regular basis. Even if a couple of them are missed, harmony would be lost and the body would suffer or perish. In that sense, maintenance of the body wouldn't be possible by inaction. Krishna speaks of performing obligatory actions, an intricate concept. Rituals of sacred texts or duties cast on us by society are usually taken to be obligatory actions. But both fall short of defining what Krishna seeks to convey. Our obligation is to attain our highest potential; in the physical world, it's like a seed manifesting into a mighty tree; like a single cell developing into a complex huma...

If we are not karta (doer) for karma (action), then who is karta ? Krishna replies (3.5) "No one can stay for even a moment without performing karmas as all are compelled by gunas (characters) born of prakriti (nature) to perform actions."  Three atomic particles, namely electron, proton and neutron form the entire physical world. Similarly, three gunas viz. Satva, Tamo and Rajo are responsible for driving us to perform actions. In that sense, they are the real karta.  Krishna further says (3.6) "The individuals who forcefully control the organs of action, but whose mind rotates around thoughts of sense objects is a hypocrite and deluding himself."  We are brought up and governed by a system of reward for good behaviour and punishment for bad behaviour, both at the familial and societal level. This results in a split personality with no coherence between our inner and outer selves. For example, when someone hurts us, we may restrain ourselves in ter...

Krishna replies (3.3), "As I said earlier, in this world, there are two paths to salvation -for the wise through wisdom and for yogis through the path of action." This verse indicates that the path of awareness is for the intellect oriented and the path of action for the mind oriented.  Krishna further clarifies (3.4), "Just by avoiding karma (action), one can't attain nish-karma (actionlessness) and one cannot attain siddhi (perfection) by mere renunciation." Renunciation is glorified in almost all cultures simply because sacrificers are able to do something which a normal person cannot. That's why Arjun's standpoint appeals to many of us when he wants to renounce the luxury of the Kingdom and the pain of war. Krishna also favours renunciation but he implores us to sacrifice 'I' in all our actions. War is not an issue for Krishna, but the 'I' in Arjun is. For Krishna, nir-mama (sans- I) and nir-ahankaar (sans- I am doer...

The third chapter of the Gita is known as ' Karma Yoga ', which is an elaboration of verse 2.71 where Krishna said that nir-mama (sans-I) and nir-ahankaar (sans- I am doer) is the path to attain the eternal state.  Arjun raises a doubt (3.1) "If you consider Buddhi (intellect/awareness) to be superior, why then do you engage me in terrible action (of war) instead of telling me (3.2) with nischay (certainty), what is best for my welfare without confusing me with perplexing speech".  Labelling, expressed or hidden, is nothing but irrational and impulsive decisions which aren't evidence-based and Krishna advised to drop them (2.50). Arjun made a decision to escape the war based on a single factor that he doesn't foresee any good in killing one's kinsmen in the battle (1.31). Subsequently, he gathers many justifications to defend his decision and the present question also appears as a part of the justification rather than the quest for better u...

Krishna says (2.70) that one attains peace when they remain unmoved by desires, like an ocean that is unmoved by the waters entering it. He further says that (2.71) Nir-mama (sans -I) and nir- ahankaar (sans -I am doer) is the path for peace to reach the destination of the eternal state (2.72). None are deluded after attaining it.   Krishna gives the example of the ocean to compare this eternal state ( moksha - ultimate freedom, joy and compassion) and rivers are stimulations constantly received by senses. Like an ocean, one remains stable and steady after attaining the eternal state, even if temptations and desires keep entering them. Secondly, when rivers meet the ocean, they lose their existence. Similarly, when desires enter a person in the eternal state, they lose their existence.  Thirdly, if one thing makes us miserable, it's the reaction (akarma) generated in us by the stimulations of the external world and our inability to control it. Hence, the in...

Krishna says (2.69), “That which is night to all beings is wakefulness for the self mastered; that in which beings are awake is night to the divinely perceptive sage." This verse brings out metaphorically, the idea of being physically awake but spiritually asleep and vice-versa. It also offers literal interpretations.  There are two possibilities of living. One, where we are dependent on indriyas (senses) for our pleasures and the other is where we are independent of indriyas and they remain under our control. For those in the first category, the second way of living would be an unknown world and darkness/night is the metaphor for this ignorance.  Secondly, while we use one sense instrument, our attention is elsewhere implying that it's used mechanically but not with awareness. For example, while having food, our attention is very often not on eating. It might be on some screen, a newspaper or a phone conversation as we believe in the elusive idea of multitasking...