157. Liberation from Sins

Krishna says, “Listen again to My supreme word (Paramam Vachan) for your welfare (10.1). Neither angels nor sages know My origin as I am the source of all of them” (10.2).

It is inherently difficult to know our origin. A tree can never know the seed which gave it its existence, an eye cannot see itself. The limitation of our senses hinders our ability to understand our origin. Many factors limit our ability to know the Paramatma. One simple solution is to show a mirror to the eye so that it can see itself. In this chapter, Krishna provides many instances which can act like a mirror giving His glimpses.

Krishna says, “Whoever realises Me to be the unborn, beginningless and supreme Lord of existence, conquers delusion and is liberated of all sins” (10.3). Krishna is talking about realisation at the existential level, not merely memorizing at the mind level. This involves being one with existence like the proverbial salt doll dissolving in the ocean, by shedding ahankaar. Our ahankaar is our biggest delusion and once it is dropped, it is conquered. Any karma becomes a sin once ‘I’ is attached to it and being free of ahankaar is liberation from sins.

Citing his glimpses of glory, Krishna Says, “From Me alone arise the varieties of qualities in humans, such as intellect, knowledge, freedom from doubt, forgiveness, truthfulness, control over the senses and mind, joy and sorrow, birth and death, fear and courage, non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, and infamy” (10.4 and 10.5). It is remembering Him when we see happiness or courage in others without getting envious; when we see birth or death; when we see pleasure or pain around us. It is the realisation that forgiveness, contentment, and truthfulness are His virtues, not signs of weakness.