Gita Acharan

  L ord Krishna shows his Vishwaroop (opulent form) to Arjuna (11.9) who saw many faces and eyes, many wonderful visions, divine ornaments and scents, abounding marvels which are glorious and limitless (11.10 and 11.11). The brilliance is like a thousand suns rising in the sky all at once (11.12). Arjuna saw the entire universe within the body of the Supreme Being (11.13). Krishna granted Divine Vision to Arjuna as he could not see the Vishwaroop with his own eyes (11.8). Vishwaroop consists of Krishna’s numerous, glorious, multi-coloured, and multi shaped forms in their hundreds and thousands (11.5); Adityas , Vasus and Rudras ; many wonderful things that were never seen before (11.6); the entire universe with the moving and unmoving (11.7). One way of understanding the Divine Vision is to see it as a special power granted by the Lord to Arjuna, enabling him to behold the Vishwaroop . At a deeper level, ‘we don’t see the world as it is, but we see it as we are’ b...

A rjuna says, “Out of compassion ( anugraha ), you have revealed to me the secret wisdom ( adhyatma ) and my delusion is dispelled (11.1). You have explained to me in detail about the origin and the dissolution of beings, as well as about your imperishable greatness (11.2). You have told me about your supreme glory, and I wish to see your supreme form (11.3). If you think that I am capable of seeing your supreme form, then kindly show me” (11.4). The general belief is that His blessings are a must to overcome delusions and attain adhyatma . This is an excuse used to avoid the difficult task of internal transformation. If one is told to perform karma (action) without expecting karma-phal (fruits of action) one argues that it is not possible without His blessings. Similar argument is put forward when one is told to transcend polarities; transcend gunas ; drop the differences or labelling to see Him around us in every living and non-living entity. On the other hand, whoe...

K rishna says, “I am the seed of all existence. There is nothing moving or unmoving that can exist without Me (10.39). There is no end to my divine manifestations. What I have told you is merely an indication of the extent of my opulence” (10.40). He is the seed of existence and in contemporary scientific understanding this seed is called the ‘Big Bang’. Existence is like a massive tree that has grown from a small seed. The fruits of such a tree would find it difficult to comprehend this reality and tend to identify with one branch or another. Similarly, we too tend to identify with one manifestation or another. This leads to divisions and differences we perceive around us. Krishna further says, “Know that in all cases whatever in existence is powerful, glorious and beautiful, ensues from but a spark of My splendour” (10.41). At the ignorance level, when one sees power, brilliance or beauty in others, one might end up with jealousy or a desire to possess them. Alternati...

K rishna says, “I am the all-devouring death and birth of future beings. Amongst feminine qualities I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intelligence, courage, and forgiveness (10.34). I am Brihatsama of hymns in the Sama Veda ; I am Gayatri of metres, of months I am Margasirah , of seasons the spring (10.35). I am the gambling of the fraudulent, the splendor of the splendid. I am the victory, I am the resolve of the resolute, and the virtue of the virtuous (10.36). I am dand (sceptre) of the rulers, art of those who seek victory, I am also the silence of secrets, I am knowledge of knowers” (10.38). He further says, “Amongst the descendants of Vrishni, I am Krishna, and amongst the Pandavas I am Arjuna. Know me to be Ved Vyas amongst the sages, and Shukracharya amongst the seers” (10.37). Interestingly, Krishna says I am Arjuna. One way to look at it is that He is the best among archers. Another way is that when we find Paramatma at the end of our spiritual journey,...

K rishna says, “O Arjuna, know Me to be the beginning, middle, and end of all creation. Amongst sciences I am the science of spirituality, I am logic in arguments” (10.32). Referring to the same spiritual knowledge, Krishna earlier said that when you realise this, nothing more here remains to be known (7.2). The essence is to know the self. Krishna calls the knower of the self a yogi and says he is superior to the shastra jnani who has read numerous texts but is still not aware of self (6.46). In this context Krishna earlier said, “Know ‘That’ by prostration, questioning and service, the wise who have realised the Truth will teach you the knowledge” (4.34). Essentially, any knowledge which dissolves our ahankaar (I am doer or I am knower) is spiritual knowledge. It could be history, physics or medicine where the more we know the more is left to be known. All of them can make us realise that we are just a nimitta-maatra (an instrument) in the hands of the Almighty. S...

K rishna says, “Amongst purifiers, I am the wind, and amongst wielders of weapons, I am Rama. Of water creatures, I am the crocodile, and of rivers, I am the Jahnavi (Ganges)” (10.31). Firstly, wind helps to remove impurities from our bodies. Blood keeps turning impure due to chemical processes and wind helps purify it through the lungs. Without this purification, life can’t be sustained even for a couple of minutes. Secondly, wind is the most flexible and mobile. This mobility helps to purify the environment through circulation. Thirdly, wind stands for freedom - freedom from desires and sorrows which is the moksha signifying purity. Finally, wind symbolises non-attachment. It carries unpleasant odours without aversion and pleasant fragrances without any attachment. It drops both with ease in due course of time. This is nothing but anaasakti, which is beyond aasakti (attachment) and virakti (detachment). On the contrary, kartaapan (our sense of doership) makes any...