Gita Acharan

T he cerebrum of the brain is divided into two halves - the right and left hemispheres. Though they work in tandem, the right side of the brain dominates the functions related to creativity, emotions etc. whereas the left side of the brain dominates analytical and logical functions. When viewed in the context of the Gita, right brain persons get attracted to devotion ( bhakti ) while left brain persons towards awareness ( sankhya ). Karma (action) is common for both. For sankhya oriented people, Krishna earlier gave the logic that none can remain without doing karma even for a moment as we are bound to perform karmas because of gunas (3.5, 3.27). This is pure awareness that gunas are the real karta . For the bhakti oriented, Krishna says, “But those who dedicate all their karmas to Me, regarding Me as the Supreme goal, worshipping Me and meditating on Me with exclusive devotion, O Parth, I swiftly free them from the ocean of birth and death ( sansar ), for their ...

K rishna says, “Those who fix their minds on Me, worship Me (in the manifested Form) endowed with shraddha (trust), I consider them to be the best in yoga ” (12.2). Though this answer is specific to Arjuna, it broadly applies to all of us. Secondly, shraddha is the foundation for any spiritual journey. Krishna immediately clarifies that the path of the Formless or Unmanifest is also a path to reach him. He says, “But those who worship the Formless aspect of the Imperishable, the Indescribable, the Unmanifest, the All-pervading, the Incomprehensible, the Unchanging, the Eternal, and the Immutable; by restraining their senses and possess even mindedness in every circumstance, such persons, rejoicing in the welfare of all beings, also attain Me” (12.3-12.4).   He compares both paths and says, “For those whose minds are attached to the Unmanifest, the path of realization is full of difficulties. Worship of the Unmanifest is exceedingly difficult for embodied beings” (...

A t the end of the eleventh chapter (11.55), Krishna says that He can only be attained through bhakti (devotion). Thus, the revered twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called ‘Bhakti Yoga’ . Arjuna was terrified and frightened to see the original Form ( saakaar ) of Krishna ( Vishwaroop ) and enquires, “Between those who are steadfastly devoted to You (Form) and those who worship the imperishable and unmanifest (Formless - niraakaar, nirgun ), whom do you consider to be more perfect in yoga ” (12.1)? Incidentally, all cultures have roots in this question. In the Gita, three broad paths are given. karma (action) for mind-oriented people; sankhya (awareness) for buddhi (intellect) oriented and bhakti (devotion) for heart oriented. Certainly, they are not watertight paths, and a lot of crisscrossing takes place between them and that’s what is reflected in this chapter. Krishna earlier gave a hierarchy and said that the mind is superior to the senses; buddhi is super...

A doctor, working at a mental hospital, took a friend to show him the hospital. His friend saw a man in a room with a photo of a woman. The doctor explained that the man loved that woman and got mentally unstable when he couldn’t marry her. In the next room, there was another man with the same woman’s photo and the doctor explained that he got mentally unstable after marrying her. This ironic story explains how fulfilled as well as unfulfilled desires can have similar disastrous consequences. The same thing happened with Arjuna. At the beginning of the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita titled ‘ Vishwaroop Darshana Yoga ’, he wanted to see Krishna in His opulent form. But he was frightened when he saw the Vishwaroop of Krishna. Shaken, Arjuna now desires to see Krishna in his original form. Similarly, our goalposts in life keep shifting with time. Krishna shows his Vishwaroop in which Arjuna sees that all his enemies are entering into the mouth of death. Krishna te...

K rishna says, “This form of mine has not been seen before by anyone else than you (11.47). Neither by study of the Vedas , nor by yajnas , nor by gifts, nor by rituals, nor by severe austerities can I be seen in such a form (11.48). Be free from fear and with a cheerful heart, behold Me once again in My personal form” (11.49). Krishna comes to his original form (11.50) and Arjuna resorts to his nature (11.51). Krishna says, “Very hard to see this form of mine and even gods ever long to behold this form (11.52). Neither by the study of the Vedas , nor by penance, charity, or fire sacrifices can I be seen like this” (11.53). Our general belief is that charity gives us punya (virtue). But Krishna says charity can’t help us see his Vishwaroop . When our charity is driven by ahankaar , it then becomes a transaction of giving something of ours to get something like punya (virtue). This barter can’t take us to Paramatma as He can’t be bought. Immediately, Krishna offers a...