Gita Acharan

Krishna says, "'That which is to be known' is the Sustainer, Destroyer and Creator of beings; indivisible and yet existing as if divided in living beings (13.17). The Light of lights; Beyond the darkness. He is knowledge, the object and the goal of knowledge. He dwells in the hearts of all (13.18). Realising this, My devotee attains My Being" (13.19). "He dwells in the hearts of all" was dealt with earlier when Krishna said that he who has perfected in yoga finds the wisdom in the self (4.38). Shraddha-vaan (one with Shraddha ) and Jitendriya (one who conquered senses) obtain wisdom leading to parama-shanti (supreme peace) (4.39). The ignorant, devoid of Shraddha is ruined and there is no happiness for him in this world or another (4.40). HE is indivisible and yet exists as if divided in the living beings, the inability to comprehend this at the existential level is the source of misery. It is like the proverbial elephant and five blind men w...

Once a father took his ten year old son to a playground. He threw a ball and the game is that the boy has to bring the ball back to his father. The ground is full of toys. On the way, the boy gets distracted by a toy and starts playing with it instead, till his father shouts to remind him about the ball. He leaves the toy and starts running after the ball again. There are other kids in the playground. This time the boy finds another attractive toy and starts playing with it. The boy starts crying when another strong kid comes and snatches that toy. Next time, the boy himself snatches a toy from another smaller kid. Throughout the journey, fights keep erupting for toys. All this while the father is standing just behind the son. But for the boy who got lost in the toys, his father is so near yet so far.  This story helps us to understand when Krishna says, "He is within and without all that exists, the unmoving and also the moving; That is incomprehensible (avijneyam) d...

Curiosity is essential for survival. In today's context, one is expected to be updated in one's professional as well as personal life. Arjun raises the question of what is to be known (13.1). About this, Krishna earlier mentioned that 'once that is known there is nothing left to be known' (7.2).  Krishna says, "I will declare 'That' which is to be known, which having known one enjoys immortality; beginningless is the Supreme Spirit who is spoken of as neither existent (sat) nor nonexistent (asat) (13.13). With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, ears and mouths everywhere, He dwells in the world enveloping all (13.14). Shining in all the sense faculties, yet transcending the senses; unattached to creation, yet supporting all; free from the gunas (qualities of nature), yet the Enjoyer of them" (13.15).  The fear of death is the foundation of our fears. The loss (death) could be of life, reputation or possessions. Krishna assures ...

Krishna says, "Whatever being is born, moving or unmoving, know that to be the union of ksetra (field) and Ksetrajna (Knower of field) (13.27). He truly sees who perceives Parameswar (supreme lord) present equally in all beings as the imperishable among the perishable" (13.28). A similar description was given by Krishna where he described ' sat ' as eternal and ' asat ' as the one which wasn't there in the past and which wouldn't be there in the future (2.16); and advised us to differentiate between them.  Everything we see around us is perishable. Krishna says there is imperishable behind this perishable. Instead of getting deeper into perishability to discover the imperishable, we tend to build our lives around the perishable. It is like building castles in the air. Our efforts to bring permanence or certainty in the perishable is bound to end in misery. Krishna described such a situation as the destruction of self by self and gave a s...

In response to Arjun's request about knowledge (gyan) , Krishna says, "Humility, simplicity, harmlessness, forgiveness, uprightness, service of the preceptor, purity, steadfastness, self-control (13.8). Dispassion (vairagyam) towards sense objects, absence of ahankaar (I am doer), perception of birth, death, old age and pain as flawed (13.9). Non-attachment, non-infatuation with children, spouse or residences, eternal equanimity towards desirable and undesirable circumstances" (13.10). Krishna further says, "Unwavering devotion to Me through yoga of devotion (bhakti) , comfortable with self, away from gossip of crowds (13.11). Perseverance in self-knowledge, perceiving the absolute truth ( tatva gyan ). This is declared to be knowledge, what is opposed to this is ignorance" (13.12). Some of these are about the self and the rest are about our relationship with the external world. Anyone suffering from the disease of 'I am superior', is likel...

Krishna refers to the physical body (sariram) as kshetra (field) and explains briefly its characteristics, its cause and effect (vikar) ; about kshetrajna (knower of the field) and the nature of His powers. He cautions that these were described by various sages and several spiritual texts in many ways (13.4 and 13.5). An important point is that kshetra and kshetrajna are described by various sages and texts in different ways. This is a universal problem where truth is described by different people in different ways in different languages making our understanding difficult. Krishna cautions about not getting lost in words.  Krishna says, "The fundamental elements, ahankaar , intellect (buddhi) , unmanifested (avyakta) , ten senses, mind and the five objects of the senses (13.6). Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, assemblage (material body), consciousness (chetana) and persistence. This is kshetra briefly described with its modifications" (13.7).  The fundamenta...