Gita Acharan

  D rona was a master of archery who was teaching archery to his student Arjuna. Another student, Ekalavya also wanted to learn from Drona, but Drona refused to teach him. Ekalavya went back, installed a statue of Drona and learnt archery by imagining the statue to be the real master. As per legend, he turned out to be a better archer than Arjuna. This story brings out many angles in the areas of the master-student ( guru-shishya ) relationship and attaining knowledge. This story helps us understand when Krishna says, “Some behold the Supreme Soul within themselves through meditation ( dhyan ); some through the cultivation of knowledge ( sankhya yoga ); others through the path of action ( karma yoga ) (13.25). There are still others who are unaware of these spiritual paths, but they listen to others (saints) and begin worshipping the Supreme Lord. They also attain immortality” (13.26). Like Ekalavya , we too can perceive Paramatma directly within ourselves or like Arjuna, by liste...

  K rishna says, “The purush (spirit) within this body is said to be the witness ( drishta ), the consenter ( anumanta ), the supporter ( bharta ), the enjoyer ( bhokta ), the great Lord ( Maheswar ) and also the Supreme Soul ( Paramatma )” (13.23). Space is the best example to understand this subtle truth. It’s called by different names depending on the character it attains like a room, a house, a pot etc. Essentially, there is one space, and the rest are its manifestations. Krishna assures, “Those who understand the truth about purush (spirit) , prakriti (nature), and the interaction of the gunas (three modes or characteristics) born out of nature will be liberated regardless of their present condition” (13.24). Things happen in prakriti because of gunas and the purush experiences them as pain and pleasure. This realisation is nothing but liberation from the misery of swinging between the polarities of pain and pleasure. Secondly, this liberation occurs the very moment we r...

K rishna says, “Know that  prakriti  (nature) and  purush  (spirit) are both beginningless. Gunas (qualities) and vikar (evolution or change) are born of prakriti (13.20). Prakriti is responsible for cause-and-effect; purush is responsible for the experience of sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain) (13.21). Under the influence of prakriti , the purush keeps experiencing the gunas . Attachment to the gunas is the cause of birth in various wombs” (13.22). Evolution is the norm of prakriti where situations of yesterday are different than those of today. While change is the norm, we suffer because of our resistance to change as it involves changing ourselves. Living in the present moment without the burden of the past and expectations from the future is the way to transcend this. Prakriti is responsible for ‘cause-and-effect’ which is usually referred to as physical laws. The purush experiences them as pleasure and pain. When a stone is thrown up, it ...