Gita Acharan

Krishna says, "Those freed from pride and delusion, evils of attachment conquered, ever established in the Self, desires having completely gone, well-liberated from pairs of opposites of pain and pleasure, such un-deluded reach My eternal Abode" (15.5). Essentially, these are the qualities of HIS Abode and once we attain even one of them, we are in HIS abode. Another indication is that HIS abode is not somewhere out there but is here and now waiting to be discovered.  Krishna gave qualities or benchmarks to help us in the journey to HIS abode. These include being friendly and compassionate; being nir-mama (sans-I) and nir-ahankaar (sans -I am doer); not hating any being; balanced in pleasure and pain (sama-sukh-dukh) and forgiving (kshami) ; being ever-content and free of agitation; being free from jealousy, fear and anxiety; being free from expectations and selfishness in all undertakings (12.13 to 12.16). Being humble, forgiving; being dispassionate (vairagya...

Krishna spoke about the inverted tree of life where human beings are bound by roots hanging downwards and these roots are nothing but karmas (actions). Krishna immediately gives a solution to come out of this bondage and advises us to use the 'axe of non-attachment' (15.3). Non-attachment is one of the foundational principles of the Bhagavad Gita. On many occasions, Krishna has referred to this aspect. Broadly, we have attachments with people, things, feelings, thoughts and beliefs. In the case of our beliefs, many of them are based on unscientific myths, irrational and unverified facts etc. Using the quality of 'questioning', which was given by Krishna to be a good learner, one can attain non-attachment to them. When we are told about non-attachment, one tends to gravitate towards detachment or even hatred. That's why Krishna categorically told us to drop hatred.  One finds it very difficult to shed attachment as it has been nurtured by us for a long t...

The Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called Purushottam Yoga -Yoga of the Supreme Being. Krishna begins the chapter by describing the inverted tree of life and says, "The wise speak of an eternal ashvattha (pipal) tree, with roots above, branches below, whose leaves are hymns of Vedas. He who knows this tree gains the wisdom of Vedas (15.1). Nourished by the three gunas , the branches of the tree extend upward and downward; its buds are the sense objects; the roots hang downwards as actions and bind the humans" (15.2).  Firstly, those who know this tree gain the wisdom of the Vedas. The literal meaning of Veda is knowledge. One possible interpretation is that one doesn't have to take the pain of reading the Vedas to attain the wisdom presented by them. Once this tree of life is understood at the existential level, the same wisdom is attained.  Secondly, ashvattha means 'that which doesn't remain the same tomorrow'. But the tree is descr...

  The Fourteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called Guna Traya Vibhag Yoga (Union through transcending three gunas -modes of nature) where gunas and guna-ateeth were explained. Krishna concludes the chapter by giving a solution to transcend them and says, "Those who serve ME with unswerving (a-vyabhi-charen) devotion rise above the three gunas and come to the level of the Brahman (guna-ateeth) (14.26). For, I am the basis of the Infinite, the Immortal, the Indestructible; and of eternal Dharma , formless Brahman and absolute bliss" (14.27).  Krishna uses the word vyabhi-charen , which means multiple desires.  ' A-vyabhi-charen devotion' is sans-multiple or single pointed devotion. In a similar context, Krishna used a-vesya (12.2) to indicate the same. Essentially, it is transcending from multiple minds to single pointed devotion to HIM which will make us guna-ateeth .  Firstly, the guna-ateeth drops the sense of doership by realising that there is no ...