Gita Acharan

The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is titled ' Daiva-Asura Sampad Vibhag Yoga' . It is attaining Union through the distinction of the Divine and Demonic Natures. Each one of us represents several possibilities, which can be clubbed as Daiva (divine) and Asura (demonic). ' Daiva ' is the internal journey towards Paramatma and ' Asura ' is away from HIM. Krishna mentions ' Abhayam ' as the first Daiva quality (16.1). Though Abhayam is interpreted as fearless, it is beyond that. To understand the Bhagavad Gita, we should always keep in mind the third alternative. It is neither raag (fondness) nor viraag (aversion) but transcending both to be veet-raag which is the third stage. Similarly, it is neither aasakti (attachment) nor virakti (detachment) but it is anaasakti . We are quite aware of the polarities of aasakti/raag or virakti/viraag , but transcending to the third stage is the challenge. Similar is ' Abhayam ', wh

  The fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called ' Purushottama Yoga '. The title comes from the following verse where Krishna says, "I am beyond the perishable ( prakriti -nature) and am even higher than imperishable ( kootastha -soul). Hence, I am proclaimed as Purushottama (Supreme Being) in the Vedas and in the world" (15.18). Once awareness starts setting in, two fundamental questions we face are what are we supposed to do and what are we supposed to know? Krishna earlier answered the first question when he told us to relinquish any action (immaterial of what we are doing) unto HIM; to be devoid of egotism ( nir-mama ) and desires ( nir-aasha ) (3.30). Krishna answers the second question and says, "The undeluded knows me as Purushottama , knows all. He worships Me with his whole being"(15.19). Though it is a simple and open secret, 'knowing all' is when the knowing is at the existential level. Krishna earlier said to remember Him all