137. Mantra of A to Z.
P hysical entities like us (manifested) are invariably affected by two delusions. The first, yoga-maya , born of the three gunas , increases ahankaar ( aham-karta or the sense of “I am the doer”), though actions arise from the interactions among the gunas. The second is the delusion created by the polarities of longing and aversion, which leads to desires to possess things, influence people, and pursue pleasurable experiences, while developing aversion to anything contrary to them. These two complement each other. While ahankaar justifies desires; desires, especially fulfilled ones, enhance ahankaar . Gita encourages us to be a witness to actions created by gunas without longing or aversion. In this regard, Krishna says, “Those who strive for liberation from old age and death ( jara-marana-mokshaya ), taking asritya (refuge) in Me, they realise the Brahma (the whole/absolute), Adhyatma (spirituality/individual self) and akhilam-karma (all aspects of action) (7.29). ...