Gita Acharan

K rishna says, “Those devotees are very dear to Me who do not hate any being, who are friendly and compassionate, who are nir-mama (sans-I) and nir-ahankaar (sans -I am doer), who are balanced in pain and pleasure ( sama-dukh-sukh ) and forgiving ( kshami ), who are ever content, self-controlled yogi , having firm conviction, and who have their mind and intellect dedicated to Me” (12.13 and 12.14). At the outset, this appears to run contrary to Krishna’s earlier assurance that none is dweshya (hateful) and none is priya (dear) to Him (9.29). While His blessings are available to everyone like rain, possessing these qualities is like keeping our bowl upright to collect water. ‘Not hating anyone’ is at the core of the Bhagavad Gita. Earlier Krishna advised us performing karmas (actions) by dropping hatred (5.3). When hatred becomes a part of us, shedding it becomes painful as it makes us lose a part of ourselves. It’s like removing a harmful cancerous tumour, the remov...

K rishna says that one attains peace when one remains unmoved by desires, like an ocean that is unmoved by the waters entering it (2.70). He further says that nir-mama (sans -I) and nir-ahankaar (sans -I am doer) are the paths for peace (2.71) to reach the eternal state. None are deluded after attaining it (2.72).   Krishna gives the example of the ocean and rivers - the ocean being the eternal state ( moksha - ultimate freedom, joy and compassion) and rivers being the stimuli constantly received by the senses. Like an ocean, one remains stable and steady after attaining the eternal state, even when temptations and desires keep entering them. Secondly, when rivers meet the ocean, they lose their existence. Similarly, when desires enter a person in the eternal state, they lose their existence. Thirdly, if one thing that makes us miserable, it’s the reaction ( akarma ) generated in us by the stimulations of the external world and our inability to control it. Hence...