Gita Acharan

  K rishna says, “Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone. I will liberate you from all sins, grieve not” (18.66). While verse 2.14 can be taken as the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna advises us to ignore the transient pleasure-pain polarities which are caused when senses meet sense-objects, the verse 18.66 can be considered as the end of the Gita. Krishna uses the word ‘ dharma’ , and he is certainly not referring to religion, faith, or righteousness, as each of these carries different meanings for different people. Bhagavad Gita is not a book of religion but of natural principles that govern our lives. On the other hand, a lot of clarity comes if we take the paradigm or subjective reality as the meaning of dharma . Paradigm is the combination of our opinions, imaginations and understandings about the things around us or the way things are from our point of view. It is like the partial understanding formed about an elephant by a blind person by touching only ...

  K rishna asks, “O Arjuna, have you heard Me with a concentrated mind? Has your ignorance born out of delusion ( sammohan ) been destroyed?” (18.72). These are the final words of Lord Krishna in the Gita. Firstly, ignorance is always born out of delusion. There are two fundamental delusions we are subject to. One is caused by the three gunas ( yoga-maya ) (7.25) and the other by polarities of longing and aversion (7.27). ‘ Yoga-maya ’ separates the manifested lower nature ( apara-prakriti ) and unmanifested higher nature ( para-prakriti ) which prevents us from knowing Him ( Paramatma ) as unborn and imperishable (7.25). This ignorance can be destroyed by knowledge of the self (5.16). The second delusion arises out of our belief that we can attain happiness through our senses. The polarities of longing and aversion are generated when senses meet sense-objects (2.14) and these polarities create delusion (7.27). The solution is not to get attached to external sensual pleasures and ...

  K rishna says, “This (the Gita) is never to be spoken by you to those who are not austere ( a-tapaskaya ) or to those who are not devoted ( a-bhaktaya ). It should also not be spoken to those who are averse to listening and especially not to those who cavil at Me” (18.67). The spiritual journey toward unconditional love and eternal joy is both adventurous and, at times, lonely. In this path we are expected to shed all the beliefs we gathered in our lives. We are also expected to shed the sense of attachment to our physical possessions, feelings and relationships. That’s why very few reach the destination (7.3). Hence, one should pursue it like tapasya with devotion. On the contrary, when it is pursued out of curiosity, it leads to the illusion of knowledge which increases ahankaar . Coming as ‘the existence’, Krishna mentioned about not caviling at Him. It is the path of accepting and embracing all the diverse and seemingly contradictory aspects of existence without any cavil, w...

  O ne of the common fears of humanity is about committing sins ( paap ). Every culture has evolved around the concept of sin, and the common belief is that all our suffering is due to sins committed in this life or previous ones. Religions thrive on our guilt of committing sins. Even Arjuna’s despondency is because of his belief that he will incur sin by slaying his elders, teachers and relatives. That’s why Krishna elaborates on this issue on various occasions in the Bhagavad Gita. Firstly, Paramatma takes no account of anyone’s virtue or sin. It is the problem of human beings who are deluded as their knowledge is covered by moha (delusion or ignorance) (5.15). Secondly, one hoping for nothing, with a controlled mind and body, doing mere bodily actions, incurs no sin (4.21). Even if we are the most sinful of sinners, we shall safely cross the sea of sin by the raft of wisdom (4.36). The wisdom is realising ‘That’ by which we will see all beings in the self (4.35). Thirdly, for ...

  K rishna says, “Hear again My supreme instruction, the most confidential of all. I am revealing this for your benefit because you are very dear to Me (18.64). Always think of Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and offer obeisance to Me. Doing so, you shall come to Me. This is My promise to you, for you are very dear to Me” (18.65). These verses are not stand-alone. Instead, they are the culmination of what was being told earlier when Krishna said, “Remember Me all times ( Sarveshu-kaleshu-maam-anusmara ) and fight. With mind and intellect absorbed in Me you shall without doubt come unto Me” (8.7). The riddle of ‘remembering Him all times’ is solved when Krishna said, “United with the self, one sees the self in all beings and all the beings in the self, he sees the same everywhere (6.29). He who perceives Me everywhere and sees all in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me” (6.30). Krishna further says, “Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone. I will liberate ...

  ‘ T he existence’ doesn’t expect us to behave in a particular manner. It gives us the freedom to make our own choices. But the consequences of the choices we make are subject to the natural principles enumerated in the Bhagavad Gita. The same is reflected when Krishna says, “Thus, I have explained to you this knowledge that is more secret than all secrets. Ponder over it deeply and then do as you wish” (18.63). This verse dispels the notion that Krishna is compelling Arjuna to fight. Instead, at the end of the Gita Krishna offered him the freedom to choose. This verse comes in the background of Krishna telling Arjuna, “Because of ahankaar if you think ‘I will not fight’, your resolution will be in vain. Your nature will compel you to fight” (18.59). Another aspect is that Krishna always told us to drop our desires and wishes, but here he says do as you wish. These aspects need to be kept in mind to understand this verse. Firstly, ahankaar ( aham-karta or I am doer) is responsib...

K rishna says, “The Supreme Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings, and by His maya (cosmic delusion) makes all beings revolve as if attached to a yantra (machine)” (18.61). This is another way of saying that we are just a nimitta-maatra - an instrument in the hands of the Almighty. Krishna explained the same differently when He said that even if Arjuna, out of ahankaar , thinks that he will not fight, his nature will still compel him to fight (18.59). We will be driven to do karmas , even when we don’t want to, out of our swa-bhaav (material nature) (18.60). ‘Existence’ is the coherence of the manifested, like the perishable physical entities, and the unmanifested which is eternal but can’t be perceived by our senses. Krishna earlier explained this through the example of a string of pearls. The pearls represent the manifested and the invisible string represents the unmanifested. Together, they form a beautiful necklace. Krishna called this invisible force as ‘Supreme Lor...

  T here are adverse consequences when we don’t follow natural laws. For example, if someone jumps from a height ignoring gravity, the consequences are inevitable. Similarly, Krishna cautions about the consequences of violating the principles of existence or natural laws as explained by Him in the Bhagavad Gita. He says, “Fixing your mind on Me you shall overcome all obstacles and difficulties by My grace. You will perish if you do not listen to My advice due to ahankaar ” (18.58). Perishing is inevitable like falling from a height when we are driven by ahankaar ( aham-karta ). Krishna says, “Because of ahankaar if you think ‘I will not fight’, your resolution will be in vain. Your nature will compel you to fight” (18.59). Firstly, even if Arjuna had left the battlefield, the war would not have ended. Secondly, Arjuna wouldn’t have sat passive when the battle was going on where his immediate family is facing danger. This verse indicates that governed by his swa-dharma (own natur...

  V erses 18.41 to 18.57 of the Bhagavad Gita describe the contours of the confluence of karma yoga, jnana yoga and bhakti yoga . In the often-debated verse 18.41, Krishna states that He created four varnas (social classifications) based on gunas springing from their nature. He further explained about different types of karmas performed by them in day-to-day life (18.42-18.44). He reveals a secret that with devotion to swa-karma (one’s deed) one attains siddhi (perfection or freedom) as this devotion towards karma is nothing but worshipping Him (18.45-18.46). This clarifies that it doesn’t matter what we do but what matters is the devotion with which we perform our karmas or responsibilities. This is the path of attaining the eternal siddhi through devotion to karma which is nothing but the pinnacle of karma yoga . Krishna continues to guide those on the path of awareness or jnana yoga and declares that all the karmas are marred by blemishes (18.48). Hence, He advises us...

  K rishna says, “Serene in the self by being engrossed in the Brahma (the eternal), neither grieves nor desires and beholds equality in all beings, such a yogi attains parama bhakti (supreme devotion) to Me (18.54). By that supreme devotion he knows My essence - what and who I am; after knowing these truths, he quickly makes his entry into ‘That’ (‘ tat’ )” (18.55). ‘ Tat ’ is interpreted as the ‘All’, the All-pervading Reality. Firstly, these verses indicate that parama bhakti is beholding equality in all beings which transcends our general understanding of bhakti as devotion to Gods. Bhakti is unconditional love towards all beings by beholding equality. Secondly, parama bhakti is a state of desirelessness, not a ritual to fulfill our desires by satisfying our beloved Gods. Thirdly, this equanimity leads to the understanding of who He really is. It is like a salt doll dissolving in the ocean and becoming one with the ocean by shedding the illusion of its own existence. Kri...

  K rishna says, “The one who attained perfection (of freedom from karma ) can also attain Brahma (the eternal). Learn from me this supreme state of knowledge” (18.50). This is a continuation of what Krishna earlier explained about ‘freedom from karma ’ which can be attained through non-attached intellect, conquering self and dropping desires (18.49). Krishna says, “Endued with purified intellect, having conquered self through firmness, forsaking sound and other sense entanglements, abandoning attachment and hatred (18.51); dwelling in solitude, eating lightly, speech, body and mind subdued, ever engaged in yoga of meditation, taking refuge in vairagya (dispassion) (18.52); Freed from ahankaar (egoism), power, arrogance, desire, anger, greed, notion of ‘me and mine’ and being peaceful, one is fit for Brahma (the eternal)” (18.53). Dwelling in solitude is the ability to detach oneself even in a crowd. Krishna gave an example of a lotus leaf that doesn’t get attached to water de...

K rishna says, “Those whose intellect ( buddhi ) is not attached everywhere ( sarvatra ), have conquered the self, and are free from desires through renunciation attain the perfection of ‘freedom from karma ’ ( naishkarmya-siddhi )” (18.49). Earlier, it was made clear that every karma (action) carries a blemish (18.48). At the same time, there is no escape from karma as our survival itself becomes impossible without performing karmas (3.8). In this seemingly paradoxical context, this verse gives three paths to attain freedom from karma-bandhan (bondage of action). The first path is the non-attachment of intellect everywhere. Our intellect is habitual of getting attached to multiple things, people and situations. For each attachment, we have different justifications, yardsticks and thought process, making us polypsychic. It is a journey of moving from multiple attachments to one attachment. The final stage is not to have any attachment or detachment as both are the same at the cor...

  T he spiritual path of self-discovery ( moksha ) is not about acquiring something greater, rather it is about dropping the dust we gathered during our lifetimes and hatred is among such dust. Krishna earlier told us to drop hatred while performing our karmas and described nitya-sannyasi (perpetual renunciant) as the one who drops both desires and hatred by inculcating the divine quality of forgiveness (16.3). The root cause for desire is our divisive mind which keeps comparing what we don’t have and what others have. Krishna advises dropping this comparison and says, “Better is swa-dharma (own nature or reality), though without merit, than well performed para-dharma (other’s nature or reality); performing action ordained by one’s nature one incurs no sin” (18.47). This is in continuation to what Krishna had earlier said in this context, that swa-dharma is superior to well accomplished para-dharma even when the former is devoid of merit. It’s better to die in swa-dharma tha...

I t is generally believed that Bhagavad Gita prescribes three paths for attaining self-realisation. These are sankhya yoga - a path of awareness for the intellect oriented, bhakti yoga - a path of surrender for the heart oriented and karma yoga - a path of action for the mind oriented. Krishna says that only children, not the wise, speak of sankhya and karma yoga as different. He who is truly established in one obtains fruits of both (5.4). This is an indication that only children or beginners believe these three paths to be separate. As we progress through the Bhagavad Gita, it becomes clearer that these three paths intertwine and complement one another. This leads to clarity that karma is the foundation for all these paths as each path involves some form of karma or another. For awareness, one could begin with reading, serving a master or meditating. In the case of bhakti, it could be ritualistic to begin with but in the end, it is seeing Him even in a thief, an enemy as w...

  K rishna says, “One should not abandon sahaja karma (natural deeds) even though all undertakings are inherently marred by blemishes, as fire by smoke” (18.48). Sahaja karma is interpreted as our natural or inborn duty. It is also interpreted as the karma of the moment. Another possible interpretation is that they are natural actions arising from ‘existence’ itself. Regardless of interpretation, Krishna concludes that all karmas are marred by one blemish or another. This implies that no karma is pure. Krishna uses many words in the context of karma (action) such as akarma (inaction), vikarma (prohibited actions) and niyat karma (prescribed actions) on different occasions. But he never advises us to perform pure karma as all karmas are marred by blemishes. For example, our immune system keeps us safe from diseases by killing the invading viruses and bacteria daily. If killing is seen as inherently impure, then even the act of living becomes tainted. Consequently, any ka...

  I t is said that creation is merely a Leela or divine play and some rules are framed to make this play interesting. In the game of football, if the size of the goalpost is too small or too big, the interest in the game will diminish. Some such interesting rules of this creation that helped in the evolution of complex life forms like us include - death follows birth; diversity from the oneness etc. This diversity expresses itself as divisions at both the individual and societal levels. These are based on race, religion, caste, economic status etc. and were imprinted on us at an early stage of life. The challenge is to transcend them, and the Bhagavad Gita serves as a guide in this pursuit. One such technique is devotion to swa-karma (one’s deed or duty). In that context, Krishna says, “With devotion to swa-karma one attains siddhi (perfection or freedom) as this devotion is nothing but worshipping Him from whom all beings rise and by whom all this is pervaded” (18.45-18.46). ...

  Understanding varnas (divisions) as well as karmas (actions) performed by them based on the gunas springing from their nature is one of the most challenging facets of the Bhagavad Gita. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that we are deeply identified with one varna or another of these varnas . The following verses clarify that the varnas are not hierarchical and the karmas performed by anyone have equal potential to attain siddhi (perfection or freedom). Krishna says, "With devotion to swa-karma (one's deed or duty) one attains siddhi as this devotion is nothing but worshipping HIM from whom all beings rise and by whom all this is pervaded" (18.45-18.46). Krishna earlier used swa-dharma (own nature) and now uses swa-karma . Essentially, swa-karma emerges from  hidden swa-dharma . Firstly, in today's context, in almost all cultures and societies, some professions like sports, acting and singing receive more admiration than others. Similarly, in...

  T he evolution of life is a product of divisions and differences. However, there is ‘oneness’ behind these divisions, like an invisible thread supporting different pearls to form a necklace (7.7). The goal is to develop the ability to perceive this ‘oneness’ among the illogical and unreasonable divisiveness we see around us. This ability can be cultivated through awareness of ‘oneness’ and by attaining balance in our actions (2.38, 6.16). Krishna mentioned about four social classifications that happen based on gunas and karmas . He says, “Tranquility, restraint, austerity, purity, patience, integrity, knowledge, wisdom, and faith - are the natural qualities of a Brahmin as springing from their own nature (18.42). Valor, strength, fortitude, dexterity, not fleeing from battle, charity, and leadership abilities are the natural qualities of Kshatriyas springing from their own nature (18.43). Agriculture, dairy farming, and commerce are the natural qualities of Vaishyas . Actions ...

  K rishna says, “I have created four varnas (social classifications) based on differentiation of gunas and karmas but know Me to be the non-doer and immutable” (4.13). He further clarifies, “ Brahmins , Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras perform karmas according to the gunas springing from their nature” (18.41). Firstly, our divisive mind builds hierarchies around us. Secondly, falsehood is nothing but a manipulated truth. Together, a falsehood was built that the social classifications are based on birth and are hierarchical. But the simple truth is that humans are of four types because of the gunas and karmas . Moreover, this division is not a tool to judge a person. These facts need to be kept in mind while understanding verses dealing with varnas or castes which still dominate the social and political fabric of our society. While explaining gunas , Krishna says, “Three gunas of satva , rajas and tamas bind the soul to the body (14.5). Satva binds through attachme...

  K rishna explained about the three gunas or characters of nature viz. satva , rajo and tamo on various occasions in the Bhagavad Gita. He declares that no living being on earth or the higher celestial abodes of this material realm are free from the influence of these three gunas (18.40). This implies that at any given point of time we are under the influence of one guna or another. Krishna said that karmas (actions) in all situations are performed by the gunas ; one who is deluded by ahankaar thinks ‘I am karta (doer)’ (3.27-3.29). The wise who understand this are not attached. The gunas have the subtle power to hypnotize us and under their influence we are attached to the functions of gunas . In chapters seventeen and eighteen, some functions of gunas like worship, food, yajna , tapah (of body, speech and mind), daan (charity), knowledge, karma , karta , intellect, dhruti (fortitude) and happiness, were explained. Krishna offers a path forward and encouraged us to t...