Gita Acharan

K rishna says that sthita-prajna is neither excited by sukh (pleasure) nor agitated by dukh (pain), is free from raag (attachment), bhay (fear) and krodh (anger) (2.56). This is an extension of 2.38 where Krishna tells us to treat sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain); labh (gain) and hani (loss); and jaya (victory) and parajay (defeat) with equipoise. Krishna places great importance on freedom from agitation, saying that the devotee who neither agitates the world nor becomes agitated by it is dear to Him (12.15). All of us seek sukh but dukh invariably comes in our lives as both exist in pairs of dwandwa (polarity). This is like bait to fish where the hook is hidden behind the bait. Sthita-prajna transcends these polarities and attains dwandwa-atheeth . It’s pure awareness that when we seek one, the other is bound to follow - maybe in a different shape and after a lapse of time. When we get sukh with our planning, ahankaar gets elated. However, when dukh follows sukh...

K rishna says in response to Arjuna’s query, sthita-prajna (one with coherent intellect or stoic) is content with self (2.55). Interestingly, Krishna didn’t respond to the second part of Arjuna’s query as to how a sthita-prajna speaks, sits and walks. ‘Content with self’ is an inner state and cannot be judged by external behaviour. Maybe, in the given circumstances, both an ignorant person and a sthita-prajna might speak the same words, might sit and walk in the same manner. This further complicates our understanding of sthita-prajna . Krishna’s life is the best example of a sthita-prajna’s life. One should read epic Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam to understand Krishna’s life. He was separated from his parents at birth. He was known as ‘ makhan chor ’ (butter thief). His romance, dance and flute are legendary, but when he left Vrindavan he never came back seeking romance. He fought and killed when needed, but avoided war at times and was hence known as ‘ran-chod-...

A rjuna wanted to know about s thita-prajna (one with coherent intellect or stoic) who has attained samadhi (established in self) and how a s thita-prajna speaks, sits and walks (2.54). Krishna replies that the sthita-prajna casts off all desires of the mind and is content in the atma (self) by atma (2.55). When we are content with ourselves, desires as well as motives automatically disappear. As desires drop, all our actions (doing) become nishkaam-karma (unmotivated actions). Krishna sets standards and benchmarks to guide our comparison-seeking mind, which naturally looks for reference points against which to measure our progress on the spiritual journey. Our basic desire is to be different from what we are, as we get bored too quickly. This is captured in economics as “satisfied desire (need) no more motivates us”. Basically, everyone uses it as a tactic on everyone else, making it difficult to attain sthita-prajna . For example, consumer product companies intro...

I n the normal course of our lives, we get perplexed when we hear conflicting opinions on the same subject -be it news, philosophy, others’ beliefs etc. Krishna says that we will attain yoga when intellect remains nischal (non-oscillating) and steady in samadhi (established in self) despite hearing various opinions (2.53). Once again, Krishna uses ‘hearing’ as a metaphor, and this principle applies to all senses. The best metaphor for this verse is the tree with its visible upper portion and an invisible lower portion consisting of the root system. The upper part gets disturbed to different degrees based on the strength of the winds. On the other hand, the root system is not affected by them. While the upper portion oscillates in response to external forces, the inner core remains in nischal samadhi, steadily fulfilling its duty of providing both stability and nourishment. The same is nothing but yoga for the tree where the external part oscillates and the internal ...

K rishna says that when we overcome moha-kalilam (darkness of delusion) using intellect, we become indifferent to what is being heard or will be heard (2.52). This implies that when we overcome moha , the inputs brought by our senses will lose the power to influence us at will. Krishna chose ‘hearing’ as the metaphor here as we are frequently influenced by the words of others- both praise and criticism. Like ahankaar , it is difficult to describe moha due to the absence of suitable words. It is our inability to distinguish between what is ours and what is not. It is the feeling of ownership over physical possessions, though in truth we are not their real owners. While we try to cling to what is not ours, we don’t have a clue about what truly is ours i.e. dehi or atma (soul). Krishna calls this phenomenon ‘ kalilam ’ or spiritual darkness. Krishna further says that when we overcome this darkness we attain ‘ nirvedam ’. Though nirvedam is described as indifference, it...

K rishna says that the wise use their balanced intellect and renounce the fruits of action to reach a state beyond polarities and get liberated from the bonds of birth and death (2.51). At first glance, this verse seems to contradict our understanding that we undergo birth and death. This assumption arises from observing the birth and death of physical life forms around us. Therefore, the verse must be understood in its proper context. For a long time, humanity believed that the Sun rotates around a stationary Earth. Subsequently, it was discovered that it is the Earth which is rotating around the Sun. Finally, our understanding aligned with the existential truth. This implies that it was a misinterpretation of truth arising from the illusion caused by the limitations of our senses. Same is the case with our illusion about birth and death. Krishna starts the Gita by explaining about ‘ dehi’ (the one who lives in the body - atma ) which pervades all and is unborn, etern...

  W e all make several decisions for ourselves, our family and society based on a variety of factors daily. Krishna exhorts us to take this decision making to the next level when he says ‘ Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam ’ (2.50). This verse is generally interpreted to mean that yoga is attaining mastery in a particular karma or profession. Its deeper meaning, however, is that in the yoga of equanimity, every action becomes harmonious. It’s about dropping kartapan (doership) and ahankaar to experience the harmony that flows out like the beauty and fragrance of a flower. As karta , all our decisions are directed towards attaining pleasure and avoiding pain for ourselves and our families. The next level of the journey is making balanced decisions, especially when we are responsible for organizations and society, however, the kartapan or sense of doership remains. Here, Krishna is speaking about the ultimate level where kartapan itself is dropped and whatever flows out of su...