Gita Acharan

  When we don't follow natural laws there are adverse consequences. For example, if someone jumps from a height ignoring gravity, the consequences are inevitable. 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, the war wouldn't have come to an end even if Arjun had left the battlefield. Secondly, Arjun wouldn't have sat idle when the battle was going on where his immediate family is facing danger. This verse indicates that Arjun would...

  Verses 18.41 to 18.57 of the Bhagavad Gita give contours about the confluence of karma yoga , gyana yoga and bhakti yoga . In the oft debated verse 18.41, Krishna says 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 the 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 (18.44-18.46). This clarifies that it doesn't matter what we do but what matters is the devotion with which we do 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 gyan yoga and declares that all the karmas are marred by blemishes (18.48). Hence, HE advises that we s...

  Krishna says, "Serene in the self by being engrossed in the Brahman (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 (Me)" (18.55). 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. The second indication is that parama bhakti is a state of no desires and not a ritual to fulfill our desires by satisfying our beloved Gods. Thirdly, this equanimity leads to the understanding of who really HE is. It is like a salt doll melting in the ocean and becoming one with the ocean by shedding the illusion of its own existence. Krishna further says, "While performing all kin...

  Krishna says, "The one who attained perfection (of freedom from karma ) can also attain Brahman (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 vairagyam (dispassion) (18.52); Freed from ahankaar (egoism), power, arrogance, desire, anger, greed, notion of 'me and mine' and being peaceful, one is fit for Brahman (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...

  Krishna 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 becomes impossible without performing karmas (3.8). In these perplexing scenarios, 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. We have different thought processes and yardsticks for each attachment making us poly-psychic. 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 core. Krishna term...

  The spiritual path of self discovery ( moksha ) is not about acquiring something higher but 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 sanyasi (perpetual renunciant) as the one who drops both hatred and desires. The root cause for desire is our divisive mind which keeps comparing what we don't have and what others have. Krishna advises to drop 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 than to be fraught with fear in para-dharma ...

  It is generally believed that in the Bhagavad Gita, three paths are prescribed for attaining self realisation. These are Sankhya yoga which is a path of awareness for the intellect oriented, Bhakti yoga is a path of surrender for the heart oriented and Karma yoga is the path of action for the mind oriented. Krishna says that only children, not the wise, speak of Sankhya and Karma yoga differently. 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 in the Bhagavad Gita, it becomes clearer that these three paths are not watertight. Instead, clarity appears 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, enemy as...