10-2. Bhagavad Gita: Part-2

Part-1 of Gita, chapters 1 through 6, set up the fundamentals of Yoga. Concepts such as varna, karma, gyana, and bhakti are discussed.

At the onset, as the Pandava and Kaurava armies are lined up, awaiting the battle to start, Arjuna loses all his will to fight. On seeing his cousins, gurus, grandfather, relatives and friends, he feels paralyzed due to his confusion. Arjuna, as Krishna tells him, is still entangled in the web of desires for sense gratification. Krishna educated Arjuna about his prescribed duties given his kshatriya varna, and advises him to do so without attachment to the results. This, he tells Arjuna is Karma Yoga. In no uncertain terms, Krishna lets Arjuna know that he has to engage in action; a retreat from the battlefield in anticipation of becoming a hermit or a brahmin won’t happen since he has worldly desires. Moreover, his retreat will trigger a decline of kshatriyas-dharm and ensue a collapse of the varna system. Then he reveals ancient transcendental knowledge of Yoga and Vedas to Arjuna, and tells him clearly that this knowledge is the only way to happiness, peace, and liberation. For happiness Krishna recommends getting rid of desire, anger, and fear, which Krishna identifies as steps towards Dhyana Yoga.

Chapter-7: Knowledge of the Absolute (ज्ञान विज्ञान योग)

Given the nature of Arjuna’s questions, Krishna senses doubt in him. Krishna knows that Arjuna is trying, but unable to comprehend it yet. He reminds Arjuna that in many thousands only one human being achieves perfection, and even in those who have achieved perfection maybe only one knows the absolute truth. (This highlights that even though spirituality may have been the norm of the times, true yogis were equally hard to find even back then.)

This is also the time during Gita, where Arjuna starts to come out of his grief and dejection and starts to see the delusion of duality, which overpowers every human being right from the time of birth.

Key concepts introduced in this chapter:

• In addition to earth, air, water, ether, and fire, Krishna describes mind, intelligence, and ego as energies. But he tells Arjuna that these are inferior manifestations of a superior energy. The analogy he provides is that of a string of pearls, with the string as being the hidden that binds the necklace together.
• This is probably the first time in during Gita that Krishna uses the word mudhah or foolish to describe those who don’t understand or attempt to understand the absolute energy.
• Chasing anything less than the knowledge of the absolute is bound to lead to dissatisfaction. For that reason Krishna warns that it is alright if you seek to surrender yourself in praying to a Dev (Vedic Dev), but that it will take a few births to realize that ultimately it is the absolute truth that is to be sought.
• Krishna sets an expectation that seeking intermediate goals (material benefits) will lead to ‘perishable’ (temporary) gains. Therefore, go for the absolute truth. He mentions that all living beings are born into duality – good-bad, pleasure-pain, man-woman, misery-happiness, etc. These dualities are rooted in desire and hate. The goal is to transcend these dualities, even if it is in old age and at the time of death.

If there were to be a discourse on how to attain peace in the most efficient manner, that is in Chapter-7. Krishna says that you can worship any Dev you want, but mind’s focus on the Brahman and the Self is the most efficient pursuit of all.

As per Krishna, the aim of yoga is to know the supreme reality (the Brahman, in English known as the Almighty Lord or God) in all its fulness. This world is an illusionary display of the three gunas – sattva, rajas, and tamas. This illusionary display – maya – is hard to overcome, which only the gyani (wise) are able to tame because they are able to subdue their desires and passions. Once this maya and the Self are understood, then one is likely to be in harmony with the Brahman and creation. That is when one transcends (goes beyond) the human plight.

Chapter-8: Emancipation Through Meditation (अक्षरब्रह्म योग)

Arjuna heard a lot of new terms from Krishna – Brahman, Purusha, etc. In this chapter, he seeks explanation of those. Krishna puts forward a case for eternal spiritual awareness in a human being. He posits that the thoughts at the moment of death determine the future of the soul, and therefore it is in an individual’s best interest to have good thoughts at all times. (Swami Nikhilananda simplifies that message for us as, “Thought is endowed with a self-creative power.”) Giving an overview of the cycles of Brahman, Krishna explains the way of moksha to Arjuna.

Key concepts introduced in this chapter:

• Krishna describes life on this planet, as we know it, as painful and says that those who are detached and shut down their sense pleasure, yogis who have become sannyaasis, are not subject to rebirth. That is the state of higher perfection, with no return to embodiment.
• Krishna talks about the four yugas – satya, treta, dvaper, and kali. They last for 1,728,000 years, 1,296,000 years, 864,000 years, and 432,000 years respectively. All these combined together a thousand times is one day for Brahma and the same again is one night for him. Brahma lives for a hundred years and then he dies. This cycle then repeats. And this is how the cosmic manifestation and non-manifestation behaves for eternity.
• Krishna is highlighting that creation was preceded by another creation that ceased, and so will the future creations happen once the current one ceases.
• In this cycle there are two actors – Brahma, who is the first manifestation of the Absolute in time and space (Prajapati or Viraj) and the rest of us beings. The Brahman never dies, Brahma dies a little over every 310 trillion years, and all the beings die every 432 million years.
• He then tells Arjuna that the goal of an intelligent person, therefore, should be to understand this reality of the cosmos and not get trapped in maya (illusion). This is the only way to attain the Absolute, known as sat-chit-anand (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss).
• Krishna highlights the two paths that a soul can take after death – the Brahman path or the lunar path. Those on the lunar path are reborn. On one path you come back to the samsara, on the other you attain moksha. Krishna thus highlights to Arjuna the concept and way to moksha.

Since it is impractical to expect the last thought to be suddenly about anything but what has been dominant in life, Krishna builds a case for devotion to be a life-long pursuit. He says, therefore, to have the abhyasa (practice) to remember Him at all times.

Chapter-9: Way of the Wise (राजविद्याराजगुह्य योग)

Krishna reminds Arjuna that those who are constantly reborn are those who do not understand the concept of indestructibility and immortality of the atman. At this point Krishna highlights to Arjuna that it is He who creates this world. This is also the part of Gita where, perhaps, the question of purpose in life is answered. There is no purpose to life, because it is all maya (illusion) anyway.

“Mind is mind, anywhere, be it on the throne or in the hermitage.” Therefore, Krishna terms this body of knowledge as a compulsion, as opposed to considering it a choice. He calls this body of knowledge, raja-vidya (royal knowledge) and raja-guyaham (royal secret).

Key concepts introduced in this chapter:

• Krishna now talks about worship as a means to maintain steady focus on the reality of Brahman. Therefore, whatever form your worship, if you realize that you are acknowledging the Brahman then you are on the right path.
• Krishna clearly warns Arjuna that those who do not acknowledge the reality of the Brahman (no worship, no yagya, etc.) are caught in this cycle of birth and rebirth and never attain moksha.
• Krishna doesn’t waste the opportunity to remind Arjuna that worship of any of the gods is worshipping him. But the wise worship Krishna directly and not fall in the trap of worshipping for attainment of power and enjoyment. Krishna also clarifies that there is no special worship needed for him. As long as a human being does anything with Krishna in mind, it is equivalent to meditating on Krishna. It will free the person from bondage of actions. This is a potent combination of both karma yoga and renunciation.
• Krishna tells Arjuna that moksha is possible for everyone, including sudras, vaisyas, and women.

At this stage of the conversation, Krishna reveals the hidden aspect of creation. He tells Arjuna about the vyakta (manifest) and the avyakta (unmanifest). This indistinct or the avyakt manifests itself partly as the vyakta (the gross object world) that we see around us. It is this supreme avyakta that makes the world operate cyclically. (It is important to note that Krishna talks about srishti or creation as cyclical in nature, and not just ever-changing in nature.) Having introduced the concept of the gross and the subtle, Krishna then proceeds to comment on the worship of the avyakta (the Supreme) through contemplation on its singular or plural forms. He, however, clearly says that from the visible alone one can go to the invisible, i.e. the invisible can be perceived through the visible. Krishna, however, has been very clear that contemplation of the avyakta is superior to object worship in its plurality. But more importantly, He mentions that those who contemplate on the objects also worship the avyakta supreme. Swami Bhoomanada Tirtha highlights is that “Krishna says that the devotee should make a proper devotional assessment in his own mind about what he should or should not do about these plural prescriptions.”

A distinct message that Krishna passes to Arjuna is that the avyakta (the supreme) is equidistant to all minds. In other words, no one in particular is hateful or dear to the avyakta. (In the Abrahamic parlance, it can be said that there are no chosen ones.) 

(Chapter-9 is the most misunderstood part of Gita for how it mentions women. It is often hijacked by the Abrahamic to deride Hindus to meet their proselytization agenda. So, here’s my commentary on it.

The possibility of women attaining moksha, as Krishna said it, highlights the universality of the moksha dharma. On the other hand his specific mention of women perhaps highlights the decline in the status of women since the Vedic times, by the time of Mahabharata. And, in his specific mention of women to Arjuna, perhaps Krishna was attempting to educate Arjuna of their equality. Another important aspect of a woman’s life is the domestic responsibility, which sometimes is a hinderance to intellectual pursuits. Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha says, “Women, in general, find it difficult to take up intellectual pursuits, for the simple reason that the entire burden of childbirth and motherhood, and looking after the family, takes away all their time and energy.”

Vedas were primarily subscribed to by Brahmins and Kshatriyas and were considered unsuitable for sudras (ignorant), and vaisyas (ignorant and passionate). At times Vedas also impose narrow injunctions on these classes of people. But women contributed to the authorship of Vedas. David Frawley mentions, “The seers often compare themselves to women or wives of the gods. The worship or the high status of the mother is also found in Vedic hymns, even among the hymns to Indra, the most masculine of the gods.” Swami Vivekananda said, “In the Vedas and Upanishads, women taught the highest truths and received the same veneration as men.”

Rivers were the pillars of the Vedic civilization. These vedic rivers had feminine names. Of them, Sarasvati is the most important. David Frawley says, “The Sarasvati is the only river in the Rig Veda lauded in hymns of its own. She is the only river that enters the Vedic pantheon as a great Goddess.”)

Chapter-10: Acknowledgement of the Supreme (विभूति योग)

Krishna wants to make sure that Arjuna has no doubts left and develops unshakable devotion. So, he tells him that even the Sapt-Rishis (seven sages) and the four Manus (vedic kings—Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara) knew of this cosmic wisdom. Krishna talks about his purpose, which is to strip away avidya (ignorance) and fill the darkness in individuals with wisdom. Arjuna displays the first signs of understanding what Krishna was explaining to him. Arjuna says that he acknowledges the all-pervasive and eternal Brahman. He acknowledges Krishna as the supreme and bhagvaan.

• It is at this point Arjuna requests Krishna to tell him again of his yoga-powers and glories, almost as if he wasn’t paying attention earlier.
• Krishna lists how he is the best of all things – e.g. of letter he is A, of Vedas he is Sama, of lights he is Sun, etc. Then he says, that of warriors he is Rama. And he tells Arjuna that of Pandavas he is Arjun himself and that there is no end to his manifestations.

In verse 10.8 Krishna says that wise people understand that avyakta (the Supreme) is the source of everything. Hence, they worship it “through their inner wholesome reflection”. This mental worship is in thoughts, attitudes, memory, and feelings. “The mind begins to think of the whole world as Godly. This is called bhava-samanvita. 

Chapter-11: Fear Strikes Back / (विश्वरूप दर्शन)

By now Arjuna realizes that he is delusional to think that it is he who will kill his opponents. Arjuna asks Krishna to reveal himself. Krishna obliges and presents himself as Ishvara. Arjuna is terrified by what he sees. The upcoming holocaust of his enemies on the battleground especially terrifies him, because he sees them all rushing towards Krishna in their destruction, just as moths rush towards fire. Whatever clarity Arjuna got listening insofar to Krishna vaporized when he realized that he is about to be an instrument of cosmic dissolution. He asks what most of us would ask to Krishna at this point, “What is your purpose?” Krishna tell Arjuna that He is the world-destroying time. He then tells Arjuna that He has already killed the folks that Arjun is hesitating to kill – Drona (guru), Bhishma (grandfather), Jayadrath (commander), and Karna.

(This may be one of the defining moment in the Gita. If Krishna has already done so, why is he asking Arjuna to kill? In my opinion, he is choosing to do so to deliver a message to humanity – trust yourself and get rid of your fears. Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha warns the readers that all in this chapter is not to be taken literally.)

Arjuna at this point reposes his faith in Krishna, asks him for forgiveness for his transgressions, thanks him for being a friend, and folds his hands in salutation to Krishna. But he was trembling in fear. Krishna then comes out of the Ishvara figure into a human form as Arjuna had known him for his life, which makes Arjuna composed again. Krishna reminds Arjuna to engage in this battle without attachment and without hatred.

Chapter-12: Bhakti and Gyana Yoga (भक्ति योग)

Gita is fascinating for the eloquence of the conversation, which is happening between two individuals in probably the most stressful and time-sensitive setting one can imagine. Yet, Gita has the repetitions that would be least expected in a conversation as polished and as consequential as this. It is, actually, quite the contrary.

Both Arjuna and Krishna are engaged talking to each other with utmost attention and best of the intents. Arjuna, just like any good student should be, is listening well, thinking, soaking it all up and is being candid with his doubts. He does not hesitate to ask questions. Krishna, as a good teacher is building up the concepts in small steps, and is not frustrated by the repetitive questions that Arjuna asks of him. This chapter highlights some of it.

Key concepts introduced in this chapter:

• Arjuna asks Krishna the best of the two methods of worship – meditation in the impersonal or worship of the Lord through work and love. In other words, he is asking which of the two is better – gyana (impersonal, nirguna) yoga or bhakti (personal, saguna) yoga. This is an interesting insight about Arjuna’s possible state of mind. Since, he is a friend and now a devotee of Krishna he’s already engaged in bhakti. But at the same time, he’s not on the gyana marg yet. This is something that Krishna just exposed him to. So, he’s probably wondering if there is more work to be done; is there more gyana to be had.
• Krishna clearly identifies bhakti yoga as superior to gyana yoga. But, foremost, he identifies both paths as valid and potent. He sees nirguna (gyana) as a path fraught with troubles (dukha), and identifies bhakti as a faster approach to moksha, since bhakti is purification of senses.
• Krishna empathizes with those who find bhakti to be tough. For them he recommends detachment from results of the work they do and be self-situated. This, he identifies as the essential preparation for bhakti. On the route of gyana, Krishna identifies three interim stages—renunciation, knowledge, meditation—which then leads to understanding the supersoul (param-atma).
• Krishna then identifies a few qualities in humans as his favorite—respect for all living entities, free of false proprietorship and ego, equipoised in happiness and distress and honor and dishonor, tolerant, having self-control, free of fear, anxiety, grief, and lamentations.
• Thus, it seems, that Krishna leaves Arjuna a list of qualities that he should strive to achieve. This is after having stated his preference for bhakti yoga but having declared gyana yoga as equally valid and acceptable path to achieve the Brahman.

Bhakti yoga is purification of senses – getting rid of dvandas, being equipoised, free from raga, dvesha, kaam, krodha, etc. Gyana yoga is about the knowledge of the Brahman. Arjuna, being close to Krishna, starts to feel that he’s probably better off choosing the bhakti path. “He wants to know whether his position is secure.” He gets a clear answer from Krishna that bhakti, which is devotional service to world around you, is more congenial. A good place to start would be to attempt to be free of all narrow worldly thoughts, desires or motivations.