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The
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"DUTY is
God; Work is Worship; and there is a dictum: 1 2a 2b 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18a 18b
You
must learn and practice what is called
vibhaga-yoga in the Gîtâ.
What does vibhaga mean, as in the
Gîtâ expression
kshetra-kshetrajña-vibhaga-yoga?
Vibhaga means division, differentiation,
discrimination, separation of one thing from
another. Understand the distinction between the
kshetra (the body, the field) and the
kshetrajña (the knower of the body or
the field) that is what the
kshetra-kshetrajña-vibhaga-yoga
means. The kshetrajña or the knower
in this body, He who is aware of all that happens,
who is the witness, the dehi (the embodied)
is above all the dualities of pleasure and pain,
good and bad. The base metal of modern civilization
has got mixed up with the gold of
sanâthana dharma, and so the
vibhaga has to be done in order to get the pure
gold. - Sathya
Sai Speaks VI, p. 21 The
difference between destructibility and
indestructibility is something that is very fine,
that is very small. If there is no destruction,
then we will not be able to comprehend what it is
that IS permanent or indestructible. On the other
hand, if there is no permanency or
indestructibility, then we will not understand what
it IS that gets destroyed. Sometimes these aspects
will convey to you a lesson that they are related
to each other so closely that one cannot be
separated from the other. This is what is contained
in the 13th
chapter of the Bhagavad Gîtâ, where the
kshetra and kshetrajña, that
is, the place and one who lives in the place, have
been dealt with. In very clear language, the
relationship between the abode and the one who
lives in the abode has been explained. We have to
make an inquiry and ask if the realization of the
self or the soul is the final achievement. That is
not the end of the inquiry. Of course by such an
inquiry, we understand what is the destructible
part of man and what is the indestructible part of
him. But there is something that is neither the
body nor the soul. This something is what may be
called the Purushottama and it exceeds both
these things. We can take it that we have reached
the goal of our practice only when we have been
able to realize this Purushottama.
-
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1972, pp.
26-7 Arjuna
wished to continue his questions. So Krishna
said, "My dear brother-in-law! You are eager to
question again?" Seizing the chance, Arjuna put in
his query. "Krishna! You have explained the
prakriti tatva or nature principle. Now, I
wish very much to know what is meant by
purusha; what are Its characteristics, what
is Its nature." - Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 190 "
Listen
to this spoken chapter in
Audio
" arjuna
uvâca arjunah uvâca
-- Arjuna said; prakritim -- nature; purusham --
the enjoyer; ca -- also; eva -- certainly; kshetram
-- the field; kshetra-jñam -- the knower of
the field; eva -- certainly; ca -- also; etat --
all this; veditum -- to understand; icchâmi
-- I wish; jñânam -- knowledge;
jñeyam -- the object of knowledge; ca --
also; kes'ava -- o Krishna; s'rî-bhagavân
uvâca s'rî-bhagavân
uvâca -- the Personality of Godhead said;
idam -- this; s'arîram -- body; kaunteya -- o
son of Kuntî; kshetram -- the field; iti --
thus; abhidhîyate -- is called; etat -- this;
yah -- one who; vetti -- knows; tam -- he;
prâhuh -- is called; kshetra-jñah --
the knower of the field; iti -- thus; tat-vidah --
by those who know this. [to
verse 1] "Arjuna!",
Krishna said, "Whether you call It purusha
or kshetrajña or jñeya,
it is the same. Kshetrajña is the
knower of the kshetra or field.
Jñeya is that which is known.
Purusha is the jîva and
prakriti is the deha or the body. The
embodied is the purusha, the person who
knows the body. The deha or body also has a
number of names, each having a significant meaning.
It is sariîa, because it wastes away;
deha, because it is liable to be burnt. The
jîva is what activates the body and
becomes aware of its
limitations."
-
Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 190-1 Prakriti
is like a kshetra or field and
Paramâtmâ is the
kshetrajña or the Lord of the field.
Kshetrajña contains in Himself the
kshetra. If from the word
Kshetrajña we removed the word
kshetra, the syllable jña
remains. Jña stands for
jñâna or wisdom. Thus, a person
who is part of prakriti becomes its master
by acquiring jñâna and cognizes
the eternal reality of the purusha. He
realizes that the universe is a combination of the
kshara (destructible) and the akshara
(indestructible). He sees the indestructible as
immanent even in the destructible world. He
developes ananya bhakti or one-pointed devotion. He
transcends the manmade barriers of caste, creed and
religion. He becomes dear to
God.
-
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
149. [to
verse 2] In
the Gîtâ, Lord Krishna says He is both
the kshetra and the
kshetrajña. The kshetra is not
purposeful without kshetrajña, and
vice versa. Both are interdependent. Because of
this, Lord Krishna said that He is both the
kshetra and the kshetrajña. He
said that He is all pervading through both but
there is little distinction between these two. It
is clear by taking into consideration the letters
of kshetra which are two syllables, we can
see that it is different from
kshetrajña, which has three
syllables. The vital difference is in the syllable
jña, which means
jñâna svarupa!
Kshetrajña is that, which is
jñâna svarupa and without that
it is merely kshetra. We will never enter
into bad ways and have evil thoughts when we bear
in mind that kshetra, which is almost inert,
becomes sanctified by the residence of
kshetrajña, which is
jñâna svarupa.
-
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1972, pp.
293-4. "Krishna!",
Arjuna asked, "Of what benefit is it to know these
two entities: kshetra and
kshetrajña?" Krishna laughed: He
said, "What a foolish question to ask? By inquiring
and knowing about the nature of the kshetra,
one's grief is destroyed. Knowing about the nature
of the kshetrajña,
ânanda or bliss is acquired. This
ânanda is also designated as
moksha." - Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 192. kshetrajñam
câpi mâm viddhi kshetra-jñam
-- the knower of the field; ca -- also; api --
certainly; mâm -- Me; viddhi -- know; sarva
-- all; kshetreshu -- in bodily fields;
bhârata -- o son of Bharata; kshetra -- the
field of activities (the body);
kshetra-jñayoh -- and the knower of the
field; jñânam -- knowledge of; yat --
that which; tat -- that; jñânam --
knowledge; matam -- opinion; mama --
My. Krishna
replied: "It is through this body that merit can be
acquired by engaging in various beneficient
activities; the body is the vehicle for earning
jñâna or the universal vision; it is
the body that leads you on to liberation itself. It
is the repository of such great achievements and so
it is called kshetra. Kshetra means,
an armor, for it protects and guards the
jîvi from harm. Another meaning is
'field', a meaning that is full of significance.
Whatever seeds are sown or saplings planted in the
field, the harvest depends on their nature and
quality. The body is the field, the
jîvi is the kshetrapalaka, the
protector of the field and the crop. Sowing seeds
of meritorious deeds, one reaps joy and happiness.
Sowing the seeds of sin, one reaps the harvest of
grief and worry. Sowing the seeds of
jñâna, one garners the harvest of
moksha or liberation from the bondage of
birth and death. "Just
as the ryot knows the nature and characteristics of
the field, the kshetrajña or the
jîvi must know the nature and qualities
of his body. The only difference between
kshetra and kshetrajña is the
syllable jña. It means
jñâna, he who knows, the
knower. So he who knows the field or the body, its
excellencies and deficiencies; he is the
kshetrajña. That which has no such
knowledge, the inert material thing, that is the
kshetra." - Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 192. tat
kshetram yac ca yâdrik ca tat
-- that; kshetram -- field of activities; yat --
what; ca -- also; yâdrik
-- as it is; ca -- also; yat -- having what;
vikâri
-- changes; yatah -- from which; ca -- also; yat --
what; sah -- he; ca -- also; yah -- who; yat --
having what; prabhâvah
-- influence; ca -- also; tat -- that;
samâsena
-- in summary; me -- from Me; s'rinu --
understand. rishibhir
bahudhâ gîtam rishibhih
-- by the wise sages;
bahudhâ
-- in many ways; gîtam -- described;
chandobhih -- by Vedic hymns; vividhaih -- various;
prithak -- variously; brahma-sûtra -- of the
Vedânta; padaih -- by the aphorisms; ca --
also; eva -- certainly; hetu-madbhih -- with cause
and effect; vinis'citaih -- certain. mahâ-bhûtâny
ahankâro mahâ-bhûtâni
-- the great elements;
ahankârah
-- false ego; buddhih -- intelligence; avyaktam --
the unmanifested; eva -- certainly; ca -- also;
indriyâni
-- the senses; das'a-ekam -- eleven; ca -- also;
pañca -- five; ca -- also;
indriya-go-carâh
-- the objects of the senses; icchâ
dveshah sukham duhkham icchâ
-- desire; dveshah -- hatred; sukham -- happiness;
duhkham -- distress;
sanghâtah
-- the aggregate;
cetanâ
-- living symptoms; dhritih -- conviction; etat --
all this; kshetram -- the field of activities;
samâsena
-- in summary; sa-vikâram
-- with interactions;
udâhritam
-- exemplified. [to
verse 5-6] Krishna
replied, "Arjuna! The kshetra or body is
associated with the gunas or attributes,
tamas, rajas and sattva; so
the jîvi, when in contact with it and
when it identifies itself with the body, imagines
that it is experiencing grief and joy, which are
the consequences of those gunas; he is just
a witness. When iron is in contact with fire, then
it has the power of scalding; but it is not iron
that scalds, it is the fire. Through contact with
prakriti, purusha appears as the doer
and experiencer. "Therefore,
it is not proper to infer that the jîvi
is having grief and joy, by the very fact of
its occupying the body that is the vehicle of the
gunas. The earth sustains and helps the seed
to grow into a tree or to decline. It is the
guna of the earth that causes these two. So
also the seed of jîvatatvam grows and
blossoms into brahmatatvam in the body,
which is the earth principle. Just as manure and
water are essential for the tree to bloom and bear
fruit, sathyam, saantham,
samam and damam are essential for the
blossoming of the spirit into wisdom. The
attributes or gunas of prakriti make
it assume multifarious forms."
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 193. Arjuna
listened attentively to all this and at the end, he
asked, "O Lord! What are the qualities that a
jñânî should possess?".
Krishna replied, "Partha! He must have the
twenty virtues in ample measure. You may ask what
they are. I shall tell you about them. Listen. But
do not conclude that the goal can be reached when
you have them all. The goal is immortality,
amrithathwam. That can only be reached by
brahmasakshathkara, experiencing
brahman, as sarvam khalvidam brahmam.
When knowledge is full, the knower becomes the
known." "For
this consummation, one has to be purified by the
virtues. Then the known can be experienced and
realization reached. I shall, therefore, first tell
you about this. Virtue first, then victory. What a
splendid path! To seek brahman without first
ensuring a moral and virtuous life is like desiring
a flame without lamp or wick or oil. Acquire all
these three, then you light it and get light. So it
is with the light of
brahmajñâna, or realization of
brahman." -
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 196. [to
verse 7] "The first virtue is
a-manitvam, pridelessness, humility. As long
as you have manam or pride you cannot earn
jñânam. Man's behavior should
be like the behavior of water; whatever color you
pour into water, it absorbs it and it never asserts
its own color. It is humble without conceit. But
the behavior of man is quite contrary. When he does
the smallest service or donates the slightest
amount, he is anxious that people should know about
it. For this, he himself goes about prattling or
arranges to get it published. The absence of such
pride and ambition is what is recommended as
amanitvam. "Now
for the second: a-dambhitvam,
vanitylessness. This is a very great virtue in man.
It means the absence of pretence, pompousness,
boasting that one is great when one is not,
claiming that one has power when one has nothing,
that one has authority when one has no such title."
Here, readers will note one point. The world today
is full of this false pretence, this hypocrisy.
Whichever field of activity you watch, whomsoever
you observe, you discover this dire defect. The
governments of nations are in the hands of people
who are pretenders to power, authority and
capacity. Those who have no knowledge claim to know
everything. Those who have no one even to help them
at home claim that they have a huge
following. In
every activity, this hypocrisy is the very first
step. This ruins man in every field, like a pest
that destroys the crop. If this is wiped off, the
world will be saved from disaster. Pretence will
make you lose this world and the next. It is
harmful at all times and places. It does not suit
ordinary men; how can it then be beneficial to the
sadhaka? -
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 197-8. "The
third virtue is ahimsa. This also is an
important virtue. Himsa (violence) is not
simply physical; it means even more; the mental
pain that is inflicted, the anxiety and worry that
are caused to others by your actions and words. If
you desist from causing physical pain to others,
you cannot claim to have ahimsa. Your
activities must not cause pain, must be unselfish;
your thoughts, words and deeds must all be free
from any motive to cause such pain. "Then
we have kshama as the fourth. This is called
kshanthi, as well as sahana. It means
that you should consider as unreal the evil that
others do unto you, the loss that you suffer
through them, the hatred they evince towards you.
Treat these as you treat a mirage. That is to say,
you must develop that degree of patience or
fortitude. It is not the helpless putting up with
the evil that others do because you are powerless
to retaliate. It is the expression of the peace
that reigns in the heart, this outer behavior or
kshanthi. True, many people put up with the
injury that others inflict because they lack
physical, economic or popular support; their
suffering cannot be honored as real
kshama. "Next,
let us consider the fifth: rjuthwam,
straightforwardness, integrity, sincerity. It means
the agreement of action, speech and thought; this
applies to secular and spiritual activity. This is
a facet of the fourth virtue,
a-dambhithwam. "The
sixth is âcâryopasana; the
reverential service rendered to the spiritual
teacher. This will promote affection for the pupil,
so he can benefit a great deal. But the guru
who has no goal will only mislead the disciple into
perdition. The guru must shower grace on the
disciple as freely and as spontaneously as the
mother cow feeds the young calf with milk. The
teaching of the guru is the source and
sustenance for attaining God and acquiring
liberation. "The
seventh virtue is s'auca, or cleanliness -
not merely outer cleanliness but inner cleanliness.
And what is inner cleanliness? The absence of
affection and hatred, of desire and discontent,
lust and anger; and the presence of daivi
(good i.e., godly) qualities. Water cleans the
body, truth cleans the mind; knowledge cleans the
reasoning faculty; the individual is cleaned by
penance and discipline. "The
eighth virtue is called sthairyam:
steadfastness, fixity of faith, the absence of
fickleness or waywardness. The sadhaka must
hold fast to what he has once fixed his faith upon
as conducive to his spiritual progress. He should
not flit from one ideal to another, changing the
goal from day to day. This is also referred to as
diksha. Fickleness is the product of
weakness, a weakness that has to be scrupulously
avoided. "The
ninth in the list is indriyanigraha: control
of the senses. Be convinced that the senses have to
subserve your best interests, not that you should
subserve the interests of the senses. Do not be the
slave of the senses; rather make them your slaves."
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 199-200. amânitvam
adambhitvam amânitvam
-- humility; adambhitvam -- pridelessness;
ahimsâ
-- nonviolence; kshântih
-- tolerance; ârjavam
-- simplicity; âcârya-upâsanam
-- approaching a bona fide spiritual master;
s'aucam -- cleanliness; sthairyam -- steadfastness;
âtma-vinigrahah
-- self-control; indriyârtheshu
vairâgyam indriya-artheshu
-- in the matter of the senses;
vairâgyam
-- renunciation;
anahankârah
-- being without false egoism; eva -- certainly; ca
-- also; janma -- of birth; mrityu -- death;
jarâ
-- old age; vyâdhi
-- and disease; duhkha -- of the distress; dosha --
the fault; anudars'anam -- observing; asaktir
anabhishvangah asaktih
-- being without attachment; anabhishvangah --
being without association; putra -- for son;
dâra
-- wife; griha-âdishu
-- home, etc.; nityam -- constant; ca -- also;
sama-cittatvam -- equilibrium; ishtha -- the
desirable; anishtha -- and undesirable; upapattishu
-- having obtained; mayi
cânanya-yogena mayi
-- unto Me; ca -- also; ananya-yogena -- by
unalloyed devotional service; bhaktih -- devotion;
avyabhicârinî
-- without any break; vivikta -- to solitary; des'a
-- places; sevitvam -- aspiring; aratih -- being
without attachment; jana-samsadi -- to people in
general; adhyâtma-jñâna-nityatvam adhyâtma
-- pertaining to the self; jñâna -- in
knowledge; nityatvam -- constancy;
tattva-jñâna -- of knowledge of the
truth; artha -- for the object; dars'anam --
philosophy; etat -- all this; jñânam
-- knowledge; iti -- thus; proktam -- declared;
ajñânam -- ignorance; yat -- that
which; atah -- from this;
anyathâ
-- other. [to
verse 8] "Next, the tenth virtue,
vairâgyam: detachment, renunciation,
loss of appetite for sound, touch, form, taste,
smell, etc. The senses run after these, for they
titillate them and give them temporary joy. But the
senses are not interested in
dharma-artha-kâma-moksha of the
sublime type. The âtmâ can be
discovered only through the pursuit of the
sublime. "The
eleventh virtue is anahankâra, absence
of egoism. Egoism is the breeding ground of all
vices and faults. The egocentric individual pays no
regard to right and wrong, good and bad, godly and
wicked; he does not care for them, nor does he know
about them. He is completely ignorant of
dharma and morals. He will not conform to
justice. To be devoid of this poisonous quality is
to be endowed with anahankâra. Egoism
is a foe in the guise of a friend. "The
next virtue is called:
janma-mrityu-jarâ-vyâdhi-duhkha-doshânudars'anam,
which means only this: The awareness of the
inevitable cycle of birth and death, of senility
and disease, of grief and evil and other signs of
the temporariness of this created world, and life
in it. Though people see these things happening to
them as well as others, they do not investigate the
reasons for these and the methods of escaping from
them. That is the greatest mystery, the
wonder. "If
only you go to the root of the problem, you will
realize that whatever else you may escape, you
cannot escape death. What man conceives as
happiness now is, in reality, only misery in the
guise of happiness. So understand. the truth of
these things; reflect upon the flaws in the
reasoning that delude you. Then, as a result,
detachment is strengthened and through that, you
attain jñâna. Therefore, o Arjuna!
Liberate yourself from janma (birth),
mrithu (death), jarâ (senility),
vyâdhi (illness) and duhkha
(grief)". Thus spoke Krishna exhorting Arjuna, with
a great deal of affection.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 200-1. [to
verse 9] "Then He spoke of
asakti, or ana-asakti: the withdrawal
of desire from objects, the absence of yearning.
The greed to possess things that you see is caused
by egoism. "I must have this", "I must be the proud
owner of this valuable thing", this is how egoism
prompts. It is a strong cord that binds you to
objects. Withdraw the mind and treat all as
manifestations of the Lord's Glory. Love all things
as expressions of His Glory, but do not delude
yourself into the belief that possessing them will
make you happy. That is the illusion. Do not
dedicate your life for their sake; use them for
your needs, as and when necessary, that is all.
That kind of impulse activating you will be a great
handicap in your progress towards liberation.
Whatever you may acquire as property will have to
be given up some day. You cannot take with you on
that last journey even a blade of grass or a pinch
of dust. Keep this fact ever before the mind's eye
and then you can realize the Reality. "Before
one's birth, one has no relationship with this
world and its material objects. After death, they
and all kith and kin disappear. This sojourn is
just a game played in the interval. Getting
fascinated with this three-day fair is foolish
indeed. Desire tarnishes the mind and makes man
unfit for higher pursuits. The sadhakas who
seek liberation and realization must rid themselves
of desire, for, like grease, it sticks and is
difficult to remove once it is contacted.
"After
this, attention has to be paid also to another
virtue, sama-tvam-tithi: the state of
equanimity, of undisturbed peace during joy and
grief, prosperity and adversity, happiness and
misery. This is the fifteenth virtue of a
jñânî. Being elevated or
depressed by success and defeat, profit and loss,
honor and dishonor, is an activity that is futile.
Accept all equally as from the Grace of God, His
prasâda. As you wear shoes to tread
over thorny places, or hold an umbrella to escape
getting wet in rain, or sleep inside a mosquito
curtain to escape the stings of insects; so too,
arm yourself with an unshaken mind that is
confident of the Lord's Grace and bear with
equanimity, praise or blame, defeat or victory,
pleasure or pain. To live bravely through life,
this sama-cittatvam is declared essential.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 201-2. [to
verse 10] "Next is bhakti
without any other thought or feeling,
ananya-bhakti. When grief overtakes you, you
run to God. When sankata (grief, danger,
difficulty) overpowers, you take refuge in the
Lord of Venkata (Lord Vishnu installed in
Tirupati). When joy is restored, you throw Him
overboard. When you are down with fever and your
taste is ruined, you crave from some hot pickle;
but when the fever subsides, you are normal again,
you do not relish the same pickle. Bhakti is
not a temporary salve. It is the unbroken
contemplation of God without any interposing
thought or feeling. "Whatever
the activity, recreation or talk, it must be
saturated with the love of God. That is
ananya-bhakti. Thereafter comes
ekantha-vasam, dwelling in solitude. He must
be fond of being alone. This does not mean keeping
the body in some solitary place, far from the
haunts of men. There must be solitude and silence
in the mind; all its occupants must be forced or
persuaded to quit. The mind should be
nir-vishaya, contentless, turned away from
the objective world. "The
eighteenth virtue that helps to promote
jñâna is mentioned as absence of
interest in the company of men; that is to say,
absence of the desire to mix with people engrossed
in affairs that concern the objective world. One
can attain equanimity even in the midst of wild
animals; but it is difficult to win it while among
worldly minded men. Sâdhana will be
affected by the company one keeps. Good men keep
you good; bad men drag you away into badness.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 203-4. [to
verse 11] "The nineteenth virtue is
the "awareness of the distinction between
âtmâ and
anâtmâ". Fix your consciousness
always on the atmic reality and discard the body
and the senses as unreal and impermanent.
Âtmâ is the eternal; so establish
yourself only in that and not in the transient
non-atmic illusions or objects. Life is a
struggle to achieve victory over the illusion that
haunts; I am the eternal âtmâ in you
and in all. So fix your mind on Me and engage
yourself in the struggle, confident of victory.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 204. "The
twentieth and last qualification one has to earn is
tattva-jñânârtha-dars'anam,
the vision of the true nature of tattva
(that), the universal principle of which the
particular is but a shadow. It means that the
sadhaka should have a keen desire to
visualize the universal.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 204. jñeyam
yat tat pravakshyâmi jñeyam
-- the knowable; yat -- which; tat -- that;
pravakshyâmi -- I shall now explain; yat --
which; jñâtvâ -- knowing;
amritam -- nectar; as'nute -- one tastes;
anâdi -- beginningless; mat-param --
subordinate to Me; brahma -- spirit; na -- neither;
sat -- cause; tat -- that; na -- nor; asat --
effect; ucyate -- is said to be. sarvatah
pâni-pâdam tat sarvatah
-- everywhere; pâni -- hands; pâdam --
legs; tat -- that; sarvatah -- everywhere; akshi --
eyes; s'irah -- heads; mukham -- faces; sarvatah --
everywhere; s'ruti-mat -- having ears; loke -- in
the world; sarvam -- everything; âvritya --
covering; tishthhati -- exists. "Sarvatah
pâni pâdam tat sarvato 'kshi s'iro
mukham, says the Gîtâ. All hands
are His, all feet, all eyes and faces and mouths
are His; He works through all hands, He walks
through all feet, He sees through each eye, He eats
and speaks through every mouth. Everything is He.
Every step is His, every look, every speech, every
act is His. That is the lesson that seva
instills. Pray in agony, "Lord! Have you no ears?"
and His ear will be listening. Pray, "Lord! Let me
fall at Thy Lotus Feet!" and the feet will present
themselves before you. They are at all places, at
all times. Your call compels the manifestation,
that is all. -
Sathya Sai Speaks III, p. 16. To
understand this better, take another instance.
Pots, pans, plates and pails are all made of clay;
but though there is clay in all these, clay is only
clay. It is not pot, pan, plate or pail. So too in
the âtmâ, which is the basis,
there are no gunas (or characteristics) like
pot, pan, plate or pail; but the
âtmâ exists in the gunas
as guna-svarûpa. It is the
âtmâ that is mistaken for the
gunas, because it is conceived as limited
and with name and form. The âtmâ
is the only reality that persists through all names
and form, like the clay, which is the only
substance in all the pots and pans. By this kind of
inquiry, the conviction that the basis and the
substance of everything is âtmâ
or kshe-thrajña or parabrahmam gets
strengthened. -
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 207 sarvendriya-gunâbhâsam sarva
-- of all; indriya -- senses; guna -- of the
qualities; âbhâsam -- the original
source; sarva -- all; indriya -- senses; vivarjitam
-- being without; asaktam -- without attachment;
sarva-bhrit -- the maintainer of everyone; ca --
also; eva -- certainly; nirgunam -- without
material qualities; guna-bhoktri -- master of the
gunas; ca -- also. bahir
antas' ca bhûtânâm bahih
-- outside; antah -- inside; ca -- also;
bhûtânâm -- of all living
entities; acaram -- not moving; caram -- moving;
eva -- also; ca -- and; sûkshmatvât --
on account of being subtle; tat -- that;
avijñeyam -- unknowable; dûra-stham --
far away; ca -- also; antike -- near; ca -- and;
tat -- that. Then
Krishna was asked by Arjuna, thus: "It is indeed
very difficult to know that basic
âtmâ, that inner reality of all
things. He is everywhere but is nowhere visible! He
is the inner core of all but cannot be contacted at
all! What is the cause of this mystery?" Krishna
replied: "Arjuna! You have not understood yet. The
âtmâ is subtler than the
subtlest and so it is difficult to cognize it. You
know the five elements,
do you not, earth, water, fire, wind and sky
[or ether] [Mahâbhûta]?
Of these, each subsequent element is subtler than
the previous one. Earth has five qualities: sound,
touch, form, taste and smell; water has all these,
except smell; fire has only three, sound, touch and
form; wind has only two qualities, sound and touch;
and the last one, sky [or ether] has only
sound. That is why each of these is subtler than
the previous one and also more widely spread. The
sky is everywhere, penetrating in and through all,
because it has only one characteristic. How much
more subtle must be the âtmâ,
which has no qualities or characteristics! Imagine
how much more immanent and universal it must be!
Those who are objectively minded cannot grasp this
phenomenon; only the subjective minded can have the
solution." -
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 207-8 avibhaktam
ca bhûteshu avibhaktam
-- without division; ca -- also; bhûteshu --
in all living beings; vibhaktam -- divided; iva --
as if; ca -- also; sthitam -- situated;
bhûta-bhartri -- the maintainer of all living
entities; ca -- also; tat -- that; jñeyam --
to be understood; grasishnu -- devouring;
prabhavishnu -- developing; ca -- also. jyotishâm
api tajjyotis jyotishâm
-- in all luminous objects; api -- also; tat --
that; jyotih -- the source of light; tamasah -- the
darkness; param -- beyond; ucyate -- is said;
jñânam -- knowledge; jñeyam --
to be known; jñâna-gamyam -- to be
approached by knowledge; hridi -- in the heart;
sarvasya -- of everyone; vishthhitam --
situated. iti
kshetram tathâ jñânam iti
-- thus; kshetram -- the field of activities (the
body); tathâ -- also; jñânam --
knowledge; jñeyam -- the knowable; ca --
also; uktam -- described; samâsatah -- in
summary; mat-bhaktah -- My devotee; etat -- all
this; vijñâya -- after understanding;
mat-bhâvâya -- to My nature; upapadyate
-- attains. prakritim
purusham caiva prakritim
-- material nature; purusham -- the living
entities; ca -- also; eva -- certainly; viddhi --
you must know; anâdî -- without
beginning; ubhau -- both; api -- also;
vikârân -- transformations; ca -- also;
gunân -- the three modes of nature; ca --
also; eva -- certainly; viddhi -- know; prakriti --
material nature; sambhavân -- produced
of. You
suffer now because all your attachment is towards
nature, prakriti [material nature]
and all your vairâgya
[detachement] is towards Purusha or
God! This has to be reversed! You must cultivate
non-attachment towards prakriti and
attachment to the Lord.
-
Sathya Sai Speaks II, p. 8 kârya-kârana-kartritve kârya
-- of effect; kârana -- and cause; kartritve
-- in the matter of creation; hetuh -- the
instrument; prakritih -- material nature; ucyate --
is said to be; purushah -- the living entity; sukha
-- of happiness; duhkhânâm -- and
distress; bhoktritve -- in enjoyment; hetuh -- the
instrument; ucyate -- is said to
be. The
purusha or the soul is simply the manifestation
of the divine. On the other hand, the manifestation
of matter, of material things, is this world. This
prakriti or the world is something that is
filled with all the five elements.
All these are destructible. They are not permanent.
But what is clear, what is clean, what is
indestructible and what is effulgent and shining,
is only one and that is the soul or purusha.
-
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1972, p.
90 purushah
prakriti-stho hi purushah
-- the living entity; prakriti-sthah -- being
situated in the material energy; hi -- certainly;
bhunkte -- enjoys; prakriti-jân -- produced
by the material nature; gunân -- the modes of
nature; kâranam -- the cause; guna-sangah --
the association with the modes of nature; asya --
of the living entity; sat-asat -- in good and bad;
yoni -- species of life; janmasu -- in
births. upadrashthânumantâ
ca upadrashtha
-- overseer; anumantâ -- permitter; ca --
also; bhartâ -- master; bhoktâ --
supreme enjoyer; mahâ-îs'varah -- the
Supreme Lord; parama-âtmâ -- the
Supersoul; iti -- also; ca -- and; api -- indeed;
uktah -- is said; dehe -- in the body; asmin --
this; purushah -- enjoyer; parah --
transcendental. ya
evam vetti purusham yah
-- anyone who; evam -- thus; vetti -- understands;
purusham -- the living entity; prakritim --
material nature; ca -- and; gunaih -- the modes of
material nature; saha -- with; sarvathâ -- in
all ways; vartamânah -- being situated; api
-- in spite of; na -- never; sah -- he;
bhûyah -- again; abhijâyate -- takes
his birth. Purusha
is He who is aware of the kshetra
[field or life], the
kshetrajña [knower of the truth
of life]. When one is able to distinguish
between Purusha [Supreme spirit, Lord,
God], and prakriti [causal matter,
creation, nature] or, which is the same thing,
between kshetra [field or life] and
kshetrajña [knower of the truth
of life], he becomes the witness and is free
from all touch of want or wish.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 205 dhyânenâtmani
pas'yanti dhyânena
-- by meditation; âtmani -- within the self;
pas'yanti -- see; kecit -- some;
âtmânam -- the Supersoul;
âtmanâ -- by the mind; anye -- others;
sânkhyena -- of philosophical discussion;
yogena -- by the yoga system; karma-yogena -- by
activities without fruitive desire; ca -- also;
apare -- others. Every
activity must be rendered valid and worthwhile by
its contribution to the discovery of truth, both of
the Self and of nature. Of what use is it to know
everything about nature, if you do not know
anything of the Self?
Nature is only a projection of the Self, so, unless
the Self is known, knowledge of nature is either
distorted or deceptive. The Self is the
âtmâ,
of which the entire creation is composed and so,
knowledge of the Self alone can quench the thirst
of man.-
Sathya Sai Speaks IX, p. 51 anye
tv evam ajânantah anye
-- others; tu -- but; evam -- thus; ajânantah
-- without spiritual knowledge; s'rutvâ -- by
hearing; anyebhyah -- from others; upâsate --
begin to worship; te -- they; api -- also; ca --
and; atitaranti -- transcend; eva -- certainly;
mrityum -- the path of death;
s'ruti-parâyanâh -- inclined to the
process of hearing. yâvat
sañjâyate kiñcit yâvat
-- whatever; sañjâyate -- comes into
being; kiñcit -- anything; sattvam --
existence; sthâvara -- not moving; jangamam
-- moving; kshetra -- of the body;
kshetra-jña -- and the knower of the body;
samyogât -- by the union between; tat viddhi
-- you must know it; bharata-rishabha -- o chief of
the Bhâratas. samam
sarveshu bhûteshu samam
-- equally; sarveshu -- in all; bhûteshu --
living entities; tishthhantam -- residing;
parama-îs'varam -- the Supersoul; vinas'yatsu
-- in the destructible; avinas'yantam -- not
destroyed; yah -- anyone who; pas'yati -- sees; sah
-- he; pas'yati -- actually
sees. This
faith can come only to those who can reason things
out. It is a fatal thrust on those who bark, in
season and out of season, that God cannot be
immanent in everything because He is not to be
perceived at all. They do not believe that God is
above and beyond the trivial qualities with which
they seek to measure Him. It is a pity, indeed.
They tend to be as low as their thoughts. That is
the inexorable law. God is as near to you as you
are to Him; if you keep afar, He too remains afar.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 208 samam
pas'yan hi sarvatra samam
-- equally; pas'yan -- seeing; hi -- certainly;
sarvatra -- everywhere; samavasthitam -- equally
situated; îs'varam -- the Supersoul; na --
does not; hinasti -- degrade; âtmanâ --
by the mind; âtmânam -- the soul; tatah
-- then; yâti -- reaches; parâm -- the
transcendental; gatim -- destination. prakrityaiva
ca karmâni prakrityâ
-- by material nature; eva -- certainly; ca --
also; karmâni -- activities;
kriyamânâni -- being performed;
sarvas'ah -- in all respects; yah -- anyone who;
pas'yati -- sees; tathâ -- also;
âtmânam -- himself; akartâram --
the nondoer; sah -- he; pas'yati -- sees
perfectly. The
body moves, the reason moves, the mind moves, but
the âtmâ is unaffected; it is
steady, firm, unchangeable.
-
Sathya Sai Speaks IX, p. 121 yadâ
bhûta-prithag-bhâvam yadâ
-- when; bhûta -- of living entities;
prithak-bhâvam -- separated identities;
eka-stham -- situated in one; anupas'yati -- one
tries to see through authority; tatah eva --
thereafter; ca -- also; vistâram -- the
expansion; brahma -- the Absolute; sampadyate -- he
attains; tadâ -- at that time. anâditvân
nirgunatvât anâditvât
-- due to eternity; nirgunatvât -- due to
being transcendental; parama -- beyond material
nature; âtmâ -- spirit; ayam -- this;
avyayah -- inexhaustible; s'arîra-sthah --
dwelling in the body; api -- though; kaunteya -- o
son of Kuntî; na karoti -- never does
anything; na lipyate -- nor is he
entangled. The
image of the sun in a lake quivers and shakes due
to the quivering and shaking of the water; the sun
is but a distant witness. It is unaffected by the
media which produce the images. The
âtmâ likewise is the witness of
all this change in space and time.
-
Upanishad Vahini, p. 16 yathâ
sarva-gatam saukshmyâd yathâ
-- as; sarva-gatam -- all-pervading;
saukshmyât -- due to being subtle;
âkâs'am -- the sky; na -- never;
upalipyate -- mixes; sarvatra -- everywhere;
avasthitah -- situated; dehe -- in the body;
tathâ -- so; âtmâ -- the self; na
-- never; upalipyate -- mixes. The
âtmâ is like akasa or
ether, all pervasive. It may seem enclosed
in certain limits, like a pot or a room, and may be
spoken of as so individualized. But in that
limitation there is no truth.
-
Upanishad Vahini, p. 27 yathâ
prakâs'ayaty ekah yathâ
-- as; prakâs'ayati -- illuminates; ekah --
one; kritsnam -- the whole; lokam -- universe; imam
-- this; ravih -- sun; kshetram -- this body;
kshetrî -- the soul; tathâ --
similarly; kritsnam -- all; prakâs'ayati --
illuminates; bhârata -- o son of
Bharata. The
awareness of one being only the witness of
everything is the secret of self-realization.
Self-realization is either the knowledge that "I am
the truth of Me" or "I have known Myself" or "All
are one âtmâ" or "I have
experienced that the individual and the universal
are not distinct." This is what every person has to
discover for himself; mere asceticism without this
is sheer waste of time and energy. Man is not a
mere animal. He has in him the spark of the divine,
and he should not allow it to be quenched
dead. Why,
even when the senses operate, they are prompted by
the presence of âtmâ. When the
sun rises, birds take to wing, flowers bloom, the
human community starts its varied activities. The
sun does not directly engage in any of these; it is
the prompter, that is all. The sun is not the
cause; He is just the activator, the witness, the
onlooker. He is above and beyond all this. He is
not bound or based on man or beast or bird or
flower. -
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 206 kshetra-kshetrajñayor
evam kshetra -- of the
body; kshetra-jñayoh -- of the proprietor of
the body; evam -- thus; antaram -- the difference;
jñâna-cakshushâ
-- by the vision of knowledge; bhûta -- of
the living entity; prakriti -- from material
nature; moksham -- the liberation; ca -- also; ye
-- those who; viduh -- know;
yânti
-- approach; te -- they; param -- the Supreme. Mahâbhûta:
the five physical, gross elements:
earth, water, fire, air and ether or sky.
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