View source for Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 02 on 12 December 2020

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADHO GAVO DOGDA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSHAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDHAM GRITAM RITAM MAHA
MUKHAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATE GIRIM
YATKRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM
We have, by the grace of the Lord, completed the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
Now we are in the 12th chapter.
At the end of the 11th chapter, the Lord had said that this most marvellous, universal, divine vision of the Parabrahman,
the impersonal Brahman, in the form of whatever we are experiencing in the waking, dream, as well as dream state, collectively called Vishwam.
The same Lord is impersonal. The same Lord is also personal.
The same Lord is without form. The same Lord is with infinite number of forms, infinite number of names, infinite number of qualities.
And what is the nature of this universe?
It comes into existence or manifestation at some particular point of time and then goes on changing, which we call the process of growth.
And in the end, it also goes back to the same unmanifest from which it has come, only to come back again in the next life.
How long is it going to manifest until one understands that I am not a small finite being.
I am the universal divine Lord.
NIRGUNA NIRAKARA NISHKRIYA PARABRAHMAN
Then he becomes completely free. That would be his last birth and that is what we have discussed in our past lives.
But the Lord said so many beings, celestial beings, all intelligent beings and those who are endowed with discrimination,
they all wish to have this divine form of mind in the form of this entire universe.
In other words, they would like, they close their eyes, they want to see God in his impersonal aspect.
Open the eyes, the same God is recognized externally with the coverings of name, form and qualities and this is called divine Leela.
So that's why Sri Ramakrishna declares God is both with form and without form and beyond both form as well as formlessness.
But Arjuna became first extremely happy and blessed.
Then he got frightened because the negative aspect of life which is suffering and death is also a part of the Leela.
Both comedy and tragedy are parts of the same Leela.
Both should be enjoyed. If only one-sided enjoyment, that person will inevitably face the other side at some point or other or more often and then he will suffer.
He cannot, in other words, enjoy this Leela at all.
So Arjuna requested, I am unable to bear because I am not equipped with that purity of mind to receive this highest wisdom.
So he becomes immediately frightened and prays and the divine Lord, he said, I have shown you but this is what you are going to attain when you become really fit for that.
And you will eternally perceive God as form, as without form, with name, without name, personal, impersonal.
You close your eyes, you open your eyes, Urdhvascha, Athascha, Urdhvascha, Paschimhascha and everywhere you will see the same divine Lord
and you will not see because you will realize at that point that there is no you.
What exists is God only.
You begin to see here and there, then everywhere, then you cease to see because you have become merged totally in that highest reality.
And then the Lord says, rare are the beings upon whom I have bestowed this divine vision of mine and so many long for it.
And you will also long for the same when you are ready for that.
But very few people can have it.
So what is the way?
Only those who practice Bhakti Yoga, all their actions have been transformed into only as ignas.
That means everything they do is for God, because of God and only because of God and they understand.
I would not have been able even to lift a single straw but for the grace of the Lord.
In fact, He is doing everything, my body, my mind and my devotion, my non-devotion, my knowledge, my ignorance, everything belongs to the Lord.
When the person understands it, then he dedicates.
He never feels I am doing something.
He feels the Lord is getting things done by me.
You become an instrument.
Then he understands the highest happiness is only in the Lord and I want, we want that highest happiness.
So that is one, Mat Paramaha, I am the supreme goal, I am Moksha, I am Nirvikalpa Samadhi, by whatever name you want.
I am liberation, I am Brahma Jnana and everything.
And then he says that Brahma Jnana and that Brahman is none other than Brahma Jnana and that's my highest goal that anybody can aspire.
I would like to turn my attention to that aspect, I would not want anything excepting you.
A small teaching, once Narayana became very pleased with Narada.
Asked him, Narada, I am pleased with you, ask a boon of me.
And Narada said, I don't want anything because you have given me everything.
You have given yourself to me.
The Lord was even more pleased and said, no, no, you must ask a boon.
Narada said, may I have pure motiveless devotion to you and may I not want anything else.
The Lord was even more pleased, ask another boon.
And then on our behalf, Narada requests, may I never fall under the net of your world bewitching Maya.
That aspect is being explored now.
Those devotees who have their highest goal, only me and nothing else.
And whatever they do, they do not want any result excepting me.
And they are devoted only to me.
That means they love only me.
They do not love anybody.
Not only that, once a person loves God, that means he loves the entire universe.
Vishwaroopa Bhagawan.
That means there is no enemy, there is no superior, there is no inferior.
That was what we were discussing in this Manusha Panchakam.
Such a devotee, he sees only God, Narayana or Shiva or Divine Mother everywhere.
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Devi Roopena Samsthita, Kali Roopena Samsthita, Lakshmi Roopena, Saraswati Roopena, Vidya Roopena, Buddhi Roopena, Shiva Roopena, Rama Roopena, Krishna Roopena, Bhagwat Roopena.
There is nothing else excepting, there is no such thing called world.
It is Divine Mother with so many infinite number of names, forms, names and qualities.
So Madh Bhaktaha, then he says that is the Narada's boon.
May I only love you.
But to attain to that, for those who are still not attained, what do they develop?
They must develop certain spiritual characteristics.
What are they?
Sanghavarchitaha.
They must not have specific attachment to particular individuals or objects.
Because specific attachment means they are not attached to other things.
That means they are not seeing God.
They are seeing differences in these manifestations, experienced world.
Nirvairaha Sarvabhuteshu.
They must develop another quality.
What is that quality?
Devotees, spiritual people have no enemies.
There may be people who might consider their worldly people, their non-devotional people,
they might consider some people as their arch enemies.
But a spiritual aspirant has no enemy at all.
That's why the greatest lesson we have to learn when Jesus was about to be crucified,
he prayed to God, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
These people do not know that excepting you there is nobody else.
I am also God.
They are also God.
I know everything is God.
But they do not know everything is God.
Therefore they think I am a human being and they don't know I am God.
They don't know I am nothing but you manifesting in the form of the Jesus body and mind and life.
But they want to crucify me.
That means they don't know.
They are crucifying themselves because they are crucifying God.
God is none other than themselves.
This is called Atmanojana.
But this happens all the time.
This was the last verse of instruction.
In future if you want uninterrupted vision of me of which you became extremely frightened
but it will become the most pleasant.
How can it become pleasant?
When there is a death, destruction and terrific suffering because it is just like enjoying
a well taken, superbly taken cinema.
Everything is there.
So much suffering is there.
The whole world is burned.
A meteor comes and strikes.
There are tremendous earthquakes are there or the ocean overflows and floods the whole world
and there will be no one else excepting Rakshasas killing, butchering, cutting people, eating them,
looting them etc.
But we will enjoy.
We enjoy.
We feel we are frightened.
At the same time it is so beautifully taken.
We wish to have the same experience again.
Again and again we buy the ticket and then go and watch them.
Not only that we invite others also.
It is a marvellous movie.
You will be almost having a heart attack.
Remember there are certain high rides.
Oh the box will be going up and up and up and your heart will be beating.
From thousands of feet high suddenly it will be plunging to the earth.
These are called thriller rides.
But most people want to do it.
Especially young people want to do it.
Why?
Because such a thrill.
Because they know we are not going to die but it is a great thrill.
It is a kind of fake it and then enjoy it.
That is what happens.
Vicarious enjoyment when we watch a drama or a very superbly realistically taken cinema.
When you get full knowledge.
If you are Juna or any spiritual aspirant then you will be able to see birth as well as happiness as well as unhappiness as well as old age.
Death everything as a great divine Leela.
That is what Swamiji says.
Life is a school.
Life is a gymnasium.
Life is a circus.
So this is called Brahma Leela.
And to attain to that state only one way is there.
Become Bhakta.
Now having heard this from the Divine Lord then Arjuna had tremendous doubt raised in him.
Why?
Because the second chapter you extolled Jnana called Sankhya Yoga.
In the third chapter you extolled Karma.
In the fourth chapter you extolled again Jnana and said convert all actions into sacrifices.
In the sixth chapter you extolled Dhyana Yoga.
And in the Bhakti Yoga and specially you did not expound very well.
And that is what we have to do now.
So the Divine Lord has imparted this tremendous faith in him.
It is much easier through any one of the yogas you can become great.
So the 12th chapter is called Bhakti Yoga.
It is one of the smallest chapters having only 20 verses.
As I mentioned only 15th chapter also has equally 20 verses.
Every other chapter has got more than 20.
And I think 18th chapter has got the largest number of verses are there.
Anyway, so what is it that we are trying to understand here?
Even in hearing this Arjuna's mind he remembered because he has got tremendous Smriti said
you extolled Jnana and now you are extolling Bhakti and now I am confused.
Which is the superior path?
This idea did not enter into Arjuna perhaps or maybe it is given for our benefit.
What is that?
There can be many paths.
All are equal.
All roads lead to the same Rome.
All paths lead to the same goal.
But sincerely take one particular path that is suited to your constitution,
to your faculty and make it supreme and take the help of other yogas.
Here important point I reminded you four yogas depend upon four faculties.
That is we are active, we are emotional, we have will and we have intellect.
All the four are present in every human being.
Not only every human being even animals and at the same time not equally.
Some are more emotional, some are more active, some have more willpower
and some have more true intellect not superficial intellect.
Their whole life is guided either dominated by activity or emotion or will or intellect.
Now you cannot take a knife and separate them but all four will be there
but one will be more dominant than the others.
If a Sadguru, a true teacher always understands the person's mentality and guides him.
You be a bhakta, you be a yogi, you be a karma yogi or you be follow jnana yoga.
So it is for our sake not because of Arjuna.
Because I have encountered people who were attracted to Gita and to Raja Yoga
but without being qualified, without having the dominant quality of willpower.
So my advice is that you use that yoga but to aid to become better devotees
or develop more devotion to God.
Very few people are really qualified to follow the path of Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
Whatever be the claims of those who follow Jnana Yoga, they think everybody is dull,
everybody is stupid, fool, only they are wise people.
They go on roaming in this world until the Divine Lord slaps them and makes them.
Every path is equal and God has created for everybody a definite path
so that they all can come and sit in the lap of the Divine Mother.
So that is what the 12th chapter having 20 verses, it begins with Arjuna's question.
So this chapter opens with a question from Arjuna which is superior
and that word superior is a bad word.
What you should have asked is which path is easier for me?
You are my Guru. I surrendered myself to you.
That's why you have to find out even though I am not that wise to know my own nature
and I cannot determine what is best for me.
It could be Bhakti Yoga or Jnana Yoga, whatever it is.
So this question, phrasing of the word superior immediately indicates inferior.
If a discriminating person has to ask, he will be put it this way,
Oh Lord, you know me better than myself.
Now tell me which path is better for me so that I can come quickly to you
because whatever is our nature, that is the superior means
that is the most easy path for me to attain you.
The question is like that.
As I said, this chapter contains 20 verses.
What is the conflict here between these two?
Bhakta and Jnani, the worshipper of God with form and attributes
or the worshipper of the formless, attributeless Brahman who is superior.
As I said, which is better path?
And then the Lord, as usual, as He said many times,
everybody is treading my own path.
Everybody ultimately comes to me, I bestow my grace equally upon everybody.
So that is the fact He is telling here in the second verse of it.
And then the Lord categorically says,
even though every path is equally valid,
but those who are inclined to think of God as formless, nameless and qualiteless,
remember all these three go together.
If there is no form, there is no name.
For example, if there is a lump of clay,
except in calling it clay, you cannot give any name to it.
But if it is supposing you make 10 pots,
one pot is square, another pot is round,
another pot is triangular because we can shape it in any way we like,
then this is a flat square pot,
this is a round pot, this is a oval shaped pot,
then that is different names,
this is painted black, green, red, blue, yellow, etc.
This is small, this is medium and this is bigger size.
So many names.
That which is formless cannot have any specific name excepting a generic name.
If there is no form, there is no name.
And if there is no form or name, there is no quality also.
So the Lord is telling, there are a few people who are inclined to adore,
to contemplate the Lord without name, form or qualities.
They are what is called devotees of the Parabrahma,
Nirguna Brahma, not Saguna Brahma.
They also equally come to me,
but there is a big but for most people,
the best path is that of devotion, adoration of the personal,
because that aids concentration, love, joy, everything.
It is very difficult to get so much of concentration on the Nirguna.
In fact, I would say only when a person goes beyond the mind,
only then he will be one with Nirguna Brahma,
but he cannot keep him separately,
think something impersonal with a personal mind,
because the nature of the mind is personal.
It consists of time, space and causation.
That is called with-form.
They may think of Sat, Chit or Ananda.
That is what is called the path of knowledge.
Those people who are very body-minded,
those who consider, I am a human being, I have got a body,
and I am such and such a caste,
and I am intelligent, non-intelligent,
highly intelligent, somewhat intelligent,
I am rich, I am poor, I am a middle-class family man, etc.
I am a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra,
and all these things will get attached to that particular BM complex,
body-mind complex.
For those who think they are the body-mind,
for them,
That is one of the things the Lord points out.
But He does not exclude.
There are people like Ramana Maharshi,
even though people misunderstand him,
that he was so much interested,
why did he come all the way to Arunachala,
even though he knows Shiva is everywhere,
because he was also a kind of devotee of Shiva,
with form,
especially in the place called Arunachala,
in the form of Arunachala.
He used to tell whenever prasada was brought,
look, Mother has come.
It is not prasada.
It is the Divine Mother Herself.
Sri Ramakrishna's teachings, we have to take it
and interpret this Bhagavad Gita,
says for Kali Yuga,
that Divine devotional path as given to us
by Sage Narada.
Narada Prakta Bhakti Yoga is the best path
because we are Dehavad Vihi.
We are Kali Kaale Annagatha Prana.
We think we are the body,
not even the mind,
not even the prana,
but pure food oriented.
Foodie.
We are all foodies.
That's why we are all fools.
So it is very easy path.
Is it very easy to take recourse to the Bhakti Yoga?
Not so easy.
From verse 13 until verse 19,
the Lord is going on describing the qualities.
Only such a person with such qualities
can be called a devotee
and I will give certificate,
not devotees,
not other brothers or sisters,
not some Peetha Deepathi.
The Divine Lord, He gives certificate.
How does He give certificate?
Not in the form of a big golden plaque.
He comes and gives Buddhi Yogam Tathamiyam.
He will give that divine vision.
He will give divine wisdom.
He will give divine attributes
and He will increase or intensify
the person's capacity to understand
and to become more concentrated.
His memory will be given to him
so that he will never forget God
and that is the way of God certifying.
Like you know, supposing a mother
is highly pleased with the child.
What does she do?
She will go and prepare
the best food material
that the child likes to eat
and she knows.
If I simply say,
you have done well
and doesn't do anything else,
the child gets in course of time becomes wiser.
It is all empty word.
It doesn't mean anything.
But the moment mother's face
blooms into a happy smile
and she rushes to the kitchen,
the best things she could make
that would please her child,
the child knows.
My mother loves me.
She certifies me that I am a good child.
The same mother who can also punish
for the good of the child,
now she is highly pleased.
Anybody who wants to
accept Shri Krishna's teachings
and Shri Ram Krishna's teachings,
then we will have to
follow this particular path.
In this 12th chapter,
the Lord beautifully describes
all the characteristics
having only those characteristics,
one can be called
a real bhakta.
It is very important for us to understand.
There are so many people,
they take initiation
or they take their own mantras
from some books,
whatever they like and people are
devoted to japa, tapa, everything
and they seem to be
seemingly sincere
but they are terribly
attached to their
body, to their possessions,
to their family
and 24 hours
they are only thinking of that,
occasionally talking about
God, talking about the scriptures.
They do not have that buddhi
to understand
everything belongs to God
and nothing belongs to us.
If we do not develop what is called
the detachment,
if I don't become
sangavarjita and if anybody
criticizes them,
lifelong they will not talk with them
and they will actively
criticizing them and
if the other people whom they don't like,
they go through misfortune,
they become elated
with joy, such type of people
I have come across, so many
they don't know
anything except things are so
blind, I wonder sometimes
how they are so
consider themselves as intelligent
etc. The Lord makes it
very clear, do you want me
or do you want your family?
Do you want your religion?
Do you want your money?
Listening to that, God bless them
Ramakrishna's highest
condemnation for this kind
of people. These beautiful ideas
are
beautifully and
elaborately expounded
in this twelfth chapter.
We are going to dwell on them,
go deep into them.
The first thing that
we have to understand, declaring
God realization as the reward
of exclusive devotion to
God with form and
attributes towards the end of
chapter 11, the Lord paid
a special tribute
in the concluding verse of the chapter
to him who is devoted
to such an aspect of
God. This raised the question
in Arjuna's mind, as Arjuna
means here all of us,
as to which of the two is better,
worshipper of the formless and
attributeless Brahma or the
worshipper of God, what is called
Guna Brahma, Eshwara
with form and attributes.
So that is how Arjuna
on our behalf puts
the following question to the
Lord. Arjuna said
Arjuna asked
Arjuna said
those devotees who
ever steadfast worship
you after this fashion
that was indicated by
you at the end of the 11th
chapter and those others who
worship the imperishable
and unmanifest, which of these
have greater yogis,
which of them have got
greater knowledge of yoga
that means which are more spiritual
who are superior.
As I mentioned that word
superiority is a loaded word
and that creates so much
a problem. Every religion
quarrelling with other religions
my religion is superior
my God is superior
to your God, my prophet
is superior to your prophet
and my spiritual
practice is better than yours
Oh my God!
Endless arguments, killing
people, annihilating whole
nations, enslaving them
just open your
eyes and study history
in the name of God.
Popes have been murdered, in God's
name people have been
annihilated. This
Swami Vivekananda was a great student
of history and he knows
that's why he says Vedanta
is the only solution
Why? Because it
accepts every religion
it accepts every
lifestyle, what I mean
whether a person is a
householder or whether a person
is a sanyasi, whether a person is
whatever category of
intelligence he belongs, whether
what we call a tamasic
person, a rajasic person
or a sattvika person
whether a person is rich or poor
whatever be his professed
religion or no
religion at all, it doesn't matter
if they are sincere
that is the key word
central word, the hub
are you sincere?
then you will reach God. If you are not sincere
whatever you may do
externally, speak or think
that is not going to
take you to the goal
of course ultimately
everybody goes to the
same Divine Lord. So this question
is a most wonderful
question, we have to ponder
over it and say that
first thing is that
every path, jata mat
jata path, every path
equally leads one to God
secondly, what is my
what is the path
that is suited best to my
nature, I think I am
intellectual, I may think
I am superior in wisdom to others
and because I am sometimes
superior in worldly knowledge
I am more clever than other people
it doesn't mean that
person is clever in spirituality
also, often it is the
just the other way round
who are worldly clever people
they are more worldly
and those who are less worldly
and what Sri Ram Krishna
used to call very plain minded
people, straight forward
people and
lacking worldly wisdom
they will be nearer to
God, dearer to God
and reach God very very
easily, this is
that's why this question is most
wonderful question, so what is the answer
everybody has
to follow one of the paths
which is suited for him, secondly
I do not have the wisdom
to know which path is superior
or easier for me
and whichever is easier for me
whichever takes me to God
in the
fastest, shortest
possible time, because here also
there are people
gnana marga is
straight climbing, bhakti marga
ok ok, but you go
round and round and round
and of course very slowly you
make progress and if at all you reach
ultimately
it is like going through
any number of side roads
and ultimately joining
the only one main road
that is called gnana marga
such stupidity exists
even in this 21st century
I am shocked, of course
Divine Mother's Mahamaya's
Leela, we cannot help it
what is the second point?
we have to find out a person
accept him, pay reverence to him
have faith in him
and accept his verdict
and take his guidance and
follow it sincerely, remember
it is not the person
who is guiding us, it is Divine
Lord in the form of
through the instrumentality
of that person
Guru is none other than
what is called the
spokesperson for God
because he just makes
himself a fit
instrument to pass on
there is no middle man here
it is the Guru is just
a dumb
instrument, that is all
so he will tell
third is, I must be
very sincere about it, fourth point
is, so what does it mean
to become a devotee? I must
acquire certain qualities
the beginning of this 12th chapter
what are those qualities?
first of all, do not think
only one path is superior
or easier, every path
is superior to the person
to whom it is suitable
then with regard
you regard everybody
even if they criticize you
as nothing other than God
coming to you in the form of
these people to make you a better
person of you, every event
should be taken as a
great learning
lesson, with these points
let us go into this 12th chapter
evam, evam means
O Lord, Arjuna was addressing
Shri Krishna, as you mentioned
earlier, satata yukta
aha, constantly
endowed with yoga, yoga means
that which joins, that
means they joined you
O Divine Lord, they are only
thinking of God, they are only
talking about God, they are listening
only about God and they
are doing everything
only as worship of God
mat karmakrit, mat
paramaha, mat
bhaktaha, sangavarjitaha
so he who
bhaktaha, those devotees
here devotees means, Arjuna
means sincere spiritual aspirants
not merely
devotees of personal God, both
tvam pariyupasate
those who worship you
in this personal way
and same devotees, echa api
aksharam, those who
are more inclined
more devoted to
think of God without
form, without qualities
etc, aksharam
aksharam means the imperishable
avyaktam
unmanifest, that means
in simple words, those who are
treading the path of jnana yoga
they want to think always
God is impersonal
has no name, no form
no qualities, nirakara
nishkriya, nirguna
eka, advitya
akhanda, unborn
etc, etc
those who are, some people
are devoted to that
whether they are fit to that path or not
we do not know
definitely they are devoted to that
why? even the compiler
for the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
M, Sri Ramakrishna asks
which aspect of God
appeals to you, he said
only formless aspect, Sri Ramakrishna
gave two
answers to that, that is absolutely
fine, you go on
in the same way, but
it is very difficult to think of it
but don't
look down upon those
who are following or
worshipping God with form,
name and qualities, that was the
first lesson, second lesson he says
it is extremely difficult
to think of the formless
but if you are thinking
of your God having
a form, you have
no choice but to think of
God also as formless
but if you are thinking of your Guru
with form, you can
only think of God with form
however bigger words you may
use, why this particular
tension, even Narendranath
also had the same problem
even Narendra
he chided Rakhal
that why do you go to the temples
why do you do idol worship etc
Sri Ramakrishna took Narendra
to task, everybody's
constitution is different
everybody has to progress
not in one common path
and he ridiculed the people who
worship formlessness, even a
child, a Brahmo child
is thinking of Nirakara
how ridiculous it could be
learned the lesson that do not look
down, all are children of
God, all are going towards
God and everybody
is being taken in a
particular path, not by
themselves, not by their Gurus
but by God himself
but through the instrumentality
of Gurus and
scriptures, so hey Bhagwan
oh Bhagwan, you are not Krishna
you are Bhagwan now
evam, thus, satatayuktah
always endowed with this
yoga, evaktah
those who are your devotees
tvam paripasate
that means as
Saguna Brahma, worshippers
contemplators of Saguna Brahma
echa api, even others
also, those who are devoted
to avyaktam, unmanifest
aksharam, imperishable
paripasate, tesha
madhye, among them
ke yoga vittamah
santi, who are superior
in other words, who are going to reach
the goal quick, what is
the Lord going to give the answer
he gives in this
second verse, making crystal
clear and
saying the same thing as Ram Krishna
as many faiths
as many mentalities
so many paths, second verse
mayya vesya mano
emam nitya yuktah
upasate shraddhaya
paraya upaitah
te me yukta tamah
matah, again
another beautiful verse
which the same Krishna
has incarnated as
Ram Krishna, again
to propagate this Bhagavad Gita
and to illuminate
our understanding
of Bhagavad Gita, not
through Shankara Bhashya, Ramanuja Bhashya
Madhava Bhashya, but
Ram Krishna Bhashya, Krishna
Bhashya, Rama Bhashya
what is he telling, so
oh Arjuna, the Lord said
those who have fixed their minds
on me and who
ever steadfast and endowed
with supreme faith, worship me
alone, them do I hold
to be perfect in
yoga, take notice
the Lord is not telling the
followers of the Jnana Yoga
are superior, followers of the
Bhakti Yoga are superior
followers of Raja Yoga or Karma Yoga
are superior, what is he telling
mayi manah avesya
Arjuna, in me alone
manah avesya, their minds
are completely fixed
only in me, I am the goal
I am the path, I am the
present, I am the past
I am the future, I am
everything to me, everything
natha tumi mama
sarvasu, everything
is you, good, bad, happiness
unhappiness, friend, enemy
victory, defeat, respect
or insult or
gain or loss, everything
is my will
me, mayi manah
avesya, then
nitya yukta, they are striving
24 hours to the best
of their ability, some like
children are crawling, some
like toddlers are taking
faltering steps, some
have learnt to
run, some have learnt
to jump very high, some are
learnt to travel in aeroplanes
but all the destination
is only, only me
no other, that means they are not
interested in praise, worldliness
nitya yukta
nitya means uninterruptedly
unceasingly
only devoted to me, santaha
being, but here comes
something most
important and we have
to put the greatest emphasis
on this, ye and
whoever it may be, whether they are
Christians, Muslims,
Hindus, Buddhists or of
no religion, whether they
follow karma yoga, bhakti yoga,
raja yoga, jnana yoga, ye
paraya, shraddhaya
upeta, those who are endowed
possessed by
100% shraddha
mam upasate, those
who worship me, contemplate
me, think of me
te yukta tamaha
me mata, this is my opinion
they alone
are the greatest
people, they alone are
true spiritual aspirants
remember here, the lord is
not telling you,
they are bhaktas or jnanis, they are
spiritual people, whichever
may be the path they are following,
they must be always striving
and they must keep their mind
on me and they must be united
with me, directing
all their faculties
only towards me
and above all, paraya
shraddhaya upeta
endowed with the
utmost shraddha, this
word shraddha has no
equal, in English language
the word faith is a very
very weak word, so I am not going
to use it, so the such
type of people
they are the greatest
people, they are the
most superior people
and that is what the lord is
telling here, then
from the third onwards, in a
few verses he is telling, there
is a problem, but there is a
problem, what is the problem?
anybody can reach me through any
path, but those who have
decided for whatever reason
to tread the path of knowledge
those who worship the
unmanifest, the imperishable
the inexpressible
the nameless, the formless
etcetera, their path
much difficult
so it continues
and those who have completely
controlled their senses
and are of even mind
under all conditions and thus
worship the imperishable, the
ineffable, the unmanifest
the omnipresent, the
incomprehensible, the
immutable, the unchanging
the eternal, they
devoted to the welfare of all
beings, attain me
alone and none
else, in these two verses
the lord is describing
to us in
what is called completely
crystal clear manner
what is he telling? that
those who are devoted to the path
of contemplating the
impersonal, in one word
parabrahman, nirguna
nirakara, nishkriya
nirnama
brahman, but at the same time
compassionate, full
of kindness
and they are only engaged
in the welfare of everybody
not simply saying jagat mithya
and don't consider
anything else, if they are
they claim they are following
me in this impersonal aspect
but most selfish
they are worse than
even ordinary worldly people
who do not claim
that we are spiritual people, but
if they are having these certain
qualities they will attain
me and they also, so
those who are devoted to the personal
they will attain me
those who are devoted to the impersonal
they also equally
attain me, everybody is going
to attain me, provided
they are sincere, but what is
the nature of this impersonal
that is being described
so graphically
in these verses
3 and 4, which we
will take up tomorrow morning
in our Bhagavad Gita class
May Ramakrishna
Holy Mother and Swami
Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.

[[Category:Bhagavad Gita]]