View source for Bhagavad Gita Ch17 part 14 on 12 December 2021

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM
PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MOHURMOHU
OM VASUDEVASUDAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARBU PANISHADU GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANAH
PARTHO VAKSHA SUDHIR BHOKTA DOGDHAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KARUDI VACHALAM PAMGUM LANGAYATI GIRIM
YATKRIPA TAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM
We are studying the 17th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called Shuddha Treya Vibhaga Yoga.
The Lord Krishna has clearly indicated and teaching us in the most practical terms
how to progress from Tamas to Rajas to Sattva and go beyond Sattva.
With this regard, we have seen how human life,
whether it was in the past, present or at any time in the future,
consists of only four important departments.
Ahara, food, Yagna, type of worship, admiration, high ideals.
Third, every situation in life requires us to practice some amount,
big or small, of austerity, Tapas.
And lastly, whatever we have gained, the law of life is we have to give, then only we can take.
So this constant giving and taking is called Dana.
Exhaustively, Bhagavan Krishna had dealt with them
how through Sattvika-filled mind, Rajasika-filled mind, Tamasika-filled mind,
these very four activities of human life are conducted.
The purpose is so that we can understand what is Tama activity and Raja activity
and try to avoid them and develop Sattvika activities.
And then the Lord is telling,
it is very normal for human beings to err.
Therefore, how to rectify, how to make our activities complete
because mistakes are bound to happen.
For that, the Lord said that there is a divine remedy.
The highest reality can be addressed with three names, Om, Tat and Sat.
And we know about Om, but not that much with Tat.
But as I pointed out, this Tat is the most important mantra
when we want to attain God-realization.
Tat, that Brahman is none other than you.
Tat tvam asi.
Then Sat, everything that we see in this world is Sat.
And all the people, anybody who has some amount of intelligence
at the beginning and at the end and as much as possible in the middle
by remembering these three divine names,
the most powerful names can rectify all activities.
Means whether it is Tamasic way of doing, Rajasic way of doing,
they gradually rectify these remedies and convert it slowly,
gradually into Sattvika type of activity
through which alone we can finally take off like a rocket taking off.
So from its base, tremendous amount of push is created
through the tremendous amount of fire and that will separate the rocket
and it will be shooting out, reaching the outer regions.
In our case, in a spiritual case, Sattva is that firing mechanism
and we take off and we reach God, become one with God,
become liberated, become Mukta.
And in the 26th, which we have dealt adequately, elaborately
in our yesterday's class, so it goes like this.
Let us recollect again to connect to what we have discussed.
SADBHAVE SADUBHAVE CHA SADITYE TAT PRAYUCHYATE
PRASHASTE KARMANI TATHA SAT SHAPTHAHA PARTHA YUJYATE
The word SAT is used to denote first existence or reality and goodness
and likewise OPARTHA.
This word SAT is also used for pointing out any type of auspicious activity.
The word SAT is employed in so many ways.
First meaning is nobility, goodness, good conduct, good behavior
called SATBHAVA or DHARMIKABHAVA.
That is why all over India, especially in North India,
when we come across such a person who always does good activities,
we call him SADHU, he is called SADHU or SANT also.
SANTATUKARAM, SANTATULASHRIDAS, SANTMERABHAI.
So one meaning is good conduct, means Dharmic conduct,
means the conduct that is, that doesn't deviate from the instructions
of the scriptures.
It means one does with greatest shraddha what one should do
and completely avoid what is prohibited,
what should not be done, VIDHI and NISHEDHA.
That is the first meaning.
And in the Upanishads, we have got the second meaning,
pure existence is called SAT.
Especially in the Chandogya Upanishad, in the 6th chapter,
TADEVA SAVMYA IDAM AGRE ASID EKAIVA ASID.
Here it means, O friend, at the beginning, there was only pure,
eternal, infinite, undistinguished and indivisible SAT, existence.
Creation means this pure existence trying to appear,
trying to manifest with various names, forms, qualities and utilities.
That is what we call the PRAPANCHA.
So the second meaning of SAT is pure existence.
BRAHMAN is pure existence.
And then the third meaning is AY PRASASTE KARMANI.
Any type of activity, any good activity, karma is also called SAT.
That is why SAT KARMA.
PRASASTE KARMANI means the best activity.
So what is the difference now?
SADHU and PRASASTA.
So SADHU BHAVA refers to noble behavior, conduct, character.
It is in the context of good character, pure character, dharmic character.
But here it means, PRASASTE means any type of activity which promotes
or which helps us to move from TAMAS to RAJAS to SATVA GUNA is called PRASASTA KARMA.
The measurement is, is this karma, is this thought, is this speech, is this activity
helping me to move from a lower state to a higher state?
That's what we discussed.
Now Bhagavan Krishna gives two more meanings for this word SAT.
Very wonderful meanings.
YIGNE 27 verse 27
YIGNE TAPASI DAANEECHA STHITIHI SAT ITICHA PUCCHATI
KARMACHA EVA TADARTHIYAM SAT ITI EVA AVIDHIYATI
So steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and gifts etc. is also called SAT.
Important word is steadfastness.
And so too is any action connected either with the YIGNE, TAPAS, DAANA, FOOD.
These are the four important things.
So the fourth meaning of the word SAT means perseverance.
A commitment, a tremendous willpower.
That is called STHITI.
STHITI means commitment.
Like Bhagavan Buddha who said this body is not going to move
until I attain the illumination which is so difficult to attain
even after many thousands of years, many lakhs of years.
YIHASANE SUSHYATUME SHARIRAM TWAGASTI MAMSAM PRALAYANCHAYATU APRAAPYA BODHIM BAHUKALPA DURLABHAM NAIVA AASANATH KAAYAH ATAH CHALISHYATHE
That tremendous steadfastness.
Like Sai Ramakrishna, he showed the figure of Kalabhairava,
a small figure that is etched on the top of the what is called hall
where all meetings used to take place, kirtans used to take place.
Oh mind, you should never move until you complete your meditation.
Like that stone image of Bhairava.
And he said with that SANKALPA, before any Hindu does anything,
he takes a vow to God.
SANKALPA means a vow that I will not deviate,
I will not give up until I complete this action.
That vow is called SANKALPA.
Before doing puja or anything, we have to do that SANKALPA.
That steadfastness, that SANKALPA, not to be distracted,
not to give up what we decided to do in these four areas.
I will eat Sattvika food, I will worship Sattvika way,
I will perform austerities in a Sattvika way
and I will do also Dhanam, charity in a Sattvika way
and fulfil human life's meaning and get full meaning out of it.
I will not deviate from this effort even if the death intervenes,
even if any obstacle comes, I am not going to give up.
That SANKALPA is called STITHI.
So this is the fourth meaning, perseverance, commitment, etc.
The last, fifth meaning the Lord himself gives
and KARMACHAIVATADARTHIYAM, any other activity,
any other activity which will promote my travel towards Sattva guna
or worship of gods or austerity or charity,
which helps me to become a Sattvika person,
which will help me to get out of this SAMSARA,
of this bondage and that is also by proxy is called SAT.
This is the fifth meaning.
Simple example is a Buddhist,
either an extreme Buddhist, he goes to a crematorium
and he stays there by the side of a rotting corpse
in order to reinforce the idea, my body also,
even though it is alive now, one day it will have to pass away
and this would be the condition,
there is no difference between the body of a dog
and the body of me or anybody else for that,
a king, a philosopher, a poor man, a good person, an evil person,
the condition of the body is absolutely the same.
Body makes no difference.
Atman makes no difference.
It is only the mind, the Antahkarana,
where good, evil, small, big, literate, illiterate, knowledgeable and ignorant,
all these differences will come.
There is a story.
Once a Greek king went to the church
and besides the church, there was a huge crematorium
and to his great shock, he found his own philosophy teacher
searching furiously for something
and the king asked, sir, what are you searching for?
And the philosopher smiled
and perhaps he wanted to teach a lesson to the king.
He said, oh king, I am trying to find out
what is the difference between the body of a dead dog
and the body of a dead king like you.
That means once the body attains,
it is the same flesh, same blood, same everything,
subjected to same disease, etc.
All the sixfold changes.
So any activity which helps us to develop discrimination,
dispassion, control over body, mind,
pure sattva guna, it means and move,
helps us move towards God.
And this is the meaning Shankaracharya also gives.
With this 27, the 17th chapter is practically over.
But in the next shloka,
the Lord wants to point out something very important.
What is it?
The whole chapter is called Shraddha Tre Vibhaga Yoga.
That is to say Shraddha.
A man is none other than what his faith consists of,
what he truly, really believes in.
And if we examine also,
there is no exaggeration in the statement of the Lord.
Even we may be touting, mouthing,
big philosophical ideas.
But observe, let us observe the small activities,
even the minutest, how we eat, how we sit,
how we sleep, how we meditate, how we talk, everything.
Then that reveals our real quality.
And why are we like this?
Because of our Shraddha.
That means we are exactly our activities,
our thoughts, our speech, everything follows our faith.
And if we can develop this faith slowly,
according to the directions given by the Divine Lord,
then we will progress from Tamoguna,
that means lower state of consciousness,
to Rajoguna, a much higher state of consciousness,
and to Satvaguna, the highest state
anybody can achieve in this ephemeral world.
And a time will come and that Satvaguna
will act as a springboard for us
so that we dive deep into the ocean of Satchitananda.
So the Lord wants to emphasize in this last shloka,
beware, beware, beware.
If you do anything, even the best type of food,
best type of worship, best type of austerity,
and best type of dana, philanthropy, serving others,
if you are not endowed with Shraddha,
you are doing all these things without Shraddha,
without faith, carelessly,
then everything is, as we say, like ghee poured into fire.
It only becomes ashes and nothing is going to help us.
Everything turns into ashes.
There is a beautiful English saying,
when we do something wrong,
everything with the whole taste becomes bitter
and the whole mouth tastes only ashes.
So Tatra, this is what Shankaracharya,
he has a beautiful formulation,
Tatracha, in all our activities,
as we have discussed earlier,
Sarvatra, in every field of life,
Shraddha Pradhanataya,
because Shraddha is the most important point
we have to develop,
Sarvam Sampadhyati,
everything, including God Realization,
can be achieved if a person has got Shraddha,
Asmath, so because of this reason,
Asmath, therefore, so never neglect to develop Shraddha.
So this caution is there.
As regards those activities, sacrifice, etc.,
since in all cases,
everything is performed with the predominance of faith,
therefore, if anybody does anything without faith,
everything is futile.
That's being summed up in this 28th verse,
which we will read now.
Whatever sacrifice or gifts are made,
whatever austerity is practiced,
whatever ceremony,
religious, spiritual ceremony is observed,
it is all Asath,
that means completely fruitless,
non-existent.
How?
If these are done without Shraddha,
as I mentioned earlier,
the word faith is a very weak word,
English word,
but that is the best that we can use in English language.
Without faith if it is done,
as if it has not been done.
Non-existence means as if they have never been done.
It is of no account,
neither here while we are living on this earth,
nor hereafter,
after the body dies.
This is the most marvelous thing.
The Hindu philosophy has to be accepted.
This here or hereafter,
by implication they said here,
everybody accepts here,
but some people may not accept hereafter.
But the Lord is telling that
there is no such thing called
complete non-existence with the death of this body.
That is only a change of dress.
So there is a hereafter.
If anybody by mistake thinks,
I can do whatever I like,
I can harm anybody I like,
I can torture,
I can kill,
I can impose any amount of suffering on other people.
After all when I die,
nothing is going to happen to me
because this is the end.
My friend,
whether you know it or not,
your karmaphala is awaiting you.
So when the allied forces came to Germany,
to Berlin,
and this coward Hitler,
he could not,
he did not have the courage even to kill himself.
He had to employ his servant.
You shoot me.
And both he and his lover,
both of them have been shot dead.
He gave instructions
and they were carried out.
Pour petrol over our bodies
so the allied forces will not get even the ashes
and remove the ashes.
And that's what had happened.
But this person doesn't know
that you are going to suffer.
You are going to be born
because you are also a child of immortality.
You are not an offspring of Saturn.
You are created by God.
God is manifesting as you.
And for what purpose?
I am inserting it again and again.
Take care.
Take note of it.
Hitler and Genghis Khan,
these people are created by God,
by the Divine Mother.
These are called Asuras
about whom we have learnt a lot in our last chapter.
They are created by the Divine Mother.
What for?
For the exhaustion of evil people like us
who did some evil deeds,
who did some good deeds.
God only knows what is the percentage.
And so we think
just because we do not remember,
like a person in sleep
goes and murders somebody
and comes back
and he doesn't even remember.
We are also like that.
If I am suffering,
I have done something definitely wrong
in my past,
either in this life,
most often in the past birth.
So these people,
they are not doing it
for the sake of Muffat,
as a gift to us.
They are only doing the work of the Lord.
The Lord makes them His instruments
to make us,
to rectify us,
to purify us
if,
my child,
you do not come to me through pleasure,
I will make you come through pain,
through suffering.
To this,
with this meaning,
there is some English poem
which I do not exactly remember.
If you do not turn your face towards me,
with all these facilities I gave you,
at last,
through suffering,
you will come into my bosom
and then I will liberate you.
Then one question
automatically comes.
If these people,
should they be called evil?
They can be called evil
if they think
they are doing it
out of their own individual will.
But if they think
that I am an instrument
and I am inflicting all this
as an instrument
because I have no likes or dislikes,
I don't determine
I will do this or I will not do that.
Whatever situation the Lord puts me in
and I will fulfil that
and that,
such a person,
not only he will not incur any sin,
he is not an evil person,
he is the most spiritual person.
That is why in the Bhagavad Gita
it says,
Oh Arjuna,
you become a yogi
and then
yudhaya yujasva
you get ready to do yudha,
battle,
war,
participate in the war.
What is the main activity in the war?
Killing each other.
Either you kill
or you be killed.
Either you inflict suffering
or others will inflict suffering.
So,
this is pure activity
which illustrates
what the Lord has said
but if you act
as an instrument of the Lord,
not only you will not incur sin,
but on the other hand,
you will become a Satvika person
and that is called Karma Yoga.
Karma Yoga always doesn't mean
only evil activity,
good activity.
Sometimes it also
what people call
wrong activity,
evil activity
such as
a soldier
killing
the enemy soldiers etc.
But it must be Dharma Yudha.
That is to say,
an evil person,
under him
a soldier works.
Because he is a soldier,
he doesn't get the sin
but the leader will get the sin.
So, this person
if he does Karma Yoga,
whether right party,
wrong party,
all of them
are performing Karma Yoga
and that is how
they progress in life.
This is a side point.
A side point.
So, just keep it in mind.
So, the Lord is telling
Ashradhaya,
completely devoid of Shraddha,
whatever you do,
what activities,
Kotham,
whatever Yajnas,
whatever offerings you have done,
Dattam,
whatever philanthropy,
whatever charity you have done,
Tapaha,
Taptam,
whatever austerity
you willingly performed,
whatever you have,
Taptam,
Kritancha,
these three
and it includes also
that fourth department,
Ahara.
So, if it is done
without any
what is called
Shraddha,
Tat,
that everything
Upartha,
Asat,
Iti,
Uchchate,
as if it is nothing.
Nothing means
not that it doesn't
yield any result.
It yields in
evil result only.
That is what we have to say.
It doesn't do
much good.
The idea is not to
emphasize negativity
but the idea is
to emphasize
better to have Shraddha,
Shraddha in the scripture,
Shraddha in God,
Shraddha in one's teacher,
Shraddha in the elderly,
wise people
and then
this is how
life becomes meaningful.
Victor
says in
what is called
Man is a
meaning-seeking
animal.
Victor Frankl's
philosophy.
It is the most
wonderful philosophy
and if anybody
does even the
greatest things,
Nachatat,
Pretya,
Naya,
everything also
it doesn't
yield any good
result
and after death
of course
it doesn't
yield any
good result.
Here one question
inevitably can
come.
Here is a person
he may not
be having any
Shraddha
but he is doing
good things.
Will it not have
any effect?
Of course
according to
theory of Karma,
Karma Siddhanta,
every activity
even a smallest
activity
done with
devotion,
with discrimination
or without
it is going
to yield
but the idea
is it is better
to have
tremendous faith
otherwise the
result will be
very small,
very temporary,
very worldly.
It perhaps
it may go
to enforce,
to strengthen
the bondage
more
than
to
loosen
the shackles
to
aiding us
in getting more
liberation.
That is the
meaning of it
but as I
mentioned
earlier
that if
these activities
are done with
Shraddha
and if
there are
any defects
which are bound
to be
just simply
say
Om Tat Sat
or you can say
Hari Om Tat Sat
or you can say
say Ram Krishna
Om Tat Sat
and then
in the end
also
Hari Om Tat Sat
and in the
middle also
remember
Oh Lord
Oh Mother
I am doing
all these things
and I am doing
whatever best
I can do
with my small
capacity
but
you are there
and you take
pity upon me
and you
save me.
This is the
prayer
one has to do it.
So Ram Krishna
used to say
something
very wonderful.
Supposing
there is a person
he is behaving
exactly
in the
eyes of the
world
so
everything
he is eating
good food
Satvika food
he is dressing
Satvika
he does
everything
Satvika
but
if he
doesn't have
devotion to
God
he is
completely
worthless
but
even a
Chandala
even if he
is eating
forbidden food
for Hindus
beef
and pork
are supposed
to eat
but
even a
low caste
person
eating
these things
but
he is
having
devotion
to God
he is a
blessed
person
Ram Krishna
is exactly
reinforcing
because
Ram Krishna
is none
other than
Bhagwan
Krishna
Bhagwan
Rama
Jesus
Buddha
every
austerity
is practiced
whatever
ceremony
is observed
it is all
asat
non-existent
if it is
done without
faith
it is of no
account
here or hereafter
the meaning is
try to develop
Shraddha
then everything
becomes
absolutely fine
and along
with that
utter
the most
powerful
three
names of
God
Om
becomes
absolutely
wonderful
that is what
Shankaracharya
also
is
and then
he adds
a little bit
I will just
remind ourselves
that is
even if some
activity
is involving
great effort
it is of no
consequence
neither here
nor after
death
for producing
the desired
result
nor even
for any result
because
such a type
of activity
without Shraddha
is condemned
by the
wise people
and with this
by God's
grace
we have been
able to complete
the 17th chapter
called
Shraddha
Trayvibhaga
Yoga
now
I will try to
summarize
the 17th chapter
so the teachings
of this chapter
may be
summed up thus
there are
devotees
who are ignorant
of the scriptural
injunctions
and yet endowed
with Shraddha
or faith
and the faith
of these devotees
according to
its nature
may be characterized
as three
as belonging
to
either
Sattva
Rajas or
Tamas
these devotees
must cultivate
pure Sattva
by avoiding
what is called
undesirable
food
and through
the departments
of
right worship
right gift
right austerity
and
of these
that are of the
nature of
Rajas and Tamas
that means
Tamasika food
Tamasika worship
Tamasika austerity
Tamasika
dana
philanthropy
should be avoided
similarly
Rajasika
food
Rajasika worship
Rajasika
austerity
and Rajasika
gift
must be
avoided
but
here is a
but
we have to
take note of it
it is
far better
to do these
things
even with
endowed with
Tamasika Shraddha
than
not doing
at all
but far better
is to do it
with a
Rajasika attitude
still much
better
is if
these four
can be done
with a
Sattvika
attitude
and
that is how
it influences
whether we want it
or not
so
everybody should be
devoted to
Sattva
and to develop
Sattvaguna
is the only
goal of life
then everything
becomes
meaningful
and Sattvaguna
fulfills
every activity
purifies
every activity
gives us
the highest
result
and ultimately
like the
firing
mechanism
it catapults
us
towards
into the
ocean
of the
Satchitananda
Sagara
and we
become one
with it
so along
with that
if we can
also remember
constantly
these powerful
mantras
Om
Tat
Sat
and that
will help
us
enormously
thus
all these
mantras
purify
the minds
of the
devotees
now
at the end
of this
16th chapter
Krishna made
a statement
that is
scriptures
scriptural
guidance alone
should be
taken up by
everybody
if they want
to progress swiftly
with that
the 16th
chapter
ends
naturally
a question
arose in the
mind of Arjuna
with which
this chapter
begins
Arjuna's one
question was
suppose there are
people
for whatever
reason
they may be
illiterate
or
they may be
busy with
otherwise
and they don't
have anybody
to guide them
but
they are
trying their
level best
to do
these four
activities
food
austerity
worship
food
worship
without
scripture
scriptural
guidance
but with
Shraddha
so is that
acceptable
is it fine
and the last
verse
answers the
question
he says
if a person
is endowed
with Shraddha
whatever he
does
it will
gradually
purify the
devotee
if he is
non-Tamasic
it will
make him
Tamasic
a Tamasic
Shraddha
makes him
become Rajasic
and it again
lifts him
from a Rajasic
state
makes him
become Satvika
and from
Satvika
state
it will
take him
directly
towards
God
realization
so this
was the
question
and the
whole
chapter
until the
last
shloka
is the
answer
of
Arjuna
so
we will
divide
this
whole
chapter
into
three
parts
first
part
is
from
shloka
to
shloka
6
where
Krishna
answers
Arjuna's
question
regarding
faith
and in
the first
topic
we
will
divide
it
into
only
three
categories
Tamasika
Rajasika
and
Satvika
and
remember
everybody
has to
start
with
Tamasika
because
the
evolution
is
from
the
what
is
called
inorganic
monkeys
etc.
and
the first
life of
every human
being
will be
Tamasika
only
it is
a very
natural
thing
like a
small
child
ignorant
child's
life
so
that
person
if he
is but
endowed
with
amount
of
importance
food
and
worship
and
austerity
and
caring
and
sharing
Dana
this is
what we
have to
say
so
through
these
activities
that we
can
progress
from
lower
state
to a
higher
state
of
consciousness
and
to
become
one
with
God
the
highest
state
of
pure
consciousness
so
first
the
divine
lord
divides
every
human
being
as
either
endowed
with
Tamoguna
Rajoguna
or
as
the
divine
lord
of
all
beings
so
the
divine
lord
of
all
beings
is
only
the
divine
lord
of
all
beings
so
we
have
to
understand
the
divine
on the escalator called evolution.
There is no help for it, we can't jump off from it,
but if we do it consciously, with self-effort,
with concentration, with Shraddha,
the progress will be faster, that is all.
So, whole of life is divided into four categories,
food, worship and austerity,
and caring and sharing.
And these four departments are also subdivided
according to the Tattva Masika four activities,
Rajasika four activities, Sattvika four activities.
Why? Because by controlling these things,
by paying attention to these things,
that is how we progress from a lower state to a higher state.
That is to say, God has endowed us with
this body-mind instrument. This is the only instrument.
In the Katha Upanishad, this body-mind complex instrument
is called a Ratha. Ratha means a chariot.
Chariot means a vehicle. A vehicle is meant to take us
from one point to another point,
but in this analogy, from a lower point to a higher point.
This is how beautifully expressed in the Katha Upanishad,
and let us not forget, Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all the Upanishads,
and especially Katha Upanishad, the Lord has rephrased
many of the mantras into this Bhagavad Gita.
We get them in the second chapter,
and in the sixth chapter, and also in other chapters.
So, here it goes, in the Katha Upanishad,
third canto, first part, third canto,
mantras three and four.
The purpose of the Katha Upanishad is to tell,
just as if we want our journey to be pleasant, we have to
look after our vehicle, make it ready, equip it
with everything that we need on the way, and we should constantly
become alert, so that the journey, that is the horses,
that is our direction, must not deviate,
and must not fall into worldliness. We must
constantly be alert. If we can do that, very soon
such a person will realize the Atman.
So, our true Atman is the chariot here.
This body is the chariot
and our intellect, our understanding is the driver
and the mind through which we control the senses
both of knowledge as well as activity,
both inside and outside, that mind is called the
steering wheel, or the ropes with which we
control the horses, and what are the horses?
All the sense organs are the horses, and
what are the pathways? The world, consisting of all
the objects of enjoyment, and when
a person's mind is completely fixed upon
Atma, and then all his sense organs
are fixed upon reaching the goal called Atman, such a
person is called a Manishi, a wise person,
and he will reach the goal and he will rejoice forever.
So, before starting our spiritual journey, each one
of us have to ask, I am aspiring to spiritual
perfection, fine, but is my personality
spiritually travel worthy? If not,
let us make ourselves fit. So, this is
the topic, so the third topic
that is the topic of the second part of the 17th
chapter, and the third topic is naturally
whatever human beings do, defects are supposed to arise
so the Lord has given a sovereign remedy, that is
Brahman is named as three names, and
the names of God are called mantras, these three mantras are
most powerful, and if we can utter those mantras
with complete Shraddha, even without Shraddha, every
defect will be corrected, and
they all take us ultimately to God, and this is the topic
third topic from verse 23rd to 27
which deals with the significance of the famous mantra
Om Tat Sat, and this is the third and final topic
in the 28th, of course it is a warning, never
do anything without Shraddha, because the result will be
very small result, not that result will not be there
but the Lord is also indicating through this
no progress for earlier spiritual can be made
without God's grace, but self-effort, prayatna
must always be done according to our ability
so how to progress? I will take the help
of Ramakrishna, five commandments
and this is the one way to progress, how can we progress
from tamas to rajas to sattva and to
go beyond sattva guna, so first of all, the very first
thing, do I really desire
to progress, do I want spiritual life, do I want to progress in
spiritual life, do I really believe in God, do I believe
that by reaching God all my problems will be
solved, after all I am seeking deathlessness
and seeking true knowledge, I am seeking
complete happiness and God represents these three
called sat, chit and ananda and can I
get it, even if God exists, do I really
believe in myself and do I have faith in
myself and I can reach this goal, maybe others have reached
but maybe I may not be able to reach, no
so take a sankalpa, firm vow that I will not
whether I get the result or not
I will not cease to make the best effort
that I can, that's why before performing any puja
we all have to take sankalpa, take some water
some tila seeds, see some seeds and then
we have to pray to the Divine Lord, O Lord
make everything favourable so that I will fulfil this
your commandment, I will reach my goal, there is a
beautiful soktam called shraddha soktam
and if anybody is lacking shraddha, he should be able to
get this shraddha by God's grace, by
daily chanting of this shraddha soktam, even
you start without shraddha but through the grace
of the Bhagawan in the form, shraddha will come, faith
will come, understanding will come, dadami buddhi
yogam enate mam upayantite, the Lord himself
had promised, we have seen, if a person prays to me
with or without faith, I will bestow my grace, I will
grant him right understanding and through that he is going to reach me
here it goes, I am just giving you a sample of
this one, how marvellous it is, if somebody says
I do not have shraddha, here is the way to obtain shraddha
faith, you can say prayer for faith
this comes in the Rig Veda, 10th mandala
150 month section, mantras 1 and 5
so what is it, this shraddha, what does it
do, shraddha makes the fire burn splendidly, the
oblation offered with shraddha is accepted by the
God, shraddha is the best among all kinds of
wealth, this is most marvellous precious diamond of
a teaching, if anybody is endowed with shraddha
shraddha also can be defined as self confidence
nowadays so many companies are
helping people to attain
self confidence, for that there are courses are there through
speeches etc. but here it says the greatest
of the wealth is shraddha and if somebody is
endowed with shraddha, what is it that he will not attain, you want
worldly happiness, you will get, you want any kind of worldly happiness
you will get, you want spiritual happiness, you will get
there is nothing which is barred from the person
who is endowed with shraddha, but one must be endowed with
shraddha and for that a person must pray for the shraddha
that's why shraddha is the best among all kinds of wealth
and with that wealth we can obtain every type of wealth
therefore it says when should we have shraddha, all the time
so it says we invite the goddess shraddha
in the morning, we invite goddess shraddha at noon
and at sunset, oh goddess shraddha please bless us
that we may have shraddha in this life, at this time
and in this place, oh shraddha please help us
so this is where Ramakrishna's prayer comes
let us recollect, Ramakrishna says, mother has
revealed everything to me, I wept before the mother and
prayed, oh mother please tell me, please reveal to me
what the yogis have realized through yoga and the jnanis through
jnana and the mother has revealed everything to me
she reveals everything, if but the devotee cries
to her with a yearning heart, she has shown me everything
that is in the Vedas, in the Vedanta, in the Puranas
in the Tantra, in the Bible, in the Quran
in the Tripitaka, the divine mother
revealed to me in the Kali temple that it was she who had
become everything, she showed me that everything
was full of consciousness, the image was consciousness
the water was consciousness, the altar was consciousness
the water vessels were consciousness, the door seal
was consciousness, the marble floor was consciousness
everything was consciousness, to my divine mother
I prayed only for pure love, I offered flowers at her lotus feet
and prayed to her, just as in the Bible
Jesus taught the most wonderful
prayer to Christians, all Christians, all devotees
Sri Ram Krishna is teaching us this prayer
mother, here is thy virtue, here is thy voice
take them both together and grant me only pure
love for thee, here is thy knowledge, here is thy ignorance
take them both and grant me only pure love for thee
here is thy purity, here is thy impurity
take them both mother and grant me only pure love for thee
here is thy dharma, here is thy adharma, take them both
mother and grant me only pure love for thee
this is how we pray to the Lord
to give us Shraddha, first is Sankalpa, firm
determination, second is prayer for Shraddha to be
endowed with faith, if we pray, whether you remember
Sanskrit Shraddha, Shukta or not, but
wholehearted prayer will be heard by the Divine Lord
I remember a beautiful story from
a Russian Lord, there was
a cobbler, he was a great devotee of Jesus Christ
God, and he was illiterate, how he could
hardly, a little bit he learnt how to read the
prayer, Christian prayer, father
in heavens etc, so one day in a hurry
he forgot to bring his prayer book, so he could not
read out the prayer, he doesn't remember, then he
turned, he lifted up his head towards the
heaven and he prayed, Lord you know
I am illiterate, I don't remember anything, but here is what
we will do, I will slowly utter the
alphabet A, B, C, D etc, you
make them into the proper words of prayer
and that is how I am able to with your help pray
and he started A, B, C, D
and the Lord who hears even the footfalls of an ant
as Ramakrishna says, turned towards Archangel Gabriel
and said this is the greatest prayer
I heard and that is the greatest, prayer is more than
enough, so then what is the third way, cultivate
Satsanga, Bhakti Yoga, this is the second commandment
of Ramakrishna, cultivate Satsanga, what is the first
commandment, God realization is the only goal and
try for that through four yogas, combination of four yogas
cultivate holy company, that is represents
Bhakti Yoga, then fourth, now and then
go into solitude and
without being distracted by any worldly thought,
concentrate your mind and pray longingly to the Divine Lord
this prayer in solitude is most
wonderfully emphasized by every saint and sage
that is why Christian saints have taken refuge in the desert
they are called desert fathers, the most spiritually
advanced people on earth, so go into
solitude, solitude also means that I
and only God exist, nothing else exists, that feeling is
called solitude, that is why I think it was
Whitehead who said, spirituality
what is spirituality, it is the flight of
the alone to the alone, that is what Saint John of the Cross
says, the dark night of the soul, when the whole world
becomes subsided, the soul and the Divine Lord
guides it slowly towards himself, this is the
solitude, fifth, practice viveka, always
discriminate and as I put it so
nicely, anything can happen to anybody
at any time, at any place
in any way, if we can practice this
nothing can surprise us and that will gradually
intensify our spiritual life, sixth
now and then going into solitude is called
Raja Yoga, represents Raja Yoga, practicing discrimination
represents Jnana Yoga and
live like a maid servant in a rich man's house, this represents
Karma Yoga, do what best you can with the idea
I am doing it for pleasing the Divine Lord, Ishwara
arpana buddhi and whatever result comes now or in future
accept it gladly, just as we accept prasada
gladly, Ishwara prasada buddhi
and then the last step is complete
sharanagathi, completely
surrender yourself, remember the six
conditions of sharanagathi
that is to say, I take a vow, I will do
what pleases the Lord, I will never do what
displeases the Lord, only the Lord can save me
I choose the Lord and no other object in this world
to look after me, to take my responsibility and to
save me and I transfer all my responsibilities
to the Divine Lord, on to the shoulders of the Divine Lord
thereafter, O Lord, this sharanagathi
surrender, I have been able to do only
because of Thy grace, this is called sharanagathi
so, first sankalpa, firm determination
second is prayer, so that we may be endowed
with faith, third is cultivate holy company
fourth, cultivate solitude, fifth, practice
discrimination, sixth, live a detached
life, whatever we do and finally complete sharanagathi
why did I mention this one?
because at the end, in the next chapter, the Lord sums up
18th chapter, it is summing up of the entire Bhagavad Gita
and this entire Bhagavad Gita is summed up in words
giving up, reliance upon self effort, upon every other yoga
completely surrender yourself to me
and I will give you liberation, I will give you, make you my own self
this is the very essence, with this, by the God's grace
we have been able to complete the 17th chapter
and as I said, from next class onwards
we will begin the 18th chapter, which is
a summation of the entire 16 chapters that we have
discussed before and we will do it from next
class onwards
janameem sharadam devihim, ramakrishnam jagadgurum
padapadme tayo sridhva, pranamaham imuhurmuhu
may Sai Ramakrishna holy mother and Swami Vivekananda
bless us all with bhakti, Jai Ramakrishna

[[Category:Bhagavad Gita]]