Bhagavad Gita Ch18 part 32 on 03 April 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Mohur Moho Om Vasudevasutam Devam Kamsachanuram Ardhanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum Sarvopanishadogavo Dogdha Gopalanandana Partho Vatsa Sudhir Bhokta Dogdham Geetam Ritam Mahat Mukam Karoti Vachalam Pangum Langayate Girim Yat Kripatamaham Vande Paramanandamadavam So in our last class we have been studying the 55th verse Bhaktiya Mam Abhijanate Yavanyas Chahasmi Tattvataha Tato Mam Tattvato Jnatva Vishate Tadanantaram By that devotion a spiritual aspirant knows me, knows in truth who I am and what I am. Then, having known me in truth, he forthwith enters into me. We have been discussing this particular shloka. This is one of the ultimate knowledges that is being conveyed. Several points need to be taken into consideration. We always have to keep these points in view. The first point is Bhakti is so much emphasized. Bhakti means true devotion. That means every bhakta, by the grace of God, is going to attain to that supreme knowledge and the Lord, out of His infinite mercy, is going to enlighten him. What is He going to enlighten? Enlighten the devotee who He is and who we are and what is the relationship between Him and us. As soon as that knowledge comes, the devotee forthwith, without the slightest delay, becomes one with the Lord. What is that knowledge? Only God exists. I am nothing but a pale reflection of the Divine Lord. That is what is being explained here so beautifully. Remember, we are coming to the end of the Bhagavad Gita and the Lord having expounded all the four yogas, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. So Karma Yoga in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 5th. Everywhere it is there, but these are the 3rd and 5th chapters mainly. In the 12th chapter, about Bhakti Yoga, so many qualities the Lord had outlined. About Yoga in the 6th chapter, completely devoted to what we normally call Raja Yoga, the path of meditation. And Jnana Yoga right from the 2nd chapter and in between also 9th chapter, 13th chapter, of course in the 18th chapter also, He has been outlining it. But then the Lord knows and that's what Sri Ramakrishna had emphasized again and again. For this Kali Yoga, Bhakti Yoga is the most suitable age. Why is it so? Because mostly we are ruled by emotions. There are some people who have very few emotions. For them perhaps either the path of Yoga or the path of knowledge are more suitable. But for most of us, we feel that we are small and God is big. We are the servants of God. He is our master. We are His children. He is our mother as well as father, as well as teacher, etc. Protector. We have to be protected and He is the protector. So these ideas are very firmly fixed in our mind and that is why we will have to follow this particular mode because that is our outlook on life. And the Lord also seems to be strengthening, agreeing with us. Bhakti Yoga ultimately is the only one. Yes, you can follow any path. You can do sadhana. Success can come only when we are humble, when we take refuge in God, when we fall at His feet and say, Oh Lord, without Your grace, I am not going to progress. I am not going to even move one millimetre from here. And that complete reliance is what is advocated by Sri Ramakrishna. We should have the attitude of a kitten. That is one way of Sharanagati. And that is most suitable for us. With this background, let us go a little bit into this Bhakti. What is Bhakti? Devotion. What is devotion? That you are my father, mother, my master, my protector, my knowledge giver, my guru, everything. You are my everything. This is the fruit of whether a person practices Gnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Dhyana Yoga, or any type of religion, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Atheism, it doesn't matter. And Bhagavan Krishna. Here, whenever we use the word Krishna, we have to understand Krishna means Parabrahma in the form of Eshwara, in the form of the Guru, not an individual called Krishna. So, the Lord says, such a devotee who surrenders himself to Me, knowing Me as everything, he knows Me only through Bhakti. And this Bhakti is in the form of knowledge. There is no difference between knowledge and Bhakti. And such a devotion is the real Bhakti of a Gnani, of a Bhakta, of a Yogi, of a Karma Yogi. Tatvatah Abhijanati. When a person really humbles himself, surrenders himself, Tatvatah. Without the least bit of mistake, 100% complete. That is why He used the word Abhijanati. Janati means to know, but Abhijanati means complete knowledge. Of what? That is what we have to understand when this aspirant attains to this supreme devotion, which is supreme knowledge. Parabhakti Parajnana. The spiritual aspirant comes to know the real nature of God and with that help of the realization, the devotee's sadhana becomes complete. So, what does God reveal? So, who He is. So, mam cha me yah, who I am in reality. What is it? That I am both the formless as well as with form. I am with qualities. I am without qualities. I am the nirguna. I am the saguna. I am with form. I am also formless. And anybody who has this knowledge that the world is not there, excepting God. That means there is no second object called the world. It is nothing but God with the dress, with the form, with the name, with the qualities of the same Parabrahma. So, not only that, that in whatever way a person approaches me, let the person entertain. Whatever knowledge he has of me, it doesn't matter. The only thing I see is sincerity. If a person is endowed with sincerity, is trying his best, then I will draw him. I will protect him. I will reveal to him everything. Sri Ramakrishna used to say there are children and they don't know how to pronounce even to say Baba, Father. No. They say Pa or Ba. And the father's love for that child will in no way be less because he understands my child is calling me only but he is not capable of calling me like the grown-ups. So, I will tell you everything. This is called complete knowledge. What is it? You close your eyes, that is God. You open your eyes, that is also God. What is the difference? With closed eyes, we don't see any name form. But with open eyes, when I say closed eyes, I mean real Samadhi, Nirvikalpa Samadhi. With open eyes means when we are aware of this world, that is called Eshwara, that is called Samudha Brahma. That is what the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and many other scriptures are also telling. I will give you a complete picture of it with a bit of quotations. Now, anybody who says I have Nirvikalpa Samadhi but this world is Maya, such a person has not been granted the true vision of God. We can take the example of Totapuri Maharaj, the very teacher, Vedantic teacher of Sri Ramakrishna. He attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi. How come? When he opened his eyes, he was only seeing what is called unreality, mithya, seeming reality, but not real reality. He should have seen like Sri Ramakrishna. Open your eyes, it is the same Eshwara. Close your eyes, it is the same Eshwara. The difference is without form or with form. So Sri Ramakrishna is telling as if he is expounding this very fifty-fifth onwards, sloka onwards. Sri Ramakrishna says one cannot get true feeling about God from the study of books. This feeling is something very different from book learning. Books, scriptures and signs appear as mere dirt and straw after the realization of God. But how does this devotee attain to that realization? Sri Ramakrishna continues, A devotee can know everything when God's grace descends upon him. If you but realize him, you will be able to know all about him. Then he himself will reveal to you how many houses he owns and all about his gardens, etc. The one thing needful is to be introduced to the master of the house. Then the master himself will tell you all about his wealth, his property, his houses, his gardens, his government securities. Sri Ramakrishna is also a fun master. He adds, and what is more, once you come to know the master, the servants and the doorkeeper will salute you when you are known to the master. Everybody laughs who is hearing this expression of Sri Ramakrishna. One devotee now raises the question. Now the question is how to become acquainted with the master of the house, meaning God, master. That's why I say that work is necessary. Here Sri Ramakrishna means sadhana is necessary, spiritual effort is necessary. It will not do to say that God merely exists and then idle away your time. You must reach God and somehow or other call on Him in solitude and pray to Him. O Lord, reveal Thyself to me. Weep for Him with a longing heart. What was Sri Ramakrishna saying? I can put it this way. Practice the five commandments of Sri Ramakrishna. Every religion gives these commandments in different words. So what is the essence of the commandments? God alone is existent. Everything depends upon Him. To realize God is the only goal of life. So cultivate holy company. Now and then go into solitude. Always practice discrimination between that which is non-changing and that which is changing. And continuously live in this world like a maid servant living in the house of a rich person. These are the five commandments. And then God bestows His grace. And through that grace God reveals Himself. So important point is without God's revelation it is impossible to know what is God and who is God. And we have got corroborating, supporting quotations. Purusha Sukta says He is a million-headed person. And He has got million eyes. He has got million hands. He has got million legs. That means what we call the world is nothing but God. Then it is also in the Narayana Sukta. This entire world, cosmos, existence, this world is nothing but that Purusha who is manifesting in the form of thousand heads, thousand hands, thousand legs, etc. And He is upholding this entire cosmos with only one hundredth of His power. He, the Purusha, envelops the world from all sides and extends beyond the ten directions. From the very first mantra the whole universe is nothing but it is a manifestation of Ishwara. Bhagavad Gita, 10th chapter, we have seen 42nd verse Oh Arjuna, I have already expounded so many of my glories but you don't need to remember anything of that. This entire universe which is almost infinite in our eyes I am upholding it with just one infinitesimal part of my being. And then again this Narayana Upanishad Whatever all this universe is seen or heard of pervading all this from inside and outside alike stands supreme that eternal divine being Narayana. This is what He is and what in Himself He is and what He has or how He is manifesting. And then we have got Isha Vashashloka And Sri Ramakrishna says one must pray to God and surrender. This is exactly what Bhagavan Krishna is telling or what Sri Ramakrishna is repeating what Bhagavan Krishna had said in this Bhagavad Gita. Sri Ramakrishna says I pray to the Divine Mother and He says there is another way earnestly praying to God. God is our very own. We should say to Him Oh God, what is Thy nature? Reveal Thyself to me. Thou must show Thyself to me. For why else hast Thou created me? Then Sri Ramakrishna taught the devotees how to call on the Divine Mother, Master. I used to pray to Her in this way. Oh Mother! Oh Blissful One! Reveal Thyself to me. Thou must. Again I would say to Her Oh Lord of the lowly! Oh Lord of the universe! Surely I am not outside this universe. I am bereft of knowledge. I am without discipline. I have no devotion. I know nothing. Thou must be gracious and reveal Thyself to me. Thus the Master taught the devotees how to pray. They were deeply touched. Tears filled Mahimacharan's eyes. And we have to quote what we have discussed in the practically 15th mantra of the Isavasya. The devotee did his best. He progressed to a great extent. But then he could not remove the power of maya, the veil of maya which is covering the face of the Truth. Then he surrenders himself and says Thy face is covered with a golden lid. Remove that opotion, that I, a devotee of Truth, may behold it. And once that kind of self-surrender comes, as I mentioned yesterday, what is surrender? To be ready to receive the grace of God which is God or our Mother is ever ready to bestow. Then as soon as we are ready, the just grace flows into us like light and air. As soon as we open the doors and windows, you don't need to invite. Automatically they flow inside. So the Lord will Himself enter inside us. In what form? In the form of knowledge. He is Then knowing me in reality, after that He enters in the sense that once He knows who is Parameshwara, then He says, there is nothing else besides Parameshwara. There is I do not exist other than Him. And so in this way, the Jeeva resolves in the recognition of Parabrahma. So this liberation, that is the ability to open, to surrender and to open for the grace of the Divine to enter into us. How to attain? There are only two things. I have to surrender myself to God and how do I do that? Through my activities. Through getting rid of I and mine. Through not expecting any result. But surrendering everything to God and say, O Lord, I offer everything to You. Now You do what You like with me, like a child to like a baby. Totally surrendering itself into the arms of the mother and the baby never is worried, never stops to think what to do, what not to do. And that is being explained in this 56th verse. So with a view to inducing every spiritual aspirant to adopt to Karma Yoga, but with very special emphasis on Bhakti, on devotion, the Lord now glorifies Karma Yoga, but dominated by Bhakti. That is the essence of the 56th verse. We are all utilitarians, unfortunately, but we should become like a child, like a baby. A baby doesn't think, what do I get by surrendering myself to mother? That thought never enters. That is why Jesus Christ says, unless you die and is reborn as a child, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. So this is what is said, even though engaged in all kinds of action, a man who has taken refuge in Me reaches, by My grace, the eternal and imperishable abode. Performing, discharging, in the form of Karma Yoga. Always. That is, whatever activity is enjoined upon Me according to My quality of life, according to the caste I am born, according to My nature, these two, in Sanskrit we call it Varna Dharma and Ashrama Dharma. When a person is 60 years old and still running after the world, he is worse than a baby. In fact, no comparison. A baby just behaves like a baby, but this fellow is behaving like an idiot. So whatever duties are enjoined upon Me by this scripture, Varna, Ashrama Dharma, plus any incidental activity that takes place, we must discharge with the utmost devotion and offering everything to the Divine Lord, which includes complete dedication, complete concentration, complete devotion, and then taking complete refuge in the Divine Lord. What happens? Then My divine grace starts flowing into this person, fills it inside and outside. And by My grace, by My pleasure, by My will, such a child of Mine, what does he attain? He attains Me. Who are you? That is why before doing puja, every person who does the puja, the worship, he has to... The goal is to attain to that state of Vishnu. Who is Vishnu? The All-pervading One. The All-pervading. Where is He? Not somewhere in heaven, not somewhere else, but everywhere. Where is not God? God is everywhere. This is the essence we will just briefly discuss. Even though engaged in all kinds of action, this spiritual aspirant has taken complete refuge in Me. And by that very action of taking refuge, what happens? He obtains My grace. And what happens when he obtains My grace? I will just remove, cut all his bonds. Paravari means the Divine Lord who is both with form and without form, who is both the Saguna Brahma and Nirguna Brahma, and who is infinite, who is eternal, and there is nothing else besides Him. There is no Dhritiya. He is pure Advaita. His grace descends upon Me. What happens? The knots of the heart are cut asunder. All doubts are destroyed forever. All bondages of the Karma, past, present and future, are completely burnt out. And then what does this person say? He doesn't say, I am one with God. He says, I am God. That is the state, Shashvatam Avyayam Padam. Shashvatam means eternal. Avyayam means undecaying, imperishable status. It is not a state. It is not a place. It is a state of knowledge, complete knowledge. But for that, one must take refuge. It means what? My body belongs to you. My mind belongs to you. This world belongs to you. And my body and mind, which is trying to interact with this world all the time, whether it is in the waking state, or dream state, or even in deep sleep state, I am only journeying in you, and nowhere else. And this is called Karma Yoga. Remember, Karma Yoga has two important factors. One, discharge your duties to the best of your ability, with tremendous sincerity, concentration, rationality, and devotion. Offer them, I do these things, only to please you, as brother Lawrence tells, Oh Lord, I will not pick up a straw, if it is not for pleasing you. That is the attitude of a Karma Yogi, endowed with the highest Bhakti. Then what happens? Sarva Karma Anyape, Sada Kuruvano. He doesn't simply sit and say, Oh Lord, I have taken refuge in you. Now you must come and do, whatever needs to be done. No. This person says, Oh Lord, it's my duty to serve you. I have been born here. I know what to do. I know how many activities I have to do. These are my duties, and I will discharge perfectly, but I will not expect any result from them. I will only offer them for your pleasure. And that is called Niyatam Karma, prescribed duty. Swabhavajam Karma, duties which naturally are the expressions of our nature, whether we are Sattva-dominated, Rajas-dominated, or Tamas-dominated. This is why everywhere there are commandments, commandments of Bible. You remember, Moses brought from God 10 commandments. What about Jesus? Yes. The Sermon on the Mount is nothing but a commandment. It is not a suggestion. It is not a classroom lecture, but it is a commandment. So blessed are the poor, blessed are the pure, blessed are those who love others, etc. They are commandments. Then only we can claim, I am His and He is mine. Such a Karma Yogi gives up dependence on all actions, and their fruit in the form of all enjoyments, and takes complete refuge in God, having dedicated His body, including His mind and senses, and all its activities as well, as their fruit also to God. He no longer treats them as His own. A true Karma Yogi never says, this body is mine, this mind is mine, I am practicing Karma Yoga. No. As I said earlier, five factors are involved in every activity. This Karma Yogi knows, everything comes from God, the body-mind comes from Him, is a constituent of five elements, five elements from God, ultimately everything comes from God, nothing belongs to me, neither body, nor mind, nor the world. And with that, He no longer treats His body, mind, His actions as His own, withdraws His attachment from them, and ceases to anchor for anything, and remains exclusively dependent and devoted on God. He looks upon God as His supreme goal, the highest object of His love, His greatest well-wisher. So God is the only object, He doesn't have any other desire in His bucket list, and He knows, God is my highest object of love, and God is my greatest well-wisher, and He is my greatest supporter, and He is my sole refuge, and with this knowledge, like a baby in the lap of the mother, remains cheerful under any circumstances, accepting them at the will of the God-Divine Mother. Then God also takes care of him. This is the greatest lesson we have to learn. Thinking only about God, not thinking anything else. If a person devotes his life to God, even if he doesn't do anything, God will take complete care of him, as a mother takes of a baby. So what does happen? The mother carries this baby. Here we are talking, the Divine Mother carries such deeply devoted and those who have taken refuge. The Divine Mother carries this child literally on her shoulders and puts him in his place, that is to say, the highest eternal position, that is to say, the knowledge of Brahma. So Padam means what? This Padam means that highest state of being, and that is variously described. Satchitananda are the three terms. Sathyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma is another word. There are almost an infinite number of words used. Why? Because it is impossible to describe, except indirectly. Whatever words a person uses, even a sage uses, he feels, I think I have not been able to express that highest state properly. So he brings in more words. Again he feels the same thing and brings in still more words. And ultimately he gives up all attempts and says, Neti Neti, not this, not this, and I have done my best. That Sathyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma, truth, consciousness and bliss is called Shashvatam Padam and it is what is Avyayam. Once a person reaches, there is no fall from it, there is no Vyaya, there is no decay, there is no change and that is most important for us. No taking refuge in me, performing one's duties only to please the Divine Lord alone and not to earn any result for himself. That is what are the important takeaways from this verse. You perform wherever God keeps you, accept it with the idea, God has kept me here. I am the husband, I am the wife, I am a clerk, I am a manager, I am a CEO, I am the Prime Minister, I am the President, whatever it doesn't really matter. I am a cab driver or I am a gymnast, what is called trainer, it doesn't matter. What we do is not important. How we do is important. Then the Divine Lord will rush forward, take us into His lap and He Himself will carry us to His Yogakshemam Vahamyaham. So what is Yogakshema? One meaning of it is He brings whatever is necessary as Divine Mother brought to Sri Ramakrishna, all the Gurus, all the implements, all the things necessary for the sadhana, including construction of the temple, etc. That is a lower meaning. Higher meaning is He will take him to Himself and establishes in the bedroom like a mother prepares the best bedroom for the baby even if she has to suffer and then she protects the baby even at the cost of her life. This analogy is inadequate because God never lacks anything and God doesn't need to protect anybody, this person and God. The separation will be totally removed. They become one and that is the meaning of Sharanagati. That is the result of Sharanagati. And that is beautifully expounded in this 56th verse. We move on to 57th verse. Extolling thus the man who practices Karma Yoga with the element of Bhakti pondering in it, the Lord now commands Arjuna to become such a Karma Yogi. We have seen how many times. So getting rid of your delusion, now you participate. Why? Because this is a Dharma Yudha and it is very fortunate people only who get. And it is your duty. We will see soon. Even if you refuse, I am not going to take a no. I will just take hold of your neck, catch hold of it and anyway make you do it. If you do it voluntarily, then I will be pleased. But otherwise I will make you do. Because I know what is for your good. If you cooperate, it is marvelous. Less suffering, less hardship. But if you don't, anyway I will make you go through it. So Bhagavan Krishna is advising Arjuna, Oh Arjuna, what is your duty? Not at home, not when war is over or before the war started or after the war is over or when you are administering the kingdom. No. Right now, at this very moment, your duty and only duty and no other duty is to fight these evil-minded people and I will be there with you all the time guiding you, guiding the chariot of Arjuna. If we do not understand that in the proper light, then our understanding lacks a lot. What does it mean? What is that chariot? That is Arjuna's body-mind. What is that battlefield? At that moment, his prescribed duty of fighting and he surrendered himself and Krishna himself had consented, I will guide you. And this is what every Hindu practically every day does it and also teaches to their children in the form of Gayatri Mantra. We meditate upon that pure spiritual effulgent light of the Divine Lord. May that Divine sit in my buddhi, intellect, and guide me. The intellect is compared to the Sarathi, driver. So the real driver is Krishna, is Bhagawan Himself, the highest knowledge, the highest viveka gnanam that is going to guide Arjuna's life. In fact, I will not allow you to do anything. Remember, here is some funny thing. Arjuna was rearing to fight and in those days, they had to arrange the armies in a particular position's strategy and there are what is called Garuda Vyuha, Padma Vyuha, Sarpa Vyuha, and so many Vyuhas are there. So Arjuna wanted to have a good glimpse at it so that he can formulate his own strategy, arrange his own army to counter. This was all science taught by Dronacharya to both Kauravas and Pandavas. What did Krishna do? He straight took him and kept the chariot not in the middle as requested by Arjuna but right in front of Bhishma, Drona. And immediately he saw and he forgot. And moha, delusion, this is my grandfather, this is my teacher, they love me, I love them, how am I going to harm them, kill them, destroy them? The whole Bhagavad Gita comes with that. Now Sri Krishna had taught him even if you don't kill, they are already one foot in the grave, they are going to die, so do not think a second time. So the Lord is going to tell once more like a loving mother, like a loving teacher which has been told umpteen number of times. How long? Until we never forget it. A small analogy is a baby is growing up, mother wants the baby to develop the habit of brushing the teeth and then washing the mouth. Otherwise breakfast will not come. At first she herself puts the toothpaste and goes on brushing the gums of the baby. And later on she does this. And slowly the baby learns unless I do this breakfast will not be available. And at least for the sake of breakfast Osan doing it very hurriedly, somehow very quickly but then when it grows, it understands, then it becomes a habit. We don't think twice whether we should brush our teeth or not. That is how Bhagavan, the Shruti, the scripture Osan cautioning us repeating it until we don't forget. That is the idea. So in the 57th it is telling Arjuna practice Karma Yoga. But it has already been said. What is the speciality? This Karma Yoga with great devotion you will have to take refuge in me. Whatever you do you have to do only for my pleasure and depend totally upon me whatever result when I want to give how much I want to give where I want to give in what form I want to give don't even think twice. Just completely close your eyes do what you need to do and I will do what I need to do towards you. That advice is being given in the 57th shloka. As I mentioned just now these are not ideas completely new. The same old ideas as I mentioned earlier 18th chapter is a recollection summary of all the 16 and half chapters that we had discussed earlier. Why 16 and half? Because the first chapter is only a background a story to bring this teaching. It is a peg to hang on Bhagavad Gita. Only with the 11th verse of the 2nd chapter the real teaching of Bhagavad Gita starts and it ends with the end of the 17th chapter. That's why I said 16 and half or a little more than half. That's all. So Surrendering in thought all actions to me regarding me as the supreme goal and practicing steadiness of mind fix your heart, O Arjuna constantly on me. So that is karma means action. Action means not useless action. We have to be very discriminative and say that only those duties according to our class in society according to our station in life or age in life to which ashrama do we belong in the student's life or married life or semi-retired life or totally retired life everybody has his own peculiar duties are there and a person who doesn't follow who doesn't have the common sense even to know which duties belong to which stage of life such a person has to suffer a lot. One of our senior swamis used to say here is a moustached person he is retired he can't be with rest he can't enjoy life so he wants to be in the center of action he will sit right at the kitchen and he will go on watching everybody and then if he is a businessman he doesn't want to give up his business he goes on to the office and even though he was committing mistakes he doesn't want to hand over how many times the children tell him Papa you deserve well deserved rest go and take rest read whatever you want to read and enjoy your life whatever cinemas you want to enjoy whatever books you want to enjoy whether you want to play cards whatever it is of course if somebody is interested in spiritual life it's much better somebody is interested in philosophy that is also far superior but if a worldly person is at least go and enjoy your life and otherwise restlessness is a terrible demon that sits upon your head and it will enslave you and will not give you any rest that is what is building chetasa by thought because karmas are done by the body karma yoga is done by the attitude so we have to understand sarva karmane mayi sanyasya means oh lord whatever I am doing is for pleasing you this body is to serve you this mind is to adore you whatever actions body mind do it is to please you and I don't want anything what do you want then? I want you I don't want what you want to give me I want only you that is the word used I am the supreme desire every great devotee at this stage of spiritual progress understands that ultimately there cannot be any greater desire than desiring the supreme lord because he is my mother he is my father and I have come from there I have to reclaim my inheritance that is called matparah me at the highest goal then buddhi yogam upashritya taking refuge in the buddhi yoga what is the buddhi yoga? with that understanding that everything belongs only to you everything oh lord mind, body, the cosmos there is nothing which is separate from you which doesn't belong to you therefore it is wrong for me to think something I have which belongs to me which I want to offer to you such a thing doesn't arise if we go on practicing what happens? your mind will be totally fixated it will not think anything else excepting me this is the meaning very little we will expound it the man who resigns all his actions to god feels that his mind, his senses his body and all the activities performed by this body, mind and everything in the world they belong to god and accordingly to seize us to look upon any of this as his own he withdraws attachment from them and no longer craves for anything he believes that he is capable of doing anything why? because it is god who infuses the necessary energy into him we have to take special note of this word that a devotee never has any doubt if we have doubts we have not reached that sense of devotion a child says that I have my mother she can do anything, everything a child has absolutely no doubt my mother or my father can do anything so take care how you are treating me this is the complete self confidence of the devotee not in himself but because he trusts in the divine lord who is infinitely powerful infinitely wise infinitely foreseeing and he knows what is good infinitely loving so that is the attitude of a karma yogi and believing this completely never cherishing even the least bit of doubt about it he continues to perform all actions according to his behest according to the lord's behest and for the sake of the lord and under the guidance and inspiration of the lord acting as a mere instrument or puppet we see earlier in the 11th chapter Oh Arjuna, I have already done what needs to be done I am doing all the time future also I will do whatever I did in the past that was done by me only you just be an instrument that is all all that you need to do is you think you are the instrument and I will get things done through this instrumentality so buddhi yoga means what? with this attitude only to please the divine lord and then whatever happens as a result because even though a devotee depends upon god but immediately there will be some result whether it is winning or losing profit or loss honour, dishonour success, failure these are things that happen so viewing success and failure joy and sorrow gain and loss and similarly objects and living beings as alike is what is referred to here as buddhi yoga that means he is completely unruffled let us also recollect the second definition of yoga is complete calmness of mind is called yoga therefore believing that whatever happens whatever happened whatever is happening whatever is going to happen in this world is controlled by the will and promptings of god such a devotee no longer entertains the discriminative feelings of raga, dvesha, attraction and aversion delight and grief in respect of the various objects living beings and occurrences and remains equipoised under all circumstances is said to have taken recourse to the yoga of equanimity samatvam let us apply it Russia is battling Ukraine by whose will? we immediately jump we means the devotees it is Russia's fault or Russia has done right whatever opinion we cherish no, it is the divine mother who is doing it why is she doing? there must be a reason she is not obliged to tell us but every devotee must cherish this spiritual attitude and but for whom? for a devotee I am the supreme supreme lord supreme mother supreme father supreme goal and everything belongs to him therefore cherishing this attitude if a person goes on discharging his duties as I said with sincerity with concentration by using rationality how to do it properly and offering everything to the divine lord slowly his mind it will never forget God that is called even so this person his mind and intellect irrevocably is fastened on God conceiving not the least attachment for anyone because attachment means thoughts will go to that person or to that object this aspirant remains solely engaged in thinking of God in terms of exclusive love even a moment's gap in the thought of God becomes unbearable to him Narada in his Bhakti Sutra says when a man's mind is totally attained to this state this so even one second's forgetfulness of God tremendous restlessness yearning why did I forget happens but it happens naturally but until that time we have to make it unnatural that means we have to go on practicing it so this is what earlier also we have seen whatever a person is doing in the we have seen fifth chapter whatever I am doing I am taking breath and leaving breath outside I am moving my hands and feet my mind is thinking my eyes are watching my ears are hearing my tongue is tasting whatever be the activity I am not doing it is the Prakruti it is the nature it is the Divine Maya which is doing its own job I have nothing to do I am just a mere instrument so I do nothing at all though seeing, hearing touching, smelling eating, going sleeping, breathing speaking, emptying holding, opening and closing the eyes firm in the thought that the senses move among the sense objects finally we have also seen in the ninth chapter in the 65th verse also of the present chapter always think of me be devoted to me worship me offer obeisance to me having dedicated your mind and body to me you will certainly come to me Arjuna this is how you will slowly practice and that is the true measure of complete self surrender not simply mouthing some words then my grace flows into you and then I will reveal myself who I am and what I am who I am I am the only reality what I am whatever you are seeing hearing tasting touching smelling acting interacting your emotions your body your mind your universe it is nothing but me called Ishwara so that is what this is how it is a hint for all of us in and through Arjuna's instrumentality ultimately the message is you surrender yourself to me beautiful verse 58th onwards also we will what happens when God's grace comes we will discuss next week May Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti