Bhagavad Gita Ch18 part 14 on 30 January 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADME TAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM VASUDEVASUDAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURAMARDANAM DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM SARVO PANISHADO GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANA PARTHO VACCHA SUDHIR BHOKTA DOGDHAM GAYATAM RITAM MAHAT MUKAM KAROTE VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATE GIRIM YAT KRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM We have been studying the essence of the Bhagavad Gita in this 18th chapter. In our yesterday class, we have been discussing in details three types of doers. Sattvika doer, Rajasika doer and Tamasika doer. So, a Sattvika Karta means doer. He who does any action is called a doer. Really speaking, the entire Gita teaching is let the body and mind do. It has nothing to do with the Atman. Because I am the Atman, I have no relationship with the body and mind. But in my presence, the Prakruti in the form of body, mind and the world act and interact with each other. I have neither to gain anything nor to lose anything because I am Sat, Chit, Ananda, Swaroopa. That is our goal. But we are far away from the goal. And therefore, the Lord is trying to tell us, we should have Sattvika Jnanam. We should have Sattvika, do Sattvika Karma. By doing Sattvika Karma as outlined in the scriptures, in the form of do's and don'ts, Vidhi and Nishadha, we slowly purify our thinking. Our knowledge becomes clarified. Then we acquire slowly Sattvika Jnanam and then we become Sattvika Kartas. So what are the qualifications? Mukta Sangaha, Anahamvadi, Dhruti Utsaha, Samanvitaha, Siddhyat Siddho, Nirvikaraha. Five clear characteristics have been mentioned. We have already discussed about it. So what are they? Mukta Sangaha He absolutely knows, I have nothing to do with these things. If he is a Jnani, he thinks nature is doing. If he is a devotee, he thinks it is the Divine Lord, Divine Mother who is doing. And so, he never cherishes, I am the doer. This is called Anahamvadi. Ahamvadi means, I am the doer, I am the knower, I am the experiencer, etc. So this Sattvika person, he always feels, I am not the doer. In fact, since I am not the body-mind, a question of my doing anything doesn't arise. That knowledge this person has got. So he could cherish that attitude, that I am not the doer. But as a Sadhaka, as a spiritual practitioner, we have to keep this in mind. These are meant to be our goals for future attainment. Then automatically, our true nature will burst out naturally and automatically. And this person, even though he doesn't think he is the doer, even though he is not expecting any result, accepting one result, that is, I want to know who I am. He might have to go through many, many lives. In fact, 84 lakh lives, that means innumerable lives, in order to know who a person is, who one is. But even if he fails a billion times, he will never lose neither his willpower or resolution nor his enthusiasm. And whatever be the result, he remains absolutely unaffected by it. Siddhi means success. Asiddhi means failure. Whatever be the result, because he has given all the results, offered all the results to the Lord. Oh Lord, to do is my part. And do what you want to do with the results. That is your part. Do you want to give me? Okay. You don't want to give me? Okay. You want to give me now? Fine. You want to give me later? Fine. You never want to give me? Fine. But say that, I never forget you. So Nirvikalpa, a person who maintains these five characteristics is called a Sattvika doer or the truest, sincere, most spiritual aspirant. And then in today's class, we will discuss about further. So only one thing is there with regard to the last characteristic, Siddhi and Asiddhi. So such a person is not subject to any emotional turbulence, whether he attains success or its opposite failure, whether he achieves victory or meets with defeat, including death. Because a spiritual aspirant by definition is one who doesn't believe that existence ends with the death of the body. He feels that it is the body which dies, anyway it is going to die, but I am not going to be non-existent. I will get another opportunity to further progress in spiritual life. So he is not emotionally, turbulent emotions affect us. He is not affected. But then, is he a stone? No, he is not a stone. Through the Utsaha Samanvidaya, he derives the highest happiness because his happiness lies in pleasing the Lord, not in expecting the result. These are two opposite views. If I am expecting results, then I cannot have God because I have these results as my goal, as my thinking. I go on worrying whether I get or not, whether I get fully or not, whether I get here or not, whether I get fully or only partially. All these fill such a person's mind. But here is a person who says, I know God exists. I know He knows everything. I know He gives everything at the right time. And I also know what He gives is the best for me. Like a baby, this is the most wonderful description we have to keep in mind. A baby doesn't even think whether my mother is giving me the right thing or not. It simply is. And it has that faith in the mother. If it is hungry, of course it cries. But it cries many times. So the mother distinguishes, discriminates. One cry is a false cry. Or the baby wants to play. Another cry, when the baby is really hungry or distressed because of some pain, even animals distinguish it. I have seen it. David Attenborough's films. A mother tiger was lying down. Its cubs are playing. And suddenly, no, it is I think a lioness. Lioness was taking rest. And these fellows were making a lot of noises. And it doesn't even bat its, the mother lioness doesn't even bat its eyelids. But a spitting cobra started using the poison. Then these fellows cried in distress. And the mother immediately jumped down in one jump. Within the flash, it was on that snake and killed it. Even though it also got a dose of the poison. Such is the power of the modern scientific equipment. And David Attenborough clearly showed that how alert the mother is. Even earthly mother can be so alert. Do you think God is sleeping? That's what Sri Ramakrishna always used to say. Do you think he who created doesn't know what is right, what is not right? It is a statement of tremendous implication. Because whatever is happening today, we are worried. Even though we are intelligent enough to understand. First of all, we are stupid. We are intelligent to understand we are stupid. We are intelligent to understand we are helpless. And yet we have that faith. Whatever Sri Ramakrishna says is absolute truth. So the Divine Mother is not keeping quiet. In fact, it is she who endows everybody, even the troublemaker, with the intelligence, with the power, with the intention. Why does she do that? Because of people's karma phala. This is a hard nut to swallow. Very difficult. This teaching doesn't appeal to everybody. But everything is happening by the Divine Mother's will. In any case, we are helpless, things happen, and we will be forced to accept them whether we like it or not. Why not be a little more intelligent and say, okay, this is everything, the whole world is run by the Divine Mother's will. She is the script writer, she is the director, she is the player, and she is also the audience. Everything is she. But if we have got a little bit of egotism, let us do our best. What we think is good for the world, and that is called Karma Yoga. So this person, Sattvikakarta, never gets discouraged. So there is a beautiful verse in the Neeti Shataka of Bhadruhari, and many times I have quoted, and here it is. Even if you cut down a tree to the very ground, so long as the root is clear, it is growing to go again in no time. We see the moon, it is a common experience. Slowly, from the full moon day, it goes on getting reduced, reduced, reduced, and a wise man is not worrying about it because he knows this is the nature. Again it is going to grow in the next 15 days. Having obtained this discriminating knowledge, that is, a spiritual aspirant, an intelligent, discriminative person, these holy people, they are not worried about it because even if I go down to the very bottom, no power on earth can really stop my progress because I am potentially divine. Anybody who believes that I am potentially divine can never be subject to this kind of emotional turbulences. Such a person is called a Satvika Karta. But then we also have seen Rajasika, we are going to talk about it very soon, but this Rajasika person, he is affected by everything that happens. Look at it, even in such a so-called proud, enlightened America, as soon as the last president, he was declared as a defeated person, a person who lost the election. What happened? His followers, either with his encouragement or through some other media, I don't want to go into that politics, but how much damage they have created. In a democratic country, in this 22nd century, it is unimaginable by any slightly even intelligent person, but that is not the only one. Every country, practically every human being, they read the news, look at what happens when one's own cricket party loses. Just see what happens. Whether it is football goons in UK or cricket goons in India, it doesn't matter. They don't see it as a game. They see it as my egotism. If my party goes down, I am a stupid fellow to have supported, to have been encouraging, to have become a fan of such and such a party. This is clearly, such a person belongs not to the Satvika person, but to the Rajasika person. So, even Shankaracharya then says about Satvika Karta, this is a person who is engaged only in activities which are in accordance with the teachings of the scriptures and he does only righteous actions in keeping with Dharma and never for the sake of desiring, getting this or that. Such a person is called a Satvika person. Therefore, he remains unmoved. That means unmoved doesn't mean like a stone. Unmoved means same happy person whether he gets or not because such a person will be full of joy, full of positive thoughts. That is what we have to see. So, here now the 27th verse Bhagavan Krishna is graphically describing. That is the description having five characteristics of a Satvika doer. What about the Rajasika doer? Here it goes. Ragi intensely, immensely attached like super glue. His whole attention is fixated only upon the results of his actions, not spiritual results, worldly results, either in this world or after death in the other world. Then he is Lugdaha. Lugdaha means terribly miserly accumulative person. Details will come very soon. Himsatmakaha and in order to achieve the goals he set for himself, he tramples upon right and wrong. If right is okay, that's fine. If it is not okay, if it is wrong, that is also fine. I want to attain my goals. So, this is called Himsatmakaha. In the process, how much of injury he gives, how much of pain he imposes upon everybody else in order to achieve his goals. That is the characteristic of a Rajasika doer. Then Ashuchahi, he is impure physically as well as internally, morally, spiritually and aesthetically in every way. Very interesting points are there. We will discuss it during the course. Then Harsha Shaukanvithaka. In opposition to the Sattvika, Siddhya Siddhyoh Nirvikaraha, that is success or failure, he remains even-minded. But here, Harsha Shaukanvithaka, if he gets something, he is excited. His BP goes up. BP means blood pleasure, not blood pressure. Blood pleasure goes up. And if he loses even a little, Shaukanvithaka is an embodiment of grief, suffering. Such a person is called Rajasah Parikirtithaka. So we will go into one by one details. Because these are not only very enlightening, they are very guidelines for us. Every time a characteristic is described, we have to stop and ask ourselves, am I also such? Am I attached? Most people are fools. They know somewhat how to look upon other people, other events a little bit objectively. I said not completely, only a little bit. Such is the Mahamaya. And much less, everything this person does is justified. And they even think, I am a very great spiritual person because I have got devotion to my Guru and I am doing so much japa tapa not knowing how much time I am wasting, how much energy I am wasting, how many unnecessary things, diametrically opposing things. Sri Ramakrishna describes such people. Here is a Rajasikha person. When he does puja, he does it with so much of pomp and grandeur and sincerely he does it. But as soon as the puja is over, forgets the entire lot and then jumps into the fray of this world and then he goes up and down like something, a wave going up, going down and never stopping and thinking, is what I did in the shrine room and what I am doing in the external world, is it compatible? Or there I am going towards God, here I am going away from God. This kind of discrimination is terribly lacking in such person. So even an objective way of thinking is very necessary about which the Lord is going to graphically describe after this Tamasikarta is described, buddhi and dhriti. Even though he described about knowledge, jnanam, we have already covered it, but he says there is a heaven and hell difference between buddhi and jnanam. For us, buddhi and jnanam, they are the same, but no, there is a vast difference between these two, but we will talk about it when we come to that subject. So here, this is a person, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, six characteristics and if they are very much manifest, such a person is called Rajasikakarta or a doer, endowed with rajoguna. Why does he behave like that? Because he is endowed with rajoguna. His buddhi will be like that. His jnanam and knowledge will be like that. His activities will be like that. His reactions will be like that. He will be a subject because sattva guna person reacts emotionally in one way and rajoguna person reacts in entirely different way and tamoguna person, of course, if at all he reacts, reacts in a totally different way. We are going to talk about it sooner. So he who is passionate, desires of the fruits of action, greedy, malignant, impure, easily elated or dejected, six characteristics, such an agent, such a person endowed with these six characteristics is to be known as Rajasikadweer, karta. So this describes the person who is called a doer that is endowed with rajoguna. That is, his nature is rajoprakruti. Why? Because of the following characteristics. What is it? He is called ragi. Now ragi means, in Bengali language, ragi means a person who is very angry. That also is part of this person. So characteristic. But here raga means, the meaning of raga in Sanskrit means color. That means this person, whatever be the color of his emotion and emotions are described into three ways, positive, completely negative, completely positive and a mixture of positive and negative. That's why even lights, white light, red light and black light. This is how we have to understand. He is ragi means intensely passionate. When he likes something, he just falls like a tiger upon it. And by the same token, he also dislikes something very much. So because of this, he is tossed between the tsunamis of both raga and dvesha. One minute he is on the top of the world because he is very happy and another moment if some event which is not liked by him, he goes down. Such intense reactions describe this person who is endowed with rajoguna, ragi, intensely attached and intense likes, intense dislikes also. When he hates, really he hates. But there is also a good side to everything. So this bhaya means fear. Kamsa was endowed with this fear and that is why in Bhagavatam, I used to wonder for a long time, why the Bhagavatam is informing the eighth son of your sister is going to deliver a child who is going to be your destroyer. Had that not Akashavani not been told, until the child is born, until he destroys, Kamsa would have been happiest person on earth. But this has been God's grace. That is how we have to interpret. Now this fear of death has taken possession of him like the possession of a ghost. And who is the killer? Because of whom? Krishna. And so Krishna. Anybody coming? Is Krishna coming in this guise? Is Krishna peeping? Is that person talking? Is he Krishna in this guise? Is he talking against me? So some people who are power mongers, they are always obsessed with these thoughts. So day and night, Kamsa was obsessed and his dreams, what do you think his dreams were? Blessed was Kamsa. That whole night, he was only dreaming about blessed Krishna but angry Krishna coming to kill him. Yamadharma Raja is coming but only Krishna. And that is why Bhagavatam graphically says he got liberation because whatever way, he is thinking only about God and about nothing else. So there are also other instances but what I wanted to illustrate is that we don't have that kind of too much. But we have and it is like super glue and it is not spiritual. It can be, though it can be made spiritual but we have only deliberately glued with this worldly glue and that is why we are tossing up and down. Ragi and then Raga Dvesha. Ragi means what? Person who likes. First. Secondly, he is not attached to God. He is not attached to spiritual discipline. He is attached only to this worldly woes. That is the bondage. And then Karmapala Prepsu. Earlier Sattvaguna Sampanna. He also want result. He doesn't want many results. He wants only one result. Who? A Kartha who is endowed with Sattvaguna. He wants only God but this person is completely. He also wants God but he doesn't want God for God's sake. He wants God so that his desires will be fulfilled. God should be a slave. Whatever desire arises immediately the slave should know after all God is all-knowing so he should know my child is going to require this thing. This desire is going to arise in his mind and before he even opens his eyes I must be ready with that fulfillment of that desire. Unfortunately God doesn't do it always. Sometimes yes he does it. So Karmapala Prepsu. He wants. What karma he wants? He wants Dharma. He wants Kama. He wants also Artha. But in that process he is also ready to trample upon everybody. If he is desiring these three which is called technically Prayas that is to say worldly goals. You know there are four highest human values. Really speaking only highest is liberation. That is to know what one is. But in this world if we want to be happy we have to be righteous because right food and right thinking makes a person very happy and this is common sense. You don't need to believe. You don't need the aid of a scripture for this. But this person is purely he wants worldly desires. If in the process nobody is hurt he is quite okay. But if they are hurt that is not alright. So this is called Karmapala Prepsu. That rules his life. I want, I want, I want. That is the possession and that is that his entire life is swayed, guided, he is made an instrument in the hands of these desires. Then Lugdha is a Rajoguna Sampanna. Remember in the 14th chapter in the 12th verse we have when Rajoguna increases in a person it can be clearly perceived because two things will be very manifest. What are they? He becomes tremendous amount of miser. I want, I want, I want, I want. And then Karmanam Ashamahaspriha. There is no end for his restlessness. So he is going on doing so many things. In fact he doesn't even get proper rest. When you see a hyperactive person you will have to understand this person is endowed with Rajoguna. So here Shankaracharya he gives very beautiful meanings. Ashamah means a person who becomes greedy. He becomes miserly. Both. Greedy because he wants more and more. And if anybody wants more and more, if he starts giving away that is not going to be with him. And therefore he becomes miserly. So he doesn't he wants more by hook or crook. Righteous means okay. Unrighteous means okay. The ends ends justify the means. So he doesn't want to spend money and some people are there they don't want to spend money even on themselves. What a miserly state. At least Baba you are having so much at least enjoy yourself. You may not give to others but enjoy yourself. No, no, no, no. That what is called miserliness sits on his head. Oh this third class coffee is fine. I don't need to spend another five pence. I still remember a beautiful illustrative cartoon. A fellow was car crashed or wrecked in a desert. So he was reduced to crawling. First he walked then he started crawling. Finally he started like a snake and then delusions have started. So he saw a beautiful cold drink shop. You know when you are travelling in the desert you want only first thing is beautiful cold drinks. So he saw a beautiful American cold drink shop Coca-Cola and so many varieties of other drinks. So his tongue is lolling out and water is coming out. He started crawling and he reached the doorway and he saw that both sides of the doorway there are two glass cases both were exhibiting cold drinks Coca-Cola. One said this costs one dollar and the other one one dollar is put it is crossed. This costs only 50 pence and he started crawling towards the 50 pence one. There also in that what is called delirium also his mind is endowed with that miserliness so I can get at half price this one and what are we talking about in our dreams also we are miserly. Just imagine here is a miser he has a dream and he eats the plainest of the food cheapest of the food there is no doubt about it and I have seen such persons in my life and I get amused whenever I think such persons and then what happens this person his dreams in dreams also he goes to a restaurant because he is hungry and he wants to eat and then do you know what he does he finds out what is the cheapest food meals available there, cheapest ingredients. He goes only towards that. Why? Because his whole waking state is filled only that I want to accumulate more. So getting by hook or crook from others robbing them, adding to his existing treasure is called one terribly greediness but greediness also encourages miserliness. So Lubdhaha means that both here Shankaracharya goes Lubdhaha means Paradravyeshu Sanjata Trishnaha. Tremendous amount of thirst Sanjata Trishnaha. For what? Paradravyeshu what belongs to other people. Man is never satisfied with what he has. Even though he cannot enjoy. Even though his 300 generations can live happily if they don't have even one single paisa more but he is not satisfied because this is beyond his control. Some terrible bhuta a pishacha is controlling him. A spirit is controlling him. So committing others riches, others wives others husbands others property, others name and fame, others power, all this makes him a Lubdhaha. Not only that Shankaracharya was a very perceptive person. He says Such a person he wants to appear to be a pious person. He goes on pilgrimage. What does he do? He naturally, normally people want to give more because they believe if they give if they donate, if they are charitable, philanthropic in holy places, the result will be much more. This is a normal psychology. But here is a person, he doesn't want to give. Even if he gives, he gives whatever the least he can get away with. Generally, people distribute money when they go to places of pilgrimage everywhere even in the west also. Christian pilgrims, Muslim pilgrims all that. But this fellow he will not do. Why? He is a miser, he is a Lubdhaha. Lubdhaha means both greedy as well as miser. These are the two opposite qualities beautifully embedded in that one word Lubdhaha. Not only that, Himsatmakaha and again he is one whose nature is to trample over everybody. If he, suppose a bank is open and the safe is open nobody is there, maybe there is a notice, this is for free, you can take as much as you want. He will be the first person, he will elbow out everybody else and then he will go on listening to you. Shri Ramakrishna had an amusing story to tell. A man wanted to hear a religious exposition called Harikatha. She was this kind of person. She doesn't want to spend a little bit of money. So he went there and enquired is there any ticket to be bought? They said yes, you have to pay a small amount. Then immediately he left that place. Another place, another religious exposition was going on. He went and enquired and there he said no, no, it is free. Anybody can, immediately he elbowed everybody out went to a middle seat and then nicely sat in a Padmasana to enjoy because it is free. I am sometimes amused because if that is free sometimes it can happen that is the worst to show, worst wise, worst exposition but he says it is free. So whatever is free is the best. This is the type. Whether he goes to a restaurant and he orders the worst three days food because they want to throw to the dogs and then dogs also don't want to eat them and then they will say this is 70%, 80% free and such people will go there. I am just joking. So himsat makaha but if it is necessary to trample everybody to plough everybody aside to kill anybody to cheat anybody, he doesn't fear. He doesn't think that is ok. It means the ends justify the means. Then Ashuchahi. Why is he doing all these things? He is Ashuchahi, not clean, either inside or outside. Why is he not clean outside? Because if he takes bath, that much of water is wasted. So he has to pay to the municipality more and then if he uses soap, he will use a soap which other people have thrown away at the remnant if he gets such a one. I have seen even people some people smoke cigarettes and throw away and after that some people will come and they gather that maybe half inch or one inch is left out and they gather it happily they sit and smoke. So there are people there are beggars who cannot afford ok, but there are people who can more than afford but this ghost is sitting on their heads poor fellows. What can they do? So their Ashuchahi, impure. Impure means what? Their heart doesn't have the discriminating power that I may die today. What is the point of accumulating if I cannot enjoy it? I still remember some American businessman had put out a beautiful saying with a small illustration. There was a millionaire and he died and all his greedy relatives were waiting in the lawyer's office to see what this fellow has left and then the lawyer opened and then he read out there was only one sentence there. Being wise I spent it all before death. I liked it I hope you also will like it. So this person his understanding is cloudy therefore his decision is cloudy therefore his lifestyle is cloudy and therefore he only becomes Lugdaha and accumulating there are certain things. Accumulate spirituality. Accumulate intellectual understanding. Accumulate religious understanding. Accumulate the understanding specially of the scriptures that's absolutely more desirable than anything else but worldly goods however much they are let us not forget how even the richest person can eat only what his stomach can contain. He can sleep only in one bed. Just because a person has got 10 rooms he can't go on changing every room very soon he will find out that he will die soon if he goes on changing his bed. After all what is it that brings a good sleep not a good bed not a good mattress but if he pays the price what is the price? He must be terribly tired and what is it that makes food very very tasty there is a saying in English language hunger is the best sauce in the world so if somebody is hungry he will enjoy everything but what is this are you going to eat money but such is the nature people want to keep to their children their children are even worse than their parents and they also we see so many I am not surprised if I see it in worldly people I see it in among the spiritual people and they think they are very spiritual I don't know whether I should laugh at them or weep for them God alone knows then this person is emotionally unstable Harsha Shoka Anvithaha Anvithaha means endowed with what? Both exaltation and depression when he gets what he wants, things go well by him and then he is elated, his blood pleasure goes up but when it is the opposite his blood pleasure goes up Harsha means tremendous exaltation, great happiness Shoka means its opposite, grief suffering and Anvithaha, this person's mind is like that the moment he hears the news his judgment is only one, did I get what I want or did I lose and if he comes to know he got it he starts dancing and next moment when it is told that he has lost and immediately he sinks into the deepest depths, in contrast a Sattvika person keeps his mind because he has tremendous faith, I am defective but my father, my mother who is God, he knows best he will never give me up he will do at the right time what is good for me that faith sustains him makes him always positive always happy, here is a person who is swinging from one extreme to the other extreme Shankara says when he gets what he desires he is endowed with, he is exalted getting what is not desirable or losing what he likes to keep the person says that in Gita we have seen earlier this is the greatest enemy for any progress, not only spiritual even worldly progress why do I say that? there are no such thing called spiritual person is a happy person and worldly person is an unhappy person far from the truth the truth is a worldly person a person who doesn't want spirituality but he is wise, he says I want to be happy in the world and he knows how to, what to give up, how to give up how to enjoy he is a wise person even a worldly wise person but here is a person what happens, he is completely possessed by what? Kama terrible desire, it possesses Krodha, because any obstacle brings the opposite which is what is called tremendous amount of anger and these two, Kama and Krodha, desire and the frustration expressed in the form of anger Rajoguna Samudbhava are born, are the offspring of Rajoguna, not only that here the lord is telling something psychological Mahasanaha, the more you pour petrol into the fire, if the petrol doesn't put out the fire it increases the power of the fire, so Mahasanaha that is insatiable greed and Mahapapna and it leads to the greatest sin for such a person, he doesn't trust anybody he can kill even his parents if it serves his purpose, so he would like to keep his money he is a miserly person, so such a person is called Rajasika person and these are the six characteristics that we have seen, Ragi intensely attached Karmaphala prepsuho intensely attached means both he is a slave to likes as well as dislikes, Karmaphala prepsuho, he is obsessed by worldly desires, not spiritual desires and the more he gets fulfillment, the more like pouring petrol is, just now as we read, his desires not only they do not come to an end by the fulfillment, but they go on increasing every time exponentially and then Lubdaha characterized by two he wants more and more and he doesn't want to give, even a little he gives less and less, he wants more and more, he is a what is called a gatherer and he is a, what is called a depositor only he never wants to spend Himsatmaka, he doesn't care, if he can get what he wants, whether it is right or wrong, he is prepared to trample everything underground that means he goes against the scriptural teachings, Ashuchi his understanding is dirty, impure externally he is impure because he is a miser doesn't want to spend money internally he is impure because his understanding is clouded by this terrible amount of this greediness as well as miserliness naturally when he gets something he swings to the highest level and otherwise he sinks into the depths of what is called depression or unhappiness, such a person when we see these qualities and don't say 100%, even 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 70%, 90%, we can understand this person is possessed by the ghost called Rajyoguna, why is this knowledge necessary, so that we can recognize not only in other people especially in ourselves and then we say that if I want to become progress in spiritual life, I have to give it up and I have to acquire the description given as per the Gita teaching earlier how can I become a sattvika performer and that is called spiritual progress, otherwise there is no spiritual progress at all, now in the 28th shloka now he is being graphically described the person who is endowed with tamoguna, what type of doer, performer he turns out to be 8 characteristics have been outlined here, one by one we go briefly so unsteady, vulgar, arrogant, dishonest, malicious, indolent, responding and procrastinating a person who is endowed with these 8 characteristics is called a tamasika agent, tamasika doer tamasika performer of every action, whatever action he does, all these will be present, so let us take Ayukthaha Yukthaha means one whose mind is under control Ayukthaha, yukthaha means the word is beautiful, this word yoga comes from this only yujudhatu, that is one who is attached, one which takes us nearer to god makes us completely united with god that which unites here this person he is also a yukthaha, but not with god, but everything exactly opposite to god, ayukthaha means he is his mind has absolutely no control, so that is the meaning of ayukthaha, one who is not together, a person who is disturbed, a person with uncontrolled mind, a person as revealed by Shri Shant Maharaj used to say a disintegrated personality not an integrated personality that means his thoughts are one way, his speech is another way, his actions are completely different way Kata Upanishad describes this we will go shortly into it so you see each one of us are endowed with what? Panchakoshas, Panchakosha means five sheaths made of annamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha, manomaya kosha vijnanamaya kosha and anandamaya kosha in my earlier talks I had outlined anandamaya kosha is the karana is the cause because of which our whole life is but an expression, I want happiness and how one gets happiness depends upon whether he controls his decision, he controls his mind, he controls his prana he controls his sense organs, his body etc this person five like a chariot which is being drawn by five different horses, every horse pulling in different ways, body is going one way, prana his shakti is going another way his thoughts are going some other way his decisions are going some other way, naturally the outcome is also it is broken it is very little and it is complete dissatisfaction that is the meaning of ayukta means in simple words disintegrated personality or sometimes psychological language they say multiple personality and he doesn't know what to do, then prakruta means is uncultured that one word is marvelous word, uncultured but we will go this first meaning ayukta means what this is beautiful quotations are there so every tamasic person is ayukta or every person who is mind is not under his control is a tamasic person yuktena van bhavati yuktena manasasaha tasya indriyani vasyani sadashvayiva sarate here also Bhagawan uses the word yukta in the katha upanishad if the buddhi being related to a mind that is always restrained possesses discrimination then the senses come under control like the good horses of a charioteer this is what is called the description of a sattvika doer if the buddhi being related to a mind that is always restless and distracted loses its discrimination then the senses become uncontrollable like the vicious horses of a charioteer what is the result of this tamasic person if the buddhi being related to a distracted mind loses its discrimination and therefore always remains impure then the embodied soul never attains the goal but enters into the round of births and deaths that means the samsara, transmigration goes on and on but if the buddhi being related to a mind that is absolutely restrained and possesses discrimination and therefore always remains pure then such an embodied soul, the spiritual practitioner attains that goal from which he never returns again, that means he attains liberation, such is the meaning of person now we come to the second epithet prakritah, a mind that is prakritah means, here is a person like a baby, never been sent to the school, he has never been taught what is right, what is wrong he has never been taught what is purity and impurity, he has never been taught how to behave with his peers, with elderly people, with younger people and with family with society, that means completely unrefined intelligence, such a prakritah person he, you can understand the result also will be commensurate with his samskara but religion means what the meaning of religion is to bind us to God, so religion's business is to convert a prakritah purusha to a samskruta you know you must have heard samskruta bhasha that is, it is not the name like telugu like bengali, like english like persian no, its samskruta means kruta means that which is done kru is the dhatu samskruta means very beautifully refined like a jeweller he takes a rough diamond stone and fashions it into the most marvellous sparkling diamond, embedded studded in a necklace like that this language so much influence is there this is a wonderful subject by itself even the words we use man, woman letter words, unbearable even the highest executives, if they use this kind of words and such a person is called uncultured person and everybody dislikes uncultured person, they look down, at least mentally upon such, so shankara says prakritah, who is a prakritah atiyanta asamskruta buddhi palasama he is like an uneducated child he is just like a person who has never learnt what is good, so this is one of the characteristics of a tamasik karta sthapdaha, that means irreverent, he never has been taught how to reverence etc like a stock, like a stone like a stick, he doesn't prostrate to anybody, he doesn't respect anybody, whatever comes from his mouth, the most vicious language that comes, we can see this one even among the so called people and now others are also imitating them sthapdaha, so shankara says sthapdaha dandavat na namati kasmai chit one bending like a stiff like a corpse like a staff he doesn't bend down to anybody that means he doesn't learn from anything, then not only that shataha, very deceptive, so deceptive that he can present himself as though he is not deceptive in other words he is an imposter shataha, mayavi shakti gohanakari, shankaracharya uses beautiful descriptive evocative words shataha means deceitful cunning, hiding his real intentions and also his own powers mayavi and vakra, his thinking is very bad then naishkrutikaha and he is very lazy he doesn't want to do what is naishkrutika? he is a terrible fellow para vibhedana paraha he is always looking how to destroy the other people this is the shankaracharya's then alasaha alasaha means whatever work he has to do now he will be doing it only after a month, after 6 months etc. then vishadi, he is always depressed, he makes others also depressed and then dhirga sutri even long after some unhappy experience has passed he is still only meditating upon it, never comes out of that one, when these 8 characteristics are present such a person is called tamasikarta and it has wonderful meaning which we will explore further in our next gita class om vasudevasutam devam kamsachanuramarthanam devaki paramanandam krishnam vande jagat kurum may Ramakrishna holy mother and swami vekananda bless us all jananit bhakte hey Ramakrishna