Bhagavad Gita

समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रिय:।

ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम्।।29।।

samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣhu na me dveṣhyo ’sti na priyaḥ

ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣhu chāpyaham

The same am I to all beings: to Me, There is none hateful or dear. But…

Sunday Guardian ColumnSunday Guardian ColumnSunday Guardian ColumnSunday Guardian ColumnSunday Guardian Column

Questioner: A lot of students that I talk to — it’s the fear of the society, it’s the fear of the unknown, it’s fear of the expectations that they are carrying, that pushes them to become an engineer and then they figure out that probably this is not something that they wanted to be. And that is the reality of a lot of individuals and not just engineers. Probably, here is something that is stopping me from taking a plunge of starting something of myself, right? Fear is something that is stopping somebody who is in a relationship for ten years to take that step to get married. Where does this fear come from? Acharya Prashant: Lack of love, which comes from lack of self-knowledge. You see, when I tie my sense of existence, my very identity, to something that is unreliable, I will have to be afraid. It’s like putting my heart on this table. Now, how can I live in security? The heart is out there on the table, anybody can take it away, anything can happen to it. Or the heart might grow legs and walk away on its own. My very existence has been subjected to something that is not in my control. Something that is definitely going to deceive me at some point, that is fear. My sense of self-worth comes from my monies, my bank account, I will be afraid. That bank account can be closed anytime, anything can happen. My sense of self-worth comes from my physical appearance. I very well know, time will take it away, I will be afraid. Right? Who am I? I am the one who is praised or worshipped by the society. Oh! I will be so afraid, so afraid! You talked of people working for their images, they would be living a cursed life. Because, their heart is out there in the hands of strangers. Their entire identity is tied to their image and the image is in the eyes of other people. So, the image can be distorted or can disappear any moment. Just imagine, how afraid they would be all the time. That’s with the ego. Because, the ego, as I said, is a fundamental sense of incompleteness. Therefore, to complete itself, it just associates itself to anything possible. And the things that you are associating yourself with, they are not reliable. They belong to the world and the world can take them away. They belong to time. They came with time and with time all those things will disappear. And you have tied your identity to those things. Now how can you rest in peace? That’s fear. If you do not have self-knowledge, you will always be afraid. My identity is linked to my husband’s identity. Now the husband has two legs. And the husband has a brain, a mind of his own. If your identity comes from your husband’s name, as happens in India at least, you would always be afraid as a wife. The husband can change his mind any day. You would always be, you know, having one eye on his secretary, and the other eye in his email and mobile phone. What’s he getting into? Who’s texting him? Why is he on the phone so late in the night? Because you are afraid if husband goes away, what happens to you? Your very existence depends on the husband. That’s fear. When you operate from the ego centre and make something very, very important for yourself and that something belongs to the world, it can go away anytime, and you are afraid. And in that fear, there can never be love, never be love. If you are afraid of losing something, you will be very violent towards it. Nobody lets his money go and have a walk down the road. What do you do? You lock up your money. That’s violence. When something starts becoming very meaningful to you, you lock it up. You don’t want it to have freedom. And that’s violence. So, love and fear just cannot go together. If you are dependent on something or somebody, you will be afraid. And that dependence cannot be called love. And that is a confusion, we often get into it. Just because you depend on somebody and somebody depends on you, you start feeling as if it is love, it is not. Questioner: Just like the way political parties think that people love them but it actually is fear. Acharya Prashant: Exactly! Love is a rare quality and rarer in politics. Questioner: So, if I am interested in a particular profession, do I not pursue it wholeheartedly? Do I pursue it wholeheartedly knowing very well that the results can either be zero or one? Acharya Prashant: One has to go into the very nature of interest. Aren’t we interested in cricket? Aren’t we interested in seeing songs in movies? Practically, everybody in India is interested in cricket, nobody in Brazil is. And nobody in India is interested in ice hockey. So, that’s how flimsy the whole thing about interest is. In India, if you don’t get a movie with songs, you say, “I am disinterested.” The movie would bomb. In Hollywood, if you have a movie with songs, that would raise eyebrows, what’s going on? Occasionally, you have an OD song but typically there is no song. So, that is the nature of interest. It is never something of the heart. Love and interest are not the same thing. Interest is something that is given to you by your body, by your environment, by random chance, your circumstances and all these. So that’s how your interests come to you. So, if you are interested in a vocation, first of all, you have to ask yourself, “Just two years back, I was interested in something else and two years before I was interested in that and when I was four years old, I was interested in becoming a fighter pilot. What happened to all those interests?” Today, I smile at those things and just shrug them off, “I don’t want to be a fighter pilot.” What you want to be today? Oh! I want to be an investment banker. What happened to the fighter pilot? You were so interested in that. And how do you know, tomorrow you will not be looking at this I-banker, just the way today you are looking at the fighter pilot. The self of a five-year old appears so naïve and immature when you are twenty-five. How do you know that at thirty-five, you will not look back at this twenty-five year old self and say, “What the hell! How was I taking this fellow so seriously?” So, interest is something that you must look at with healthy contempt. Interest, mind you, can even be induced in you. Interest can be aroused in you. That’s what the entire advertising industry is about. They can make you feel Interested in things that is intrinsically worthless to you. So, of what value is this thing called interest? But, then in today’s world, we place so much premium on this word 'interest.' Do what interests you, this, that. Whereas, it is wisdom to realize that interest is the last thing that you should ever go after. Then people come up and say, “No, should we do things that we are not interested in? No.

सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च ।। पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रिया: ।।1.42।।

Overview

We want to reach the end of wanting. We want completion, fulfillment in such a final way that we are left with nothing to want anymore. That’s the destination. Born a human being, you will have to act. Act rightly. Act for the right purpose. Live for the right

Spirituality is war. You are being trained to fight and win. Neither can you abandon this battle, nor can you make peace with the enemy. The war has to be fought.

But if you can fight the war and win it, then, I tell you, the body is a useful…

Questioner (Q): The Bhagavad Gita says, keep doing the work, don’t worry about the rewards. That has been my ideal in life—be a jack of all trades, do whatever gives you mental pleasure, and do it freely. If I want to do this, I just do this—that has been my…

Questioner: When something good or bad happens to someone unexpectedly, is it karma or mere coincidence?

Acharya Prashant: The happening is just a random coincidence. How you experience the happening is your own decision, your own doing, in other words, karma.

Get the difference right, please. The material world is

Questioner (Q): What are you working for and where are you working from? These two have the same answer, so how to understand this in the context of for Truth seeker who are indulge in their worldly activities, how should they approach their worldly lives?

Acharya Prashant (AP): See, often…

अर्जुन उवाच।

नष्टो मोह: स्मृतिर्लब्धा त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाच्युत।

स्थितोऽस्मि गतसन्देह: करिष्ये वचनं तव।।

arjuna uvācha

यज्ञदानतप:कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत्।

यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम्।।5।।

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat

Acharya Prashant (AP): In chapter 16 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna has done something quite special—special even by his own exalted standards. He has made it amply clear what the difference between the Asurī man, the man with demonic tendencies, and the divine man is. Even among these two,…

मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।

श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मता: ।। 12.2 ।।

mayy āveśhya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् ।

सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥ १४.६॥

tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśhakam anāmayam

यस्य नाहङ् कृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते ।।

हत्वाऽपि स इमाँल्लोकान्न हन्ति न निबध्यते ।। 18.17 ।।

yasya nāhankṛito bhāvo buddhir yasya na lipyate

पुरुष: प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङक्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।

कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ।। 13.21 ।।

puruṣhaḥ prakṛiti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛiti-jān guṇān

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत ।

श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः ॥ १७-३॥

sattvānurūpā sarvasya śhraddhā bhavati bhārata

यज्ञदानतप:कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् ।

यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ।। 18.5 ।।

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना ।

अन्ये साङ् ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ।। 13.25 ।।

dhyānenātmani paśhyanti kechid ātmānam ātmanā

नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषत: कृतम् ।

अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यतत्सात्विकमुच्यते ।।

niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣhataḥ kṛitam

अर्जुन उवाच

कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो ।

किमाचार: कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ।। 14.21 ।।

राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम्।

प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम्।।2।।

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam

अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जना: पर्युपासते।

तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्।।22।।

ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate

Questioner (Q): What is the exact meaning of ’Gahna Karmo Gati’? There are a lot of sayings about that.

Acharya Prashant (AP): You'll have to quote the entire shloka (verse); then you'll understand. Actually, these three words, ‘Gahna Karmo Gati’, have been quoted so variously and so frequently, even by

इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम् ।

इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ।। 16.13 ।।

idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye manoratham

तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व जित्वा शत्रून्भुङ् क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् ।

मयैवैते निहता: पूर्वमेव निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् ।। 11.33 ।।

दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि दृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि ।

दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ।। 11.25 ।।

श्रीभगवानुवाच

ऊर्ध्वमूलमध:शाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् ।

छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ।। 15.1 ।।

अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते।

भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्ग: कर्मसञ्ज्ञित:।।8.3।।

akṣharaṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvo ’dhyātmam uchyate

अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम् ।

परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम् ।। 9.11 ।।

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣhīṁ tanum āśhritam

एतां विभूतिं योगं च मम यो वेत्ति तत्त्वत: ।

सोऽविकम्पेन योगेन युज्यते नात्र संशय: ।। 10.7 ।।

etāṁ vibhūtiṁ yogaṁ cha mama yo vetti tattvataḥ

इहैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं पश्याद्य सचराचरम् ।

मम देहे गुडाकेश यच्चान्यद्द्रष्टुमिच्छसि ।। 7 ।।

नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया ।

शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा ।। 53 ।।

nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā na dānena na chejyayā

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् ।

आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रह: ।। 13.8 ।।

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च ।

अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन ।

विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ।। 10.42 ।।

atha vā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् |

य: प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशय: || 5||

anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram

भूमिरापोऽनलो वायु: खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च |

अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा || 4||

bhūmir-āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva cha

बुद्धेर्भेदं धृतेश्चैव गुणतस्त्रिविधं शृणु ।

प्रोच्यमानमशेषेण पृथक्त्वेन धनञ्जय ।। 18.29 ।।

buddher bhedaṁ dhṛiteśh chaiva guṇatas tri-vidhaṁ śhṛiṇu

बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोह: क्षमा सत्यं दम: शम: ।

सुखं दु:खं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च ।। 10.4 ।।

अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयश: ।

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन:।।5।।

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet

योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम्।

आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय।।4.41।।

yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ jñāna-sañchhinna-sanśhayam

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।

देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ।। 17.20 ।।

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate ‘nupakāriṇe

बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम् ।

धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ ।। 7.11 ।।

balaṁ balavatāṁ chāhaṁ kāma-rāga-vivarjitam

Questioner: I’m reading the Bhagavad Gita for the first time. I know people who have read the Bhagavad Gita multiple times, yet they continue being the same. And if one goes to them, they have their own interpretations of the Gita. They tell me that the five Pandavas stand for…

Questioner (Q): The Bhagavad Gita says, "Don't focus on the outcome of your work," but the book entitled 'The Secret' says, "Visualize a positive outcome of your work." Which of these is true?

Acharya Prashant (AP): You are comparing fine apples with rotten oranges.

Questioner (Q): While reading Ramana Maharshi, I have observed that out of all the scriptures Ramana Maharshi has quoted Krishna and Bhagavad Gita the most number of times. I have also seen this with other masters as well, that Bhagavad Gita holds a very special place in spirituality. Why is…