Excerpts from talks on Bhagavad Gita CH15 by Pujya Guruji - Day 7

Pujya Guruji and Swami Swaroopananda ji

Excerpts from talks on Bhagavad Gita CH15 by Pujya Guruji - Day 7 (Verses 19 – 20)

Uttama purusha, who is above kshara and akshara is Lord, Purushottama and He is Urdvam mulam of kshara and akshara purusha. Kshara is ephemeral, perishable and akshara (the imperishable jiva) is also only relative. Like temporary and permanent jobs are both only relative where the company itself is going bankrupt.

As the Lord enters the 3 worlds sustaining and nourishing all, so too in microcosm, He, as Consciousness pervading the 3 states of waking, dream and deep sleep enlivens the bodies. BrahmEti BhagavAniti ParamatmEti kathyatE|

To be above something means to be untouched by the below. Paramatma is truly above, transcendental and at the same time immanent, being the nourishing substratum of all.

yE chaiva sAttvika bhAvAha rAjsAstAmasAscha yE

mattah ye vEtti tAn viddhi na tvaham tEshu tE mayi|| 

shows His Immanent and transcendental nature

Verse 19

1. Yah – whosoever He may be, He who. A uttama sadhaka – one who is nirmana-moha, with jnana cakshuh
2. Mam – Purushottamam
3. Evam jAnAti – knows in this way as described in entire CH 15; knowing the Lord as ‘Soham iti pratyagAtmatayA’. Evam is most important word in this statement.
4. asammudhah – becoming totally free from ignorance, doubts and wrong notions. Enlightened person, like an artist in drama who knows himself different from the roles, plays his role and is not deluded
5. sarvavid – Becomes all knowing; not literally but yet if he applied his mind he could. Knowing God who is all, he knows all like knowing water in the ocean, one gets to know all waves. Means knowing oneself one is Fulfilled and nothing more remains to be known
6. bhajati – means to love, worship, serve, become one with Lord. In his heart, he sees Lord as formless atmarupena and in his eye with forms vishwarupena. So he naturally loves all and hates none. tasyAham na pranashyAmi sa ca me na pranashyati|
7. sarvabhAvena - whole heartedly, with feeling of love, reverence, readiness to sacrifice. KAyena manasA vAchA
8. anaga – Oh sinless one! Indicates purity of mind
9. BhArata – one born in Bharata dynasty! Bha – light; one who revels in light of knowledge – indicates one with clarity of knowledge

Verse 20

Lord has called this chapter as Shastra. Shastra means science and in spirituality it is called scripture. There are 2 types of scriptures: Dharma shastra which gives do’s and don’ts. tasmAt shAstram pramAnam tE kArya-akArye vyvasthitou| The other is adhyaAma shAstra which gives BrahmavidyA. This chapter deals with adhyAtma shAstra. adhyAtma vidyA vidyAnAm Lord says.

ShAstra is that which teaches (shAsti) and protects (trAyatE) from samsAra through teaching; shAsanAt trAyatE hitam upadishati|

mayA uktam - Directly from Lord. padmanAbhasya padmamukhAt vinisrtA. Indicates that without Guru, one cannot get this knowledge
guhyathamam – supremely secret. In chapters 4 and 9 too, He says that this knowledge is supremely secret. Secret is that which is known to some. Guh means to hide. So cave is called guha.

Guhya means hidden but can be seen like Ajanta cave (pratyaksha)

Guhyatara means can't be seen. Like gravitational force. Since it is subtle but can be known only by applying logical reasoning. (paroksha)

Guhyatama means that which cannot be known as an object. Consciousness doesn't become object of knowledge. I am the knower, illuminator. Therefore, guru is needed.

Shastra is systematic complete study of any subject. What is included in adhyAtma shAstra?

1. Shishya lakshana - one with purity and clarity,
2. Guru lakshana (Lord Himself here) – one who knows the Absolute Truth.
3. Jiva svaroop, jiva gati, punar janma - Who am I? Empirically (jiva bhUtas sanAtanah) and essentially (Soham)
4. Jagat svaroop - empirically (samsara vriksha) and essentially (na rUpam asya)
5. Ishvara svaroop – empirically (loka trayam Avishya, gAm avishya) and essentially (uttama purusha)
6. Essential oneness - Essentially jiva, jagat and Ishvara are all one.
7. Lord is cause of all, pervades all, is all and is beyond all. All these aspects of Lord are covered.

• sarva kAranam (mamaivAmsho),
• sarva vyApakam (loka trayam Avishya),
• sarva rUpam (as light in Sun/Moon/Fire and digestive fire in jiva, etc.)
• sarvAthitham (ksharam – aksharam atIto aham)

8. Result of this brahma vidya is that one becomes really wise and sign of true wisdom is complete fulfilment. There is nothing more to be known, gained, done or become.

GitA pAte tattva jignyasA, Tato jnanam bhavishyati|

kritakrityatA hi jnanAt, tasmAt gitAm patEnnara||

Om tat sat indicates Brahman. This is yoga shastra as it has sAdhana upaya and is a guru-shishya samvAda.

GitA sugitA karthavyA kim anyai shastravistaraih – Gita must be learnt well. Brevity with clarity is her signature. This chapter encapsulates the highest knowledge to be known and to be meditated upon always.

Om Tat Sat