Choosing the Lord as Sadguru
Right in the beginning of the second chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna admonishes Arjuna. He says –
Kutastwa kashmalmidam vishame samupasthitam |
Anaryajushtamaswargyamkirtikaramarjun ||(2/2)
Klaivyam ma sma gamah partha naitattvayyupapadyate |
Kshudram hrudaydaurbalyam tyaktotishtha paramtapa || (2/3)
Meaning: “O Arjuna! In this hour of crisis, how did attachment affect you? This conduct is unbecoming of a brave warrior. You will neither get heaven nor any fame because of it. O Parth! Do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not befit you. Give up such petty weakness of the heart and rise, stand up and face your enemies.”
It must be mentioned that the Lord starts speaking for the first time through these two shlokas. Earlier, He merely drove the chariot to the center of the battlefield on Arjuna’s request and listened to him express his anguish. Both these shlokas are very significant. Any brave warrior will feel humiliated and agonized upon hearing these words and will not tolerate being called impotent. The Lord is inciting and challenging Arjuna by hurting him to the core. In fact, the Lord gets upset on observing an awakened soul, like Arjuna’s, heading towards tamas (or darkness). That is why He reminds him (Arjuna) of the conduct of virtuous people and cautions him of his present conduct leading to infamy.
In reply to the abovementioned two shlokas, Arjuna defends himself by saying “Both Bheeshma and Dronacharya are dear to me. How can I kill them in battle? You are knowledgeable and great and I accept your reprimand, but I cannot kill my own people. I consider begging to be a better option than killing them because I will not be able to enjoy the blood-stained pleasures of this world.”
In reply to the abovementioned two shlokas, Arjuna defends himself by saying “Both Bheeshma and Dronacharya are dear to me. How can I kill them in battle? You are knowledgeable and great and I accept your reprimand, but I cannot kill my own people. I consider begging to be a better option than killing them because I will not be able to enjoy the blood-stained pleasures of this world.”
All arguments have reached a stage where Arjuna starts talking about begging. He is trying to refute Lord Krishna’s arguments in the same mercurial language. At the same time, he also says, “I don’t know what is good for me – to face the enemy or not. Regardless of victory or defeat, I do not want to live a life established by their deaths.”
Arjuna’s present mindset is worth studying. He is talking the language of ethics that one should not kill one’s benefactors. He is talking like pundits do, trying to convince Yogeshwar Lord Krishna. But his conduct shows that he is not a pundit in these matters. The tamoguna, at its extreme, ends in moh (attachment) and one of the far ends of moh is nidra (sleep) – forget everything and go to sleep. Laziness, carelessness, and moh-nidra are the different forms of the same vice. Arjuna has been called ‘Gudakesh’ (meaning – Gudak– sleep, eesh – master; one who has conquered sleep). The same Arjuna has gone into moh-nidra. Param Pujya Gurudev used to say “when I see awakened souls immersed deep in moh- nidra, I pity them but also get annoyed.’ The irony of present times is that people spend their whole lives worrying about the welfare of their families and near-and-dear ones, but do not think of the society at all. It seems that Arjuna is also passing through the same state, but gradually his mind changes and ultimately he surrenders. In the seventh shloka of second chapter of the Gita he says –
Karpanyadoshohatswabhavah, pruchchhami
twam dharmasammoodachetah |
Yachchhreyah syannischitam bruhi tanme
Shishyasteaham shadhi mam twam prapannam
|| (2/7)
Meaning: I am confused about my righteous duty and have lost all composure due to weakness. In this condition I am asking you to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto you. Please instruct me. In fact, it is from this shloka that the Gita begins in the form of a dialogue between Guru (Teacher) and Shishya (Disciple). For the first time, Arjuna says
– I am your disciple. It is considered auspicious if a disciple attains this state of surrender towards this teacher. Prior to this, a disciple is blinded by his or her ego and boasts about his or her abilities– I am highly educated, I am philanthropic, I have donated so much to my Guru, I have given up my whole life for his work, and so on. Overcoming all this, when he or she becomes humble and says –‘I am your disciple. I have surrendered unto you. Please instruct me on what is beneficial for me’ - then, whether the Guru is available in physical form or not, he transmits such subtle inspirations that are certainly auspicious and provide him or her true guidance.
It is said that the Gita truly begins from 11 th shloka of the 2nd chapter, because the Lord, manifesting himself as a Guru, provides instruction of Sankhya Yoga to his disciple, Arjuna. In simple terms, Sankhya yoga is an instruction on how to imbibe ideals in real life. Some scholars say that this kind of yoga is for Sannayasis. This is not true. The reality is that it is the foundation of ‘Art of Living’. Sankhya yoga teaches how we can awaken our inner powers, how we can understand the true form of God and how we, while living a simple life, can also lead the life of a yogi and Paramhans (the enlightened). Everyone - young or old, male or female, a curious mind or a sadhak can practice this yoga. That is why this chapter has been considered very important in the Gita.
This chapter is very significant as it captures the first dialogue between a Guru and Shishya. Every Guru can tell only three things to his disciple: First, what his or her duty is; second, becoming one with God while performing his or her duty is a commendable achievement; and third, what the model of sthitpragya (a person of steady wisdom) is by giving his own example. We can also explain it as follows:
1. Engaging oneself in one’s duty, while understanding that the soul is different from the physical body. That is, we should try to understand that the soul is above physical body. (This has been explained in the 12th shloka.)
2. Engaging oneself in swadharma (conduct and duty) and going beyond it. Go beyond the karma while doing it and also attain the
state of stillness. (This has been explained in 31st shloka and beyond).
3. Understanding how a sthitpragya (a person who has realized the soul and reached beyond) lives? How to identify such a person and his or her virtues have been described from 55th shloka till the
end of 2nd chapter.
In these three divisions, the Guru, Lord Krishna, gives his message to his disciple, Arjuna. This message has been guiding humanity and sadhaks for ages.
It is not the dharma of Arjuna to live by begging. Even during Agyatwas (anonymity) he did not beg, he worked for a living. His entire life has been spent as a warrior. When a brave person, like Arjuna, talks of earning his livelihood by begging, then only his Guru, Yogeshwar Lord Krishna, can reprimand him and teach him the lessons of truth, swadharma, and realization of the soul in the form of Sankhya Yoga. Here it is important to understand this form of Lord Krishna as Arjuna’s Guru.
We (the Gayatri Pariwar parijans) sing a song ‘swayam bhagwan hamare guru – param saubhagya hamara hai’ (meaning – It is our great fortune that our guru is Lord himself). Under the present circumstances, if we truly imbibe the theme of this song, we can easily understand this context of the Gita. People have accepted Gurudev as a miracle man but there are only a few who have accepted him as the Lord. It is the most significant event in the life of a disciple when, like Arjuna, he accepts Sadguru as the Lord and surrenders unto him.
Param Pujya Gurudev too considered his Guru to be his Master and the Lord. In his autobiography ‘My life – Its Legacy and Message’ he writes, “It was the day of Basant parva. While I was engrossed in worship in my room during the early hours of the morning (Brahma muhurta) I saw an aura of light. I was stunned, amazed and awestruck. I rubbed my eyes to ascertain whether it was a hallucination or something astral like a ghost or demon, but it was none of these.
An astral body of a yogi appeared in the center of that aura. It was astral in the sense that his figure was visible although it was hovering in the empty space with an envelope of light all around it. I was wondering as to who he was. The apparition said, ‘I have been linked with you and guiding you during your past several lives. Since your childhood is now over, I have come to impart you the necessary guidance. I shall be helping you now to get all the work done through you, which is essential to meet the challenges of the present times. Yogis having only astral bodies cannot establish physical contacts, which are possible only by embodied beings, and hence the former depend on the latter for this purpose. ‘I surrendered myself at that moment to that divine soul and regarded him not only my guide, but also equivalent to Divinity Itself. This relationship has been maintained for the past sixty- three years (as of 1985) and I have been forging ahead wholeheartedly and unwaveringly on the path shown by him. No questions or doubts have ever arisen in my mind as to my capability to accomplish His will or what results my efforts will bear.”
The aforementioned lines have been cited in the context of meeting the Sadguru, so that we can get inspired from what is being suggested in the 2nd chapter of the Gita. Only a person who gives priority to emotions over his intellect can surrender totally. The possibilities of the growth of such a soul are infinite. Keeping this fact in mind, we should try to evaluate our dedication towards our Gurudev.
Right in the beginning of the second chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna admonishes Arjuna. He says –
Kutastwa kashmalmidam vishame samupasthitam |
Anaryajushtamaswargyamkirtikaramarjun ||(2/2)
Klaivyam ma sma gamah partha naitattvayyupapadyate |
Kshudram hrudaydaurbalyam tyaktotishtha paramtapa || (2/3)
Meaning: “O Arjuna! In this hour of crisis, how did attachment affect you? This conduct is unbecoming of a brave warrior. You will neither get heaven nor any fame because of it. O Parth! Do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not befit you. Give up such petty weakness of the heart and rise, stand up and face your enemies.”
It must be mentioned that the Lord starts speaking for the first time through these two shlokas. Earlier, He merely drove the chariot to the center of the battlefield on Arjuna’s request and listened to him express his anguish. Both these shlokas are very significant. Any brave warrior will feel humiliated and agonized upon hearing these words and will not tolerate being called impotent. The Lord is inciting and challenging Arjuna by hurting him to the core. In fact, the Lord gets upset on observing an awakened soul, like Arjuna’s, heading towards tamas (or darkness). That is why He reminds him (Arjuna) of the conduct of virtuous people and cautions him of his present conduct leading to infamy.
In reply to the abovementioned two shlokas, Arjuna defends himself by saying “Both Bheeshma and Dronacharya are dear to me. How can I kill them in battle? You are knowledgeable and great and I accept your reprimand, but I cannot kill my own people. I consider begging to be a better option than killing them because I will not be able to enjoy the blood-stained pleasures of this world.”
In reply to the abovementioned two shlokas, Arjuna defends himself by saying “Both Bheeshma and Dronacharya are dear to me. How can I kill them in battle? You are knowledgeable and great and I accept your reprimand, but I cannot kill my own people. I consider begging to be a better option than killing them because I will not be able to enjoy the blood-stained pleasures of this world.”
All arguments have reached a stage where Arjuna starts talking about begging. He is trying to refute Lord Krishna’s arguments in the same mercurial language. At the same time, he also says, “I don’t know what is good for me – to face the enemy or not. Regardless of victory or defeat, I do not want to live a life established by their deaths.”
Arjuna’s present mindset is worth studying. He is talking the language of ethics that one should not kill one’s benefactors. He is talking like pundits do, trying to convince Yogeshwar Lord Krishna. But his conduct shows that he is not a pundit in these matters. The tamoguna, at its extreme, ends in moh (attachment) and one of the far ends of moh is nidra (sleep) – forget everything and go to sleep. Laziness, carelessness, and moh-nidra are the different forms of the same vice. Arjuna has been called ‘Gudakesh’ (meaning – Gudak– sleep, eesh – master; one who has conquered sleep). The same Arjuna has gone into moh-nidra. Param Pujya Gurudev used to say “when I see awakened souls immersed deep in moh- nidra, I pity them but also get annoyed.’ The irony of present times is that people spend their whole lives worrying about the welfare of their families and near-and-dear ones, but do not think of the society at all. It seems that Arjuna is also passing through the same state, but gradually his mind changes and ultimately he surrenders. In the seventh shloka of second chapter of the Gita he says –
Karpanyadoshohatswabhavah, pruchchhami
twam dharmasammoodachetah |
Yachchhreyah syannischitam bruhi tanme
Shishyasteaham shadhi mam twam prapannam
|| (2/7)
Meaning: I am confused about my righteous duty and have lost all composure due to weakness. In this condition I am asking you to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto you. Please instruct me. In fact, it is from this shloka that the Gita begins in the form of a dialogue between Guru (Teacher) and Shishya (Disciple). For the first time, Arjuna says
– I am your disciple. It is considered auspicious if a disciple attains this state of surrender towards this teacher. Prior to this, a disciple is blinded by his or her ego and boasts about his or her abilities– I am highly educated, I am philanthropic, I have donated so much to my Guru, I have given up my whole life for his work, and so on. Overcoming all this, when he or she becomes humble and says –‘I am your disciple. I have surrendered unto you. Please instruct me on what is beneficial for me’ - then, whether the Guru is available in physical form or not, he transmits such subtle inspirations that are certainly auspicious and provide him or her true guidance.
It is said that the Gita truly begins from 11 th shloka of the 2nd chapter, because the Lord, manifesting himself as a Guru, provides instruction of Sankhya Yoga to his disciple, Arjuna. In simple terms, Sankhya yoga is an instruction on how to imbibe ideals in real life. Some scholars say that this kind of yoga is for Sannayasis. This is not true. The reality is that it is the foundation of ‘Art of Living’. Sankhya yoga teaches how we can awaken our inner powers, how we can understand the true form of God and how we, while living a simple life, can also lead the life of a yogi and Paramhans (the enlightened). Everyone - young or old, male or female, a curious mind or a sadhak can practice this yoga. That is why this chapter has been considered very important in the Gita.
This chapter is very significant as it captures the first dialogue between a Guru and Shishya. Every Guru can tell only three things to his disciple: First, what his or her duty is; second, becoming one with God while performing his or her duty is a commendable achievement; and third, what the model of sthitpragya (a person of steady wisdom) is by giving his own example. We can also explain it as follows:
1. Engaging oneself in one’s duty, while understanding that the soul is different from the physical body. That is, we should try to understand that the soul is above physical body. (This has been explained in the 12th shloka.)
2. Engaging oneself in swadharma (conduct and duty) and going beyond it. Go beyond the karma while doing it and also attain the
state of stillness. (This has been explained in 31st shloka and beyond).
3. Understanding how a sthitpragya (a person who has realized the soul and reached beyond) lives? How to identify such a person and his or her virtues have been described from 55th shloka till the
end of 2nd chapter.
In these three divisions, the Guru, Lord Krishna, gives his message to his disciple, Arjuna. This message has been guiding humanity and sadhaks for ages.
It is not the dharma of Arjuna to live by begging. Even during Agyatwas (anonymity) he did not beg, he worked for a living. His entire life has been spent as a warrior. When a brave person, like Arjuna, talks of earning his livelihood by begging, then only his Guru, Yogeshwar Lord Krishna, can reprimand him and teach him the lessons of truth, swadharma, and realization of the soul in the form of Sankhya Yoga. Here it is important to understand this form of Lord Krishna as Arjuna’s Guru.
We (the Gayatri Pariwar parijans) sing a song ‘swayam bhagwan hamare guru – param saubhagya hamara hai’ (meaning – It is our great fortune that our guru is Lord himself). Under the present circumstances, if we truly imbibe the theme of this song, we can easily understand this context of the Gita. People have accepted Gurudev as a miracle man but there are only a few who have accepted him as the Lord. It is the most significant event in the life of a disciple when, like Arjuna, he accepts Sadguru as the Lord and surrenders unto him.
Param Pujya Gurudev too considered his Guru to be his Master and the Lord. In his autobiography ‘My life – Its Legacy and Message’ he writes, “It was the day of Basant parva. While I was engrossed in worship in my room during the early hours of the morning (Brahma muhurta) I saw an aura of light. I was stunned, amazed and awestruck. I rubbed my eyes to ascertain whether it was a hallucination or something astral like a ghost or demon, but it was none of these.
An astral body of a yogi appeared in the center of that aura. It was astral in the sense that his figure was visible although it was hovering in the empty space with an envelope of light all around it. I was wondering as to who he was. The apparition said, ‘I have been linked with you and guiding you during your past several lives. Since your childhood is now over, I have come to impart you the necessary guidance. I shall be helping you now to get all the work done through you, which is essential to meet the challenges of the present times. Yogis having only astral bodies cannot establish physical contacts, which are possible only by embodied beings, and hence the former depend on the latter for this purpose. ‘I surrendered myself at that moment to that divine soul and regarded him not only my guide, but also equivalent to Divinity Itself. This relationship has been maintained for the past sixty- three years (as of 1985) and I have been forging ahead wholeheartedly and unwaveringly on the path shown by him. No questions or doubts have ever arisen in my mind as to my capability to accomplish His will or what results my efforts will bear.”
The aforementioned lines have been cited in the context of meeting the Sadguru, so that we can get inspired from what is being suggested in the 2nd chapter of the Gita. Only a person who gives priority to emotions over his intellect can surrender totally. The possibilities of the growth of such a soul are infinite. Keeping this fact in mind, we should try to evaluate our dedication towards our Gurudev.
Write Your Comments Here:
Page Titles
- Amrit Chintan
- From Chief Editor’s Desk
- Change of Era and Future World - Some Prophecies
- On the auspicious festival of Guru Purnima
- Science and Spirituality
- The Enormous Challenge of Growing Population
- Yug Gita – 7
- Let’s Join Hands in Adoring Mother Nature
- Youth Column
- Peace Pilgrim’s Wisdom – 6
- Odyssey of the Enlightened – 56
- Future Civilization would be a blend of Science & Religion
- Save Trees – Save Life
- Two Steps to Spiritual Ascent: Yoga and Tapa - IV - Amritvani
- Helicopter Parenting
- Let’s Make Our Neighbourhood Polythene-Free
- Unknown Champions of Afforestation
- QUOTES
- SHORT STORIES-Adi Guru and Saptrishis
- Deadly Heat May Threaten Majority of Mankind
- A boy with a bad temper
- In life, you get what you give.
- Fruits and Fame
- A peasant and gold coins
- A man and a butterfly
