Guru Guides the Disciple to
Reflect on the Self – 2
Lord Krishna brings Arjuna back in the main
stream, by explaining such a sophisticated
philosophical concept, in short, that the body is
mortal and the soul is immortal; what is visible to
the physical eyes is ephemeral and destructible
and the one that is invisible is eternal. How
many people have fallen into the jaws of death
in front of our own eyes? Realize that eternal
element, the Spirit (Soul), which is beyond the
physical body. In the following ïlokas, Lord is
trying to convey to Arjuna the same thing so that
he understands his duty and gets ready for the
righteous war.
Ya ena® vetti hant³ra®
yaïcaina® manyate hatam |
Ubhau tau na vij³nºto
n³ya® hanti na hanyate || (2.19)
Na j³yate mriyate v³ kad³cin
n³ya® bh¿tv³ bhavit³ v³ na bh¿ya¡ |
Ajo nitya¡ ï³ïvato ´ya® pur³ño
na hanyate hanyam³ne ïarºre || (2.20)
Ved³vin³ïina® nitya®
ya enam ajam avyayam |
Katha® sa puruÌa¡ p³rtha
ka® gh³tayati hanti kam || (2.21)
Meaning: One who thinks that the soul is a
slayer and one who thinks that the soul is slain -
both are ignorant, because the soul neither slays
nor is slain.
The soul is neither born, nor does it die at any
time. It does not come into being or cease to
exist. It is unborn, eternal, permanent, and prime
val. The soul is not destroyed when the body
is destroyed.
O Arjuna! How can a person who knows that
the soul is indestructi ble, eternal, unborn, and
immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to be
killed?
This kind of explanation of Soul, with its
different virtues, is found from nineteenth to
thirtieth ïlokas. This portion is considered the
essence of the Gita. It is advisable to read and
contemplate on this essence when someone’s
near and dear one dies.
Lord is making Arjuna realize that he should
not get worried about this body, that he should
abandon his affection towards his relatives who
are prone to die. Guru shows his disciple this
mirror so that he can reflect on the self. As soon
as we start talking the language of the wise,
Guru shows the mirror – why this arrogance –
for whom this attachment – is it for this mortal
body – is it for the transitory relations? Again and
again, Lord is preaching Arjuna to recognize the
eternal and forget the transitory relations. Eternal
are the relations of Soul and Supreme Soul, jºva
and brahma, disciple and Guru; and transient
and mortal are the relations with our so-called
brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, etc. The people
whom we consider near and dear ones are, infact, the companions in this life only, whereas
Guru-disciple bond is eternal and continues
forever.
This bond emerges from the sanctity
of emotions, from the depth of heart; and, that
is why, it remains unbroken. A true Guru always
finds his true disciple and the true disciple is also
able to find his true Guru.
Lord reiterates the same thing in the following
ïlokas:
V³s³®si jºrñ³ni yath³ vih³ya
nav³ni g•hñ³ni naro ’par³ñi|
Tath³ ïarºr³ñi vih³ya jºrñ³nyany³ni
sa®y³ti nav³ni dehº|| (2.22)
Naina® chindanti ïastr³ñi
naina® dahati p³vaka¡ |
Na caina® kledayanty³po
Na ïoÌayati m³ruta¡|| (2.23)
Meaning: Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes
and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Soul
casts off worn-out bodies and enters others that
are new.
Weapons cannot cut it, fire cannot burn it, water
cannot wet it and the wind cannot dry it.
Explaining the virtues of the Soul, Lord says
– ‘It is eternal, all-pervading, stable, ancient
and immovable. Therefore, knowing this to be
such, you should not grieve. Neither should you
deviate from performing your Yugadharma.’
Lord says further (27th ïloka) ‘Birth is inevitable
to what is dead and death is inevitable to what is
born. This is the law of Nature. Therefore, one
should not grieve.’ He explains to Arjuna further
– ‘Though, this soul is present in the bodies of
all the living beings, it cannot be killed. Only the
body (the outer cover) can be killed. Therefore,
you should not grieve.’ He now talks of following
one’s svadharma (righteous duty) -
Svadharmamapi c³vekÌya
na vikampitumarhasi|
Dharmy³ddhi yuddh³chreyo ´nyat
kÌatriyasya na vidyate|| (2.31)
Meaning: Having regard to your own duty, you
should not waver, for there is nothing higher for a
kÌatriya than a righteous war.
With this ïloka ends the context of ‘realizing the
soul beyond the body’ and starts the metaphysical
– oriented context of ‘practicing svadharma by
the physical body’. Lord says to Arjuna - ‘You
have got this body so that you can understand your
svadharma and follow it’. Pujya Gurudev used
to say – ‘It is through this body that the light of
Soul and Supreme Soul spread. We have got this
body so that the effulgence of God can express
through it.
Our mind and body, our thoughts and
deeds are the fountains of this effulgence. Our
body is a unique divine constitution. Embraced
in the divine consciousness, when we perform
our actions with this body, it is called ‘following
svadharma’ or practicing our duties. There is no
Tapa (penance) higher than performing one’s
righteous duties.’
In this context, an anecdote of Mahabharat is
worth recalling. There was one Muni (seer) named
Jajalya, who was famous for his ardent Tapa. He
acquired several supernormal powers by his Tapa.
He used to throw his dhotº (a traditional lower
garment worn by male Hindus) in air for drying
and it would remain in the air without the support
of any string. One day he saw that a crow has
excreted on his dhotº. He got annoyed and by his
mere angry sight the crow was burnt to death. Hebecame very proud of his supernormal powers.
After this incident, he had a divine revelation that
he should shun his ego if he wanted to acquire
knowledge and know about Tapa; and, for this
purpose, he should go to Sulabha who lived in the
nearby village. Arrogant Jajalya reached the home
of Sulabha. He sent the message to Sulabha that
a Muni (himself) had come to meet her. Sulabha
replied that she was busy in feeding the children,
so he should wait for some time. Muni got angry
over this and shouted – ‘Are you aware who has
come to your house? People have been paying
respect to me all the way. In spite of knowing me,
you are avoiding me.’ Sulabha replied – ‘I am not
dhotº that will get dried on your instruction or
the crow that will get burnt.
People might have
been respecting you all the way, but I know who
you are.’ Muni started thinking how she acquired
this transcendental knowledge. Sulabha said –
‘Muniji! Don’t get surprised; it is the Tapa of
following svadharma by this body that has given
me this siddhº. If you want to know more, please
go to Tuladhar Vaishya.’
When Muniji reached the shop of Tuladhar
Vaishya, he was talking to the customers. He said
to Tuladhar – ‘I have been sent here by Sulabha.
First talk to me.’ Tuladhar said – ‘Please wait, first
I will deal with the customers.’ – Immediately
Muniji got angry. Tuladhar said – ‘I am neither
dhotº nor crow. Please don’t get annoyed, have
patience.’ Astonished Muni started thinking
how this man got the siddhº. Tuladhar said –‘I
am not a profiteer, I weigh correctly. I follow
my svadharma – this is my only Tapa.’ Later on
Jajalya Muni had many experiences which made
him realize - ‘following svadharma – performing
one’s righteous duties, is the highest form of
Tapa and that he should not get arrogant about
his siddhºs, because they are momentary and they
vanish when one gets angry.’ Knowledgeable
persons like Janak, etc became Yogº – Videh by
following svadharma. Jajalya Muni thus realized
this essence of knowledge.
Lord too is explaining the same fact to his disciple
Arjuna. He says – ‘Fortunate are the kÌatriyas, O
Arjuna, who are called upon to fight in such a war
that comes of itself as an open door to heaven!
But, if you will not fight in this righteous war,
then, having abandoned your duty and fame,
you shall incur sin. People, too, will recount
your everlasting dishonor; and to the honorable
person, dishonor is worse than death.’ (Chapter
2, ïlokas 32, 33 and 34)
Pujya Gurudev too advised us to engage in Tapa.
In the present times, Jó³na Yajóa is the best
Tapa. Inspiring the masses to imbibe the virtue
of righteous wisdom is our foremost duty, even
if we have to abandon our pleasures and undergo
pains for this purpose – so advised Gurudev.
‘Not undertaking this Tapa s³dhan³ is similar to
running away from our Mahabharata’ – He said.
The discussion on following svadharma, utilizing
one’s talents and resources for the upliftment of
the masses, yugadharma, etc will continue in the
next issue.
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