Sri Vidya Shankar Bharati Swami - The Heart of the Bhagavad-Gita, 1918

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http://archive.org/details/cu31924023202678

me

uaeKivaa oruaies

in

Religion

pnd Philosophy :

III.

THE

HEART OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA

BY

The Gaekwad Studies in

Religion

and Philosophy :

III.

THE

HEART OF THE BHAGAVAD-GIT A BY

Pandit

LINGESH MAHABHAGAVAT, of Kurtkoti, Ph. D.

NOW HIS HOLINESS

VIDYA SHANKAR BHARATI SWAMf

.SRI

JAGADGURU SHANKARACHARYA OF KARVIR AND SANKESHWAR.

PRINTED BY MESSRS. SRINIVASA VARADACHARI 4,

*

&

MOUNT ROAD, MADRAS AND

PUBLISHED BY PROFESSOR A. G. WIDGERY, THE COLLEGE, BARODA. 1918-

Pries— Rupees two and annas four.

CO.

^Lr T2fsr/ 1^/

Books can be had of the Publisher, or

The

Oriental

Book Supplying Agency, 13, Shukravarpeth,

Poona

City.

Dedieated

'Lsifth.

Permission

To «Sr&id

excellency

^ke

avt.

aSonouzable

willing dono

dootd

G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., G.B.E.,

Sovernor of

Bombay

as a token of

Personal Friendship and Regard

BY THE AUTHOR. ,

CONTENTS Foreword by LL. D.,

(Sir) Dr. S.

etc.,

Subrahmanya Aiyar>

Ex-Judge, High Court, Madras

;

and iftc-Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras. Preface by A. G. Widgery, Esq., M. A., Professor of Philosophy, The College, Baroda. PAGB

The Heart of the Bhagavad-Gita. Introductory Remarks

..

1

..

8

..

10

yoga-s' astra

..

17

The Ideal of the Gita

..

20

The

Title " Bhagavad-Gita"

What

is

the Bhagavad-Gita

?

28

Karma-Toga, or the Yoga of Agtion Definition.

Escape from work impossible. Free-

dom from work work.

The

of nature.

lies

Work

doctrine of

through work.

Two

kinds of

three gunas or fundamental forces

without attachment

:

the chief

Karma- Yoga. The Gita on

The most important

principles

required by Karma-Toga.

of

duty.

conduct

vni

PAGB

Dhyana-Yoga or the Yoga of the Mystic Reason and Realisation.

really

Sense pleasures

The use

sources of misery.

and

Karma

The second stage

stage.

What

practice.

Spiritual

Two

humanity.

is

or the preliminary

or S'ama. Benunciation

renunciation ?

Secluded

bliss.

The

of self-study.

need of purification to the worldly mind. steps in purification.

68

Reincarnation.

Practice.

and service

life

The

to

excellence of

Dhyana-Yoga.

113

Jnana-Yoga, or the Yoga of Knowledge. Knowledge

not mere speculation.

is

The knowledge

tions for Jnana.

Qualifica-

of Kshetra and

Kshetrajna spoken of as " The Knowledge " in

Jnana-Yoga.

Subject and object presupposed in

every knowledge. The natural purity of the soul. Ignorance. lessness

The Gita on the

— what'it means.

real.

Jnani's Act-

The nature

rajna.

The Brahman. The use

ledge.

The

of

Kshet-

of this

know-

necessity of religious

practice to

attain Jnana.

Bhakti-Yoga, ob the Yoga of Devotion. Man's search misery

lies

acoording

Maya

after

happiness.

The way out

through God-love or Bhakti. to

Bhakti-Yoga.

or spiritual realisation.

The

157 of

God

crossing of

The importance

of

PAGB

The transformation

the education of the heart.

of ordinary love into Bhakti or God-lore. in

its

The

lower forms.

nunciation of low desires. tory

Bhakti.

Purification

methods of Bhakti-Yoga, resulting

from Bhakti.

of divine lore.

The

Love

principle of the re-

God is lore. of

Prepara-

the Mind.

The

Spiritual realisation

Human

ideal of

representations

Para Bhakti.

The

relation between Bhakti- Yoga and Jnana-Yoga.

•Concluding Remarks

208

Corrigenda

227

Index

:

Names

.;

...

22^

Vlll

PASS

68

Dhyana-Yoga or the Yoga of the Mystic. Season and Realisation.

Sense pleasures

The use

sources of misery.

The second stage

stage.

and

Karma

What

practice.

Spiritual

Two

or the preliminary

or S'ama. Renunciation Practice.

renunciation ?

Secluded

bliss.

humanity.

is

The

of self-study.

need of purification to the worldly mind. steps in purification.

really

life

Reincarnation.

and

The

to

service

excellence of

Dhyana-Yoga.

Jnana-Yoga, or the Yoga of Knowledge. Knowledge

not mere speculation.

is

The knowledge

tions for Jnana.

1

13

Qualifica-

of Kshetra

and

Kshetrajna spoken of as " The Knowledge " in

Jnana-Yoga.

Subject and object presupposed in

every knowledge. The natural purity of the soul. Ignorance. Iessness

—

The Gita on the

whafc'it

means.

real.

Jnani's Act-

The nature

rajna.

The Brahman. The use

ledge.

The

of Kshet-

of this

necessity of religious

know-

practice to

attain Jnana.

Bhakti-Yoga, or the Yoga of Devotion. Man's search misery

lies

according

Maya

after

happiness.

The way out

through God-love or Bhakti. to

Bhakti-Yoga.

or spiritual realisation.

The

157 of

God

crossing of

The importance

of

IX

P AGB

the education of the heart.

The transformation

of ordinary love into Bhakti or God-love. in

its

The

lower forms.

nunciation of low desires. Bhakti.

tory

Purification

methods of Bhakti- Yoga. resulting

from Bhakti.

of divine love. relation

The

Love

principle of the re-

God is love. of

Prepara-

the Mind.

The

Spiritual realisation

Human

ideal of

representations

Para Bhakti.

The

between Bhakti- Yoga and Jnana-Yoga.

Concluding Remarks

208

Corrigenda

227

Index

:

Names

7.

...

221^

FOREWORD fpHE

appearance of

this

work from the pen of

His Holiness, though written no doubt before his elevation to his present high and venerable position, in a language spoken of, by those whose mother- tongue it is, as the lingua franca of India, but by the contemptuous term Hoona bh&sh* by the so-called orthodox, is indeed a very notable sign of the times. It augurs most happilyjfor the future well-being of the mother-

showing the extremely liberal spirit which is coming to permeate even those high personages,8ÂŁwho preside over the few wellknown centres of religion called S'ankaraeharya Peethas in different parts of India. Within two decades" [from now, a Swami, who! was one of land,

as

such heads enjoying the highest reverence at the hands of the thousands and thousands of his followers imostly in this Presidency, went the length of warning a friend of mine that any one English translations of Hindu scriptures, the Upanishads, etc., for the purpose of his study, was a patitft or a fallen man, by

who used

reason of his resorting to books written on such-

xu subjects in other than Samskrit, the sacred lan-

In the light of this incident, I

jguage.

all children of

that the fact that one, position in

am

sure

Aryavarta will agree in thinking

the

now occupying

a similar

Hindu

religious

hierarchy

teachers and guides

of

present day, has

the

at

now

consented to the publication

of a treatise

sometime back, in the foreign tongue of the Westerns, on the greatwritten by him, though

est of Indian scriptures, the Bhagavad Geeta, marks a transition that cannot but conduce to the growth of true spirituality in the land.

For,

it

will lead,

among

other things, to the

including the forty millions and

all men, more of the

untouchables

self-righteous

recognition

so-called

and

of

the brotherhood

as

the

of

have been prone to characterise those brethren of theirs. That this view is not a piece of my imagination will be admitted if it is remembered that it was His Holiness who inspired the really remarkable movement which culminated in the All-India Anti-Untouchability castes

classes

Conference, held in

Bombay

March

and and sympathetic letter from Delhi where he was at that time conferred on it a prestige and value that would otherwise not belong to the movement. Again, the bold appeal, made by His Holiness at & by

his

exhortations

in

last,

Home

Kule meeting

Allahabad in a previousof religious heads to for the betterment? of the people in social and civic activities also, unmistakably points to the great change now taking place in those quarters which cannot but act profoundly on the national movement soin

month as to the duty come forward and work

manifest at present.

Before leaving this preliminary matter,

it

may

be worth calling attention to an interesting article in one of the numbers of the Samskrit journal Vidyodaya for 1897, brought to my notice by Pandit K. T. Srinivasachariar, theable editor of the S'uddha Dharma Mandala the

wherein,

Series,

learned

writer raises

protest against the bigotry of those

demn

He

who

a

con-

writings in English on religious subjects.

opines that that language, instead of being

derided, should be respected as

great language rulers.

He

stated

by him

—

in that

it

is

Maha Bhasha

—

the tongue of our

further argues for cogent reasons that, in the present circumstances

of the country,

there

is

great

,

necessity

for

making our sacred books accessible to English by translations and otherwise. It may

readers

be added in support of the learned writer's argument that experience clearly establishes the capability of this Western tongue to convey

XIV

more or

less

adequately even the subtlest ideas

ofSamskrit philosophical and other technical terms.

It

stands virile

manifold

purposes,

a power that

reason that the tongue,

to

race of our rulers employs for

which the

is

must and does possess and which is getting

great

enriched day by day as the result of the varied ^activities of that race all the

world over.

Turning to the treatise on hand, (necessary to say that

on

my

it

scarcely

it is

would be presumption

part to enter into any criticism

views propounded in

it,

even were I at

all

petent to undertake such a task which T

of the

com-

is

not

may however be

permitted to remark that those views, propounded with brevity and the case. I

extreme

clarity, deserve the earnest attention

of

-every student of the Geeta.

Among those views, one requires special notice, viz.,

that founded

on the conjunction of the

phrase Yoga with such others as Sankhya, Bhahti and Karma so prominent in the scripture. Here, His Holiness touches upon what is cardinal in the Geeta, as will be seen from the edition thereof brought out by Pandit K. T. Srinivasachariar as No. 3 of the Suddha Dharma Mandala -Series. The arrangement of the scripture in that edition is essentially different from the one now in general use and which latter forms the basis

XT

According to

for His Holiness's present work.

the former, the whole scripture, excluding certain preliminary and concluding verses, is divided into four parts, each consisting of six chapters.

This division rests upon the solid foundation of the ultimate analysis of

human

consciousness.

That consciousness, so analysed, stands, as is well known, thus (1) Jnana, (2) Ichchha, (3) Kriya. The first may be rendered the cognising faculty of the Self in man or cognition the second as the Self's faculty of desire or wish which latter word apparently is derived from the same root as Ichchha and the third as the Self's faculty of :

;

;

externalising and giving effect to the other faculties

The

by acting upon the Not-Self or matter.

synthesis of the three constitutes

which no is

two

better English

as yet forthcoming

;

word than consciousness

though, having regard to

what Sir John Woodroffe observes, in work " Shakti and Shakta " (p. 53 reference

to

sciousness

is

the

that for

cognate term

his recent et

seq) in

conhardly a satisfactory equivalent. Now, of course, neither Jnana nor Ichchha nor Kriya should be looked on as separate component parts capable of being

tied

up

chit,

in water-tight

compartments. They are but different aspects, each with a dominant note, of the one indivisible whole, namely, consciousness. Again, those

xvi

three aspects are but reflections, in man, of

the-

ananda, and sat respectively, which in common use are referred to in a different order for obvious reasons, unnecesDivine attributes

chit,

sary

here.

to

explain

Coming back

Suddha Dharma Mandala

quadruple

edition, the

division referred to follows the said order

consequently

the

four

sections

Yoga

and

the whole is

Shatkas

this alone

is

respectively.

in

impossible to doubt.

par

excellence

to the end.

That

this

the scripture

For, this scripture

Yoga Shastra from

No wonder

known Samahara

accord with

the fullest

end and aim of

and

are

as the Jnana, Ichchha, Kriya and the

or

the

to

it is-

the beginning

therefore

that in re-

arranging the work and making 18 chapters out of it, he, who introduced this method, found it

necessary to coin such compounds as Sankhya

Yoga, Bhakti Yoga,

Karma Yoga and

the rest.

There can be no question that the division into

three Shatkas was later in time than the

one of four

divisions. Each has its appropriate reason as Gobhila, the author of a most remarkable Karika on the Mahabharata, conclusively

shows in the extract from his said work quoted by me in the footnote at pp. 34-37 of my Foreword to the Suddha Dharma Mandala edition referred to above.

;

XVII

Were so

far,

feel I

my

ciently

add nothing to what I have said would not be expressing suffisense of the favour, shown to me

1 to I

in asking to

write

more

to discharge

matter,

fully

Foreword.

my

In order

obligation

myself of this

avail

I

this

in the

opportunity

to offer some observations from a point of view,

not perhaps the

least, the Geeta admits of being regarded from. In taking such a point of view of this scripture

am prompted

by the this aspect of it comes to be altogether ignored by any considerable body of for consideration, I

that

feeling

students,

solely

if

the loss

the

to

thinking

world

in

general and to the mystic world in particular will be great.

One more word by way

of preface

And it is that make certain assumptions as to the goal of human progress of human the possible developments as to to

what

I shall presently say.

in the course of

faculties

what

and powers

;

follows,

and as

to

I

the existence

of spiritual teachers possessed of superhuman wisdom and knowledge. All this may seem incredible to some and perhaps even to many and I may thereby expose myself at their hands to the criticism that I am in regard to those as-

sumptions a victim to unwarranted

put

it

mildly.

This

is

beliefs,

to

however inevitable in

xvm with an

dealing

ancient

sacred

book which

avowedly devotes itself to the exposition of how to realise Brahman, that One Changeless Eeality, from which, as the Upanishads say, mind and All the speech return unable to attain to It. performed more so, if my present task is to be

without detracting in any way from the reverence due to the scripture dealing with the

can occupy one's attention tune with the absolutely spiritual tone which pervades every line of it, expounding as its in one of it does the science described highest theme that

and

in

verses as

the

kingly science, most

pure, righ-

teous, easy to follow, capable of leading to direct

and productive of imperishable results. These words are no doubt scoffed at by the unfortunate materialist as an empty boast but they are words that bring hope and joy to the man of faith, humility and intuition, the value of which last faculty is now being dinned into the ear of the west by some of her experience,

;

own

great sons, Bergson, for example.

Now sidered,

taking up the point of view to be conit

or writing,

is

that the

By

Geeta

is

an occult work

the term occult writing

is

to

be understood, of course, that it contains, hidden in it as it were, ideas and truths, the comprehension of which is just in proportion to the

": Z1X

.awakening of the spiritual vision of the readers. •Of the beginnings of such awakening, the one

unmistakable evidence will consist of the unreserved recognition of the unity of life in th& infinite

variety

of forms

everywhere, in minerals,

in

and

everything

vegetables,

animals,

men, devas and in the endless higher and higher of existences throughout the cosmos, visible and invisible. I should not fail here to add that the view that the Geeta is an occuifc states

•scripture is expressly

which

will

testified to

be found in

by two word*

the verse cited a

little

—

above, namely, " Raja Guhyam JJoyal secret "following " Raja-vidya " with which the verse begins.

A

necessary consequence of the occult char-

acter of the scripture

is

that the teachings therein,

taken in their merely literal sense, are often likely to be misunderstood and sometimes grossly misused. I cannot better illustrate this observation than with reference to the first out of the four maxims, which form the introduction to a priceless little book called similar occult " Light on the Path " published more than thirtyyears ago in London. The maxims run see Before the eyes can they must be in"(1) capable of tears. (2) Before the ear can hear, it

must have lost

its sensitiveness.

(

3) Before

the

voice can speak in the presence of the Masters,it

must have

lost its

power

to

wound.

(4)

Before

the soul can stand in the presence of the Masters*, feet must be washed in the blood of the

its

heart." These statements are descriptions of four

of the indispensable qualifications of an aspirant

who

is

seeking to enter the path leading to

Moksha or Nirvana or liberation and thus wishesto become a disciple of one of those Great Teachers, who are ever ready to take in hand and train up all who are fit for being initiated into the mysteries of nature, of God and the For, such teachers themselves proclaim

soul.

" Those who have passed through

:

the silence,,

(which marks the bloom of the soul) and felt its peace and retained its strength they long that

you

shall pass

through

it

also " {Light on the-

Path, notes to rule 21, page 23). The qualifications above mentioned, expressed in the fewest words, are true sight, true hearing, true speech

and true capacity

to render service

—not

service-

to the teachers themselves, for they stand in

no

need of such personal attention, but to the world at large, of which they are the spiritual guardians.

Taking now the said first maxim, nothing can be simpler than it, so far as the mere words go r '

but,

if

understood

literally,

the aphorism will lead

zxi

to disastrous conclusions.

For,

it

would amount

recommending absolute hard-heartedness, lack compassion. But, such an attitude on the part of the aspirant cannot but, on the very face of it, be an obstacle to his ardently wished for spiritual growth and not a

-to

of sympathy and

To be incapable

•help.

of tears with reference

to the sufferings of another is the method by which the dark path is to be trodden. It is the path of which one by-product, familiar to us all, is the Prussian

super-man,

-endeavouring to uproot

who is now all

civilization.

development of the man, treading is

by contraction, leading

state of isolation

called

vigorously

this

The

dark path

finally to that terrible

avichi

;

than which no

human Ego. What which the man wishing to

greater calamity can befall a then

is

the sense in

tread the White Path

—the Path

to Nirvana

—

is

be incapable of tears ? The answer is he completely above being moved even in the slighest degree by untoward happenings to himself and which would cause anguish, sorrow and mental suffering, if he were an to

•should be

ordinary

man

of the world.

This

is

not

all.

His soul has to become " as the ripe mango fruit as soft and sweet as its bright golden pulp for others' woes " on the one hand, and on the other as hard ''as that fruit's stone for his owa

xxii

throes and sorrows." Of course, this habit of* keeping under complete check, man's emotional nature in one particular direction while at the-

same time, that nature is sustained fully alive and keen, is not easily acquired. But he, whp aspires to tread the path to the most exalted Goal before him, cannot but assiduously strive Because,,

for the formation of such a faculty. it is

remembered

to be

his

growth

is

to

be by

expansion of his whole nature, of his desires-

and emotions, of to serve.

It

is

his

knowledge and the power

when

all

these

reach

their

highest pitch of perfection that he can merge

himself in the Divinity whose "Will in

the

particular

part

become a co-worker with

To make

of

is

at work:

the cosmos

and

It.

the present discussion

complete,

it

add that there is a very marked distinction between the sympathy with the afflictions of his fellow-men felt by a disciple and that proceeding from one who has reached liberation. In the former case, the sympathy is ever attended with regret, while in the latter, it isremains

to

The fully illuminated soul sees and knows, as none below Its level on the evolutionary ladder can see and know, that what we call' Afflictions are but necessary incidents in a man's growth, and thus within the Divine scheme of hit otherwise.

Mill

Consequently, the regret which was

evolution.

occasioned in the disciple by the absence of

full

comprehension of that scheme, finds no place in the mind of him, whose vision is utterly unclouded and perfect. In his case, it is compassion, unalloyed, spurring him on, to an enlightened co-operation with God's plan by endeavours to remove that nescience, which is at the root of all the errors of the yet-developing humanity. It is not until this final stage that of Nirvana is reached that the regret which accompanies a disciple's sympathy can altogether cease, though such regret will continue to diminish at each of the four great stages of the progress

—

—

of the

human Ego.

Those stages, needless to Kuteechaka, Hamsa and terms of Hindu nomencla-

add, are Parivrajaka,

Parama-Hamsa, ture with

Sakridagamin,

Shrottapatti,

When

Arhat.

in

the corresponding Buddhistic names the four

Anagamin

true great

and

initiations,

marking the above stages have been undergone, and the Ego attains to the superhuman fifth stage,

Asehha in the

that of the Tureeyateeta, he becomes (i.e.,)

world

may not the

cerned

who has nothing more to learn system to which he belongs. It

one

be out of place

said is

an

to point out that

at

the fortunate Ego con" given certain " Keys to Knowledge

initiations,

ZZ1V

and "words of power" which, among other things, enable him to progress along the path to liberation he is treading- a path as narrow and sharp as a razor, as the Upanishad expresses it. In all this, there is no question of favour. The wonderful expansion of consciousness and soul purification, which the Ego has been able to effect by strenuous efforts birth after birth, entitle him to those keys and words as a matter of simple justice. This is never withheld from him even for a minute after it is due. Neither arbitrariness nor partiality of any sort nor delay

—

is

possible in things

of such

high

moment

humanity, governed, as they are, by laws ministered by the

all

to

ad-

wise and merciful Hierarchy,

Manu, Vyasa and other less known Adhikara Purushas, under the guidance of that Mighty Being who is the spiritual King and

consisting of

Lord

of

our globe.

Many

are His

names

in the

sacred books. For example, in the Mahabharata

He is almost uniformly spoken of as Narayana. In the Ohandogya Upanishad text beginning with the words dhara Suddfrow, His titles are Sanatkumara and Skanda. And the words therein Tamasahparam Dars'ayati (shows the light beyond the darkness) amply justify the very apt name applied to Him in some modern English writings, namely the One Initiator.

zzr

be seen from what I have been explaining above that the aphorism I have comIt will

mented on, though extremely simple •sight, requires is

at

first

much diving into, if misconception And it follows that many of

to be avoided.

the

Geeta, owing to

teachings of the

their

occult nature, stand in need of like effort on the part of the student,

if

their true import is to

be

understood.

Now,

in

passing,

is

it

hardly necessary to

that, in the hands of those, in whom no real yearning for spiritual growth and whose minds are not mature enough to grasp the deep significance of the teachings, the Geeta could serve no useful purpose whatever. In some few cases of this description, unmixed

remark

there

«vil

is

may

result

from some of the precepts being

in the been have case of the misguided youths who

understood

made

to

Arjuna, •course

literally,

believe

fight "

of the

as

that

for

the

instance,

injunction

which occurs so often scripture,

sanctions

petration of the political crimes

the

" O, in the

per-

they are guilty

of as part of the plot to overthrow the British

Mow

can these unwary youths be expected to realise that the battle to be fought is not as against intimate friends and near relatives as the words on their face suggest but those emoRaj.

XXVI

tions of

men, personified as such

in the narrative

— emotions-

at the commencement of the book which are hindrances to spiritual

progress,

namely, raga, dvesha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya and so on which have been nurtured for ages through countless births and re-births. The case of these unfortunate youths forms another illustration of the wisdom of the saying

" Throw

not

pearls before

What I and much more r swine."

have thus tried to indicate would be found emphatically stated in the verse which lays down to what classes of persons the Geeta should not be taught. Turning now to the case of those who are more or less fit to enter upon the study of the soripture, it should be borne in mind that some of the most important precepts admit of more than

one,

mate from

its

own

of this position, crucial

each

interpretation,

being

point of view.

me

let

word which

In support

take forexample, that

is

so

throughout, namely, Yoga.

conspicuous in

No doubt

view, and indeed a very essential one,

Samatvam which is

legiti-

it

in is

it

one that

the perfect equipoised condi-

tion which gives the

man

a complete mastery

not only over his thoughts, emotions and activities,

but also invests him with an unlimited

capacity for and power of utterly

selfless service.

XX VII

This

certainly a

is

wished.

But

is

consummation

that

all

to be devoutly

the term under discus-

sion connotes and was meant to connote ? Is there not a far more glorious Samatvam,, necessarily implied by the

word Samadhi, which all Yoga according to the very highest authorities? The answer to this question must emphatically be in the affirmative. To hold otherwise would be tantamount to saying that the Geeta, a veritable Upanishad the very end and aim of

is

itself,

in this respect in direct conflict with

is

the whole trend of Hindu sacred literature. Now, the equipoised condition, just above mentioned,,

has

reference to what

avastha,

i.e.,

in

words

consciousness.

as the jagrat

intelligible to us

our waking

state of

known

is

or

The

the

existence,

the

all,

ordinary

brain

however,

of

other states of consciousness cannot be denied even by the most sceptical as for instance, the dream condition and that of deep undisturbed sleep svapna and sushupti known to everyone. Into the question of what the real ;

facts of these states are,

What however

here.

connection * This has

its

is

states finds

is

unnecessary to enter

relevant in the present

that Tureeya* or the fourth state

classification

origin in

it is

of

consciousness, into four states,

a universal

expression in

principle.

Each

of

these

a corresponding plane or con-

ZXV1U

which

summum

to be the

by Hindu writers

universally asserted

is

bonum,.

Nowhere

state

is this

more accurately and tersely described than in well-known passages of the Mandukya Upanishad which begin with the words Nantahprajnam and end with sa vijneyah. In this those

matchless description of the subject, the S'ruti first

negates that the avastha in question

any

is

of the conditions of consciousness within the

experience of ordinary men.

Next,

points out

it

incapable of being perceived

that that state

is

by any of our

senses.

And

it

winds up with

the following affirmative explanations dif.iou of

:

Ekatma-

matter forming interpenetrating spheres in space.

For example, Jagrat consciousness, has Sihula or dense matter for its field of expression ; Svapna consciousness has SuTcshma or subtle matter ; Sushwpti consciousness has

Karana

or causal matter

supra-causal matter. sub-divisions solid, liquid,

;

and Tureeya consciousness has

;

Each plane

of which,

of matter consists of four

the types are what

gas and ether.

And

to each plane has sub-modes of expression too .

Jagrat

;

Tweeya.

Jagrat-Svapna

On

yama — still ,

— subtlest

less subtle

quadruple division has

;

;

and its

vale,

pasyanti

vaifchari

as

Jagrat-

{e.g.,

Jagrat-Sushupti ;

;

the same analogy,

divided into para,

we know

consciousness peculiar

Jagrat-

speech or sound

—

less subtle

;

— dense or gross.

is

madhThis

foundation in the triune aspect

of Divinity, Sat, Obit, Ananda or the Good, the True, and the Beautiful ' of Plato. Here as in other instances the sacred syllable Pranava is the symbol with its three '

—

— ZZ1X

— the essence, the fount of individual Selves prapanchdpas'amam —wherein the three lower svapna andsushupti —merge and cease sdntam—peace s'ivam—

pratyayasaram

all the-

;

states

jagrat,

;

;

where the creative preservative and disintegrating or reabsorbiag forces worketh not bliss advaitam

—

•

;

non-duality.

By way

possible objection, such a state

of refuting the is

non-existent

orunknowable, the Sruti affirms, " It is the Self, It is knowable and ought to be known sa stma sa vijneyaha" The fact that the term Atma is in the Geeta, as well as in every other Hindu sacred book, synonymous with the all-important part of Brahman,

when viewed

in

matras or measures and the ardhamatra or the dot over In spite of all such classifications, it is needless to say, states of consciousness and corresponding planes of matter are infinite in their gradations in the cosmos. The main divisions are but those with characteristics greatly and deeply well-marked and unmistakably the written letter O.

distinguishable

from each

division, peculiar

The names

to our

other.

There is a seven-fold and not universal.

world system

of these special forms of

consciousness are

:

Jagrat, svapna, sushupti, tureeya, nirvanic, para-nirvanic,

and mahapara-nirvanic with corresponding lokas or reThe understanding of the facts of Nature, enumerated above, cannot but be useful to one who is intent upon For, his bodies, visible and invisible, make up self-study. a microcosm governed by the same rules and laws as the gions.

great cosmos outside him.

:

ats

divided form of Atma, Prakriti and Shakti,

.must necessarily warrant the conclusion that the

Tureeya state was recqgnised as completely by the Geeta as by the other scriptures of the

Nor is this Tureeya Hindu teaching alone. It

highest authority.

state

matter of

is

Buddhistic

Nirvana,

-extinction,

but which

it

misunderstood is

rest in

has been felicitously phrased.

as

a

the

utter

Omniscience, as It is the state

wherein, as Christian writers would express

it,

the Peace that passeth the understanding abides.

The attainment

of complete experience of this

ineffable state

necessarily the

a human

soul.

is •

work of ages

for

But the beginnings thereof take

place during the

first

of the great Initiations.

Thenceforward conscious functioning becomes composed of the matter of finer than that of plane infinitely «the Vayu this dense earth. Those beginnings are described in Light on the Path from which the following few eloquent sentences are worth citing •" Then will come a calm such as comes in a tropical country after the heavy rain, when nature works so swiftly that one may see her action. Such a calm will come to the harassed spirit. And an the deep silence, the mysterious event will occur which will prove that the way has been found. •Call it by what name you will, it is a voice that possible in Janaloka

xzzi

—

speaks where there is none to speak it is a messenger that comes, a messenger without form or substance

;

has opened.

or

it is

It

cannot be described by any

the flower of the soul that

But it can be felt after, looked for, and desired, even amid the raging of the storm.

metaphor.

may last a moment of time or it may thousand years. But it will end. Yet you will carry its strength with you. Again " :and again, the battle must be fought and won 23). Surely it is this final state that is {pp. 21 The last

silence

a

—

reached in Samadhi which is the ultimate aim of according to all authorities. Hence, in this,

Yoga

highest SamadM, comprehended by the term Yoga

there

lies

the deepest layer

of.

the " heart of the

<3eeta " to

be probed and penetrated by him, who has the requisite spiritual faculty to fathom it. In justice to the view I have ventured to put

forward above, it is necessary that I should refer to one more instance supporting it, that instance

however being not transcendental as the one in the last paragraph. I would

•explained

the reader's attention to the well-

here invite

known

verse with which the dialogue concludes

according

to

the

recension,

now

The two most

almost uni-

important " mSm " and " aham." words in the verse are Ifow one set of students will take both to refer versally

in

use.

From

to Shri Krishna* the Avatar.

their point-

of view, as aspirants who stand in need of a personal God to lean upon, the Avatara will necessarily appeal to

stand

for.

But other

them

what the terms

as

students,

who have

risen

above such a need and to whom, only that which impersonal and philosophically worthy of ac~ ceptance would appeal, must seek a different

is

explanation of it in

the'

terms.

And

they will find

the incontestably right interpretation offered,,

commentary called Bhashya not much known as yet

for example, in the remarkable

Hamsa

Yogi's

but which, I hope, circumstances permitting,. According to to get published before long. this illuminating commentary, *« mflm " signifies that aspect of Brahman spoken of in the

Geeta as Daivi prakriti, para .prakriti, identified with the Holy Ghost of the Christian Trinity, as for instance in

Swami

T.

Subba Row's learned

discourses on the Geeta, delivered so far back

as-

1886. This Daivi Prakriti is the same as the Nirupadhikam Mahachaitanyam of some of the Hindu scriptures. Infinite becoming supreme potency Bahu Bhavana Maha Sakti is one of its many apt names. The aptest of them are those used during

the daily twilight prayers of the Aryan, viz., Savitri

—

—

the World-mother Sarasvati the Fountainhead of Wisdom and Knowledge Gayatri the ;

;

—

xxxiii

Redeemer and Saviour. In short it is the One or Cosmic Life, animating all manifested existence, as indicated by the Geeta words, "Jim bhutam mahabahfi yay'edam dharyate jagat" The purport of this part of the teaching in question, in so far as the more developed student is concerned,

that utter freedom from the heresy of

is

separateness coupled with complete devotion*" * The statement " renouncing all dharmas surrender unto alone " is one requiring much explanation. Though.

mam

that cannot be attempted here, a few words are necessary to guard against serious misconception on the point.

devotion contemplated bj the verse

is,

religious worship with or without rites. It

cation of the whole

out as far as expressing before his

it

lies

itself in

own

life of

eyes.

in

The

of course, not mere is

complete dedi-

the aspirant towards carrying:

him, the Divine Will, which

the evolutionary

processes at

is

work

The dedication necessarily involves the pawn on a chess board as it

aspirants ceasing to be a mere

were moved about hither and thither by his selfish or He must become a conscious comotives. worker with that Divine Will by strenuous performance of every duty small or great devolving on him for the moment with reference to his fellow-men and the world at large. Such discharge of duty must be for the sake of the duty itself regardless of any supposed meritoriousness in the matter. This systematic and one pointed regulation of his

self-centred

life

directed solely towards the furtherance of God's plan

and acting without

make This

desire

for the fruit

will

necessarily

the aspirant a willing participator in the Divine work. is

ÂŤ

fully

developed in the verses in the scripture on

to the Mahachaitanyam

Supreme

Self,

Karma Yoga where

it is

the important term

taken as the

way

to the one

Parabrahman

pointed out that the aspirant

so strives reaches the supreme.

is

the

is

the atma aspect of

Karma Yoga

who

The

true significance of

will

be missed unless

utilisation of all the

it

aspirants' faculties of

Gnana and Kriya so as to be productive of a harmonious result. It is the co-ordination of his feeling, thought and action towards helping to turn the Samsara Cholera or the evolutionary wheel, at which Ishwara is ever engaged, though He has nothing to gain by it that would Ichcha,

constitute the practice of

Karma Yoga

of the highest order.

Such Yoga on the aspirant's part, incarnation after incarnation, makes the individual life of the Yogi an integral part of the Cosmic or the One Life mam and which is no other than the manifest or energising aspect of the Supreme

Aham, in the verse. Hence the emphatic declaration in another part of the Geeta " after many many births

Self, the

the

man

wisdom enters

of

m&m

m&m — bahuaara

j

an mini mate

Such an one becomes the possessor of wisdom by reason of his having realised that 41 V&sudevas-sarvamiti." In this context, all is the Self" ' Vasudeva is but a synonymn for Atma, the Self, as is made to appear by the Lord's statement " jnanee atmaiva mgmatam my doctrine and teaching is the wise man is The union of the individual life with verily the Self. the One Life puts an end to the false notion of duality or

jn$nav9,n

prapadyate."

—

'

—

the heresy of separateness the source of

all

delusions.

The

total cessation of that heresy results in the long longed for

mdksha or

liberation in fulfilment of the final promise in

the Geeta " the akam or the Self delusions, grieve not

—aham tvam

yishyami masuchah."

will release

you from

sarva papebhyo

all

moksha

zzzv

connoted by the other term " aham."

same doctrine

the one accepted in

is

occult schools of India at *er

can

That the

least,

all

true

an earnest enquire

By way of one example, may be made to the Prayer to be

satisfy himself.

reference

mentally offered on rising in the early morning by

an aspirant undergoing the discipline in vogue -among the members of the Suddha Dharma Man" dala. It runs Abhedanandam.Sat ChitramParam Brahma Veda Saha yo Avyayatma Samachitta JRangah, Daiveem Ralyana Shaktim Prapadya Sarvam Pravisati Amritoham, Ajaroham Lokebhyas Sukham Edhatam." Next as to the term •*•

aham"

already observed,

as

the advanced student the Self in all the

it

connotes for

Paramatman, the One

cosmos and in particular residing

in every human heart. This interpretation is unquestionably warranted by what appears in

many

other verses of the scripture. Suffice to

refer to, the,

"

commencing with the words Gudak'esa " and in which the

verse

Aham Atma

term under consideration

One

Universal

.alone that

Sielf.

It

is

explained to be the

is

this interpretation

could lead to the

final truth

that

a

from the Divinity within himself and not from any external source whatsoever. That final truth is nowhere more man's salvation

is

to be sought

impressively expressed than in a passage in the

zzxvi

book, called "Idyll of the from the same source,, emanating White Lotus," thethe Path to Light on that gave purIn speech public. a speaking English porting to be addressed by the spiritual Teacher

beautiful

little

took part in the initiation of an advancing soul, the former said " Hear me, my brother,

who

there are three truths which are absolute, and -which cannot be lost, but yet may remain silent The soul of man is for lack of speech.

immortal and its future is the future of a thing whose growth and splendour has no limit.. The Principle which gives life dwells in us,, and without us, is undying and eternally beneficent, is not heard or seen or smelt but is per-

man who desires perception. his own absolute law -giver, the

ceived by the

Each man

is

dispenser of glory or gloom to himself the decreer of his life, his reward, his punishment. ;

These itself,

truths,

which are as great

are as simple as the simplest

as

mind

is

of

life

man.

Feed the hungry with them. Farewell." (Pp. 183-184).

I trust

it

will

be conceded on

all

hands that the

statement with which the discussion to the effect that important terms in the Geeta comprehend and are intended to comI started the present part of

prehend ideas widely

differing

from each other

*

xxzvii

though connected by some circumstance com-

mon

to them,

It

is

absolutely well-founded.

now remains

to

advert

to

two

things?

calculated to be helpful in a fruitful study of

As

the scripture.

comparatively

less

to the first of them, the

one

important, that has reference

to the real source of the teachings imparted

the book.

In

this connection, certain

in.

material

statements occurring in the Geeta or in other places in the Mahabharata, have to be taken into -consideration intuitive

passages.

are often

and read between the

students should

lines,

always read

as

such

For, statements of such description allegorical, or

rarely direct

by way of parables and

matter of fact presentations of the The statements

truths intended to be conveyed.

to be considered (1)

are—

Sanjaya's saying that through the grace

of Vyasa, he was enabled to hear the actual delivery of the discourse by Shri Krishna.

That Shri Krishna and Arjuna were no other than Narayana and Nam, the mighty ftishis ever engaged in Tapas in Badari, intent (2)

upon

the welfare of the world.

That the substance of the discourse was •no more than primeval teachings to humanity. That the discourse took place on the eve (4) of what has come to be spoken of as the Kali,. (3)

— xl

Lastly as to the second and remaining helpful point

;

it

up to

consists in a firm resolve to live

the teachings, and

a persistent endeavour to

carry them out so far as possible. Every effort to

do

upon them but go to show their value and utility, as bearing upon the whole life of an aspirant. Take, so will not only throw light

also

all

knowledge each

in

general, according

to

the

exigen-

then conditions. The exact processes, by which they supply those needs, are matters upon which little is to be gathered from the cies of

scriptures

age,

and the

race

accessible

to

Brahmanas,

Upanishads,

possess them,

owe

their origin

Hamsas and that accounts

It

us.

Itihasas,

seems Puranas,

to the

for the

certain etc.,

that as

we

inspiration of these

name

'

—Heard,

Sruti'

applied par excellence to the two former classes of

Hindu

Presumably, the actual recording of what is inspired by those custodians of knowledge, is done by men who are found by the Hierarchy to be fit instruments and channels for the transmission of the instalments of knowscriptures.

considered as needed for the time being. The persons chosen for the task, as might easily be judged, are ledge,

necessarily more or less advanced souls, willing to be the channels of the Hierarchy under assumed names and to

work unknown in the midst of those with whom their work lies. In some instances, such records have the

name Hamsa

itself

applied to them, as for example, the

commentary on the Geeta and numerous other works under the generic name of ' Khandarahasya '. In

these circumstances,

it

is

not surprising that the

labours of orientalists and scholars have been productive of

— zli

upon praise and blame with equal indifference, Tulyanindsstuti, an advice identical in sense with the aphorism quoted from Light on the Path, "Before the ear can hear it must have lost its sensitiveness." Any one who has meditated upon this advice and tried not to be disturbed or upset by idle gossip or malicious slanders about himself will know how free he feels from the torments he used to suffer, previously, from. for instance, the advice to look

if any, with reference to the question of the actual authorship of Hindu scriptures and their chronology,

-small results, etc.

In concluding this note, attention may be invited to those very instructive passages (quoted at pp. 31-32 of my harm a Deepika Foreword to Yoga Deepika) from regarding the genesis of the Vedic chants, spoken of as Mantras of which Brahmanas and UpanisTiads are explanations proceeding from the Hamsas as already stated. These Mantras themselves are held to be revelations because they are the results of, the deciphering by Eishis spoken of as Mantra Tkasht&rdh or Seers of Mantras. What are thus •deciphered are so from the bulk of the immemorial records of all ages and climes enshrined as Dharma Deepika expressIt is portions of es it, in Akasic plates (Akasa palahay). what are thus deciphered which are handed down by Hierarchs of the highest rank, who go by the name of Vy&sas Arrangers to races of mankind whose special needs they are calculated to serve and are accepted under

D

.

—

the

title

—

of Veda.

Hence, in point of authority, Mantras stand first, Srutis next, Itihasas and Furanas last; an orderly succession perfectly intelligible to all who care to try and understand such things.

xlii

As time goes

on, be

the elation, which

praise-

such things said of him. will also

find that

brought him,

affects

him no

longer, he having"

arrived at the unalterable conviction that what really matters

is

opinion of

not the

other*

about him, but the intrinsic worth of his own thoughts, words, and deeds. In short, the Geeta. is a book not, in the words of Bacon, to bemerely tasted, or to be swallowed, or even to be chewed and digested but is the teaching of the Lord, whose golden precepts must be lived,, verily lived.

To conclude, if this great scripture is approached by an aspirant to spiritual progress on the lines which I have humbly endeavoured to indicate, it cannot but be productive of the most beneficial

results

not only to the people of

country whose special inheritance to those

others

who

are likely

this-

it is,

but also

to be

brought

into touch with it, by treatises like the one coming from the erudite pen of His Holiness. I close with saying that I esteem it an honour to have been allowed to contribute this Fore-

word and am most thankful for ation thus shown to me.

MiM*?M8> J

S

-

the kind consider-

SUBBAMAMEM.

PREFACE ^DERIODS

of catastrophe appear to be almost

necessary at the present level of mankind

awaken men from a stagnant conservatism'

to

which they continue mechanically

in

to follow

their predecessors without conscious recognition

what they aim at or should aim at finally. The situation in the West, arrived at through^ of

ideals of national

competition,

militarism, has aroused

to a

more

serious

men throughout the world,

and independent consideration

of the meaning of

life

than at any time since

the Renaissance of Learning.

of a

of

of the scientific and critical methods of

West and caught

optimistic

activity

expression of suffice.

The

its

too

mode

of

much

its

to feel that the

philosophies

of

life,

spirit

of

traditional,

life

actual situation in the

sufficient proof that there its

and superiority

ancient wisdom, the East has imbibed too

much the

So again, in spite

lip service to the excellence

its

and

dynasties

will

still

West

is

are serious defects in

and thus of the theories and.

xliv

ideals

upon which

simply follow

condemned

its

own

past,

for wishing to

which "Western of a practical

must,

based.

it is

The East cannot and

cannot be

it

avoid the calamitiesAll books

have brought.

ideals

religious

and moral character day, be tested by the

therefore, in our

help that they give in relation to these pressing;

problems.

The Bhagavadgita

is

concerned with questions

so intimate and so persistent in the that any honestly written

Divine Lay in

wide

may expect

practical

of the

of

book inspired by

man this

to find real appreciation

circles, especially of the

The Heart

life

Indian peoples.

Bhagavadgita has a definitely

aim in view

:

it

discusses carefully the

question as to the value of the Gita as a guide in practical

the

life.

The author

is

well-known to

Indian public as a most enlightened head

of one of the

monastic institutions associated

with the name of the great monistic philosopher, S'ankaracharya.

be introduced

To Western

as the first

readers

man in such

he

may

a position

to give to the world his reflections on this

and

-many other subjects in a language in which they

XIV

might be read

in

scholar, he

also the

is

A

East and West.

expression of the

an incessant worker

genuine-

advocate of a modern

truths of Hinduism.

He

for a multiplicity of

worthy

causes having the welfare of India in

The soundness

of his judgment

is

seen

is

view-

by

his

deliberate abstention from discussions of doubtful value in

of

tration

practical

work and the concen-

the present the

attention

reader's

teachings

the

of

upon

Western

Gita.

thinkers should read with interest the

rather rules

—of

life

which

in

the-

riile

—or

a survey of an old

and beloved Song, a modern Hindu proposes to

a world to

its

in uncertainty as to that

which belongs

peace.

The

ideal taught in this

nised by another.

all

book has been recog-

the great religions in one

The expression given

to

it

way or

in English

" equanimity," " evenness of mind."

Many

attempts have been made by Western

critics

is

to interpret this in that sense of indifference for

worth while, or

which nothing

is

useless.

not

It

is

my

all is

intention to

equally

enquire

whether or not there are good grounds for

this

xlvi

What is more important is

position.

the

author in his teaching

pursuit

worthy aims,

of

that Dr. Macnicol

passing away,

referred

what •"

is

such an

may be

expressed

belongs to a type which

when he

is

Hindu very largely one of a The peace of mind

misrepresents the

Ideal of a Holy Life as

degrading

in his active

against

is

The hope

interpretation.

as

to note that

indifference.*

by nature similar to meant by the Christian when he talks of to

is

real

;

it is

which the world cannot give." It another question whether Hindu

that peace

is

quite

thought thought the

is

explicitly

is

called

aware of what in Christian "Grace."

of Bhakti

recognition

Nevertheless, in

or devotion

is

an

opening for the acknowledgment of that personal

relationship to Jesus

Christians.

Muslims

is

which

The correct name of Islam, the

is

central for

the religion of

meaning of which again

Though the manner supposed to come is different,

suggests peace and calm. in

which peace

is

through confidence and trust in submission to Allah, the thing aimed at and realised * See The Expositor July 1918. :

is

essen-

xlvii

tially

And what

the same.

the Buddhist but

the

is

the Nirvana of

state of equanimity of

mind which comes with the transcendence

of the

These

and

anxiety

of

unsatisfied

desire ?

much more than such but in the times in which we

•other religions contain

peace and calm

;

live equanimity

is

an aspect of the ideal needing

to be emphasised perhaps

That

interpreted -easily

evenness of

this

a

as

spirit

more than any mind of

is

other.

not to be

may

indifference,

be seen from the methods by which

to be attained. In this, connection

it

is

it is

worthy of

note that The Heart of the Bhagavadgita breathes

the same broad it is written.

spirit as the

work around which

During the course of

history,

and

none-the-less in recent years, frequent attempts

have been made to present the teaching of the â‚Źrita in a one-sided fashion,

usually in support

of the special predilection of the writer. ever

may

eventually be the general verdict of

scholars, here

pose

the

it is

clear that for his definite pur-

author maintains a

and a psychological every

man

What-

comprehensive

attitude: in varying degrees

needs to make use of

all

the means*

xlviii

though

for

some men one path and

for others*

other paths will lead most surely to redemption-

and peace.

The

on

insistence

this general

type

of interpretation, to the abandonment of a particularistic one,

is

in

accordance with the tendency

of modern thought

The rendering

East and West.

in

of each of the

different

forms

of Yoga manifests a similar width of conception.

Karma-

Thus, the action which

is

Yoga

some Western

not taken,

is

would

as

represent

like to

it

implied in

critics-

as always taken,

and

just the external acts, the rites

rituals

as

of

and the duties of caste. Rather, action to be as " unattached" to caste as to anything

religion, is

else.

Salvation

of any or

all

is

to

be found by the performance

possible

and wherever they are of the

West need

good

actions,

whenever

If the peoples-

possible.

to learn to appreciate more-

the meaning of " equanimity," to feverish haste with a little

subdue their

more evenness

of mind,,

the people of India need to learn more deeply to

understand and to

apply

in

actual

life

the

doctrine of non-attachment, and of Karma-Yoga?

in the widest sense.

Only thus

will the depress-

xlix

ing fact be overcome that so

do

just

—and nothing may

State or whoever else

As

worth while."

able discontent

India

is

Indians will

what the actual requirements of

vocation demand,

it

many

else, unless

the

be concerned, " make*

I understand

which

their

it

the miser-

exists so frequently in

due very largely to the

failure to

recog-

nise the equanimity, the salvation, which comes

with a genuine understanding of Karma-Yoga

and the doctrine

of non-attachment.

Some few remarks

are also needed with rela-

tion to the path of knowledge.

Anyone who has

seriously followed this path,

even for a short

period, will have experienced that freedom from

care and that broadening of the outlook which

come

in concentrated study. There

is

no subject

of intellectual enquiry which, with a modern interpretation, should not lead to Jnana-Yoga^

The

first

reward of the search for knowledge

the search

itself.

Knowledge ought not

to

is.

be

conceived merely as concerned with the ultimate, the philosophy of the Absolute, or something

thus metaphysical.

— in—recognises

The modern mind

deed, the human mind in

all

ages

as

world of Mdyd, or whatever one

may

deserves and demands consideration,

and

that the call

it,

further, that in the pursuit of the it

some of the greatest human

knowledge of

personalities

have

been developed and some of the most peaceful

and happy moments of even ordinary Again the situation

are found.

uals

regard in India

Engaged

we

as

much

leaves

to

neglect

in

this

be desired.

are in this direction

general

almost

the

'individ-

ourselves,

research

of

amongst the very numerous body of College professors

upon

and graduates

us.

A

continually impressed

is

widespread repetition of a statement

that the ancient rishis were omniscient, all

necessary knowledge can be found in the serves as a cover for those

ancient books, will not take the

many

to enquire

the

Offer a high salary

and

will present themselves as qualified

yearning to carry on research subject one

may

a great need

—

like to suggest.

in

and as

almost any

Here, there

is

for an appreciation of the salvation

which comes sake,"

who

into

trouble

accuracy of the claim.

own

and that

through for

a

"knowledge

for

its

genuine understanding of

li

Jnana-Yoga and

the doctrine of non-attach-

ment.

The main aim gita

may be

of The Heart of the Bhagavad-

considered almost entirely apart

from any particular philosophical principles. The test of

a practical aim must be the extent of the

possibility of its

keep

all

achievement in practice. Yet to

questions of an ultimate metaphysical

nature in the background

even It

in the

most practical of

would seem that

of devotion that principles

is,

is

mostly

religious treatises.

in relation to the path

it is

the

after all, impossible

importance

felt,

for there

discussion the question as to what

is

these

of

comes into

an adequate

Object for human adoration and love.

And

God

alone

immediately the answer is

is

given that

an adequate Object, the inevitable problem of

His nature

arises.

This problem cannot be pur-

sued further here, but

it

becomes more and more

clear that the appeal of the various religions to

men

will differ chiefly according to the

which God

is

represented in them.

form in

In relation

to these different forms the manner

of expression

of the devotees' love

In East and

will

vary.

Hi

West

the

need to follow the path of devotion

more assiduously can hardly be " Christian" West may eventually

find

that

its

and animosities and competition can

divisions

be overcome by making devotion to Jesus

•only

the mainspring of a

and

The

denied.

life

given to unselfish action

And the divisions and indithe East may only be transcended if

to knowledge.

vidualism of

a genuine understanding of Bhakti- Yoga spirit

non-attachment

of

one

be related to

recognised supreme Object

common

in the

of devotion

in

a

worship.

To me

it

seems that one passes into the

mystical in the highest points of realisation of the

life

of action, of knowledge, and especially,

of devotion.

Mysticism

is,

I believe, as

such

beyond the scope of thought and language, so that

lean say nothing concerning Dhy ana-Yoga.

The mystics always

refer

as the highest

and

bliss,

to their experiences for

the

author

it is

certainly a condition of equanimity, of evenness

of mind.

That

their experiences

careful students of

author

human

insists in this

life

will

are real

deny

few :

the

book that these experiences

liii

only come

to those

mode

suitable

of

who

life.

The reader

will learn

a of

from the author himself.

this disposition

*

The Heart of

dispose themselves in

* the

*

Bhagavadgita was accepted by

the Oriental University of Washington, U. S. A. ^as

a thesis for the degree of Ph. D. Its aim being

so closely in accord with that of the

Studies in Religion and Philosophy at a

and philosophical

advancement of life its

tion

—the attempt

modern and sympathetic consideration of

religious

to

thought

inclusion in this Series.

With

into

my

be called for form and

it

the

the excep-

of the Corrigenda, the Index

came

for

—the author kindly consented

Preface the book was already printed it

Gaekwad

hands.

If

may be

and off

this

when

another edition should possible

style into uniformity with

to bring its

the rest of

The author wishes to thank Messrs. V. Subrahmanya Aiyar, B.A. and Y. Subba Raa of Bangalore for valuable assistance and sugthe Series.

gestions in reading over the proof-sheets.

Bahoda,

I

September 1918. )

Alban G. Widgert.

THE HEART OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. Introductory Remarks.

TN

the whole range of the world's literature,

few

books can be found which can favourably

compare with

'

the Bhagavadgita

interest

or of influence.*

hundred

s'lokas

'

in point

poem

This

embodies within

its

of

of seven

short

com-

pass as will be seen from the sequel, the best philosophy and the best religious

and moral

principles that Ancient India could offer to the

world.

The charmingly simple

melody of the verses ings are clothed,

ÂŤtudy.

in

which

make

it

diction

and the teach-

its loftiest

a very fascinating

The wonderful sequence with which the

teachings are presented, the thought-stimulating *

Cf.

"In

the whole literature of the world there are

few poems worthy interest,

of comparison, either in point of general

or of practical influence, with the Bhagavadgita.

It is a philosophical work, yet fresh etc."

(Oh. I, G-ita and Gospel

and readable as poetry,

by Eev.

J.

N. JFarquhar,

formerly Exhibitioner, Christ Church, Oxford).

<

m.a.,

phrases |and

clauses

which

with

work-

the

abounds, the popular mould in which the whole is cast,

and the clearness with which the most

sublime truths are propounded, of- the

this

one

most interesting books.

It is a significant fact that

past

make

down

to our

own

from ajvery remote

times, this sacred

book of

India has continued to exercise a very wide influence on not only the ordinary but also

of the most thoughtful minds. that

It is

no wonder

should have a great hold on the

it

the orthodox Hindu, for there ditional

Indian ideal which

ently handled and

worthy of i

it.

Such

allotted

of the

is

is

some

mind of

almost no tra-

not here rever-

an exalted place

Hindu commentators

as had any literary and spiritual genius, found it

hard to withstand the temptation of writing a

commentary on the work.

But that

meet with- the adm i r a tion^ and

it

should

praise

of the

modern educated Hindus, and should have compelled the attention of the thoughtful Europeans

and Americans,

is

whole history

of Ancient

!>

a feature unparalleled in the

Indian

literature.

Countless editions of the text see the light every

year and are cordially welcomed by our coun-

There

trymen.

is

almost no Indian vernacular*

which has not translated

and no

article or

philosophy which does not

book on

religion or

directly

or indirectly

Nay

it,

draw upon

its

contents.

more, even social and political essays and

articles written

may

by

patriotic

Hindus of the pre-

be said to often betray a

strong

passion for quotations from the Gita.f

Then

sent times

its

influence upon the Westerns

The work has been

little.:}:

* " Such

is

is

by no means

translated

the estimation in which the

both in Asia and Europe, that

it

work

into

is

held

has been translated into

Hindi, Telugu, Kanarese, and other Eastern languages, and is also

well-known by European translations, of which that

of Sir C. Wilkins, published in first.

"

•

Footnote to

London

124. " Indian

p.

in

1785, was the

Wisdom," by Sir

Monier Williams.

t " This is

revival of interest

clearly part of the great

been so potent in Bengal

in

Krishna and his worship

national

movement which has

religiously, socially

these last twenty years, "

and

politically

Appendix to Gita and

Gospel,,

by Eev. J. N. Farquhar, m.a. X " The poem has also received a great deal of attention and admiring recognition from Europeans. " Gita and Gospel.

Appendix to

.

4 English,* Greek,

German.f

Latin,

Italian,

practical nature of its teach-

JThe

ings no less than the music of

its

language gives

mind of the Europeans and

a charm to the

it

The unusual respect paid

Americans.

and

French

scholars reputed for their vast fatigable literary research

to

by

it

inde-

learning,

and philosophic acu-

men, excited the attention of Christian Mission-

Some

aries also. * "

It

was the

of

first

translated into English.

them struck with the simi-

piece of Sanskrit literature

Wilkins, and appeared as early as 1785, under the

The Song

of the Adorable One. Since then

quently brought before the English public," Gospel, Ch.

ever

This translation was by Charles

it

title

of

has been fre-

Gita and

etc.

I.

t Among the principal translations in European languages other than English version of Galanos, lian version of

maybe mentioned

the Greek

the Latin version of Lassen, the Ita-

Stanisallo Gatti,

tbe French version of

Burnouf and the German version of Dr. Lorinser t " The lofty sublimity to which practical character of

much

it

so

often rises the

of its teaching, the enthusiastic

devotion to the one Lord which breathes through the numerous resemblances ÂŁ11

it

it

with unusual interest for

and Gospel, Cb.

I.

it

and

shows to the words of Christ,

men

of the

West. "

Gita

;

larity of

the

New

many

of

those of

teachings with

its

Testament, have tried to prove that the

Gita has borrowed

its

best ideas from the Bible.*

Thus the book has received different hands.

different treatment at

The orthodox Hindu considers

it

* Sir Monier Williams hesitates " to concur in any theory (such as the one proposed by Dr. Lorinser, Prof.

Weber and

others)

which explains these coincidences by

New

supposing that the author had access to the

ment

or that he derived

some

of his

propagators of Christianity. "

who

Farrar after

He

ideas

Testa-

from the

first

quotes the Eev. F.

in his interesting and valuable

work

'

W.

Seekers

God' points out " that the attempts of the Christian

Fathers to

make out Pythagoras

a

debtor to

Hebraic

up of

wisdom, Plato an Atticizing Moses, Aristotle a picker

ethics from a Jew, Seneca a correspondent of St. Paul, were

due

'in

some cases to ignorance, and

perfect honesty in

that " his conclusive

in

some

to a

want of

controversial dealing/ " and concludes

(Eev. Farrar's) arguments would be even more if

applied to the Bhagavadgita. "

Vide

p.

142,

Indian Wisdom. Also see " Br. Lorinser's attempt (Die Bhagavadgita, uberseta and erlautert von Dr. F. Lorinser, 1869) to prove

that the author of the Gita

borrowed many ideas from the

Bible must be pronounced a

failure. Cf.

Max

Muller,

429. "

Natural Eeligion,

Footnote to page

4,

Garbe, 19, 83

— 85

97—100. Hopkins B.

Gita and Gospel.

I.,

a

revelation

and

tries to follow its teachings,

modern educated Hindu commends pean scholar admires tries to explain it

the Euro-

while the Missionary

it,

away

it,

the

in

any manner that

suits

very time

and

his purpose.

That

this

little

book,

the

authorship of whose composition

is

yet a matter

of great diSerence of opinion among Scholars,* should be thus

with unusual interest for

filled

* I quite agree with

my

friend

Dewan Bahadur

Chakravarti, m.a., f.e.a.s., Comptroller,

who

ment,

J. S.

Mysore Govern-

introduction to his lamented father Eai

in his

Bahadur Bireswar Chakravarti's translation (in Rhyme) to the Bhagavadgita, says: " There writers like Telang,

who

on the one hand,

are,

after a careful

and elaborate exa-

mination of the question come to the conclusion that 'the date at which the Gita can have been composed must be

than the third century

earlier

to

say

how much

earlier

; '

b.o.,

though

it is

scholars of the stamp of Lorinser,

Weber and Lassen who

hold 'that the Bhagavadgita was not written third

century

scholars

a.o.'

who have

(Davies, p.

written on the subject are

one can, for a moment, doubt

;

and but

all

been altogether free from

before the

That most of the

183).

scholarship, indefatigable industry

said to have

impossible

on the other hand, we have

clear

of

bias.

men

of vast

judgment no

them cannot be "

•men of different times and countries and of

varying mental calibre, and that

on some

of the

influence

its

most enlightened modern minds

should be of such great magnitude,

is

a sufficient

any reflecting person to pause and ask himself, " What is the value of the Gita as a

ground

for

guide

practical

to

life

?"

In the following pages an attempt will be

made

to answer this important question.

Other

phases of the study of the book will be subordi-

nated to

this

main

point,

only in so far as they

and 'will be dealt with

affect

it.

No

special re-

claimed for the ideas here presented

search

is

and no

special school of philosophy

No

be supported.

paragraph here

is

sought to

will

be de-

voted to establish or to refute the genuineness

and

historicity

of the

author,

the incidents related in the book.

sion will find

a

and

the hero

place herein which

No

discus-

considers

the vocabulary, the age and literary value, the inspired

nature, the

number of

followers,

the

character, social position or fame of the speaker

or author of the Gita.

It is

not meant here that

such considerations are utterly

useless-

They

may

have their own value to the philologist,

But

the historian or to the theologian.

an answer enquiry

to find

to the question proposed above,

is

obviously quite

toÂť

such

unnecessary.

We

are only concerned here with the simple question whether the Gita has

to teach, whether offer

its

aDy practical wisdom

philosophy or theology can

any practical method of

book has

self-culture.

The

therefore to be studied not from the

too credulous orthodox, nor from the all-admir-

ing patriotic standpoint,

much

from the

less

We

fault-finding view of critics.

have to ap-

proach the book much in the same manner as

we would would

a treatise on Chemistry.

we should

by an appeal

verify those of the other

to reason

and experience.

reason vouchsafes the truths and

approves of the

ethics,

we

one by means of

verify the truths of the

experiments,

Just as

we

if

If

conscience

shall accept

them and

not otherwise.

The Title " Bhagavadgita." The

"

grammatical

T^Ksfldl " deserves

The word

Âťffar is

accuracy of

the

title

some careful investigation.

derived from

^

to sing, of which

The termina-

the past passive participle.

it is

tion

(ft)

Tf>

sense, in

might be also used in an abstract

which case

gender would be neuter

its

by Panini's rule " 1$B%> termination " possible in the

f^"

another form

same

With the

<?&: ".

*rr%

is

ifffir:

also

In the present case

sense.

the

word has taken the feminine termination

^

3Tr (

)

passive

word

is

whence

it

participle

becomes evident that termination

and the whole

therefore only an adjective

some feminine substantive the word "

*WHsf7<^r "

full title of the

by

work and

to

itself

is

gr is a

requiring

qualify.

Hence

cannot form the

grammatically speak-

ing incorrect.

This becomes more clear from an examination

of the colophon at the end of each chapter which invariably" runs " fi% sffa^RSfargjlf^RS sisiK^prr jft*ran% 3?tfj'wn^rcf?rt'." is

construed

it

will

Now when

the sentence

be found that the only word

which is grammatically co-ordinate with *MNs\l<ifยง. is

37f^Rg, the gender, number and case of both

being the same, while

dependent

all

other words are in-

in construction.

that the expression *HH$fl?ir

Hence is

it is

obvious

only a shortened

10

form of correct

haps

^Hsflcifaft q q.

which

of

work,

title

being

the

intended

is

plural

per-

iftcTT

is

or " the Gita " meaning of

"

of contraction

Thus

Sanskrit.

and

tfftrcNr:

a further

we speak of

course " the Bhagavadgitopanishad." cess

Upani-

to the

to refer

contraction used more often and

Bhagavadgita

and

the

shadic doctrines propounded.*

" the

the full

This pro-

by no means rare in

is

is

H<.<*q|tf:

shortened into

osrpsrj

into *ftTJ

What

is

the Bhagavadgita ?

The main question with which -started gives

to be settled.

room

has

this essay

to another incidental point

What

is

the Bhagavadgita

This

?

has to be decided at the very outset, because on * " It

is,

however, styled an Upanishad or rather a series

of Upanishads, secret

because,

like the

and mystical doctrines."

Upanishads,

it

reveals

Foot-note 4 to page

125.

" Indian Wisdom," by Sir Monier Williams.

Both the singular and plural forms of the word Bhagavadseem to have been used by authoritative writers

gita also

like S'ankaracharya.

*44fiH l) and

(STtflWPqH

Of.

"

'

*j4NsfTd

l

fofeK sftcTT "

^fe-

!

(

"arft^W4rHi||^M^: srfrT *HHs(ldlji" 1. 3. 6. 23.)

11

the answer to

depends the per-

this question

tinency of the main enquiry.

It is

a truism

that no one would look for grammatical truths, in a treatise

on medicine, or consult a book on

Astronomy with the expectation of information

on

assured that

legal

we

are justified

practical ethics in the Gita, to ascertain

what the book

*Some think

meant

of the warring religious * Cf.

" They

•engraft the

aim

ways by

a reconciliation

sects of the times of the

at reconciling the conflicting

systems, and

different

This

for.

both (the Bhagavadgita and the S'weta-

s'wataropanishad) -of

it

it

be

very essential

•question has been answered in different different scholars.

to

looking for

in

it is

is

finding in

Hence

matters.

views

both do so by attempting to

Sankhya and Toga upon Vedanta doctrines."

" Indian Wisdom," p. 123.

TBe a

full

So

foot-note under the same page refers to Dr. Boer for

explanation of this view. also Prof.

Max

Miiller

who

(p. 402,

Six Systems of

Indian Philosophy) sees in the Bhagavadgita a reconciliation of the philosophies Sir

of

Toga and Sankhya, though unlike

Monier Williams, Prof. A. Macdonell and

others,

he

holds that the word Sankhya-Toga (S'wetas'. Up. VI. 13)

denotes only one philosophy. present work.

But

see page 25

of

the

12

author.

*Others see in

tbe caste duties above

fAnd some

an endeavour to exalt-

it

other

all

obligations,

others hold that the Gita

is

meant

to revive Krishnaism and emphasize the Krishna-

But

vatar.

it

of such

curious that none

is

views takes cognizance of what the author himself calls his

work.

In the colophon at the end

each chapter, he says

of

chapter called so and

so,

:

" Thus

ends

the

Upanishads

of the

sung by the Lord, which are the philosophy of

Brahman and in

the Science of Yoga, as

course of the

the

Krishna

and

intends therefore that the as

a

philosophy of

between

dialogue

Arjuna."

The

expounded

author

S'ri

clearly

book must be judged

Brahman and a Science of

Toga.

The question now assumes another

shape.

What is Brahman, and what is Yoga according to *See

*

Summary

of the Bhagavadgita

and Moral Teaching

'

in "

of the Bhagavadgita

The

Eeligious'

examined," by

John Murdoch. " But the leading idea of the Gita is that t Cf Krishna is Brahma incarnate, round that all the rest of the .

teaching gathers " Gita and Gospel, p. 15.

13

the Gita

?

"

What is

the Brahman

is the first of the seven is

made

questions which Arjuna

The answer given is

the Highest Unchangeable."

is

chapter again,

teenth

of ?"

to ask S'r! Krishna at the beginning of

the eighth chapter.

man

you spoke

Brahman

is

given, "

a

In the thir-

description

I shall

now

" Brah-

of

this

you what

tell

ought to be known and knowing which one attains

immortality.

It

carried

scription

contradictory passages, is

we

Now the

assertions.

Eeality

that

term Toga.

in

two

term,

knows no change.

As

places, in one of

while

in

the

seemingly

From these two Brahman of the Gita in

word Brahman, the author

word the

for the

beginningless

on by means of

learn that the

the Highest

the

is

Then follows a long de-

Highest Brahman."

the case

refers

of

to this

which he defines

other

he

gives

a

general description intended to convey to the readers'

mind what

is

meant by the

word.

In the 48th verse of the second chapter, we read

"

WHS $Fl 3^1% " " evenness is called Togal" And in verses 20 to 23, chapter VI, we have the " Where the following description of Toga.

14

mind becomes

quiescent, controlled

where seeing the himself

;

by

Self one

to the

bliss

mind but ever beyond the

and standing where one swerves not

from the truth

where no other gain

is

consi-

not

moved

the greatest pain that (state), a state in

which

;

;

dered greater, and where placed one

by

satisfied in

is

where one experiences absolute

;

known only senses

Self

by practice*

is

there'is the absence of all contact with misery, is

to be understood by the term Yoga."

In the whole of the Gita there place where \ the terms

made

is

no other

Brahman and Yoga ar&

the subjects of discussion, and there

is

no

other definition or description of either term,

though both the words are throughout the work.

freely

That

interspersed

the

in

shorter of

the passages cited above, the terms are intended to be defined and that the longer extracts are

meant

to be

explanatory

to the

definitions, is

corroborated by the following considerations.

The

epithet " <rwi" "Highest" of

definition

age by

is

the

Brahman

in the

recognised in the descriptive pass-

word

"q^"

which

Highest, and in both the contexts

also

means

Brahman

is-

'

15

considered as the great Eeality to be known.

This

not the case, for instance, in the passage

is

" H$ 4)ft£$&ST " where, though the epithet " n^g; " '

great

'

is

used,

Brahman evidently denotes some-

thing other than the Eeality. So also with Yoga.

The

definition identifies

the description

is

it

with " Evenness " and

easily seen to refer to this "even-

ness "or equanimity, though

the

primarily meaning

" connection "

by what

f^RrasTT

is

called

is

"

"

term

qfol"

here used

by the

(indication

opposite) to denote fa4W (separation) Qf

gj'snErct'T

(the contact of misery.)* In fact, a little further on * Possibly on the strength of this description (df^Tnn'^" <fa{N|R4Kl 'Jl'JT'fcrtVflJj) and professedly on the latter half

^T

introductory verse (jJSSffFfftifqfrrteft ^sffizpjx) by Bhoja in his commentary on the Toga-Sutras, Prof. Max Muller remarks (p. 406, Six Systems of Indian

of

an

^

Philosophy) that Toga means not union but disunion.

But

Patanjali himself says in his aphorism that the term in his Science only denotes the restraint of the modifications of

the mind (qfrrf^flfrn'Mter:) And the word "Sift"" (even) in the above quotation from Bhoja which the Proclearly shows that fessor has simply passed over,

Bhoja, by no means, took " seperation " as a distinct signiThis view is made all the fication of the term " Toga." stronger by the word

" 3J<J^f

" (peculiar) in the

of the same verse which runs w

«hm4I

.

"

first

<fflfrfc$^fri»:

q»

half

Hqiwf

16 in the

same chapter comes

makes the assurance doubly

sure. " ^S'f 'ftowwl

"This Toga described

ftroij;"

evenness, it

passage which

this

Oh, Slayer of Madhu,

I

by

you

as

cannot see how-

can remain permanent, seeing that the mind

(VI— 33).

is fickle,"

Our

therefore leads us to the

investigation

Brahman

following conclusion. Eeality or Truth and

which the Truth

is

Yoga

is

is

the Highest

evenness of mind in

Brahma- Vidya

seen.

is

the Philosophy of the Real and Yoga-S'&atra

thus

is

the

science of equanimity, perfect equanimity being

according to the Gita the one condition in which the

mind can have access

to

the

does the " Bhagavadgita " profess It

Eeal.

What

to be

then

?

proposes to put forth the theory of the Eeal,

and to recommend a

line of

conduct which will

lead us to the realization of that Eeality.

means

to

realization,

the

"Whatever leads up to this

Yoga by

Gita

Yoga

calls is

a transference of the term.

-chapter of the

book

also

is

the

Yoga. called

Thus each

deals with a separate

though the ultimate aim

This

Yoga,

Yoga properly

17

bo called, to wit, equanimity.* Yoga has several other meanings in Sanskrit, but when we talk of the all

Yoga

of the Gita,

we had

such meanings from

Yoga S'astra

word.

this

S'astra.

The bulk of the Gita

Yoga

better dissociate

taken up

is

rather than with

with the

Brahma Vidya,

though as we have said the work itself claims to be both.

more

Philosophical truths are adduced here

for the

purpose of supporting the Yoga doc-

trines rather than for entering

upon an

intellec-

tual discussion of philosophical problems.

not that the intellect

is

Gita, nor that the glorious al

It is

given a low place in the of ration-

results

enquiry are here held up for ridicule or con-

tempt, but the results of are

made

Yoga.

the very basis of

Philosophy

level of every

a ray of

all

is

philosophic enquiry

its

chief subject, the

brought down to the lower

day experience without

its lustre,

and

its

losing even

truths are here pre-

sented in such a simple manner and as

it

were in

* It will become clear as we go on, how this definition of "

Toga " as equanimity, equally Karma-Yoga and other Togas.

applies to

Jcgna-Toga,

18

such a concrete form that the commonest minds

can understand them and put them into daily practice.

It is

very often said with reference to

Indian philosophy that

beyond that

it

something

world and ignores the present

this

asks us to give up

the evils of

aims at

it

life,

and that

life if it

is,

we wish

cure

to

in short,

life,

merely

an impracticable theory promising a state of happiness after death in reward for

prepetual

an utter neglect of the practical is

life.

The Gita

the one standing protest to this baseless charge.

Its object is to

show how the highest of the

Yedantic truths are at the same time the simplest of is

all,

how

every one of them can be applied and

meant to be so applied to

this

very practical

work-a-day world and how religion means no

more than philosophy applied

The Gita

as a

shows how, be,

iD

Yoga

each one of

may be us may

religion to the extent of

minute of our

life.

day

S'Sstra or Science of

whatever stations of

and whatever

city,

to every

life

life.

Yoga,

we may

our intellectual capaunderstand

and

live

our capability, every

Nay more,

of the Gita is mainly intended to

Yoga S'sstra show that herein the

19

this very

and

life is

to be sought the highest beatitude

further to point out that there

much antagonism between

•so

of the world

as is

commonly

ment may be received >by a portion of

religion

it-

the present we

may

life

with some doubt

at first

it is

For

on surer foundations.

Yoga

that

state

S'astra

Vedanta

to offer an ideal character to be

realised.

part

Gita consists in its

practicality of the

and inclina-

recognising the varieties of minds tions.

one, and the ultimate goal

Though truth is

must be

the same, yet

it

cannot be insisted that

must follow the same method

Though

perfect health

patients, a doctor

would have

to

reach

the goal of

is

all

it.

his

would not prescribe the same

course of treatment to them

Several things

all.

to be taken into consideration,

present state of

health,

general habits of the patient.

gion to be practicable

to

mankind should be ready -of

and the

of

The

sex,

not

This state-

fancied.

tries to explain the practical

all

really

our readers, but the sequel,

hoped, will place

and

is

as

well

the various minds that seek

the

Similarly, a reli-

a large

to

age,

as

portion of

supply the needs it.

This

is

what

20

the Gita attempts to do.

classifies

It

religious

aspirants into four broad divisions, the active

man, the emotional man, the mystic, and the man These four classes are not mutually

of reason.

exclusive of one another, for teristics

do actually

extent or other.

all

the four charac-

exist in every

The

mind

classification

to

some

however

is

based on the predominance in individual souls of

one of the four natures, and though no two minds-

may be

said to be exactly similar in all

parti-

culars, yet the Gita considers that for all practical

purposes,

it

will

be sufficient to divide

minds into these four

Toga

to be attained

is

in

And

types.

for each of these types

human

there

is

a

though the goal

5

;

each case the same.

The Ideal of the Gita.

And what

is

received several

this goal ?

answers

This question has

from

the

various-

Acharyas who have commented on the Gita. It is said by some that work is the great ideal of the Gita, Gita being sometimes called the Gospel of duties.

Others say that love

garded as the great ideal of

life

is

re-

by the author

of Gita. Some others declare that knowledge

is

21

4he goal, while yet others maintain that meditation

is its

ultimate aim.

Now, there

are passages in the

Gita,

which

taken by themselves confirm each of these views. Let us take " work " for instance. It is said in 11 in III,

we

for action

—47, "Tours is

only to work." Again

better than inaction."

without attachment, ""

is

have " Regularly perform your work,

man

attains

" Working highest."

the

Janaka and others attained perfection solely

-through work."

This view has not only the sanc-

tion of the texts such as those quoted just

but also stands to reason; for that one should

is it

not quite natural

work for what one wants

No one but a lazy person would expect .goal without work.

now,

to reach?

to find the

Again, take " love." This

we read "It is they that get absorption in Brahman, who have abscinded their doubts, who are self-controlled and who ever love all beings." In XI, it is stated, *" He who is free from hatred towards every being side too, has

its texts.

In chapter V,

reaches Me." In XII again, "They reach -for

Me only,

they are ever bent on doing good to all beings.'

These and other similar passages point to universal

22

love as the ideal and reason also supports there can be really no good

a motive of love,

Foiv

work except through

and the best thinkers of

all

mankind

times have preached and the rest of

have given

it.

their assent to nothing but universal

love as the means of eradicating the evils of

life-

Meditation or concentration of thoughts

also

There

'•

claims the support of the Gita.

is

nei-

ther enlightenment nor religious fervour for one-

who

has no concentration

any

fervour no

peace

;

and

for

one without

can come

whence

;

we

happiness without peace ?" Again,

are told

in VI, " Applying himself thus constantly,

Togin gains control over

his

mind and obtains

My

the peace and blessedness of

Yogin

is

the-

Estate."

said in the next s'loka to

be

The

greater

than ascetics, greater than intellectual men, and greater than workers.

can make out

Reason all

is

This side too therefore,-

a strong case in favour of

ready to support

it.

For,

it.

what do

achievements represent but degrees of mind-

concentration

?

All knowledge

concentration of mind, that

mind

exclusively

is,

is

acquired

by

on the particular

fixing

by the

subject oÂŁ

23

enquiry.

be the

As

ideal.

numerous Gita

Oh

action

may also be said to knowledge, we have

So, concentration

!

for

texts in

Partha, finds

" All

favour too.

its

its

culmination

in

knowlege." " The Jnanin is My very Self." And so on we find numerous other texts eulogizing knowledge and reason has everything to say on ;

the side of knowledge,

for,

reason

on previous knowledge and

in its turn

easily

the

is

Work,

accumulator of fresh knowledge.

and concentration may be

based

itself is

shown

love lead

to

to knowledge, and therefore on this side also, a

very good position that knowledge

is

made out, for those holding the ideal. Now, as we have is

already seen, there are four chief types

mind

in this world,

one should have a

and

it is

different

his particular inclination.

natural

that

of

each

aim according to

And

if

we

consider

the other varieties of minds also for which there is

be

ample room hardly

in this

world of ours, we should there

surprised to find that

numerous and

different goals for

are

which they are

severally making.

And

the Gita supports

all

these

!

So,

we have

24

a medley of ideals

"

Is there

supported by Gita texts

all

I

" Does not the Gita

no way out ?"

then recognise the superiority of any one ideal

over the others that

should

answer is

?"

This

now

Yoga by

Each

all

is

the

very object

to

re-

Its

And how

the views.

this reconciliation ?

Is

it

by

is

does

raising

it

No.

to lord over others ?

most

vital of

problems

of the Gita, which

is

lies

the practicality

commentary

Persons ignorant of

the true tenor of the Gita have tried to

a sectarian

treatise,

Yoga

In the solution of

the greatest

yet written on Vedanta.

effect

any one

of them into distinction and allowing that

this

the

one of these ideals

the Gita and the Gita

Science of Yogas. concile

and

possess our mind,

very simple.

is

called a

the natural question

is

and by

twists

make

it

and tortures

of s'lokas, they have attempted to produce proof-

The Gita has been made

texts in their favour.

by such men

to support

by turns, work

and no

work, love and indifference, reason and mystic practice.

But there

is

not one of these theories

which does not take only a part and neglects the rest of the

work.

Taken as a whole, the Gita

25

made

*can never be

theories exclusively.

No

none.

any one of the

to support It

supports

all

ideals

one sectarian can claim the special

Knowledge,

sanction of the Gitain his favour.

work, love, concentration are

mended but none

at the expense of the others.*

Even very

•than facts.

times fight with

It is

to

men some-

intelligent

some of them do not choose

— 5).

rather

one another, for the reason

* Of. steraTifr

4

com-

here

a|il

People very often quarrel over words

that

or

t: <rafa

?r

to

q^ft

ll

forth

set

(Gita,

ch. v,

be noted that the word Sankhya in the

Gita stands for Jnana, but not for the system of philosophy (by Kapila) technically so called.

only by Oriental authorities like also

who

by some of the occidental in

his

This view S'ri

S'ankaracbarya but

Deussen

Outlines of Indian Philosophy says (i.e.,

"The

in the sense

of

and concentration) used where tbey occur for

reflection first

shared not

critics like Dr.? Paul

words (Sankhya and Toga) are thus

the

is

time

demanding

(S'wet, 6. 13) and

further

Bhagavadgita but

research

ialso

it is

an open question,

whether

not only in the

throughout the Mahabharatam, the

words Sankhya and Yoga are not so much names of philosophical systems (.reflection

as general terms for the

and concentration."

two methods of

26

ideas in exactly the

same words

as others.

An

who

were-

amusing story

is

given a coin

that they

equally divide

among themselves some fruit they

liked best.

related of four boys

might purchase

Each wanted

and

same

to purchase the

fruit,but not knowing the language of one another,,

they began to quarrel, as each boy insisted on

Only the names

he named.

purchasing the

fruit

were

but they did not know

a

different;

man who knew

them the

showed

the four languages

all

fruit itself

Atlastj-

it.

and they were

equally

all

glad and satisfied tbat each of them had at last carried his relling

saw

when they found out

that

fruit

They then gave up quar-

point.

all

and not for

supposed.

their

mistake and

the four words stood for the same things

different

Somewhat

conciliation effected

as

similar to this

by the

Gita.

the

is

Truth

concentration

knowledge leads

to truth

may

appear

different

the

leads to

Work truth,-

and love leads to truth. In fact each

All the four are real indeed. aspect of the same thing.

re-

is

fruit of all the four ideals described above.

leads to truth,

had

they

To

but they

start with,

all finally

is

an

they

converge-

27

one point and then

to

them involves

seen

it is

This point of convergency

To

the Gita.

attain Yoga.

each of

that

the others.

attain that

Yoga by

called

is

mind

of

state

is

to

This state has been defined by the

author of the Gita in a single word " evenness.""

The mind has the

point where

mind

is

is

transform

to

" evenness." Every change

the mind, and the ideal of the Gita the

mind

is

process real

suited to the individual is

called a

hope to reach to

is

this

combine

to enter

of these

is

into-

limiting to

train'

through them.

leads to the

No one

can has-

in

him the

upon a more

how

it

" evenness, " until he

" evenness."

four Yogas of

understand

and each such-

Yoga, because

concentration, knowledge and

now

is

it

The process may be what-

Yoga, which

come

it

so as to transcend as far as possible all

such limitations. ever

As

subject to a thousand and one-

changes and the goal a state of

not

is

it

by any external circumstances.

affected is,

to reach a

the

ideals of work,-

We

love.

have-

detailed study of each

the Gita, in order to-

real

ideal

is

reached

28

Karma-Yoga. Definition.

The Yoga which we "will

shall consider first of

Karma Yoga.

be

•^derived

meaning

of the

word

"3TJ?" is a Sanskrit

from the root

"fi" to do,

word therefore

all

and the primary

is

There

action.

are other secondary significances of the word,

but in Karma-Yoga,

it

action that

is

the

is

Action considered as due

subject of enquiry.

from us to some one

else

is

known

duty.

as

Action performed in accordance with Sastraic injunctions all these

which

is

Karma-Yoga embraces

a ritual.

phases of action, and

treats of not only

it

the

is

science

actions but also their

motives and tendencies as well as the results.

Escape from

The Gita nature.

Work

recognises that

Man

is

Impossible.

work

incessantly

is

the order of

changing,

ani-

mals are changing, plants are changing, and even minerals are changing. Not a single second passes without

producing enormous changes

in nature, in the mineral, vegetable

kingdoms. ja,

The whole

of nature

is

and animal as

work-shop of uninterrupted business.

it

were

Nature

29

knows no

and

rest

is identical

with

ever-

recnrring work.

Knowingly or unknowingly every being from a blade of grass to the highest angel

change

Now,

working.

is

is

forces of nature according

philosophers.

three

work or

this repeating

brought about by three fundamental

They

them

call

Gunas are Sattwam,

The English

word

'

the

to

Sankhya

Gunas.

The

Eajas, and Tamas.*

forces

'

does not

fully

* Though the terminology of the Sankhya philosophy"

(Sattwam, Rajas, Tamas, Prakruti,

etc.) is

the Gita,! the work

pre-eminently Vedantic.

it will,

be seen

is

used throughout

This process of making "Vedanta a superstructure on the

Sankhya phraseology philosophic

writings.

is

by no means uncommon in

Moreover no terminology can be

considered peculiarly Yedantic or Sankhyaic as

times

done.

See

page 338

Philosophy where Prof. certain etc.,

religio-

Max

of

Six Systems

is

some-

of Indian

Muller says "There are

technical terms such as Furusha,

Buddhi, Gunas,

which are looked upon as the peculiar property of the

Sankhya and others such as Atman, Brahman, Avidya, Maya,

etc.,

philosophy

;

which remind us

at

once of the Vedanta-

but even these terms are used far more freely

in the Brahmanas and the TJpanishads than in the Dars'anas,

nor are they always used in the same sense or in the same' order by earlier and later authorities,"

30 express the original idea, for Gunas are forces as opposed to matter but are

the

which the whole of creation to

"" quality" is -also

So far as action

Sattwam

The

is

concerned we

may

equalising,

Eajas

translate

the

as

and Tamas as the deadening

among

the field of competition

fundamental

translation

open to a similar objection.

the

as

differentiating,

Nature

is

of

evolved according

is

Sankhya philosophy.

the

out

of primordial matter

constituents

not

themselves

force.

these

Thus, on one side we see

forces.

harmony

the Sattwa force working to bring out

and equilibrium, on another, there

is

the Eajas

predominant, showing enormous activity and giving room to numerous inequalities, while in the third

place there

action and

is

the

Tamas stopping

producing nothing but

These forces are

at

inertness.

work everywhere.

(XVIII— 40). There is no of the earth or even amoDg

all

"

^ ?r;%

firfa$k"

being on the

surface

the

Heaven, who

Gunas

is

free

of nature.

Gods of

from these fundamental

Now,

it

is

part

of

the

province of Karma Yoga to study the working

31

of these

and

forces

their

effect

human

on

character.

As

said

STlJfiR^: "

(III

—

one

every

above,

" No one indeed

5).

moment

stands without work even for a

one

is

forced to work,

in

the Gunas of nature."

we have

second,

single

Man

thereof. is

How

chooses, he

there this

by

will or no,

any one stops even for a work, he

is

is

is

crushed.

the

fruits !

not followed by reaction.

working either towards equilibrium

may

though for a time

well as

effects of laziness as

no help

for

we may sleep

;

he so

we

of work.

We may fret and fume, but We may try to forget

it.

sit

for a while,

drugs or other soporific thing vious of the fact

if

Nevertheless,

also be lazy.

law of nature, we may

while,

every

of himself,

work and reap

is noj>s,ca,pe.

is

;

rigorous are the laws of nature

differentiation,

There

ever

not the slightest action of the body or

Every one

reap the

If

to

of the mind which

or

spite

Whether we

striking

bound

is

There

to march.

work.

has to

but after

indifferent for

a

we may even take

to all

make

us

a hard

obli-

knock

32

comes and we are "

truth,

^i"S4

bound by teaches

forced

its acts'"

that the

(III

9).

is

realise

we

off

must be to

So, our first duty

work by nature " ^

f? t^icfT 51^7

" So long as one has a body,

"

«B+ll«^l«l?r:

all

?TW

it

impossible to give

up works

—10). Freedom from

Work lies through Work.

Nevertheless,

dom. This is is

forcing

man

also a fact.

man

conviction that he If there is

alike,

it is

ever struggling for free-

On

the one hand,

tions

man

;

on the other, man

is

sure to be the master in the

any ingrained

belief in

the idea of freedom.

is

If

us all

Nature

is-

limitations to man's all

such limita-

man

incessantly

trying to transcend

if possible.

Nature

against her, with a deep-rooted*

trying to put limitations after

power,

is

absolutely." (XVIII-

to be her slave

is fiercely fighting

end.

is

a

be

shall

understand our real position, that we are forced to

iff

the

this,

no use putting

question which one day or other, forced to answer.

the?

Now, Karma Yoga,

we

sooner

There

better for us.

—

recognise

to

" The whole world

sjrfr^sR: "

Nature wants

to work and at the same time man's heart yearns

33

The wheel

for rest.

incessantly and

Yet he wants

man

of action

is

turning round

is

being carried on with

complete

and

rest

it*

complete

freedom. Is this struggle of

hope

This

?

man in

vain or

of circumstances, and

he

is

is

For,

depends the

to this question

foundation of morality. If "man

if

there any

a very important question.

is

on the answer

of himself,

is

a mere creature

forced to drudge in spite

is

no more than a wind-bound

vessel in the ocean of

life,

his

responsibility

and he can neither be blamed for

his evil

actions nor be given credit for virtuous

deeds.

ceases,

If,

on the other hand, he

is

a

master of his

actions to any extent, and not a slave of the

of Nature,

forces

Man

himself

his actions

there

becomes

to

is

hope

for

ethics.

directly responsible

for

the extent of his liberty.

So,

this question has to be put and answered.

man free

to

Gita says,

man

himself, but

of work.

work or

is

as he

it lies

He may

he forced to work

is,

must work

in

?

Is

The

spite

of

with him to choose the line take a rope and hang himself

or use the self-same rope to bind elephants and 3

— 34

He may work

and rule them.

tigers

own

out his

ruin or salvation. "3Tl^Tf mRf&t spf!!?**? ftjpr?*Hi"

" One

own friend and one's own foe." (VI 5). To teach how to turn work to advantage and how to work out one's own salvation is the special aim of Karma Yoga. is

one's

—

So then, the Gita admits that freedom

But

able and possible. lies

it

is

desir-

says that this freedom

through work and not through inaction "

W^T ^" 5

(HI

i)

*'•

not by non-commencement

of works alone does a person get freedom action, nor can

works

q"

of

he by mere abandonment of Victory

attain perfection."

be

is to

won

not by deserting your post, but by bravely fighting where you are. find

in

it

throwing it is

of

^

work all

If

you want

Why

or nowhere.

action overboard

impossible to do so while

work means

sfft&ra^k: "

cessation of

(HI— 8).

impossible without work."

a struggle with nature? to go

on

to the

end of

life.

rest,

'

you

life.

Cessation

live.

" SRk^lft' ^ ^ itself would be

For, whit So,

rest

Simply because

?

" Life

you must

not find

this

Saints

is life

but

struggle

and

is

sinners,

!

35

rich and poor, young and old,

Our choice

ject to this struggle. not between work

drudgery and

are subr

all alike

therefore

lies

and no work, but between

intelligent

work, between working

like a slave of nature, and working like a master.

Karma Yoga teaches

us the art of intelligent work.

Two Kinds " (II

*4i'<*^M:

of Work.

—49). " Par removed

(work) from the Yoga of intelligent

wealth winner pitiable

seek refuge in this wisdom,

;

are those that

rewards."

Here

S'ri

size the distinction

work, the work master. this

is

Karma work, Oh

lower

is

are led

by desire

for,

of

Krishna wanted to empha-

between these two kinds of

of a slave

and the work of a

But the laconical manner

which

in

stated in the second chapter of the

and the concluding verses

of

that

Gita

chapter

which describe the wisdom of a Yogin without special reference to work gave room to Arjuna's question with which the third chapter opens, "If,

Oh

!

Janardana, you hold wisdon to be greater

why do you press me to take part war?" Evidently Arjuna takes it

than work, then in this

terrific

36

that

there

is

meant here a natural

antithesis real con-

between wisdom and work, whereas the trast intended to be specially

between lower Karma " WR. telligent

brought home

*P? "

Karma " fnNW-"*

is*

and higher in-

The whole of

the-

third and a great deal of the fourth chapter

devoted to

make

this point clear.

points out that while

it is

paths of realisation called

Yoga suited

S'ri

is-

Krishna

two

true that there are

Jnana Yoga and Karma

to different temperaments, yet they

are not mutually exclusive, nor

Jnana means already shown

cessation from all it

is

is

it

true that

work,

for,

"physically impossible.

only thing to be noticed and remembered

is

as

The that

whereas ordinary mortals work like servants, the* a master.

The three

forces of nature, Sattwam, Eajas

and Tamas

Karma Yogin works

like

already referred to have no control over him

i

for he has learnt to manipulate them without

coming under

their influence.

* Of. S'ankara's commentary on the above verse where

""^PwWllH." ia interpreted as " fRj^jTfJIc^" making it aBahuvrihi compound adjective qualifying " 3WTJ " understood."

37

The Three Gunas oe Fundamental Forces of Nature.

A knowledge forces

is

of the working

A

be a Karma Yogin.

them

is

of these three

absolutely necessary for one wishing to

given in

the

general

description

again in the eighteenth.

We

shall here give the

—5 to

translation of three of these S'lokas(XIV <c

Sattwam,Eajas and Tamas

of

chapter and

fourteenth

8).

— the three manifest

<xunas of nature bind the embodied undecaying

Of

soul.

Oh

these,

being pure

is

!

spotless Arjuna,

enlightening

Sattwam

and purifying

;

it

binds one with attachment to happiness as well

Know

as with attachment to knowledge.

Eajas

to be passion, the birth-place of vehement desire

and fondness;

it

binds the

with attachment to

know it to

all

is

As

activity.

to be born of ignorance

embodied beings;

negligence,

there

embodied

it

binds

them with

indolence and drowsiness."

the triple nature. of

It

Thus

interaction of

Every act of ours

these forces.

Tamas,

and stupefying

constantly going on this

on by one

for

being

is

goaded

must not be

supposed, however, that these forces work singly

38

each

in its special

They are simultane-

field.

ously at play and mixed tions produce

One

different

on

effects

agents.

the

may be predominant in an and that may determine his choice

of these forces

individual,

His choice and action again

of work.

special re-action and effect

on

combina-

in different

on himself

will

have

as well ae-

his surroundings.

wobk

without

attachment.

The Chief Doctrine of Kaema Yoga. Now, Karma Yoga teaches itself is

quite harmless

and

by

work

that

our miseries

all

come from our Sanga (attachment) to the work done by the three Gunas. " m^fwjSTt ÂŤ5RT gif^rg " of

Gunas of

the

their

actions."

aright and avoid

mere play "What

is

(111-29)

to us,

this

If

nature, get

we

this

just error,

instead

Sanga

"Persons

produced when

understand

to this,

work becomes a

? It is I-ness.

the

attached

of being a

observed every where that the

ignorant

It

best

doer forgot

rather was wholly engrossed in the

bugbear. a

fact

work

was-

is

himself, or

work

as not

39 to conceive that he

constantly little

make

was working.

this

personality vividly before their

The

thus spoil the whole work. idea of " I " comes,

As an and

Yet people

mistake of keeping their

we

lose

instant the

sight of our work.

of non-attachment,

aid to this practice

as another factor in

mind and

making ourselves masters

of our actions, the Gita recommends that

should renounce the is

fruits [of

work

we It

also.

we work without attachment and

only when

without desire for

fruit,

that

we can become

Karma Yogins. " U^TFqfa jj 3&{ffil tfl? ?HW V&Tft i *Wftfr ir 7$ ftfatf TraiTWH." (XVIII-6) "But my verdict in the matter is this, real

Oh' Partha, these Karmas ought to be done without

without

attachment and

of

desire

reward."

This simple

attachment

"

inculcates

and

certain

as the one

as containing all

Yet certain is

it

critics are

the most

without

of "action

seems to have offered unexpected

in

difficulties

doctrine

quarters.

key

The Gita

to success in

the essentials

life

of ethics.

disposed to think

that

it

poisonous doctrine in the book.

40

The Eev.

J.

Lazarus,

com-

instance, thus

b.a., for

ments on the doctrine, " To act without attach-

ment

is

without motive or purpose, to

to act

the

experience in pleasure,

and to think nothing whatever of

three concomitants of motive, feeling and action without attachment.

mere animals or are

moved by

man

is, it is

are to be

formed the actions

is

For a rational being such as

utterly

impossible to act

attachment so called unless he becomes delirious.

without

mad

such action would be possible.

human being and

feelings of pity

whom

he was aiming

for the commission of foul.

How was

it

;

no

Arjuna

a kinsman to dismiss all

and mercy

without attachment

or

or

The moral element, not to speak of

the physical, would be utterly wanting in

as a

they

The moment that any

instinct.

sinful.

Men

effect

living automata, acting as

one of these attachments

become

its

Action, then, without the

future fruit or result.

is

nor

act itself neither pain

for the foes

against

his deadly darts ?

Action

is

a

convenient loop-hole

any crime however horrible

The murderer of Mr. Rand walked up

to the gallows with the Gita in his hand.

I

am

41

afraid this

book."*

by Eev.

the most poisonous doctrine in the

is

(Fide Lectures on the Bhagavadgita, J.

Lazarus, pp. 11, 12).

Now, one

peculiar feature

ordinary piece of criticism

this extra-

of

that

is

takes

it

immense pains

to father

<3ita a doctrine

which he never taught and then

upon the author of the

passes the severe judgment on the Gita that

propounds a " poisonous therefore only

stands self

the criticism

Action without attachment does not

refuted.

What

have

explain the real doctrine in

show that

order to

*

to

We

" doctrine.

it

a strange piece of argument

ia this,

to infer from

the sinful action of a murderer that danger lurks in one

of the; righteous doctrine inculcated in the Gita, a most well

known

ethical work,

heinous crimes

!

If this

and to make

book

really

it

responsible for

supported crimes, the

millions of people in India that reverently read

should have by morality.

But

this time

it

every day,

sunk to the lowest depths of im-

as Miss E.

Waldo

says " In the statistics of

-crime for the whole civilized world, the percentage of India is

the lowest.

The high system

inculcated there for ages has

manifest."

How

of ethics that has been

its effects

and to-day

it is still

the Gita provides the surest foundation

of morality so well recognized by Western scholars like Dr. Paul Deussen, will become clear from the concluding .remarks of this book.

42

mean

" to act without

motive or purpose and

to think nothing whatever of

motive

any

without

Action

result."

fruit or

future

its

is

mad man,

physical impossibility even for a

a.

for,

even he has some fancied motive for his conduct. All action a

quires

is

motion -and as such necessarily re-

motive.

Even

inaction

strangely

is,

enough, due to some motive. This the Gita recognises fully and says that in this sense, inaction

may

be also spoken

(IV-18).

By

of as a

action without attachment again,

never meant an action without as he is

is, is

species of action is-

feeling. For, man,,

a bundle of feelings and every action

sure to bring about

a necessary feeling in

Thus to touch

the agent.

fire

and not

to expect

a feeling of burning sensation would be only for the most obtuse-minded

possible-

person.

Nor

does action without attachment mean

" think-

ing nothing whatever of

fruit

effect."

but a

Though such an

mad

action

person or an

would stoop

to

it.

its

What

future is

possible,

infatuated the

none

murderer

Gita has to say

on an action without any concern will be clear

or

from the following

:

for

results

" srgsRf

8J%

43

(XVIII

—

of what

it

and

the

tion

to

of

" Regardless of

25).

—an

The

lowest type)." is

said

is

its

without

execu-

regard

Tamasic (of the

to be

best action

on the other

described in the Gita in the following

"

words:

f?ml

tfg*R<i*KN(j;qcn

fSftft

^4 wmifa&^l II" (XVIII— 23). which,

effects,.

involves

it

required for

undertaken

action

future

the trouble

capacity

any of these

hand,

of

costs,

its

a

as

ment, which

rule,

is

done without attach-

the outcome of neither love-

is

nor hatred, and

which

performed

is

a view to no personal gain, Satwic

(of

3n><sjJ|>^;tf'

« Xfeat action

the

best

therefore does not ask

is

type)."

us

to

said

with to be

Karma Yoga become mere

animals and to act as we are " moved by instinct."

It

the-

does not mean an action " with-

out the three concomitants of motive, feeling

and

effect."

It

only asks us to have the highest-

and always to

of motives, the best of feelings

undertake actions calculated to bring about thegreatest

amount

of

good while

it

costs the least.

trouble either to ourselves or to others.

44

The reader

have by

will

what

clearly understood

meant by the expres-

is

without

"action

sion "tfftf|cf3>J?"

time pretty

this

attach-

Being acted upon by the three funda-

ment."

mental Gunas afore-mentioned,

man

the

has

curious knack of attaching himself to their acts -and as

He

them.

there

is

egoistic

mood

in

(XVI

this,

—

13).

All the

tendency destroys

which man can place

himself and in which alone their best.

doing

According to the Gita,

his energy.

a higher

am

thought occurs in his mind,

this

Ahanhara or

.much of

I

me now."

be done by

this is to

"

says to himself

The moment this

becoming a mere appendage to

were,

it

great

his

actions are

men

at

of the world

have consciously or unconsciously put them-

mood when they achieved the their performances. Now, the Gita

selves in this

-greatest of

says that "" I " that

If

we

it is

the

Sanga or the clinging

obstructs our

passing

get this higher

are consciously to

we have

to give

self; in plain

up

this

clinging to

words we are

"This doctrine

is

to

to this

to give

the very basis of

up

our

the

mood. state, little

selfishness.

Hindu or for

— that matter universal ethics. All ethics preaches

nothing but the destruction of

The lower this is the

lower

self or

one theme of

As

to be destroyed

is

all religion.

self is gone, there is

being attained. ÂŤÂŤ

Ahankara

lower " I.""

this

-

r

Till this-

no hope of the higher

the poet says

Unless above himself he can

Erect himself,

And what fruits ?

It is

is

how mean

a thing

" "fi^m:

is

man !"

Eenunciation

"

not to be regardless of the

of

conse-

quences of an action, but to forget our individual gain or

loss,

nor to think of what return we are

to get for the deed.

our energies are not of

little

We are required to see that frittered

temporary gains.

away by

For,

it is

thinking-

only action

done by a man expecting no personal gain that is

calculated to produce a lasting

effect.

It is

this renunciation of fruit, for instance, that

played

Had

.

itself

in

the

founders of

they thought of the

all

fruit or the

accrue to themselves by

dis-

religions.-

result

to

actions,

they

would have never become great men and

their

their

names would have been buried

in oblivion

those of a thousand other persons.

like

— 40

Thus the doctrine of " giving up attachment and

fruit of action "

^absurd.

It is

is

not meant for

persons but for brave souls

mad and delirious who can work for

the good of the world without

There

reward.

is

thus no "

want

"

or absence actions

without attachment and without desire for

fruit,

do morality and physical

for only in such actions

-energy find the

any

expecting

moral or any other element in

•of the

nor

neither impossible

widest field for

their fullest

play.

But

it

must be borne

in

mind

that the

Grita

-does not depreciate other actions, for, according

to this book, even selfish actions are not necessarily

Though

sinful.

to be the goal, yet *So,

it is

-it.

'(III

8).

to take

"

Work

ought

motives

all.

if

is

To give up

better

step

A great many of this

is

us find

"We are

stage.

doing some work, with some motive.

to

work "

than no

laziness, the first

go beyond

we

some

selfish one) is preferable

up some work.

it impossible to

selfish

Indeed to work with

motive (including a indolence.

action

not possible for us

we may work with

cannot help

unselfish

,

Some are

47

working

money,

for

and

not

would

they

be content even were they to amass the wealth of Kubera himself.

Even if a portion of this wealth

should be diminished by chance they would break their heart over

Home who

finding one

pounds

million

poorer it

God

He

if

on things is

day that he had only a said to

have died

In their eyes nothing

.

has power.

unless

like that millionaire of

is

They

not All powerful.

power, money

is

work ledge.

They are

time

power,

is

is

for

How All

know-

with those

quite dissatisfied

!

power."

So, they

beautiful,

money,

again work for name, fame and honour.

mention.

other Suffice

condemns none.

motives it

to

There

numerous to

too

say

all

Others

nothing before knowledge.

are various

no

valuable to

But others work

who work for any other ideal. how excellent is knowledge power

is

set value

conducing to power.

for power.

right

Thus, " knowledge

Knowledge, money and time are as

all

is

Even God Himself

in terms of power.

them only

in in-

Then there are those who work

tense sorrow. for

left, is

it,

that

No work done

the

Gita

with one, or

48

even more

selfish

may work

for

motives

sinful in itself.

is

enjoyment either here or here-

Avoid

Gita has no quarrel with you.

after, the

You

by till means. " ftw 55 ^f ?f*j;" (III-8). " Always work " that is all it has to

inaction

say.

But a

should eventually see

rational being

that there are higher motives

power or fame

for wealth,

because

it is

because

it

higher stage.

To work

yet higher motive

to

;

else,

world and to improve

stage that

is

in

it is

it,

is

in itself a

a

work it

still is

a

brings

our duty to some

to

do good to the

but because intelligent

an

ideal, is the highest

reach in the present world.

To be always doing good and good

is

work not because

itself

man can

To work

better.

the world

we wish

not because

good work

is

for the sake of

us enjoyment, not because

one

To work

good, but to work

is

our duty to work

does good to

also.

to be always loving

state of blessedness for

which

no other enjoyment can be a match. To taste of this eternal fountain of joy, discovered by never-

work

ceasing and

selfless

with which

man can

is

the highest of motives

be actuated.

,;

;'

49

A

word more

" concomitant

is

necessary

of action

" as

termed by our Eeverend fairly

it

critic.

done with motive and

there remains

'

feeling.'

about

has been aptly

We

have

effect of actions

?

The

Karma already quoted says " $3H." Our work must not be the Very

we

work.

It

are excited by is

true

that

often

we

definition of

Satwic

unless

now

-By what feeling are

to be actuated in our actions

love or hatred.

another

SRFltro: result of

we imagine

that

some passion we cannot feeling

concomitant of work, but

it

is

a

necessary

does not neces-

we should feel the passions as vehemently as we do generally. Indeed our feelings spoil the work rather than help it. The one feeling that we should possess is unruffled calmness. It is only when the mind is very sarily follow that

calm and collected that thing great.

-a^T^r"

Hence

(11-48).

it is

"Do

stand in Yoga, -giving up "7

it

can accomplish anythat the Gita

your actions, taking all

attachment, being

undisturbed in mind, either by success or

(And what ?

4

is this

says,

failure."'

Yoga in which we should place

50

" g?Rf

ourselves. is

3^#

qta

Yoga."

called

This evenness, this equipoise

mood

higher

given

of mind,

is

the

in which every one should try to

place himself while

man

"Evenness

(11-48).

love

to

any other passion

work.

at

or anger

or hatred

that can

not

It is

do

the or

and useful

real

work, but only a person who commands a calm

and well-balanced mind.*

This evenness

undisturbed balance of mind

A man

success.

How

another passion.

passions

one who

to ?

On

equanimity "

weigh

its

rightly,

is

always

is

carried

away by

can masterly work be is

other

the

is

he has in one mood

before

determined what to do, he

possible

the secret of

is

swayed by passion

a hurry, for,

in

ever

a

slave to his

hand, " a mind of

always at leisure.

motives and tendencies.

It It

caa well

can think

determine rightly and choose rightly,

"sHHMkM W*Wl

$PT:

^5l

-ÂŤ

fcW<t "

(H-50).

* Cf. " Emotions should be servants, not masters least

or

not tyrants.

The

;

or at

will.

The

personality should reside there as in a castle."— Eev.

Robert

Hugh Bensou.

secret lies

in

the

51 ""

Therefore apply yourself to this Yoga, for,

Yoga (balance

in actions

of mind)

All clever and intelligent

of

this

work

the skill."f

is

is

outcome

the

balance of mind.

The Gita on Doty. Now,

becomes easy

it

"

to fight.

upon

!

at

Oh, Arjuna,

thee,

•disgraceful

path

Whence and

this

when he

refuses

juncture

comes

obstructing

become thee

;

un-Aryan,

this despair,

heavenward

the

Yield not to cowardice,

<lolh not

why

understand

to

.Krishna calls Arjuna a coward

Oh

cast off this

Partha,

!

it

mean weak-

Oh vexer of thy foes." (II-2). Arjuna as a human being and a kinsman, naturally felt for his foes. He was,

ness of the heart, and arise,

!

as any other ordinary mortal would have been^

overwhelmed with mercy and refused to

fight.

t Prof. Mas Muller thus

:

— " Therefore

success 'This, if

ia

(all)

But

this

translates

them and

pity for

was just the time this

half

of the verse

devote yourself to Yoga.

actions "

taken as defining

systems of

(six

Yoga

as

success

Toga

is

Philosophy). in

all

actions,

would be against the contest.

For a further elucidation

of the complete verse, see the

concluding remarks of the

present book.

52

when he ought

not to have

He came

these passions.

came

weakness

this

to-

and goaded

to fight

was sure to

toy his warrior spirit

meanwhile

sold himself

but

fight,

of

heart

in

the garb of pity and love for his kinsmen. Thus-

was

lie

first

subject to a heroic passion and then

to the passions of pity and worldly love and in

a.

moment more, perhaps he would have changed his

mind

again,

and reminded of the wrongs*

done to him and

he would have

his brothers

made ready

certainly

deadly darts at them.

This

warned him

"

sr%

|

against.

fa«fa s*nreratr

(XVI1I-59-60).

you

"

by those

is

what

You

to S'ri

q^f^R?TTf«r?r

u^fa^rf ft%Rfri

enemies,,

aim

his

Krishna

^T 'ffrsq'

%8t

sptt^ #&t

think egoistically

that

are not going to fight, but this determination

will be in vain, for

pel you (to fight)

your inborn

spirit will

com-

nature-bidden and predesby your own action, that which you do not jelish to do (now), you will do in spite of your;

tined

self."

he is

This giving

readily

what

is

way

acted on rightly

to the

by

passions

and to

feelings as they come,„

denounced as cowardice by

53

Krishna.

S'ri

Instead of fighting like

Arjuna chose to

by

passion.

a hero^

a slave spurred

fight like

This was the true situation of Arjuna

From a

though he declared to the contrary. prudential point of view,

to him not rarest

to fight, for,

it

was a decided loss

he was losing one of the

which

opportunities,

would lead him on

From

on

to fortune,

embraced

being

fame and honour.

a moral point of view, he was shirking his

duty as a king,

for, it

interest to enter into a

was

his

duty

as well as his

war but

righteous

for

which a great calamity would have befallen his

The

country.

war

between

Kauravas was no mere party fight

this fight purely

fore,

By

Looked

point of philosophy,

amounted

at

from

ledge.

A

great

moral

the stand-

to a spiritual self-degradation.

Undecaying Atman. in

up

Arjuna's refusal to fight

nothing short of limiting the One

mersed

giving

on sentimental grounds, there-

Arjuna was committing a

blunder, (11-33),

but really a

strife

between right and wrong.

and

Pandavas

Infinite,

Arjuna was

in

It

was

Unborn, fact

im-

sorrow for want of real Vedantic knowtruly enlightened person neither avoids

54

a piece of work

as

another thinking

bad nor unnecessarily court*

it

good, (XVIII-10) but ever

does the duty nearest to him without losing his

own balance

of

mind by thinking of

conse-

its

quences to him. But Arjuna immersed in sorrow has no time to think over such matters.

S'ri

Krishna therefore considers Arjuna a coward.

Arjuna according

to Krishna is

a coward

not

because he refuses to fight but because he yields to passions, because he sin

by giving up

is

his duty,

committing a moral

and

finally

because

he does not know and has not the courage to face the truth of philosophy and religion, though

he argues

all

the

same

like

one well- versed in

both.

Thus the Gita does not propound a philosophy of fighting, as has been erroneously thought

some

superficial students.

in any

way

Nor does

it

by

support

the commission of heinous crimes as

who do The Karma Yoga of

know

has been insinuated by persons

not

what they

the Gita

asks

us

to give

say.

not to be over-ridden by passions, not

up

the duties next to us,

even above the idea of duty

if

nay more,

to rise

possible and to

work

55 in a calm

and undisturbed manner. In whatever

sphere of

we may

life

work without

we

be,

are to learn to

passion, faithfully and disinter-

estedly to discharge our duties, and to

The

work's sake.

refrain

work

for

"therefore fight"

found in various places of the Gita in various forms of expression

if

interpreted in this spirit,

justifies the claim of the

practical

To

life.

Gita as a guide in

a lover of peace no

less

than

to a lover of righteous war, to the poor no less

than to the

rich, to the subject

no

less

than to

the King, the Gita offers this one piece of advice: *•

In whatever station of

do your duty not Perfection

"

is

life

you may be placed,

like a slave

but like a hero."

possible for all in this

& # wqf*R?TJ

*M%f%5W)r TO." "

way

Engaged

alone. in his

own duty man attains perfection." (XVIII-45). How are we to know our duty ? The Gita says " dmhaHH IWM % *n!«fclWlflra1 " (XVIIThe S'astras are your authority in determining what is or is not duty." We are not to depend on mere speculation in this matter, for, if we do, there will be no end to our 24.)

«•

doubts.

What

is

considered right in one country

56

and

at

becomes wrong in

a particular time,

another country and at another time. ideas, indeed, of right

men even

and wrong

of the same country and time,

The

placed in the same condition.

Different

among and men

prevail

ethics of

any

individual or society therefore, represents

the

degree of perfection to which that individual or has developed

society

may be

conscience.

its

contended, does

it

But

it

not follow, that for

very reason morality should depend upon

this

conscience and not upon scripture or authority? The answer is that it does follow. The Gita does not recommend any atrophy of the conscience,

but only teaches that we should be

guided by a sense of duty rather than of interest. Self-interest

understood

in the highest sense

of

the word, does not really clash with a sense of

duty in

(Cf.

which

us, it will it.

When

VII- 11).

But

in

the limited sphere

interest usually functions

in

left

to himself,

man

is

apt to choose

the temporarily pleasurable to the what tually

most of

be necessary to be cautioned against

and eternally beneficial to him.

is

even-

But

if

instead of his personal speculation, he submits

57 "himself to the guidance of Scripture,

which

only another name for expert opinion, he likely to

go wrong.

Many

is

not

is

of us have not the

presence of mind to choose the right even

should go in the teeth of our interest.

^

if it

Hence

the Gita says,

" ?:

fffiw iflfa *

m

who

the injunctions of ethical science

and

rejects

5rrerftfag?g*T =t

+W+K5T:

I

=T ff

"He

qffjrfcn" (XVII-23).

acts ever impelled by desires he never attains

perfection, he gets to neither happiness, nor the

highest goal."

Now,

the

ethical

demands of any particular

time depend as remarked above, on the degree

of perfection which conscience has attained, and therefore ethical science can only indicate the

general lines of conduct, while will

the

particulars

hare always to be worked according

needs of the times.

For instance,

to the

at the time

of

the Gita, caste was a well-ordered institution,

and the author of the Gita

therefore,

very

often applies the general laws of ethics to caste,

just

to

show

bearing on

their

practical

caste

confusion

has

less taken place in India in our

own

But

though

more

life.

or

times, the

58-

Gita not only continues to take a hold on

the-

minds of the Hindus, but influences non-Hindus-

show

also to a great extent. This suffices to

the basement of the vast superstructure ethics of the Gita

by some.

is

that

of the

not caste, as has been alleged

Its teachings are general

enough

to be-

applicable to any society whether with or without caste.

The teachings of Karma Toga, in particular^

admit of application to-day as they were thousands of years ago.

The Most Important

Principles of Conduct,

Kequired by Karma Yoga.

Though we

have

already

alluded

to

general principles of conduct recommended

Karma Yoga, we tant of 5E*fcFsrc:

them |

in

shall

now

state the

cr:^^?^%

ggraf:

by

most impor-

" WT'^'frrrS^

brief.

the-

s*rr=^"

SJfa^SA

(III-9)

" Except in the case of an action done for the

sake

bound

;

of

sacrifice,

for, that (sacrifice)

bound

But

for

to our actions.

is

is

!

son

of

the first principle

sacrifice,

What

action-

is

do thou, Oh

Kunti, perform action." This of work.

world

the

we

become

sacrifice? Several

— 59

kinds of sacrifices

are spoken of in

(Ch. IV) " sacrifice

Brahman,

to

the Gods,

through concentration,

and knowledge." these

Me

and Mine which

killing

it

may

ness is

The idea of

vitiates

our

life

is

enumerate

all

right, but

as

be

to

actions

a general rule-

be said, that which tends to unselfish-

is right,

while that which makes us

Though

wrong.

work,

idea that pervades

selfishness.

It is difficult to

which are always

through study

sacrifice

The one

all

removed.

to

sacrifice

through asceticism, sacrifice

scrifice

is

Gita-

the

the world

self-sacrifice cuts

Karma.

Indeed,

UfaM " sacrifice,

aspects)."

of"

Karma becomes no Karma

(IV-23),

concerned

"^FTRW

self-sacrifice.

all

bound through

through the bonds

in so far as its evil effects are

person of

is

selfish

—

*f&

"For him who works

action

disappears

Self-sacrifice

is

the

(in

first

its

to

a

s>Er for evil

principle of

conduct.

The second (111-34).

principle

is

cheerfulness,

" Every sense organ has

its

love or hatred towards sense-objects

"ff^^ 1

established ;

but one-

60

are his foes."

We

principle at

length

have already dwelt upon this a person should not be

;

by strong passions

.guided

more he can

in his actions, for, the

dissociate himself

assume a calm

they

for,

-should not yield to these (passions);

from passions and

attitude, the greater will

be the

success he can command.

The duty. "«TC:

third principle '

'sfaFSPwf

<R^jff *rqref:

duty

%nf

trcsmrf**3?&?rre[

:

" (111-35). " Better

though lacking

another's

duty

death in one's

Faithful discharge

is

well

own

full of danger."

It

in

some

|

is

sr^ fa«rc one's

;

own than

quality,

performed

better

face

duty, for, another's duty

has

of

is

been already remark-

ed that the Gita often applies principles of ethics to caste. to

show

-give

up

One that his

of the objects of S'ri Krishna

Arjuna was wrong

in

was

proposing to

duty as a Kshatriya. Some persons

misunderstand

this teaching

and are led

to think

that the Gita exalts caste duties above all other •obligations.

But those who are

willing to

make

friends with the context, can easily see that the <real

point at issue

is

not caste but duty depen-

61

dent upon birth and position

in

own

apt to see others through our

judge

all

We

life.*

are-

and to

eyes

customs by our own standpoint.

The-

main teaching of the Gita on duty is intended

show

that this

is

an

general idea exists in

duty as manifested

to-

as a-

our minds, we see that

all

changes with environ-

in life

Karma Yoga

ments.

Though duty

error.

requires

us

to

all

be-

cheerful in discharging our duty by birth as well as those

by our position

factorily

performs his

humble, nature

We

selects

own him

we

We

are to

duties

for

satis-

however

higher duties.

own duty imagining

should not neglect our

that

If one

in life.f

are better qualified to do another

show our

fitness to

duty-

higher duties

by-

the proper discharge of our duty in the position

we

are placed

The fourth *0f. "

in.

principle of

The burden

Karma Yoga

of bis (Krishna's ) teaching

zealous performance of his duty

task to whatever caste he

is

a man's

may belong

is is

that

that the-

most important-

" (Page 405, History

of Sanskrit Literature by Prof. A. Macdonell.)

t Of. "

We do not

choose our

own

parts in life

nothing to do with these parts. Our simple duty to playing them well." Epictetus.

is

and have confined*

62

we

should ever keep ourselves enlightened with

"knowledge so as not to be deceived by the three

"

forces of nature

cR^farT JTfRTfT JJ"l'*4feTT'Rh

g% 3&z ffcr u^r * ssft

gorr

knower

Oh strong-armed

only Gunas acting

it is

(therefore) unattached "

treated of already. several

ways

in

A

t

"But the

of the real nature of distinguishing

and their works, that

".. .(111-28).

Gunas

Arjuna, thinks

on Gunas and

is

The Gunas have been true knowledge

of the

which they work enables us to be

out of their trammels.

Thieves break into only

an unguarded house. While we keep the light of truth,

we cannot be taken

Krishna

S'ri

-ft#T%* those

therefore

3TTOT5rrc;

who

by the Gunas. Arjuna

advises

thus

"The Vedas are

(111—45).

"

in

are attached to the three

Gunas

for

but

;

go thou, beyond these Gunas free from opposites ;

ever taking stand in Satwa, be free from a sense of possessing every thing, and be self-controlled."

Of

the three Gunas, the influence of

Tamas

is

to

be overcome by Eajas, and Rajas with the aid -of

Satwam,

Tthe other

for,

while one G-una

is

predominant,

two are necessarily powerless(XIV

—

1 0.)

63

"When one

learns the habit of

Satwam, he it

being always in

gets gradually beyond

different in its effects

who

who is

is

for this

is

said to be a "fagnrrafa:"

has got beyond the influence of the

three Gunas).

son

It

ever engages himself in

purely Sstwic Actions, •(one

is

from the Satwam

mixed with Rajas and Tamas. reason that one

for

pure Satwam

has to be noticed here that

-quite

all three,

A description

of such an ideal per-

given at the conclusion of the fourteenth

chapter.

From

the advice that one should go beyond all

the three

Gunas and then take

one's

stand in

•Satwam, another principle can be inferred and -deserves to be noted here.

have

to

shake ourselves

we get

fore

to the pure

of evils such as

outcome

same

off

As shown above we Tamas and Eajas be-

Satwam,

Kama and Krodha

of Eajas (VI —

37).

as saying that even if

This

ones.

This

is

the seeds

being

is in effect

the

the

we cannot do good

•deeds all at once, our first duty

up bad

all

expressly

SatasamhitI by saying " 3^4*1 ft

must be to give taught in the

%3^ ftfos?

Sfft-

^4^" (though one cannot fulfil the duty enjoined

64 in S'astras, one should give

In the Gita also

"

^renrsrftiSfcTTFTreT

WRfeWFfKRi('

S'ri

the prohibited act.)

Krishna says to Arjuna

wfo

ft^r

(therefore

ants of Bbarata,

up

Oh

tt^r

i

wrf%

best of the descend-

of all this sinful

kill first

(enemy

born of Kajas) distroyer of knowledge

and

The

having controlled the senses.)

realization,

ttaf

application of this principle

is

very simple.

It

only requires us, for instance, to desist at least

from hurling vindictive language against a poor beggar even

we do not

if

Meekness of

Karma Yoga

^ f#?T

spirit

"

give

^TJTTOT

next principle of

the

is

him any alms.

I^rr %^fti%3*fa

Slf ^rasfTSSOTg^"..."

I

trftot

Through body,

mind, and even by the senses, Yogins work

up attachment

giving

There

purity."

is

for

great

thinking that the world help.

the

sake

in

in fact neither is it

where

need of our

In spite of our working, the world will

always be the same on the whole.

nor

self-

danger in

spiritual is

of

makes towards

The world

infinite

progress

going awfully backwards. It will be just

it is,

and

that the world

will

is

go on without

bad and

is

us.

To think

waiting for our help

65 is

God

absurd.

has created

for a

it

perfectly well adapted for

it is

It does in

no way stand

should think

work

it

that

we work.

allowed to eventually

Yoga.

least

How

self-puri-

than for the good of the world This meekness of spirit

We now come "

But we

us.

work

unselfish

an

is

Karma Yoga.

important principle of

means the

need of

It is for " fcJKWyfe:"

helps us most. fication, rather

that purpose-

a privilege to be

Our

here.

in

purpose and

the last though

by no

important principle of

Karma

are

to

we

to be self-less

How How

?

are

we

to free ourselves from passions ?

we

to discharge our duty without attachment ?

How how

we to get beyond we to rise above the others while we do

are are

helping

indeed very hard to do

have a method to

Karma Yoga

will

all

the

pride that

that do not believe in

God

They have somehow to get

And

?

we are

the right ? " It these.

pursue

be a mere

Gunas

are

in talk.

are

left

Unless

this

5

become

free.

we

respect,

Now,

those

to themselves-

at this ideal.

By sheer

force of their will, they have to rise above actions and

is

all

They have no other

""

own determination to get person who asks " How can

resource except their

A

•unattached. I

do

it

? " already confesses

ignorance as well as

weakness, and a willingness likewise to be instructed and guided.

Yoga offers the method of God.

S'ri

persons,

Karma

renunciation of

work to

To such

Krishna says to Arjuna

"srfa *H?fty ^Tflff&r

"Having renounced all work unto Me with a holy mind without desires and without

{[11-30).

—

the idea of mine, fight thou, freed from sorrow.

Giving up

All our duties are

method. are

all

works unto God

all

doing His will here.

instruments, and

Ours

all fruits

is only to serve.

praise for

For,

it.

till

unconsciously. in

deed,

that

we

really

We

safest

We

His.

are merely His

of action go to

we

Him.

it is

can, but let us claim all

nunciation of the lower self to ceaselessly

the

Let us try to do the duty

allotted to us as best as

no

is

God's.

This re-

God must go on

get into the habit of doing so

" Whatever one do98 by nature

word, mind, senses or

must be given up

to

intellect,

the great

all

Lord.

This self-renunciation to the Lord makes us free.

67

The of

idea of duty will no longer be a

but

life,

be the

will

it

do the bidding

to

W*r4 felt ^1% ping

We

God with

of

*fct: "

his duty,

work not because

because

it is

cause

pleasantest

"

Lord.

the

frf<ft4 °

U

(XVIII-46). "Worship-

man

it is

attains perfection."

our duty to work, but

We are not

our privilege to work.

•slaves to duty,

bugbear

but free servants of the Lord.

Never thinking either of rewards or punishments, <we

work out His

God

of

is

This constant thinking

will.

the

of

secret

non-attachment,

"uflro vft&ifoi flcqwr^rrrR^T^ " (XVIII-58). "" Minded in Me, you can surmount all difficulties

"* says Sri Krishna.

Such are

Toga.

This

through

general principles

the

Yoga

self-less

solves the

work.

does not shirk work,

The for,

:giving

true

* This

is

really

and as such

shall take

Karma Yogin self-less

laziness

work

or wilful

work that binds the

the connecting link between

.Bbakti Yoga,

on when we

is

life

he has realised the

and that mere

up of work

Earma

problem of

most important truth that intense is the real rest

of

Earma Yoga and

will be dealt with at length later

up Bhakti Yoga.

68

True

soul (IV-18).

rest,

true actlessness

is

to

•work always disinterestedly for the good of the

Eeal

world.

upon working or not working.

depend*

not

does

indeed,

rest,

It is

certain state of the mind. Eternal rest

merely a attain-

is

able only by those that have reached the true-

Yoga

of "Evenness of mind. "

He who

can be

busy always and yet can enjoy such complete* rest

is

the ideal

Karma Yogin.

Dhyana- Yoga* or the Yoga of the Mystic

What

mysticism

is

contemptuously

?

This word

applied

to

is

sometimes

the

belief

of

those that claim to apprehend certain sights and.

sounds in

states called ecstatic

and who dogmati-

cally put forth their experiences as the ultimate* Erom a consideration of S'lokas 10 to 17 of VI Chapter,

which

that this

is

expressly

Toga might

Toga

'

be called

'

'

it

3TSIfFT)Tt

will be clear

"

But we have preserved the name

known.

ally

named Dhyana Toga,

not only because the other

word

is

as gener'

Dhyana

nowhere used

in the Gita, but also because of the eight steps to Yoga

(Eaja Yoga) .secondary)

the in

DhyaDa which

first five

are considered the external (or

contradistinction to those

are internal (or primary).

beginning

with..

69

The word as used here, however, synonym for Dhyana. There are many in

truth.

is

a

this

who are of a contemplative turn of mind, who do not rely much on argument, but are given world

to constant

reflection

and brooding

convinced of the truth.

till

they are

It not meant that they never reason or work or do anything else.But

self-reflection is their

is

guiding principle of

life,.

"They love to examine themselves, to concentrate their

mind upon themselves,and

what they

see in

to meditate

This method of

themselves.

self-examination and contemplation

Dhyana Yoga,

or the

upon

is

known

Yoga of mysticism.

It

as is

very necessary therefore, to be forewarned that the mysticism here meant has nothing to do with mysteries.

Dhyana Yoga should on no account

be connected with anything

secret.

?no connection whatever, with

that

It

has

branch of

speculation which deals with secret-communion

or intercourse with •or

any

other

Dhyana Yoga

angels,

spirits or

imaginary

beings.

neither asserts

existence of such beings

or

iiuman dealings with them.

devils

Indeed

nor denies

the

the possibility of

The world of

such.

70 "beings

Toga.

is

beyond the range of enquiry of Dhyana

The word mystic

in foreign countries

said to denote and include a

mind which

that direct experience of truth

which

strives to

is in this

by

the

name

said to

Self-examination

is,

it

Dhyana Yoga

call

of mysticism, and

to no mystery whatever.

Yoga may be

we

and

Now,

have such experience.

sense only that

claims*

possible

is

is-

with reference-

Yet in a way, Dhyana

be a Yoga of secret say, a

strange to

also..

great

mystery to the majority of mankind, and while-

many show external

inclination

and curiosity

nature, they live almost

ignorance of their

own

self.

in

will

ever remain a supreme secret

surface, but

who

'

iMiJ^H.*

are not satisfied with the-

want to probe deeper, the Yoga

remains to say the

least,

events, nothing secret

whole of

complete-

Dhyana Yoga

the subject and method of

for all others,

know

For such, there-

fore,

But

to

is

an open

secret.

At

all

ever hinted at in the

the Gita.

Reason and Realization. In the consideration of Dhyana Yoga, some.persons are confronted in the very

beginnings

71

with a

serious

These persons are

difficulty.

bred into the belief that

all

knowledge

is

founded

upon reason and therefore naturally ask themselves " I

may

get to believe or even realise

something in a particular

state,

Now,

this is really

to be settled

but where

is

the ""

proof that what I experience

the

is

truth

?

an important matter and has

definitely.

This

the so-called

is

point of difference between philosophers and mystics. tic

The philosopher

merely

realises

thinks that the

without being able to adis

an

the mystic,

on

duce proof, and therefore such knowledge assumption at best,

mys-

till

proved

the other hand, wonders

how

;

the

philosopher

can assert that he knows on the mere strength In order to clear up this

of reasoning. culty, rests

we have

diffi-

to note that all reasoning finally

on previous experience,

for,

reason never

proceeds except on facts observed and ascertained to be true, and these premises of either

reasoning are

assumed to be true on the strength of

experience or else reasoned from other premises, so assumed.

Hence even the philosopher must

admit that he

realises first

and then reasons-

72

But

ever, to

of

can be no excuse for the mystic, how-

this

his

demand

own

others, he

others to believe on the strength

must be able

statements

he wants to convince

If

realisation.

to give reasons for his

when demanded. For, no realisation The fact is that every

can contradict reason-

one adopts only one method to ascertain truth

—

to wit concentration,

and when he

wants to

convince others of his experience, he argues suggests

it

in various

ways

other

to

them

they take up the suggestion and following

up

hint are led

a

Hence

fact.

where they

to a state

against reason

vaster

field

son in

its

;

But, realisation

fulfils

it

proof

no demand

available and therefore there can be

there again for a proof.

reason.

till

the

realise

the highest

realisation is

or

It

not

is

covers a

than reason but always includes rea-

range.

The

that the fact realised

contradicted. Again,

test of true realisation is

it

is

under no circumstance

must be

capable and willing minds.

verifiable

No one

by

all

can claim

special realisation, for which others are eternally disqualified.

sation

is

To be

brief, the

nothing strange or

doctrine of reali-

peculiar.

It

only

73

assumes that

all

knowledge

is

ultimately found-

ed upon universal experience and whatever contradicts such experience

not truth.

is

Sense Pleasures Eeallt Sources of Misery.

Dhyana Yoga as already remarked

the act

is

mind

of attaining that state of fine perception of

in which is

it

can introspect or look into

successfully,

wards.

perform

that to

plain

one must

The majority of

>quite unqualified to enter

itself.

cease

looking out-

people, therefore,

upon

It

introspection

this

first

-

are

this study, since

they are ever engaged in extracting pleasure

from the outside

the Gita starts by senses *rt:

"^

tfcfa

To help such

objects.

people,

warning them against the

^^

f| s^rcfar

*ftorr

g imfa? m* ^

pn

"

II

I

srr^r-

" All

(V-22).

enjoyments arising from the contact of senses

and sense-objects are

really sources of misery,

these (sense-enjoyments) have a beginning

an end, a wise man, in them."

Yoga,

This

is

and

therefore does not delight

the great warning of

External nature

is

really

Dhyana

grand

and

the senses are the gate-ways of our knowledge

of

that nature.

But what do the senses reveal

?

74

They seem every moment external nature

is

to

prove that

all

change and quite undeserving,

The

of being relied upon.

senses extract all the

pleasures they can from the external world and

then conclude " This

Even

one

if

is

is all

we can give

you.'*

unwise enough to wish to

repeat

the same monotonous enjoyment of the senses,.

he

is

The

soon disappointed.

senses themselves-

cannot continue in their vigour for

The

ever.

duration of the power of the senses, bears as it

were, an inverse ratio to the enjoyment they

can give

Now,

us.

for a wise

man

this is a

upon

joyments, which invariably depends particular relation being set

exhausting

senses

and

material nature outside.

the senses

is

being

making

as

For,

if

we

get

we become

in

much

the

ever

Thus

this

as

reality

self-

changing pleasure of

it

misery

begets

the sense-enjoyment

in

;

but

we have to

if

we do

suffer

the

attachment..

we

impatient for more and thus

ourselves miserable

enjoyment,

up between the

a

not only impermanent but also dis-

appointing, in

ground

sufficient

not to take delight in external en-

desire,,

make

not get the

from disappoints

75

A

merit.

who

person

is

thus convinced of the-

utter bollowness of the sense-pleasures, and is

suffering

from a mental indigestion of sense-

enjoyment though hungering

all

the same for

happiness, naturally turns inward to see ctin find it

ward and

As

there.

"<rcn%?srrfa

stffrrefa:

who-

the

Katbdpanishad puts

%w-qff*HiwigM*< fi

hw<wh.u

°q4

iw<||ÂŤi<M3

>

what he

^ilTM%<iiddlW< "... M Out-

the self-existent one projected the senses therefore

man

The heroic man

within himself.

met with

and

looks outward

not

only rarely

desiring immortality, with

senses examines himself.'' This wise

inverted

man

who--

wants to observe and generalise the laws of internal nature

pursuit of

What is

is

the person

qualified

for

his

the-

Dhyana Yoga. The Use of Self-Study. the use of such study or practice? The-

best reward for

all

study

is

knowledge and there

can be no question of utility in the matter. Ignorance is itself a loss which no gain compensates except knowledge.

But yet there

here. srTSRrfN^rTrOTT ftadkHPl

3WWT

gjjrjw^n^r (V-21).

is utility

4^11

*

also

**PfoT-

"One whose mind

!

76 is

unattached to the external sense-pleasure,

.gets in himself

his

what

mind attached

to

highest happiness."

Brahma Yoga, he

to our fears.

;

with

gets the

All misery comes through

When we depend upon

fear.

end

(really) happiness

is

senses there

First there

fear that

the

is

no

is

the sense-objects, the supposed seats of pleasure,

may

may be

be themselves destroyed, or they

lost or else so altered in their

come

objects

of

is

no depending upon

And

these ever- changing sense-objects.

senses themselves

are

of

hatred instead

positive

There

being desirable.

nature as to be-

so delusive,

then the

they some-

times become diseased and give us false reports •of nature or

even

proper functions.

fail

sometimes, to do their

We

can never depend upon

these senses, which have developed

from being noth-

into their present state almost ing,

and they are sure

in the long

themselves in nothing.

" Cf^qTTi

ft

*Tg*kJ3taT**rft

directed

one's

to

WT II

And

follow

the

"

I

as

mind

5T^T f*l%

When

senses,

power of judgment,

run to lose

then the

*RRte3fa#Kt

" (11-61).

themselves

it

the

SETT

mind

drives

is

off

a wind drives

77

before

can

a

it

be

miseries

vessel

no

really

end

a man,

of

upon such a

fickle

depends upon

the

waters."

the

in

the

to

therefore,

fears

men

mind, which

in

its

But

best, happi-

of the world means

it is

nothing

A worldly

on from misery

to misery

man

only when there

is

we can

bliss

learn

is

by

is

be attained

self-analysis

It

is

becomes bearable and even

then

to

to fear death

troubled by vain desires.

to

one must turn to

something immortal and perfect

Only then can we cease

life

taken on and

To understand

real happiness consists in,

The highest

is

and has no time to

enjoy the one real happiness.

himself.

the utility of

us the

way

and

only avoiding Scylla to fall

into Charibdis.

what

turn

changing senses and the

more than avoidance of disappointment danger.

and

who depends

changing matter, for happiness. At ness to the

There-

that in us.

and to be

only then that pleasant.

Dhyana Yoga,

This

to point out

of escape from misery and to

vouchsafe perfect

bliss

even in

this

life.

78

The Need of Purification to the

Worldly Mind. •

-

But the mind

in its

ordinary state

dimmed by

workings going on 1ae

reflected

man becomes

external dirt.

The subtle

world cannot

in the internal

such an opaque mind.

in

useless

The mind's purity

for the pursuit of this Yoga. has been

is

Now,

thick-headed mainly through his

The Yoga-Vasishtha thus describes the thickening process which a worldling's mind

'fault.

-undergoes.

" By mistaking the not-self for

by constant brooding over the body, by an ordinate

selfish

in-

attachment to wife, children and

•other relations, the

way

self,

mind

gets dull

to the egotistic spirit,

the dirty idea of

*

mine

'

by the

By

giving

free play of

and by constant brood-

ing over things with a sense of exclusive possession, dullness of

mind

sets in."

Again the mind

lias as it were,

a natural out-going tendency and

therefore finds

it

•external nature.

and study -difficult.

on

itself,

comparatively easier to study

But when

it

has to turn back

the method becomes extremely

It cannot

itself, for, it is

be made

to

usually so fickle.

concentrate

Arjuna says

7VJ

" =g^ %

in the Gita

of the wind." for self-study

In order to it is

a thorough

•concentrate itself.

part of

?ren£

Oh, Krishna, tormenting, strong and

firm, I consider its control to

it to

I

§^^n" (VI-34). " Fickle indeed is

ftwi *^rqtfcr the mind,

*w f>wr sprffa ^sKT^

its

be as the

fit

difficult as

mind

that

therefore

necessary not only to subject

cleansing process

powers

till

they

but also to

are thrown

on

This double process constitutes the chief

Dhyana Yoga.

Like any other thing in nature the

mind usually

consists

Tamas. According

human

of Satwam, Eajas and

to a theory of

the substance of the mind in

Dhyana Yoga,

itself

pure Satwam, while the Eaj as and the

merely accidents or supports.

Eajas

made of Tamas are

is

is

the cause

of its restlessness and Tamas makes the mind

muddy and dull. As the extraneous Eajas and Tamas are removed, the mind returns more and more it

to

its

becomes, the more

knowledge. is

natural purity and the more Satwie

known

is it

illumined with correct

This removal of Rajas and

as Atma-'Vis'uddhi

Tamas

(self-purification)-

80

Two

Steps in Purification.

There are accordingly two steps of this Yoga.

and then must be

Tamas has

First,

to be overcome,,

Eajas being a higher force

Eajas.

conquer Tamas and Eajas

to

utilised

in the method?

The

have to be controlled by Satwam.

will

aspirant of the

Toga

called "srresg:" (desirous

is

of ascending) or "sn^S :" (having ascended) ac-

cording as he the

first stage,

it is

inert

is in

the

the

mind

first

or second stage.

muddy and

is

and has to be roused to

has learnt to be active enough,

it

it to take to the

second

quillising process.

4N

l

l*

^

?whr 5R:

'

'

STT^^aatg^r^lM

WÂťhHÂŤI

sage wishing to ascend the

work

is

the means

;

it is

to the

he has ascended the Yoga,

is

^

" (VI- 3.)

Yoga

not clear

action.

This

step.

In ;.

When

time for the tran-

iÂťKu iy<w

t

" For the

of Meditation

same person when tranquillisation i&

said to be the means."* * In

this

by some.

mean

verse the

word Karma

Even then the

is

restricted to rituals

S'loka should be understood

to-

that rites and rituals are intended as a preliminary

atep to rouse the soul, but real religion begins only with feeling of spiritual calmness.

saying that Tamas

is

This

is

in effect the

to be renounced before Eajas.

same

as-

81

Karma or the Preliminary

What

the characteristics of this

are

training called

Karma ?

select

such actions as

of sense-desire

and

is

sense-control.

tend to put a

will

check on the ever active senses sity

early

All measures taken here

should have one object and that

To

Stage.

keep the inten-

to

sense-hatred

within

proper bounds must be our sole aim. "We should try to take up the Satwic action described in

Karma Yoga. Unless the senses are properly trained in Karma Toga, it is impossible to control them.

It is possible to stop all

sense-work but

that will be useless, for a mind not qualified for

the higher stage will ever keep thinking of sensepleasures. "ÂŤj$fotqn% s*ft t

ÂŤn% f&m srou wz~

^mw^:

s fafWcr llj" ^frsrl: ftPTRTTWrsi* 6-7.) " Whosoever restrains the organs of (III I

—

action but keeps thinking of sense-pleasures in his

mind, that foolish person

hypocritical

conduct.

restrains his senses

and

But

is

he

said to be of a

who

mentally

in a spirit of non-attach-

ment undertakes Karma Yoga with the organs of action,

is

6

far

better (than the

other)."

Work

" 055

"without attachment therefore,

of

conduct at

When by

stage.

this

must be our rule

we attain the second method may be taken up.

striving

There

when know, whether he may

profitably take to the second step,

*rr% * ^pferg^cf

"

works

the next

stage,

a test which should be applied

is

the aspirant wants to

VI-4).

u&n&mmift

I

When

"

q$j ft

all

II

one does not get attached to

interested motives, one

Yogirudha."

%&[-

^tfksW^

and has

for the sake of sense-pleasures,

given up

patient

It is

is

said to be

no doubt a long and

a

difficult

process, but unless a person has learnt to under-

value sense-pleasures, spiritual life has not begun

People often ask for a comfortable

for him. religion,

a

religion

that

reconciles a

sensuality with spirituality, but

say that there

is

no such

it is

life

of

only fair to

religion.

All great

teachers have taught that the religious aspirant

should never

sell

himself to the senses.

On our

moral culture, on our purity, and on our capacity

to free ourselves

senses,

from the power of the

depends the attainment of spiritual

Dhyana Yoga

lays

down

that

we

bliss.

ourselves

83

make

or

mar our

life

to a great extent. It

is

nob

that some malicious and infinitely powerful being

has control over us and finds pleasure in subju-

and

gating us to the fluctuations of pleasure pain, but that

we

in '

selves miserable,

our foolishness make our-

3"5^R*HRTT3

«tittil « W<fl<&t I " (VI-5). "One 3TR&T§TR*rei- sFg^RfR ftg^RJR: should raise and should not hurl down him-

self;

of

for,

self

and

Man would himself, -did

not

it

'

the self

is

it is

the self which

be his

own

We

(VI— 4). by

the friend

is

foe to

is

his

own enemy

self-effort,

done justice to the

pany of

he

that

by having

is

we

self

within us.

shalL

Com-

the pious, the reading of books and the

hearing of (sermons,

may quicken

the birth

Teligious yearning in our heart, but the

of

if

should, therefore, try to

recourse to Satwic actions, and then <have

self."

friend, if he controlled

and he would be

raise ourselves

that

spirituality entirely

A. theological

growth

depends on the individual.

objection

is

sometimes

against this position by saying that

Divine Mercy.

of

it

raised

precludes

But the objectors forget that

God's Mercy be unconditional,

it

if

makes the

84 TMost Supreme Being partial.

Why

should not

His Grace descend to the saint and the sinner

The idea of Divine Mercy should not be

-alike ?

so degraded as to lay the axe at the very rootof righteousness.

God's Mercy depends entirely

on the moral perfection of the soul

no blood-money.

;

for,

He

has-

So, even to vindicate God's

Mercy we have to admit individual liberty, for,. Heaven helps those who help themselves. This doctrine of self-help inculcated by the Dhyana Yoga, has the additional advantage of removing all

weakness.

are the effect of it in

when we are sure that we our own past actions and have

For,

our own power to shape our future, we are

never cast down by failures, or disappointments^

but learn the glorious lesson of trying to every time we

We is

fall.

should therefore prove ourselves our

friends

by conquering our

self.

the most glorious that can be

man, but

it is

rise

own

Self-conquest

achieved by

not to be accomplished by march-

ing cohorts to shed

human

blood.

This must be

the harmless war of the spirit against the

flesh,,

the war of our higher nature carried on against

85

our lower

nature.

When

our lower

own

highest self

ly vanquished, our

This

is

the greatest

gain

Jesus,

jpift ;nf*rfr

" After gaining which no other

(VI-22).

is

to

accrue

^

^?$

gained.

is

that can

"jf^js^r

rational beings,

SRi "

gain

self is final-

considered greater." For, in the words of

"What

a

is

man

gain the whole world and

profited lose his

The Second Stage or

When

he shalL

if

soul ?"

own

S'ama.

by Satwic conduct, a person has so far

•conquered himself, as to realise that there

may

something higher than the sense-plane, he •enter to,

'

upon the second course

of

is

Dhyana Toga,

5raV or tranquillisation of mind.

In

all

of

us thought and action are acting and reacting.

Our

much

thoughts influence our acts as

acts influence the thoughts. Action

the more concrete and better

and

therefore

actions.

Bat

we

known

our

to

his actions

thoughts,

thoughts.

will

and

a

soon

The

as

as it

our

were

of tbe two,

begin by regulating our

this necessarily implies

in

his

first

is

man who learn

study

manipulation of thoughts,

a change

is

attends

to attend

and

to

conscious

the second step

86

of Dhyana Yoga. that

It

henceforth

gives

up

the

must rot be understood

and

actions

all

behaviour.

A

to his

child first learns

himself

now

only

mind than

Yoga*

this

converts

He

into a recluse, meditator.

more importance

of

student

gives-

to his external

to

walk and

it

masters this movement of the body after repeat-

ed it

trials.

But

does not give up walking when?

it

has thoroughly learnt

movement most

performs

the-

gracefully but instinctively

and

It

it.

now can attend to some other business without caring how it walks. Thus, while a child has toÂŤ attend a good deal to fear of falling, the

mode

its

of walking for

same child as a boy performs-

that function properly and can afford to devoteits

thoughts to some higher work.

In a similar

manner, the Yogin who has learnt to manipulateactions successfully does

and can without of

it

difficulty

almost unconsciously

study the subtler act

thought control. Eenunciation and Practice.

Ihe grasping of the mind by difficult

step

to

take.

It is

itself

is

a

most

something like a

pair of tongs trying to turn round and catch it-

— 87

Yet

self.

this

apparently

difficult feat

has to be

The mind has already the power of

performed.

acting reflexively on

itself

and

to be trained and developed.

make

has

this faculty

The object of such

training

must be

"

*r% gf^rt =3^1 3t*tt&t 5 $t$w 1%fe " (VI-33). " No doubt, Oh, strong-

areMf

tlFfa

to

mind invulnerable.

flfrerc)'

=*

armed Arjuna, restless,

the

mind

first

place practice

gion

is

hard of control and

conquered."

In the

who want

to

have

it

for

The majority of us are content to

fashion.

religion

plishments.

it is

absolutely necessary. Keli-

is

not for those

consider

is

but through practice, Oh, son of Kunti,

and through dispassion

mere

the

as

merely one of the accom-

"We just make a show of

observe certain

rites

and

rituals,

religion,

say our prayers,

read the holy books and then rest satisfied for ever.

But one who wants

to be a

Dhyana Yogin,

should be patient and persevering.

He must

probe more deeply into himself and be prepared to patiently investigate the will be of

cation

is

no

use.

needed.

A close

self.

Mere

curiosity

and constant appli-

In the second place, freedom

from worldly desires

is

also necessary.

Man

is

88

being dragged hither and thither by a thousand vain desires, and never knows the calm necessary

So long as he

for self-study.

is

not dissatisfied,

with the senses, he connot taste of higher happiness.

What This

is

the

Eendnciation

is

place

for

a

little

?

more

and Vairagya

is

Sannyasa means giving up There have been

desirelessness.

a certain order of

are

They are

used in the Gita to express this idea. "HsPflH:" and " t*FTH."

detailed

Two words

consideration of renunciation.

monks

technically

called

Sannyasins and because of the ascetic like practices of

some of them,

it

has been

the custom

with some to suppose that the essentials of

The word Virakta

Sannyasa are asceticism.

{dispassionate) likewise has been often misapplied

life.

who are averse to the stern duties of Now, this strange notion seems to have

been

as old

to persons

as the time

author remarks " SRrf^RT:

* imrfi who he

is

=*

M^

*

of the 3j*facJ

f^Kfrrf

Gita 3>$

^

for,

the

3>^ft q:|

^rpff7:|l".

"He

does his duty not depending upon results, the real Sannyasin, he

is

the real Togin,

not the man who hold

Now,

merely without the house-

man who

nor the

fire,

work."

is

has given up

all

does by no means dis-

this S'loka

parage the order of Sannyasins, but only points

what constitutes the

•out

Sannyasa or

True renunciation does not de-

renunciation.

pend upon one's depend on

essential

position, or rank,

one's food, dress or

it

does not

ways of living. It

nothing more than giving up of selfish acts

is

Vairagya

•(XVIII-2).

Man,

desires, •desires

he

is, is

hampered by numerous

which clash against one another. above them and

rises

In so

lets

one after another

will fructify

up

as he

many

places have

them

When

alone, they

leisurely.

we spoken

of giving

the senses, of freedom from worldly attach-

ment and of

risiDg

above worldly

an explanation seems due here.

Toga

is

is

a mass of

not optimistic, for

world

is

evil. it

is

that

The Dhyana

At the same time

does not think that the

all-8uflicient ia its

The world

desires,

It does not say that

not pessimistic.

the world it is

above

simply rising

is

present conditions.

according to this view neither a

charming heaven nor a hideous

hell.

It

is

a

90

what depends upon ourselves. So

Dhyana Yoga

mixture of both. the world

long as we ject

to us,

is

sell

says that

ourselves to the senses and sub-

ourselves to numerous passions, there

hope of happiness for us

in

this

world.

is

no

But

when we cease to send pitious petitions to the senses, when we have learnt to be our own mas" +'|4i*|^ters, we find that misery never was. *nt" (V-26).

"For persons

hatred, for the persons

mind, and is

who have

found the

bliss of

free

who have

controlled their

realised the self,

Brahman."

mean

not be under-

asceticism and total abstinence

from sense-pleasures

;

it

senses under due control.

sense

everywhere

Renunciation of

sense-pleasures therefore, should

stood to

from desire or

is

only

keeping the

Renunciation of the

world-means that we should not allow

ourselves to be enslaved by passionate sensedesires,

but should ever remain masters of those

"The

desires.

person

who

constantly

broods

over objects of sense, gets attached to them,

from attachment hatred

;

arises desire,

and from desire,

from hatred proceeds indiscrimination

.

91

and from indiscrimination recollection of truth

the intellect

from such

;

joying

loss of

the-

memory,

destroyed and one's ruin

is

JTCrKflfa'^wfa "

^IHW^ftf^WTT

I

of

loss

thus

is

(11-62, 63) " <nftÂŤifta&d fowTftfaft-

complete." ZKX,

comes

worldly

the

with

things

" But enfree

senses

from desire or hatred and under due control, the

self-controlled

(11-64).

and

it

It

is

person

sin to

attains

calmness."

enjoy the sense-objects,

by no means advisable that

is

enjoyment

is

abandoning

mount

no

be absolutely

to

all

sense-actions

sense-

all

forsaken,

would be

for

tanta-

to reducing oneself to a clod of earth or a

block of stone. The only thing necessary

is

attachment and control of the senses.

This

nonis

just the doctrine which the Upanishad preaches,

when

it

says " ^r Pr%* 3pffar:"

(is'a.)

" There-

fore enjoy with renunciation."

This gives the

lie

direct to

the

accusation

sometimes brought against the Indian idea of renunciation, that

it

severs every

tie,

not only

those of covetousness and evil passion but those likewise

of

duty

and

right

affection.

.Reverend N. Macnicol, for instance, holds

The this-

92

view of renunciation.

He compares

of renunciation with

that of

method

the

the

religion

of

and says " The goal of the one method of

•Christ

deliverance

is

Samadhi, Nirvana, cessation of

moral movement, silence attained by passing to

home of

the great

The goal of -activity in

of

life

which

silence

the other

is

fullness of life

is

Brahman. and moral

unimpeded fellowship with the source

—harmony,

joy and peace in the perfect

fulfilment of function, in the

freedom and the

blessedness of love gladly rendered to the -of

Love."*

Nirvana

is

Now,

show

to

idea of

the

that

Lord

fundamentally ill-conceived here,

we

have but to turn our attention to a single S'loka of the Gita "<svj$t sr5rf^k^n?: ^foi^^rt -qsiOTR:

s^f^^r:!! Nirvana

reach the

who

are

free

The r

at

from

impurity,

*

cessation

The Religion of

page

6.

who

for the

S'loka speaks for

neither

is

work

Brahman

of

asunder their doubts,

and ever

" It

" (V-25).

of

I

i&vtkw

they that

—those

who have

are

It

moral

seers

cut

self-controlled

good of

itself.

is

all

beings."

says Nirvana activity

nor

Jesus, by the Reverend Macniool, M.A.,

93

severance of the

ties

of affection, but the very

Eenunciation

opposite. killing the

fair

is

not

a severe frost-

flower of right

a warm sunshine to

aflection,

but

Eenunciation does not

it.

sever brotherly ties but only

nips in the

bud

On the other hand, it opens the gates of the human heart as wide as not humanity above all but creation. Persons who have

selfish

ties.

renounced

selfishness are the only ones that

The man

love God's children with any sincerity.

of renunciation has indeed reached the

solemn silence

—

the

Brahman

—he

attained the peace that passeth

ing

ever utter forth

Every

ears.

VI- 15)

fW»l<fWP3l,

(5TTJ%

all

— but

action

home

of

has indeed, understandactions

his

a glorious voice in

single

can

reason's

of his preaches the

glory of the Divine Essence in unmistakeable

language to a sequacious mind.

There

is

however

a

pseudo-renunciation

justly to be condemned.

which

is

many

forms.

In some

it

becomes

It

appears in

laziness,

they assert that the giving up of activity ciation

;

in

others,

it

is

and

renun-

takes the form of sense-

hatred and they say that fleeing from the world

94 to some secluded place

is

third kind

it

of people

renunciation

;

in yet

a

assumes the form of

ambition or greed and they want to give

up

duty to try that of another, and to cover

their

their mistake under the cloak of renunciation.

Now,

all

such states of mind are the results of

ignoraace and

not of enlightenmeut.

On

the

hand true renunciation proceeds from

-other

wisdom.

It

does not shun

moral

activity.

senses,

though

It it

much

activity,

less

does not hate the world of

does not lust after

it.

It

does

not give up duty, but feels unlimited joy, in dis-

charging properly though disinterestedly whatever duties position in

may

devolve on

it,

on account of

life.

Practice.

So much for Vairagya or renunciation.

now tice

turn to Abhyasa or practice. is

partly

physical

and

We

This prac-

partly

mental.

Physical practice will be the preliminary

part,

but the advanced and more important exercise will

have to be mainly mental.

ning, the would-be .adjust his

external

Before begin-

Dhyana Yogin should life

and regulate

his

first

food

95

and

•dress

He

habits.

will

have to eat good

food, wear plain dress and observe moderation

The Gita does not attach much

in his habits.

importance to these questions, for minute in

such particulars are of no practical

rules utility.

It only states the* principle " ^ThlSKfasKW ^S-

%^'^Ssi grRsrjrrafr'rcT ^nft

*rfi%

who is moderate who is moderate in

one

'•For

walking,

moderate in

comes

his sleep

pleasant."

be avoided

;

In

g :^rll" (Vl-17) eating

and

his actions,

and

in

and wakefulness, Yoga bebrief, all

extremes should

after the first preparations

one

may

begin practising.

He must

select a clean spot,

say a room set

apart for the purpose and there sitting in some posture practise

•convenient

must learn

to

sit in

he must regulate his eyes

Yoga.

First,

a firm, erect posture.

his breaths.

he

Then

He must keep

and other senses in their proper places

so as not to allow them to wander away.

This

the physical portion of the practice.

Now,

is all

the student

may

devote himself to the mind,

<VI-11, 12, 13).

Now

comes the concentration of mind.

This

96 is

the most difficult part.

m

" 5$:

once.

all at

*R:

l^T

" Slowly and

thing

Self,

else."

cannot be achieved

^W+te^

steadily, should ;

qfa'i^Mr

fa^ll"

ftfcrefo

sr

a courageous mind stand in

It

be very side,

(VI-25).

one recede with

having made the mind

we should

The outgoing tendency of the mind, At

difficult

first, it

wiir

not to thirfk of something out-

but as we go on separating ourselves, as

were, from the mind and what

waves

to-

stop thinking of any-

be perseveringly checked.

is to

3TIOT-

I

is

it

it

doing, th&

in the mental ocean begin gradually to

subside.

The mind when

it

becomes an object

of continued observation has the

coming quite calm

*

trick

'

of be-

in time.

Spiritual Bliss.

When can

we

this

calmness of mind

realise ourselves as

we

taste of real happiness,

are.

for

is

secured, we-

Only then can all

happiness

is-

really inside, not outside. Just as in a flickering

dim

light a precious

amined and

its

stone cannot be well ex-

worth correctly estimated, the

true measure of happiness in a person cannot be

seen by him of a wandering mind.

But when

97

he has attained

He

happiness means.

happiness

by a

spiritual

case of

senses,

sense-pleasures,

ed from the

to

mind alone (VI-21).

enables one to enjoy,

of no

then sees that absolute

beyond the

is

knows what

tranquillity, he

it

is

for, if the

the

be enjoyed

Even

Now,

the

mind be detach-

sense, the sense-perception

avail.

in

mind that

will

be

there are several faculties in

the mind, and these are at work in various fields busily digging out happiness.

Thus one faculty

gives us intellectual happiness while confers

upon

us

the

moral

another

The

pleasures.

pleasures of thought are finer than those of the senses and

moral

happiness

is infinitely

finer

than both of them. But the faculty of self-concentration in

highly developed state gives us a

its

feeling which

but spiritual

is

called not pleasure or happiness,.

bliss. It is

evident that no subtlety

of thought could secure

such

us the experience of

Just as the eye can only

bliss.

discern

form but can say nothing about sound, intellectual spiritual

our

faculty

bliss.

is

There

no judge is

mind which wishes 7

in

a special to

know

the

matters of faculty

in

what

is

"bliss

and

this faculty

works only when the mind

has attained the power of self-concentration.

How

do we know that

not an hallucination

to enjoy

?

us that

that

we were never

were no such

bliss

taste of

is

us aod

this bliss in it.

If there

already no exercise, spiritual

This mine of

it.

always within

is

our reason

it,

separated from

or otherwise, could create city therefore

and

can never be con-

we always had

tells

real

bliss is

Because once we begin

destruction

it, its

When we do

ceived.

this

ours by birth-right, but

feli-

Happiness

us.

we have not had the

good luck to use it. With infinite wealth hoarded at home we have gone out of ourselves to beg at the door of the five poverty-stricken senses.

When

a

man

has realised true happiness or

blessedness in himself, he sees happiness every-

^

where

else,

(V-26).

"To persons who have known the Self, the Brahman lies everywhere." As a person

bliss of

is so

"srfiT^ srsri^fq

be sees the world.

Our

notions of the world

are derived from our own mind.

having realised happiness ness in every one

else.

fafonunr*"

So

this

Yogin

in himself, sees happi-

In fact he sees the whole

— 99

-world to be one Boundless Ocean of Bliss, of*

which the individuals represent

Each

great or small.

all

this Infinite

Then

intellectual assent with

indwells

many waves,

one represents

but the degree to which has been manifested.

so

Happiness

no mere

will be

it

him

to say

to him.

God

that

beings, for, he never loses sight

of

God, being in eternal communion with Him,

^t

*t

* mwfoU"

(VI-30).

" He who

sees

Me

everywhere and sees every thing in Me, to him I do not become invisible nor

Me."

Such a Yogi's

scribed, thus

is

he away from

may be

attitude

best de-

:

" Happiness

is

the only good.

The time

to be

happy

ig

now.!

The place

to be

happy

is

here,

The way

to be

happy

is

to

make

others so."

Secluded Life and Service to Humanitt. There

is

a consideration by the way.

This

Abhyasa or practice of Yoga necessarily implies frequent and sometimes prolonged retirement from not only bad society but

also good.

First,

100 *jit

will

be necessary to associate with good per-

sons and to avoid the company of persons whose

Then

ideas disturb the mind.

more

convenient

U3>ptf

<

w Vr<w f

i

be alone, to think and

to

"

meditate alone.

be found

it will

sftrft

jpifa *RT<WRJTnt *sfa f&R'> P

forcfftqfor?:

II

"

" The

(VI- 10).

Yogin should always practise in privacy, alone

and with the senses and mind controlled,

no

desire or sense of possession."

mendation

some

of

practice

to think that

tory in as

much

as

the Gita it

This recom-

has

solitude

in

is

this

an

is

led

self-contradic-

recommends

service to

humanity and retirement from society

But

with*

at once.-

obvious misconception.

The

practice refers to a preparatory stage, while the

The Yogin

service to a later.

sion can no

more be blamed

practising in seclufor his uselessness

to the world than a student who goes for a time

to the University to develop further his

powers and to

fit

himself the better for

mental

life.

The

retirement of the Yogin will never take him to an utter blank wiped of all ideas of the

but

it

will bring

him to

richer and a wiser

man

this

universe,.,

busy universe a

offering the

best

fruits-

101

of

his labours

to all his

brethren

object of the Yogi's practice

not aimless

is

thought, but a solemn preparation for life.

All self-made

men walked

The

alike.

alone

useful

first

expected no others either to lead them

accompany them

in the noble

and

they

chalked out for themselves.

came

the free

and

or to

difficult

And

path then

mixing with society and cease-

less self-sacrifice.

Ever

in intimate

touch with

Reality (snrWRT:), they could help mankind to

enjoy a similar Indeed,

bliss.

the person

it is

who

has by steady and

persevering practice of devotion has realised the

noble truth that the same Divine Essence lives in all beings, that can undertake with

any

sin-

cerity and conscientiousness the task of benefit-

ing humanity.

A dark

ray of selfishness will

have stolen into the heart of the noblest person

who

has not realised any such link connecting,

as

were,

it

The man

all

humanity into one

living

chain.

of realisation, on the other hand, has

•reached a state in

regard for

all

which he can have equal

beings.

He

has attained to the

highest state of c Evenness of mind.' " ^ffcrfaig^-

102

*»:

3^>

I

In

iM

Ss&zfo

spite

of

heat

w^imwtian or

t

(VI-7, 8)-

"

or

pleasures

cold,

who finding knowledge and Anubhava re-

pains, praise or blame, the person satisfaction in his

mains immovable conquered

whom

a

his senses is a

lump of earth,

get of gold

is

mountain and has

like the

Yogin that

And

all

He-has so far conquered'

the same."

as for his behaviour,

<HflM3ft|g&"ll (VI-9). " He

can influence

it is

" jw fa wi&H fi Hti g refewffgs

;

perfect, to-

a block of stone, or a nug-

his selfishness that nothing outside

him.

is

I

the same to

STg«?fa

1

<?%:

who has equal regard iodifferent

men,

well-wishers, persons deserving of hatred,

rela-

for benefactors, friends,

tives, saints

How

and sinners

foes,

—he

is

the best Yogin."

does the Yogin show equal regard for

these ?

By wishing and doing good

all

to all alike.

Whatever may be the action and attitude of the public towards him he himself remains the same.

He

always

all alike to

example.

lives

a life of sacrifice.

He calls upon

do good, not by precept but by

He makes

himself

one

with

brethren and his universal sympathy attracts

his all

103

towards

He

him.

compassion

feels

groaning under suffering, sorrow and feels

for

He

life.

is

He

sin.

with the righteous their delight and

faction in spiritual

all

satis-

ever ready to

minister to the sick, to instruct the ignorant, to

help the weak, to guide the lead spiritual aspirants to in fact, bridges the gulf

and to

intelligent,

He,

self-realisation.

between the man of the

world and the Highest God.

Such

is

the ideally

perfect Yogin.

° But what

Are we not

we

losers

jection raised

sense

if

are not perfect in either

by the philosophy of

Yogin and the higher then

way

enjoyments have been

?"

? "

Now, this

bliss is

this

This

is

utility.

life ?

an ob*'

The

renounced by the

not attained,

what

objection assumes that sense

enjoyments are sure and the Yogin has forsaken them, and further that spiritual

bliss is

not guar-

anteed and therefore not worth striving for.

The

hollowness of both these assumptions will be clear to

any one who has seen from the

prece-

ding pages that the Yogin does not in reality re-

nounce senses

all

sense enjoyment but only keeps

under control,

and that

the

the

blissful

104

nature of the

human

soul

is

an undoubted fact,

which has only to be discovered,

as

were, to be

it

But the Gita gives another reply to question just to meet the objector on his own

ÂŤnjoyed. this

born is

A

The man who has

"

ground.

in rich

and noble

failed in

families or

still

Yoga

is

better he

born in the family of wise Yogins themselves birth

like

this

In that

attain.

indeed very

is

life,

the

Yogic ideas that he had

and again

man in

difficult to

gets

his

the

same

former body,

strives for perfection.

For, in

away by the

spite

of himself he

is

past habit.

Even an ordinary student, who

studies

carried

Yoga experimentally

ritualistic fruits,

instinctive

beyond the

gets

but the Yogin

,

who

exerts with

energy becomes purified and attaining perfection after

(VI— 41

many

births reaches the highest goal."

to 44).

Reincarnation.

The Gita does not attach much importance to

the explanation of the

question

of Reincarnation

with giving some just as

much

controverted

but contents

illustrations.

It

itself

says that

a person changes his old clothes for

105

and just as the same man passes

'Stew ones,

through

different stages of life

to

age,

old

person

a

We may

body.

from childhood

from

goes

conclude,

body to that

therefore,

at the time of the Gita, as at present, the theory

of

was a

re-irtcarnation

the Hindus*. .people have scientific

trine is

equally

many

Besides the Hindus,

accepted the

other

In

doctrine.

world, however, the belief in the

A

by no means universal.

-scientists

doctrine with

settled

have written against illustrious

have

their faith in the doctrine.

it,

made

many

great while

the

doc-

others

assertions

of

Ke-incarnation, on

the whole, cannot be said to be a hopelessly

absurd doctrine, it,

for, after all that is said

against

there are stillmauy good features about

We

shall here give a

it.

few extracts from some of

the most well-known writers of the

West

to

show

* Of. " The theory that every individual passes after death

new existences in heaven or hell or in the men and animals or in plants on earth where it is

into a series of bodies of

-rewarded or punished for life,

that

was already so

Buddha

all

deeds committed in a former

fairly established in the

received

it

without

6th century B.C.

—(Page

question."

386,

.History of Sanskrit Literature, by Prof. A. A. Macdonell.)

— 106

how also

these

features

by then*

appreciated

are

:

Max

Prof.

Muller says

" The popular mind

:

of India seems never to have doubted the fact that every good or every evil thought or deed will

grow and bear

fruit,

and that no one can

ever escape from the consequences of his acts

Whether such a

and thoughts.

right or

duced

wrong

is

own

belief

not the question, but

it

is-

pro-

deep sense of responsibility -

at all events a

Instead of complaints about the injustice and

taught that what

cruelty of God, people were

seemed

undeserved

deserved,

were,

in

fact,

quences of previous

acts,

the safest means of paying

ophy

at the

were

misfortunes, the

natural

and

in

fully

conse-

one respect

off all debts.

Philos-

same time held out a hope that

the end this net

of consequences

broken through, and the

self,

might

in be-

enlightened by true

knowledge, might return to whence it came, return to himself

and be himself

Universal

Self, free for

;

that

is,

be again the

ever from the chains and

pains of this transient episode of life on earth."—

(Page 511, Six Systems of Indian Philosophy).

107 Prof. A. A. Macdonell

movable hold

remarks

:

•"

The im-

acquired on Indian thought

it

is

doubtless due to the satisfactory explanation

it

prosperity which

is

offered of the misfortune or

often clearly caused by no action done in this life.

Indeed the Indian doctrine of transmigra-

tion, fantastic

though

it

may appear

has

to us,

the two-fold merit of satisfying the requirements

of justice in the moral government of the world*..

and at the same time ethical principle

architect of his

in inculcating a

valuable

which makes every man the

own

fate."

— (History of Sanskrit

Literature, page 388).

Miss S. E. Waldo

writes

" Eeincarnation

:

and Karma are inseparably connected together and these two great laws rightly and completely understood

show man

that

he alone

arbiter of his destiny, that he

attribute his sorrows

and

is

the-

can no longer

sufferings to a mysteri-

ous Providence, that he can no longer trust

to--

forms and creeds, but must arouse himself and set himself to correct past errors

know It

and learn

to-

his true nature."

would not be

difficult to cite

many

other-

108

similar

But

quotations.

it

only necessary

is

here to point out that so far as the study of

Dhyana Yoga whether we

concerned,

is

accept

the

it

is

immaterial

theory or

present

practice and results concern the living

and not a doubtful purpose

to

is

^balance of

future.

Its

show men how

mind

one important to keep

up the

so as to be inured against It does not entail belief in

side influences.

Its

not.

out-

any

theory whatever.

The Yoga only proposes to

-point to a higher

form of happiness than that

-obtained through the senses and says that happiness

is

subjective and not objective.

To

secure

this bliss or rather to realise the blissful nature

which

the permanent privilege of the soul, the

is

one means that Dhyana Yoga proposes

is self-

concentration aided by moral culture.

The Excellence of Dhyana Yoga. The Gita has warm commendations Yoga.

«

•

<nf&*qt sfa^t

-*Pi*wnWr

" The

Yogin

»trift

is

of this

*M mfotit sfo u$t Sfa*:

asrrsM

mifrir

l

(VI.-46).

greater than the ascetic,

he

is

held to be greater than even persons distinguish-

iuy

ed for

intelligence, the

Yogin

is

greater than the-

worker, therefore be thou a Yogin, Oh, Arjuna."

We

shall

First

the

consider

Yoga

these

statements in order-

than

better

is

asceticism.

Asceticism in the sense of self-torture,

only no pass-port to spirituality, but directly opposed to

We have

it.

is is

not.

also

already quoted

a s'loka which recommends the avoidance of extremes in habits, as

Here

Yoga.

is

a qualification for

the

another Gita text which directly

condemns it. " awwftftd ...firWl^' (XVII-5, 6)„. " Those men who practise unscriptural hard asceticism, coupled with hypocrisy and vanity,

guided by lust of power and passion, know such. people,

to be

of a demoniacal resolution, for

they are tormenting the aggregate of beings, in the body, as also

(XVII-5,

6).

Me who am seated in the heart

Asceticism

''

comparatively easy

is

of accomplishment.

The most toilsome pilgrim-

ages and the most

painful

easier

and require

infinitely

penances are far less

exertion

concentration of mind, and a moral

only

fair,

however, to note here that

religious practice does not

deserve

life.

all

than It

is-

external

a wholesale

110

External forms, symbols, and

condemnation.

practices are very often great

the

birth

of spiritual

reason that forms

this

found a place

That the helps

now

in

many

concrete

life

religion

practices,

and is

and

same

the

is

The man who would

take only

the

mercilessly

reject

real

of

spirit

all

outward

comparable to one who wishes that

the cocoa palm should bear

consisting

fruit

the kernel only, to the exclusion of the husk.

outward husk it is

have

abstract

suggests the of

for

is

it

of the world.

religions

quicker perception

people

and

;

and ceremonies

almost a truism.

have

to quicken

helps

not

is

outside, for,

it

less useful

The

merely because

serves the important purpose

of protecting the precious internal

kernel.

ascetic practices have worth of their own.

Yoga

is

their

very kernel.

Again, Yoga

higher than intellectual attainment. doubt, has •of truth.

to a

its

importance

But what

man is

of

is

in the

So,

But is

Reason, no

ascertainment

of much more importance

that he actually realizes the truth he

believes instead of being able to merely theorise.

Now, such an immediate perception

is

possible

Ill •only to the

Yogin or a person who has learnt to

and focus his mind on that which he

-control

Merely reading books on

wishes to ascertain.

hearing intelligent lectures, and even

religion,

on

reasoning

them, though

themselves

in

valuable enough, will be of no avail, exercise

the

than Karma.

If

Lastly,

Karma

ritual the sentence needs

what has been

after

But

if

we

-remark

is

necessary.

Yoga

is

greater

understood to

is

mean

no further explanation,

said

interpret the

we do not

accordance with the

feelings in

conclusions of reason.

if

above about Tapas.

word All

to

work

mean work, a is

but the ex-

perience of thought, and the best deeds of the great

man

of the world represent but a fraction

of their greatness represented by their thoughts. .Mind-control

is

therefore

vastly

superior

works which are but the outward symbols of

The

world's greatest

-silent

and unknown.

work they -spread

men

are

to it.

always calm,

Even when they do not

are not lazy, for, their noble thoughts

with infectious rapidity and influence

thousands of good to ceaseless

men who

activity.

are thus stimulated

Thus the Dhyana Yogin

112 is

superior

to

the

superior

ascetic,

philosopher, and superior to

As Emerson

says " All

He

the saint."

is

men

is

ÂŤ Evenness of mind tries to

" exhorts S'ri

is

control the

Krishna.

gnw ^R 3^." The Karma Yogin

Yoga?

this

are

man commanded by

of work..

master of the Universe.

the

"Therefore becomeaYogin

What

the

the

to

ÂŤ'

Yoga."

thought-world by

control

of action, while the Dhyana Yogin controls his

Both are equally

actions by thought control.

noble, for,

thought and action are inseparably

connected with each other. therefore,

nobody can

Eeally

be a

speaking-

perfect

Karma

Yogin, unless he has learnt the secret of control,

and no one can get control over his mind, unless Karma Yogin.. he has become a perfect Thought and action therefore have

ed

in parallel lines,

evenness called

or

the

equanimity.

Samadhi which

is

ing adjustment of the

men have

to be develop-

ideal of both

This

state

a Sanskrit

mind.

also

word mean-

All

experience of two states

being is

ordinary

known

as the

conscious and the unconscious respectively, the

conscious being a higher state than

the uncon-

113

In the unconscious state the functions-

scious.

of the miDd are as

iti

were dormant, stupefied

or stunted, and in the conscious state they are all

By

working.

deep contempla-

exercises of

tion and devotion, the Yogin claims that the

can be developed into a

still

mind

higher state, where

the mental faculties reach such a fineness, that

the mind knows without reasoning, feels without passion and wills without egoism.

This state is

samadhi and he whose self-control has resulted in this supreme state of mind is called samahita (well-poised), Yukta (attuned

Paramayogin

to

Yoga) and a

(the best of Yogins).

Jnana Yoga

or the yoga of Knowledge.

Jnana (knowledge) in the Vedanta philosophy plays a part which neither work nor love nor vet meditation dees. tired of praising

The Upanishads are never

knowledge,

and they make

The Bhagavad-

the sine qua non of salvation. gita

as

the best symposium

TJpanishadic doctrines

is

encomiums on Jnana.

"

i

most

no

of less

Even

sinful of all sinners all sin 8

it

if

all

genuine

warm

in

its

thou be the

thou shalt

cross-

114

over with the aid of the boat of knowledge alone."

"Knowing which you will be free from all evil. " " Knowing which all sages attained supreme perfection. " (XI V-l). " Know(IV-36).

ing which one

reaches

immortality. "

s'lokas bear testimony to the

These

high place

very

which the author of the Gita accords to Jnana.

Knowledge But what that

and

it is

is

not mere Speculation.

is

this

Jnana ? Some have thought

no more than a speculative process

the relation that

man

enters into

with

Gt-od

or the Highest Truth whatever that may be, often declared to be non-moral. is

erroneously identified with

and conjectures of reason all

moral sympathy and

exposition of the necessarily requires

as

much

more,

is

as other

admitted.

to

Jnana, in

vain

enjoyments

the

exclusion of

affection.

philosophy

is

fact,

of

That the

Jnana Yoga

the exercise of reason just

Yogas do or even a It is

to the

little

credit of this

Yoga that it uses the best instrument yet known The to man for the ascertainment of the truth. dizzy heights to which reason ascends in

Yoga does,

it is

conceded, prove too

much

this

for

115

undeveloped

ignores morality or

opposed to

is

unknown

and to the Gita

.Jnana of the Gita

though

is

this

is

to

it, is,

particular.

in

be

reli-

works

The

by no means against

is

the

This Jnana

faculty.

intellectual

is nothing short of

to Vedantic

it

not merely reasoned belief,

knowledge

the use of the

say that

to

Philosophy opposed to

mild, an untruth.

gion and morality in general

But

intellects.

of the one

realisation

up

truth worthy of knowing, and living

to the

•conclusions of practical reason.

Qualifications foe Jnana.

Knowledge

as

properly

understood is the

.accumulation of information past experience of men.

knowledge

and

literally

(draw forth our wisdom).

men whether

is

when we turn away from books,

teachers, and instructors

ourselves

collection of all

real

Original knowledge is

-a reference to ourselves.

possible only

—a

But

of religion, philosophy

discovered knowledge not in books

educate All great

or science, or

other

outside helps but in themselves.

Of course the

vast store of knowledge handed

down by our

^forefathers deserves respect

aud

is

worth careful

.

116 Certainly guides and teachers are neces-

ÂŤBtudy.

The Gita in full " recognition of this says, ?n%fe srf&Nlrlw qfoR^F twi sq&rftr % *rrc mfi preff Rff Rt " (IV-34). methods.

sary to suggest

"Know

that this knowledge

enquiry,

service

who

These knowers

rendered unto teachers. ledge. "

got by reverence,,

and personal

with humility

have seen the truth

is

will initiate

you

know-

into

But unless the aspirant exerts himself

with the necessary qualifications, nothing results

from mere outside

helps.

A teacher can

suggest

methods and remove obstructions, and there his If

business ends.

with you all that

and

to

you wish that

I should share

the enjoyment of a beautiful picture,,

you can do,

commend

it

to

is

to

show me that

me.

But

if I

picture,

have not

the eye for beauty, can you help? And if I happen to be short-sighted,

may

me

a

give

me

little,

could you help

a pair of glasses,

that

cannot be

bow

is all.

cured.

and thus

ated

in

assist

But the innate defect

So unless there are

requisite qualifications, the student is not

Jnana Yoga.

You

?

fit

the for

These qualifications are enumer-

the following

sloka

"

sraowfesjct

m%

117

WW. is

&ptf*sPi:

"

(IV-39).

"The man of

persevering and has controlled

attains knowledge."

these

To a person working

now examine

words, " Faith faith,

is

great,

Nothing

necessary.

is

was ever achieved without

In Carlyle's

faith.

life

Beligion

giving."

philosophy without faith,

Faith

is

not

blind

faculty of man, through find the truth.

It

is

dry-

is

mere

belief or a

mental assent to a doctrine.

and

withi

these three pre-requisites.

-In the first place, faith

as dust.

senses

the

itself.

Let us

without

who.

knowledge unfailingly shines

requisites,

forth of

faith

an innate

which we work out

When

looking at a certain

obvious set of phenomena in external nature

or in the mind, we leap to the iihere

conclusion that

must be a more complicated

them, we

exercise

faith.

To

set.

find

behind

out

the

purpose of a hew machine, which we never saw before,

we

exercise

our faith and find

it

JTinding out the true significance of letters

out.

and

words of a forgotten ancient language requires the exercise of faith.

sary

for the student of

This faith

is

quite neces-

Jnana Yoga. The person

118

who

studies nature as a whole

and

sees

in

it

ask

infinite series of shifting scenes is forced to

himself " Is this real

? If

not,

what

the real

is

am ?""

His heart becomes possessed of the one strong belief that there

behind

must be something pemanent

this constantly

changing nature and he-

strives accordingly to find

the faith in

himself.

out.

it

He

is

First,

he has-

convinced

fully

that he has the instrument and capacity required

Secondly he

for the search.

suaded that there Universe and

is

is

a Eeality in

as

fully

worth knowing, a

is

known." (VII-2). saves a man.

#£ts%

*ii

It

is

this intense

in

reality

" Knowing which nothing remains

fact,

per-

changing

this

faith

to be

that

f^mfa (IV— 40)..

" 3Rr^r«T5«TR^ sferwrr

*

<Rt

* g#

g5PTR*rc:"ll

" The person who without

knowledge

t?

and

without faith indulges in doubt, destroys himself

;

for the sceptic there is neither

nor the other, nor There

is

which should

we

of course

is

all

is

there happiness

a wise

quite necessary

this

world

for

him."

harmless scepticism for

every one.

We

weigh well, and consider well before

believe.

But the

sceptic

whose creed

is-

119

made is

of denial and doubt, a person whose motto

universal unbelief

dangerous to himself as

is

No

well as to society.

spiritual can exist for

no where

faith

all

as

for

qualification for

come heard.

is

required

moment.

persistence

First, the truth

first

not

has to be

Reading of good books and listening

to expositions of wise

men

Many have

the

neither

is

the very

inclination

has the Kathopanishad declared that

not hope even to hear of God."

^

from

the

first

step.

nor the

capacity for enjoying abstract thoughts. ,

in

is

Enlightenment does

a student.

in a

as

this

Jnana Yoga.

In the second place, for such

there

distinguished

assumption and superstitious belief

or

progress,

necessary, and

is

much need

else so

This

religion.

For

him.

at least a tentative faith is

happiness material

Well

"Many can-

" sRorpirfa

^1^^

ÂŤ5Âťn" This hearing presupposes a dissatisfaction

with the existing state of things and an intense desire

to

find

something

The ordinary man knows awful mixture of good

what pleasures he

can.

more

that the

and

evil

He wants

trustworthy.

world

is

an

and snatches to

make

the

120

best of

He

it.

When

blows but does not awaken. he

experience,

learns

harder

harder and

receives

that

enjoy without suffering, and

it

difficult

is

that

hard

after

to

he must go

beyond the world of sense enjoyment to get the infinite

peace

mind, he exercises his faith.

of

His heart then

.

him

tells

of opposites (s?ÂŁH), there permanent.

Ood and is

the

over

It is then

what

avail if

on

As

^T& H^fWfflfawr

Mere hearing

We

matter.

the

till

it

should

becomes a

a philosopher says, " arnspcKP^U

"

<c

the whole period of is

to think

is

we never bestowed any

out day and night,

habit with us.

This hearing

step

been heard.

has

after-thought it

he begins to hear about

The second

first step.

very

something

is

other things of the sort.

would be of no think

behind the pairs

that

The whole time up life

to be spent in thinking

up

to death if

to sleep,

necessary,

on truth." This thinking

occupies a most important part of Jnana Toga.

Eeason

is

to be

pushed to its utmost

legitimate conclusion here.

no book or reputed an

No

limit

and

church or creed,

doctrine, no authority of how-so-ever infallibility,

should be deemed

suffi-

121 •cient to

form a

To

in the matter.

so-ever

may

it

belief unless

follow

lead

reason

satisfied

is

reason where-

right

and cheerfully

us,

to take

the consequences with undaunted courage, must

be

the

spirit

with

Jnana Yoga works.

which

the

of

student

After this thinking

comes

the profound meditation of the truths so thought out.

Eeasoning by

can wipe •doubts.

The truth

to

should be meditated

very

essence

are convinced

upon,

of what

business must be

to

truth intensely

we

were,

is

is

When we our

truth,

To

truth.

it

feel

as

it

It is then that

complete and one becomes a Jnana

To be and to

points

and made the

are identified with

willing to have this

sistence (dWdr) throughout,

think,

reason

the

the

It

can dispel

life.

is.

live

it

felt

the third and last step.

realisation

Yogin.

and

which

practical

of

till

not sufficient.

itself is

superstitions

off

feel till

we

dogged per-

to patiently hear,

realise the truth is

the

second qualification required of the student of

Jnana Yoga. Finally, the control of the senses,

is

an abso-

lutely necessary qualification of the would-be

122

Jnana Yogin.

The

his way.

that

The

For,

it is

first

many temptations come

temptation will be to think,

foolish to try to transcend

sense-pleasures are

so

senses.

the

they

that

dazzling

sometimes induce us to think with

the Old

Charvakas (Materialists of Ancient India) all religion

and philosophy

fools or cheats.

To think

is

that

will be the

all

good and no

shall evil,

have

all

all

may tempt a

future

shall eat,

drink

But the stu-

suffer.

dent of Jnana Toga has to see clearly that

cannot be.

Heshould.be perfectly

to the hollowness

sensual

may

this-

satisfied

as

and destructible nature of

all

pleasure either here or

to sense-enjoyment,

the

like of

we may get

ronage of Kings or even Gods to

We

hereafter.

accumulate as much as we

means

us

play and no work,,

where we

and make merry but never

at

tempta-

first

to imagine an eternal future world or

which we

of

enough

well

life is

Again, love of sensuality

state in

that

the concoction

and that we need not bother ourselves about anything beyond, tion.

it>.

the pat-

assist us in

such

accumulation, but at the end of such enjoyment,

we

are certain to be miserable.

"^

t(

3jxT3T

^T-

.

123

m*

forrc*

3^ *3$r* forfV (IX.— 21).

sffo

" Having enjoyed

the

vast world

of pleasure,,

they then at the end of their good fortune enter the world of mortals."* in death

leads

Sense-indulgence ends

and destruction, but control of the

Godward

knowing

;

this

qualification for

one should conThis

stantly exercise sense-control.

senses-

is

the

third:,

Jnana Yoga.

The Knowledge of Kshetra and Ksheteajna Spoken of as " The Knowledge " in Jnana Yoga.

Which is the knowledge student?

It

to be gained

by such

a.

the knowledge of matter and

is

soul and their distinguishing properties.

What

* From these and similar passages iu the Gita some haveconcluded that the date of the Gita since, according to those critics, the

sneered at in these

s'lokas.

must be very recent-

Veda

is

slighted

and

Such attack on the authority

of the Vedas, they say, could not be possible in very recent-

But what

times.

Gita

is

rituals

easily

is

actually discouraged, however, in the

seen to be giving undue importance

and neglecting

spiritual culture.

In this respect

only echoes the teachings of the earlier scriptures,

(Tait. Brah.

to it

Cf

3—10—4—1) .

— 124

knowledge

more important than tbat which,

is

-concerns our ownselves, and our relations to our

surroundings?

deals with the essence reality

us

in

around

us,

as

is

that

That part of philosophy of ultimate

well

as

in

justly regarded

of philosophy.

the

truths,

other

things

the

Crown

as

Krishna accordingly says

S'ri

%tfora^ ilk <r?r«rre n* to " (XIII— 3)*. " The knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajna is

•*'

that which

is

deemed by Me

Now, Kshetrajna and Kshetra

ledge."

modern

known

philosophy

object respectively, and terms

connection

in

we keep

in

as

the

are

use

Gita

these also

mind the following description

We shall first consider the

in

and

subject

may

we

with

know-

as the best

if :

teaching of the Gita

about the kshetra (the object) " fffPffiHg^K

SSTfcP*"

(XIII— 6-7).

"

The great elements,

Ahankara, Buddhi and the Avyakta, * This numbering

of the

verses

in

"

et c.,

which

is

the

the

chapter, assumes that the first s'loka begins

%=T

l

ten

thirteenth

'

'

Hfiffi M<»4

omitted in certain editions.

125

senses and the one

of

the

sense

mind and and

desire

;

and pain, the aggregate,

— its

the five objects--

pleasure

hatred,

intelligence,

firmness,..

this here described in brief, is the kshetra

modifications."

ligible

or

rather

together with

with

To put this in more intelmodern language the senses

—

their

(whether forming

objects

our own bodies or objects outside) which constitute

gross

and the mind with

matter,

modifications,

known

subtle matter, are

philosophy as

to eastern

the

kshetra

all its

That

('object).

the gross body and the gross things around are objects of knowledge and

on a subject

is

no

is

an object

less

and subtler than other objects

difficult to

on a

such depend,

almost self-evident to any

But that the mind finer

as

understand.

little reflection.

But

us

— though

—

is

this will

one.

be

a

little

clear-

iDesiring or hating, feeling

happy or miserable and performing other similar functions, the

mind

is itself

fluctuations

for, it

grows, develops and decays.

;

subject

These changes of the mind no

less

to constant

than those of

the body, are the object of the knowledge of a

something which must be i

itself

changeless*.

126

"The changes of the mind and the changes of the <body*act and react

on each other, but stand

ever separate from

their

All

cogniser.

-changes, gross and subtle, of the

body

these

as well as

of the mind, form the kshetra. Let us

knows

now

" He who

to kshetrajna.

turn

kshetrajna by

this kshetra is called

the

knowers of these (the subject and the

object)."

The body has no

own.

intelligence

we

take mind to

wills,

imagines,

mean

of

its

Nor can the mind,

cannot be self-conscious.

that

which

It if

desires, hates,

remembers, doubts,

reflects,

thinks and performs various other functions. But that which subsists

and

recognises

all

all

the changes of the mind,

such changes as a witness

unaffected by them, must

and

this

known

be

itself

enduring aspect of ourselves

as

Atman and

changeless is

what

is

kshetrajna.

Subject and Object presupposed in

every Knowledge.

Before entering into •of

kshetrajna,

it

one important

will

a detailed examination

be necessary to consider

point.

All knowledge

supposes subject and object

or

pre-

kshetra and

1ZY

We

kshetrajna as the Gita calls them.

cannot

therefore conceive of the beginning or cause of

even that

either the subject or the

object,

conception should have

to presuppose subject

and

Hence

object.

fel^t5in#" Prakriti

(XIII— 20).

"

srfjfifr

Jj5«f

"Know

^

that

and Purusha are both beginningless."

This Prakriti half of the

is

the

same "

fl^fcfcmwfit-"

same

as kshetra, for, the next

S'loka says

Know

"

f^>rci*J g°lf4* fafe

that the modifications

and

Gunas (Satwam, Rajas, and Tamas) are born

the

of

the Gita says

for

Prakriti.''

We

have already referred to the

•Gunas while discussing

Karma Yoga.

All the

changes brought about by the forces of nature

whether these changes be gross or subtle are in Prakriti or kshetra. as

Kshetrajna is also

Purusha or Person.

known

The Gita thus defines " 3»r#!nW»<i& If:

the Prakriti and the Purusha

^Rtosq^

|

35s: gsrf :^raf *fN>?> t^Tct

21).

" That which

is

effect

and agency,

is

ceiver of

Purusha." is possible

pleasure

(XII I—

'

'

the occasion of cause called Prakriti

and

pain,

is

;

and

the per-

said

to

be

Here we must notice that causality only in time and

space.

Therefore

1258

that -which

philosophers

S'ankar Bhashya on sutras

(cf.

time and causality which, so

Purusha.

to

All

is

senses

or

feels, is

is

the

based upon

express

and kshetrajna or as we

a commingling

and

of subject

it,

" Whatever

unmoving or moving, know

is

object.

born, whe-

that to be from

of kshetra and kshetrajna, Oh,,

the best of Bharata's race

!"

The Natural Pueity of the

Soul.

have already seen that the essence of

kshetra

is

to be changing.

that kshetrajna

change must •within

That

and opposition of Purusha and

iTCUR " (XIII— 27).

We

""

1-1-2) or space,

included in Prakriti.

speak,

Prakriti, of kshetra

ther

I,

human knowledge

this distinction

may now

" ^w^ftftH

call

to

itself

We have

also

seen'

be the perceiver of

this-

be changeless.

But

it

is

our experience that kshetrajna or Purusha

knack of

identifying himself with

pleasure, pain, or with

some one modification of

has

also the

mind.

the it

is

This

double aspect of kshetrajna,.

important to remember,

for,

from

this

circumstance, Jnana Yoga deduces a valuable-

129

According to Jnana Yoga, the soul

corollary.

is

by nature pure and happy, but gets Id to sorrow and suffering by its identification with Prakriti or

"3**: w$$mt

change.

fk

S^

Uf>Ri«n^oiR:

*Ror sorest SST S^rsffejrg "(XII r— 22).

\

« The

Purusha experiences the Gunas of nature by identification

with Prakriti

;

the cause of such ex-

perience (of soul) in good or bad

tachment to the Gunas." This with Prakriti

is

life, is its

at-

self-identification

Ajnana (ignorance) and the con-

sequent experience of alternating pleasure and pain

Samsaka (circling round) by Vedantic philosophers.

as

is

called

popularly

Ignorance,

is

Jnana Yoga therefore preaches that the self always free, and bondage is nothing but

this

"

ignorance or identification

3raFfan<r

ledge

is

with Prakriti.

^R ffr g?rfcr5Riw:" (V— 15). " Know-

enveloped in ignorance,

that

beings befool themselves."

most

logical

position

about the

This self

for the soul cannot be both free and

the same time.

nature

is

to

If

it

is

is

it

bound, that

hence is

the

or soul,

bound is,

sow and reap sweet and

at

if its

bitter

130

be

fruits, if this

can make

its

essential nature then

warach&rya says "

5top*i * the

strict

ft sr*rnft

Atman

is

great Sures'-

as the

For,

free.

it

^fff^T^ir

*rnrrar

nothing

^swsfterff

ssn^nfctf wht?^:

of the nature of a

"

doer,

then do not hope for freedom therefrom

"

removed).

If

it is

of the sun

the good of trying to alter self is

impossible

or

make

it

for

;

(cannot be

our nature to be subject

to fluctuations of pleasure

hand, the

etc:,

removed just as

the nature of things cannot be for instance, the heat

«if

pure and

and pain, what

is

on the other

it ?

If

free,

by nature,

it is

for anything outside to influence it

bound.

Hence the ancient

philo-

sophers of India contended that the soul

is by and that the only real bondage is " H^rcra^r^r^Nj q^ ^=«TJ " " As ignorance.

nature

free,

there can be no alternative, (we have to admit that) indiscrimination

is

the only bondage," says the

Sankhya Sutra (VI— 16). "

ztfkzn

^g^I%;qKRnirn3[." " Ignorance field of

tions)

is

^3^rf

R§"<r-

the productive

the following (four pain-bearing obstruc-

whether these be dormant, attenuated,

overpowered or expanded," says the Yoga Sutra

;

131 <II

—

" g^^^tfa^fa^reHRHiTiftTKH fl

4).

^P^RRRT^q^f:

."

attachment),

sin, false

^.

"Misery, birth, activity (with knowledge, of these those

following in succession being removed, the im-

mediately preceding

and the

result

is

each case

in

removed

is

freedom," says the Nyaya Sutra

a— 1.2). Hence

it

follows

that the

pleasures and pains of this

ignorance

lasts.

It

real nature of the

men have preached

is

soul

world

only

only while

is

apparent,

freedom.

is

this idea

preach that the apparent

experience of the

life

and

1

but the

All great religions

all

of man

is

an empty

dream,* and misery and weakness are not the

The individual

essential nature of the soul. * Of. Dr. Paul Denssen: "The

the thought of many wise

life

a dream

!

soul

This has been

men from Pindar and Sophocles

to Shakspere and Galderon de la Barca,

but no

body has

better explained the idea than S'ankara" (The Philosophy of

the Vedanta, an address delivered before the Bombay Branch of the Boyal Asiatic Society on 25-2-1893). "

You

see the concordance of Indian,

metaphysics; the world

— —

is

Kant.

Maya,

Greek and German

is illusion,

a world of shadows, not of

it is it

is

says S'ankara

realities,

says Plato;

" appearance only, not the thing in itself," says

In one of

the later Upanishads,

the

%WM8cR,

132

was

originally pure

and

perfection

This

then error

this purity

and

regained once more.

to be

is

bharata says that at

And

perfect,

Maha-

The

idea.

universal

a

is

and

men were righteous.

first, all

began to

hearts.

assail their

This clouded their perception and they became

Covetousness gave rise

covetous.

and

confusion

5^P<T

then

93?^ WIS

4

Vedas

the

—10)

the

The world

met with.

notion

however,

is,

is all illusion

here explained as an

is

by Brahman

produced

illusion

further

prominent

so

notion,

in the later system, that the material world is first

to

disappeared.

a conjurer.

This

in the oldest

Upa-

as

inherent even

nishads. It is virtually identical with the teaching of Plata

that the things of experience are only the shadows of the real thing

and with the teaching of Kant that they are only

phenomena

the thing in

of

itself.

"

(p.

221, History

of Sanskrit Literature, by Prof. A. A. Macdonell).

"

To

his

(Mahomed's) eyes

world wholly ers, the

other,

is

miraculous.

it

is

forever clear

He said what

all

that

this

great think-

rude Scandinavians themselves, in one way or the

have contrived to

material world

is,

at

see, that

this

so solid-looking

bottom, in very deed, Nothing,

is

a

and tactual Manifestation of God's power and presence, a shadow hung-out by Him on the bosom of the void Infinite; visual

nothing more."

— (Carlyle

:

on Heroes, Lecture

II).

133

The

story of

Adam's

fall

by

Satan's influence

has a similar meaning behind

it.

According

to Zoroastrianism, man's deterioration

to Ahriman's influence.

Nirvana

of

The Buddhistic theory

implies

also

due

is

this

All

doctrine.

religious accounts of man's downfall agree in

that

this,

downfall

the

man's own

folly.

ignorance.

For,

degrade

itself?

This fault

how

whose ignorance has been enment, knowledge

is

man

realises this freedom.

those however,

dispelled

by enlight-

the bright sun reveals

It is only a wise

that Kshetrajna

and

like

to

no other than

Therefore only the wise

(V— 16). "To

?RTOt"

the Highest."

is

due

could a pure soul

else

who has attained knowledge JJ*r*Kffcf

been

has

eternally free

man

that

knows

and Changeless,

as such the only reality.

We

The Gita on the Real. have stated at the commencement

book that the Bhagavadgita the philosophy of the

the science of

Yoga

Real

is

of this

Brahma- Vidya,

and Yoga-S'astra

or Equanimity.*

This

is

a

* Mr. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, in his recently published treatise on the Bhagavad GHta called Bhagavad-gita-

Marathi

J34 fit

occasion to consider what the Gita has to say

on

the question of the Eeal since in Jnana

the knowledge of

means

to the

scr:

" Of the

3*r?jftfa

|

each

imrar

fN%

*rrsft

JTPTR*

£sts*a^q$mt5rcf$riV' (11-16).

unreal there

the Eeal there

the Eeal and the

thereof overlap

realization

The Gita says "

other.

I^Rfr

Brahman or

Yoga

is

is

and of

no existence,

—the

no non-existence,

true

nature of both (the Eeal and the unreal) has

been found out by seers of truth. to this definition, therefore,

"

that

According

which ceases

to be at any time cannot claim to be regarded as Eeal.

Applying

one thing

this definition,

we

in the world satisfies this

find that test

no

except

Universal consciousness or as the Gita with the

Upanishads

calls

it

the Brahman.

About Brahman, the teachings of the Gita present the condensed nishads.

In fact, the

essence of

all

the Upa-

word Brahman, denot-

ing the ultimate reality, and the various epithets j-ahasya, construes the

being equivalent to

*hown,

Mr.

expression STUT^ITCi

5mf^n??PTfF^^fRnw.

TR5Tr^

as

!* will

b»

in the concluding remarks of the present work, that

Tilak's interpretation is not correct.

ISO

applied to

Brahman

in the

Gita are

As

from the Upanishads themselves.

directly

all if

to con-

firm this view, the author calls his book itself

an Upanishad, though according

to tradition the

Gita has been generally regarded as a Smriti in contra-distinction to S'ruti under which head the

The

Upanishads are always classed* of the work

is

full title

" Bhagavadgitopanishad " as has

been alreadypointed out and this clearly shows that the author intended the * It

ia

obvious that in

work

its

to be

an essence* of

present form the Gita does

not pretend to be more than the essence of the Upanishads.

Swapnes'wara, the commentator on S'andilya Bhakti Sutras, however, makes the further claim that the Gita being the direct utterance of the Lord

His contention

loses

much

is

in truth a part of the

of its force

when he

Veda.

says that

the very verses came forth from the lips of Sri Krishna

and were subsequently embodied by Yyasa

Even

in his great epic.

the quotation on the sole authority of which he founds

his argument, simply states that the Gita escaped from the lips of S'ri

Krishna but lends no support to the supposition

that the phraseology as well as the thought

is

Krishna's.

Prof. Hopkins has a theory that the Gita was originally

an Upanishad and that it was subsequently re-written as a Vaishnavic poem, and once more re-arranged so as to include elements of Krishnaism.

commanded

This theory has not however,

universal acceptance, as

evidence to support

it.

it

has no convincing

136

The view

the Upanishads. verse

" ff#rft<?<^ jtr* it^n

l^hfFvr fÂŤ? Upanishads

Arjuna

is

iftcmjfi *sq; "

calf,

is

<rr*?f

I

is

the

milkman,

and wise men the enjoyers of is

thus milked."

Upanishads

of the

the central doctrine

that while the objective world

is

ever changing,

the subject, the soul, never changes and

refers

important Upanishadic doctrine,

when

" Of the

reality

there-

is

The Gita

fore the only

*??s:

" All the

(tftawsRsrafl

the ambrosia Gita, which

Now,

jffarcra^:

Krishna

are* kine,

the

endorsed by the

is

to this

says

it

no non-existence." Accord-

real there is

ing to Jnana Yoga, then, this reality being our

own For, dies.

be

self

there

reality

is

is

no

fear

of its

that which never

That which witnesses

itself

all

ever dying.

changes or

changes must

changeless, and therefore, says the Gita,

for the person

who has

realised his true self there

can be no more misery, fear or any other imperfection.

The Kshetrajna

through ignorance he is

the

One changeless

is

is,

in fact, perfect

thought imperfect.

;

but

He

Reality, but trembles in fear

of misery and death.

To put

language " Every

is

man

God

it

in

Emerson's

playing the fool."

";

137

A

thick veil of ignorance envelopes us.

Error

has assailed us according to the Mahabharata.

The

sin of

ing to

Adam

the

Mara

has descended unto us accord-

Christians.

have

enticed

Buddhists.

the

It is

ent language.

The

ua according

same

fact,

We

come

ignorance,

this

we have

of

the

to

put in

" anrfrniw 5TR^ "

enveloped in ingorance."

is

temptations

differ-

" Knowledge have to over-

to take off

this

then there will be no more fear, no

veil for

more misery, no more death.

The person who

has realised the real self sees that misery never was, but

misery came through identification

all

with Prakriti and her acts,

'p^ sm.

—

3-*rr

I

$

"qo^ tr% V%K nk%

* frartHt

w

*

sfcr

^

killer,

He who considers him to be the and he who thinks killed, both of these

know

not

(II

•«

19).

;

for he neither killeth

®rct f^r: srrsrarsq

"

He

will

is

nor

$>m * s?# i^ft

he having existed cease

to

(11—20)

stfft

neither born nor does be ever

killed."

is

die

;

nor

exist again

unborn, ever-lasting, unchangeable, and primeval,

he

is

never killed when the body

is

killed."

fr

130

Actlessness

Jnani's

—What

Means.

it

This view of the purity and actlessness of the soul has sometimes evoked undeserved criticism.

Bishop Caldwell

thus

for instance,

remarks on

the Gita doctrine. — " A man accused of murder

com-

neither denies his guilt nor pleads that he

mitted the act in

self

defence but addresses

Court in the language of Krishna.

he says

any

*

to trouble yourselves

further, for

it is

nor be

Death

another. birth

The

When driven from

tible.

is

soul

is

men

it

passes into

and another

inevitable,

like

can neither

and indestruc-

one body

equally inevitable.

therefore, of wise

It is needless,'

about the enquiry

It is eternal

killed.

It is

not the part,

Judges of

this

to trouble themselves about such things.'

the Judges regard this defence

Certainly

not.

the

impossible that any murder

can have taken place. kill,

'

Nor would

it

as

Court

Would

conclusive ?

be regarded as a

conclusive defence by the friends of the murdered

person or by the world at large

?

The criminal

might borrow from the Gita as many sound nothings as he liked, but the moral sense of the

community would continue

to regard his

murder

139 as a crime."

Now, the Judges of the Court if they had any humour at all to pay this Supposed murderer

in the

same

him

" Please note that the soul

the following reply. neither

coin, could easily give

enquires nor sentences you to punish-

ment.

Besides,

no harm can be done

soul by punishment,

for really

to

your

beyond

it is

all

punishment, being eternal and indestructible. But

your body and mind disregarded the purity of the soul, and paid no respect to the pure soul

enshrined in the body

be punished."

;

so they

The impure mind

will

of a

have

murderer

can have no conception of the purity of the

There

no reason whatever,

is

to-

soul.

therefore, to sup-

pose that the ideas of freedom and purity of the soul preached

any

difficulty

hand,

there

a

sure

is

made

in is

the

to

practical

wrong right

is

for

to believe that

would produce

On

life.

every hope

foundation

by nature and that fested,

world

that

moral he

is

it

the other will

life.

prove

If

one

pure and free

this purity has to

be mani-

he would know that to commit anything is

self-degradation while to do

anything

a step towards the re-attainment of self-

"

140 purity.

might

fear that this doctrine

Hence any

prove dangerous to pratical

life

should be con-

sidered entirely groundless. 11

But,"

it

asked, " what about the

may be

doctrine of the soul's being inactive, that

it

never acts nor

not lead

This

men

to

is

acted upon ?

certainly

The

and

laziness

soul

is

effect

on

according to Jnana

Yoga

no doubt

actless,

In

it.

it

indifference ?

the

beyond work, that

duce no

Does

misunderstands

objection j&Vefully

teaching.

—the theory

is,

work can pro-

this sense the soul

" awrf^ fa jftMW<flMtW l

,

»<

is

W

I

-TOl^Sft^sritfftsTftflitn (XIII—31) 'This undecaying supreme soul, being beginninglessand void of Gunas, though seated in body, Oh, son of

Kunti, neither acts nor

is

defiled

(by acts)."

not mean that the soul identifies

But

this does

itself

with Tamas and becomes inactive. Inactiv-

ity or indifference

is

the lowest manifestation of

Prakriti, whereas the real soul

is

not only above

Tamas and Kajas but also above Satwam. its

nearest approach

is

Satwam, and Sat wic action

is in reality actlessness.

is

Hence

The Jnana Yogin, indeed,

compelled by no necessity to work, for he has

141

pure nature which

realised his

« 35*asr *&$ * fa^ 5

^rpera^s who rejoices

si

him there

is

is

^r

erer

him there

no

is

3TRU% =* ^§££5 v«r

fKMi*if

\

l>

(ill— 17-18). " He

and

in the self

for

or what

II

*i*re;&»m?re: "

self only,

beyond work or

^HWj^W m*T.

" JKriidKftR*

duty.

is

is satisfied

in the

nothing to do

interest either in

not done here, nor

what

for

;

done

is

there in

is

all

beings anything on which he has to depend."

He

beyond

is

work this

is

and

selfishness

all

But for

therefore impossible for him.

reason

it

selfish

cannot be argued that Jnanin

precluded from doing any action.

is

He works for

the well-being of the world not by any selfish desire or

become faiW)

by a sense of duty, but because

his habit to

T*lT

Wflgq. "

3^K%

—

(HI

work

TTC?M

25).

"

A

seiflessly.

"

sratf:

it

has

^faq-

$q1fetUtt*llS*fthft<t>?!$*ta'-

wise

man

desirous

effecting Loka Sangiaha without

of

attachment

should also work, Oh, descendant of Bharata, just as the ignorant

Loka Sangraha together.

do with attachment is

to action

"

harmony, or welding hearts

This working for harmony

characteristic of the ideal

is

Jnana Yogin,

the very for

it is

142

only in such work that the actless Brahman realised.

is

ffrsj

*?rfers

%

Hence

,

3rrsjRrrfa'«n*fo

ar^^

i

Ob, tormentor of foes

human

are the inanimate things but not

Therefore when a Jnanin

*6%

swr

here,

inactive

those that are

;

"

fasfar

ft

" A wise one should work

JTCH'SSlI "

jj

stated elsewhere,

it is

beings."

said to be actless,

is

it

should never be understood that he leads a lazy life.

Every man works for

idea of ordinary

men about

narrow.

The Jnanin

but

self

the

in

the Real

Self of

work

for

means

is '

also

is

very

works for the

self,

case

his

the self

identified

is

which

Loka-Sangraha*

embracing

whole

the

with

Hence

the universe.

all

But the

himself.

his

literally

world

'.

He

never works for a single body, he works for all

He

bodies.

he works for

all

never works for a single mind, minds. His activity

Only he has

the most intense.

selfish action is foolish

Self being beyond

causation)

is

*'

beyond

BhSLshya,

£r+**rH HWfaf^rrcdT

therefore

realised that all

also that the Eeal

Prakriti

in reality

* Of. S'ankara

and

is

(time, space

and

action.

Bhagavad-Gita,

(111—20)

atarasSJC: " (Loka-Sangrahafs

preventing people from going astray, from the right path.)

143

The Nature

of Kshetrajna.

But to pursue our enquiry into the nature of

We

Kshetrajna. really

have seen that Kshetrajna

pure and perfect, being ever beyond

limitations, time, space

and causality.

ena

is

one and the same.

"

Krishna declares

Oh,

kshetras,

Thus Kshetrajna Brahman.

Now,

behind This

%?rcr =3Tfa u\

"Know

(XIII— 3). all

is

in

phenom-

what Sri

H#%

" jttot

of

Bharata."

no other than

reality

another fact remains to be

sciousness or

Brahman, which

the only Reality, for

ceases to exist.

is

fafe

descendant

This unchanging

" Of the real there

all

is

is

universal

con-

the self of things

it satisfies

the definition

no non-existence."

The objective things not

It

never

satisfy-

The

ing this test of reality are therefore unreal. objects

being

Kshetrajna the subject

From

is is

infi-'

Kshetrajna to be Me, In

considered.

is

really

and as we cannot conceive of two

nites, it follows that the reality

all

Having

no limitations therefore Kshetrajna must be infinite,

is

unreal, also

seen

the to

subjectivity

be unreal

;

of for

inconceivable without an object.

the highest

standpoint

of philosophy,

144

Brahman or

the

therefore,

supreme

neither subject nor

object

reality behind both.

Hence the Gita

though

self

is

is

the

calls

both

it

Kshetra and Kshetrajna, manifestations of the

supreme soul "

^

fafe

"TCP*

JTfRT^

sffaiJjcTi

I

S^t ^3:^

ijjtimi

" Earth,

(VIII-^4-5).

eightfold

My

is

Oh, this

which

world

while

all

is

This

this,

has

become

upheld."

From

I

and thus

is

know My

^

5HRC"

air

and Ahankara

by which

strong-armed,

?ffi

fire,

manifestation.

lower, but other than

manifestation

$(t

water,

manas, Buddhi

ether,

*&t ffis&l

the

higher

the

Jiva,

(manifestation)

this it follows that

manifestations in the universe

may be

looked upon, from one standpoint of view as proceeding from the supreme

soul

without

•which they have no independent existence, these

manifestations cannot be said to be a permanent

property of that Being inasmuch as they do not

always

S'ri

Krishna

exist

in

it.

This

in the following

doxical statements.

is

expressed by

apparently para-

" All beings dwell in Me,

and I do not dwell

in

them

;

nor do beings

145

My

Yoga " (IX-4, 5). Though this universal soul or Brahman is the only

dwell in Me, behold

reality

divine

from a philosophic point of view, the

word "real " cannot be for in

said to fully describe

common parlance we

it,

apply the term " real"

to things that have a permanent existence in the

wakeful

wakeful state all states of real.

Of

which

If that

state.

is real,

the

in

that which persists through

consciousness should be more

than

would be an evident Hence the Gita says

course unreal

misnomer for Brahman.

"*

persists

STisrrefaft " (XIII-13).

ÂŤ'

It is said to

be

neither real nor unreal."

The Brahman. In considering the nature of Kshetrajna, we are thus necessarily dragged to the consideration

of the Brahman.

Five s'lokas of the thirteenth

chapter of the Gita give a description of the

Brahman.

We

have merely referred to

passage in the introductory chapter.

It is

this

now

necessary to consider it at some length. This pass-

age contains many assertions of apparently contradictory epithets and translation of 10

it,

we

shall here give a free

adding any explanatory words

146

or phrases that

may be

" Though

necessary.

has no form in truth, yet there

is

no form which

appears independently of it. Hence

and

as having hands

feet

on

and faces everywhere.

ears,

predicate of anything,

separate from Brahman. fore

may be

it

it

sides,

all

eyes,

yet whatever

it 4

can

never

exist

In this sense, there-

said to possess

Being beyond space

described

it is

Indeed though

nothing can be predicated of

we

properties.

all

cannot be located in any

particular place, but yet whatever

we

see inside

we

or outside exists only in Brahman, and so

might

also say

that

it

in

is,

essence, every-

Being the subtlest part of our selves,

where.

it

can never be said to be knowable

;

so

it is

it

very

distant from the knowledge of the ignorant, but

being our very

and

it is

Self, it is

the only existence of which

emphatically confident. reality

nearer than the nearest

in

all

beings,

It is

we can be

the one undivided

though owing to extra-

neous forms of an unreal nature,

it

many and

in the universe

distinct.

As nothing

seems to be

has an existence independent of Brahman, and is finally

seen to be unreal

when compared

to

147 it,

may be

the whole of the universe

Brahman and

proceed from Brahman, exist in return to Brahman.

It

is

the light of lights, for

moon nor

neither the sun nor the

said to

the stars could

shine of

themselves without Brahman, while

Brahman

is

beyond

darkness, for what darkness can ever

•

all

Therefore

self-luminous.

enter into that which

word, what we

is

call the

this

Brahman, what we

this

Brahman

in truth,

ever-luminous

This

In a

?

means of knowledge call the

knowable

and what we

ledge, the result of knowing,

Brahman.

is

it

Brahman

is

is

is

also

know-

call

also really

seated and

is

this

can be

realised in the heart of every one that wishes to <lo so."

Such

is

the Brahman, as described in the

thirteenth chapter.

The Use of

We shall ledge.

The

now first

this

Knowledge.

consider the use

use will be that

of this

we

knowget a

shall

sure basis of morality. It is often taught by religions that we should love- our neighbour like ourselves.

But

why

should

we do

This can be explained only in Jnana

so ?

Yoga

148

Wft

God self

itf

"Seeing

(XIII-29).

Tftn"

same

the

residing everywhere, one does not injure ,

by

is his

and therefore reaches the highest

self,

When man

goal."

own

realises that his

how can he

self,

ft*W3T5r srra^ lift sftnft

ÂŤJ^^r:

i

neighbour

^ wi% ^

sfa

f^rr-

trftecrrt

" The wise regard with equal

" (V-18).

impartiality, a learned and well-behaved

A cow, an

"

hate him ?

Brahmin,

elephant, a dog and an out-caste."*

This universal love exercised equally towards all

beings will be the direct effect of knowledge*

Knowledge and wrong.

Whatever tends

to harmony, to it, is

a good criterion of right

supplies

Loka Sangraha

to create discord

the Gita puts

learnt

* Of course

it

Jnana again enables

wrong.

is

a person to be inured to

literally, for

as

Whatever separates beings and tends

right.

Having

beings

to unite

to

all

external influences.

identify

himself with the

would be ridiculous to interpret

this Terse

no man, not to speak of a wise man, would

think of making his external behaviour the same to

and beasts

alike*

differ according

Our

to the being

the feeling behind each

aame,

viz,,

unbounded

all

men

external behaviour should certainly

we have

of such

love.

to deal with.

behaviours would

But

be the-

149

Great Reality beyond the three Gunas constituting Prakriti, the Jhanin

is

secure against the

influence of Gunas.

";t si^f&tf HPT

^t^IWI

*zttovi\ i%RgflOTPg)

sreftafa ftra:"

(V—20):

*'

The

firm

minded and ever watchful knower of

Brahman taking stand in Brahman as he does, would not be puffed up with prosperity nor cast down by ill-fortune." Not that he avoids the world and

its

doings.

how much-so-ever he

He may mix likes,

he

with society

may undertake

the most fatiguing work, he will yet never lose sight of the

one

identified himself.

reality

He

with which

ever maintains

evenness of mind, in virtue of which he '

disturbed.

3fJ^

ry

1

'

he

has

Yoga or is

never

q^ fa»|£k+<Mr% gr&f *j%t dx=ii3^ TOP£ I

! S25P3; f*FJ»R«H -U-nH Wft> SB^\ 3*573; $R£S(%

8-9).

" The knower

himself as not acting at

parently he

is

of truth

would consider

all in reality,

though ap-

seeing, hearing, touching, smelling,

eating, going, sleeping, breathing, weeping, leav? ing, taking,

noting that objects."

opening or shutting the eyes, ever it

is

the senses that act on the sense

The Jnana Yogin alone can work

150

test because he gets never attached to his work,

and by

his identification with the universal con-

the power of doing

sciousness, has acquired

He

.unimpassioned work.

harmony and

works for

incessantly

same time ever keeps

at the

in

view the principle that consciousness which his real

self, is

above

He is,

all actions.

in the world but not of

is

word,

in a

it.

The Necessity of Religious Practice to attain jnana. Before

we

leave Jnana Yoga,

necessary

it is

to sound a note of warning.

It is

for every one to say " I

nature pure and

am by

blessed and above action," but to practical

sRspfsfcr **

life is

talks of

listens

it

^

sta^"

purity, blessedness

Us,

—

29).

dimmed

while a

with equal wonder, but no one this

(Atman)

and actlessness

or enveloped in

aright."'

which

are in

most

darkness.

We

are undoubtedly the birth-right of

of

(II

as a marvel,

even having heard, knows

The

this in

looks on this self as a marvel and so

also another

man

*

show

The Gita says

difficult.

wft ^T^ri *fe

One man

third

very

quite easy

all,

151

have by a

series

of self-hypnotic acts

made

ourselves impure, wretched, and action-bound. First

we have

forgotten the purity and self-efful-

gence of our real

self,

and then goaded on by

all

we have converted ourselves miserable worldlings. " ^^rftq% 3f|$«fK4lf

sorts of vain desires,

into

i&T'sn i*rt5^rn£t *T*fa«rr frfcrricm" (III— 38)* " As fire is enveloped in smoke, as a mirror is covered with caul,

so

is

dirt, as

this

So

(desire)."

this

an embryo

covered with

(knowledge) covered with that

knowledge though inherent in

has to be discovered as

us,

is

it

were afresh.

Unless we'get rid of the smoke, the scorching light of

we

knowledge cannot shine forth ; unless

polish the mirror

lated dirt,

and get

rid of the

knowledge cannot be

accumu-

reflected in

our

mind. Hence the necessity for religious practices.

These practices are not for creating anything

new, but

for polishing the mind.

Merely reading

books or hearing lectures or even sharp reasoning will first.

be of no use unless we polish the mirror

As

the

Vivekachudamani says "^Nrfr

IJteV " Eloquence of speech,

different

ways of

—

;

152

throwing words, as well as the learning of philosophies

is

for enjoyment not for freedom."

one thing necessary for freedom conquest of

(III— 41).

all selfishness.

"

ÂŤ Therefore do thou

is

The

self-culture

or

cn3ffi^II^'n,nirafr

first

control the

senses and then, Oh, best of Bharata's descendants, get rid of this evil of selfish desire

the destroyer of

wisdom

theoretical

which

is

and practi-

cal."

Hence the Gita enumerates a number of prerequisites of Jnana Yoga and concludes the list with the remark " This is true wisdom and what is

other than this

is

cludes the following

ignorance."

The

list

in-

:

" Humbleness, sincerity, non-injury, forbearance, rectitude, reverence for the teacher, purity,

constancy, self-control, contempt of sense pleasures, self-sacrifice, thinking over birth, death, age,

disease

and

the evils of

suffering,

non-

attachment, absence of extreme attachment to children, wife, house

and such things, an ever

tranquil heart in fortunes

good and fortunes

evil

exclusive and faithful devotion to God, frequent-

153

ing a quiet place for meditation, dissatisfaction with vulgap society persevering study of the science of Self and pondering over the knowledge of the Ultimate Reality." These requisites have been

•condensed into three by the Gita under the names

S'raddha

Tatparata (perseverance), and

(faith),

Samyatendriyata (control of the

We

senses).

have already dwelt on these qualifications at the beginning of Jnana Yoga. It that the

may

be noticed here

same qualifications are sometimes classed

under four heads, by some Vedantic philosophers, *'

renunciation, moral

discrimination,

burning desire for freedom."

Of

and

life,

the fourfold

means we have already had occasion

to

remark

elsewhere on renunciation at some length.

Dis-

-crimination is ascertaining with the aid of right

reason unreal.

the

real

This

is

as

distinguished

in fact the

religion.

It

will

Morality

the

knowledge of Kshetra

and Kshetrajna, which has been present section.

from

is

the subject of the

the very

life

of

be noticed that these three

requisites are not exclusive of one another

and

each can be well pursued only along with others.

Indeed they

may be

said to be different

aspects

154

Again, these are not merely

of the same thing.

the means of knowledge, but they are the chief distinguishing marks of a perfect Jnana Yogin..

They

are not a sort of

initial

gone

ordeal to be

through for the sake of knowledge, but they are the permanent features of the perfectly

lumined soul

In

(Jnana-Nishtha).*

crimination, renunciation,

fact,

dis-

and morality reach

their culmination only in such

an ideal person -

Hence no one can have too much of

these in-

But none

qualifications.

dispensable spiritual

il-

of these three are possible for a person

without

Until this aspiration i&

a genuine aspiration.

born in our heart, religion has not begun for us.

No

one

literally a

is fit

become a Jnanin

philosopher,

This sentiment

when he says "

is

sublime

the

lover

until he is

of

wisdom.

voiced forth by Sri Krishna

3?*l

* " Of. Where you patience,

to

f^T OTRT3 ^ STHtfa

find

J?fa

f^rc^l

unbroken gentleness, enduring

lowliness, graciousness of speech,

self-

control, self-forgetf ulness and deep and abounding sympathy,

look there for the highest wisdom, seek the company of such

a one, for he has realized the divine, he lives with the Eter(Cb. XII, From nal, he has become one with the Infinite. 5

Poverty to Power by James Allen).

'

155

^rcrqtffr ?rar

nrf^r^

are unable to

fix

srstc"

(XII—9).

«'

you

If

your mind exclusively on

Me

then desire to reach

Me

through the Yoga of

practice, Oh, wealth-winner."

We

shall take leave of this

aspect

Yoga

of

with a paradoxical quotation from the Gita.

"

s^rt

tt Prtt

m

ftsrr rer^r

ness to trolled

all is

*m stpto *gnfk

\

What

"

'

is

which beings

in

we may

two

that the

say,

worldly and

classes,

;

worldly

know

they are

quite

in the dark so far as the truth of things

The

spiritual person similarly

utter oblivion of the world for his

If

darkness to the seeing sage."

nothing of the Ultimate Eeality

cerned.

dark-

is

other beings, in that the self-con-

classify persons into

spiritual,

mrf

wide awake and that

are awake

we

?reqf ^rnri^

#: 'QI— 69).

world

is

known

is

lives in

to the vulgar,;

But a

the world of truth.

spiritual soul cannot

be rightly said to for,

utter hollowness of the

By

he

nothing of the ordinary world,

vious of the world

is

not meant,

forest or cave, or to live

some other manner.

world.

con-

know

sees the-

living

obli-

retiring

to a

away from society

The Jnanin

is

in

ever present

156

In

society,

of. the

looking at the eternal play

Lord going on

in the

world and helps as far as

he can to add to the merriment.

In

he sees

all

or does, however, he sees nothing but Brahman.

^mf^Ri (IV— 24).

" The offering

the oblation is Brahman, in the

man

is it

fire

which is Brah-

Thus he whose

poured by Brahman.

instruments of Karma are

Brahman, must, of

all

Thus

reach Brahman alone."

necessity

Brahman*

is

Jnanin sees not only Brahman in

all

the

beings, he

not only realises that the same reality

indwells

beings in the world but also realizes

Brahman

all

in his divine ecstatic vision, in persons, in short, to

comes an

"

accomplished

5Wft

but

Yoga is' what is Yoga?

fact.

For, is

Yoga.

A

Jnanin

who sees Brahman everywhere, nothing

can possibly upset places as

nothing

person, therefore,

^f^ra" Equanimity

$1RT

being one

in fact sees

To such a

Brahman.

actions,

him the whole creation be-

He

deified.

all feelings,

it

were

all

his

mind.

The Jnanin

dis-

disturbing elements in nature

by one homogeneous principle " equanimity." 18

st*r

to:

wff fai sf*q ftra

mn

I

ftrcfa ft

sw

157 **T TOTFSrfa life is

?r

facrr:

II

"

(V— 19).

ÂŤ Even

in this-

nature conquered by those whose mind

firmly fixed on evenness, for

Brahman

is

and everywhere the same, hence they Brahman."

is

pure-

live in

Bhakti-Toga (oe the

Toga of Devotion.)

Man's Search after Happiness. In treating of Jnana Yoga we had occasion

remark that man's soul free

and

freedom.

is

religion is the struggle to regain

We

shall in the present section

up a special aspect of this freedom, from misery.

Every being

by

its

a

dissatisfaction

viz.,

present.

take

shows

in the world

the

that

freedom

activity the wish to reach a higher

with

state,.

Man

vividly conscious of a well-defined limitation his

is

to

powers of obtaining knowledge and en-

joyment. an.

to-

pure and

originally

The

vast achievements of

man from

immemorial past to the present day serve

only to leave him impressed with the idea of an infinite region not yet

conquered. This certainty

of the possession of power, knowledge, and en-

158

joyment

is

confined to a very narrow circle while

doubt and darkness prevail as regards the outer skirts of that boundary. This knowledge of his

own

limitations in every

of misery and

all

way

is

the chief source

attempts of mankind

may be

described as conscious or unconscious trials in

wrong

or

right

In a word,

boundary.

man wants

nal happiness and to avoid

Wat

The

go beyond

directions to

this

to reach eter-

misery.

all

out of Misery lies through

God-Love or Bhakti. There have been two solutions of

One

of misery. thinkers

but to

is

as

no doubt

that

is

merrily

as

make we can,

to

This

the best of to snatch

was

the

world

So the best thing

can and then to succumb to solution.

problem*

evil exists in this

this evil is irremediable.

do,

this

propounded by a school of

To

it.

live

what pleasures we this

fate,

philosophy

is

the

of

the

Oharvakas of Ancient India, who said that the Vedas were the invention of fools

Even that evil

in our

own

we ought as

times

it is

to take the

as

all

and cheats.

sometimes

asserted

good and forget the

there is no help for

it.

But

this

is

159

a piece of impracticable

and

Pleasures

advice.

make themselves felt in spite of efforts to ignore them. The world is a mixture of both. He lives in a fool's paradise, who thinks pains

of making merry while conscious of unending

Thus we

misery.

see that this

very satisfactory.

of misery.

This

Beligion says

march

on.

joys and

beyond

There

of

we can take

we can only

artificial

remedies of

"

this misery.

^r

not

is

another solution

the solution

is

that

If

is

solution

religion.

heart

and

forget our

little

evil,

we can go

esraf&rerfSflTtSsqgifa-

" <*RKJ " " The removal of this three-fold misery is not possible by artificial means, for, even after

repression

says

the

its

recurrence

Sankhya

through

artificial

of a being

We

who is

—

sutra.

therefore says that the

(I

way out

means. It

experienced,"

is

lies

2).

of misery

man

is

and

conscious of his misery

ledge, existence

same time, there

and is in

—

free.

implanted the

double instinct of misery and happiness. is

not

is

through the help

eternally blissful, pure

have seen how in

Religion

of his limited

Man know-

enjoyment— but at the him the never to be extin-

160

guished idea of lasting

All

bliss.

men from the

lowest savage to the most civilised person, are full of this belief in a

something which

is infinite-

knowledge, infinite existence and infinite bliss. This ingrained belief of man in the existence of the Infinite the

God

is

of

undeniable.

religion.

plained

away

exists.

The

in

scientific

This belief

infinite is

may

be ex-

some manner, but there

belief in

Men

masses.

This ideal

God

illustrious

is

not peculiar to the in

every

field

enquiry have affirmed their faith

Our purpose here

this Being.

it

is

of in

not to discuss-

the propriety of the belief, but to note that the

man-

belief exists in a very large proportion of

kind. lief,

Some people while they

disclaim the be-

yet postulate an existence and give

names of

their

own.

We

these under the term God,

God

The absolute

pet. all

being the most

comprehensive term as conveying ent ideas.

it

shall here include

all

the differ-

(Avyakta),

the

un-

changeable (Akshara), the moral law (Dharma),, the ultimate

truth

(Tattwa),

existence

(Sat),.

the beyond (Para), matter (Sdra), ideal Unity (Eka), are some of the names.

We

have here-

161

noted against each name, a Sanskrit approxi-

mate

these terms

translation,

being

taken

all

out of the Qita and the Upanishads which apply all

of them to God.

way out

of misery

Now, is

religion says that the

through the

help of thi&

pure and perfect Supreme Being. this

Being

God

is

perfect bliss

Or rather

and learning to love

way out of misery. The Yoga which lays down principles of the art of developthis

is

the

ing and cultivating this love

is

called the

Bhakti

Yoga.

God according So

to Bhakti Yoga.

far as the Gita teachings are

should be noted

this

God

is

concerned

it

not a mere conjec-

ture, but the Highest Beality.

For,

God

is

the

Brahman we saw in Jnana Yoga. We there learnt how Brahman is the only Eeality and also how everything in this world may be looked upon as a manifestation of Brahsame

as the

man. Now, God of

Brahman,

is

the

the highest

highest

Brahman by the human AifdaigH "

place of 11

(XIV.)

Brahman

" I

am

manifestation

reading

intellect.

of

"

indeed the

" says S'ri Krishna.

that

sr§r°it

ft

abiding It is true

162

but

also that other beings are manifestations

they are as tions,

*'

were only fractional manifesta-

comparatively very low manifestations.

Jitet

*'

it

sfajp:

sfa<sr%

My own

part

is

manifested as

To take

Jiva in this world."

(XV— 7).

"

ottctc:

the

eternal

from

a simile

Swami Vivekananda " The clay

mouse

can

never become a clay elephant, because as manifestations,

form alone makes them what they

though as unformed clay they are manifested beings then slaves and worshippers.

we

we

are God's

*Fsr^r

into this transient

TPfc"

As

eternal

worship,

his

are to go beyond this misery of

*r§w #sf*nr jtft

one."

all

Through

are,

life.

"3Tfa?T-

" As you have got

and miserable life, worship Me"

(IX— 33). The God

of Bhakti Yoga, then

is

not different

from the God or Brahman of the Jnana Yoga. It is the

same God seen through the

Jnana Yoga says that God

of love. essence

is

beyond

describe Him, *'

it

all

in

predicates and hence

his

to

employs a negative language,

^ srasrref^" (XIII

unreal''

spectacles

and so on.

—

12). »'It is neither real

nor

But Bhakti Yoga gives

;

163 positive

•God

is

really infinitely

attributes

that

all

known

to

It

more than

that

the highest

human language Him.

attributes only delimit

true

is

it is

;

true

But sinee

our words at best indicate or suggest this

all

but can never directly

.great reality,

actly signify

language refrain

necessarily

is

inaccurate,

best

?

Our

why

but

from using the best expressions we have?

The heart

man

of

a Being which

ledge, existence

reason,

and ex-

not best to apply the

it, is it

our language can command

attributes

is

God.

of

definitions

is

is

and

ever declaring that there

the embodiment of bliss.

This

is

which establishes that God

manifestation of Brahman.

all

know-

supported by is

the highest

And therefore Bhakti

Yoga unhesitatingly applies the positive language Ist^cr;

^ ^R^frafaWFTOT" (XI—-38). "Thou

art the Primeval Lord, the Ancient Person; art the great

ihou be is

art the

known

;

thou

Hidden Treasure of the Universe

All-knowing and thou art the One to

(thou art) the highest abode, by thee

the universe pervaded, Oh,

Omniformed One."

;

164

5at S^fr sstoeft

Ssqrwrfoir!

" Thou

art the father of this world

inanimate

by

this

there to

s cw^to*tiw: (XI

is

;

animate and

thou art the One worthy of worship

world

;

not in

all

thee,

—43).

thou art the Great Teacher the triple world

—whence

a

mighty One as thou

greater ?

any one equal

—incomparably

art."

The Crossing of Maya or Spiritual Eealisation. Bhakti Yoga as we have said is the search after the Infinite bliss or God through love. All men are engaged in an unwearied search after an eternal object of love, a something which they can

depend upon.

All attempts are baffled but

continues in his endeavours.

Is this

that all are certain of finding

sign later>

if

there be bliss at all in

man

not a sure

it

sooner or

this

universe ?

Krishna vouchsafes in the following s'loka

S'ri

that man's hope

beyond misery

is is

not at

all

a dream, and going

possible.

" ^??

§far

jfWft

WF

wit i^rti mSm^ u<Tsr%»rrarflcri ?rcr% Sr" (VII— 14), " This My Divine Maya made pf Gunas, is difficult to cross

;

whosoever seek refuge with

they cross this Maya."

to

this advice,

When

Me

alone„

a person hearkens

and consciously

strives to

take

165

refuge with the Lord, he has begun to tread the field of

Maya

Bhakti Yoga.

in this s'loka refers

to nature where the interplay of the three Gunas; is

manifested.

for

He

is

God can properly call Maya "Mine"

keeps them under control.

Maya

is

Pilot,

we can

safely find ourselves

There

is

iwt

another beauti-

Lord

is

5tftS#I ft&fa

dfrffTHf

wW'gtTft q^rerrfe trrw

"II

beings

seated in the heart of

who

are

round world."

mounted There

is

all

on

the

beings,

Oh,

Maya

all

merry-go-

a reference here to

merry-go-round which consists of painted

horses and other animals (of wood)

by

I

(XVIII— 61). "The

Arjuna, turning round by means of

the

on the

metaphorical representation of the idea, ia

the Bhagavadgita " ^r

for other souls*

Trusting ourselves to the

other side of the deep. ful

But

like a boundless ocean, very difficult to

cross without an aid.

Great

Gunas and

ever the master of the three

a

mechanical

artificial

ed

number

to wheel, a

Persons

contrivance.

seated on these

(of this

are

animals and are allowof rounds of this

ride. This world, says the Gita, is

cal mechanism

moved round

kind.

God

mock-

a huge magi-

is

the Manager,

166

our bodies and possessions are the animals on

which we

As

ride.

machine

the

round and round, the animals and

faster

faster at

high and another

But

it

ourselves firm and to keep

we may not

so that

we

that

we

ly

is

goes on.

necessary to seat

up the balance

are merely playing, and taking

it

tempted to think with

How

bour

This very pride and carelessness,

high I have risen above

the

is

away

the pleasure

of the whole as

fall,

avoid this foolish

we

hit

We

playi

it is

learn

how-

Pride ;

This balance

is

to

to take

necessary to keep possible only

upon the centre of gravity, which

is

up

when GodÂť

cannot enjoy the fun unless we seek refuge

-with the It

neigh-

the proverb says

pride and to

pleasure consciously

the balance.

my

cause of our downfall and takes

ever,

goeth before a

aright

serious-

pride " !"

is

Sometimes we forget

fall.

are sometimes

air,

One

various heights.

eDJoy tbis fun

to

the

fly in

low, and the fun

is

turned

is

is

which

is

Lord of the play. necessary here, to meet an objection

sometimes taken about the

Maya and

Sport.

It

is

theory of

thought a low and

167

unworthy conception of the Deity to have a

Maya

in

which souls get entangled.

The view

Him

degrades the Supreme Being, which makes

" moved by such a that

it is

and unmeaning

sportive

impulse" * as creation.

This view of creation,

a mere sport,

is

considered to militate

against " the claim of Theism that the creation

due to a motive on the part of Brahman that

is

Him

moves

Leaving aside

Himself."

to reveal

philosophical views of creation

all

one

yet unable to conceive

is

how

for a it is

while

deroga-

tory to Godhead to have arranged for an eternal

game

of merriment and to have

souls it

is

to

to participate

admitted that

reveal

himself,

the joy

in it

is

and

is

thereof.

if

it

is

taken for

of self-com-

the motive for creation (these two

being postulates of

all

theology), then in what

cosmological theories

?

In a

way

to

understood, loved and enjoyed by souls or to

be feared, estranged from

* Tbe Religion of

of

manner should we expect

the Deity to manifest Himself

way

If

the essence of- God

granted, likewise that this desire

munication,

expected the

all

Jesus, p. 35, by the Rev.

be

in a

hearts and

N. Macnicol.

188

hated by

To make the creation a playmake it a hell ? It is no sin, there-

all ?

ground or to

fore, to hold that the creation is a

Even games

are regularly planned

A play

out.

would be no play

if

kind of play.

and carried it

God

played according to fixed rules.

mercy, has arranged

infinite is

were not in his

this play for us.

God

not making fun of our vain struggles and

The struggles and

desires.

desires are obstacles

thrown by ourselves.

to the play

Whether we

go high or low, as we ride on our mock-horses,

we should

down,

neither feel proud nor be cast

would destroy the fun. We should only " If you are poor enjoy that enjoy the play. for that

as

fun

rich

;

;

if

if

you are rich enjoy the fun of being

dangers come, treat them also as fun

happiness comes, there

much Maya

is

more good fun."*

for the sport of divine creation. it is

As

if

;

So for

no black magic wrought by a jealous

being to entice

human

souls into misery.

It

has been observed that the s'loka just quoted says

it

name

is

made up

of Gunas.

Maya

is

of Prakriti or nature, and nature * Swami Vivekananda.

another is,

as

we

— 169 fiave elsewhere remarked, neither It

is

good nor bad.

a mixture of good and bad, and these terms

and bad are only

.good

no one

relative so that

thing in

nature can be said to be good or bad

in

To make

itself.

bad, depends

Oita says

the world or Maya,

entirely

Maya can be

on

good or

The

ourselves.*

thus mastered and the

world converted into a beautiful heaven of

M They who resort says

S'ri

to

Me

bliss.

alone cross this Maya,"

Krishna.

The Importance of the Education of the Heart.

The is

s'olka

we

last

quoted says that the Lord

seated in the heart of

asked to take refuge

all

We

in the Lord.

meaD

we

beings and

are

should

understand

this to

the heart

the most necessary step for spiritual

is

realisation.

There

is

that the cultivation

no religion

in the

of

world,

which does not advocate the proper training of that part of the * Cf.

human mind which

"What makes life worth

living is not

in it but what you are ready to put into

it

William Jambs.

properly

what you

find

by your ideal inter-

pretation of the meaning that, as you insist,

iat you."

is

it

shall possess

170

known as the heart. most necessary to

make our

Intellectual investigations are

to clear the understanding,

But

firm.

beliefs

and

should not be

it

by itself achieves nothinga lame person who talks from where

forgotten, that intellect It

like

is

he

The work of the

seated.

is

always negative, for

and

On

false beliefs.

called our emotions

can only remove

it

is

intellect

errors

the other hand, what are

and

more daring.

feelings are

no region which they have not the But the heart by itself is curiosity to explore. There

like

is

a half blind person,

ing where he into

lists, falls

ditches and

mutual help,

is

who by

times without

miserably bruised.

intellect

and

combined as to produce results

and avoid

dangers.

more or

It is less

wilfully

all

feelings

walk-

number But by

may

be so

the most beneficent

unnecessary

pit-falls

happy combination

this

degree that has produced

world's great men.

in

a

the

Speaking from a religious

point of view, however, one that on the whole

and

it is

feeling even without a

is

inclined to think,

far better to

good

have a

intellect rather

little

than

to have a highly developed head without heart-

171

It

is

through feelings that one

and the training of

will see the

feelings in the right

Lord P

way

the special province of Bhakti Yoga. Hence, is

qualified to enter

It

is

the

man

is

who

upon a course of Bhakti

of feelings.

Bhakti Yoga

?

does-

not impose conditions of birth, sex, occupation, wealth, power or learning.

on

llftr

«flj

Me even

Krishna says "

W

m$ftm fepft tfcrrew ^rr*rifr£' (IX— 32). "Those that depend

fl qr4 amfsr?? ^sfa?g:

%Sft

S'ri

if

\

they be of ignoble birth,

—women,.

Vais'yas (merchants) or S'udras (laborers), even

The one and

they will attain the highest goal." only pre-requisite

improve

is

feeling

and a desire

to-

feeling.

The Transformation of Ordinary Love Bhakti or God Love. Of course every one has

feelings

into

and emotions*

but they are generally in a most neglected condition,

being least developed

always in the wrong direction.

and exercised Still

no one

need despair, how deplorable so ever the condition of his heart *n*rcK?*n*i> •*

|

may

ffr«i^r

a

be.

iraoar:

" ^fa %§^RRi' OTapaRfSrat fs «:

I

*T*Rf fart"

172

" " Even

-^ *Ttb: xjoRq^r

loves

Me

.

he

for

becomes

a

eternal peace.

My

a highly impious person

exclusively, he

good man, he

if

must be deemed a

virtuous

Once with a

ment we begin get Bhakti. regulated

and

soul

You may be sure, Oh,

fdevotee is not ruined "

Bhagavan.

resolved

wisely

is

and

fact,

attains

30, 31)

says

desire to self-improve-

to attend to our feelings,

In

soon

son of Kunti,

—

(IX

;

we soon

our feelings developed,

properly

Bhakti.

directed,

become

4

Bhakti Yoga then chiefly aims at converting ^ordinary love into Bhakti or

God

love.

To

find

the Lord through love as

is the most natural method we have already remarked,for man is miserable

and wants happiness.

We find misery in objects

of hatred and pleasure, in objects of love, there

it

that

which

love.

follows that infinite happiness is

must be in

the eternal object of the

The problem

and

highest

of the religious aspirant

is,

according to the view, therefore reduced to the -simple one of the finding such an object. all the

means

Among

to salvation, accordingly, Bhakti

173

Yoga

holds love in the fore-front rank.

t!3a<rar...sits

^

"TC^ra"

(XI

—

"

53).

asceticism,,

neither by charity nor by sacrifice sible

Me

to see

done, but by exclusive devotion,

know Me

Me

this, to see

like

is

manner

the

in

Krishna

Sri

" Neither by Vedas nor by

says

":fff"

it

thou

poshast

possible to-

it is

in truth

and be

assimilated into Me."

In the study of Bhakti.

Toga,

important to note that

it

therefore

is

higher (Para)

same a

Bhakti or

manipulation harmful converted

orchard, parts

just

refuse

useful

into as

is

but the

Just as by judicious

difference of direction.

be

love

lower (Gouni) love with

the

feeling as

God

useless

and

filth

manure and foul

for

may the

smelling

of animals can be dexterously manufac-

tured into useful articles of daily use, and just as

by

poisons

even

scientific

compound-

ing can be turned not only into harmless but also into potent medicines, so

a process

is

offered

by Bhakti Yoga,*

by means of which

all

our

lower passions are made to work out our salvation.

It

is

Bhakti Yoga

in

this

lies.

that

the

naturalness of

174

Love

To study how iove

.consider

when

stage

form, love is

it

is

Lower Foems.

in its

method works, we should

this

from

lowest stage

its

becomes Bhakti.

called

Kama

In

up its

or desire and

the

to

lowest It

lust.

then the greatest impediment to spiritual proAll

gress.

religions

have

preached

against

covetousness and evil passion, and -the Gita

no

less

vehement

its

condemnation of these

"When Arjuna asked

feelings. it

in

is

was that moved the soul to

S'ri

Krishna

sin,

who

he perhaps

God or some supernatural Being was compelling man to go wrong. He said " art %q

implied that

signs'?

m w$t ^f\ l^nwriV ^T^q

1*RT: " (111-36).

man commit

" But by

sin,

whom

^rf^rfSpft-

induced does

this

Oh, descendant of Vrishni, being

were by force even against his

urged on, as

it

will ?"

Krishna to show ^emphatically that

man

S*rl

is

not compelled by any external force and

that evil

is

his

own

following words iTCRTCt iB

"?sm

flwrr fH^fa?

desire,

Guna

free

this

is

choice,

qrr

^

replied in

r^f ^^IrgoraiJFKW:

tftu* " (HI-37).

wrath,

the I

" This

born of the primal

of Rajas greatly voracious

and immensely

175

harmful,

know

this to

be the foe here."

is called sin, therefore, is

such desire or

the direct outcome

ed becomes anger, and when

fulfilled results in

fond attachment and miserliness.

(XVI— 21, hell,

says "

22).

fk$(%

"Threefold

and

Hence

;

miserliness,

is

doorway to

this

(it is

made up

of)

and therefore one

A man free

should avoid these three.

the

tm&i WK mFm&RU

which destroys the soul

desire, anger,

of

This low desire disappoint-

lust.

Gita elsewhere

What

from these

three gets to darkness, Oh, son of Kunti, acts for his

good and

reaches

therefore

the

highest

goal." In the view of the Gita, therefore, the one original source of all errors of the is this

love in

takes a

its

number

panishad says,

lowest form called desire. Desire of forms. "35TT:

fra^Mfsff*ftft^lw#

The Brihadaranyako-

s^5<?)

W 53-"

fafrffaWT

Prom

fear,

the

all

such

are

*raCT*W-

Desire, will, doubt,

faith, disbelief, firmness, frailty,

ing,

human mind,

modesty, think-

verily

the

mind."

standpoint under consideration,

these functions of

the

all

mind may be looked

176

upon

as aspects

of

love

various degrees

in

and stages of development.

The lowest

Desire,

as said above, desire or sensuality.

is,

then,

stage-

the result of ignorant non-use or con-

is

The misuse of love a demonaical nature. The six-

scious misuse of love.

makes man

of

chapter of the

teenth

dozen couplets an

Gita

One thing

Sampat (wealth of de-

that

of body and a selfish

Love

called

the

Kama

in

this

while

possession.

men

Kama

of

The

desire

giving

as

to

is

it

on

trivial

the very reason

is

things

this y

not in

and attachment,,

much room

possible for the free play of love,

centrate

difference

objects

for

attachment in

and

being

besides

the two words

desire

is

Now,

instead

stage

(attachment).

Sanga-is

attained,

an inordinate love

is

sometimes also receives

in significance between

that

prominent

love of wealth, wife

(desire)

name of Sanga

made

is

throughout the description

children.

about a

illustrative description of this*

nature, there called Asuri

mons).

gives in

and frivolous

try

to

objects.

of the soul's misery.

as

con-

This

By

desiring various objects which are to be obtained

177

only with great

difficulty

and which

His peace of mind

of his desires.

turbed by desires, and

any thing of

if

man becomes

are sure soon to perish,

is

obtained the slave

always, dis-

know

he can never

Again by extreme

real happiness.

attachment to the body and possessions, loses his

man

independence and becomes a mere ap-

pendage to

Thus

his belongings.

body belonging to

the man, the

intstead of the

man

belongs to the

body. Desire and attachment are the real bondage, for

man

totally surrenders his

when he becomes

independence

subject to these feelings.

the other hand infinite peace belongs to him

On who

can help himself above desires and attachment.

m

s srrfcmnfticr =t ^Twft" aEu fii " As the streams enter the sea which i

stantly filled

on

all

(11-70). is

con-

and yet stands un-

sides

moved, so into whom-so-ever enter

all desires

(without affecting him) he attains peace and

not the

So

man who

long,

abnormal

therefore, as love,

spiritual rest. 12

has

all

we

of desires."

sorts

cherish this desire or

we can never know anything of Unending misery

is

the lot of all

178 selfish persons. it is

Hence

to taste of spiritual bliss,

up

absolutely necessary to give

demon-

this

and to cultivate the divine accom" !?? OTnj'frcrFT forerqTgtf t?tf." plishment.

like habit

" Godliness makes for freedom, but for bondage is

the demonaical held to be."

The Principle of the Eendnoiation of

Low

Desires.

But how are we to give up which has become, It is

as

easy to say " Give

but to bring

habit

were, our second nature ?

up

desire

and attachment"

this into practice is

The Gita

cult.

it

selfish

this

" r%W f^Hcfctf

^T: <mยง ^S^ST qt z&( I

diffi-

principle which offers

states a

the best solution here.

extremely

r

Pra^f."

f^RIfTCST

" Objects are

removed from the embodied being who does not take them in (through the senses), but not so the iove of objects

;

seen the highest

even love (love)."

is

removed

after

having

Love of one object can

be removed only when we have placed our love

on something

else.

We

are

all

trying to fix our

love on something permanent, but do not succeed.

For a moment we love an object and when we

179

begin to attach undue importance to

it,

when we

think that there

is

no other object worthy of our

love, the object

is

suddenly removed from us.

Then we

direct our love to something

else.

Or

ÂŤven while the object remains, we may take to another object as more worthy of our attention.

This shifting of love from object to object

very force that moves the

words of Manu,

=%ilxTH."

the

all

work

it

a

being does,

that

In

is

are in a blind-

were, towards some object on

which they want to fix their love permanently. give up the lower love when love, for the quality

We

we realise the higher

and permanence of happiness

depends both upon the jects loved.

the

f^f ^^KsWc+NW

All beings

of love."

fold race, as

beings to action.

"*rerfe

" "Whatever

is

sort of love

In the animals love

grossest of pleasures.

is

and the obfixed

on the

Love of sense-pleasures of

the grossest type predominates in these beings.

But as man becomes more and more civilised even the sense pleasures become more and more refin-

ed and at

now

last

man finds out a higher love. Love is

placed in intellectual pleasures and lower

pleasures lose their attraction. Love of morality

180 is still

a higher stage.

we may

Therefore,

greater and greater happiness

is

becomes

finer lore

up

finer

and

realised, as love

in preference to the grosser,

when

the highest love

of love are thrown

And what a

is

little

is

is

reached,

into the shade

God

is

taken

and the

latter

Therefore, says the Gita,,

naturally disappears.

It

The

finer.

saj

is

all

other forms

and discarded,

Love.

the object of the highest

peculiar that

love?

which man's

the line

selfishness fakes should point out this object, to

the utter annihilation of selfishness

Man

itself.

loves things external to himself less than himself.

The he

nearer the object of love to him, the more

loves.

This principle stretched to

its

utmost

limit leads us to the conclusion that nothing

is-

more loveable than that which is the very self of us all for, what can be nearer to us than our ;

self ?

So we see that the search of love takes

the same direction as the direction of knowledge.

In fact, knowledge

•without

increases

love, for

itself

is

the knowledge

impossible

of a

with the love of knowing

thing it.

It

181

follows

knowledge

therefore, that the highest

of the Lord comes to those that cherish the

Yoga it knowledge reaches its acme, when one supreme reality in all. Now,

highest love for the Lord.

was it

said that

realises the

love

is

the best

we intensely

ever object

with

fied

means of

it

for the

In Jnana

realising this, for

what-

we become identitime being. Thus when we

love the body, the body lover of body there

love,

our

is

self

and

for

no truth higher than

is

the it.

When we love the mind,mind is our self,and there is

nothing higher than

it.

In every

case,

every

thing else exists in and through the self and every thing

is

loveable for the sake of the

ever we take the

self to

When

unity.

that no

love

own feat,

itself,

as

real self.

but

reached. is in all

it

for the realisation

learns

object can satisfy

can permanently engage forms

it,

it,

it

by experience that at

no object last

trans-

were, and turns back on its

This

is

no doubt a yet

when performed, permanent It is

what-

be for the time being.

Love therefore always makes of

self,

difficult bliss is

then found that the reality which

the world

is

one and the same and

its

182

nature

is

oiloveis

The

perfect Love. love,

disappears after a

hate

and hence love can never the

All misery being

love.

essence, the reality*

when

result

of hatred,

Thus

love reaches this stage.

weary search man

finds that there is

no

object worthy of his love greater than the Lord y

the Love seated in the heart of

all.

He

then

understands the meaning of the Narada Sutra "afiipfeFfH

nature of love

After one has

inexpressible."

is

"The

Sma^qq;"

Paramarasa (Highest Love),

all his

seen

this

lower love

vanishes like a mirage.

For one reason Love

is

the

name

greatest

that could be devised to indicate the Great Self-

We

have seen in

the last section

definition

of Kshetrajna

kshetra."

And

is

that

one

" The knower of

that the kshetra includes not

only the external body but also the mind and its

functions such as desire

have observed again

love.

We

and hatred.

in the present chapter that

the chief functions of the mind such

may

all

as

desire

be considered to be different phases of

Now,

jind the

the

more

mind

it

is

is

the nearest to the

purified,

the

self,

more shines

:

183

through

and the

mind

it

the self behind.

self are

so intimately connected that the

very often mistaken for the

is

mind

Indeed, the

self.

S'ri

S'ankaracharya speaking of this confounding the self with the mind says " The mind is the illuminated and the light of the self

is

minator like the ordinary

Not

light.

the illudistin-

guishing the illuminator and the illuminated

very common.

For,

being pure, light

similar to the illuminated object.

illuminating a red thing

it

seems similar to the red form.

luminating green, black or

brown

the

self

things,

il-

the

illuminating the mind, illuminates the

The Gita qÂŤTT

And

becomes similar to them. In the same way

whole of Kshetra through the mind." "

seems

Thus while

red thing and assumes a

light

is

(Brih. Bha.)

expresses this idea in the following text

XRJI*I^+:

srerreraftr *rrc?r

f??ST SJfarffrT

^: %ÂŁ |

%?ft

<RF

^F

" (XIII). " Just as the one sun illimi-

nates the whole of this world, so also the whole of

Kshetra the Kshetrin illuminates, Oh, descendant of Bharata."The mind therefore being the nearest,

catches as Since as

it

were, the best reflection of the

we have

self.

said above, the supreme self is

184

seen the more clearly, the more the mind fied, it follows that

the self&a

it is,

can be seen only

by the most purified mind. Now, the mind purified

when

all its

puri-

is

is

most

lower passions are tansform-

ed into divine love or Bhakti. Since the highest truth shines forth only in the highest love,

is it

not most appropriate to call

unique name of Love? declares " wt I s: II-7). "

Love

He

|

Hence

it

by the

the Upanishad

^ ## ^=^T ?Rft*NT% "

verily sweet Love.

is

mind of

alone, indeed, this soul

(Taife.

Having got

becomes

this

blissful."

Preparatory Bhakti.

But

until the

Supreme Love (VII-15). "

mind

is

The

is

thoroughly purified,

not realised. " ^

*ri

this

fifjf^Tt 'J3T:

sinful, the ignorant, the

lowest of

men do not come to me, for their knowledge is removed through Maya, and they have taken to the demonaical therefore,

necessary.

life." Till

a

The Gita

stage

is

divides seekers after truth

m

3Rr: gf?i%^

3Tr5ff^I^«TT«ffirFft^*R3^*r"

(VII— 16.)

into four classes.

S&*\

supreme Bhakti is attained,

preparation towards that

"

" Righteous persons

^jj^r

*T3F%

of four sorts

worship Me,

185

Oh, Arjuna;

(they are) the afflicted, the enquir-

ing, the iuterested,

and the enlightened." These

four classes are again brought under two main heads «^f CTft-fo^ tgCTftftftraft fta>

%

I

3rrfoftScT>w£

w

enlightened

stantly

Me

^

;

for:

am

these are is

he holds on

dear from

to

is

also

indeed,

my

.as

to

All

beloved.

but the enlightened

by constant attachment,

self,

for

Me

as the highest goal."

It is

these texts that the three classes of

paratory stage of Bhakti. is

con-

devoted

Bhaktas other than the Jnanin, are

Bhakti

is

is

greatly beloved of the enlight-

noble,

My very

" Of these the best

and exclusively

applied

for I

^s ^rreterrc&r

person whose mind

ened man, and he man,

&zm: *$

i

(VII— 17-18).

Jtv&i../' the

?r

in the pre-

But even preparatory

not easily got, for they are qualified

the righteous (g^ffa:) in contradistinction to

the vicious or demonaical persons.

The Gita does not explain which of the three preparatory devotees

Bhakti Sutra, preferable <(in

to

it is

is

the best, but in

Narada

said that of the three each is

the one immediately following

the above enumeration),

whence

it

it

follows

186

that according to this view the best preparatory

approximation to the highest form of Bhakii

Arta Bhakti or

is

become conscious of the

to

misery of Samsara and to resort to the Lord

with whole-heartedness to be relieved of this This is supported by the s'loka already quoted from the Gita " Those who resort to Me

distress.

alone, they cross the Maya."

stage are

all

Initiatory to this

other endeavours to purify the

mind. Purification of the Mind.

Means

mind

of

purification are three-fold

cording to the Gita. <JTPj;"(XVIII-5)

' '

nit

^R ?PT«hr "TPRTR *R?1%-

"Sacrifice, charity

are the purifiers."

ac-

Sacrifice

is

and asceticism

of different kinds

varying from the grossest worship with various materials (^ajq^:) spirit

and truth

to

the

farcT^:).

highest Sacrifice

at length in the fourth chapter. fice

for

is,

its

worship in is

described

The best

according to the Gita, that which

own

—

sake (XVII

thus defined

"<TJ?fs#rfct

11).

The

it

done

best charity

q^R ^'NcTSST^rftft

^ <ntr ^ <T^R wfeti flcfH" (XVII— 20). given, just because

is

sacri-

I

$tr

is

^

" Charity

ought to be given, given.

187

without expectation of any return, in the right place, at the right time,

—

that charity

is

and to the right persons

considered to be the best."

for Tapas or asceticism the Gita divides

three

classes,

physical,

" Worship of God,

verbal,

and

into

mental.-

the spiritual teacher and the

wise man, purity, rectitude, chastity, ness are said to be bodily Tapas. true, pleasant

it

As-

harmless-

Unwounding,.

and agreeable speaking, and study

of holy books, are said to be Tapas of speech clearness

of mind,

gentleness, studied silence,-

self-control, purity of heart

the Tapas of the mind

;.

—

this

is

said to be

(XVII— 14,15,16)."

These

three-fold exercises done with intense faith

and

without expectation of reward constitute the best asceticism according to the Gita (XVIII

In

this

called

6, 7).

preparatory Bhakti, which has been-

Gouni by ancient

tion of divine love

Some people

forms

writers, all such

and symbols as are conducive

to speedy realisa-

may be advantageously

used.

are disposed to think that the use of

symbols, forms, or other concrete helps less

—

is

use-

and even dangerous, inasmuch as these

concrete things turn

away

the seeker's attention-

188

is

to

recommend a conscious

hood and •Gita

their use

recommend

-from God. They say that to

alliance with false-

direct propagation

of

But the

lies.

does not agree with such men.

in

is

greater

science tends to only

.clearness pf understanding, the use of

and forms

is

use of formulas

assumed here that just as the

and symbols

It

of great use in

symbols

helping

young

joiinds to realise the true nature of worship.

All great religions of

the

world having made

use of symbols and forms least, the

Gita does not stand alone

commendation of such -"

*ft

ÂŤT5t

$t

w 3T

crft?

some extent

to

?T3

*ra:

helps.

f^rpaicq;"

(VII-21).

in the re-

Krishna says

S'ri

sr5qrf%5fa5gn<r

at

i

ctct

^rr^sf

"Whatever

devotee wishes to worship whatever form with faith I

vforms

confirm his faith in the same."

These

and symbols must be worshipped not

for their

own sake but

for the Lord.

When

used as a suggestion of God, they are not only

who are iu But when the image, 'the preparatory stage. for its own sake, worshipped fform or symbol is ithat is when it represents a saint or an angel or beneficial but also necessary for all

189

some being other than God, the worship has merits of

own, but cannot directly lead to real

its

Bhakti (devotion to God) or Mukti (freedom)..

Hence

"

the Gita says of such

sptRtT

'frg

perishable

foi

is

kinds of worship

d*cj^4) greret" (VII—23). "But and

their reward,

it

small wits." But even this

little

comes from the Lord.

"

*37?rfcRTn 23).

i

cfsfa

shipping

Me

perishable result

faith,

fsp%

q'S ^^^'ftfr ^Tirr

(IX—

Tr^?35T%r qsi^far>jjM;"

"Even the devotees

worship with

comes only to

of the other Devatas who*

they

in an indirect

are

wor-

really

manner."

Therefore-

to take the assistance of symbols and forms, and

consciously worship the

one Lord in them,

highly beneficial and recommendable. substitutes or suggestions as

it

is

Such

God are

were, of

stated at length in the tenth chapter of the Gita-

under the name of Vibhutis. to observe

how

It

is

interesting

the Gita makes such

Vibhutis,

the stepping-stones to the realisation of Bhakti or the love of one God. states

"

sj^nicWi

To

begin with

jy¥&3 B^£di4iqR«M:

^ ^IjTRPW R3 ^" (X—20). Oh,

" I

|

S'ri

Krishna

sTC^f^r

am

the

*?*?

self,

self-controlled, seated in the heart of all

— 190

am

beings, I

the beginning, the middle and the

<end of beings."

Then

for such as

may

not under-

stand this grand ideal, several approximations

and again

are given

tion, a general

statement

is

end of the enumera-

made " wfl^JJ^wact

arr^wi-a ?# *w ^MfssrawTsp*." (X "Whatever is magnificent, abundant and vig-

*fiH<jpMJk =rr 41).

at the

I

know thou, that that is born of a part of own glory." Thus whatever is awe-inspiring,

orous,

My

wonderful and admirable in nature and whoever

wisdom are

represents goodness, greatness and

here recommended to be revered in the heart

One

may be

order

that

gradually led to a sense of the

From

Infinite Being.

fear to wonder, from

curiosity to fear,

wonder

from

to admiration,

and

from admiration to reverence and love, these are the various steps that the soul will its

onward progress, and

this progress

take

in

will

be

speedy and well-directed just to the extent to

which

it

can draw inspiration from the divine

Vibhutis.

Here we have

three Vibhutis,

Avataras. of

viz.,

to speak in particular of

the Vedas, the

The Bhagavadgita

Vibhutis

is

Guru and the

in its

enumeration

only illustrative and

is

by no

191

means exhaustive, for

—

(X

"There

40).

is

Oh, tormentor of

S'rl

no end

foes,

has been given by

Krishna says, "qp^Sl^r

to

but

My

this list of Vibhutis,

Me just

If

in illustration."

the G-ita names certain books,

and certain incarnations,

divine Vibhutis,

it

certain teachers,

is

merely

because

they were the best known to India of those times. teach a modern

If Krishna were to

world,

we

should not be surprised to hear him include the

Dhammapada, the Eible, the Koran and the Zendavesta among sacred books, and Jesus, Mohamad, Zoroaster and Buddha among persons, The

to be revered as manifestations.

perfectly

general character of the teachings in the book

warrants this supposition. *prr flf sttspcT ?rter*hr <?r«?

tffej"

with

Me

—

(IV

in

S'ri

WWU

Krishna says

to ^ifd-*^ jt^fj

"Whoever

l-1 ).

takes refuge

whatever form, I take them into

service in that form

son of Pritha, by therefore, cannot

all

;

men

"^

follow

My path,

My Oh,

means." The Bhagavadgita

be justly held to

advocate

reverence to a particular book, teacher or divine incarnation.

The book simply

refers

to

192 principle of

the

With

these

now

turn to

Vibhutis

preliminary a

and

stops

we

remarks,

consideration

of

there. shall

what

the

Gita has to say on each of these three Vibhutis. First of

all,

sacred books

if

rightly used are a

great aid to the cultivation of religious feeling.

Hence the Gita says " a^i^TW sqErTfcffifl"

(XVI— 24).

JPTPi

% ^fan^-

" Therefore the scriptures

are your authority in distinguishing right and

But

wrong." that

we

it

is

are not

bound hand and chapter,

it is

necessary here to observe

here

given

foot, for

said that

over a

in

to

books

subsequent

even persons without a

scriptural authority are to be considered Satwicas if

they work in good faith.

As

for teachers, the

Gita gives them two epithets "?rr£R:" " flfrKi^w ;"' «' Possessed of knowledge " and " seers of truth."

This

is

but a paraphrase of the Upanishad which

Guru must be Srotriya and Brahmanishtha (Mundaka, 1-2-12.) The sure test of a genuine teacher is when knowledge is kindled says that the

and

confusion

all

—

soul (IV

35).

is

The

vanished in the disciple's effect of the

enable the taught to conquer

teaching must

all sin,

to

burn

193

of

(IV

spirit

The

and

tendencies,

evil

all

—

to

Now,

36, 37).

for the Avatdras.

and

"

again.

5?t gJr." (IV

—

"

8).

Avatdras

be

Gita says that there will

again

purity

attain

SWRlftr

q&rerFHTsrfa

Age

after age I incarnate

Myself for the establishment of religion Sri Krishna. irreligion

(IV

—

7).

.

Whenever

prevails, there

Besides

of Avatdra

is

that Avatdra

God's birth

Lord

says

religion subsides

be

will

showing that

no

necessitates

"

and

an Avatdra the

always moral, the

self-sufficiency.

"

purpose

Gita says

limitations

Though

to

without

and of an undecaying nature, and the of beings,

I,

My

controlling

manifest Myself through

My Maya"

Hence the Gita never attaches too

Prakriti,

(LV—6).

much impor-

tance to any particular Avatara, for

it

declares

that all Avataras are for the upholding of religion.

This

is

quite enough

we

think as

a

refutation of the theory that has been advanced

by some, that the Gita

is

intended to revive the

Krishndvatdra, and to advocate Krishna worship.

In the whole of the Gita there text betraying 13

is

not a single

any jealousy of the worship of

194

any other incarnation.

*

On

the other hand,

all

forms of worship are positively commended and given their right position in the ladder of spiri-

The Gita manifestly

tual progress.

rests

on the

foundations of religion not on the infallibility of a book, nor on the authority of a person, nor yet

on any

particular forms

and ceremonies, but on

the right exercise of reason and righteousness of

conduct and on universal love, joy and peace.

But

same time the Gita

at the

may

that

never antago^

any form, ceremony, book, or person

to

nistic

is

help souls in their onward

spirituality.

They are

justly revered.

and may be

Vibhutis

The Gita only wants

that instead of taking the Yibhuti for infinitely

more

beneficial to take

or suggestion of the Lord who it.

That

verse

(t :

is

clear

to

Arjuna

?

is

advise

to

itself, it is

as a

symbol

revealed

in

enumeration

from the following concluding

zmm ^^p\

fJ?S#ritirc fa^r 3UTq[."

good

it

this is the object of the

of Vibhutis

march to

f% 1TRH ?rar#T

(X—42)

you of knowing Pervading

the

all

I

fassnfflte

" Or, what

this detail,

whole

the

is

Oh,

universe

I

stand revealed therein in part." ThusVibhuti-

195

worship

meant

is

to gradually take the soul up-

ward and widen the aspirant's heart more and more till it embraces the whole creation. The realisation

will

be complete, when

the

seeker

has actualised that the Lord in His glory infinitely

more besides what part of Him we

is

find

-revealed in the universe.

The Methods of Bhakti Yoga Before

we proceed

further

it

(in brief.)

seems necessary,

for clearness of understanding, to recapitulate

Yoga we have here and

the methods of Bhakti

there alluded to in the preceding pages. special

the

realisation,

aim of Bhakti Yoga being it

does not at

-spiritual

much impor-

attach

all

First,

tance to speculation, though right reasoning not excluded from

its

education of the heart

sphere.

is its

its central secret is to give

Secondly, the

chief business,

into one intense religious feeling of

love.

Thirdly, in

its

made

to

worship.

them

supreme

preparatory stage, Bhakti

allows the use of forms, helps

and

a nobler and a higher

direction to our feelings and to transform all

is

symbols

Fourthly,

and other

all this

must be

subservient to the one object of the realisa-

196

of the Lord

tion

who

is

manifested in the

uni-

who in His essence is infinitely more bewe note that in Bhakti Yoga, it is the personal aspect of God, that is chosen. The verse and

sides. Lastly,

soul

here

is

advised

escape from misery

to

through the help of Is'wara or personal God.

The impersonal aspect personal

alone

preferred

is

but the

not denied,

is

worship as

for

being -natural and easy of access.

While Jnana-

Yoga

tries to tackle

takes

up the impersonal and

the problem of

life

mainly through philosophy,

Bhakti-Yoga recognises that

mankind

are

philosophy.

majority

the

i

of

unable to guide their lives by

Men

often thinking themselves

to

be capable of scaling the heights of philosophy, suffer

Yoga S'ri

from great offers

To avoid

falls.

a natural, smooth and gentle path.

Krishna says

"jt^i%$j jrf

grrcreh sra^T q^itoi^r

fc

grf*wr

" Those who concentrating worship

Me

Bhakti-

this

^

mi"

their

*rf

Pm^F

(XII— 2)

mind on

Me

with eternal constancy and with the

highest faith, they are, in

my

opinion, the best

Yogins." That this refers to the personal aspect of

God

will

be evident from the next three s'lokae

197

where

S'rt

Krishna says " But those that worship

the Unchangeable, the Indescribable, the

Un-

manifested, the Omnipresent, the Unthinkable,

the All-comprehending, the

Eternal,

the Immoveable

by controlling

all their

and

senses

and

having the conviction of equanimity with regard to all things, they also

engaged

in

come

doing good to

beings.

all

difficulty is greater for those

Me, as they are

to

But the

whose minds are

devoted to the Unmanifested, for the path of the Unmanifested,

is

trodden indeed with great

difficulty

by embodied beings."

scription

is

clearly with reference to the imper-

sonal aspect.

God

personal best

Here the de-

Hence

the

first

of Bhakti-Yoga.

developed when

it is

one must be the Bhakti then

is

directed to the per-

sonal aspect of God.

In the above quotation, a statement

some remark.

It is said there that the

the unmanifested

does this

Absolute

?

way

to

beset with difficulty for the

human beings have a body, mean that no man can worship the Since

embodied.

is

calls for

all

This conclusion being plainly repug-

nant, the wor&embodied is better interpreted when.

198

made

It is

tached

mean

off

who are

those

Many

the body.

to

to shake

to

of us find

the body idea.

much

too

it

at-

difficult

People often

make

the body everything. For such beings, evidently,. it is

extremely

difficult to

go

once to the path

at

of the highest philosophy which says that the-

world including the body

unreal-

is

For

all

ordinary men, therefore, the worship of the personal It

is

the only thing that

recommendable.

must not be supposed, however, that the

manifested of which

easy

is

is

God

is

a low existence, the worship-

meant only

enough.

That

for beginners as being

would

be

the

greatest-

mistake to commit about the Gita teaching in the matter.

For,

S'ri

Krishna describes the wor-

shippers of the manifested God, thus, " 3ficUM<3!

*&mn

i

a?ra

^Mq^t

*mn f^Tur souls,

wi q?Rrar

3rqre% "

w&m:

(IX— 13,

14).

^w^cr^ m. "But high

Me with knowing Me to

having a Godlike nature worship

minds of exclusive attachment, be undecaying and the origin of

all

beings.

Ever

My names, practising with firm resolusaluting Me with devotion, they worship

repeating tion,

\

199

Me

with eternal constancy."

At the end of the

Gita, after the whole teaching

Krishna says " Hear again

My

the greatest of

;

all secrets

sure devotee, I will

minded salute

as

in

are

The Gita

greatest

will

My

you your own good. Be

reach

Me

alone, I assure you,

(XVIII—64,

dearest."

therefore

adoration

holds

of the

most reverent attitude

we cannot

nection,

My

you are

since

it

of the

importance that the aspirant should the

advice,

Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me,

Me, you

you

tell

wound up Sri

is

In

possible. resist

take

God

personal

65).

utmost

the

in

this

to

con-

the temptation of

quoting another Gita text on the point with the

commentary of S'ri S'ankarachary a, himself one of

Brahman or

the staunchest advocates of Nirguna

Unmanifested God. "w+%.4fiwll &$ti

does

^^

*r: ?r

my work,

Jrrftfo <tf^t "

regards

out attachment and

is

(XI

u^i

—

s^rf^r:

55). "

He who

me as the highest, is

with-

without enmity towards

beings, he reaches me, Oh, Pandava."

S'ri

*

all

S'anka-

racharya introduces the s'loka in his commentary thus scripture

:

" Now, the essential point of the whole of the Gita, meant for

salvation

ia

;

200

here given out in a nut-shell for practice." Then the

commentary

He who

My

is

the

work of

but

Me

considers

all

so

;

hence he

is

man

sake

whom

Madbhaktah,

My

he

am

is

;

is

the highest

Me by

worships

Bhakta (devotee)

without Sanga that

work and

hence he

goal,

I

forms and with

all

My

reached after

does

highest

(to

means, in

to be

highest this

the

Matparamah goal)

My

Action for

master but never takes the

his

the

for

death,

;

Matparamah, the servant does

work.

master his

My work

does

:— " Matkarmakrit,

runs thus

all

heart

Sangavarjitah

without fondness for and

attachment to the enjoyments of wealth, children, wife

friends,

and

relations.

bhuteshu without enmity in

all

Nirvairassarvabeings, without

the feelings of enmity even towards those

are engaged in doing the greatest evil to

he who

is

else will

like this,

who him

he reaches Me. I and nothing

be his destination. This

is

My

teaching

to you, Oh, Pandava."

Spiritual Eealisation resulting from Bhakti.

To

the Bhakta thus devoted realisation will

become

the

easiest

of

things.

S'rf

Krishna

201

says elsewhere *FSRTi

jftld^+^l

^CTFT ffltffT

(X— 10,

*TT^rr"

Gita

the

in

'?T

^T

JTHWn% %

"To them who

11).

Me,

earnestly attached to

^ra^HT

"&rf

which they come

Out

Me.

to

such alone, I seated

of

the

heart

while it

the

mercy to

it

brilli-

remains finally

head knows the Lord,

which

is

by

in their heart destroy the

ant spiritual illumination." Thus that

Me

will

darkness born of ignorance by means of a

true

are

and worship

with love, I give that direction of

II

enters

the

inner-

most sanctuary and enjoys the sight of the Lord. S'ri Krishna says " *Tfc*rr iRfrarRffcr II^PT-srrfa

or^cr:

I

m

^t

zrsit

%m\

fasrcr

ct^-hi"

(XVIII

— 55)" Through Bhakti he recognises how

great I

am

Bhakti, he

;

is

actually

knowing Me through that

assimilated into

from him." This

is

Me who am

the state of the devotee

Parn Bhakti or supreme devotion

Human Representations It

is

indeed

human language Bhakta

feels for

not far

is

when

reached.

of Divine Love.

impossible the burning

to

express

in

love which the

God. Just by way of suggestion,

202

however, human relations are given in comparison to the love. Thus Arjuna says " You will

Oh

please forgive me,

would

Lord, as a father

forgive his son; or a friend his companion, or a

lover his beloved."

has been a universal practice

but

God among

Addressing

father

as

religions,,

to denote the intensity of divine love,

an intimate

has been thought

love

friend's

men have

by Bhaktas. Keligious

insufficient

exhausted the

of

list

God

representing

represented not

human

only

relations of love in

For,

love.

God

father,

as

even

has

been

but also

as

mother, grand-father, friend, protector, Creator,

King, guardian, teacher,

etc., as

we can see from

theGita(IX— 17,1 8, XI— 43).These however

are

merely suggestions and can never exactly represents the intense love that

Their

Lord.

Krishna " *Ti

one

in

=*

wftr

tlWcP. <KWH,

=*||."

by

life

I

(X— 9). for

and ever relating

themselves

feel for the

tbus described

Me, holding

another

please

is

*TT%TTr WsTTOpJlT

ftw 3«ifcr

minded

state

Bhaktas

S'ri

*fiWcT«*

" Ever

Me, teaching

My

glory, they

and make merry."

Thu&

respect for the Lord, joy in His presence) misery

203 in feeling separate from things, complete

Him,

distaste for worldly^

dependence on

perfect self-surrender are the

hearts, they have frequently

to their feelings.

beloved

God

master,

father,

my

feel

chief character-

Bhaktas. Out of the fulness of their

istics of the

They

Lord and

the

They

given expression

feel the

so near that they friend,

call

him Lord,

nay more the

and most confidently

Lord are one."

presence of the

They are

assert

with

filled

Self.

" I

and

God

would not like to It separation from Him.

to such an extent that they

hear of the slightest

view that

is this

says "

gjJtef

the same to

t«fts%

=T f*RT5

all

Me

devotion

;

^ *T5i%3.

but as for them that worship

I in them."

they

eternally

Again,

S'rf

live

in

Krishna says

elsewhere " The enlightened Bhakta self."

|

*n*m."- (IX— 29)." " I am beings and there is none hated

Me

Me, and

ft

?F§

or loved of

with

Krishna endorses when he

3^5 * %

*T*?qr *rfa

*Tf

S'rt

is

My

very

(VII— 18). The Ideal of Paka Bhakti.

When reached,

this all

supreme

state

of blessedness

is-

forms and ceremonies become use-

204 less

promise or threat of S'astras loses

;

alike

;

the misery due to

vanishes for ever and in

unbounded

with the Gita " 5TI^%

neither takes

action

its

^

^r piftr sf^i"

away

of any

Gunas of Msyfc

place comes

eternal

Such a Bhakta would say

bliss.

3T?rr$rner ?rR

the

force

its

ftRTH ^

^ §PT

(V— 15).

fag:

I

"The Lord

vice nor accepts a meritorious

souls

true knowledge

;

being

covered up with ignorance, beings befool themselves."

It

must not be concluded from

that the ideal Bhakta his ways, being quite

The

s'loka just

he does

reckless

and

wilful

unmindful of the

all

S'astras.

good not because

desires to escape

motives,

interested

of

r

S astric

reward or

injunctions, not because he expects a

it

in

quoted only means that Bhakta

has so far overcome that

is

this

some punishment, but because

has become a habit with him to do good.

has realised the maxim "

It is

He

only noble to be

good.'In discussing this point, the famous Sures'-

waracharya says " will

When

the

humbleness and other

vanish

Atman

is

self-less

realised, activities

along with interested activities, (both

ibeing the result of ignorance) or will the former

205

not disappear is

We

?

the reason ? Because the supreme

own

of his

Atman

is

nature unopposed to injunctions of

But

activities.

self-less

What

reply, they will not.

non-removal of

(this

good

qualities is) not because of the injunction.

How

else then ? Listen.

the realisation of the

To

the person in whose

Atman

has been born, non-

hatred and other qualities (Cf. Gita ar^sr S^'JcTRf

— 13

XII

etc.

no

will be

to 19)

a

habit requiring

but no longer will they be virtues to

effort,

be acquired by conscious exertion." (Naishkar-

IV

myasidhi

whom

—

69).

To such an ideal Bhakta with

has become a habit to do good,

it

material whether pleasure or pain

whether people accord him

falls

it is

im-

to his lot,

praise or blame.

In

spite of the changing external environment he

ever undisturbed, because he has

remains for

found the source of eternal that love,

all

itself

is

reveals

verse

of

the ideal

to

beings

ocean.

He

His

bliss.

ocean

of

He has realised essence

the

love,

him the truth

one

is

bliss.

of

unbounded

all

love

that the whole uni-

bliss.

He

sees

that

are only waves great or small in that has,

in

fact,

understood the true

"

206

meaning of theUpanishadic statements "str'ST*sfa ^i^nrrft i-jrrR 3tpt^

I

«rnFtsPRjrfir«n^Rftfir"

srrc^

(Tait.

live

in

bliss,

and

And when one

self with this ocean of bliss,

I

Ill— 6). "From it

is

bliss that

approach and are there-into

they finally similated."

sffafor

beings born, being

bliss only, indeed," are these

born they

srrcrrft

has identified

how can

as-

one-

be

there

dissatisfaction or disturbance ? This ideal person

may be

therefore

Yoga^c

said to

For, what

Evenness

is

is

have realised the

Yoga?

"wm

true

itl 3^3"

Yoga."

The Eelation between Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga.

we have a point of convergency where both Juana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga In Para Bhakti,

meet.

Different

first sight,

though they might appear at

the two

Yogas are

related as already shown,

again commingle into one. to

attains

called "

that

really closely inter-

and at

When

ripe condition

Jnana Nishtha

knowledge (XVIII

—

"

this stage they

a Jnana Yogin of knowledge,

or firm adherence to

50), his realization

becomes

absolutely indistinguishable from Para Bhakti.

— 207

In

fact

Krishna

S'ri

devotee (VII

with

all

its

—

17)

Jnanin his highest

calls

and when knowledge coupled

ripening aids and free from antago-

nistic influences developes

supreme realicalled " Nisbthft-."

into

zation of the

Atman,

And

Jnana, Nishtha or fully developed

it is this

Jnana this

that

is

it

is

Para BhaktL*

identical with

Bhakti that

Vaman

Pandit

It is

famous

the

mediaeval Sadhu and poet of the Maharashtra so

much

extols in his

commentary on the Bhaga-

vadgita called the

" Yathartha Dipika."

while the preparatory Bhakti to

the

(jfpjft

knowledge of Brahman

supreme Bhakti (to

*T?t&:)

*rf%j)

(« re

Thus leads

wH H)

the

the final consum-

is

mation of Jnana generally known as BrahmaNishtha.

This fact that Para Bhakti

is

the ful-

filment of Jnana 5 accounts for the position ac-

corded to Bhakti Yoga

after

Jnana Yoga

in the

present treatment.

*

Cf. S'ankaracharya's

Commentary on XVIII

— 55

:

"

208

Concluding Remarks. It

now remains

what has been

for us to briefly recapitulate

said in the preceding pages in

order to enable ourselves to frame an answer to the question with which the present book began..

We

have seen that the Bhagavadgita

is

a

on Brahmavidys and Yogas'&stra* and

treatise

Yoga is the one indispensable condition in which Brahma Vidy§ or the knowledge of Brahman is attained. That this is so is borne that

out not only from the contents of the Gita in almost every chapter of which the knowledge of

Brahman ing

it is

is

spoken

of,

set forth as

express statement "

and the means of

m * =^nj

(standing where one never

Truth).

Here we are

* Mr. Bal Gangadhar phon

"

f&cTsniSRr

asm:

,r

swerves from the

told directly that

Yoga

is

Tilak's interpretation of the colo-

snrf^rrci ^frrerr^r

as

meaning

^frjtTSETUr " (Yogas'astra included in to supply an unnecessary

attain-

Yoga, but also from the

ellipsis.

Âť ^^n^RR^r

Brahma

The trend

teaching as a whole clearly shows that

all

V"idy5) has

of the Gita

the locatives here

individually refer to the Gita itself without any interrelation among themselves.

209

mind

that frame of

sight of the Truth or It has also

been seen that the

Yoga intended

Brahma Vidya

denned

as a means to

Gita

itself

which one never loses

in

Brahmam.

as

*'

is

A

equanimity."

in

the

good many

commentaries both on ancient and modern lines

have attempted

to solve

what

Yoga means

this

and what the essence of the Gita

own S'ri

in

their

Thus S'ankaracharya, whose com-

way.

mentary

is

is

the

oldest

available,

says

that

Krishna taught Arjuna the twofold Vedic of works

religion,

(sif fW?Pr)

and renunciation

(faiTrWSn1!), and according to that commentator

Supreme Yoga.

Bliss or

Moksha

is

attainable

by Jnana

According to Kamanujacharya, the next

commentator, the Gita intends to

set

forth the

Bhakti Yoga supported by knowledge as well as works (4M<fc^g4^fcPTftft'frT).

Nimbarkacharya of Eamanuja, but

is

slightly

still

it

The system of

different

from that

may be put down

as

Yoga as the essence of the Madhvacharya also teaches Bhakti though

recognizing Bhakti Gita.

according to him knowledge Buddhi Yoga is the primary meaning of " Yoga " and the essential 14

ZiU

condition ofMoksha.

charya who

is

According to VallabhS-

a Vaishnava commentator like

Eamanuja or Madhva, but Advaitism

modified

the expounder of a

unlike

the

either,

Gita

•expounds chiefly Bhakti as calculated to bring

on Divine

In later times the famous

grace.

Jnaneshwara

of the

commentary

in

Maharashtra wrote a learned

Marathi, on the Gita very

much

in accord with the views of S'ankara but speciali-

Of the modern

zing the importance of Bhakti. writers

Dr. Thibaut* thought

system was

chiefly

that

represented

BhSgavata

in

Dr. Sir E. G. Bhandarkar according to

Gita represents a

the

Gita.

whom

the

theistic reaction against anta-

gonistic influences,f passes over the definition of

Yoga

in the text

and simply says "The condi-

Yoga mode

tion of

mind

will."

Though Pandit

in the

of Calcutta refers *

to

is\

a determined

Sitanath Tattvabhushan the Gita

definition

of

See introduction to his translation of the Yedanta

Sutras. t See page 29, Vaishnavism, S'aivism

systems.

Part

and Minor Beligious

Encyclopedia of Indo-Aryan Research (Vol. Ill,

6).

P. 14, ibid.

211

Yoga Gita"

in

book

his

177), he

(p.

much importance or

less identify

ibid),

thinks

and

it

later

"Krishna and the

called

to

not seem

does it,

to

he seems to more

for

with Dhyana Yoga

on with

attach

(p.

183,

Bhakti, though he

the philosophy of the Gita

is

BhedS-

bheda Vada utterly opposed to Maya Vada, {p. 249, ibid).

Prof.

M. Eangacharya of Madras

has recently published his class lectures on the

Bhagavad Gita ethics as

is

disquisition

in

which he gives prominence to

name of the "The Hindu Philosophy of Conduct." evident from the very

Mr. Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Poona thinks that

Karma Yoga

is

theYoga meant

to be taught in the

Gita and according to him that a Jnanin ought to

work

for the

good of the world

doctrine of the work.

He

itself,

however,

is

a

*nW^faT

31W

*$fMI'*llfc[ "

This scholar

is called, (t

" though SffaRfST 31W ^f#T*riir liked it to be named " ^HMsfldR^ lt

the central

accordingly styles

the Gita as Karma-Yoga-S'astra.* * His commentary

is

we a

gfjlj^l^ -

should

haver

TW ^^TT "

or

meaning that Karma Yoga

the essence of the Bhagavadgita or that Bhagavadgita ia treatise

on Karma Yoga.

212

controversy as to the true*

also has revived a position of

new

Karma

tenet of his own, unlike all that

tators,

the

adding a

in the Gita, besides

commen-

other

Gita teaching

meant

is

for

Jnanins and not for aspirants only. not necessary, however, for us to pursue

It is

here the enquiry as to the exact position of

Karma is

in the Gita, for the real point at issue

what the Yoga of the Gita is and

we have shown- that

ing pages

and that

it is

preced-

in the '

equanimity

this definition applies equally to

Dhyana, Jnana and Bhakti.

'

Karma,

Accordingly

S'ri

Krishna says " sqr^TTWft <Rqi% ^rVOcfMUktMr )

sfa

37re?t

23,25).

the

self

I

By by

others by

%sfa ^rfarc?^

^

3rftq<i*TJii;

concentration some behold the self in self,

others by

Karma Yoga. Yet

Sankhya Yoga, and others, not

worship, having heard from others

this,

cross

" (XIII

beyond death,

;

knowing they too

adhering to what they

Here Dhyana Yoga and Karma Yoga are recognised expressly by their own name, heard."

Jnana Yoga title

is

also recognised

Sankhya Yoga,

for it has

by

its

alternative

been stated to be

213 expressly

meant

for

—

The word " worship

chapter (II clearly

Thus

refers all

to

the

an earlier

in

" (

4m*kl )

Bhakti coupled with

faith.

four

Atman,

the

of

3).

Sankhyas

that

lead

to

the

realisation

is,

are

the

means

to

Brahma Vidya. Each of these four leads to " equanimity " the real Yoga and thus to the realization of

Brahman. Hence there can be

doubt that the Gita stress

Yoga

S'astra lays special

on Yoga as equanimity.

modern

writers*,

that

Yoga has an

^%

^rraresq; "

"

as

Some

alternative definition.

and according to them

fiWIT:

4>tff|cMS

II

^T

5f^ffrTT3FT§rc

"%lt means

this

view

The passage

which the verse occurs runs thus

^"T U3t

this

Yoga," but

ignores the context altogether.

II

of the

however are disposed to think

Skill in actions is called

•i-^

little

I

:

—"

^ftrer:

^

§5T *K«W|3fn?

ifiC^T^ STfRftf 3$" gU^TfSf^

<cWK-frlN gsq*T qtr:

^3 3rhR5Jj."

casting off

attachment, being the same in success and * Pandit Sitanath Tattvabhushan (Krishna 176-177) Mr. B. G. Tilak

|

" Steadfast in

Yoga do thy works, O, Dhananjaya,

Gita, p.

in

and

fail—

the

(Gritarahasya, p. 57) etc.

214

•

Equanimity

ure.

Far removed

called Yoga.

is

lower Karma, from the Yoga of intelligent

is

work

wealth-winner,

;

seek refuge in

wisdom, for pitiable are those that

He who

desire of rewards.

this-

are led

by

endowed with

is

the wisdom leaves behind both the good and the bad, wherefore apply thyself to Yoga.

regard to actions, Yoga S'ri

Krishna

is

the skill."

is

here pointing to

In

Obviously

Arjuna,

how

actions should be performed in order that they

may not be

He

be binding.

performed

Yoga

with

without being perturbed failure

;

selfish

latter, praises the

lose

as actions

*Prof.

equanimity),,

this sort of

work with

work and condemning the

former as a great power, inas-

when

done with

evenness

Karma Yoga is concluded " Therefore apply thyself to Some* have thought that " §fe " in Then

with the words

Yoga."

(or

must

which are of a binding nature

that nature

of mind.

that they

mind by success or

in

he then contrasts

Yoga with

much

says

:

Max Muller seems

lates the present verse "

to be

one of these for he transis devoted to knowledge

He who

leaves behind both good and evil deeds, therefore devote yourself to Toga, Toga is success in (all) actions." (Six fijs. 406).

215

the last verse refers to knowledge as contrasted

with work, apparently on the ground that

it is.

only for the Jnanin that leaving both the good

and the bad

is

But

possible.

the conclusion

"Therefore apply yourself to Yoga " guarantee that

Though

may be

cerned with the :

a sufficient

" wraffe'V not binding on

really

is

true that actions are

it is

a Jnanin, we

verse says

Buddhi

is

sure that

we

are here con-

fruits of actions only, for the

"For men of wisdom cast

off

next

the fruit

of action, possessed of knowledge, (and) released

from the bond of

birth,

where there

evil " (II

is

no

must be more than the one

We all

the four

how

—

state

In any case

it

" equanimity"*

is

51).

clear that

Yoga thought

have shown

they attain the

of in the Gita.

in the

Yogas lead

preceding pages

to this ideal

as such they are not really so

how

Yoga and many dis-

tinct paths, but are really inter-related.

This

why the Gita begins with Jnana and introduces Karma Yoga and finally concluded explains

with Dhyana Yoga in one place, while

it

begins

with Karma Yoga and treating of the other twd * Of. the Stoic ideal in Greek Philosophy.

2ia

Yogas concludes another place.

with

We may

where duty, one's hear.

is

where

this inter-

clearly suggested than

" Devoted each

in the work.

to his

else-

own

man attains perfection how devoted to own duty one attains success, that do thou Him from whom is the evolution of all ;

whom all

beiDgs, by

ping

more

in

a passage

select here

in the last chapter of the Gita, relation

Yoga

Jnana

the

Him

this is

pervaded, by worship-

with his proper duty,

perfection

(XVIII

—45-46).

perfection.

"

Again

are related,

whom

He whose mind

is

free

self is

sub-

by renun-

desire has fled, he

ciation attains that

supreme

from action." (XVIII the relation between

—

49).

how how

become a means of

from attachment everywhere, whose dued, from

attains

This shows

Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga actions performed as worship

man

state of

Here

is

freedom indicated

Karma Yoga and Jnana

Yoga, how actlessness of the

self

is

realised

Take these verses through unselfish work. now. " Endowed with a pure mind, controlling the self with firmness, leaving aside objects like

sound, giving up love and hatred, resorting to

217 -a

sequestered spot, eating but

little,

speech and

body and mind subdued, always engaged in meditation and concentration, taking refuge in dispassion, having

abandoned egotism, strength,

arrogance, desire, enmity, property, free from notion of mine and peaceful, he becomes

-the

becoming

for

We

Brahman."

are told in these s'lokas

leads to

Brahma Vidya

Thus

man.

it is

fit

(XVIII— 51-53). how Dhyana Yoga

or realisation

quite possible

of Brah-

to conceive of

how Karma Yoga necessarily involves Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga and through Dhyana Yoga leads to realisation of the Brahman. And we might quote other similar passages to establish similar sequences of Yoga in a different This should be "

•order.

show not only

enough, therefore to

that the Gita does

not consider

the Yogas as mutually exclusive, but also that it implies the necessity

discipline

to

be

of

a

followed.

certain

But

still

order

of

the fact

remains, that according to the temperament of the

religious

Yogin

by

aspirant

he would be called a

in accordance with the

him.

method preferred

218

many

baffled

a commentator,

has

Gita that

peculiarity of the

It is this

who

started

with

a preconceived theory that the Gita wanted

to-

As

it

establish a particular is

Yoga

as supreme.

not the purpose of the present attempt

to*

critically examine any of these theories, we may simply repeat here again the observation made

in the introductory remarks that none

of these

exclusive theories can find any support in the

According

Gita.

to the Gita,

we may

repeat,,

Yoga is equanimity and whatever lead* that Yoga is itself a Yoga.

the ideal

up

to

It is

now

time to formulate an answer to the

main question with which we started the pres" What is the value of the ent discussion. Gita as a guide to practical

we mean

practicality ciled to

the

way

our present in

gross

may be

plain,

is

a teaching to

If

by

be recon-

which merely

sanctions-

live in the world,

however

life

which we

life ?"

its defects,

then the Gita, to be

absolutely of no value as a guide.

For,,

the teachings are antagonistic to most of our

conceptions

of

frame of mind

People of the ordinary

life.

are,

it

is

to be

feared, mostly

219

opposed

They

trines of the Gita.

the theory

in

pleasurable

that might

that one's

with one's duty.

may be

believe in competition^

interest

it,

but

certainly

is

a

another kind of practical

trying to reconcile life,

we might

selves

however high

may

realisation that

the

be,

But there

life.

Instead of present

our-

ideal.

This ideal,

must not be an impos-

of us

all.

or

Highest

every one

unconsciously striving

Truth

or

the

is its ideal,

Brahman or the Absolute As observed elsewhere

course of our discussion,

the

no guide to

life.

Brahma- Vidya

quite practical.

sciously

at best

In this sense the ideal of the Gita ia

sible one.

self

life,-

gradually improve

try to

it

is

the ideal with our

we approach

till

identical

is

If this be the practical

those that wish to lead such is

destiny of

confessed at once, the Gita

indifferent to

the

that

right,

is

necessarily the eternal

is

mankind and

it

of thought to the doc-

in their trend

Brahman.

to

is

the

in the

is

conattain

Owing

to*-

our not having an exact conception of what this

of

ideal is are

action

caused

the

we take towards

different courses

the realisation of"

220

Every man

St.

therefore

is

following

really

the path of Brahman, whatever course of con-

may have chosen

duct he is

the long run destined to

in

—

goal of every one

equanimity

is

of us.

up

take

Brahman (IV of Brahman becomes

berately the path of the realisation

and he

for himself

Yoga

11).

deli-

Hence

the ultimate

or

perfect

the one condition of actualising

it.

It goes without saying, therefore, that the teach-

ings of the Gita offer the surest foundation for morality.

mended

While moral principles are only recombooks without offering

in other sacred

any philosophical

the Gita

basis for the same,

not only pre-eminently ethical in

its

is

nature, but

on the surest foundation of Brahma-

supports

it

Vidya.

We

have had already occasion to note

this

in connection

And

it is

with Jnana Toga

this feature of the

(p. 147).

Yedanta that has

been specially appreciated by foreign admirers dike Dr. Paul Deussen.

This scholar says "People

have often reproached the Vedanta with being /defective

.genius

is

in

morals

and indeed

the

too contemplative to speak

<works, but the

fact

is,

Indian

much

nevertheless, that

of

the

221

highest and purest

morality,

is

The Gospels

consequence of the Vedanta. quite '

ity,

why

correctly as the

nature I not in

feel pain

my

as yourselves.'

and pleasure only

in myself,

The answer is not in the venerable book being not yet quite

neighbour.

Bible (this

free of Semitic realism) but is in

But

by the order of

since

so,

fix

highest law of moral-

Love your neighbour should I do

the immediate-

the great formula

gives in three words

You

together.

it is

M Tat

Vedas r

in the

twam

asi,"

which

metaphysics f'and morals-

shall love

your neighbour, as

yourselves because you are your neighbour and

mere

illusion

neighbour

Or

is

makes you

believe

that

your

something different from yourselves.

words of the Bhagavadgita, he who

in the

knows himself

in everything

himself

not

will

injure

and everything

himself

"Na hinasti atmana atmanam." tenour of

all

morality and this

This is

by is the

in

himself

sum and

the standpoint.

man knowing himself as Brahman."* If we remember the circumstances that led' to the teaching of the Gita, how Arjuna, a

of a

* The Philosophy

of the Vedanta, by Dr. Paul Deussen.

"

222

was taught these things by

fighting king,

S'ri

Krishna also a Kshatriya, in a battlefield, and how

Arjuna

exhorted at every stage not to neglect

is

duty and how at the same time the highest

his

philosophical truths are taught

panacea for

all evils

of this world,

the extent of practicality

of the Gita.

religion

another of religious life,

%rf

31^

and

of the philosophy

—one —but

of practical life

there

life

be

to

is

and

one un-

feri JR:

"

and realized here or

felt

Accordingly

nowhere.

we can measure

and the truths of philosophy and

are

religion

as the one

According to the Gita

there are not two worlds

divided

him

it

(V— 19.)

" ff^ ?rf^r: 3*ff " Even in this life is

says

nature conquered by those whose mind rests on

This verse occurring

evenness."

as

it

does

after another which declares that " the wise see

the same in a

and humility, also

in a

clearly

the

Yoga

Brahmin endowed with wisdom in

a cow, in

dog and

points

in

ity is not to

a dog-eating

out the

of equanimity.

an elephant, as

practical

outcast

nature

of

This Yoga of equanim-

be attained by taking refuge in a

Jungle from the vicissitudes of

life

and doing

223

nothing useful.

no doubt, speaking

It needs,

from the standpoint of Dhyana Yoga, retirement into solitude not with an aimless discontentment,

but with the express object of investigating the

most important problems of

after the realization the ideal

scribed

Then again

life.

wiseman

is

throughout as in the above verses as

spending his

Whether

life

in the very midst of the world.

they

spiritually

come

in

regenerated

contact

with

the

or with the worldly

minded or even with the purely Tamasic

who

de-

souls

are not yet sufficiently developed to be

for the busy concerns of

life,

they see in

one and the same pure Brahman.

all

fit

the

Their very

presence inspires other less-gifted souls, and their living personality

is

no small help to those that

wish to keep up their balance of mind but are constantly tossed up and

worldly

life.

Here

is

down by

the waves of

a very practical ideal, for

ÂŤvery one of the thoughtful people on earth wants to get at a method whereby he can improve himself and be of some use to society. The Gita says to achieve this you must gain tranquillity of mind,

perfect

balance of mind.

:

•iz%

Avoiding the extremes of inactivity activity with

passions (f^P?),

we should ever

strive after intense activity, but in the

eternal

it,

Brahman

calmness.

in

all,

Try

who

the Divine Atman,

full

the

—

are ever inspired

of the Divine

Atman

alone (V

Divine

Atman everywhere

—

see

midst of

same

have before your mind constantly

those great souls

variety (V

to

and;

(ar^nf)

18),

17),

with

Atman and

and who see the same

and you

in

will

this

world

have a great

of

help-

to secure this calm, forgiving, equable, all-loving

mind which

And

is

the condition of success in

this practice

life.

does not require any extra-

ordinary special qualifications reserved only for

a few.

For

S'ri.

Krishna says " %% §

" This

(XVIII— 67). who is devoid

of austerities

not devoted

nor should

is

who

is

jealous

;

is

not to be taught to one

never to one

;

it

* Of. YSska

Me."

These

who

be taught to one

not obedient, nor yet to one of

^RTCRgrpf

are

the

who

only

is-

con-

:

225

One must undergo

ditions.

What

word and deed.

training of thought,

this

training

purity,

is,

ex-

is

" "Worship*

plained in the seventeenth chapter,

and

continence

straightforwardness,

abstinence from injury, speech which causes

excitement and reading of

is

and

beneficial,

serenity

of mind,

true, pleasant

the scriptures,

no

good-heartedness, silence, self-control and purity

of nature " (XVII constitutes Tapas.

and

willing to

no special

— 14

Practice of these

to 16).

He must

be devoted to

obey the injunctions.

qualification

-sincere wish to

improve

this qualification

one

is

Provided with

practise the discipline

from where he is placed by nature. "# sftfe 5J*ft

In a word,

demanded except a

oneself.

may

God

# ^oqfiRST

TO" (XVIII-45.) " Engaged

in his

own

duty man attains perfection."

Thus the Gita to those

who wish

'life^difficulties

ness and

is

evil,

of the highest practical value to get over difficulties in

which are the

results of

this

wicked-

— and to those who wish to improve

themselves as well as their environment.

We

might with perhaps even more propriety quote iihe

very expressions which have been applied 15

**

226

to European mysticism and ings hold just as

good

say

"its teach-

in the family,

in the

market, in the Senate, in the study, aye in thebattlefield itself,

and teach (man) the way to lead

in whatever station of

life

he

may be

placed

truly man-like because a truly God-like life."

a~

CORRIGENDA Page 21 „

38

„

41

for

11-47

read

„

XVIII 10

„

II. 47.

XVIII

11.

note for one of the righteous doctrine read one of the

most righteous dootrines for a most well

52

known read a

be readily

well

known

read being readily

55

„

XVII 24

„

XVI

84

67

„

XVII 23

„

XVI

28

59

„

sorifice

„ sacrifice

60

„

Faithful

62

„

III

64

„

distroyer

„ destroyer

87

„

VI 33

„

88

„

oonnot

„ cannot

„

There have been

It

3

for to

90

for

„ faithful

45

„ II 45.

sense world.means

VI

35.

„ has been

read sense-world

means 101

„

who has by

123 note " could not be

„ "

who by

„ could only be

124

for

140

„

pratical

„ practical

„

owefully

„ woefully

i*

144 •i

169

ownselves

„ VIII 4-5 „

standpoint

„ s'olka

„

own

selves

„ VII 4-5 ,i

point

„ s'loka

228 «

Page 177

for intstead

read instead

'

„

181

„

loveable

„ lovable

„

188

„

illiminates

„ illuminates

„ 184

„

tansiormed

„ transformed

„ SOS

„

in

whose the

realisation of the

Atman has been

born,

read in whose soul the Atman has been realised „ 209 „ 214

'

for

Brahmam

„ pointing to

read Brahman „

pointing out to

'

INDEX Abhyasa, 91 Adam, 183, 137 Ahankara, 44, 45, 124, 144 Ah rim an, 133 Ajnana, 129 Allen, J., 151

Emerson, 112, 136 Epictetus, SI

Aristotle, 6. Arjuna, 85, 51—54, 50, 105. 202,

N

Farquhar,

J.

Farrar,

W., 5

IT.

29, 53, 205,

8

G.

222

Atman,

1,

Galanos. 4 Garbe, R„ 5

224

Avataras, 190 Avidya, 29 Avyakta, 124, 160

Stanisallo Gatti 4 Gunae, 29-81, '«2-8, 66, 127-9. '40, 168

B.

«

H. Hopkins, B., 6, 135

Benson, R. H., 60. Bbandarkar, B. G., 210 Bboja, 15 Bible, 191

Brahman, 12, 14, 29, 92. 134, 145—7, 149 Brabmanas, 29 Buddba, 191 Buddbi, 29, 124

J.

93, 132,

James, W., 169. Janaka, 21 Janardana, 35 Jnaneshwara, 210 Jesus, 85, 92, 191

C. Oalderon de la Baica, 131 Caldwell, 188 Oarlyle, 117. 132

Chakravarti, B, 6 Chakravarti, J. S., 8 The Oharvakas, 122, 168

D. Dars'anas, 29 Davies, 6 Deussen, P. 85, 41. 181, 220, 221

Dbammapada, 191

Kama, 83, 176 Kant I., 182 Kapila, 25 Katbopanishad, 75, 119 The Kanravas, 63 Koran, 191

Krishna. 8, 61—4, 80, 67, 125, 188, 138, 16*. 173. 188, 189. 191, 196—203, 209—214, 222, ' 224.

Krodha, 63 Kubera, 470

6

230 Sanga, 38, 44, 117 S'ankaracharya, 10, 36, 131, 199,

Lassen, 4, Lazarus, J., 40

Loka Sangraha, Lorinser, F. 4,

141-2, 148

5,

6

207,200 Sankhya, 25, 89 Sannyasa, 88-89 Sattwam, *?9-80, 86, 87, 63, 79-80 Seneca, 5

M. Shakespeare, 131 Maodonell, A. 11, 61, 105, 107- Sophocles, 181 182 Sures'waracharya, 180 Maoniool, N„ 91, 92, 167 Sutasamhita, 63 Madhvacharya, 209, 2i0 Swapnes'wara, 185 Taittiriyopanishad, 128 Mahabharata, 18? Mahomed, 132, 191 Tamas, 29-30, 36, 87, 79-80 Manu, 179 Tapas, 187 ara 1 3T Sitanath Tattvabhushan, 810, Max Mailer, F. 6, 15, 89, 61, 106, 218 814 Moses, 5 T. Murdoch, J. 12 Telang, 6 Tbibaut, 210 Tilak, B. G., 185, 208, 211 Nimbarkaoharya, 209 •i Nirvana, 92, 138 U. The Pandavas, 63 Upanishads, 10, 12, 29, 113, 181Panini, 9 134—136 Paramarasa, 182 Fartha, 61 V. Fatanjali, 15 St. Paul, 6 Vairagya, 89 Pindar, 131 Vallabhacharya, 210 Plato, 6. 181 Vaman Pandit, 207 Frakriti, 29—127, 137, 140 Vedas, 123, 132, 158, 190 Purusha, 89, 187—9 Vivekachadamani, 161 Pythagoras, 5 Swami Vivekananda, 162, 168

M

R. Rajas, 29-80, 86, 37, 63, 79, 175 Ramanujacharya, 209, 210

Rand, 40 Rangacharya, M, all Roer, 11

W. Waldo, E. 41, 107 Weber, 5, 6 Wilkins, C. 3, 4 Monier Williams, 3,

S.

10

Z. 91

Samadhi, 92, 112

Zsndavesta,

Samsara, 129, 186 S'andilya— Bhakti Sutras, 136

Zoroaster, 191 Zoroastrianism, 183

1

6,

*

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