ESSENCE OF BHAKTIYOGA OF SRIMADBHAGAVADGITA

ESSENCE OF BHAKTIYOGA OF SRIMADBHAGAVADGITA
अपि चेत् सुदुराचारो भजते मां अनन्यभाक्।
साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यक् व्यवसितो हि सः॥
क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति।
कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति॥
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया।
यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्॥
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति।
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम्॥
ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति।
समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम्॥
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।
मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे॥
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः॥
जय जय श्रीराधे

KARMA PHALA AND THE ROLE OF GOD

In the scheme of nature, there is a free will for an individual to do something or not to do something or do differently. This is the free space available to us.

Destiny, on the other hand, plays its trick starting with the birth of a child. Why one is born poor and another rich ? Why one is healthy and another has serious birth defects? One loses the mother the moment it is born? One is born dead? The questions are too many.

But what is the force which causes such disparities ? Whether God is to be blamed for this partiality?

The only logical answer could be the Karma Theory which explains that the human being takes birth to exhaust his PrArabdha Karma. This gets extinguished only by experiencing in the world, going through the vicious cycles of pleasures and pains. In the process there is always a little scope to do some action within a limited domain. Just like a Cow which is tied by a long rope has the freedom to move within the space determined based on the length of the rope, human beings have some free will to exercise. Beyond that limited area the tied cow cannot roam about. This represents the force of destiny. The reason why some selected people lose their precious life suddenly due to accidents, diseases, natural calamities like Tsunami , earthquake, floods,  fire and so on cannot be otherwise explained.

Self- effort is absolutely essential for any one without taking shelter under the guise of destiny. Therefore one has to do his Svadharma in a given environment without any attachment to the fruits of action. If destiny decides otherwise, one should have the will power to take it in his stride in a positive manner without losing heart. For this meditation techniques help a lot to make one develop equanimity towards the dualities. 

One should take caution not to abuse the little free will that is available to him.

Despite one's best intentions and efforts, the effect of PrArabdha Karma embedded as VAsanAs may suddenly manifest and impact one any time. But that is the embedded secret of life .

The role of God in the scheme of Karma is that he has created the process of cause and effect and ensures that it works out without any flaw whether it is an ordinary person or a mighty man. God’s worship mitigates the impact of  the numerous problems of life  caused by one’s bad karmas and gives him the moral  strength to bear them and come out of them.

In order to get released from  the vicious circle of birth and death  caused by one’s accumulated Karmas over many births, BhagavAn offers a secret and secure route of grace which is available for one whose mind is focused on the Supreme and who has unconditionally surrendered unto him. For those great souls, BhagavAn neurtralises all their  bad deeds and grants them his divine association for ever.

It is very difficult to  understand properly the concept of Karma and Karma phala. 

KarmaNohyapi boddhavyam boddhavyam ca vikarmaNah ।

akarmaNasca boddhavyam gahaNa karmaNo gatih ॥

--- Bhagavad GItA

As per Dharma SAstras, there are different types of Sins classified as mahApApa, PAtaka, anupAtaka, upapApa, atipAtaka, mahApAtaka, upapAtaka, jAtibhramsakara, SankarIkaraNa, apAtrIkaraNa, malAvaha, PrakIrNaka and so on.

Just like a drop of oil  spreading over water, the sin gets transmitted from one person to another by association with a sinner.

sankrAmanti hi papAni taila bindurivAmbhasi ।

cAndrAyaNam Yavakam tulA purushairiva ca ॥

One who blesses the sinner gets infected by the sins of the latter.

Kurvantyanugraham ye tu tat pApam teshu Gacchati ।

SarIrasyAtyaye prApte vadanti niyamam tu ye ॥

--- ParASara smrti

Through DakshiNa the sins get transferred to the BrAhmaNa and through the recitation of the Vedas, the pApas of the BrAhmaNa get nullified.

DakshiNAnAm BrAhmaNena BrAhmaNasya chandobhi:chandaSam svAdhyAyenapahata pApmA......

---- TaittirIya AraNyaka

Karma Marga

By doing prAyascitta as per dharma SAstras, one’s sins get destroyed.

prAyascitta Sabdah pApakshayArthe naimittike karma viSesha rUdah ।

--- vijnAneSvarah

JnAna Yoga

Regarding distribution of Karma of a Self-realized person, Atma bodha explains that the critics share his sins and the followers share his puNyas.

Ye jnAninam nindanti, dvishanti, du:kha pradAnam kurvanti tAnprati jnAnikrtam sarvamAgAmi kriyamANam yadavAcyam karma tatpApAtmakam gacchati ।

---Tatva Bodha

Bhakti yoga

BhagavAn KrshNa assures that He would deliver one from all sins if one unconditionally surrenders to Him. Hence there is no sin which the Supreme cannot nullify.

Sarva dharmAn parityajya mAmekam SaraNam vraja ।

Aham tvA sarva pApebhyo mokshayishyAmi Ma Sucah ॥

--- Bhagavad GIta

kalau kalmasha chittAnAm pApadravyopa jIvinAm ।

vidhikriyA vihInAnAm gatir govinda kIrtanam ॥

natAvat pApamedheta yannAmnA na hatam hare:।

atireka bhayAdahu: prAyascittAntaram vrthA ॥

--- Yoga YAjnavalkya:

sakṛdeva prapannAya tavAsmIti ca yAcate ।

abhayaṃ sarva bhUtebhyo dadAmi Etat vratam mama ॥

--- VAlmIkI RAmAyaNam

Impact of Bad deeds on the Doer and his Family

(1) Depending on the gravity and intensity of the sins, it can affect only the doer or along with him his wife or son or daughter or any one associated with him or  some or all of them together at any point of time.

(2) The Sins can be destroyed by following Karma yoga, jnAna yoga or Bhakti yoga as aforesaid. Else it may affect the person and his family depending on the severity of the Sins committed.

(3) Unconditional surrender to the lotus feet of the Supreme by following Bhakti Yoga will definitely nullify all sins and one will get released. This is applicable to all. 

(4) All the lineal descendants including sons , daughters, grand sons and grand daughters may get impacted depending upon the severity of the Sin. 

It will be very difficult to draw a matrix of all the sins in the world and then say who are all will be affected, to what extent, when (whether in this birth or later), in what sequence, to what extent, why and how. The Prarabdha Karma has to be experienced by all.

Karma Phala (Fruit of Action)

(1) Like a young calf which recognizes the mother cow amidst thousand other cows, the karma done by a person follows him meticulously.

(2) Like the tree which yields flowers and fruits at the appointed seasons, the fruit of action also manifests at the proper time.

(3) If a person cuts trees with an axe, then the person who cuts incurs the sin and not the Axe nor the maker of the Axe.

(4) For one's action Supreme is not responsible.

(5) There is the Supreme who by his Laws dispenses the Karma Phalam.

(6) Good and bad deeds rotate like a wheel.

(7) When there is great natural calamity like famine etc, all the people including great Rishis by-pass the dharma and adopt what is known as the Apad dharma

(8)In the case of a realized person, whatever karma he does after realization gets distributed to those who praise and follow him and also to those who find fault with him. The former gets his puNya phala and the latter the PApa, if any. He experiences the prArabdha karma while his Sancita karma gets neutralized.

(9) Karma done without the sense of doership and offered at the feet of the Supreme does not bind one.

(10) The Supreme intervenes in the case of a very select few (who truly deserve) and neutralises their karma due to his divine grace.

prAyascittAnyaSeshANi tapah karmAtmakAni vai । 

yAni teshamaSeshANAm KrishNAnussmaraNam param ॥

जय जय श्रीराधे 

WHETHER ALL ARE ELIGIBLE TO STUDY SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA AND VISHNU SAHASRANAMA?

Eligibility for Studying Srimad Bhagavad GItA and VishNu SahasranAma

SrImad BhAgavatam i-4-25 empowers Women and those belonging to the fourth caste to study MahAbhAratam. As SrImad Bhagavad GItA and  VishNu SahasranAma are  parts of MahAbhAratam, women and those belonging to the fourth caste who have faith in BhagavAn  can recite them  after learning from a Guru.

The intrinsic meaning of the adage “ BhAratah pancamo vedah” is that MahabhArata is a ceaseless treasurehouse of holistic knowledge like the Vedas  which contains various subtle exposition of dharma. It does not mean that only dvijas are  entitled to study MahabhArata. This injunction applies only in the case of study of the four Vedas comprising of  samhitA.  BrAhmaNa, AraNyaka and Upanishad and  VedAnta vicAra.

It is to be noted that a plain and unbiased reading of the VishNu sahasranAma phalaSruti shows that it can be chanted by all the four VarNas for which the benefits acrrue differently based on one's VarNa.

Vedantago brAhmaNah syAd kshatriyo vijayI bhavet !

vaiSyo dhana samruddhas syAt  SUdras sukhamavApnuyAt !!

On similar lines, this is another pramANa from SrI vAlmIkI RAmAyaNa:

paThan dvijo vAk RishabhatvamIyAt |

syAt kShatriyo bhUmi patitvamIyAt ||

vaNik janaH paNya phalatvamIyAt |

janasa SUdro'pi mahatvamIyAt ||       1-1-100

By reading this RAmAyaNa,

 ---A BrAhmaNa attains excellence in speech

 ---A Kshatriya attains lordship over land

 ---A VaiSya attains monetary gains

 ---A SUdra attains personal excellence.

Please note the word "paThan" (reading) used in SrI ValmiKI RAmAyaNa. This in addition to  the quote from SRimad bhAgavatam (given below) proves the eligibility of Women and  SUdras in reading the text of the ItihAsas like RAmAyaNa and MahAbhArata.

   

SrImad BhAgavatam i-4-25 empowers Women and SUdras to study MahAbhAratam .

                        strI SUdra dvijabandhUnAm

                        trayI na Sruti gocarA

                        karma Sreyasi mUDhAnAm

                        SreyA  evam bhaved iha

                        Iti bhAratam AkhyAnam

                        krupayA muninA krutam !!

  

SrI Sankara bhAshyam on SrI VishNu sahasranamam on the sloka "vedantago brAhmaNas syAt" goes in a circle and tries to connect performance of yajna and the SUdra varNa and says that the SUdras can only hear but not chant. This stringent  view also held by someAcAryas does not bring out the true spirit behind the purpose of creating itihAsa purANas. These are intended for the benefit of  all including women and SUdras ,irrespective of the VarNa, as BhagavAn is common to all and He can be reached by any one irrespective of one's caste through unconditional love.

Different types of BrAhmaNas

We need to understand more about who is a BrAhmaNa. 

Vipra means BrAhmaNa.
A person is born as a BrAhmaNa.
As the first born among the mortals, he is known as agrajanmA.
After Upanayana. he becomes a dvija.
As one learned in Vedas, he is known as a Srotriya.
As a deity upon earth, he is known as BhUdeva.
As one who has emanated from the mukha of the Supreme, he is known as Mukhaja.
A BrAhmaNa who is only by birth and not by performance of duties is known as BrAhmaNabruva.

According to Devala, there are eight types of BrAhmaNas as follows in the ascending order of greatness:

(1)MAtra
(2)BrAhmaNa
(3)Srotiya
(4)anUcAna
(5)BhrUNA

(6)Rishikalpa
(7)Rishi
(8)Muni
MAtra means one who is born in a BrAhmaNa family who has not undergone upanayanam and not following any ansuhthAna.
BrAhmaNa is one who has done some veda adhyayana, who has ACara, SAnti, Satyam, dayA.
Srotriya is one who has done the Veda adhyayanam of one SakhA along with kalpasUtra or six vedAngas, knower of dharma, performer of six karmas like yajanam.
anUCAna is one who is vedavedAnga tatvajna, Suddha citta, devoid of Sins and having the qualities of Srotriya.
BhruNa is one who is vrataguNopeta, follower of niyamas in yajnas and vedAdhyayana, devapitruSishtAnna BhojI, jitendriya.
Rishikalpa is one who has all vaidika and laukika jnAna, Asramastha, jitendriya.
Rishi is one who is Urdharetas, tapasvI, follower of AhAra niyama, powerful to give SApa and anugraha, satyasandha.
Muni is one who is not attached towards vishayas, knower of all tatvas, without KAma and krodha, dhyAnastha, nishkriya, jitendriya, viewer of gold or sand equally.

Learning of Vedas

In matters regarding learning and teaching of Vedas , we have to go based on what is stated in the Vedic Scriptures and concluded by our great Rishis. One should not confuse what is stated in the SAstras with our limited materialistic knowledge. It is safer and better to align with the upadeSa of smrutis in  this regard.

Vedas are no doubt meant for Universal peace, Universal development and Universal welfare. But the Vedic yajnas have to be performed by those who are qualified by the SAstras to perform. While Vedic knowledge can be freely disseminated for the benefit of all, teaching and learning the Vedic Mantras with VarNa and svara have to be based on tradition only.

Vipras have protected the Vedas from time immemorial by making personal sacrifice and by leading a simple and austere life devoted to propagation of Vedas (sVadhyAya pravacanam). We have to offer our deep sense of  gratitude to them who have selflessly carried it so far despite numerous hurdles. In the name of modernity, let us not fiddle with it.

When we daily recite the SAnti PATha as below, we pray for the well-being of not only human beings but also animals and plants. ThereforeVedic Prayers have an Universal outlook.

Urdhvam jigAtu bheshajam !

Sam no astu dvipade !

Sam catushpade !

Om SAntih SAntih SAntih !

The following Mantra also recited while offering oblations to our forefathers show how caring are the Vedas about environmental order.

Madhu vAtA rutAyate(Let the air be pleasant)

Madhu ksharanti sindhavah(Let the rivers be pleasant)

MAdhvIrnas santvoshadhIh(Let the plants and creepers be pleasant)

Madhu naktamutoshasi(Let the day and night be pleasant)

Madhumat pArthivam rajah(Let the dust of the earth be pleasant)

Madhu dyaurastu nah pitA(Let our father-like Sky be pleasant)

Madhu mAnno vanaspatih(Let the herbs be pleasant)

MadhumAm astu sUryah(Let the Sun be pleasant)

MAdhvIr gAvo bhavantu nah(Let the cows be pleasant to us)

--- mahAnArAyaNa upanishad xxxix-3

Let all the dvijas take the initiative in learning and propagating the Vedic knowledge for the benefit of all Beings within the framework ofSAstras.

Else the prediction in SrImad BhAgavatam that "VedAh PAshaNda dUshitAh" would become a reality very soon.

Let us pray more Vipras do whatever they can for protecting and nourishing the Vedas and the Srotriyas.

Yadyat Acarati Sreshthah tadtadevetaro janah !

sa yat pramANam kurute lokas tadanuvartate !! ( Bh. G . iii- 21)

Summary

All people who have faith in the Supreme are eligible to study SrImad Bhagavad GItA and SrI VishNu sahasranAma. While Vedas and Vipras are to be held in high esteem, we need to understand that for approaching the Supreme, Vedas are not the only route for people belonging to all castes. Taking into consideration various aspects, BhagavAn has so kindly made him easily accessible to people of other VarNas as well through the path of unconditional love popularly  known as  bhakti yoga.

There are two broad routes to reach the Supreme. One path is approaching him while duly following the VarNASrama dharma (as far as practicable) as stipulated in Vedas and SAstras. This is mainly applicable for the first three VarNas. Another one is the BhAgavata dharma which does not have the Vedic injunctions thereby opening the door to all irrespective of caste or creed. That is why we can find many BrAhmaNas lovingly worshipping Non-BrAhmANa Azhvars and NAyanmars in the Bhakti tradition of the South.  If some one from any caste or creed  is so passionate and craving to know the Supreme BhagavAn , there is nothing which stops him if he follows the second path. Such a noble soul has to be deeply respected by all. The confusion has arisen mainly because we are mixing up the two and trying to apply the rules and injunctions of the first path to the second. Those who tread by the second path always honour those following the first path of VarNAsrama dharma and vice versa as the ultimate objective of reaching the Supreme BhagavAn is the same in both cases. 

குலம் தாங்கு சாதிகள் நாலிலும் கீழ் இழிந்து எத்தனை 

நலம் தான் இலாத சண்டாள சண்டாளர்கள் ஆகிலும் 

வலம் தாங்கு சக்கரத்து அண்ணல் மணிவண்ணற்கு ஆள் என்று உள் 

கலந்தார் அடியார் தம் அடியார் எம் அடிகளே !

---NammAzhvAr TiruvAimozhi

जय जय श्रीराधे 

WHETHER BHAGAVAD GITA SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED TO NON-SPIRITUAL PURSUITS?

Bhagavad GItA has the main objective of Bhakti Yoga . But there are other valued aspects related to Karma and JnAna as well. Karma Yoga can be applied to both materialistic pursuits and religious/spiritual endeavors. The principles are the same. While one is about society another is  regarding divinity. Instead of not doing any thing (Karma SanyAsa) Karma Yoga is far superior. The philosophical inputs of Gita appeals to the mind, body and intellect representing Bhakti, Karma and JnAna Yogas. We can emulate best practices of great men as well both at the materialistic and religious / spiritual levels:

Yadyat Acarati Sreshthah tadtadevetaro janah !
sa yat pramANam kurute lokas tadanuvartate !!

--- Bh. G . iii- 21