Arjuna said: 1. I desire to know severally, O mighty-armed, the essence or truth of "Renunciation, " O Hrishikesa, as also of 'Abandonment, ' O slayer of Keshi (Krishna) .

The chapter begins with Arjuna's question, demanding of Lord Krishna a precise definition, and an exhaustive explanation, of the two terms used by the Lord in the Geeta, off and on, here and there. 'Renunciation' (Sanyasa) and 'Abandonment' (Tyaga) are the two technical terms used more than once in the Geeta. Though the question is asked in a spirit of academic interest, Krishna takes up the question in all seriousness. When a disciple expresses his doubt, he invariably fails to express his exact difficulty. However, it is the duty of the teacher to discover the difficulty of the student and clear his doubt, as even the Lord of the Geeta does here. The logic of the entire chapter revolves around the meanings of 'Renunciation' and 'Abandonment.' Samnyasa without the spirit of Tyaga is incomprehensible, and if at all it is ever so practised, it can only be a sham pose. The bulk of the chapter maps out the tendencies, urges, impulses and motives, that are to be abandoned, so that true 'Abandonment' of the undivine personality can effectively take place. We must read the chapter in this spirit, or else it will surely fail to influence us. SLAYER OF KESHI (Keshi-nishudana) --- Keshi was a Daitya who attacked Krishna in the form of a horse. Krishna killed him by tearing him into two halves. DEFINING THESE TERMS AND INDICATING THE ENTIRE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR CONNOTATIONS, KRISHNA SAYS:

The Blessed Lord said: 2. The Sages understand SAMNYASA to be "the renunciation of works with desire" ; the wise declare "the abandonment of the fruits of all actions" as TYAAGA.

"Totally giving up all desire-prompted activities" is RENUNCIATION, and ABANDONMENT is "giving up of all anxieties for enjoying the fruits-of-action." As they stand, both of them read almost the same to the uninitiated; for, all desires are always for the fruits of our actions. Thus, "renouncing desire-motivated activity" and

"renouncing our anxiety for the fruit" would read the same for those who see only their superficial suggestions. No doubt, both mean giving up desire, but Tyaga is slightly different from Samnyasa; and yet, "abandonment" has an integral relationship with "renunciation." Action is an effort put forth in the present, which, in its own time, will, it is hoped, fulfil itself into the desired fruit. And, the fruit is what we reap later on as a result of the present action. A desireless action, therefore, belongs to the PRESENT, while the anxiety to enjoy the fruit (desire) is a disturbance of our mind regarding a FUTURE period of time. The fruit comes after the action; the fruit is the culmination of an action undertaken in the present. Desire and agitation bring about restlessness, and the deeper the desire, the greater is the amount of dissipation of our energies within. A dissipated man cannot execute any piece of work with steady efficiency and true ardour. Also, it is to be noticed, desire is always ordered by the ego. Elimination of the ego is at once the sublimation of the individuality and the ascension of the individual from the lower realms of consciousness to the upper-most stratum of the effulgent universal Awareness, the One Eternal God. The tragedy of life becomes complete if a desire-ridden individual comes under the endless persecution of steady anxiety to enjoy the fruits of his actions. Fruits-of-actions belong to the FUTURE and they are always ordered by the quality and quantity of the action in the PRESENT moment, and also by the circumstances available in the chosen field of activity. Naturally, without the

"Abandonment" (Tyaga) of our clinging attachment to the expected FRUITS OF OUR ACTIONS, we will not discover the full potentialities of our own personality.

Without this, our activities will naturally become ineffective, and ineffective activities can never provide for us enjoyable fruits. In short, "Renunciation" is the goal to be reached through the process of "Abandonment" of our moment-to-moment anxiety to enjoy the fruits. "Abandonment" (Tyaaga) is the means to reach the goal of "Renunciation" (Samnyasa). Both Samnyasa and Tyaaga are disciplines in our activities. Krishna is never tired of emphasising the importance of work. Neither of these terms indicates that work should be ignored; on the other hand both of them insist that WORK WE MUST. Work, however, can gain a total transmutation by the removal of the things that clog our efficiency, and thus every piece of work can be made to yield its fullest reward. Snapping the chains that shackle us with the past and the future, and working without being hustled by anxieties or henpecked by desires, in the full freedom and inspiration of the present, is the noblest way to perform actions. To a large extent, we can say that the definition of these two terms in the Geeta is more broad-minded and tolerant than the implications of these two words as we read in the Vedic lore. SHOULD THE 'IGNORANT' PERFORM WORK OR NOT?

3. That all actions should be abandoned as evil, declare some philosophers; while others (declare) that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished.

In the previous stanza it was conclusively declared that ABANDONMENT is the

"way" and total RENUNCIATION is the "goal." On this theory of abandonment there is a school of philosophers, the Sankhyas, who declare:

"ACTION SHOULD BE ABANDONED AS EVIL." According to them, all actions are productive of vasanas which cloud the realisation of the Self; and therefore, without exception, all actions should be renounced. Some commentators upon the Sankhyan philosophy point out that "WORK IS NOT TO BE ABANDONED, EXCEPT WHEN IT IS GOING IN WRONG CHANNELS, MOTIVATED BY DEMONIAC URGES LIKE PASSION, GREED, DESIRE ETC." The philosophers not only indicate that all seekers should avoid unhealthy activities which have, in their reactions, a deadening influence upon the spiritual beauty in man, but also advise that every man should engage himself in creative, character-moulding, moral-rebuilding work that can aid the individual's personality-integration. This latter school of thinkers recommends that 'sacrifice' (Yajna), 'charity' (Daana) and 'austerity' (Tapas) should never be abandoned. As students of the Geeta, we should know that Krishna wants Arjuna only to renounce all evil activities, and perform worldly work in a spirit of dedicated, selfless devotion. Krishna's Geeta calls upon man to make work itself the greatest homage unto the Supreme; this is SPIRITUAL 'Sadhana.' THE LORD'S DECREE IS THAT THE 'IGNORANT' SHOULD PERFORM WORK. NOW, AS TO THESE DIVERGENT VIEWS:

4. Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth, about this "abandonment, " O best of the Bharatas; "abandonment, " verily, O best of men, has been declared to be of three kinds.

Lord Krishna is now promising Arjuna that he will scientifically explain what constitutes Tyaaga and under what headings this spirit of 'abandonment' can be considered. For a mortal mind, GIVING UP is no easy task; acquisition and aggrandisement are the very life-breath of man's mind. Naturally therefore, Krishna has to invoke the best in Arjuna by addressing him as the "best among Bharatas" (Bharata-Sattama) and as a "tiger among men" (Purusha- Vyaaghra).

"Abandonment" (Tyaaga), for purposes of study and understanding, is three-fold. All through the Geeta this three-fold classification is followed, and everywhere we find that it is classed as the 'pure' (Sattwic), the 'passionate' (Rajasic) and the 'dull' (Tamasic). WHAT THEN IS THE FINAL DECREE? THE LORD SAYS:

5. Acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; worship, charity, and also austerity, are the purifiers of even the 'wise. '

What has been said earlier has been accepted and emphasised. Practice of worship (Yajna), charity (Daana), and austerity (Tapas) should not be abandoned. We have already found, in the previous chapter, that these, when properly pursued, bring about a brilliant discipline within and create conditions under which alone, the highest spiritual unfoldment and the final experience of the Infinite are possible. Krishna says here that these can

"purify even thoughtful men." Men of evolutionary tendencies, who seek freedom from their personality- obsessions must, with devotion and the right attitude of mind, perform Yajnas, Daana and Tapas. Thereby they can discover an endless amount of inner peace and balance. OBLIGATORY WORKS SHOULD BE PERFORMED WITHOUT ATTACHMENT:

6. But even these actions should be performed leaving aside attachment and the fruits, O Partha; this is my certain and best belief. Even these actions, namely, 'Sacrifice' (Yajna), 'Charity' (Daana) and 'Austerity' (Tapas) should be performed

"LEAVING ATTACHMENTS AND FRUITS." The term

"attachment" in the Geeta has a peculiar flavour, and throughout, this term has been used to indicate the spirit in which an ego-centric personality will come to work in any field of activity, while fulfilling its own ego-centric desires. Thus, an ego and its desires are the component parts of attachments. When an ego strives to fulfil its own burning desires, it comes to live in a certain relationship with the world of things and objects around --- this wrong relationship is called "ATTACHMENT." Once an individual starts working under the poison of

"attachment," he comes to entertain an unintelligent, self- destructive anxiety to gain and enjoy the results of his actions. Long before the actions are completed, one's hope and hunger for their fruits can present themselves to weave a charm of their own, benumbing one's efficiency in the field of the action undertaken. The idea that CHARITY, SACRIFICE and AUSTERITY must be performed in an attitude of "detachment,"

"renouncing all anxieties for the enjoyment of the fruits" is, Krishna admits, his own personal opinion (matam). It is not, however, purely an original Krishna-creed, but is perfectly in line with the technique of selfless action as advised in all the Hindu scriptures. To be rid of attachment and to be free from anxieties regarding the fruits that are yet to present themselves as a reward for the work undertaken in the present, are the main limbs of the Krishna-creed in the Geeta. To live this Krishna-way-of-action is to assure for ourselves a healthy inner equipment, which can tenderly guide us to the peaks of Supermanhood. The loving term used here by Krishna in addressing Arjuna has its own appeal to the Prince. It recommends to him the Krishna-theory of

"abandonment" (Tyaaga) as explained in this stanza. THEREFORE, FOR A SEEKER OF SPIRITUAL LIBERATION, WORK IS UNAVOIDABLE; AND WITH A PROPER SPIRIT OF 'TYAGA', WORK CAN HELP HIM ON HIS PATH. THE 'TAMSIC TYAAGA' IS:

7. Verily, the renunciation of "obligatory actions" is not proper; the abandonment of the same from delusion is declared to be

TAMASIC (dull) . Abandonment of obligatory duties is considered by the Lord as the lowest and the darkest. Every individual has his own obligations to himself and to others in society. They include both the unavoidable DAILY DUTIES, as well as the SPECIAL DUTIES that arise on special occasions in the life of an individual, and in the society of the times. Therefore, as long as an individual is a member of the society, enjoying the social life, and demanding protection and profit from the society, he has no right, according to the Hindu code-of-living, to abandon his

"obligatory duties." Even if one abandons one's moral duties in ignorance, one is not excused; for, as in the civil laws of the modern world and in the physical laws of the phenomenal world, so in the spiritual kingdom also, "ignorance of the law is no excuse." Out of ignorance and lack of proper thinking, if an individual ignores his obligations and refuses to serve the world he is living in, that 'abandonment' is considered as 'dull' (Tamasic). THE RAJASIC TYAAGA IS:

8. He who, from fear of bodily trouble, abandons action because it is painful, thus performing a RAJASIC (passionate) abandonment, obtains not the fruit of "abandonment. "

Someone may come to give up his individual obligatory duties "BECAUSE THEY ARE PAINFUL" or "THROUGH FEAR OF BODILY SUFFERING." The 'relinquishment' thus practised falls under the "passionate" type (Rajasic). This clearly shows in its unsaid suggestions that a man of action and passion (Rajas) will readily undertake to act and fulfil his obligatory duties if they are not painful, and are not too fatiguing. To become a man of action, fulfilling all obligations and performing all duties without sacrificing one's own personal comforts, is no heroic life at all. Such actions have no special reward. In fact, Krishna says: "HE SHALL ATTAIN NO FRUIT WHATSOEVER OF HIS ABANDONMENT." Performance of one's obligatory duties is itself the most glorious of all forms of "Tyaaga," and it can be considered doubly so, when it involves a certain amount of sacrifice of one's own personal convenience and bodily comfort. Arjuna himself was hesitating to fight the battle which was his obligatory duty. Arjuna's 'relinguishment' of this duty could be considered as falling under this category of

Rajasic Tyaaga.

Real abandonment should always lead us on to the ampler fields of self-expression, push us into the fuller ways of living, and introduce us to the greater experiences of joy. A bud ABANDONS itself to become a flower, the flower GIVES UP its soft petals and its enchanting fragrance and gains for itself the richer status of a fruit. Every real ABANDONMENT should haul us up into a nobler status of fulfilment. WHAT THEN IS THE SATTWIC ABANDONMENT?

9. Whatever "obligatory action" is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning "attachment and also fruit, " that abandonment is regarded as SATTWIC (pure) .

Those who execute thoroughly all their obligatory duties

"because they are to be done" (karyam iti), because to remain without accomplishing them is almost death to them --- fall under the Sattwic (pure) variety. They believe that certain acts of 'relinquishment' MUST be done, for otherwise, according to them, it is just insufferably indecent. When such persons, under these inspiring ideas, come to serve the community, or work in any field, they provide us with examples of the Sattwic type of 'relinquishment.' Activities have certain unavoidable encumbrances. All that the Lord says in the Geeta amounts only to this; that we must act on without these encumbrances curtailing and limiting our freedom of action. Thus, the tyaga of the good (Sattwic), or real tyaga, means doing actions with the correct mental attitude." This may seem strange, but those who have carefully gone through these three stanzas explaining the true type of tyaga, must have understood that all these discussions were not so much on what is to be 'relinquished' but as to HOW we must 'abandon,' and in WHICH FIELD we must act. In short, Lord Krishna's concept of Tyaga condemns abandonment of the world and our duties in it. To the Lord in the Geeta, tyaga is a subjective renunciation of all inner selfishness and desire, which limit the freedom of the individual in his field-of- activity. It is something like the abandonment that everyone practises in his dining-room; renunciation of hunger by positively taking the food!

In these three stanzas the abandonment (Tyaga) discussed is not

"the ABANDONMENT of actions" but

"ABANDONMENT of such things within our subjective personality that block the free flow of our own possibilities." Tyaga makes an active man a more potential worker in the world. Acting in the world outside, renouncing both the ego and the ego-centric desires, an individual comes to exhaust his vasanas, and grows in his inward purity. HOW DOES SUCH A PURE MAN, PURIFIED THROUGH 'SATTWIC TYAGA,' GAIN THE HIGHEST SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE?

10. The abandoner, soaked in purity, being intelligent, with all his doubts cut asunder, hates not disagreeable action, nor is he attached to an agreeable action.

The previous stanza would, at the outset, look as an impossible thesis to any strong man of action and adventure. Perhaps the royal heart of Arjuna could not comprehend such a person who fulfils his obligatory duty

"only because it ought to be done" (karyamiti)" renouncing attachment and fruit." As though answering the look of surprise on Arjuna's face, which faithfully registers his failure to appreciate the idea, Krishna gives in this stanza a more elaborate picture of such an individual.

A man established in Sattwic abandonment never hates, nor does he ever feel attached. He is not miserable in disagreeable environments nor does he get attached to the circumstances and schemes-of-things which are agreeable to his taste. He does his duties under all circumstances agreeable or disagreeable, without feeling elated when he finds himself on the "peaks," or feeling dejected when he discovers himself in the "pits" of life. He is overwhelmed neither by extreme joy, nor by extreme sorrow; equanimity becomes his essential nature. He stands as a rock, ever at ease, and watches with an unbroken balance-of-vision, the waves of happenings rising and falling all around him at all times. He is, in short, independent of the happenings in the outer world around him. When, to such a man of Sattwic Tyaga, impulses such as jealousy, anger, passion, greed etc., come, he does not get involved in those impulses, as we do in our attachments and identifications with them. That is, a man of abandonment (tyaga) readily discovers in himself a secret faculty to abandon his identification with the false, the lower instincts in himself. He does not become a victim of his own mental impressions (vasanas); he stands ever free and surely apart from the tumults of his mind. Such a man is said to be an educated and cultured man. An uncultured man is like a dry leaf that is tossed hither and thither by every passing breeze; is like a reed upon the bosom of the sea, rising and falling in the mad revelry of the tireless waves. It is the privilege of the animal alone to get faithfully coloured by its own instincts and act according to the dictates of its impulses. It is only man, the inheritor of an intellect, who can enquire into the nature of the rising waves of impulses, judge them in the light of the ideal he holds onto in himself, and, if need be, stand apart from them and allow them to die away. But ordinarily, an individual finds it impossible to stand apart and live, to act independently of his impulses. According to the Geeta, this is because man has allowed his faculty of 'abandonment' (Tyaga) to die away. A Tyagi is he who has cultivated this habit to live intelligently in life, practising from moment to moment the 'abandonment' of all the animal whisperings in himself, and following diligently the Melody of the Soul. Such a man is established in Sattwic Tyaga. In order that one may come to judge correctly and renounce the false, one must have a very clear and steady picture of the Perfect in oneself. Medha-shakti is not merely the intellect's power of understanding or reasoning, but it is also the intellect's FACULTY TO MEMORISE AND RETAIN THINGS. A cultured man of unbroken equipoise and steady understanding must have a constant memory of: (1) the constituents of the field of his activity, (2) the instruments through which he contacts the world outside, (3) his own essential infinitely divine nature, and (4) his exact relationship with the world-of-objects when he is contacting it through his senses. Such a person is called Medhaavee, "A MAN OF FIRM UNDERSTANDING." And in case his knowledge be spotted with patches of doubts or slightly poisoned by traces of false knowledge, there will be in him endless confusions, which in their turn will bring about wrong judgements. Therefore, Krishna indicates that a man of Sattwic Tyaaga is one whose

"DOUBT IS CLEFT." The highest type of Tyaga is not, perhaps, abundantly found except in a minority who have accomplished their detachments from all their matter vestures completely. But to the majority, identification with the body-mind- intellect equipment is so natural that they have the SENSE OF AGENCY and come to live in the world, conditioned by the happenings around. SUCH AN AVERAGE MAN, WHO WORKS WITH AN EGO AND ATTACHMENT, MUST LEARN TO WORK, AT LEAST RENOUNCING THE FRUIT. KRISHNA EXPLAINS:

11. Verily, it is not possible for an embodied being to abandon actions entirely, but he who relinquishes "the fruits of actions" is verily called a 'relinquisher' (TYAAGI) .

Actions we will have to perform. Without action no living organism can continue living. Existence itself is the manifestation of life's activities. To remain without doing anything is itself an action, and the physiological and psychological actions continue upto the grave. Anything that has a body, even a unicellular organism, can never hope to abandon ALL activities. Actions are the insignia of life. It is the fragrance in the flower-of-existence. Where there is no action, there life has ended; there existence has withered away --- the substance has dried up... stinking death has come. Since all of us are embodied, and therefore, cannot abandon all activities as long as we live, the only choice left to us is to direct and discipline all our actions in such a way as to bring a harmony into our inner life and a dynamic rhythm into our outer duties. If Tyaga of the Sattwic type is not possible for all of us due to our attachments to the world of matter, certainly we can practise the 'abandonment' of at least our clinging attachments and anxieties for the fruits of our actions. Action cannot be completely abandoned by one who is conditioned by the gross, subtle and causal bodies. Such an individual --- and most of us at this stage of our evolution fall under this category --- is advised by Krishna to abandon his anxiety to enjoy the fruits of his actions which are yet to come in a future period of time and act diligently, entirely, and enthusiastically in the present. A man who thus abandons the thirst to enjoy the fruits of his action is called a tyagi.

NOW WHAT IS THE BENEFIT WHICH COMES FROM 'TYAAGA'? THE LORD ANSWERS:

12. The threefold fruit of action, evil, good and mixed-accrues, after death, only to those who have no spirit of 'abandonment' ; never to total relinquishers.

The results of all actions depend, it is said, upon the quality of the actions. Abandonment (tyaga) has already been described as belonging to three different categories. Here we have a discussion of the different types of reactions that would accrue when the different types of tyaga are practised. Projection of a wilful desire in the world outside is an action, and according to the purity of the motive and the serenity of composure of the actor, a psychological reaction is left behind at the end of every activity. The mind has an instinctive habit of repeating itself. Future thoughts faithfully follow the foot-prints left by the past thoughts. Thus, actions in the world determine the

"thought tendencies" of the human mind, and these tendencies (vasanas) condition the mental equipment and order our reactions to the things that are happening around. The fruit-of-action, in philosophy, is not only its manifested results in the material world, but also the subtle constitutional changes it leaves in the thought- personality of man. The total reactions gained by the mind's working in the world, according to Lord Krishna, fall under three distinct types: (1) the disagreeable or the calamitous --- meaning those that are positively bad; (2) agreeable or non- calamitous --- meaning positively good; (3) the mixed type of balanced or average --- wherein the tendencies are balanced equally between the good and the bad. In the constant flow of time, the PRESENT determines the immediate FUTURE, and therefore, these tendencies, in their different textures, must necessarily determine our reactions to our environments in the IMMEDIATE future. If we extend this theory to the very last moment of our days in this embodiment, it becomes amply evident that, after the departure from here through death, our next embodiment and the general type of environment that we will find ourselves in, would be determined by the type of tendencies produced by our actions. This is what is called the "reincarnation theory" in the Sanatana Dharma. If the vasanas are good (Sattwic), then a joyous field of prosperity and happiness would be the only realm wherein such a mind would discover its destiny. Those who are entertaining and deliberately cultivating the low animal-vasanas in themselves will find for themselves a complete fulfilment only by appearing in the lower strata of life. When the 'tendencies' for good and bad are almost equal (mishram), then we enter into this world-of-action --- the world in which we are now living --- the world of the intelligent man. No doubt, in each of us there is a call of the

"higher" constantly leading us towards an undetermined and indeterminable ideal, but there are also the barkings and the brayings, the hissings and the roars, of the

"lower" in us, constantly confusing and systematically distracting our vision of the ideal. If an individual were to identify himself with the higher and live up to the ideal as best as he can, the "higher" vasanas will multiply and ultimately silence the "lower" completely. If, one the other hand, as is the fashion in the modern world, we allow ourselves to be tempted by the

"lower" and identify with the animal-impulses in us, they will multiply and make us a caricature of the Divine that we really are. In short, in the tug-of-war between the 'higher' and the 'lower,' the determining factor is the individual's own personality. Both these vasanas grow, be they good or bad, and in either case, there is still a manifestation as birth in the realm of pangs and perils. The transcendence of the experiencer --- personality is possible only when the conditionings have totally ended and the vasanas are rendered powerless to hold the Pure Spirit, seemingly, at ransom. To explain further the difference between 'abandonment' (Tyaaga) and 'renunciation' (Samnyasa), the Lord says here that for a man-of-renunciation there is no reaction either to the actions done in the PAST or to actions undertaken by him in the PRESENT. This idea clearly brings out the subtle difference that the Geeta makes between Tyaaga and Sanyasa. Earlier we found that tyaaga is that capacity in us with which, from moment to moment, we withdraw ourselves from the impulses of our mind; while Samnyasa is the total renunciation of the entire "tendencies," both good and bad --- from their crystallisation as the "ego." The Geeta-technique for the rehabilitation of man's personality, so beautifully elaborated and exhaustively discussed, when briefly put would be: (a) the seeker first gets detached from the lower sensuous cravings and passions by identifying himself with the nobler ideals of self-control and moral-perfection; (b) a mind so conditioned becomes tamer than a mind goaded by sensuality. This purified mind develops in itself the required amount of subtle powers of thinking, of consistent self-application and of steady contemplation; (c) on realising the Pure 'Be'-ness, all becomings end. To the pure Self there is no becoming; the "tendencies" of the mind (vasanas) cannot shackle the Spirit. Its subtle Presence cannot but be ever Immaculate and Unconditioned. The "pleasant," the "unpleasant" and the "mixed" types of reaction (Karma Phala) reach only those who have an ego- centric sense of identification with the actions as well as their resultant reactions. Those who abandon (tyaagee) both the sense of ego and the anxiety for the action-results are not caught in the clutches of 'reactions'-actions. Memories of the past are the fertile fields where desires are cultivated and it is only in the future that the fruits are borne by the trees of actions. Renouncing our indulgence with the inheritance of the past and leaving all our anxieties for the future, to serve the world as a service to the Lord is abandonment --- tyaaga. AFTER THUS HANDLING THE THEME OF 'ABANDONMENT' IN GENERAL, KRISHNA NOW TAKES UP A CLOSER EXAMINATION OF IT, DISSECTING THE VERY COMPONENT PARTS THAT CONSTITUTE WORK:

13. Learn from Me, O mighty-armed, these five causes for the accomplishment of all actions, as declared in the SANKHYA (UPANISHAD) system, which is the end of all actions.

When Arjuna was thus told conclusively that action could be performed without ego-centric desires and clinging attachment to the fruits, as an intelligent enquirer, he had every right to ask: "What constitutes an action?" To lay bare the inner essence of action, Krishna analyses the anatomy of work --- the external structure of action, and the physiology of action --- the inner inspirations, motives and urges in work.

Addressing Arjuna as mighty-armed, Krishna declares that, for the real accomplishment, fulfilment or achievement of an action, five aspects of action are necessarily to be disciplined and marshalled. These five are the "limbs of action" without which no action is ever possible. When these five aspects work in happy co- ordination, the undertaking is assured of the greatest success, be it secular or sacred, material or spiritual. The term "Mighty-armed" is used to invoke the adventurous heroism in Arjuna, for, a large share of daring courage, consistency of purpose, faith in oneself and intellectual heroism are necessary, if one is to discipline one's actions and successfully accomplish a thorough cultural development within. In this stanza, the Geetaacharya confesses that this enumeration of the aspects that constitute an action is not his own original contribution, but it is exactly what is said in the Saankhyan philosophy. The Saankhyan philosophy as a separate text no longer exists... perhaps, here, the word Saankhyan indicates only the Upanishads. The existing Saankhyan books do not mention these five-fold categories. It is reasonable to suppose that at the time of Vyasa there might have been some books discussing this topic which are now lost to us. However, one thing is clear: that this five-fold division, which the Lord discusses in the following stanzas, faithfully follows the philosophy of the Geeta as discussed so far. The Geeta has declared that all actions cease when the knowledge of the Self dawns, so that the Advaita commentator concludes: "Vedanta, which imparts to us knowledge, is THE END OF ACTIONS." HEREIN THE LORD ENUMERATES FIVE FACTORS WHICH ARE THE CONSTITUENT PARTS IN ALL ACTIONS:

14. The "seat" (body) , the doer (ego) , the various organs-of- perception, the different functions of various organs-of-action, and also the presiding deity, the fifth.

The promise made in the previous stanza is being fulfilled herein and Lord Krishna enumerates the five component parts that go into the constitution of any "action." We have already discussed that the enumeration as it stands today in this stanza does not correspond to the Saankhyan declaration. Commentators interpret these terms, each slightly differently from the others, and this five-fold division being rather obscure, the various explanations of the commentators are not very helpful to a practical student. However, we can see in these five terms the twenty-four fold division of Prakriti, which the Saankhyans hold and follow. Every work is undertaken with the help of the "body" (Adhishthaanam), for the body is the gateway for the stimuli to enter as well as for the responses to exist. A body in itself can neither receive the world nor react to it unless there is the "ego" (Kartaa) functioning in and through it. There must be an intelligent personality, presiding over its own desires, wanting to fulfil them and thus constantly seeking a fulfilment through its body activities. The ego sets the body in continuous activity. When an ego, thus riddled with its own desires, wants to seek its fulfilment in the world of objects outside, it certainly needs "instruments" (Karanam) of perception. Without these, the inner personality cannot come to contact the field of enjoyment and find satisfaction in it. The term "function" (Cheshtaa) here has been commented upon by Shankara as the physiological activities, known as Praana, Apaana, etc. No doubt it is sufficiently explanatory to all students who have a knowledge of the traditions in Vedantic thought. But to a lay student this explanation might be rather confusing. As a result of the physiological activities (Praana, Apaana etc.) the health of the body gets toned up and it must flow out in its own vigour and enthusiasm through the organs-of-action. Thus, for our understanding of these enumerations, we can directly take the term "function" (Cheshtaa) used here as indicating the organs-of-action. The organs-of-perception are presided over by the five great elements. These presiding deities are technically called Devas, and they indicate particular functions and faculties in the sense-organs, such as the "power of vision" of the eye, the "power of audition" in the ears etc. i. e., the sense-organs must have their full vigour and must function properly in order to play their part in any field of work. Stripping off all these details of explanations, if we re-read the stanza, it merely enumerates the constituent parts of every action. They are: (1) the body, (2) the ego, (3) the organs-of-perception, (4) the organs-of-action and, (5) the five elemental forces. The stanza is dedicated merely to enumerating these five aspects without which no ego- centric activity is ever possible. HOW CAN THESE FIVE BECOME THE COMPONENT PARTS IN EVERY HUMAN ACTIVITY?

15. Whatever action a man performs by his body, speech and mind --- whether right, or the reverse --- these five are its causes. The items listed above must all come into full play in order to accomplish any work, and therefore, these five component parts are called the causes of all actions. To show that there is no exception, the Lord says that whatever action a man might undertake, be it by his body, speech or mind, and that too whether right or wrong, in every expression of action there is the play of all these five essential parts. These five constitute the equipment of action, and the Spirit, the eternally Actionless, conditioned by the intellectual desires, behaves AS THOUGH it is an ego (Jiva); and this individualised personality, forgetting its own State-of-Perfection demanding satisfaction through sense gratifications, making use of the faculties of sense- enjoyment, strives in the world-of-objects to achieve, to gain, to aggrandise. Here we should not forget, in our haste, to grasp clearly that the five-fold division is the description of the "engine under the bonnet" and not of the "petrol;" and yet, "petrol" in itself cannot make the travel pleasant and successful --- nor can the "engine" move without the "petrol." A motor vehicle becomes an automobile only when

"petrol" plays through the "engine," and when the driver can, by his faculties, take the vehicle to its destination, which is determined by the demand or the desire of the owner of the vehicle. If this analogy is understood, we can correctly evaluate this portion of Krishna's enumeration, and can truly appreciate what the Lord means when he says "these five are the causes" of all work. ALL THESE ENUMERATIONS AND EXPLANATIONS OF THE LAST TWO STANZAS ADD UP TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE 'SENSE-OF-AGENCY' OF THE SELF IS AN ILLUSION:

16. Now, such being the case, verily he who --- owing to his untrained understanding --- looks upon his Self, which is "alone" (never conditioned by the "engine" ) , as the doer, he, of perverted intelligence, sees not.

In the previous stanzas we found that action belongs to the realm of matter, no doubt IN THE PRESENCE of the Spirit. Failing to discriminate thus between the equipments of action and the actionless Spirit, which, in an unhealthy combination between them, comes to manifest as the "actor" (doer), the poor ego-centric personality so born comes to pant and sigh at its own disappointments and failures, or dances and jumps at its own joys and successes. The moment an individual becomes aware of these inner mechanisms and their play, the delusory ego-centric individuality ends as it becomes a mere myth of the mind, a delusory phantom of a midsummer, mid-day dream. THIS BEING THE CASE (Tatra evam sati) --- In all such actions, whether good or bad, as undertaken by the body, speech or mind, the essential component parts are the body, ego, organs-of-perception, organs-of-action and the elements; thus all actions belong to matter. But the Spirit, which is the essential nature, in identifying Itself with the matter-vestures, comes to live through the disturbing destinies as the ever-changing man. All pangs and joys, all failures and successes, all imperfections and impediments, belong to the ego, which is the Spirit considering Itself as conditioned by these components of action. The Supreme Pure Self (Kevalam Aatmaanam) is misunderstood by the ordinary man to be the actor (Kartaaram), and in the consequent ego-sense, the divinity is forgotten and the individual comes to despair. The causes of this misunderstanding have been indicated here. Untempered reason (Akrita Buddhi) and perverted mind (Durmati) are the maladjustments in an individual, because of which, right recognition of one's own divinity is not constantly maintained within. The implication of the statement is that, if a seeker can integrate himself --- through the process of disciplining his reasoning faculty and guiding his mind away from his intellectual perversities --- that individual will come to experience within himself that it is only the five-fold components made up of matter that are indulging in the agitations of the outer activity. ELUCIDATING THE FOREGOING IDEAS MORE VIVIDLY, THE LORD CONTINUES:

17. He who is free from the egoistic notion, whose intelligence is not tainted (by good or evil) , though he slays these people, he slays not, nor is he bound (by the action) .

So far we have been told that the realm-of-matter is the field of all activity, and the weeds of sorrows and agitations can grow only therein. The Spirit, the farmer, has an existence independent of this field and yet the farmer, in his identification with the self-projections on the field, feels happy or unhappy according to the condition of the field at any given moment.

Similarly, it is our unhealthy contact created by our self- projections on to the matter-envelopments around us that has given rise to the 'ego', which in its turn comes to suffer the buffetings of life. Therefore, Krishna says that "HE WHO IS FREE FROM THE SENSE OF EGOISM" and whose "INTELLIGENCE IS NOT TAINTED" by false values of possession, acquisition, aggrandisement, etc., does no action even though activities take place all around and even through him; "THOUGH HE SLAYS THESE PEOPLE, HE SLAYS NOT." This does not mean that a man-of-Wisdom, who has withdrawn from his false evaluation of matter, will no longer act in the world. He will not remain like a stone statue. The statement only means, that even while he is acting in the world, to him it is all a self-entertaining game. It is always our ego-centric clinging that leaves impressions (vasanas) in our mind and thus actions of the past come to goad us on to more and more activities. A man-of-Perfection who has the necessary discriminative intellect, learns to detach himself and act, and therefore, in him the footprints of the past activities cannot beat out any deepening footpath. Krishna says: "THOUGH HE KILLS, HE KILLS NOT; NOR IS HE BOUND." If we were to compare the results of the lusty, passionate acts of some self-seeking murderer, with the honourable heroic activities of some devotedly dedicated warrior championing the cause of his country's freedom and independence, we shall easily understand the above assertion of the Lord. The murderer develops vasanas, and propelled by his tendencies, he again and again commits heinous crimes and disturbs the society, while the hero on the battle-front, though he too kills many, returns from the battle-front as a more educated, noble, and refined personality. In the former, there is the

"ego," and therefore, the foul vasanas get registered; while in the latter, the soldier's mind was fixed in his love for the country, and therefore, the murderous activity on the battle-front could not leave in him any ugly mental residue. Once the ego is surrendered in the consciousness of the Divine, the "BONDAGE OF VASANAS CAN NO MORE REMAIN IN HIM." AFTER THUS DESCRIBING THE "CONSTITUENTS THAT MAKE UP ANY ACTION," THE GEETAACHARYA DESCRIBES THE "IMPULSES TO KARMA" AND "THE BASIS OF KARMA":

18. Knowledge, the known and knower form the three-fold "impulse to action" ; the organs, the action, the agent, form the three-fold "basis of action. "

In the scientific treatment of the subject-matter, Lord Krishna had already explained the constituent parts that make up an action and also indicated that the entire assemblage is of matter only. Continuing the theme, he is now trying to explain the three-fold impulses that propel activity (Karma-Chodanaa) and also the basis-of-action

(Karma-Sangraha).

The "impulse to action," according to Krishna, is a threefold arrangement made up of "KNOWLEDGE (Jnaanam), THE KNOWN (Jneyam) AND THE KNOWER (Parijnaataa)." These three are called technically in Vedanta as the 'Triputi': indicating the 'experiencer,' the 'experienced' and the resultant 'experience' --- the 'knower,' the 'known' and the 'knowledge.' Without these three no knowledge is ever possible, as all "impulses to act" arise out of a play of these three. The EXPERIENCER, playing in the field of the EXPERIENCED, gains for himself the various EXPERIENCES; and these constitute the secret contents of all actions. The "impulse to action" can spring either from the

"experiencer," in the form of a DESIRE, or from the

"experienced," in the form of TEMPTATION, or from the

"experience" in the form of similar MEMORIES of some past enjoyments. Beyond these three there is no other

"impulse to action" (Karma-Chodanaa). The "impulse to action," when it has arisen, must also find a field to act in; and the "basis for action" (Karma-Sangraha) is constituted of the "instruments," the "reaction" and the

"agent" (the actor). This "sense of agency" expressed by the ego, can maintain itself only as long as it holds a vivid picture of the "fruit of its action" which it wants to gain. Fruit, meaning the profit or the gain that is intended to be gained by the action, is indicated here by the term 'work' (Karma). According to Shri Shankaraacharya 'Karma' here means the end. When a desirer, the agent, encouraged by this constant attraction towards a satisfying end, wants to achieve it, he must necessarily have the instruments-of-action (Karanam). These instruments include not only the organs- of-perception-and-action, but also the inner equipments of the mind and the intellect. It cannot be very difficult for a student to understand that: (1) an AGENT having a desire, (2) maintaining in his mind a clear picture of the END or the goal, (3) with all the necessary instruments to act thereupon, would be the sum total contents of any activity (Karma-Sangraha). If any one of the above three items is absent, action cannot take place. These three (Karanam, Kartaa and Karma) are together designated as the parts of the "Karma-assembly," the "basis of all Karma s" --- (Karma- Sangraha). Thus having roughly indicated in this stanza the threefold

"impulses of action" and the three-fold "basis for action," Krishna continues to explain in His Song why different people act so differently under different impulses and obey different basis in their actions. He divides each one of them under the three categories of human nature: the 'good' (Sattwic), the 'passionate' (Rajasic), and the 'dull' (Tamasic).

THE LORD NOW PROCEEDS TO SHOW THE THREE- FOLD DISTINCTIONS IN EACH ONE OF THE ABOVE, ACCORDING TO THE THREE PREDOMINANT NATURES --- THE 'GOOD,' THE 'PASSIONATE' AND THE 'DULL':

19. 'Knowledge, ' 'action, ' and 'actor' are declared in the Science of Temperaments (gunas) to be of three kinds only, according to the distinctions of temperaments; hear them also duly. As an introduction to what is to follow immediately, here it is said that "knowledge," "action," and the "actor" (agent), all the three because of the difference of the temperament in the individuals, at the given time of observation, fall under a three-fold division. This classification is being exhaustively explained in the following stanzas. Guna is the preponderance of a given type of temperament in one's inner nature. The human mind and intellect function constantly, but they always come to function under the different "climatic conditions" within our mind. These varying climates of the mind are called the three gunas: the 'good,' the 'passionate' and the 'dull.' Under each of these temperaments the entire human personality behaves differently, and, naturally therefore, the permutations and combinations of the varieties make up the infinite types that are available in the world; even within the biography of one and the same personality we find different moods and behaviours at different periods of time, depending entirely upon the occasion, the type of the situation, the nature of the problem and the kind of challenge the person is called upon to face. According to the Science of the gunas, as enunciated in Kapila's Saankhya Yoga, "Knowledge," "Action" and "Actor" are each classified under these three categories. They are being enumerated here and Krishna invites the students of the Geeta to 'LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO THEM.' It is meaningless, in fact, to ask Arjuna to listen to the discourses, because he was all the time listening to the Lord. The implication must be that the teacher is attracting the special attention of the student because of the importance of the theme. HERE FOLLOWS THE THREE-FOLD TYPE OF

"KNOWLEDGE":

20. That by which one sees the one indestructible reality in all beings, undivided in the divided, know that "knowledge" as

SATTWIC (Pure) . Inasmuch as the constituents of action, namely

"knowledge," "work," and the "ego," are under the influences of different moods, each one of them can fall into the three types. We fluctuate among these three gunas and the different proportions in which they are mixed in our bosom determine the innumerable types of individuals that we are. These detailed descriptions of the different types of

"knowledge," "action" and "actor" are given here not for the purpose of judging and classifying others, but for the seeker to UNDERSTAND HIMSELF. A true student of culture and self-development must try to maintain himself as far as possible, in the Sattwic temperament. By self- analysis, we can diagnose ourselves, and immediately remedy the defects in us. In this stanza, we have the description of the Sattwic type of "knowledge." The "knowledge" by which the One Imperishable Being is seen in all existence, is Sattwic. Though the forms constituted by the different body-mind- intellect equipments are all different in different living creatures, the Sattwic "knowledge" recognises all of them as the expressions of one and the same Truth, which is the Essence in all of them. Just as an electrical engineer recognises the SAME electricity flowing through all the bulbs, a goldsmith recognises the ONE metal 'gold' in all ornaments, and every one of us is aware of the SAME cotton in all shirts, so also, the intellect that sees the screen upon which the play of life and the throbs of existence are projected as the Changeless One has the "knowledge" that is Sattwic.

UNDIVIDED IN THE DIVIDED (Avibhaktam Vibhakteshu) - -- Even if there are a hundred different pots, of different shapes and colour, and different sizes, the "space" is the ONE undivided factor in all these different pots. Bulbs are different but the current that is expressing through them all is the ONE electricity. Waves are different, and yet the SAME ocean is the reality and the substance in all the waves.... Similarly, the one LIFE throbs in all, expressing itself differently as Its different manifestations, because of the different constitution in the matter-arrangements. The

"knowledge" that can recognise the play (vilasa) of this One Principle of Consciousness in and through all the different equipments, is fully Sattwic. WHAT TYPE OF AN INTELLECT DOES THE

"PASSIONATE" POSSESS?

21. But that "knowledge" which sees in all beings various entities of distinct kinds, (and) as different from one another, know that knowledge as RAJASIC (Passionate) .

After having found a description of the 'good,' we have herein an equally complete description of the "knowledge" that is 'passionate' (Rajasic). The "knowledge" that recognises plurality, by reason of separateness, is Rajasic in its texture. The "knowledge" of the 'passionate,' ever restless in its energy, considers various entities as different from one another; to the

Rajasic "knowledge," the world is an assortment of innumerable types of different varieties; the intellect of such a man perceives distinctions among the living creatures, and divides them into different classes --- as the animal, the vegetable and the human kingdoms --- as men of different castes, creeds, races, nationalities etc. WHAT THEN IS THE NATURE OF "KNOWLEDGE" OF THE DULL?

22. But that "knowledge, " which clings to one single effect, as if it were the whole, without reason, without foundation in truth and narrow, that is declared to be TAMASIC (Dull) .

An intellect that has got fumed under the dulling effects of extreme tamas clings to one single "effect" as though it were the whole, never enquiring into its "cause." The

"knowledge" of the dull is painted here as that belonging to the lowest type of spiritual seekers. They are generally fanatic in their faith and in their devotion, in their views and values in life. They never enquire into, and try to discover, the cause of things and happenings; they are unreasonable (ahaitukam). Looking through such a confused intellect loaded with fixed ideas, the dull not only fail to see things as they are, but invariably project their own ideas upon the world and judge it all wrongly. In fact, a man of Tamasic intellect views the world as if it is meant for him and his pleasures alone. He totally ignores the Divine Presence, the Infinite Consciousness. The "knowledge" of the dull is thus circumscribed by its own concept of self-importance, and thus its vision becomes narrow (alpam) and limited. To summarise, the "knowledge" of the 'good' (Sattwic) perceives the oneness underlying the universe; the comprehension of the 'passionate' (Rajasic) recognises the plurality of the world; and the understanding of the 'dull' (Tamasic) indicates a highly crystallized, self-centred ego in him, and his view of the world is always perverted and ever false. It must again be noted that in this chapter we shall come across similar three-fold divisions in the various aspects of our personal inner life and they are not meant to serve as reckoners to classify OTHERS, but they are meant to help us to SIZE OURSELVES UP from time to time. THE THREE-FOLD NATURE OF "ACTION" IS NOW DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING STANZAS:

23. An "action" which is ordained, which is free from attachment, which is done without love or hatred, by one who is not desirous of the fruit, that action is declared to be SATTWIC

(pure) . Having so far explained the three types of "knowledge," Krishna now classifies "actions" (Karma) under the same three heads. A Sattwic "action" is the best, productive of peace within and harmony without the field of activity, and therefore, it is the purest of the three types of "action." It is an obligatory action (Niyatam), a work that is undertaken for the work's own sake, in an attitude that work itself is worship. Such activities chasten the personality and are ever performed in a spirit of inspiration. Inspired activities naturally surpass the very excellence the actor or the doer is ordinarily capable of. Such an activity is always undertaken without any attachment (Sanga-rahitam) and without any anxiety for gaining any definite end. It is a dedicated activity of love, and yet, it is not propelled by either love or hatred. The missionary work undertaken by all prophets and sages are examples in point. We too can recognise the same type of work, which we unconsciously perform on some rare occasions. A typical example that can at this moment be remembered is an individual nursing his own wounded limb. As soon as, say, your left toe strikes against some furniture in the house and gets wounded, the entire body bends down to nurse it. Herein, there is neither any special love for the left leg nor any particular extra attachment for it, as compared with other parts of the body. To an individual the whole body is himself, and all parts are equally important; he pervades his whole body. In the same fashion, an individual with a Sattwic intellect that has recognised the All-pervading One, lives in the

Consciousness of the One Reality that permeates the whole universe, and therefore, to him the leper and the prince, the sick and the healthy, the rich and the poor are so many different parts of his own spiritual personality only. Such an individual serves the world in a sense of self-fulfilment and inspired joy. Summarising, a Sattwic Karma is a humane action, performed without any attachment, and not motivated either by likes (Raga) or dislikes (Dvesha), and undertaken without any desire to enjoy the results thereof. The

"action" itself is its fulfilment; a Sattwic man acts, because to remain without doing service is a choking death to him. Such a man of Sattwic "action" alone is a true Brahmana. WHAT IS RAJASIC ACTION?

24. But that "action" which is done by one, longing for desires, or gain, done with egoism, or with much effort, is declared to be

RAJASIC (Passionate) . The "action" of the 'passionate' (Rajasic) is that which is undertaken to win one's desires with an extremely insistent "I-act" mentality. Always such undertakings are works of heavy toil involving great strain, and all the consequent physical fatigue and mental exhaustion. The individual is impelled to act and struggle by a well- defined and extremely arrogant ego-sense. He works, generally under tension and strain, since he comes to believe that he alone can perform it and nobody else will ever help him. All the time he is exhausted with his own anxieties and fears at the thought whether his goal will ever be achieved, if at all. When an individual works thus with an arrogant ego, and with all its self-centredness, he becomes restless enough to make himself totally exhausted and completely shattered. Such "actions" belong to the category of the passionate (Rajasic). All activities of political leaders, social workers, great industrialists, over-anxious parents, fanatic preachers, proselytising missionaries and blind money-makers, when they are at their best, are examples of this type. THE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF ACTIONS OF THE "DULL TYPE" ARE DESCRIBED HEREUNDER:

25. That "action" which is undertaken from delusion, without regard for the consequence, loss, injury, and ability, is declared to be TAMASIC (dull) . The "actions" (Karma) of the 'dull' type (Tamasic) are performed without any consideration for the consequences thereof, without any regard for their loss of power or vitality. Such actors never care for the loss or injury caused to others by their actions, nor do they pay any attention to their own status and ability, when they act. All such careless and irresponsible "actions" (Karma s) undertaken merely because of some delusory misconception of the goal, fall under the Tamasic type. Habits of drinking, reckless gambling, corruption, etc., are all examples of the dull (Tamasic) "actions." Such people have no regard for the consequences of their actions. Ere long, they lose their vitality, and injure all those who are depending upon them. They surrender their dignity and status, their capacities and subtle faculties --- all for the sake of their pursuit of a certain delusory goal in life. All they demand is a temporary joy of some sense gratification and a tickling satisfaction of some fancy of the hour.

"Actions" of this type (Tamasic) immediately provide the performer with a substantial dividend of sorrow. Rajasic

"action" comparatively takes a longer time to bring its quota of disappointments and sorrows, while Sattwic

"action" is always steady and blissful. THE THREE KINDS OF 'DOERS' (ACTORS) ARE DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING STANZA:

26. An "agent" who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure, is called SATTWIC (pure) .

So far we have a description of the three types of

"Knowledge" and "Action." The third of the constituents that goes into the make-up of an action is the "Doer," the ego that has the desire to do. Since the three gunas come to influence the psychological life and the intellectual perception of all of us, the doer-personality in each one of us must also change its moods and temperaments according to the preponderant guna that rules the bosom at any given moment of time. Consequently, the "ego" also is classified under three kinds. With this stanza starts the discussion on the three types of "actors" (Kartaa) who act in the world outside. A Sattwic "Actor" is the one who is free from attachment to any of his kith and kin (Mukta-sangah), and non-egoistic (Anaham vaadin). He is one who has no clinging attachment to the things and beings around, as he has no such false belief that the world outside will bring to him a desirable fulfilment of his existence. He sincerely feels that he has not done anything spectacular even when he has actually done the greatest good to mankind, because he surrenders his ego-centric individuality to the Lord, through his perfect attunement with the Infinite. When such an individual --- who has destroyed in himself his ego-sense and the consequent sense of attachment --- works in the worldly fields of activities, he ever acts with firm resolution (Dhriti), and extreme zeal (Utsaha). The term 'Dhriti' means "fortitude" --- the subtle faculty in man that makes him strive continuously towards a determined goal. When obstacles come his way, it is this faculty of 'Dhriti' that discovers for him more and more courage and enthusiasm to face them all, and to continue striving towards the same determined goal. This persevering tendency to push oneself on with the work until one reaches the halls of success, unmindful of the obstacles one might meet with on the path, is called 'Dhriti'; and 'Utsaha' means untiring self-application with dynamic enthusiasm on the path of achievement, while pursuing success. Lastly, a Sattwic "actor" is one who ever strives unperturbed, both in success and in failure, both in pleasure and in pain. At this moment I can only think of one example of this type of "actor" (Kartaa): the nurse in the hospital. She has generally no attachment to the patient; she has no ego that she is curing the patient, because she knows that there is the ability of the doctor behind every successful cure. She has fortitude (Dhriti) and enthusiasm (Utsaha) --- or else she will not be able to continue efficiently in her job. And lastly, she is not concerned with success or failure; she does not rejoice when a patient walks out fully cured, nor does she moan for every patient that dies. She cannot afford such an indulgence. She understands the hospital to be an island of success and failure, of births and deaths, and she is there only to serve. An "actor" (or agent) of the above type is one who suffers the least dissipation of his energies, and so he successfully manages to bring into the field of his actions the mighty total possibilities of a fully unfolded human personality. The Sattwic "agent" strives joyously in Sattwic "actions," guided by his Sattwic "knowledge"; his is the most enduring success, and the world of beings is benefited the most by the inexhaustible rewards of the love-labour of such prophets. A Sattwic Kartaa realises that in all his actions, his body, mind and intellect come into play and serve the world only because the Spirit, the Infinite, is in contact with them. The equipments of matter are as helpless as a broomstick left in a corner. Whenever the body functions, the mind-intellect-equipment throbs and heaves in its pursuit of the new ideals and achievements. And this is because of the Life which thrills them into their respective expressions. The faculties of the intellect, the beauties of the heart, the vitality of the body, are all vehicles for the Sacred Will of the Spirit to sing through. If the vehicles are not properly disciplined, and if they do not come to surrender totally to the Infinite, the Lord, they get broken and shattered. A Sattwic "doer" is one who is ever conscious of the touch of the Infinite Light in all his activities. WHO IS THE RAJASIC "DOER"?

27. Passionate, desiring to gain the fruits-of-actions, greedy, harmful, impure, full of delight and grief, such an "agent" is said to be RAJASIC (passionate) .

A "doer" belonging to the PASSIONATE type is being exhaustively painted here. He is full of desires, passions and attachments, and he tenaciously clings on to some wished-for gain or goal. He is swayed by passion (raaga) and eagerly seeks the fruit of his work. He is ever greedy (Lubdhah) in the sense that such a Rajasic "doer" is never satisfied with what he gains and greedily thirsts for more. His thirst is insatiable because his desires multiply from moment to moment. When a man, full of desires and passions, works with mounting greed, he naturally becomes very malignant (Himsaatmakah) in his programmes of pursuit. He never hesitates to injure another, if such injury were to win his end. He is blind to the amount of sorrow he might bring to others; he is concerned only with the realisation of his ulterior motives. When a man of this type (with the above qualities) becomes maliciously resolved to gain his own ends, it is but natural that he becomes impure (Ashuchih), meaning "immoral." Even unrighteous methods and vulgar immoralities are no ban to such a "doer" and he will pursue them, if his particular desire can be fulfilled thereby. He may ordinarily be quite a moral and righteous man, but the beauty of his composure and the steadiness of his morality, expressed during his quieter moments, all fly away as brilliant splinters when the sledge hammer of his greed and passion, vengeful plans and malignant schemes, thuds upon his heart.

It is but natural that such a PASSIONATE "doer," when he acts in his blinding desires, comes to live, all through his embodied existence, a sad life of agitations, moved by joys and sorrows, "full of delight and grief," (Harsha-Shoka- Anvitah). This completes the picture of a man who is a 'passionate' (Rajasic) "doer." AND HOW DOES A TAMASIC "DOER" FUNCTION IN THE FIELD OF ACTIVITY?

28. Unsteady, vulgar, unbending, cheating, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating, such an "agent" is said to be

TAMASIC (Dull) . Here we have a description of a Tamasic "doer" pursuing his work motivated by his Tamasic "knowledge" and expressing himself through his Tamasic "actions." UNCONTROLLED (Ayuktah) --- A "doer" who has no control over himself, and therefore, is ever unsteady in his application, is of the Tamasic type. He becomes unbalanced in his activities, because his mind does not obey the warnings of his intellect. A yukta-mind is one which is obedient to and perfectly under the control of the intellect. A tamasic man is uncultured inasmuch as he acts in the world, spurred by the impulses and instincts of his own mind. The glory of a cultured man comes out only when he brings the impulsive storms of his mind under the chastening control and intelligent guidance of his intellect. He is Ayuktah who behaves with no control over his own animal impulses and low instincts. When such an individual acts in the world, he cannot but behave as a vulgar man (Praakrita). If shown an intellectual mirror, he will never admit the reflected vulgarities as his own, nor will he acknowledge his way of living as base and licentious. He is arrogant and obstinate (Stabdhah) and in his stubborn nature he will not lend himself to be persuaded to act more honourably. DISHONEST (Shathah) --- He becomes dishonest. He becomes extremely deceitful. Herein the dishonesty, or deceitfulness, arises out of his incapacity to see any point- of-view other than the false conclusions he has arrived at. Such an individual is not a dependable character, for he conceals his real motives and purposes and secretly works out his programmes which generally bring about a lot of sorrow to all around him. MALICIOUS (Naishkritikah) --- The term describes, according to Shankara, one who is bent upon creating quarrels and disputes among people. With a vengefulness, such a person pursues his adversary to destroy him. INDOLENT (Alasah) --- The "dull doer" is a very indolent man spending his time in over-indulgence. He is an idler, for he avoids all creative endeavours and productive efforts, if by deceit or cunning, he can easily and readily procure enjoyable chances and pleasure-goods. He pursues such a path, however immoral it may be. He is a social parasite; he enjoys and consumes without striving and producing. He puts forth no effort; drowsiness of intellect that renders him incapable of correct thinking is a typical feature. The three brothers, from Lanka, in fact, represent these three types of "doers." Of them, Kumbhakarna, who sleeps six months and wakes up only to spend the rest of the six months in eating, is symbolic of a Tamasic "doer." DESPONDENT (Vishaadi) --- He is one who will not meet the challenge of life squarely. He has neither the vitality nor the stamina to stand up against the challenges of life. This is because his over-indulgent nature has sapped up all his vitality and courage to meet life. Invariably, he spends his time complaining of men and things around him and wishes for a secure spot in the world, where he can be away from all obstacles so that he may peacefully continue satisfying his endless thirst for sensuous enjoyments. PROCRASTINATER (Deergha-sootree) --- An individual so benumbed in his inner nature, slowly gathers within himself an incapacity to arrive at any firm judgement. Even if he comes to any vague decision, he has not the will to continue the consistent pursuit of his judgement. Indolent as he is by nature, more often than not, he postpones the right until it is too late. This procrastinating tendency is natural to a Tamasic "actor." The term deergha- sootree has been interpreted by some commentators as

"harbouring deep and long (deergha) vengeance against others (sootra)," which is also not inappropriate in the context of the thought development in this stanza. Thus, one who is unsteady, vulgar, arrogant, deceitful, malicious, indolent, despondent and procrastinating, belongs to the 'dullest' type of "agents" available in the fields of human endeavour. This and the two preceding stanzas provide us with three beautifully framed mental pictures, bringing out in all details the Sattwic, the Rajasic and the Tamasic types of "doers" available in the world. As we have already emphasised these pictures are NOT yardsticks to classify OTHERS, but are meant for the seekers to observe themselves. Whenever a true seeker discovers symptoms of Tamas and Rajas growing in him he should take notice of them at once and consciously strive to regain his Sattwic beauty. ACCORDING TO THE PREDOMINATING GUNA,

"UNDERSTANDING" AND "FORTITUDE" ALSO CAN FALL UNDER A THREE-FOLD CLASSIFICATION --- SAYS KRISHNA:

29. Hear (you) the three-fold division of "understanding" and "fortitude" (made) according to the qualities, as I declare them fully and severally, O Dhananjaya.

'Work,' no doubt, is constituted of the three factors: the

"knowledge," the "action" and the "actor." Each of these three factors was shown to fall under a three-fold classification and all these classifications were described in the foregoing NINE STANZAS. When an actor, guided by his knowledge, acts in the world, no doubt, manifestation of work takes place. But underlying these three, are TWO FACTORS which supply the fuel and the motive force in all sustained endeavours. They are "understanding" (Buddhi) and "fortitude" (Dhriti). Buddhi, or "understanding," means "the intellectual capacity in the individual to grasp what is happening around him." "Fortitude" (Dhriti) is "the faculty of constantly keeping one idea in the mind and consistently working it out to its logical end"; consistency of purpose and self-application, without allowing oneself to be tossed about hither and thither like a dry leaf at the mercy of a fickle breeze, is called "fortitude." Every action is controlled and guided by our intellectual capacity of "understanding," and faithful consistency of purpose, "fortitude." This stanza is an introduction to a scientific discussion of these two faculties (Buddhi and Dhriti) and their three-fold classification. WHAT IS SATTWIC UNDERSTANDING?

30. That which knows the paths of work and renunciation, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, that "understanding" is SATTWIC (pure) , O Partha.

The intellect may be considered as having the best type of

"understanding" if it can readily discriminate among beings and situations in its field of activity. The intellect has various functions --- observing, analysing, classifying, willing, wishing, remembering and a host of others --- and yet, we find that the one faculty essential in all of them is the "power of discrimination." Without 'discrimination,' neither observation nor classification, neither understanding nor judgement, is ever possible. Essentially, therefore, the function of the intellect is

"discrimination," which is otherwise called the faculty of

"right understanding." An "understanding" (Buddhi) which is capable of clearly discriminating between the RIGHT field of pursuit and the WRONG field of false proposition, is the highest type of "understanding." The individual must have the nerve to pursue the right path and also the heroism to defect from all wrong fields of futile endeavour. In short, true

"understanding" has a ready ability to discriminate between actions that are to be pursued (Pravritti) and actions that are to be shunned (Nivritti). An intellect that can discriminate between the true and the false types of work must also be able to function in judging correctly "WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG." Every moment, we are called upon to decide what responses should be made to the flux of happenings and challenges that continuously take place around us. A Sattwic Buddhi always helps us to arrive at the correct judgement. A person in a mood of anger or with a wounded vanity, suddenly resigns his job only to regret thereafter, the folly of his action. His capacity to judge rightly was mutilated by his bad temper of the moment, or by his exaggerated vanity, and so he comes to regret. Arjuna himself had come to a state of mental hysteria when he complained that this power of judgement had been lost, mainly because of his inordinate attachment to his kith and kin. WHAT IS TO BE FEARED AND WHAT IS NOT TO BE FEARED (Bhaya-abhaya) --- "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." Men of indiscrimination, in their false evaluation of the sense-world, hug on to delusory objects and things, fearing nothing from them, and yet, they fear to read and understand philosophy, to strive and to experience the Infinite. A true intellect must have the right

"understanding" to discriminate between what is to be feared and what is not to be feared. BONDAGE AND LIBERATION (Bandham-Moksham-cha) -- - If the "understanding" is clear, we can easily recognise the tendencies in our make-up that entangle the Higher in us, and curtail its fuller play. To observe and analyse ourselves with the required detachment, and to evaluate critically our psychological behaviours and intellectual attitudes in life is not easy; it is possible only for those who are endowed with a well-cultivated Sattwic

"understanding." If we cultivate Sattwic "understanding," it can not only diagnose for us the false values and wrong emotions that work in us, but also intuitively discover the processes of unwinding ourselves from these cruel vasanas, and help us to regain our personality-freedom from these subjective entanglements. To summarise: the Sattwic Buddhi is defined as one which makes known to us what type of work is to be done, and what type of work is to be renounced, which distinguishes the right from the wrong, which knows what is to be feared and what is to be faced fearlessly, which shows us the causes of our own present ugliness in life and explains to us the remedies for the same. Proper "understanding" can make a garden in a desert, can churn out pure success from every threat of failure. Without "understanding" and "fortitude," even the best of chances will become utter disaster. Right "understanding" can convert the greatest of tragedies into chances for ushering in a prosperous destiny. WHAT IS RAJASIC UNDERSTANDING?

31. That by which one wrongly understands DHARMA and ADHARMA and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, that intellect (understanding) , O Partha, is

RAJASIC (passionate) .

The "understanding" of the passionate (Rajasic) comes to judge the righteous (Dharma) and the unrighteous (Adharma), what is to be done and what is not to be done, in a slightly perverted manner (Ayathaavat). Such a Rajasic

"understanding" cannot reach right judgements, because it is invariably coloured by its own preconceived notions and powerful likes and dislikes. WHAT IS TAMASIC "UNDERSTANDING"?

32. That which, enveloped in darkness, sees ADHARMA as

DHARMA, and all things perverted, that intellect

(understanding) , O Partha, is TAMASIC (dull) .

The type of "understanding" which brings sorrow to everyone including the individual himself, is the

"understanding" of the 'dull' (Tamasic). Actually it is no

"understanding" at all; it can, at best, be called only a chronic bundle of misunderstandings. Such an intellect runs into its own conclusions, but unfortunately, it always lands up with wrong conclusions only. It has such a totally perverted "understanding" that it recognises "A- dharma" as "Dharma," the 'right' as 'wrong.' This faculty of coming to wrong judgements is amply seen in the dull, because their entire reasoning capacity is enveloped by complete darkness and egoistic drunkenness. DISCUSSING THE THREE TYPES OF "FORTITUDE," LORD KRISHNA CONTINUES:

33. The unwavering "fortitude" by which, through YOGA, the functions of the mind, the PRANA and the senses are restrained, that "fortitude, " O Partha, is SATTWIC (pure) .

In this section of three stanzas we get a description of the three types of "fortitude" (Dhriti). Dhriti is that power within ourselves by which we constantly see the goal we want to achieve, and while striving towards it, Dhriti discovers for us the necessary constancy of purpose to pursue the path, in spite of all the mounting obstacles that rise on the way. Dhriti paints the idea, maintains it constantly in our vision, makes us steadily strive towards it, and when obstacles come, Dhriti mobilises secret powers within us to face them all courageously, heroically, and steadily. We shall use the term "fortitude" to indicate all the above-mentioned suggestions implied in the term Dhriti. This secret fire in man that makes him glow in life and rockets him to spectacular achievements is not generally found in those who have no control over themselves and are voluptuously indulging in sensuous fields. A dissipated individual, who has drained off his energy through wrong-thinking and false-living, shall discover no Dhriti in himself. The subtle faculty of "fortitude" is being analysed and classified here, under the three main heads: the 'good' (Sattwic), the 'passionate' (Rajasic) and the 'dull' (Tamasic). But in all of them, it is interesting to note, Dhriti stands for "the constancy of purpose" with which every individual pursues his field of endeavour chosen for him, with his own "understanding" (Buddhi). The constancy with which one steadily controls one's mind and sense-organs and their activities, through single-pointed attention and faithful concentration upon a given point-of-contemplation, is the Dhriti of the Sattwic type. Mind alone can control the organs-of-action (Karma- Indriyas) and the organs-of-perception (Jnana-Indriyas). To dissuade the organs-of-action and perception from their false pursuits of the ephemeral joys and the consequent dissipations, the mind must have some fixed source to draw its energies and satisfactions from. Without fixing the mind upon something nobler and higher, we cannot detach it from its present pursuits. Therefore, Krishna insists that Yoga is unavoidable. With faithful contemplation upon the Self, the mind gains in steadiness and equipoise, peace and satisfaction, and therefore, it develops a capacity to rule over the sense- organs. But all these achievements are possible only when the inward personality can constantly supply a steady stream of Dhriti. Constancy in endeavour and consistency of purpose or "fortitude" that is expressed in any field of activity, becomes Sattwic Dhriti when constituted as described above.

WHAT IS RAJASIC 'Dhriti'?

34. But the "fortitude, " O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to duty, pleasure and wealth, from attachment and craving for the fruits-of-actions, that "fortitude, " O Partha, is RAJASIC (passionate) .

The constancy with which a person holds fast to duty (Dharma), wealth (Artha) and pleasure (Kama), encouraged by his growing desire to enjoy the fruit of each of them, is the steadiness or "fortitude" of the Rajasic type. It is interesting to note that in the enumeration Krishna avoids Moksha and only takes the first three of the "four ends of man" (Purushaartha), for, a Rajasic man is satisfied with the other fields of self-effort and has no demand for spiritual liberation. The constancy of pursuit of such an individual will be in these three fields of duty, wealth and pleasure, and he will be pursuing one or the other of them with an extreme desire to enjoy the resultant satisfactions. He follows Dharma, only to gain the heavens; he pursues Artha so that he may have power in this life; and he pursues Kaama with a firm belief and faith that sensuous objects can give him all satisfactions in life. The steadiness with which one with such an

"understanding" would strive and work in these fields is classified as Rajasic Dhriti.

WHAT IS TAMASIC DHRITI?

35. The 'constancy' because of which a stupid man does not abandon sleep, fear, grief, depression, and also arrogance (conceit) , that "fortitude, " O Partha, is TAMASIC (dull) .

In this stanza we have the description of the dull type of

"fortitude," and it is not very difficult to understand it because a substantial majority of us belong to this type! The steadiness-of-purpose with which one DOES NOT give up one's dreams and imaginations, fears and agitations, griefs and sorrows, depressions and arrogance, is the Dhriti of the Tamasic type. The term dream (Swapna) is used here to indicate fancied imaginations thrown up by a mind that is ALMOST drowned in sleep. To see things which are not there but are delusorily projected by one's own fancy, is called a dream. The dull personalities project upon the world of objects a dream-like value of reality and false joy, and then laboriously strive to gain them. FEAR (Bhaya) --- Such men of delusion will have many a fancied fear of the future, which, of course, may never come to pass, but it can efficiently destroy the equilibrium and balance, poise and peace in the individual's life. There are many among us who have experienced such fears by the hundred in the past. Some fear that they are going to die, but each following day a healthy man wakes up to face the world! Psychologically, they are victims of a fear- complex. And it is interesting to note with what great tenacity these men hug on to such complexes. GRIEF, DEPRESSION AND ARROGANCE (Shokam, Vishaadam, Madam) --- These again are great channels through which human vitality gets dissipated. A man of extreme 'dullness' will constantly keep these three within his bosom and thereby suffer a sense of self-depletion and inner exhaustion. "Grief" (Shokam) is, in general, the painful feeling of disappointment at something that has already happened in the PAST; while "depression" (Vishaadam) generally reaches our bosom as a result of our despair regarding the FUTURE; and "arrogance" (Madam) is the sense of lusty conceit with which a foolish man lives his immoral, low life in the PRESENT. He who follows these five values of life is called by Krishna a fool (Durmedhaa), and the constancy with which such a fool follows his life of dreams and fears, griefs and despondencies, arrogance and passion, is indicated as the Dhriti of the Tamasic type.

"PLEASURE" ALSO IS THREE-FOLD ACCORDING TO THE PREDOMINANT "GUNA" IN THE INDIVIDUAL; HERE FOLLOWS THE THREE-FOLD DIVISION OF

"PLEASURE," WHICH IS THE EFFECT OF "ACTION":

36. And now hear from me, O best among the Bharatas, of the three-fold "pleasure, " in which one rejoices by practice, and surely comes to the end-of-pain.

In the logical thought development in this chapter, hitherto we found the three factors that constitute the

"impulse of all actions": (1) the knowledge, (2) the actor and (3) the action. Afterwards, the very motive forces in all activity --- which not only propel activity, but intelligently control and direct it --- the Buddhi and the Dhriti, have also been shown severally, in their different types. Every "actor" acts in his field, guided by his "knowledge," ruled by his "understanding" (Buddhi), and maintained by his "fortitude" (Dhriti). The dissection and observation of

"work" is now complete since we have understood the

"anatomy and physiology" of work. The "Psychology" of work is now being discussed: why does man act? In fact, every living creature acts propelled by the same instinct, namely, the craving for happiness. With the three constituents of action --- namely,

"knowledge," "agency" and "action" --- helped by the right type of "understanding" (Buddhi) and "fortitude" (Dhriti), every living creature from the womb to the tomb continues acting in the world. To what purpose? Everyone acts for the same goal of gaining happiness, meaning, a better sense of fulfilment.

And though the goal be thus one and the same (viz., happiness), since different types of constituents go into the make-up of our actions, and since we are so different in the texture of our UNDERSTANDING and FORTITUDE, the path adopted by each one of us is distinctly different from those adopted by all others. In and through the variety of actions in the universe, all people --- the good, the passionate, and the dull --- seek their own sense of satisfaction. Since each of the five component parts that make up an

"action" is of the three different types, it follows that

"happiness" that is gained by the different types must also be different in its texture, perfection and completeness. Here follows a description of the three types of

"happiness." THROUGH PRACTICE

(Abhyaasat)

--- Through a familiarity of this complete scheme-of-things within, an individual can, to a large extent, come to diagnose himself and understand the why and the wherefore of all his miseries. He can thus learn to readjust and re-evaluate his life and thereby come to end his sorrows totally, or at least, alleviate them to some extent. WHAT IS SATTWIC (PURE) "HAPPINESS"?

37. That which is like poison at first, but in the end like nectar, that "pleasure" is declared to be SATTWIC (pure) , born of the purity of one's own mind, due to Self realisation.

That "happiness" which, in the beginning, is like poison and very painful, but which, when it works itself out, fulfils itself in a nectarine success, is the enduring

"happiness" of the 'good' (Sattwic). In short, "happiness" that arises from constant effort is the "happiness" that can yield us a greater beauty and a larger sense of fulfilment. The flimsy "happiness" that is gained through sense- indulgence and sense-gratification is a joy that is fleeting, and after its onslaught there is a terrific under-current that comes to upset our equilibrium and drag us into the depths of despondency. The joy arising out of inner self-control and the consequent sense of self-perfection is no cheap gratification. In the beginning its practice is certainly very painful and extremely arduous. But one who has discovered in oneself the necessary courage and heroism to walk the precipitous "path" of self-purification and inward balance, comes to enjoy the subtlest of happiness and the all-fulfilling sense of inward peace. This

"happiness" (Sukham), arising out of self-control and self- discipline, is classified here by the Lord as Sattwic

"happiness." BORN OUT OF THE PURITY OF ONE'S OWN MIND (Atma Buddhi Prasaada-jam) --- By carefully living the life of the 'good' (Sattwic) and acting in disciplined self-control, as far as possible in the world, maintaining the Sattwic qualities in all their "component parts," one can develop the 'Prasaada' of one's inner nature. The term 'Prasaada' is very often misunderstood in ritualistic language. The peace and tranquillity, the joy and expansion, that the mind and intellect come to experience as a result of their discipline and contemplation are the true "Prasaada." The joy arising out of spiritual practices, provided by the integration of the inner nature, is called 'Prasada' which is the Sattwic "happiness," Prasaada-jam. In short, the sense of fulfilment and the gladness of heart that well up in the bosom of a cultured man, as a result of his balanced and self-disciplined life of high ideals and divine values of life, are the enduring "happiness" of all Men-of-Perfection, of all true men of religion. WHAT IS RAJASIC (PASSIONATE) "HAPPINESS"?

38. That pleasure which arises from the contact of the sense- organs with the objects, (which is) at first like nectar, (but is) in the end like poison, that is declared to be RAJASIC (passionate)

. That happiness which arises in our bosom when the appropriate world-of-objects comes in contact with our sense-organs is indeed a thrill that is nectarine in the beginning, but unfortunately, it vanishes as quickly as it comes, dumping the enjoyer into a pit of exhaustion and indeed into a sense of ill-reputed dissipation. Rajasic "happiness" arises only when the sense-organs are actually in contact with the sense-objects. Unfortunately, this contact cannot be permanently established; for the objects are always variable. And the subjective mind and intellect, the instruments that come in contact with the objects, are also variable and changing. The sense-organs cannot afford to embrace the sense-objects at all times with the same appetite, and even if they do so, the very object in the embrace of the sense-organs withers and putrefies, raising the stink of death. No man can FULLY enjoy even the passing glitter of joy that the sense-organs give him, for even at the moment of enjoyment the joy- possibility in it gets unfortunately tainted by an anxiety that it may leave him. Thus, to a true thinker, the temporary joys of sense-objects are not at all satisfactory, since they bury the enjoyer, ere long, in a tomb of sorrow. This sort of "happiness" is classified as the Rajasic type of

"happiness" and is generally pursued by men of passion. WHAT IS TAMASIC (DULL) "HAPPINESS"?

39. The pleasure, which at first and in the sequel deludes the Self, arising from sleep, indolence and heedlessness, is declared to be TAMASIC (Dull) .

The "happiness" of the 'dull' (Tamasic) is that which deludes the Higher in us, and vitiates the culture in us; and, when the pursuit of such "happiness" is continued for a length of time, it gives to the intellect a thick crust of wrong values and false ideals, and ruins the spiritual sensitivity of the personality. This type of Tamasic "happiness" satisfies mere sense- cravings; for such Tamasic "happiness" arises, according to the Lord, from sleep (Nidraa), indolence (Aalasya) and heedlessness (Pramaada). SLEEP (Nidraa) --- It is not the psychological condition of the everyday sleep that is meant here. Philosophically, the term "sleep" stands for "the non-apprehension of Reality," and the incapacity of the dull-witted to perceive any permanent, ever-existing goal of life. This encourages one to seek simple sense-gratifications at the flesh level. INDOLENCE (Aalasya) --- It is the incapacity of the intellect to think out correctly the problems that face it and come to correct judgement. Such an inertia of the intellect makes it insensitive to the inspiring song of life, and a person having such an intellect is generally tossed here and there by the passing tides of his own instincts and impulses. HEEDLESSNESS (Pramaada) --- As every challenge reaches us and demands our response to it, no doubt, the Higher in us truly guides our activities; but the lower, indolent mind seeks a compromise and tries to act, heedless of the voice of the Higher. When an individual has thus lived for some time carelessly ignoring the Voice of the Higher, he becomes more and more removed from his divine perfections. He sinks lower and lower into his animal nature. When such an individual, who is heedless of the higher calls, indolent at his intellectual level and completely asleep to the existence and the play of Reality, seeks

"happiness," he only seeks a "happiness" that deludes the soul, both at the beginning and at the end. Such

"happiness" is here classified by Krishna as "dull" (Tamasic). HERE FOLLOWS A STANZA WHICH CONCLUDES THE SUBJECT OF OUR PRESENT DISCUSSION:

40. There is no being on earth, or again in heaven among the "DEVAS" (heavenly beings) , who is totally liberated from the three qualities, born of PRAKRITI (matter) .

With the above stanza the exhaustive description of the three Gunas as impinging upon the personality of all living organisms, is concluded. On the whole, this section of the chapter has given us a psychological explanation for the variety of men that we meet with, in the world-of- plurality, not only in their personality-structures but also in their individual-behaviours. The three types of beings have been described exhaustively --- by an analysis of

"knowledge," "action," "agent," "understanding" and

"fortitude." This is only for our guidance so that we know where we stand in our own inner nature and outer manifestations. If we detect, with the above-mentioned slide-rule of personality, that we belong to the Tamasic or the Rajasic types, we, as seekers of cultural expression and growth, are to take warning and strive to heave ourselves into the Sattwic state. Remember, and I repeat, REMEMBER, these classifications are given NOT TO CLASSIFY OTHERS but to provide us with a ready-reckoner to help us in our constant and daily self-analysis and self-discipline. These three gunas have been described because there is no living organism in the world, "NO CREATURE EITHER ON EARTH OR AGAIN AMONG THE GODS IN HEAVEN," who is totally free from the influence of these three gunas; no living creature can act or work beyond the frontiers provided by these three gunas. Nature (Prakriti) itself is constituted of these gunas; the play of these three gunas is the very expression of Prakriti. But at the same time, no two creatures react to the world outside in the same fashion, because the proportion in which these three gunas come to influence each one is different at different times. These three gunas put together are the manifestation of "Maya." Individuals differ from one another because of the different textures of the gunas that predominantly rule over them; it is this Maya that gives them their individuality. An individual cannot, at any time, exist without all these three gunas, whatever be their relative proportion. No sample of "coffee" is possible without its three ingredients, the decoction, the milk, and the sugar; but at the same time, the proportion in which they are mixed together may be different from cup to cup according to the taste of the partaker. He who has transcended the three gunas comes to experience the very plurality in the world as the play of the One Infinite. So, let us introspect and evaluate ourselves every day, every minute. Let us avoid the lower gunas and steadily work ourselves up towards the achievement of the Sattwic state. Only after reaching the status of the good (Sattwic) can we be ushered into the State of Godhood --- Perfection Absolute. With these three measuring rods --- the qualities (gunas) Krishna classifies the entire community of man under three distinct types. The criterion of this classification is the texture of man's inner equipments which he brings into play for his achievements in his fields of activity. Accordingly, the Hindu scriptures have brought the entire humanity under a four-fold classification. So, its applicability is not merely confined to India --- BUT IS UNIVERSAL. Certain well-defined characteristics determine the types of these four classes of human beings; they are not always determined by heredity, or accident of birth. They are termed, in our society, as: the Brahmanas --- with a major portion of Sattwa, a little Rajas and with minimum Tamas; the Kshatriyas --- mostly Rajas with some Sattwa, and a dash of Tamas; the Vaishyas --- with more Rajas, less Sattwa and some Tamas; and the Shudras --- mostly Tamas, a little Rajas, with only a suspicion of Sattwa. This four-fold classification is universal and for all times. Even today it holds good. In modern language, the four types of people may be called: (1) the creative thinkers; (2) the politicians; (3) the commercial employers; and (4) the labourers (the proletarians). We can easily recognise how each subsequent classification holds in awe and reverence the previous higher class --- the employees are afraid of the employer, the commercial men are suspicious of the politicians and the politicians tremble at the courageous, independent thinkers. In the following stanzas, by the discussions contained in them, in the immediate context of the Krishna-Arjuna summit talks, the Lord is only trying to make Arjuna understand that his inner equipment is such that he can be classified only as a Kshatriya. Being a Kshatriya, his duty is to fight, championing the cause of the good, and thus establish righteousness. He cannot, with profit, retire to the jungle and meditate for self-unfoldment, since he will have to grow, first of all, into the status of the Sattwic personality (Brahmana) before he can successfully strive on the path of total retirement and a life of rewarding contemplation. Therefore, with the available texture of mind and intellect, the only spiritual Sadhana left for Arjuna is to act vigorously in the field of contention. Thereby he can exhaust his existing vasanas of Rajas and Tamas. IN THE FOLLOWING VERSES THE DUTIES ORDAINED BY ONE'S NATURE, "SWABHAAVA," AND ONE'S STATION IN LIFE, "SWADHARMA," ARE LAID OUT WITH THE THOROUGHNESS OF A LAW BOOK: 41. Of scholars (BRAHMANAS) , of leaders (KSHATRIYAS) and of traders (VAISHYAS) , as also of workers (SHUDRAS) ,

O Parantapa, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature.

After dealing with the various gunas in the preceding stanza, Krishna now applies them to the social fabric of humanity and thus intelligently classifies the entire mankind under four distinct heads: the Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras. Different types of duties are assigned to each of these classes of individuals depending upon their nature (Swabhaava), which is ordered by the proportion of the gunas in the make-up of each type of inner equipment. The duties prescribed for a particular type depend upon the manifestation of the inner ruling gunas, as expressed in the individual's contact with the world and his activities in society. The good and bad are not diagnosed by merely examining the texture of the person's skin or the colour of his hair; an individual is judged only by his expressions in life and by the quality of his contacts with the world outside. These alone can reflect one's inner personality --- the quality and texture of the contents of one's mind- intellect. After testing and determining the quality of the inner personality, the individuals in the community are classified, and different types of duties are prescribed for each. Naturally, the duties prescribed for a Brahmana are different from those expected of a Kshatriya; and the work of the Vaishya and the Shudra should necessarily be different from that of the Brahmana and the Kshatriya. The Shastra enjoins duties, by pursuing which the preponderant Tamas can be evolved into Rajas, which, in its turn, can grow to become Sattwa. And, even then, the seeker must wait for the sublimation of Sattwa, when alone the final experience of the Infinite is gained. By observing a person one can conclude as to which class he belongs to --- whether to the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaishya or the Shudra. In this context, when we say a man is Sattwic, it only means that the Sattwic qualities are predominant in him; even in the most Sattwic of persons, at times, the Rajasic and the Tamasic qualities can and will show up; so too, even in the most Tamasic man, Sattwa and Rajas will necessarily show up sometimes. No one is exclusively of one guna alone.

Today, as they are now worked out in India, these four classifications have lost much of their meaning. They signify merely a hereditary birth-right in the society, a mere physical distinction that divides the society into castes and sub-castes. A true Brahmana is necessarily a highly cultured Sattwic man who can readily control his sense-organs, and with perfect mastery over his mind, can raise himself, through contemplation, to the highest peaks of meditation upon the Infinite. But today's Brahmana is one who is claiming his distinction by birth alone and alas! he gets no reverence, because he has not striven to deserve it. ANSWERING THE FOUR TYPES OF NATURE, AS DETERMINED BY THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, THERE ARE FOUR KINDS OF SOCIAL LIVING, EACH HAVING A DEFINITE FUNCTION IN SOCIETY: THEY ARE DESCRIBED BELOW:

42. Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness and also uprightness, knowledge, realisation, belief-in-God --- are the duties of the BRAHMANAS, born of (their own) nature.

Herein we have a detailed enumeration of the duties of a Brahmana born out of his own predominantly Sattwic nature. Serenity (Shama), is one of his duties. Shama is controlling the mind from running into the world-of- objects seeking sense-enjoyments. Even if we shut off the world-of-objects by carrying ourselves away from the tumults and temptations of life into a quiet, lonely place, even there our minds will stride forth into the sense-fields through the memories of our past indulgences. To control consciously this instinctive flow of the mind towards the sense-objects is called Shama. SELF-CONTROL (Dama) --- Controlling the sense-organs, which are the gateways through which the external world of stimuli infiltrates into our mental domain and mars our peace, is called Dama. A man practising Dama, even if he be in the midst of sensuous objects, is not disturbed by them. A true Brahmana is one who practises constantly both Shama and Dama, serenity and self-control. AUSTERITY (Tapas) --- Conscious physical self-denial in order to economise the expenditure of human energy so lavishly spent in the wrong channels of sense-indulgence, and conserving it for reaching the higher unfoldment within is called Tapas. By the practice of Shama and Dama, the Brahmana will be steadily controlling both the mad rush of his senses and his mind-wandering. This helps him to conserve his inner vitality which would have been otherwise spent in hunting after sense-joys. This conserved energy is utilised for higher flights in meditation. This subjective process of economising, conserving, and redirecting one's energies within is called Tapas. It is a Brahmana's duty to live in Tapas.

PURITY (Shaucham) --- The Sanskrit term used here includes external cleanliness and internal purity. Habits of cleanliness in one's personal life and surroundings are the governing conditions in the life of one who is practising both Shama and Dama. The practice of Tapas makes him such a disciplined person that he cannot stand any disorderly confusion or state of neglect around and about him. A person living in the midst of things thrown about in a disorderly manner is certainly a man of slothful nature and slovenly habits. It is the duty of the Brahmana to keep himself ever clean and pure. FORBEARANCE (Kshaanti) --- To be patient and forgiving and thus to live without struggling even against wrongs done against one, is "forbearance" --- the duty of a Brahmana. Such an individual will never harbour any hatred for anyone; he lives equanimously amidst both the good and the bad. UPRIGHTNESS (Aarjavam) --- This is a quality which makes an individual straightforward in all his dealings, and his uprightness makes him fearless in life. He is afraid of none, and he makes no compromise of the higher calls with the lower murmurings. Cultivating the above six qualities --- serenity (Shama), self-control (Dama), austerity (Tapas), purity (Shaucham), forbearance

(Kshaanti), and straightforwardness (Aarjavam) --- and expressing them in all his relationships with the world outside is the life-long duty of a Brahmana.

The above-mentioned six artistic strokes complete the picture of a Brahmana on the stage of the world when he deals with things and beings in the various situations in life. The Lord enumerates, in the stanza, three more duties of a Brahmana which are the rules of conduct controlling his spiritual life. KNOWLEDGE (Jnaanam) --- The theoretical knowledge of the world, of the structure of the equipments-of- experience and their behaviour while coming in contact with the outer world, of the highest goal of life, of the nature of the spirit --- in short, knowledge of all that the Upanishads deal with --- is included in the term Jnaanam. WISDOM (Vijnaanam) --- If 'theoretical knowledge' is Jnaanam then 'personal experience' is Vijnaanam. Knowledge digested and assimilated brings home to man an inward experience, and thereafter, he comes to live his life guided by this deep inner experience called "wisdom." Knowledge can be imparted, but "wisdom" is to be found by the individual in himself. When a student discovers in himself the enthusiasm to live the knowledge gained through his studies, then from the field of his lived experience arises "wisdom" --- Vijnaanam. FAITH (Aastikyam) --- Unless one has a deep faith in what one has studied and lived, the living itself will not be enthusiastic and full. This ardency of conviction which is the motive-force behind one who lives what he has understood, is the secret sustaining power that steadily converts KNOWLEDGE into "wisdom." This inner order, this intellectual honesty, this subtle unflagging enthusiasm, is called "FAITH." To grow and steadily cultivate knowledge, wisdom and faith are the sacred duties of a Brahmana in his spiritual life. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF A 'KSHATRIYA?'

43. Prowess, splendour, firmness, dexterity, and also not fleeing from battle, generosity, lordliness --- these are the duties of the KSHATRIYAS, born of (their own) nature.

The Kshatriyas have a greater dose of Rajoguna in the composition of their personality. A Kshatriya is not defined by Lord Krishna as the lawful son of another Kshatriya. He enumerates a series of qualities and behaviours noticed in a truly Kshatriya personality. In the Geeta, the four "castes" are described in terms of their manifested individuality when coming in contact with the world-of-objects --- the field of expression. In all these descriptions we meet with details of the individual's mental and intellectual reactions to his moral life. PROWESS AND BOLDNESS (Shauryam and Tejah) --- These mean the vigour and constancy with which he meets the challenges in his life. He who has the above two qualities, heroism and vigour of pursuit, certainly becomes a commanding personality. FORTITUDE (Dhriti) --- This is already explained in earlier stanzas. Herein, as applied to a Kshatriya, it is the powerful will of the personality, who, having decided to do something, pursues the "path" and discovers in himself the necessary drive and constancy of purpose to meet, and if necessary, break down all the obstacles until he gains victory or success. PROMPTITUDE (Daakshyam) --- The Sanskrit equivalent for the army parade-ground command "Attention" is

"Daksha!" This quality of alertness and smart vigilance is, indeed, Daakshyam. In the context here, it means that a Kshatriya is prompt in coming to decisions and in executing them. Such an individual is industrious and has an enviable amount of perseverance, however hazardous may the field of his activity be. NOT FLEEING FROM BATTLE --- One who has all the above qualities can never readily accept defeat in any field of conflict. He will not leave any work incomplete. Since Krishna is here generally classifying all human beings according to the gunas predominant in them, these terms should be understood in their greatest amplitude of suggestion. No doubt, a true warrior should not step back in any field of battle; but such literal interpretation is only incomplete. The field-of-battle should include all fields of competition wherein things and situations arrange themselves in opposition to the planned schemes of a man of will and dash. In no such condition will a true Kshatriya feel nervous. He never leaves a field which he has entered; if at all he leaves, he leaves with the crown of success! GENEROSITY (Daanam) --- Governments or kings cannot be popular unless they loosen their purse-strings. Even in modern days every government budget in all democratic countries has amounts allocated under heads which are not discussed and voted. A man of action cannot afford to be miserly since his success will depend upon his influence on a large number of friends and supporters. The glory of a prince is in his compassion for others who are in need of help. LORDLINESS (Ishwara-bhaava) --- As a rule, without self- confidence in one's own abilities one cannot lead others. A leader must have such a firm faith in himself that he will be able to reinforce other frail hearts around him with his self-confidence. Thus, lordliness is one of the essential traits in a Kshatriya. He must waft all around a fragrance of brilliance and dynamism, electrifying the atmosphere around him. A king is not made by his golden robes or be- jewelled crown. The crown, the robe and the throne have a knack of electing for themselves a true wearer. Lordliness is the hallmark of Kshatriya. These eight qualities --- bravery, vigour, constancy, resourcefulness, promptitude, courage in the face of the enemy, generosity and lordliness --- are enumerated here as the duties of a Kshatriya, meaning that it is the duty of a true man-of-action to cultivate, to maintain and to express these traits in himself. In no society can leaders of men and affairs claim to be at once the spiritual leaders of the people. Secular heads cannot be spiritual guides. But a true leader is one who has the subtle ability to incorporate the spiritual ideals of our culture into the work-a-day life and maintain them in the community in all its innumerable fields of activity. THE DUTIES OF THE VAISHYAS AND SHUDRAS ARE DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING:

44. Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the duties of the VAISHYAS, born of (their own) nature; and service is the duty of the SHUDRAS, born of (their own) nature.

Since each mind-intellect equipment is governed and ruled over by its predominating quality (guna), each equipment has its own nature to reckon with. A vehicle that can efficiently work in one medium of transport cannot with the same efficiency work in another medium, a car is efficient on the road --- but on water? The Rajasic mind cannot fly into meditation and maintain its poise as easily and as beautifully as the Sattwic mind can. Similarly, in the field in which a Kshatriya can outshine everybody, a Vaishya or a Shudra cannot. To rise to the highest station in social life all men cannot have IDENTICAL opportunities. A social system can only give

"equal opportunities" for all its members to develop their gifts in and through life. In order to prove this thesis, the various duties are prescribed that will help to mould the personalities of the different types of men. AGRICULTURE, BREEDING AND TENDING CATTLE, TRADE AND COMMERCE --- These are three fields in which a Vaishya can function inspiredly and exhaust his imperfections. These are duties towards which he has an aptitude because of his own nature. Work in a spirit of DEDICATION AND SERVICE IS THE DUTY OF A SHUDRA. The mental temperament of a man determines what class he belongs to and each class has been given particular duties to perform in the world. If a man who is fit temperamentally for one type of work is entrusted with a different type of activity, he will bring chaos not only into the field but also in himself. For example, if a Kshatriya were asked to fan someone in a spirit of service, he may condescend to do so, but one will find him ordering somebody else, almost instinctively, to fetch a fan for him! So too, if a man of commercial temperament, a Vaishya, comes to serve as a temple-priest, the sacred place will become, ere long, worse than a trading centre; and again, let him become the head of any government, he will, out of sheer instinct, begin doing profitable "business" from the seat of governmental authority; people call it corruption!!

We must analyse and discover the type of vasanas and temperaments that predominate in each one of us and determine what types of men we are. None belonging to the higher groups has any justification to look down with contempt upon others who are of the lower types. Each one serves the society as best as he can. Each one must work in a spirit of dedication for his own evolution and sense of fulfilment. When each one works thus according to his vasanas and fully devotes his attention to his prescribed duties, it is said here that he will develop within himself and attain, in stages, the ultimate Perfection. When a person works devotedly, in the proper field and in the environment best suited to him, he will be exhausting the existing vasanas in him. And when the vasanas are reduced he will experience tranquillity and peace within and it will become possible for him to discover more and more concentration and single-pointed contemplation. WITH THESE FACULTIES IN HIM MAN CAN ULTIMATELY REACH THE STATE OF PERFECTION --- THE LIFE IN THE SELF --- HOW?

45. Devoted, each to his own duty, man attains Perfection. How, engaged in his own duty, he attains Perfection, listen.

EACH DEVOTED TO HIS DUTY, MAN ATTAINS PERFECTION --- By being loyal to our own level of feelings and ideas, to our own development of consciousness, we can evolve into higher states of self- unfoldment. The truth of this classification of mankind may not be very obvious, if we observe it only superficially. But the biographies of all great men of action declare repeatedly the precision with which this law-of-life works itself out in human affairs. A tiny Corsican boy who was asked to tend sheep refused to do so and reached Paris to become one of the greatest generals the world had ever seen --- Napoleon. A Goldsmith or a Keats would rather compose his metres in a garret than take up a commercial job, courting prosperity and a life of comfort. Each one is ordered by his own Swabhaava, and each can discover his fulfilment only in that self-ordered field of activity. By thus working in the field ordered by one's own vasanas, if one can live surrendering one's ego and ego-centric desires to enjoy the fruits, one can achieve a sense of fulfilment; and a great peace will arise out of the exhaustion of one's vasanas. The renunciation of the ego and its desires can never be accomplished unless there is a spirit of dedication and a total surrender to the Infinite. When unbroken awareness of the Lord becomes a constant habit of the mind, dedication becomes effective, and man's evolution starts.

Such an intelligent classification of human beings on the basis of their physical behaviour, psychological structure and intellectual aptitude is applicable not in India only. This four-fold classification is universal, both in its application in life and its implication in the cultural development of man. HOW CAN ONE, DEVOTED TO ONES OWN DUTY, ATTAIN PERFECTION? "THAT DO THOU HEAR," SAYS LORD KRISHNA:

46. From Whom is the evolution of all beings, by Whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him with one's own duty, man attains Perfection.

In this chapter the four-fold classification of men and the duties of the individuals belonging to each classification are given. When a man acts according to his "nature" (Swabhaava) and station-in-life (Swadharma), his vasanas get exhausted. This exhaustion of the load of vasanas and the consequent sense of joy and relief can be gained only when he learns to work and achieve in a spirit of total self- surrender. By constantly remembering the higher goal towards which we are working our way, if we do our work efficiently, this vasana-exhaustion takes place. The goal to be constantly remembered is indicated in this stanza: "HE FROM WHOM ALL BEINGS ARISE AND BY WHOM

ALL THIS IS PERVADED." The three equipments --- the body, the mind and the intellect, that flutter out into activity, are all in themselves inert matter with no consciousness in themselves. It is only at the touch of the Light-of-Life that inert matter starts singing its vasanas through the various activities. To remember constantly, this Consciousness, the Atman --- the Atman that lends, as it were, Its dynamism to the Matter that invests It in its activities --- is to stand apart from all agitations in the field of strife. Just as a musician, constantly conscious of the background drone, sings his songs easily in tune, just as a dancer dances effortlessly to the rhythm of the drum, such a man is never caught on the wrong foot ever in life. A new glow of tranquil peace and dynamic love comes to shine through all his actions, and his achievements radiate the shadowless Light-of- Perfection, unearthly and Divine. Work can thus be changed into worship by attuning our minds all through our activity to the consciousness of the Self. A self-dedicated man so working in the consciousness of the Supreme pays the greatest homage to his Creator. This subtle change in attitude transforms the shape of even the most dreary situation. Even the most dreadfully unpleasant field of activity is converted into a sacred chamber of devotion --- into a silent hall of prayer - -- into a quiet seat of meditation!

By thus setting one's hands and feet to work in the field- of-objects with one's mind and intellect held constantly conscious of the Divine Presence, one can attain

"THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE OF ONE'S OWN DUTIES THE HIGHEST PERFECTION." Work results in self-fulfilment, apart from its legitimate "fruits." The inner personality gets integrated, and such an integrated person grows in his meditation and evolves quickly.

"AND YET, WHY SHOULD I NOT GO AND MEDITATE?" SEEMS TO BE THE HONEST DOUBT IN ARJUNA'S MIND. KRISHNA ANSWERS:

47. Better is one's own duty (though) destitute of merits, than the duty of another well-performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.

The opening line of this stanza has been exhaustively discussed earlier (III-35). To work in any field ordered by one's own vasanas is better, because in that case, there is a chance for exhausting the existing vasanas. When an individual strives in a field contrary to the existing vasanas, he not only fails to gain any exhaustion of the existing vasanas, but also creates a new load of vasanas in his temperament. Hence, it is said here: "BETTER IS ONE'S OWN DHARMA THOUGH IMPERFECT THAN THE DHARMA OF ANOTHER WELL-PERFORMED."

By performing "duties ordained by one's own nature" (Swabhaava-Niyatam-Karma) the individual comes to no evil --- meaning, the individual has no chance of imprinting any new impressions on his mind --- the impressions which, in their maturity, might force him to strive, to seek, to achieve and to indulge. This closing chapter of the Geeta is a peroration of the beautiful discourse of the inspired Divine, and it is, naturally therefore, a summary of the whole Geeta. Hence, we find here a reiteration of almost all the salient ideas which have been discussed earlier, and which are very important for the cure of the "Arjuna-disease. Anyone can appreciate the logic of it if he considers the following: (1) the deadly poison in the fangs of a serpent never kills the serpent; (2) living organisms crawling in fermented wine never get drunk; (3) the malarial germs in the mosquitoes do not attack them with shivering fevers. THE SWABHAAVA OF EACH ONE CANNOT DESTROY HIM! If the poison is drawn from the fangs and wine is poisoned, the crawling organisms die. Similarly, if the Kshatriyas were to perform the duties prescribed for the Brahmana-type of equipment, they would be only doing harakiri. Arjuna was a Kshatriya; hence retiring from the battle-field to a jungle for meditation would have destroyed him. In short, it is no use employing our minds in fields which are contrary to our nature. Everyone has a precise place in the scheme of created things. Each one has his own importance and none is to be despised, for, each can do something which the others cannot do so well. There is no redundancy in the Lord's creation; not even a single blade of grass, anywhere, at any time, is unnecessarily created! Everything has a purpose. Not only the good but the bad also are His manifestations and serve His purpose. The Pandavas' glory is, no doubt, great, but the manifestation of the wickedness in the Kauravas is also the glory of His creation. Without the latter, the history of the former would not have been complete. Nothing is to be condemned; none to be despised. Every thing is He. And He alone IS. BUT IF THE DUTY TO WHICH WE ARE BOUND IS RIDDLED WITH EVIL, ARE WE TO FOLLOW IT? KRISHNA ANSWERS:

48. One should not abandon, O Kaunteya, the duty to which one is born, though faulty; for, are not all undertakings enveloped by evil, as fire by smoke?

After explaining this much about the nature (Swabhaava) and the corresponding station-in-life (Swadharma), Krishna builds up the idea to a subtle climax. His advice is general and it is meant for all people, of all times, in all situations. Even when the work so ordained by the existing vasanas

(Sahajam Karma) is full of evil (Sadosham), Krishna's advice is that one should not relinquish it (Na-Tyajet). Superficially reading this declaration in a hurry, one is apt to think that this is not spirituality. But to a careful thinker, the term "born with" (Sahajam) solves the riddle. There is an ocean of difference between the meanings of the phrases "BORN WITH" and "BORN INTO." There are two forces that control and guide, define and determine, our actions --- (i) the impulses brought forth by the pressure of the mental temperaments within; and (ii) the pressure of environments that tickles new temptations in ourselves. One is to follow faithfully, the subjective vasanas, even if they be defective. But at the same time, we must courageously renounce all the demands that the objective world makes upon us from without. The vasanas one is BORN WITH are to be lived through, without ego and desire; while the vasana-creating atmosphere INTO which one is born should not be allowed to contaminate one's personality. Krishna is very careful in indicating that a spiritual seeker must constantly strive hard to stand apart from the shackling effects of the environments. According to the Geeta, man is the master of circumstances. To the extent he comes to assert this mastery, to that extent he is evolved. IN FACT, "ARE NOT ALL ACTIONS (WORKS) CLOUDED BY DEFECTS, AS FIRE IS BY THE SMOKE?"

Here the term used to indicate "work" (Arambha) is very important. This Sanskrit term Arambha means "beginning." The term was used earlier (XII-16) where also we were asked to "RENOUNCE THE SENSE OF AGENCY IN ACTIVITY." When there is an ego-centric sense of self- arrogation, the "I-am-the-self" arrogation, the "I-am-the- doer" sense, there is, invariably, creation of new vasanas and therefore, it is full of defects (Dosha). This defect is as unavoidable as the appearance of smoke in fire. The more an oven is ventilated in the atmospheric air, the less smoky becomes the fire burning therein. The more our inner bosom is ventilated with the Consciousness Divine, the less will the ego assert, and therefore, no defects can pollute the actions. If there be an influx of wrong vasanas within, the earlier we exhaust them through "action" --- without any ego or ego-centric desire of enjoying their fruits --- the quicker shall the load of existing vasanas be lifted from our personality. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF THUS ACTING ACCORDING TO THE TEMPERAMENTS WITH WHICH ONE IS BORN?

49. He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he, through renunciation, attains the Supreme State of Freedom-from- action.

It must be remembered, that the entire Geeta is addressed to Prince Arjuna standing confused at the immensity of his duty. He wants to run away into the jungle and live in a spirit of what he understands as 'renunciation.' Lord Krishna's thesis in the entire Geeta is that a MERE running away from life and its duties is not Samnyasa nor is it renunciation. Here, in the stanza, the Lord is defining the State-of-Actionlessness (Naishkarmya-Siddhi). This state is reached when we do not identify ourselves with the equipments-of-matter which are the instruments-of- perception, the three instruments of false interpretation of Truth (Body, Mind and Intellect). To regain our life in Pure Consciousness is the Supreme State. When we forget our spiritual dignity, the misconception of the ego arises; we lose our real personality and come to believe that we are merely the limited ego. Such self- forgetfulness can be observed in any drunken reveller. He forgets his individual personality and status in life and assumes to himself a false identity and continues to be in it as long as he is in a state of intoxication. In his false concept of himself the drunken fool acts, disgracing his education and station in life. The ego arises when we are ignorant and forgetful of our spiritual nature. When this 'ignorance'is ended, there is the experience of the Infinite Bliss of the All-Full- Consciousness. Naturally, there is no want felt, and therefore, no desire can arise. When desires are absent, the thought-breedings end. When thoughts are dried up, actions, which are the parade of thoughts, marching out through the archway of the body, are no more. This state is called "ACTIONLESSNESS" --- Naishkarmya Siddhi. The Supreme State described so elaborately in the Upanishadic literature and indicated here by the technical term 'Naishkarmya-Siddhi,' is that 'WISE' state-of-being wherein there is no 'ignorance.' DESIRES are the children of 'ignorance'; THOUGHTS arise from desires; ACTIONS are thoughts expressed in the outer world. In the spirituo- psychology of Vedanta we may thus say that 'ignorance'is the great-grandfather of action! With the 'knowledge' of the Spirit, 'ignorance'ends, and in that State, thoughts and actions cannot be. This is the State of Full Awakening, and with reference to its previous condition as expressed and manifested through the body, this condition is indicated as "ACTIONLESS-NESS" or "THOUGHTLESS-NESS" or

"DESIRELESS-NESS." The Geetaacharya, in this stanza, declares that this State of Perfection, defined as the State of Actionlessness, cannot be gained by a cheap and ignominious escape from the fields of life's activities. Making use of the fields, we must gain in purity by getting rid of the existing vasanas, through selfless activities. Making use of the fields, we must gain in purity by getting rid of the existing vasanas, through selfless activities which are prescribed to each one of us according to the type to which we naturally belong. Arjuna being a "Kshatriya", his duty is to fight; and by fighting alone will he exhaust his vasanas. By the exhaustion of the vasanas alone can one hope to reach the Supreme State of Pure Awareness. AN UNDERSTANDING UNATTACHED EVERYWHERE (Asakta-Buddhih Sarvatra) --- An intellect that is attached to sensuous things of the world outside knows no peace within itself. It gets agitated and the frail body gets shattered as the fuming mind escapes through it in its hunt for satisfaction among the sense-objects. A 'clean- shaven intellect,' devoid of all the cobwebs of attachments with the equipments of perceptions, feeling and thinking, and their respective objects perceived, felt or thought of, is the vehicle that stands dissolved, revealing THAT which pulsates through them all. This is the true State-of- Actionlessness and a man who has earlier disciplined his intellect alone can attain it. In the case of Arjuna, his tall talks of detachment and renunciation were false urges of escapism paraded as an angelic urge. His Samnyasa arose out of his "attachment" to his kith and kin, while true Samnyasa must arise out of

"detachment." ONE WHO HAS SUBDUED HIS EGO (Jitaatmaa) --- An intellect of complete detachment is an impossible dream. The seeker subdues his heart which ever seeks its flickering joys in sense-gratifications. This self-mastery of the mind is impossible as long as there are even the minutest traces of desire in him. One from whom all desires have fled (Vigata-sprihah) alone can subdue the mind, and such a seeker alone can accomplish the state of complete detachment of his intellect from the world of sense-objects. Mind is the seat of all vanities of agency, like "I am the doer" sense (Kartritwa-bhaavanaa). The intellect is the seat of all false arrogations that "I-am-the-enjoyer" (Bhoktritwa- bhavanaa). These two together make up the ego, and it is fed, nurtured and nourished by its clinging attachments (spriha) to the joy that is in the objects of the world outside. By correct analysis and investigations, when the "spriha" is dried up, both the senses of enjoyership and doership will get steadily sublimated, leaving behind the Infinite experience of the Self. The Geeta is never tired of repeating that self-restraint and freedom from desire are the unavoidable pre-requisites for spiritual growth. Herein, we have a beautiful example of explaining the Supreme Goal, not in achieving any Higher State, but as the state of complete detachment from the lower urges. FREEDOM FROM ACTION IS A CONDITION IN WHICH ALONE THE EXPERIENCES OF THE SUPREME BEING CAN RUSH IN. HOW? LEARN THIS FROM ME IN BRIEF:

50. How he, who has attained perfection, reaches BRAHMAN (the Eternal) , that in brief do you learn from Me, O! Kaunteya, that Supreme State-of-Knowledge.

Here we are told how to get detached from the wrong tendencies in life, and how, to that extent, we attain serenity and composure. Detachment from matter- hallucinations itself is the rediscovery of the spiritual beauty. The following few stanzas make a beautiful section of this chapter which refreshingly reminds us of the various descriptions of a Man-of-Perfection that were given earlier, throughout the Lord's Song. When we thus get purified, meaning, when the intellect becomes free from its attachments, and the mind and body come well under the control of the intellect, then alone are we fit for the "Path-of-Meditation," which is the process of accomplishing and fulfilling renunciation of the lower, base, ego-sense. It is not possible to renounce all attachments completely, unless one experiences the Truth, and thereby becomes the Infinite Self. Our attempt now is to reduce our attachments to the irreducible minimum, leaving but the thinnest film of 'ignorance'veiling the Supreme. Krishna says here, "LEARN THAT FROM ME IN BRIEF, O, son of Kunti, how to remove this last lingering film of 'ignorance'and thereby get permanently established in that Supreme God-consciousness, which is the Self." THE TECHNIQUE-OF-MEDITATION IS BEING DESCRIBED NOW; THIS AND THE FOLLOWING TWO STANZAS EXPLAIN WHAT SHOULD BE THE CONDITION OF THE EQUIPMENTS OF PERCEPTION,

FEELING, AND THINKING AT THE TIME OF PERFECT MEDITATION:

51. Endowed with a pure intellect; controlling the self by firmness; relinquishing sound and other objects; and abandoning attraction and hatred;

ENDOWED WITH PURE UNDERSTANDING --- An intellect that has grown to remain without vaasanaas. An intellect that has thus purified itself of all its tendencies of joy-hunting is indicated here as pure (Vishuddha) understanding. CONTROLLING THE MIND AND THE SENSE WITH FORTITUDE --- These two sabotage the harmony and balance in a meditator when he is at his seat of meditation. At that moment the sense-organs receive a rush of stimuli with which they can disturb the music of meditation in the mind; or, often the mind can topple down from its steady concentration, by itself remembering its own experiences of the past. By controlling both these, which were earlier described as Shama and Dama, the seeker comes to tune himself up properly. He becomes invulnerable to all such attacks. The idea of controlling the mind and sense-organs described in the earlier epithet is clearly elucidated in the second line of the stanza. RENOUNCING SENSE- OBJECTS --- controlling the sense-organs means allowing none of the stimuli such as sound, form, touch, taste or smell to infiltrate through their respective gateways of ears, eyes, skin, tongue and the nose. When thus a complete wall-of-understanding has been built around the mind, protecting it from any onslaught from the outer world, the mind can, of its own accord, either dance in some REMEMBERED joy, or sob in grief at some EXPECTED sorrow --- because of its likes and dislikes, loves and hates. Therefore, these instinctive impulses of the mind are also to be controlled. To summarise, a meditator is one who has: (1) an intellect purified of all its extrovert desires; (2) a mind, together with the sense-organs, brought well under the control of this intellect, so purified; (3) the sense-organs no more contacting the sense-objects; and (4) a mind that has given up its ideas of likes and dislikes. It is this individual who becomes a successful meditator. AGAIN:

52. Dwelling in solitude; eating but little; speech, body and mind subdued; always engaged in meditation and concentration; taking refuge in dispassion;

DWELLING IN SOLITUDE (Vivikta-Sevee) --- A seeker who has developed all the above-mentioned physical, mental and intellectual adjustments, must now seek a sequestered spot of loneliness. This does not mean that he must move out of a town to a jungle. The term indicates only a spot "wherein there is the least disturbance." Even in the midst of a market there are moments when it is deserted and quiet. If the seeker is sincere, he can discover such moments of complete solitude under his own roof. EATING BUT LITTLE --- Over-indulgence and stuffing oneself with highly nutritive food is fattening the body and thickening the subtlety of one's intellectual activities. Temperance is the law for all spiritual students (VI-17). CONTROLLING SPEECH, BODY AND MIND --- The mind cannot be subdued unless the body is brought under its command. The body is constituted of the sense-organs of perception and action. The grossest manifestation of the mind is action, and to control action is to discipline the mind. The term SPEECH used here indicates "all sense- organs-of-action and their functions"; and the term BODY represents "the organs-of-perception and all their activities of perceiving their respective objects." Unless these two sets of organs are controlled, the mind cannot be subdued. In fact, the mind ITSELF, at the body-level, becomes the sense-organs, and the mind projected away from the body is the great universe of sense-objects. When the mind, playing through the body, identifies itself with its own projections --- the objects --- it is called PERCEPTION; and when it comes in contact with the world-of-objects seeking satisfaction and entertainment, it is called ACTION. Disciplining action and regulating perception --- in short, eliminating the ego-centric attitude in all our perceptions, in all our relationships with the world-of-objects, is what is advised here. EVER ENGAGED IN MEDITATION --- Controlling the actions and perceptions of the mind is not possible as long as the mind is constantly flowing out through the sense- organs towards the sense-objects. Seeking sense- gratifications, the mind is in a constant state of agitation. To quieten such a mind, it is necessary that we must give it some "point-of-contemplation" wherein, as it engages itself more and more, it shall discover consummate happiness and get sufficiently disengaged from everything else. Diverting the mind from the world of sense-objects and maintaining it in a steady flow towards contemplation of the Lord in an utter attitude of identification, is called MEDITATION. To be steadily in a state of such an all-consuming dedication unto a nobler and higher ideal is the method of cooling down the mind's boiling lust for sense-enjoyments. POSSESSED OF DISPASSION --- Dispassion is Vairaagya. It is not a mere self-denial of any object of enchantment, but it is a state when the mind rebounds upon itself from the objects as a result of its discovery that the objects contain no glow of happiness. The essence of dispassion is not in our running away from the object; from a truly dis- passionate man, the objects run away in inexplicable despair.

When the old interests of a person die away and when he is ordered by new intellectual visions, new interests rise up in his mind; then the old world-of-objects around him suddenly retires, yielding place to the new set of things that he has willed around him by his newly developed mind. As long as I was a vicious man, sensuous friends and pleasure-seekers crowded my drawing-room; when I changed my way-of-life and took to serious social work and political activities, the group of idlers went away yielding their places to politicians and social workers. After a time I grew in my mental make-up, and so, in my spiritual interests, even these politicians with their power- politics, and the social workers with their unspeakable jealousies and rivalries retired, yielding their places to men of thought and spiritual benediction. This is a typical example of how, as a mind grows, it leaves its old toys behind and enters totally into a greater field of the nobler gains of life. To sum up, a true seeker of the Higher Life must seek solitude, live in temperance, subdue his speech, body and mind, and must live in a spirit of dispassion, a true life of aspiration to heave himself towards the ideal. THESE EFFORTS CAN BUILD UP A TEMPLE OF SUCCESS ONLY WHEN THE INNER PERSONALITY HAS A DEEP FOUNDATION UPON CERTAIN ENDURING VALUES OF LIFE. THESE ARE ENUMERATED IN THE FOLLOWING:

53. Having abandoned egoism, power, arrogance, desire, anger and aggrandisement, and freed from the notion of 'mine, ' and so peaceful --- he is fit to become BRAHMAN.

If the preceding verse indicated things that are to be acquired and brought about in the relatively outer surfaces of the meditator's personality, here we have a list of things which are to be renounced from the inner core of the meditator's personality. Here are the enduring values- of-life a meditator must learn to live. The items enumerated in the stanza are not, in fact, so many different items, but they are all different manifestations of one and the same wrong notion, namely the "I-act-mentality" (Ahamkara). When this "sense-of- agency" develops, ego-centric vanities intensify within our bosom, and they manifest as "power" (Balam) --- the

"power" to strive and struggle, sweat and strain, to fulfil passions and desires. A powerful ego will, with each success in the sensuous world, gather to itself more and more "pride," or "arrogance" (Darpam). To an individual personality, working under the influence of both "power" and "arrogance," "lust and anger" (Kaama and Krodha) are but natural, and thereafter, he becomes a mad machine of restlessness within and of disturbances around, ever anxiously bearing himself down upon the society in order that he may, by means fair or foul, acquire, possess and aggrandise the objects of his fancy, indicated here by the term "aggrandisement" (Parigraha). The six items listed above are nothing but manifestations of the

"sense-of-agency" --- the 'I-act-mentality' (Ahamkaara). Krishna asks the meditator to forsake these and thus to immediately become egoless (Nirmamah) and peaceful (Shaantah). This is not the peace of the grave nor the quiet of the desert; this is the peace that arises out of the fullness of 'wisdom,' out of our absolute satisfaction experienced in the Realm-of-Perfection. All restlessness is caused by the ego and its onward rush towards finite objects, seeking among the ephemeral, a satisfaction and joy that is permanent and enduring. When this sense-of-agency and endless seeking of sense- gratifications have been renounced, the seeker (saadhaka) experiences a relative quiet within his bosom. He who is tuned thus, through understanding and discipline, can discover in himself the required balance and equipoise to rocket his total personality into the higher climbs of

"conscious unfoldment." The stanza does not say that such an individual has reached Perfection, but it definitely says that "HE IS FIT TO BECOME BRAHMAN." The above is but a preliminary preparation for the final realisation. WHAT THEN IS THE NEXT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT? THE GEETA EXPLAINS:

54. Becoming BRAHMAN, serene in the Self, he neither grieves nor desires; the same to all beings, he obtains a supreme devotion towards Me.

After liquidating the ego and its manifestations --- enumerated in the preceding stanza as power, pride, lust, passion and sense of possession --- the seeker comes to experience a relatively greater peace within, as he is released from all the confusions generally created by the psychological mal-adjustments and intellectual false evaluations of life. This newly discovered inner tranquillity, no doubt artificially propped up for the time being by severe self-discipline, should be positively reinforced by definite efforts and constant vigilance. With constant self-effort, relative peace in the mind is to be maintained for longer periods of time and zealously guarded. Joys and sorrows will be constantly reaching our bosom from the outer world; we are helpless before them. For, even when the "sense-of-agency" has been renounced, the other aspect of the ego, "I-enjoy-mentality" (Bhoktritwa- bhaavanaa) will assert itself and poison the mind of the meditator. A worm cut into two pieces becomes two separate, independent living worms ere long. So too, if one aspect of the ego, the "I-do-mentality" is conquered, we must equally attend to the destruction of the other aspect of the ego, the "I-enjoy-mentality;" or else, the surviving part will revive within a very short time and we shall discover a healthier ego, potentially more powerful, dangerously rising out of the seemingly dead individuality. One who has read well, reflected upon and understood the theme of the Absolute Reality as discussed in the Scriptures, is indicated here by the term "Brahma-Bhootah." This word employed in this verse should not be construed as "one who has become Brahman." It can only mean "one who has convinced oneself of the existence and nature of the Reality as discussed in the Scriptures." Once this Spiritual Truth is understood, the student necessarily becomes less agitated, because, all disturbances enter our life through our identification with the equipments-of- experiences only. To the extent an intellect realises the existence of the diviner aspect in it, and so automatically withdraws its all-out clinging to the matter-realm, to that extent it is not disturbed by the objects of perception, feeling and thought. Thus it discovers a growing tranquillity (Prasannaatmaa) within itself. A seeker who has gained the "knowledge" of Brahman through STUDY, and make it his own through REFLECTION, gains the tranquillity of composure as a result of his understanding, and therefore experiences a partial liquidation of his ego-sense. Thereby he discovers in himself the courage to stand apart, both from grief and desire. He grieves not (Na Shochati) because he feels no incompleteness in himself, as he used to feel in the earlier days of his arrogant ego. Since there is no sense of imperfection, his intellect no longer spins new and novel plans for satisfactions and temporary gratifications, which are called desires. Naturally, one who grieves not in life desires not (Na Kaankshati) for the possession of anything to make his happiness complete. A tranquil seeker --- who, in his understanding, comes to desire nothing and has developed an independent source of happiness which is free from the presence of the absence of any external environment --- lives in the world, with a totally new set of values of life, in which, according to him, there is nothing but the constant experience of the Divine presence. Naturally, he develops an equanimity of vision (V-18, 19 and 20). THIS TYPE OF AN INDIVIDUAL ATTAINS SUPREME DEVOTION UNTO ME --- Earlier, an entire chapter has been devoted to the discussion on devotion (Ch. XII) wherein we found that, according to the Scripture, devotion is measured by our sense of identification with the Higher Ideal. In order to identify with the Infinite Truth, the seeker must have a definite amount of detachment from his usual channels of dissipation, both in the outer world and the realms within. The previous verse indicated the methods of detachment and it was said that he who has accomplished them in his inner composition is the only one who is capable of striving for and succeeding in a true identification with the play of the Infinite in and through the finite. The expansiveness of vision, the catholicity of love and the release from sense preoccupation --- all these are necessary in order to produce in the seeker, supreme love for the Lord. There is yet another stage in one's pilgrimage to Truth. WHAT THEN IS THE NEXT STAGE?

55. By devotion he knows Me in Essence, what and who I am; then, having known Me in My Essence, he forthwith enters into the Supreme.

BY DEVOTION HE COMES TO KNOW ME --- Devotion, as we have explained, is "love for the Supreme." Love is measured by the degree of identification the lover maintains with the beloved. When an ego-centric individuality, having made all the above adjustments, increasingly seeks and discovers its identity with the Self, it comes to experience the true nature of the Self more and more clearly. Such a seeker comes to understand "WHAT AND WHO I AM." In the entire Geeta, the first person singular is used by the Lord to indicate the Supreme Goal. It is not Lord Krishna, as an individual person who is indicated by the terms 'I' and 'Me' as used in these discourses. Remember, this is the Lord's own Song, sung to revive His devotees, and the pronouns used here represent the Paramatman. To know the Self means to know both Its nature and identity. These are the topics in all scriptures. But the scriptural study gives us only an intellectual comprehension of Truth and not its Essence (Tattwatah), a spiritual apprehension of Truth as a lived experience. THEN, HAVING KNOWN ME IN ESSENCE --- When this experience comes through a slow and steady unfoldment of the Light of Consciousness, through the dropping of the veils of 'ignorance'created by our identifications with the body, we come to apprehend, IN TOTO, the Infinite. The individuality or the ego, ends and

"HE THEREAFTER ENTERS ME." The "ENTRY" mentioned here is not like that of a man entering a structure, a house separate from himself. There is no ego to enter into the plane of God-consciousness. The term "ENTRY" is used here exactly in the same fashion as

"the dreamer ENTERS the waking state." The dreamer cannot retain his own individuality when he ENTERS the waking world, but he himself becomes the "waker." Similarly, when the ego ENTERS God-consciousness, the individuality cannot retain itself as such. The misconception that he is an individual ends and he rediscovers, becomes or awakens to, the Infinite Brahmanhood --- the State of Krishna-Consciousness. DEVOTION FOR THE LORD IS NEVER COMPLETE WITHOUT SERVICE TO THE LIVING WORLD OF CREATURES:

56. Doing all actions, always taking refuge in Me, by My grace he obtains the Eternal, Indestructible State or Abode.

The philosophy of the Geeta is extremely dynamic. The Song of the Lord is an innocent-looking magazine of power which can be detonated by correct understanding. The warmth of living makes it explode, blasting the crust of ignorance that has grown around the noble personality and its divine possibilities in the student. Devotion to the Lord (Bhakti), in the Geeta, is not a mere passive surrender unto the ideal, nor a mere physical ritualism. Lord Krishna insists, not only upon our identification with the Higher through an intelligent process of detachment, from both the senses, of

"AGENCY" and "ENJOYMENT," but also upon the understanding and the inner experience positively brought out in all our contacts with the outer world, in all our relationships. Religion, to Lord Krishna, is not fulfilled by a mere withdrawal from the outer world of sense objects, but in a definite come-back into the world, bringing into it the fragrance of peace and joy of the yonder, to brighten and beautify the drab, inert objects that constitute the world. Therefore, after describing one who can be considered as the higher devotee, in this stanza, Krishna now adds another condition to be fulfilled by all seekers.

The Geetaacharya never wants to receive any devotee at His gate, nor will He give an audience to anyone, unless the seeker caries the passport of self-less service to society --- "PERFORMING CONTINUOUSLY ALL ACTIONS, ALWAYS TAKING REFUGE IN ME." In order to serve without the "sense-of-agency," the practical method is "TAKE REFUGE IN ME." Such a seeker, who is constantly working in fulfilling his obligatory duties to society and towards himself has "My grace" (Mat prasaada). The Supreme has no existence apart from His Grace; He is His Grace, His Grace is He. The Grace of the Self, therefore, means more and more the play of divine Consciousness in and through the personality layers in the individual. In an individual, to the extent his mind and intellect are available, in their discipline to be ruled over by spiritual truth, to that extent he is under the blessing of His Grace. HE ATTAINS THE ETERNAL IMMUTABLE STATE --- When thus working in the world, without the sense of agency and enjoyment, the existing vasanas become exhausted and the ego gets eliminated. Awakening thus from the delusory projections of the ego, the individual attains the State of Pure Consciousness and comes to live thereafter the Eternal, Immortal State --- THE KRISHNA- STATE OF PERFECTION.

In the preceding three stanzas the "Paths" of Knowledge, Devotion and Action are indicated, and in all of them the same goal of realising the seeker's oneness with the Supreme has been indicated. Integral saadhanaa is the core of the Geeta technique. To synthesize the methods of Work, Devotion and Knowledge is at once the discipline of the body, mind, and intellect. For, all disciplines PURSUED AT THE BODY LEVEL, in order to control the mind and turn it towards the ideal, are called Karma Yoga; all methods of channelising emotions in order to DISCIPLINE THE MIND to contemplate upon the Higher are called Bhakti Yoga and all study and reflection, detachment and meditation, PRACTISED AT THE INTELLECTUAL LEVEL, whereby, again the mind is lifted to the realm of the silent experience of its own Infinitude are called Jnaana Yoga. To practise all the three during our life is to discipline all the three layers in us. Thus, the philosophy of total spiritual transformation of the perceiver, the feeler and the thinker, all at once, is the prime contribution that the Geeta has to make to the timeless tradition of the Hindu culture, as available for us in the Upanishads. THEREFORE:

57. Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the Highest Goal, resorting to the YOGA -of-discrimination, ever fix your mind in Me.

RESIGNING MENTALLY ALL DEEDS TO ME --- Both the ego and the ego-centric anxieties for enjoying are to be renounced at the altar of the Lord, and thus to act in the world is the 'path,' through which a man of action reaches the greater cultural climes. This idea of surrender has been discussed earlier, very exhaustively. This spirit of surrender can come only when the student has infinite courage to maintain a steady aspiration for "HAVING ME AS THE HIGHEST GOAL." The mind needs a positive hold upon something, before it can be persuaded to leave its present props. RESORTING TO BUDDHI YOGA --- The intellect's main function is discrimination. To discriminate the false from the true, and to fix ourselves on the path of seeking the true, is called Buddhi yoga. Controlling life and regulating its movements through discrimination is Karma Yoga. And thus the term 'Buddhi yoga' is an original coined-word, met with only in the Geeta, to indicate in essence the "Path-of- Selfless-Action." It has been used in the very early portions of the Geeta and there it has been very exhaustively explained. PLEASE EVER FIX YOUR MIND UPON ME --- One who has fixed Krishna - Tattwa as the goal of his life, one who surrenders himself mentally at all times at this altar, and serves all His creatures, one who ever discriminates and avoids all undivine thoughts and ego-centric self- assertions --- such a one alone can naturally come to fix his thoughts constantly upon the Lord.

It is an eternal law of mental life that "AS WE THINK SO WE BECOME." A devotee who has thus come to live all his activities in dedication to his goal, the Krishna- Consciousness, must necessarily come to live as Krishna, and experience the Eternal, Immutable, State of the Self. SUPPOSING ONE REFUSES TO FOLLOW THIS SEEMINGLY ARDUOUS 'PATH,' WHAT WOULD BE HIS CONDITION? LISTEN:

58. Fixing your mind upon Me, you shall, by My grace, overcome all obstacles, but if, from egoism, you will not hear Me, you shall perish.

Lord Krishna, in essence, says: "By your thoughts, renounce all your activities in Me." All activities in the world are only expressions of the Divine Conscious-ness flashing Its brilliance through the body. In all activities be conscious of the Lord, without Whom no action is ever possible. Keep Him as your Goal. Make your intellect constantly aware of this "Lord of all actions." Gradually, the mind and the body will begin to work under the command of such an inspired intellect. How will this constant remembrance of the Lord help? This is now being answered. Krishna says: "HE, WHO HAS COMPLETELY FIXED ALL HIS THOUGHTS UPON ME, WILL CROSS OVER ALL DIFFICULTIES BY MY GRACE." Most of our obstacles in life are imaginary --- created by false fears and deceitful anxieties of our own confused mind. The "grace" referred to here is "the result accrued in our mind when it is properly tuned up to and peacefully settled in contemplation upon the Infinite." It does not mean any special consideration shown by the all- loving Lord to some rare persons of His own choice. The Grace of the all-pervading is present everywhere because Grace is His form. Just as the ever-present sunlight on a bright day cannot illumine my room as long as the windows are closed, so too, the harmony and joy of life of the Infinite cannot penetrate into our life, as long as the windows of discrimination in us are tightly shut. To the extent the windows of my room are opened, to that extent the room is flooded by the sunlight; to the extent a seeker pursues his saadhanaa and brings about the above- mentioned adjustments, to that extent the Grace of the Self shall flood his within. In the second line of the verse, the Lord warns against all those who, in their utter ignorance, disobey this Law of Life. Natural laws are irrevocable; they have neither eyes, nor ears. They just continue in their own rhythm and that man is happy who discovers the law and obeys it implicitly. BUT IF, FROM EGOISM, YOU WILL NOT HEAR ME, YOU SHALL PERISH --- This is not a threat hurled down upon mankind by a tyrannical power, to frighten the human beings into obedience. This is not comparable with the threat of hell held out by other religions. This is a mere statement of fact; even if Newton himself were to jump from the third floor balcony of his house, the gravitational force would indeed, act upon him also! There is an inevitability in nature's laws. Man is free to choose freedom or bondage. The path of freedom is described above, and in this open and sincere statement, the Lord is only showing great anxiety, not to mince matters, but to be callously frank in His expressions. Guidance to this true "way-of-life" always comes to us from the depth of our nature, expressed in the language of

"the soft, small voice of the within." But man's ego and ego-centric desires force him to disobey the ringing voice of the Lord and such a one pursues a life of base vulgarity, seeking sense-gratification and ultimately bringing himself down to be punished by his own uncontrolled emotions and unchastened ideas. Hence the warning:

"YOU SHALL PERISH." TO WEAVE THE IDEA INTO THE VERY WARP AND WOOF OF ARJUNA'S LIFE, THE LORD SAYS:

59. Filled with egoism, if you think, "I will not fight, " vain in this, your resolve; (for) nature will compel you.

General statements of truth are too volatile to be retained in one's understanding permanently. But the general statements of life's principles, when woven into the texture of one's own experiences, remain as one's own earned "knowledge," and they become permanent WISDOM. Therefore, Krishna is trying to bring the philosophical contents of his discourse into the very substance of Arjuna's own immediate problem. If, due to a sense of self-importance, the self-conceited Arjuna were to think "I WILL NOT FIGHT," he shall be thinking so in vain! The temperament of Arjuna must seek its expression, and being a Kshatriya of "passionate" nature, his Rajoguna will assert itself; "NATURE WILL COMPEL YOU." One who has eaten salt must feel terribly thirsty, ere long. The false arguments raised by Arjuna for not fighting the battle are all compromises made by his ego with the situation which he is compelled to face in the crush of events around him. Even if he were to follow his temporary attitude of escapism and desist from fighting, it is a law of nature that his mental temperament would assert itself at a later period, when, alas! he may not have the field to express himself in and exhaust his vasanas. ALSO BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING REASON, "YOU MUST FIGHT."

60. O son of Kunti, bound by your own KARMA (action) born of your own nature, that which, through delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do, helplessly.

Continuing, the Lord, in effect, says: "I am asking you to fight, not because I have no personal sympathies for you, but because that is the only course left for you. You have no other choice. Though you now insist that you "WILL NOT FIGHT," it is merely an illusion. You will have to fight, because, your nature will assert itself." The actions, we do, are propelled by our own vaasanaas and they shackle our personality. Arjuna is essentially of the Rajoguna type, and therefore, he must fight. The Pandava Prince cannot, all of a sudden, pose to have the beauties of the Sattwic nature of heart and retire to a solitary place to live a serene life of steady contemplation and come to experience the consequent self-unfoldment. Because of wrong thinking and miscalculations, Arjuna feels that he does not like war, and therefore, he is not ready to face it. But in spite of his determination, he will be compelled to fight by his own nature, ordered by the existing vasanas in him. This is the irrevocable law of life. He who has no control over his mind becomes a victim of circumstances. He gets thrown up and down by the whim and fancy of things around him. But he who gains inner mastery over the mind and stands firmly rooted and unshaken by the circumstances is the one who will revel (Rati) in the Pure Light (Bhaa) of wisdom; and the country that recognises this culture has acquired its immortal name 'Bhaarata.'

In the previous two or three stanzas, we are told by Krishna, "REMEMBER ME CONSTANTLY." What does this mean? How should we remember? Does it mean meditating upon the Lord? What should be our relationship with Him? Are we to remember Him as a historical event, or remember Him as intimately connected with us as a 'Presence' expressing Itself at all times in and through us? ALL THESE QUESTIONS ARE APT TO RISE UP IN THE MIND OF ANY SERIOUS STUDENT. THEY ARE ANSWERED IN THE FOLLOWING:

61. The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusive power, to revolve, as if mounted on a machine.

The advice given by the Lord is clear and beyond all shades of doubt. "Remember the Lord," says the Geetaacharaya, "as the One who organises, controls and directs all things in the world and without Whose command nothing ever happens. In His 'presence' alone everything can happen --- therefore remember Him as Ishwara." The steam functioning in the cylinder of the engine is the "Lord" of the engine, and without it the piston can never move. It is the steam which provides the locomotion and renders the train dynamic.

Do not remember the Lord as merely a personified Power, as Shiva in Kailasha, as Vishnu in Vaikuntha, as the Father in Heaven etc., but recognise Him as one who dwells in the heart of EVERY CREATURE. Just as the address of a person is given, in order that the seeker of that person may locate the individual in a busy town, so also in order to seek, discover and identify with the Lord, His "Local address" is being provided here by Bhagawan Krishna! When we say that "THE LORD DWELLS IN THE HEART OF ALL LIVING BEINGS," we do not mean the physical heart. In philosophy the use of the word "heart" is more figurative than literal. RESIDING THUS IN THE HEART --- meaning, in the mind of one who has cultivated the divine qualities such as love, kindness, patience, cheer, affection, tenderness, forgiveness, charity etc. The Lord lends His Power to all living creatures to act on. He energizes everyone. Everything revolves around Him --- like the unseen hand that manipulates the dolls in the marionette-play. The puppets have no existence, no vitality, no emotions of their own; they are only the expressions of the will and intention of the unseen hand behind them. It is not the matter in us that moves or becomes conscious of the world of transactions; or else the cucumber and the pumpkin, the corn and the tomato of which our bodies are made, will also have locomotion or Consciousness. When the same vegetables are consumed as food and are digested and assimilated to become part of our physical body, the matter, in contact with the Life-Principle in us becomes vibrant and dynamic, capable of perceiving, feeling and thinking. The Spark-of-Life presiding over the body, the Pure Eternal Consciousness, is that which, as it were, vitalises inert matter. Pure Consciousness in itself does not act; but in Its Presence the matter envelopments get vitalised, and then they SEEM to act. The Atman, conditioned by the body, mind and intellect, expresses dynamism and action, and creates what we recognise as the manifested individuality. "The Supreme functioning through the total bodies as the cause of all action" is called Ishwara. Life functioning in each one of us is the master, the controller, the director and the Lord of our individual activities. The essential Life in all of us is one and the same; therefore, the Total Life functions through and manifests as the entire universe, energising all existing equipments. Thus expressing through all activities, is the Lord of the Universe, Ishwara. With this understanding, if you read the stanza again, you will comprehend the metaphor employed herein. IF THERE BE THUS A LORD WITHIN, MEANING A POWER THAT RULES OVER AND GUIDES ALL MY ACTIVITIES, WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES TOWARDS HIM?

62. Fly unto Him for refuge with all your being, O Bharata; by His grace you shall obtain Supreme Peace (and) the Eternal

Abode. Such an elaborate description has been given of the Spiritual Presence which vitalises the world-of-matter around man, only to bring about ultimately an evolutionary self-development in the student. The very core of this Geeta-philosophy is the theme that is indicated in the opening stanza of the 'Ishaavasya Upanishad.' "The Infinite Truth pervades everything in the world, and therefore, renouncing all the multiplicity, enjoy the Infinitude, and covet not anybody's wealth." Recognition of the body through our abject identifications with it, creates a false sense of individuality, and it is this

"ego" that suffers and sighs. The one commandment that has been repeated all through the Divine Song with great insistence is: "Renounce the ego and act." The ego is the cause for all our sense of imperfections and sorrows. To the extent we liquidate this sense of separateness and individuality, to that extent we climb into an experience of greater perfection and joy within ourselves. Krishna has been advising surrender of the "ego" unto the Lord by developing a devoted attitude of dedication. Arjuna, like a true intelligent sceptic, asks: "To which Lord should I renounce all my action? --- and dedicate all my activities at which altar? Krishna has defined the Infinite Lord in the previous verse, and now, here He advises Arjuna to surrender his "ego" unto HIM. "FLY UNTO HIM FOR REFUGE WITH ALL YOUR WILL." Ours is an age of scepticism. The Arjuna of the Geeta is rather like a typical representative of our own age in this respect. A sceptic is one who questions the existing beliefs; he wants to be intellectually convinced of the logical grounds upon which the existing beliefs stand. Earlier, Krishna has explained to Arjuna what is indicated by the term Ishwara. Now the call of the Geeta to Arjuna is to surrender himself unto the Lord. The Geeta requires all of us to live and act with our hearts resting in self- dedicated surrender to the Consciousness, the harmonious oneness of Life that pulsates everywhere through all equipments. In short, we are asked to identify ourselves with the Spirit rather than the vehicles of Its expression. He who has thus surrendered totally (Sarva-bhaavena) gains an intellect fully awakened, and thereafter, external circumstances cannot toss and crush his individuality. The body and mind of such an individual who has learnt ever to keep the refreshing memory of the present cannot make any foolish demands. And when one brings such a brilliant intellect into the affairs of life, all his problems wither away and carpet his path to strive progressively ahead.

To the extent we identify ourselves with Him, to that extent His light and power become ours, and they are called "His Grace" (Prasaada). Ere long, as a result of this

"grace" accumulated within, through the integration of the personality and constant surrender of the ego, the individual shall obtain "THE SUPREME PEACE, THE ETERNAL RESTING PLACE." WITH ALL ONE'S BEING (Sarva-bhaavena) --- This surrender unto the Lord should not be a temporary self- deception. We must grow into a consciousness of the Presence of the Divine in all the planes of our existence. To illustrate such a total devotion, we have the examples of Radha, Hanuman, Prahlada, and others. Without bringing all the levels of our being, and all the facets of our personality, into our love for Him, we cannot drown our finite ego-sense into the joyous lap of the Infinite Lord. Thus, a true devotee must re-orientate his being and must surrender himself as a willing vehicle for His expression. Then and then alone, all the delusions end, and the mortal gains divine experience, and comes to live fully the State of Immortality of the Godhood. IN CONCLUSION KRISHNA ADDS:

63. Thus, the "Wisdom" which is a greater secret than all secrets, has been declared to you by Me; having reflected upon it fully, you now act as you choose.

This can be considered as THE CLOSING VERSE of the Geeta discourses on the battle-field of Kurukshetra. The word "thus" (Iti) is generally used in Sanskrit to indicate what we mean nowadays, by the phrase "quotation closes." The Lord has ended His discourses here. A GREATER SECRET THAN ALL SECRETS (Guhyaat- Guhyataram) --- A secret can be so called only as long as it is not divulged. The moment we come to know of a thing it is no longer a secret at all. The spiritual truth and the right way-of-living as discussed in the Geeta are termed as

"THE SECRET OF ALL SECRETS" in the sense that it is not easy for one to know the Geeta way of dynamic life and the Geeta vision-of-Truth, unless one is initiated into them. Even a subtle intellect, very efficient in knowing the material world, both in its arrangement of things and their mutual interaction, must necessarily fail to feel the Presence of this Subtle, Eternal and Infinite Self. Guhyam --- This is a term that has gone into much misuse and abuse in India in our recent past. The term was misconstrued to mean that the spiritual knowledge, which is the core of our culture, is a great secret to be carefully preserved and jealously guarded by the privileged few against anybody else coming to learn it. This orthodox view has no sanction in the scriptures if we read them with the same large-heartedness of the Rishis who gave them to us. No doubt, there are persons who have not the intellectual vision, nor the mental steadiness, nor the physical discipline to understand correctly this great

Truth in all its subtle implications, and therefore, this is kept away from them lest they should come to harm themselves by falsely living a misunderstood philosophy. REFLECT OVER IT ALL --- Any amount of listening cannot make one gain in "wisdom." The knowledge gained through reading or listening must be assimilated and brought within the warp and the woof of our understanding; then alone can knowledge become wisdom. Therefore, Arjuna is asked not to tamely accept Krishna's Song of Life as truth, but he has been asked to independently think over all that the Lord has declared. To put the ideas between the mind and the intellect and to chew them properly is "reflection." Each one will have to get his own individual confirmation from his own bosom. HEREAFTER ACT AS YOU PLEASE --- Krishna ultimately leaves the decision to act, the will to live the higher life, to Arjuna's own choice. Each one must reach the Lord by his own free choice. There is no compulsion; for, spontaneity is an invaluable requisite for all new births. Having placed before him all the facts and figures of life, principles and methods of living, Krishna rightly invites Arjuna to make his own independent decision after considering all these points. Spiritual teachers should never compel. And in India there has never been any form of indoctrination.

DEVOTION TO THE LORD IS THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IN "KARMA YOGA." THIS IS EXPLAINED IN THE FOLLOWING:

64. Hear again My supreme word, most secret of all; because you are dearly beloved of Me, therefore, I will tell you what is good (for you) .

When the Lord has concluded His entire discourse with the words, "THE WISDOM HAS BEEN DECLARED BY ME; NOW DO AS YOU PLEASE," Arjuna, who has been all along devotedly and attentively listening to the expounded philosophy, seems to register an expression of confusion on his face. Arjuna wants to get some more instructions. The Pandava Prince, perhaps, feels that he has not fully assimilated the deep and intimate philosophy of life as expounded by the Lord. Therefore, Krishna continues, "AGAIN I WILL REPEAT THE PROFOUNDEST 'WISDOM'; PLEASE, ARJUNA, LISTEN ONCE AGAIN TO THIS SUPREME 'WISDOM'." The motive force behind every teacher coming out into the world to preach, to explain and to expound, is his abundant love for mankind. Krishna repeats here the salient factors of his philosophical goal and the means of realising it, to Arjuna, "BECAUSE YOU ARE DEARLY BELOVED OF ME," meaning "YOU ARE MY FAST FRIEND." For this reason, Krishna tries to recapitulate his scheme of right living and noble endeavour in brief.

Arjuna is by temperament a soldier; and a soldier's intellect has no patience with a dialectical discourse. What he can best appreciate is only a cut-and-dried order shouted at him, and he has been trained by his vocation always to follow it implicitly. Arjuna is expecting Krishna to recast the whole philosophy into a precise, definite, decisive commandment. Understanding this silent demand of the soldier's heart, Krishna promises here that He shall now declare the truth which is "the most secret of all" (Sarva-guhya-tamam). WHAT IS IT?

65. Fix your mind upon Me; be devoted to Me; sacrifice for Me; bow down to Me; you shall come, surely then, to Me alone; truly do I promise to you, (for) you are dear to Me.

Four conditions are laid down for a successful seeker; and to those who have accomplished them all in themselves, an assurance of realisation, "YOU SHALL REACH ME," is given here. When a philosophy is summarised and enumerated in a few points, it has a deceptive look of utter simplicity, and a student is apt to take it lightly, or ignore it IN TOTO. In order to avoid such a mistake, the teacher invariably endorses his statement that it is indeed all Truth: I PROMISE YOU TRULY." To add a punch to this personal endorsement, Krishna guarantees the motive behind His discourses: "YOU ARE

DEAR TO ME." Love is the correct motive force behind all spiritual teachings. Unless a teacher has infinite love for the taught there is no inspired joy in teaching; a professional teacher is, at best, only a wage earner. He can neither inspire the student nor, while teaching, come to experience within himself the joyous ecstasy of satisfaction and fulfilment, which are the true rewards of teaching. A substantial part of the philosophy and the "path" declared herein have already been taught in an earlier chapter (IX-34). And the same thing is repeated here with the endorsement that what He is declaring is no pleasant compromise but the total unadulterated truth. WITH THE MIND FIXED ON ME --- Meaning "ever remembering Me, ever devotedly identifying with Me" through the process of dedicating all your activities unto Me, in an attitude of reverence unto the All-pervading Life, if you work in the service of the world, the promise is that you will reach the Supreme Goal. In all other religions the Goal is other than the Prophet; only in the Geeta the Supreme Himself is advising the seeker, and therefore He has to declare: "YOU WILL REACH ME." Looking up to Vaasudeva alone as your aim, means and end, "you shall reach Me." Knowing that the Lord's declarations are true, and being convinced that liberation is a necessary result of devotion to the Lord, one should look up to the Lord as the highest and the sole refuge. The maladjusted "ego" in us has, by its own false concepts and imaginations, spooled us all up into cocoons of confusion and has tied us down with our own self-created shackles. Now, it is up to us to snap these cords that bind us and gain freedom from them all. The All-perfect Supreme has been as though shackled by our mind and intellect, and now the same mind and intellect must be utilised to unwind the binding cords. If we lock ourselves up in a room, it is left to us only to unlock its doors and walk out into freedom. Vaasanaas are created by our ego- centric activities (Sa-kaama-Karma) and by self-less work (Nish-kaama-Karma) alone can these vaasanaas be ended. Therefore, Krishna advises us: "Act on with mind fixed on Me. Devotedly work for Me. Dedicate all your activities as a sacrifice, as an offering unto Me." An attitude of reverence to the Supreme is necessary in order to re-incorporate into the texture of our own life, the qualities of the Supreme. Like water, knowledge also flows only from a higher to a lower level. Therefore, our minds must be in an attitude of surrender to Him in utter reverence and devotion. When you work in the world with such an attitude, Krishna says, "YOU SHALL REACH THE SUPREME."

ACCORDING TO SHANKARA, "HAVING TAUGHT, IN CONCLUSION, THAT THE SUPREME SECRET OF KARMA YOGA IS IN REGARDING THE LORD AS THE SOLE REFUGE, KRISHNA NOW PROCEEDS TO SPEAK OF THE INFINITE KNOWLEDGE, THE FRUIT OF KARMA YOGA, AS TAUGHT IN THE ESSENTIAL PORTIONS OF ALL THE UPANISHADS":

66. Abandoning all DHARMAS, (of the body, mind, and intellect) , take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.

This is the noblest of all the stanzas in the Divine Song and this is yet the most controversial. Translators, reviewers, critics and commentators have invested all their originality in commenting upon this stanza, and various philosophers, each maintaining his own point of view, has ploughed the words to plant his ideas into the ample bosom of this great verse of brilliant import. To Sri Ramanuja, this is the final verse (Charama-Shloka) of the whole Geeta. Most often used, and yet in no two places having the same shade of suggestion, the term, 'Dharma'has become the very heart of the Hindu culture. This explains why the religion of India was called by the people who lived in the land and enjoyed its spiritual wealth as the 'Sanatana Dharma.'

Dharma, as used in our scriptures is, to put it directly and precisely, "THE LAW OF BEING." That because of which a THING continues to be the THING itself, without which the THING cannot continue to be that THING, is the Dharma of the THING. Heat, because of which fire maintains itself as fire, without which fire can no more be fire, is the Dharma of fire. Heat is the Dharma of fire; cold fire we have yet to come across! Sweetness is the Dharma of sugar; sour sugar is a myth! Every object in the world has two types of properties: (a) the essential, and (b) the non-essential. A substance can remain itself, intact, when its "non-essential" qualities are absent, but it cannot remain ever for a split moment without its "essential" property. The colour of the flame, the length and width of the tongues of flame, are all the

"non-essential" properties of fire, but the essential property of it is heat. This essential property of a substance is called its Dharma. Then what exactly is the Dharma of man? The colour of the skin, the innumerable endless varieties of emotions and thoughts --- the nature, the conditions and the capacities of the body, mind and intellect --- are the "non-essential" factors in the human personality, as against the Touch of Life, the Divine Consciousness, expressed through them all. Without the Atman man cannot exist; it is TRUTH which is the basis of existence. Therefore, the "essential Dharma" of man is the Divine Spark of Existence, the Infinite Lord.

With this understanding of the term Dharma, we shall appreciate its difference from mere ethical and moral rules of conduct, all duties in life, all duties towards relations, friends, community, nation and the world, all our obligations to our environment, all our affections, reverence, charity, and sense of goodwill --- all that have been considered as our Dharma in our books. In and through such actions, physical, mental and intellectual, a man will bring forth the expression of his true Dharma --- his Divine Status as the All-pervading Self. To live truly as the Atman, and to express Its Infinite Perfection through all our actions and in all our contacts with the outer world is to rediscover our Dharma. There are, no doubt, a few other stanzas in the Geeta wherein the Lord has almost directly commanded us to live a certain way-of-life, and has promised that if we obey His instructions, He will directly take the responsibility of guiding us towards HIS OWN BEING. But nowhere has the Lord so directly and openly expressed His divine willingness to undertake the service of His devotee as in this stanza. He wants the meditator to accomplish three distinct adjustments in his inner personality. They are: (1) Renounce all Dharmas through meditation; (2) surrender to My refuge alone; and while in the state of meditation, (3) stop all worries. And as a reward Lord Krishna promises: "I SHALL RELEASE YOU FROM ALL SINS." This is a promise given to all mankind. The Geeta is a universal scripture; it is the Bible of Man, the Koran of Humanity, the dynamic scripture of the Hindus. ABANDONING ALL DHARMA

(Sarva-Dharman

Parityajya) --- As we have said above, Dharma is "the law of being," and we have already noted that nothing can continue its existence when once it is divorced from its Dharma. And yet, Krishna says, "COME TO MY REFUGE, AFTER RENOUNCING ALL DHARMAS." Does it then mean that our definition of Dharma is wrong? Or is there a contradiction in this stanza? Let us see. As a mortal, finite ego, the seeker is living, due to his identification with them, the Dharmas of his body, mind and intellect, and exists in life as a mere perceiver, feeler, and thinker. The perceiver-feeler-thinker personality in us is the "individuality" which expresses itself as the "ego." These are not our 'essential' Dharmas. And since these are the 'non-essentials,' "RENOUNCING ALL DHARMAS" means "ENDING THE EGO."

"To renounce" therefore means "not to allow ourselves to fall again and again into this state of identification with the outer envelopments of matter around us." Extrovert tendencies of the mind are to be renounced. "Develop introspection diligently" is the deep suggestion in the phrase "RENOUNCING ALL DHARMAS." COME TO ME ALONE FOR SHELTER (Mam-ekam Sharanam Vraja) --- Self-withdrawal from our extrovert nature will be impossible unless the mind is given a positive method of developing its introvert attention. By single-pointed, steady contemplation upon Me, the Self, which is the One-without-a-second, we can successfully accomplish our total withdrawal from the misinterpreting equipments of the body, mind and intellect. Philosophers in India were never satisfied with a negative approach in their instructions; there are more DO's than DONTS with them. This practical nature of our philosophy, which is native to our traditions, is amply illustrated in this stanza when Lord Krishna commands His devotees to come to His shelter whereby they can accomplish the renunciation of all their false identifications. BE NOT GRIEVED (Maa shuchah) --- When both the above conditions are accomplished, the seeker reaches a state of growing tranquillity in meditation. But it will all be a waste if this subjective peace, created after so much labour, were not to form a steady and firm platform for his personality to spring forth from, into the realms of the Divine Consciousness. The spring-board must stay under our feet, supply the required propulsion for our inward dive. But unfortunately, the very anxiety to reach the Infinite weakens the platform. Like a dream-bridge, it disappears at the withering touch of the anxieties in the meditator. During meditation, when the mind has been persuaded away from all its restless preoccupations with the outer vehicles, and brought, again and again, to contemplate upon the Self, the Infinite, Lord Krishna wants the seeker to renounce all his "ANXIETIES TO REALISE." Even a desire to realise is a disturbing thought that can obstruct the final achievement. I SHALL RELEASE YOU FROM ALL SINS --- That which brings about agitations in the bosom and thereby causes dissipation of the energies is called "sin." The actions themselves can cause subtle exhaustions of the human power, as no action can be undertaken without bringing our mind and intellect into it. In short, the mind and intellect will always have to come and control every action. Actions thus leave their "foot prints," as it were, upon the mental stuff, and these marks which channelise the thought-flow and shape the psychological personality, when our mind has gone through its experiences, are called vasanas. Good vasanas bring forth a steady stream of good thoughts as efficiently as bad vasanas erupt bad thoughts. As long as thoughts are flowing, the mind survives --- whether good or bad. To erase all vasanas completely is to stop all thoughts i. e. the total cessation of thought-flow viz.

"mind." Transcending the mind-intellect-equipment is to reach the plane of Pure Consciousness, the Krishna- Reality. As a seeker renounces more and more of his identifications with his outer envelopments through a process of steady contemplation and meditation upon the

Lord of his heart, he grows in his vision. In the newly awakened sensitive consciousness, he becomes more and more poignantly aware of the number of vasanas he has to exhaust. "BE NOT GRIEVED," assures the Lord, for, "I SHALL RELEASE YOU FROM ALL SINS" --- the disturbing, thought-gurgling, action-prompting, desire- breeding, agitation-brewing vasanas, the "sins." The stanza is important inasmuch as it is one of the most powerfully worded verses in the Geeta wherein the Lord, the Infinite, personally undertakes to do something helpful for the seeker in case the spiritual hero in him is ready to offer his ardent co-operation and put forth his best efforts. All through the days of seeking, a Saadhaka can assure himself steady progress in spirituality only when he is able to keep within himself a salubrious mental climate of warm optimism. To despair and to weep, to feel dejected and disappointed, is to invite restlessness of the mind, and naturally, therefore, spiritual unfoldment is never in the offing. The stanza, in its deep imports and wafting suggestions, is indeed a peroration in itself of the entire philosophical poem. HAVING CONCLUDED THE ENTIRE DOCTRINE OF THE "GEETA-SHASTRA" IN THIS DISCOURSE, AND HAVING ALSO BRIEFLY AND CONCLUSIVELY RESTATED THE DOCTRINE IN ORDER TO IMPRESS IT MORE FIRMLY, THE LORD NOW PROCEEDS TO STATE THE RULE THAT SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND WHILE IMPARTING THIS KNOWLEDGE TO OTHERS:

67. This is never to be spoken by you to one who is devoid of austerities or devotion, nor to one who does not render service, nor to one who desires not to listen, nor to one who cavils at Me.

In almost all scriptural texts we find, in their closing stanzas, a description of the type of students to whom this knowledge can be imparted. Following faithfully this great tradition, here also we have this enumeration of the necessary qualifications for a true student of the Geeta. These are not so many fortresses raised round the treasure-house of the Geeta in order to protect some interests and provide some people with a kind of monopoly in trading upon the wealth of ideas in these discourses. On the other hand, we shall find that these qualifications are essential adjustments in the inner personality of the student. And a bosom so tuned up is the right vehicle that can daringly invest that knowledge in living one's life and thus earn the joy-of-' wisdom.' THOSE WHO DO NOT LIVE AN AUSTERE LIFE --- Those who do not have any control over their body and mind; who have dissipated their physical and mental energies in the wrong direction and have thus become impotent bodily, mentally and intellectually --- to them

"NEVER IS THIS TO BE SPOKEN BY YOU"; for, it will not be beneficial to them. There is not a trace of prejudice in this stanza. It is equivalent to saying "please do not sow seeds upon rocks," for, the sower will never be able to reap, as nothing can grow on rocks.

THOSE WHO HAVE NO DEVOTION --- That is, those who do not have the capacity to identify themselves with the ideal that they want to reach. If one cannot sympathise with an ideal one can much less absorb or assimilate it. An ideal, however well understood intellectually, cannot yield its full benefit unless it is expressed in life. To hug on to the ideal, in a clasp of love, is devotion. THOSE WHO DO NOT RENDER SERVICE --- We have seen earlier, almost in all chapters, Krishna again and again insisting that selfless activity is not only a means for the Saadhaka, but it is at once also the field where the perfect masters discover their fulfilment. Seekers who are not able to serve others, who are selfish, who have no human qualities, who have never felt a sympathetic love for others --- such persons are merely consumers and not producers of joy for others, and they invariably fail to understand or appreciate or come to live the joys of the Krishna way-of-life. THOSE WHO CAVIL AT ME --- Those who murmur against Me. If we do not respect and revere our teacher we can never learn from him. The first person singular used in the Geeta is identical with the Self, the Goal, and therefore, it means, "those who are not able to respect philosophy." Forceful conversion may enhance the numerical strength of a faith, but self-development and inner unfoldment cannot come that way. Religion should not be forced upon anyone. One who has mentally rejected a philosophy can never, even when one has understood it, live up to it. Therefore, those who are entertaining a secret disrespect for a philosophy should NOT BE FORCED to study it. Stanzas like this in a Shastra are meant as instructions for the students on how to attune themselves properly so that they can make a profitable study of the Shastra. None should expect an immediate result from his study of the Geeta. Personality readjustments cannot be made overnight. There is no miracle promised in the Geeta. Indirectly, the stanza also gives some sane instructions by its suggestions. If a student feels that he cannot satisfactorily understand the Geeta, he has only to sharpen his inner nature further by the above subjective processes. Just as we cleanse a mirror to remove the dimness of the reflection, so too, by properly readjusting the mind- intellect-equipment, its sensitivity to absorb the Geeta- philosophy can be increased. NOW THE LORD PROCEEDS TO STATE WHAT BENEFITS WILL ACCRUE TO HIM WHO HANDS DOWN HIS KNOWLEDGE TO OTHERS IN SOCIETY:

68. He who, with supreme devotion to Me, will teach this supreme secret to My devotees, shall doubtless come to Me.

The stanza under review and the following one are both glorifications of a teacher who can give the correct interpretation of the Geeta and make the listener follow the Krishna way-of-life. "Fight the evil down, whether it be within or without" is the cardinal principle that Krishna advocates to Prince Arjuna. In order to impart such a culture, it is not enough that the teacher be a mere scholar, but he must have the Krishna-ability. Hence the glorification. The Lord's Song has a special appeal to those who have the mysterious spiritual thirst to live a fuller and more dynamic life. Hence it is said: "This deeply profound philosophy" (Paramam Guhyam) must be imparted to "My devotees" (Mad-bhakteshu). Devotion to the Lord (Bhakti) means the capacity to identify with the ideal, and therefore, the philosophy of the ideal way-of- life can profitably be imparted only to those persons who have a capacity to identify themselves with the ideal and thereafter live up to it. It is not sufficient that the student alone has this capacity to identify himself with the higher ideal, but the teacher also must have (Bhakti) "perfect attunement" with the Supreme Krishna-Reality. Such an individual, who is himself rooted in his attunement, and who tries to impart this knowledge to others and thereby constantly occupies himself in reflections upon the philosophical ideals of the Geeta --- "shall certainly (Asamshayah) come to Me alone." An educated man should, in his gratitude, feel much indebted to the Muse-of-Wisdom. In fact, this indebtedness is actually called, in our tradition, Rishi- indebtedness (Rishi-Rinam), to absolve ourselves from which, we are asked to study their works and preach their ideas everyday. Philosophy is the basis of every culture. The Hindu culture can revive and assert its glory only when it is nurtured and nourished by the philosophy of India which is contained in the Upanishads. The fathers of our culture, the great Rishis, knowing this secret, urged the students of the Scriptures not to keep this knowledge to themselves, but to impart it freely to others. In this way alone the culture can be successfully brought into the dim-lit chambers of people's lives. If a student, who has understood even a wee bit of our cultural tradition, does not convey it to others, it means that there is no mobility of intelligence or fluidity of inspiration in him. He who is thus capable of conveying the truths of the Geeta to others is complimented here with the promise of the highest reward: "HE SHALL DOUBTLESS COME TO ME." NOT ONLY THIS, BUT THE LORD EXPRESSES THAT HE LOVES SUCH A TEACHER MUCH MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE:

69. Nor is there any among men who does dearer service to Me, nor shall there be another on earth dearer to Me than he.

Krishna again takes up, in this stanza, the glorification of the teacher who teaches the Geeta-knowledge. Herein, Krishna explains how such a man can reach Him easily, as declared in the previous verse. The

Geetaacharya emphasises that such an individual is "DEAREST TO MY HEART, AS I FIND NONE EQUAL TO HIM IN THE WORLD." Not only is there none to compare with him amongst the present generation, but there SHALL never be (Bhavita-Na-Cha) anyone, even in future times, so dear to Him, the Lord says, as such an individual who spends his time in spreading the knowledge of what little he has understood from the Geeta. Earlier, in the Geeta, a great psychological truth has been hinted at, which is often repeated throughout the entire length of the Divine Song, and this cardinal secret is that he who can bring his entire mind to the contemplation of the Divine, to the total exclusion of all dissimilar thought- currents, will come to experience the Infinite Divine. A student of the Geeta who is spending his time in serious studies and in deep reflection upon them, and in preaching what he has understood, comes to revere the knowledge and thus reach an identification with an inner peace that is the essence of truth. Therefore, Krishna says:

"THERE CAN NEVER BE ANY OTHER MAN MORE DEAR TO ME THAN SUCH A PREACHER; FOR, HE IS DOING THE GREATEST SERVICE TO ME BY EARNESTLY AND DEVOTEDLY TRYING TO CONVEY THE IMMORTAL PRINCIPLES EXPOUNDED IN THE GEETA."

It is not necessary in this context, that we must first ourselves become masters of the entire Geeta-Knowledge. Whatever one has understood one must immediately, with an anxious love, give out to those who are completely ignorant. Also, one must sincerely and honestly try to live the principles in one's own life ---

"SUCH A MAN IS DEAREST TO ME." NOT ONLY THE PREACHER BUT EVEN THE SINCERE STUDENT IS CONGRATULATED IN THE FOLLOWING STANZA:

70. And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped by the "sacrifice-of-wisdom, " such is My conviction.

Having thus glorified all teachers of the Geeta who carry the "Wisdom-of-the-sacred-discourse" to the masses, the Geeta, here, is glorifying even the students who are studying this Sacred text of the Lord's Song. The great philosophy of life given out here as a conversation between Krishna --- the Infinite, and Arjuna --- the finite, has such a compelling charm about it, that even those who read it superficially will also be slowly dragged into the very sanctifying depths of it. Such an individual is, even unconsciously, egged on to make a pilgrimage to the greater possibilities within himself, and naturally, he comes to evolve through what Krishna terms here as

"Jnaana Yajna."

In a Yajna, Lord Fire is invoked in the sacrificial trough and into it are offered oblations by the devotees. From this analogy, the term Jnaana Yajna has been originally coined and used in the Geeta. Study of the Scriptures and regular contemplation upon their deep significances kindle the

"Fire-of-Knowledge" in us and into this the intelligent seeker offers, as his oblation, his own false values and negative tendencies. This is the significance of the metaphorical phrase Jnaana Yajna. Therefore, here the Lord admits but a truth in the Spiritual science when He declares that those who study the Geeta --- contemplate upon its meaning, understand it thoroughly --- and those who can, at the altars of their well-kindled understanding, sacrifice their own ego-centric misconceptions about themselves, and about the world around them, are certainly the greatest devotees of the Infinite. When a rusted key is heated in fire, the rust falls off and the key regains its original brightness. So too, our personality, when reacted with the knowledge of the Geeta, is chastened, since our wrong tendencies, unhealthy vasanas and false sense-of-ego which have risen from false-knowledge (Ajnaana), all get burnt up in Right- Knowledge (Jnaana). AFTER THUS EXPLAINING THE GLORY OF THE TEACHER AND THE BENEFITS OF THE STUDY SO FAR, KRISHNA INDICATES IN THE FOLLOWING STANZA, THAT EVEN "LISTENING" TO THE GEETA DISCOURSES IS BENEFICIAL:

71. That man also, who hears this, full of faith and free from malice, he too, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of those righteous deeds.

A student of the Geeta cannot stand apart from his text book, and merely learn to appreciate the theme of the Lord's Song. An all-out, ardent wooing of the Geeta by the student at all levels is necessary, if the study of the Geeta is really to fulfil the student's spiritual unfoldment. Consequently, Krishna indicates here two conditions, fulfilling which alone can one profitably listen to the Geeta discourses and hope to gather a large dividend of joy and perfection. ONE OF FAITH (Shraddhaavaan) --- The term Shraddhaa in Sanskrit, though usually translated as "faith," actually means much more than what it indicates in the English language and in the Western tradition. Shraddha has been defined as "that faculty in the human intellect which gives it the capacity to dive deep into and discover the subtler meaning of the scriptural declarations, and thus helps the individual to absorb that understanding into the warp and the woof of his own intellect." Therefore, that faculty in the intellect, (1) to understand the subtle import of the sacred words, (2) to absorb the same, (3) to assimilate, and (4) to make the student live up to those very same ideals, is Shraddhaa. Naturally, listening to the Lord's discourses can be fruitful only to those who have developed this essential faculty in themselves. FREE FROM MALICE (Anasooyah) --- They alone who are free from malice against the teachings of the Geeta can undertake, with a healthy attitude of mind, a deeper and detailed study of it. No doubt, Hinduism never asks any student to read and study a philosophy with an implicit and ready faith. But the human mind, as it is, will grow dull and unresponsive when it has idle prejudices against the very theme of its study. The intellect can receive the ideals preached in the Geeta only through the sense-organs, and these ideas must reach the intellect, filtered through the mind. If the mind contains any malice towards the very philosophy or the philosopher, the arguments and the goal indicated therein can never appeal to the student's intellect. No doubt, the student should bring in his own constructive criticism of an independent judgement upon what he studies, but he must be reasonably available to listen patiently to what the scripture has to say. In short, a student of religion must learn to keep an open mind and not condemn the philosophy before understanding what it has to say. Such an individual who has attentively listened to the Geeta, who has intellectually absorbed, and assimilated the knowledge, "he too," says the Lord, "gets liberated" from the present state of confusions and sorrows, entanglements and bondages in his personality, and reaches a state of inner tranquillity and happiness. JOY IS AN INSIDE JOB --- The kingdom of joy lies within all of us. Heaven is not somewhere yonder; it is HERE AND NOW. Happiness and sorrow are both within us. To the extent we learn and live the principles of right living, as enunciated in the Geeta, to that extent, we shall come to gain a cultural eminence within ourselves and live an ampler life of greater achievements. It is the duty of a teacher to see that the student understands the great Goal and the 'path' completely. If the 'path' advised is found to be inadequate to bless the student, it is the duty of the teacher to find out ways and means of making the student discover his own balance. HENCE IN THE FOLLOWING STANZA WE FIND KRISHNA ENQUIRING WHETHER ARJUNA HAS UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE HAS EXPOUNDED IN THESE EIGHTEEN CHAPTERS:

72. Has this been heard, O son of Pritha, with single-pointed mind? Has the distraction, caused by your 'ignorance, ' been dispelled, O Dhananjaya?

Here, we find Lord Krishna, the teacher of the Geeta, putting a leading question to his disciple, Arjuna, giving him a chance to say how much he has benefited from the discourses. Of course, Krishna had no doubt about it; but it is only like a doctor, who, confident of his own achieved success, looks at the beaming face of the revived patient and enquires "how are you feeling now?" This is only to enjoy the beaming satisfaction that comes to play on the face of the relieved patient. HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING WITH AN ATTENTIVE MIND? --- The very question implies that if you have been attentive you must have understood sufficiently the logic in the things, beings and happenings around, and therefore, your relationship with them also. The study of Vedanta broadens our vision, and we start RE- COGNISING, in a new light, the same OLD SCHEME-OF- THINGS around us, and then its previous ugliness gets lifted as though by magic. HAS YOUR DISTRACTION OF THOUGHT, CAUSED BY 'IGNORANCE,' BEEN DISPELLED? --- The false values that we entertain distort our vision of the world and our judgement of its affairs. The delusion of mind was expressed by Arjuna in the opening chapters of the Geeta (I-36 to 46, and II-4 and 5). Amputating a septic toe to save the body is no crime; on the contrary it is a life-giving blessing; it is not a toe destroyed, but it is a body and its life saved. The CULTURAL CRISIS of those times had egged the Kauravas on to rise up in arms against the beauty of the spiritual culture of the land. Arjuna was called upon by the era to champion the cause of the righteous. It was indeed a false reading of the situation that perverted the judgement of the Pandava Prince, as a consequence of which he became utterly broken down, and came to entertain a neurotic condition in himself. The fundamental cause of all confusions was his own

"NON- APPREHENSION OF REALITY" called in Vedanta philosophy as

"ignorance" (Ajnaana). When this

"ignorance" is removed by the "APPREHENSION OF REALITY," termed as "knowledge" (Jnaana), the entire by- products of "ignorance" are all, in one sweep, eliminated. Hence the logic of this enquiry from the teacher. True "knowledge" expresses itself in one's own dexterity in action and it should fulfil itself in the splendour of its achievements in the service of society. In case Arjuna has understood the philosophy of the Geeta he will no more hesitate to meet the challenges as they reach him. This seems to be the unsaid idea in the heart of the Lord. ARJUNA CONFESSES THAT HIS CONFUSIONS HAVE ENDED:

Arjuna said: 73. Destroyed is my delusion, as I have now gained my memory (knowledge) through your grace, O Achyuta. I am firm; my doubts are gone. I will do according to your word (bidding) .

Somewhat like one who has suddenly awakened from an unconscious state, Arjuna, with a regained self- recognition, assuredly confesses that his confusions have ended --- not because he has unquestioningly swallowed the arguments in the discourses of the Geeta, but because, as he himself says, "I have gained a RE-COGNITION of my Real Nature. The hero in me has now become awakened, and the neurotic condition that had temporarily conquered my mind has totally ended." Such a revival within and a rediscovery of our personality are possible for all of us if only we truly understand the significance of the Geeta philosophy. The Infinite nature of Perfection is our own. It is not something that we have to gain from somewhere by the intervention of some outer agency. This Mighty Being within ourselves is now lying veiled beneath our own ego-centric confusions and abject fears. Even while we are confused and confounded, and helplessly suffering the tragic sorrows of our ego, we are IN REALITY, none other than our own Self. When the dream ends, the confusions also end, and we awaken to our Real Nature. So too, in life. This awakening of the Divine in us is the ending of the beast within. In this new-found equilibrium, born out of Wisdom, he experiences an unshakable balance established upon firm foundations. All vacillations of the mind, doubts and despairs, dejections and hesitations, fears and weaknesses have left him (gata sandehah).

With such a revived personality, when Arjuna re- evaluates the situation, he finds no difficulty at all in discovering what exactly his duty is. He openly declares,

"I WILL DO ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD," for in the Geeta, Lord Krishna stands for the Divine-Spark-of- Existence manifested as "pure-intelligence." All students --- who have thus fully understood the Geeta, have a clear picture of the goal-of-life, who know what 'path' to follow and how to withdraw from the false by- lanes of existence --- will surrender themselves, each to his own integrated inner personality. To surrender ourselves to our own "higher intellect" and to declare confidently and with faith, "I SHALL DO THY BIDDING," is the beginning and the end of all spiritual life. SANJAYA GLORIFIES THE GEETAACHARYA AND HIS DIVINE SONG, THE GEETA:

Sanjaya said: 74. Thus have I heard this wonderful dialogue between Vaasudeva and the high-souled Paartha, which causes the hair to stand on end.

In the previous stanza, when one carefully understands the full significance of the assertion made by the rediscovered, and therefore, revived Arjuna, one cannot avoid remembering a parallel declaration made by another teacher of the world, when he revived from his temporary confusion (Arjuna-sthiti). When he regained his spiritual balance, which he, as it were, lost temporarily while carrying the cross through the taunting crowd, Jesus also cried: THY WILL BE DONE." Here Arjuna, revived by the Grace of Krishna, similarly cries, "I shall act according to your word (Karishye Vachanam Tava)." In both cases we find that the statements are almost identical. Earlier, at the opening of the Geeta, the Pandava Prince said to Govinda: "I SHALL NOT FIGHT," and became despondent; it is the same Arjuna, now entirely revived and fully rehabilitated, who declares: "I shall abide by Thy will." The cure is complete and with this the Shastra also ends. THUS HAVE I HEARD THIS DIALOGUE BETWEEN VAASUDEVA AND THE HIGH-SOULED ARJUNA --- In the context of the Vyasa-literature, the conversation between Vaasudeva, Lord Krishna, and the son of Prithaa, Arjuna, is but a silent mystic dialogue between the "higher" and the "lower" in man, the "Spirit" and the "Matter." Vaasudeva means the Lord (Deva) of the Vasus; the eight Vasus (Ashta-vasu) together preside over Time. Therefore, Vaasudeva, in its mystic symbolism, stands for the Consciousness that illumines the "concept of Time" projected by the intellect of man. In short, Vaasudeva is the Atman, the Self. Paartha represents matter (earth) which is capable of shedding itself, sheath by sheath to emerge as the pure Eternal Spirit, the Supreme. This act of understanding himself as different from his matter vestures is man's highest art, the Art of unveiling the Infinite through the finite. The technique of this art is the theme of the Geeta. WONDERFUL (Adbhutam) --- This philosophy of the Geeta, listened to so far by Sanjaya, is reviewed by him as

"miraculous," as "wonderful." Every philosophy, no doubt, is a marvel of man's intellect and represents its subtle visions and powers of comprehension. But the philosophy of the Geeta was indeed a shade more marvellous and wonderful to Sanjaya, because, it revived the BLASTED personality of Arjuna into a DYNAMIC WHOLE. Because of this practical demonstration of its powers to bless man, the Geeta philosophy has acquired the marvellous lustre of the rare. It has proved, beyond all doubt, that every average human being is endowed with potential power with which he can easily conquer all the expressions of life in him and command them to manifest exactly as he wants. He is the Lord of his life, the master of the vehicles, and not a victim of some other mightier power that has created him, only to be endlessly teased by the whims and fancies of his own body, mind and intellect. When this truth is revealed, it is but human for Sanjaya, in ecstacy, to exclaim: "Oh! what a marvellous revelation! What a stupendous demonstration!! Adbhutam!!!"

HIGH-SOULED PAARTHA --- In the stanza Arjuna has been glorified and not Lord Krishna, the Parthaasaarathi. The Pandava Prince, Arjuna, had the courage and heroism to come out of his mental confusions, when he gained the right knowledge from his Master's teachings. Certain acts of a child call forth our admiration, but the same acts performed by a grown-up person, look perhaps ridiculous and childish. To the omnipotent Lord, the declaration of the whole Geeta itself is but a love-play. But, for the confused Arjuna to understand the philosophy, and heroically walk out of his confusions is indeed an achievement, worthy of appreciation. Thus Krishna, the All-perfect, is almost ignored, but Arjuna, the mortal, who has understood the art of living as expounded in the Geeta, and has actually revived himself by living it, is heartily congratulated and glorified! Sanjaya's sympathies were with the Pandavas; but as an employed minister, he was eating the salt of Dhritarashtra, and it was not Dharma for him to be disloyal to his master. At the same time, in the context of the politics of that time, Dhritarashtra was, perhaps, the only one who, even then, could stop the war. Diplomatically, Sanjaya tries his best, in these stanzas, to bring into the blind man's heart the suggestion of a peace treaty. He makes the blind king understand that Lord Krishna has revived and re-awakened the hero in Arjuna. The blind king is reminded of what the consequences would be: the death and disaster to his hundred children, the pangs of separation in his old age, the dishonour of it all --- all these are brought home to Dhritarashtra. But the tottering king's "blindness" seems to be not only physical but also mental and intellectual, for Sanjaya's beseeching moral suggestions fall on the deaf ears of the blind elder. SANJAYA OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGES HIS INDEBTED- NESS TO SHRI VEDA-VYASA:

75. Through the grace of Vyasa I have heard, this supreme and most secret YOGA , directly from Krishna, the Lord of YOGA, Himself declaring it.

Before the great battle started, Vyasa had approached Dhritarashtra to offer him the "power of vision" to witness the war; however, the weak-hearted king had not the courage to accept the offer. The king had then suggested that if this power could be given to Sanjaya, the king could, through the faithful minister, listen to a running commentary of what was happening on the Kurukshetra battle-field. It was thus from Vyasa that Sanjaya, sitting in the carpeted chambers of the Kaurava palace, gained the special faculty of witnessing all that happened and listening to all that was said at the distant battle-field. Grateful to Shri Veda-Vyasa for having given him this wonderful chance of listening to this "Supreme and most profound Yoga," Sanjaya is mentally prostrating to the incomparable poet-sage, the author of the Mahabharata.

DIRECTLY FROM KRISHNA HIMSELF (Yogeshwarat Krishnat) --- The suggestion is NOT that Sanjaya had never heard the philosophy of the Upanishads ever before, and that the novelty of the revelation had stunned him; but that his joy is due to the fact that he got a chance to listen to the Eternal Knowledge of the Upanishads directly from the Lord-of-all-Yogas, Shri Krishna Himself (Saakshaat), from His own sacred lips. Here also we can see how Sanjaya is sincerely trying to make the blind Dhritarashtra realise that it is not Krishna, the son of Devaki, nor the cowherd boy, but it is the Lord Himself the Yogeshwarah who has revived Arjuna, and who is serving His devotee as his charioteer. The blind king is reminded that his children, though they have marshalled a large army, stand doomed to destruction, since they have to face the Infinite Lord Himself in their enemy ranks. THE DEEP IMPRESSION CREATED BY THIS IRRESISTIBLE PHILOSOPHY ON THE DEVOTED HEART OF SANJAYA IS VIVIDLY PAINTED:

76. O King, remembering this wonderful and holy dialogue between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again.

Herein we have a clear statement of Sanjaya's reactions to his listening to the Lord's Song. He says, "THIS DISCOURSE BETWEEN KRISHNA AND ARJUNA"- between God and man, between the Perfect and the imperfect, between the "higher" and the "lower" --- is at once "WONDERFUL AND HOLY." The vision and impression created in his heart by the philosophy that was heard are so deep and striking, that Sanjaya admits how irresistibly the memory of those words rises up again and again in his bosom, giving him

"the thrill of joy" (Harsham). Indirectly, Vyasa is prescribing the method of study of the Geeta. It being "a handbook of instruction" on the Art of Living, it has TO BE READ AGAIN AND AGAIN, REPEATEDLY REFLECTED UPON AND CONTINUOUSLY REMEMBERED, until the inner man in us is completely re-educated in the way-of-life that the Geeta charts out for man. The reward for such a painstaking study, and consistency of application has also been clearly pointed out. One rejoices when one comes to recognise a definite purpose in the otherwise purposeless pilgrimage of man, from the womb to the tomb, called 'life.' The study of the Geeta gives not only a purpose to our every-day existence but also a positive message of hope and cheer to the world. The Geeta picks us up from the by-lanes of life and enthrones us as the sovereign power that rules, commands and orders our own life within.

Thus the Geeta is an infinite fountain-head of inspiration and joy. It provides our mind with a systematic scheme of re-education whereby it can discover a secret power in itself to tackle intelligently the chaotic happenings around us which constitute our world of challenges. The Geeta- educated man learns to RECOGNISE A RHYTHM, to SEE A BEAUTY, and to HEAR A MELODY in the ordinary day-to-day life --- a life which was till then but a mad death-dance of appearances and disappearances of things and beings. SANJAYA CONFESSES THAT NOT ONLY DOES THE PHILOSOPHY ENCHANT HIS MIND, BUT EVEN THE MEMORY OF THE LORD'S WONDROUS FORM AS THE TOTAL MANIFESTED UNIVERSE HAS A MAGIC OF ITS OWN WHICH WARMS UP HIS HEART:

77. Remembering and again remembering, that most wonderful Form of Hari, great is my wonder, O king; and I rejoice again and again. AS I OFTEN REMEMBER REPEATEDLY THAT MOST WONDERFUL FORM OF HARI --- Lord Krishna, the charioteer, gave the vision of His Cosmic-Form (Vishwaroopa) in an earlier chapter; it is that Form that is indicated by Sanjaya here. The Cosmic-Form of the Lord is an impressive to the man-of-heart, as the philosophy of the Geeta is unforgettable to the man-of-intelligence. The concept of the Lord's "Total-Form" is staggering in the

Vedas, and no doubt, highly impressive in the Geeta. But it need not necessarily be a mere poetic vision of the great Vyasa; there are many others whose experiences are almost parallel. If the philosophy of the Geeta, as it reveals to us the glorious purpose in life, inspires and thrills the thinking aspect in man, the vision of the smiling Lord of Vrindavana BEHIND EVERY NAME AND FORM, BENEATH EVERY EXPERIENCE, UNDER EVERY SITUATION, adds a life-giving joy and a maddening ecstasy to the drunken heart of love. Given the freedom, I suppose, Sanjaya would have written a full length Sanjaya-song on the Lord's Divine Song! When the head is thrilled with the silence of under- standing, and the heart is intoxicated with the embrace of love, man gets transported into a sense of inspired fulfilment. TO EXPRESS THAT SATISFACTION, LANGUAGE IS A FRAIL VEHICLE; THEREFORE, WITHOUT DILATING MUCH UPON WHAT IS UPPERMOST IN HIS MIND, SANJAYA SUMMARISES THEM ALL INTO A DECLARATION OF HIS BURNING FAITH, IN THIS CONCLUDING STANZA OF THE BHAGAWAD GEETA:

78. Wherever is Krishna, the Lord of YOGA , wherever is Paartha, the archer, there are prosperity, victory, happiness and firm (steady or sound) policy; this is my conviction.

This is the closing stanza of SRIMAD BHAGAWAD GEETA, which contains altogether seven hundred and one verses. This concluding verse has not been sufficiently thought over and commented upon by the majority of commentators of the Geeta. The superficial word-meaning of the verse, in fact, can only impress any intelligent student, at its best, as rather drab and dry. After all Sanjaya is expressing his private faith in and his personal opinion about something which the readers of Geeta need not necessarily accept as final. Sanjaya, in effect, says:

"Where there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, and Arjuna, ready with his bow, there prosperity (Sree), success (Vijaya), expansion (Bhooti), and sound policy (Dhruva- neeti) will be; this is my sure faith." After all, a student of the Geeta is not interested in Sanjaya's opinion, and it almost amounts to a foul and secret indoctrination, if Sanjaya means, diplomatically, to inject into us his own personal opinion. The Geeta, as a

"Universal Scripture" would have fallen from its own intrinsic dignity as "the Bible of man" had this stanza no Eternal Truth to suggest, which readily invokes a universal appeal.

The perfect artist, Vyasa, could never have made such a mistake; indeed, there is a deeper significance in which an unquestionable truth has been expounded. KRISHNA, THE LORD OF YOGA (Yogeshwarah Krishnah) - -- All through the Geeta, Krishna represented the Self, the Atman. This spiritual core is the Ground upon which the entire play of happenings is staged. He can be invoked within the bosom of each one of us through any one of the Yoga-techniques expounded in the Geeta. ARJUNA, READY WITH HIS BOW (Paartho- Dhanurdharah) --- Paartha represents, in this text book, "the confused, limited, ordinary mortal, with all his innumerable weaknesses, agitations and fears." When he has thrown down his "instrument" of effort and achievement, his bow, and has reclined to impotent idleness, no doubt, there is no hope for any success or prosperity. But when he is "READY WITH HIS BOW," when he is no more idle but has a willing readiness to use his faculties to brave the challenges of life, there, in that man, we recognise a "PAARTHA READY WITH HIS BOW." Now putting these two pictures together --- Lord Krishna, the Yogeshwarah, and Arjuna, the Dhanurdharah --- the symbolism of a way-of-life gets completed, wherein, reinforced with spiritual understanding, man gets ready to exert and pour in his endevours, to tame life and master prosperity. In such a case, there is no power that can stop him from success. In short, the creed of the Geeta is that spirituality CAN be lived in life, and true spiritual understanding is an asset to a man engaged in the battle- of-life. Today's confusions in society and man's helpless insignificance against the flood of events --- inspite of all his achievements in science and mastery over matter --- are seen, because the Yogeshwarah in him is lying neglected, uninvoked. A happy blending of the sacred and the secular is the policy for man as advised in the Geeta. In the vision of Sri Veda-Vyasa, he sees a world-order in which man pursues a way-of-life, wherein the spiritual and the material values are happily wedded to each other. Mere material production can, no doubt, bring immediately a spectacular flood of wealth into the pockets of man, but not peace and joy into his heart. PROSPERITY WITHOUT PEACE WITHIN IS A CALAMITY, GRUESOME AND TERRIBLE! The stanza at the same time refuses to accept the other extreme; Yogeshwarah Krishna could have achieved nothing on the battle-field of Kurukshetra without the Pandava Prince, Arjuna, "ARMED AND READY TO FIGHT." Mere spirituality without material exertion and secular achievements will not make life dynamic. I have been trying my best to bring out, as clearly as I can, this running vein of thought throughout the Geeta, which expounds the PHILOSOPHY OF HARMONY and explains its plan for man's enduring happiness.

Krishna, in the Geeta, stands for the MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE SECULAR AND THE SACRED. Naturally, it is the ardent faith of Sanjaya that when a community or nation has its masses galvanized to endure, to act, and to achieve (Paartha, the bow-man) and if that generation is conscious of and has sufficiently invoked the spiritual purity of head and heart in themselves (Krishna, the Lord-of-Yoga), in that generation, prosperity, success, expansion, and a sound and sane policy become the natural order. Even in the arrangement of these terms --- prosperity, success, expansion and sound policy --- there is an under- current of logic which is evident to all students of world history. In the context of modern times and the political experiences, we know that without an intelligent and STEADY POLICY, no government can lead a nation to any substantial achievement. With a sound policy, EXPANSION of all the dormant faculties in the community is brought out, and then only the spirit of co- ordination and brotherhood in the fields of achievement comes to play. In this healthy spirit of love and cooperation, when a disciplined people work hard, and when their efforts are intelligently channelised by the sound policies of the government, SUCCESS cannot be far away. Success thus earned, as a result of national endeavour, disciplined and channelised by a firm, intelligent policy, should necessarily yield true PROSPERITY. A saner philosophy we cannot find even in modern political thought!!

Enduring prosperity must be that which arises from successful endeavour, that is the result of cooperative and loving effort and this cannot yield any success unless it is nurtured and nourished, guarded and protected, by an intelligent and sound policy. It now becomes quite clear that it is not only Sanjaya's faith, but it is the ardent conviction of all men of self- control and disciplined mind (Sanjayas), trained to think independently. There are some commentators of the Geeta, who draw our attention to this concluding word in the Geeta, "my" (mama), and to the opening word in the Geeta, "Dharma." Between these two words the seven hundred stanzas are hung together as a garland of immortal beauty, and so these commentators summarize the meaning of the Geeta as "MY Dharma" (Mama Dharma). The Geeta explains the nature of man, MY Dharma, and the nature of Truth, MY Dharma and how the true life starts when these two are in harmony and come to play in one single individual. The ideal nature of all true students of the Geeta, therefore, should be a glorious synthesis of both the SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE expressed in their equipoise and character, and the DYNAMIC LOVE expressed through their service to mankind and their readiness to sacrifice.

Thus, in the UPANISHADS of the glorious Bhagawad-Geeta, in the Science of the Eternal, in the scripture of YOGA , in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, the eighteenth discourse ends entitled:

THE YOGA OF LIBERATION THROUGH RENUNCIATION The closing chapter is entitled as Liberation through Renunciation (Moksha-samnyasa-Yoga). This term is very closely reminiscent of the Asparsa-Yoga of the Upanishads, and the definition of Yoga as given by Krishna Himself in an earlier chapter To renounce the false values of life in us is at once to rediscover the Divine nature in each one of us which is the essential heritage of man. To discard the beast in us (Samnyasa), is the Liberation (Moksha) of the Divine in us. OM TAT SAT

MAMA SADGURU TAPOVANA CHARANAYOH "At The Feet Of My Master Tapovanam." Om Om Om Om Om