Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta – Details, episodes & analysis

18th Chapter: verse 45, 54, 55. 12th chapter: verse 8, 9, 10, 11. 13th chapter: verse 10

45th verse: “By engaging in one’s own swadharma, man attains perfection and the highest inner fulfillment.”

If we dedicate our resources to our appointed duty, and if we do it with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, and with total unselfishness, then that attitude becomes our instrument for our own spiritual enlightenment. It means that we can practice spirituality in whatever activity we are engaged in.

This discussion continues until the 53rd verse.

54th verse: “The one who does his work with sanctity and sacredness, he ultimately become a Prasanna-atma. He becomes identified with Brahman. He has no desires and no reason to worry. He sees everyone as the same. Such a person attains the highest devotion.”

Prasanna-atma means he is in very good terms with our mind and he feels serenity within. He has zero conflict within and with others. His mind is free from all negativities. Prasanna means serene, at peace, with inner contentment and without desires for anything.

Even-mindedness is a natural state of a Prasanna-atma. He resonates spiritual blessedness within and with everyone.

God is not mentioned in the 45th or 54th verse. Spirituality is about being a good human being, which should express in our thoughts, words and actions.

Human beings create God in their own image. They attribute their own likes, dislikes and prejudices on their idea of God.

What is the idea of God in the Gita? It is the God of everyone, present as the divine principle within everyone. He is the God of even those who do not believe in Him.

Swami Vivekananda said: “Live life in such a way that Good will accept you even if you do not accept Him.”

55th verse: “Such a person understands Me through Bhakti (devotion). His devotion is mixed with the understanding that God is present everywhere and within everyone. With such devotion that is combined with the understanding of the spiritual unity of creation, he understands God or the supreme reality in a comprehensive manner.”

Our scriptures give a roadmap of how to reach the level of devotion described in the 55th verse. In the 8th through 11th verses of the 12th chapter of Gita, Lord Krishna gives four options for devotion, in descending order of evolution.

8th verse: “You fix your mind and intellect on Me. There upon, you will always live in Me.” This is the highest state of a devotee that is also described in the 55th verse of the 18th chapter, where he keeps his mind and intellect fixed on God. He then lives in God and God lives in him.

For seekers who have not reached this highest state, Lord Krishna provides alternative options in the 9th-11th verses.

9th verse: “If you cannot fix your mind and intellect on Me, then you can reach the higher goal through Abhyasa-Yoga (uniting with God through repeated spiritual practices).”

Abhyasa-Yoga is described by Prahlada in the Bhagavata Purana. It is called Navadha Bhakti - Sravanam (Hearing about God), Kirtanam (Chanting His Name and Glory), Vishnu smaranam (Remembering Him), Pada sevanam (Serving His Lotus Feet), Archanam (Worshipping Him), Vandanam (Prostrating before Him), Dasyam (Being His Servant), Sakhyam (Befriending Him), and Atma Nivedanam (Surrendering to Him).

10th verse: “If you are incapable of doing Abhyasa-Yoga, then do all your work as My work.” Every such work connects the mind with God and helps the devotee evolve.

11th verse: “If you are unable to do your work as My work, then offer the fruits of all your actions to Me (sarva-karma-phala-tyāgam)”.

These represent the four levels of spiritual evolution. Through Bhakti, we reach the highest state where Prapati or self-surrender (describes at the ninth discipline in Navadha Bhakti) becomes natural.

According to Ramanuja, Prapati is the highest state of a devotee of God. Prapati means complete surrender and is composed of the following characteristics. (1) Always having a positive outlook in life, full of sattvic qualities such as serenity, wisdom, compassion, and broad mindedness. (2) Rejecting all the opposing qualities such as skepticism and self-doubt. (3) Strong faith that God will protect me. (4) Strong faith that God is the only protector. (5) A feeling of total helplessness and dependence on God (6) Total self-surrender (atmanikshepa).

When the first five characteristics are fulfilled, atmanikshepa is the result. He then becomes an instrument in the hands of God and God operates through him.

The devotee needs to blend his own effort with God’s grace. Self-effort helps him reach a level of spiritual fitness to become graceworthy and recognize God’s grace as God’s grace, not an accident.

The 10th verse of the 13th chapter expounds the idea that the highest devotion, unwavering dedication to one spiritual ideal, is the same as highest knowledge, where we realize the infinite oneness of existence, when we realize that the same truth is all-pervading, transcendent, and immanent in all beings. The devotee realizes that the God he worships in the temple is in the hearts of everyone.

There are a few billion people in the world, each at a different level of evolution. Their understanding of God depends on their own evolution. Hinduism gives the flexibility to use a symbol that pleases the devotee based on his level of evolution.

All deities worshipped by Hindus are different symbols of the same divine reality. The purpose of the image is to help the devotee in his meditation. The devotee withdraws his mind from external objects, he conceives of the presence of the divine principle in that image, he then worships and meditates on the divine principle in that image chanting his mantra, and ultimately, he meditates on the divine principle present within him and everywhere.

Every religion has a symbol. A book is a symbol. A building is a symbol. When someone prays in a direction, that direction is a symbol. 

Title: Intellect With Spiritual Wisdom

18th Chapter: verse 45, 47, 51, 52, 53

45th verse: “By engaging in one’s own swadharma, man attains perfection and the highest inner fulfillment.”

Swadharma, is work that naturally comes to us “unasked” due to our samskaras and natural traits. It is work that we are supposed to do, that we are qualified to do and that the society expects us to do.

We can listen to our inner voice to determine whether we are doing our swadharma. When we do our swadharma, we feel inner contentment. When we do not do our swadharma, we face inner conflict.

Swakarma refers to one’s actions. Swadharma is swakarma combined with one’s chosen ideal, something that gives him contentment. For example, when a soldier fights a war for a higher ideal such as removal of a greater injustice, he follows his swadharma.

According to Gita, our spiritual progress should reflect in our actions.

We can convert our everyday activities as a tool for spiritual development. Whatever we do, if we do with total dedication and with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, we get a sense of fulfillment and inner conflicts are resolved. If we cannot do our duty as an offering to God, we can do it for the good of others. Swadharma is a conflict free way of doing our everyday duty.

47th verse: “Even if doing one’s own swadharma is filled with difficulties or imperfection, one should stick to that. One should avoid the temptation to do other people’s duty.”

Society expects us to do our role even if it is imperfect. When we do our swadharma, it loosens our karmic blocks. A beginner’s mind may not cooperate when he starts spiritual practices. This is due to karmic blocks which creates conflict between the mind and the intellect. When we do our swadharma, it generates spiritual energy and loosens the karmic blocks.

When we do our Swadharma, we feel inner contentment. We feel: “I have done what I ought to have done” and “I have attained what I ought to have attained.”

51st verse: “One becomes fit to attain the highest spiritual truth when he has (1) a pure intellect (2) the ability to restrain his senses (3) the ability to control his mind and emotional forces with a strong determination to practice his ideal and (4) attained freedom from raga (obsessive attachment) and dwesha (obsessive aversion).”

Intellect that acts just as intellect is not necessarily pure. Intellect that acts as wisdom, which has the higher faculty of wisdom to use the intellectual resources for good, higher purpose is a pure intellect.

A Rajarshi has the ability to use his intellectual resources for higher purpose. He attains Rajatvam (kingly qualities) with his intellectual resources. He attains Rishitvam (saintly qualities) with his wisdom. As a king, he has great prosperity, dynamism and efficiency. As a saint, he has a calm attitude, can see far into things, and understands the limitations and impermanence of his wealth and powers.

Knowledge without wisdom becomes a liability. Knowledge with wisdom becomes a creative force. Betrand Russell said: “Unless we develop wisdom as much as intellect, the development of the intellect will only lead to downfall.”

Vedic literature talks of a deity called Medha. Medha has two meanings: (1) The ability to retain higher ideas in the mind (2) Higher faculty to make proper use of what we know and avoid the temptation to use it for a bad purpose.

In the 51st verse, Yukta means self-restrained, one who is the master of the senses. Kathopanishad compares human life to a journey on a chariot. Atman is the traveler on the chariot, body is the chariot, intellect is the driver, mind is the reins, senses are the horses, and the sense objects represent the path. Just as horses should not dictate terms to the rider, so also, sense organs should not dictate the terms to the mind.

Shankaracharya uses examples from the animal kingdom to explain how one reaches destruction when guided by the senses - Deer (sense of hearing), Elephant (sense of touch). Moth (sense of seeing), Fish (sense of taste), Bee (sense of smell). Each of these creatures reaches death as they are guided by one of their senses. What to speak of humans who have five senses active all the time.

If the intellect is pure, then we become free from raga (obsessive attachment) and dwesha (obsessive aversion). A pure intellect enables us to perform our actions as Swadharma – with a sense of sanctity and sacredness and with a sense of detachment. This, in turn, gives us mental equilibrium, and frees us from raga and dwesha.

52nd verse: “Such people with higher faculties like to spend their time in solitude. They practice moderation in food and exercise of the senses. Their words, activity and thought are properly restrained. They practice meditation. They develop a sense of detachment from extreme likes and dislikes. They develop mental equilibrium.”

Solitude is a spiritual quality and different from loneliness. Solitude is not just the physical absence of anyone else. It is the mental and emotional state of being with oneself. When the mind and intellect start functioning with inner peace, the person wants to spend time in solitude. Such a person can practice solitude even within a crowd.

As we grow in spiritual life, our eating habits, thoughts and senses are naturally disciplined.

53rd verse: ”In such people, egoism, thirst for power, inner pride, lust, tendency to possess material things, selfishness – they slowly disappear. They naturally become calm and quiet. This leads them to the highest spiritual wisdom.”

In Gita, there is an evolution of Arjuna’s mind. In the first chapter, he wants to run away from an unpleasant duty. By the 18th chapter, all his doubts are gone.

The 18th chapter is the longest and is about moksha-sannyasa-yoga. It is also considered as a condensation of the previous 17 chapters.

Moksha represents the highest value in human existence and means liberation from the bondage of samsara. Sannyasa means giving up the feeling up doer-ship and the renouncement of ego.

According to Hindu tradition, four values guide human life – dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. Kama represents our desires, what we want to achieve. Artha represents the means to achieve those goals. Dharma represents a set of moral disciplines that guide and regulate our pursuit of artha and kama.

When we do not violate the path of dharma, then we can focus on something higher than artha and kama. That gives a new meaning to life. Life becomes more livable and enjoyable.
The realization of the imperfections of worldly enjoyments brings about the pursuit of something higher and transcendental. This divine discontent is called Parinama Dukha, and it is the springboard of spiritual wisdom.

These are two stages in our pursuit of the transcendental. First stage is one where we use the higher transcendental value to guide our daily life. At a higher stage, we attain the higher transcendental value and become a mendicant.

It is important to understand that in Gita, the principles of dharma, artha, kama, and moksha are primarily meant to be applied at an individual level (not at a macro, society level), for one’s own spiritual development in everyday life.

In Hindu tradition, there is a method of understanding the central theme of a book, which is comprised of six elements: Upakrama-Upasamhara (commencement, conclusion), Abhyasa (practice or reiteration), Apurvata (novelty), Phalam (practical utility), Arthavada (glorifying statement) and Upapatti (logical analysis).

Upakrama-Upasamhara – Normally, the beginning and conclusion should be the same. Gita does not begin with a focus on action It starts with Arjuna’s dilemma, which was due to ignorance. When this ignorance was removed through knowledge, he became a man of action. Arjuna’s last statement in the Gita is: “I am now free of all doubts. I shall act according to your instructions.”

Abhyasa – Gita repeatedly talks about efficiency, detachment, bhakti, and karma yoga. It emphasizes that jnanam is necessary to be active in an intelligent manner.
Apurvata – If something is stated in Gita but is not stated elsewhere, then it must be the central theme of Gita.

Arthavada - Gita ends with the glorifying verse: “Wherever the ideals of action and contemplation are present, there will be victory, prosperity, justice and stability of life.” This verse is a condensation of the 18th chapter.

Upapatti – Gita gives a logical analysis to drive the idea: “Live in this world, work for prosperity, but know that this alone will not bring lasting peace and happiness.”
The central theme of Gita combines the four values of dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

Based on dharma, we should live in this world. Over time, we realize the true status we should give to worldly life and start thinking of higher transcendental values.

3rd verse: “According to scholars and sages, performance of Yajna, dana and tapah should not be given up.”

Sannyasa does not mean being physically inactive. Lord Krishna states in the 3rd chapter: “A person who thinks who is active without the idea of yajna, that person gets bound to this world.” Yajna refers to any noble, unselfish activity done for the good of others and as an offering to God – activities done as yajna don’t lead to bondage. In the same chapter, Lord Krishna gives a warning: “A person who deliberately gives up his duties and imagines that he is going towards moksha, he is a hypocrite.” All great spiritual men of the word, such as Shankaracharya, were active.

The status of householder is supreme in Hindu tradition. It should be understood before we discuss sannyasa. Jainism and Buddhism are oriented towards sannyasa. Hinduism is not a negation of life. Rather it is a balanced approach towards life. Hinduism emphasizes that we should follow the four values: dharma, artha, kama, and moksha.

Hinduism gives a very high stature to mother and wife. One of Panini’s verses says: “If a husband performs a vedic ritual without his wife, it is considered incomplete.” Another verse says: “A house without a mother and wife is like a forest.”

There are two levels of Sannyasa. The primary is Mukhya sannyasa, where one takes to sannyasa because of one’s natural evolution. Buddha’s renunciation and Yajnavalkya’s renunciation in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad are examples of such sannyasa. The secondary is Gauna sannyasa, where one is ordained into sannyasa by an institution.
Sannyasa does not mean physically giving up wealth and resources. One must give up one’s selfish sense of ownership. Without the ideal of renunciation, one won’t be able to use his resources for the good of others. The richest man can be a man of renunciation – King Janaka was one such example. On the other hand, the poorest man can be a man of tremendous attachment.

Besides Bhagavad Gita, there are other gems in the Mahabharata. One example is Vyadha Gita. Vyadha became a jivan mukta through his spiritual practices. Upon attaining the highest realization, he did not give up his profession as a butcher. He continued his secular activities, fully established in his true spiritual identity. His dialogue with another saint constitutes Vyadha Gita.

In the 11th chapter, Arjuna experiences the vision of the universal form of the divine. Lord Krishna shows that all the different creatures, animals, suns, moons, stars, galaxies, human beings, celestial beings – they all originate, exist, dissolve and re-emerge within that cosmic divine form. When Arjuna gets this vision, he is freed from all doubts. He understood that he is not just a body-mind complex with one life.

-7th chapter: verse 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda January 15, 2021.
-Gita’s eighteen chapters are divided into three sections, each with six chapters. The first section deals with the knowledge of spiritual practice. The second section deals with the knowledge of Bhagavan. The third section deals with knowledge of Atman.
-Advaitic scholars also treat the three sections as interpretation of the mahavakya: Tat Tvam Asi. First section deals with Tvam. Second section deals with Tat. Third section deals with the unity of jivatma and paramatma. It represents our evolution in understanding of God.
-1st verse: “With the mind completely intent on Me, taking refuge in Me, learn from Me and know Me in full, without any doubt”
-2nd verse: Lord Krishna explains Jnanam and Vijnanam. Jnanam is the knowledge of God from books. When that knowledge becomes a reality in our life, because of our own real experience (anubhuti), it is called Vijnanam. Then every thought, word and deed become sacred.
-In the beginning, there is a line of demarcation between the secular and spiritual. When one progresses, eventually, one reaches a stage where this line is broken, and every secular activity becomes spiritualized. In the beginning, it is “work and worship”. Later it is “work as worship”.
-Sri Ramakrishna said: A jnani reasons about the world through neti-neti. To a Vijnani, Brahman alone has become everything, and the world is a mansion of mirth. A jnani is like a person who has just heard of milk. A vijnani is like a person who has drunk the milk, enjoyed it and is nourished by it.
-We cannot choose to be a vijnani – it is not a concept. It is not a matter of choice – rather a matter of where we stand right now and how we evolve. We reach vijnanam through spiritual practices and by going through the stage of jnanam.
-How does a vijnani live in this world? Even at the highest stage, he falls back to the empirical level and lives like normal people. Whatever he does, it involves a spiritual element. This is seen in great spiritual teachers such as Sri Ramakrishna. Another example is of King Janaka, who lived like a rajarshi.
-Rajarshi is a person who has the dual qualities of a king (Rajatvam) and a saint (Rishitvam). As a king, he has great prosperity, dynamism and efficiency. As a saint, he has a calm attitude, can see far into things, and understands the limitations and impermanence of his wealth and powers.
-3rd verse: “Among thousands of people, very few strive for a spiritual life. Among those who sincerely strive for spiritual life, very few realize the truth.”
-Not many people can think beyond the immediate and empirical. One of the reasons is that most people examine the value of everything by its tangible utility.
-This verse is similar to one from Dhammapada, which says: “It is very difficult to get human birth. Among them, very few desire to live like a cultured human being. Among them, very few follow the law of dharma. And among them very few reach enlightenment.”
-Human birth is a golden opportunity. Once we realize that there are many others who will reach the stage of human birth only after many life cycles, it should give us renewed confidence and a different perspective on life.
-4th verse: “My lower prakriti – Apara prakriti or Kshetram - is eight fold. The first five are the subtle dimensions of the five elements: earth, air, water, fire and space. The remaining three are mind, intellect and egoism.”
-According to Sankhya philosophy, from prakriti comes mahatattva, then ahamkara, then mind, senses, and the subtle elements.
-5th verse: “My higher prakriti – para prakriti – is the principle of consciousness by which the entire universe is sustained. Everything is made conscious by the presence of this inner, divine spark.”
-Creator is present in his creation. If this were not so, it would lead to dualism. In the 4th and 5th verse, Lord Krishna gives a prelude, before discussing in later verses, the unity of existence.
-We can easily understand the presence of para-prakriti by the following example. If someone, who does not have a physical problem, suddenly dies, something departs the kshetram. And body/mind, that was otherwise operational, stops working. That something is the Antaryami - the immanent, divine reality.
-6th verse: “These two prakritis are the source of all. I am the origin and the dissolution of the universe.”
-The higher prakriti is everywhere – in the hero and the villain, in the good and the bad. Electricity is everywhere in the house, and depending on the color of the bulb, it emits light of different color. Similarly, our samskaras are like the glass of the bulb, which determine how this higher prakriti manifests. With spiritual practices, we can make it manifest in its full effulgence.

-6th chapter: verses 46, 47; 7th chapter: verse 1
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda January 8, 2021.
-6th chapter, 46th verse: “This Yogi is superior to the Tapasvi (one who practices extreme asceticism), superior to the Jnani (one who is a mere scholar), and superior to the Karmi (one who follows rituals).”
-Scriptures, asceticism and rituals have their place in spiritual evolution. However, a seeker should not stop there. He should go beyond. After traveling some distance, he should have genuine inquisitiveness about the higher truth – that’s when his real spiritual journey starts.
-6th chapter, 47th verse: “Of all the Yogis, the one whose self and mind is always merged in God with shraddha, devotion, love and sweetness – he is the greatest.”
-The attitude of bhakti (devotion) makes the spiritual journey a sweet and enjoyable experience, even in the midst of difficulties that the seeker may face. Many great mystics had to face difficulties – they were able to withstand them with the love and sweetness of their devotion.
-Mumukshu is one who aspires to enter the path of Yoga. He starts his journey with Karma Yoga, surrendering the fruits of actions to God. However, such surrender is not easy and can involve effort and strain. Combining karma-yoga with devotion, the mumukshu can turn it into a sweet, enjoyable experience.
-Both Narada Bhakti Sutra and Shandilya Bhakti Sutra define Bhakti as the “nature of supreme devotion to God”.
-Sadhana bhakti is the means and sadhya bhakti is the goal.
-Sadhana bhakti is of two types: (1) Vaidhi bhakti, where the devotee is still evolving and performs daily rituals such as prayers and reading of scriptures. (2) Gauna bhakti, which expresses itself through the three gunas, as sattvic bhakti (serene, contemplative), rajasic bhakti (externally expressive) and tamasic bhakti (crude expression of bhakti).
-Sadhya bhakti is of two types: (1) Prema bhakti, where the devotee doesn’t feel any strain. Devotion for him is a sweet, enjoyable experience – he transcends time, effort and strain. (2) Para bhakti, where the devotee feels total identification with God.
-If prema bhakti can be brought to everyday activities, where we can do our work as an offering to God, then that work becomes a means for us to enjoy inner serenity, and to achieve freedom from strain.
-In the 47th verse, Lord Krishna says that the highest devotee is one who is devoted to God in the most exalted sense of the term - who has reached sadhya bhakti, prema bhakti and para bhakti – where life itself becomes an occasion for celebration, every moment becomes enjoyable, and every thought, word, and deed becomes spiritualized.
-7th chapter, 1st verse: “With the mind completely intent on Me, taking refuge in Me, learn from Me and know Me in full, without any doubt”
-“Me” in this verse refers to Brahman in Advaitic tradition - not just one deity, but God as understood and conceived by different traditions. Gita says that irrespective of what path one follows, it leads to the same destination, that is prescribed in Gita itself. Rig Veda says: “Reality is one; sages call it by different names.”
-Gita’s eighteen chapters are divided into three sections. In the first section, Jnanam means knowledge of spiritual practice. In the second section, Jnanam means the knowledge of Bhagavan. In the third section, Jnanam means Atman.
-A devotee should see the world as a manifestation of God’s magnificence. With this attitude, he will evolve and ultimately reach a point, where he understands that the world is relative – he will evolve from duality to non-duality.
-In modern times, it is best to practice karma-yoga, but with a spiritual ideal in mind. It is difficult to practice any of the three yogas – karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga – in isolation. They have to be combined. A karma yogi cannot escape being a devotee of a higher ideal.

-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on December 18, 2020.
-6th chapter: verses 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46
-In the 37th, 38th and 39th verse, Arjuna asks: “Suppose a person is endowed with shraddha and is making an earnest effort to control his mind. Yet, he fails to attain perfection. What happens to such a person? Has he totally failed and fallen from both worlds – having neither attained anything in the secular world nor in the spiritual realm? I have this doubt, which you should dispel.”
-In normal activities, we may see tangible results soon after the activity. In spiritual life, there are results, but the results may not be in visible form all the time. These results are Adhrishtam (not visible) and Apoorvam (did not exist before the activity). These results are never lost.
-In answer to Arjuna’s questions, Lord Krishna discusses three categories of people in the next few verses. At the lowest level is Vimudha –one who is highly confused and deluded. At the next level is ārurukṣhoḥ - one desirous of entering the path of Yoga. At the advanced level is ārūḍha – one who has entered the path of spiritual life.
-Vimudha will be born in a family where, at different stages of his life, his past samskaras start unfolding. Arurukṣhoḥ will be born in a pure and prosperous family, where his parents are spiritually oriented, and where his unfulfilled desires can be fulfilled. Arūḍha will be born in a family that has a tradition of producing great spiritual aspirants.
-Pedigree is not a criterion for rebirth. One of the greatest devotees, Prahlada, was born to a demon, Hiranyakashipu.
-44th verse: “The spiritual disciplines and samskaras from previous lives – they constitute the momentum that moves the seeker forward. With a sincere enquiry for higher truth (jijñāsuḥ), he begins his spiritual journey, and is superior to one who mechanically practices rituals.”
-The stories of Ajamila and Jada Bharata show how our inherited samskaras are never lost, and how the force of our past samskaras helplessly push us towards spiritual life.
-Ajamila initially led a spiritual life but had a deviation later. His son’s name was Narayana, synonym of Lord Vishnu. At the last moment, when he uttered Narayana to call his son, his mind went towards Lord Vishnu and he attained liberation.
-King Bharata retired to a hermitage for spiritual practices but developed strong attachment towards a baby deer. He was born as a deer in his next life, but under the effect of his samskaras, he stayed near a hermitage. In his next life, he was born as a great saint - Jada Bharata - always established in his identity with Atman.
-45th verse: “This Yogi who strives with great tenacity, becomes completely purified, is perfected through his evolution across many life cycles, and eventually reaches the highest goal.”
-46th verse: “This Yogi is superior to the Tapasvi (one who practices extreme asceticism), superior to the Jnani (one who is a mere scholar), and superior to the Karmi (one who follows rituals).”
-Per Shankaracharya, mere scholarship and intellectual understanding leads to chitta-bhrama-karanam (mental confusion). It is not spiritual wisdom, which gives inner tranquility. A Yogi is superior, because he has attained spiritual wisdom.
-Asceticism is of three types: (1) physical, such as external purity (2) Verbal, such as truthfulness (3) Mental, such as self-restraint. A yogi is superior, because he has attained all three of these qualities.
-Rituals can bind us and hinder further progress. A Yogi has transcended rituals, and is, therefore, superior.
-Scriptures, asceticism and rituals have their place in spiritual evolution. However, a seeker should not stop there. He should go beyond. After traveling some distance, he should have genuine inquisitiveness about the higher truth – that’s when his real spiritual journey starts.
-Mind does not cooperate due to the storehouse of negative samskaras. To turn the mind into a friend, one should develop a surplus of positive samskaras by doing noble deeds, reading of scriptures and through holy association.
-If a seeker has mumukshutvam (desire for spiritual liberation), then other qualifications, such as holy association, come naturally.

The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on December 11, 2020.
-6th chapter: verses 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44
-In the 37th, 38th and 39th verse, Arjuna asks: “Suppose a person is endowed with shraddha and is making an earnest effort to control his mind. Yet, he fails to attain perfection. What happens to such a person? Has he totally failed and fallen from both worlds – having neither attained anything in the secular world nor in the spiritual realm? I have this doubt, which you should dispel.”
-Shankaracharya says that a seeker with shraddha, who has not yet attained the ultimate goal, may have a deviation from his spiritual ideal – this is called Yoga-bhrashta.
-When we come in contact with sensory objects that can take us away from our spiritual path, we should withdraw our senses from these objects. We should do so by thinking about the dangers of succumbing to such temptation (dosha-drishti) – we should do so again and again.
-The faculty to detect such temptation and withdraw from – it grows when we feed our mind with higher spiritual ideas and associate with holy people. Then, we develop an inner self-correcting mechanism.
-Lord Krishna answers in the 40th verse: “Even if you had a deviation, do not worry. You will not lose anything. Your spiritual samskaras are like a fixed deposit that no one can take away from you – it is yours forever. Even if you want a material life, you will be forced to continue your spiritual journey – you will be helpless because of the power of your accumulated spiritual samskaras.”
-What happens to a Yoga-bhrashta? Lord Krishna answers this question from two different perspectives in the 41st and 42nd verse. 41st verse discusses a seeker who has not achieved Shama (self-restraint), and 42nd verse discusses a more advanced spiritual seeker.
-41st verse: “If a devotee has practiced spiritual disciplines in this life but has not achieved shama - and he has a deviation towards the end - he will be able to continue his spiritual journey by being born in a pure and prosperous family, where his parents are spiritually oriented, and where his unfulfilled desires can be fulfilled.”
-42nd verse: “Those who are more advanced are born in families that have a tradition of producing great spiritual aspirants. Such a birth is rare indeed.”
-In both 41st and 42nd verse, Lord Krishna’s main message is: “Nothing is lost, and you are never late. You can begin your journey right now.” We can start by praying or by doing noble deeds that give us inner tranquility and enrichment.
-Pedigree is not a criterion for rebirth. One of the greatest devotees, Prahlada, was born to a demon, Hiranyakashipu.
-43rd verse: “That mind and impressions inherited from previous spiritual life – you connect with those tendencies. You continue your spiritual journey. You strive for your spiritual life more vigorously. Because of the latent memory of striving hard in previous life, you desire not to fail in this life.”
-The 43rd verse explains the mystery of how our samskaras transmigrate. At death, even though our senses of perception and action are gone, the tendencies that they created are stored in the Antahkarana (mind, intellect, memory and ego). These stored tendencies in the Antahkarana are never lost and are born again.
-Per Shankaracharya, at re-birth, if good tendencies are dominant, they begin to manifest without delay. If bad tendencies are dominant, then the good tendencies lie dormant for some time and assert themselves after the negative tendencies are extinguished.
-44th verse: “The spiritual disciplines and samskaras from previous life – they constitute the momentum that moves the seeker forward. Those who even have a wish to lead a spiritual life, they will reach their destination.”
-When we transcend rituals for material prosperity and start praying for higher things, we start our journey towards the highest spiritual destination.
-Some scriptures say: “what we think of at the last moment, that we become in the next birth”. When we breathe our last, we will have a collection of conflicting thoughts. These thoughts are determined by our collective life as a whole. We can have a good thought at the last moment by building a storehouse of positive samskaras that will assert themselves at the last moment.

The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on December 4, 2020.
-6th chapter: 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41
-Spiritual life is our ideal. We have to restrain the thought currents in the mind by feeding it with positive ideas. However, the mind is called Vikshipta-manah, always wavering like a pendulum.
-Vyasa classifies the human mind into five categories: (1) Kshipta (scattered) (2) Mudha (dull) (3) Vikshipta (partially focused) (4) Ekagra (one-pointed) (5) Niruddha (fully focused). The mind of a normal person is in Vikshipta state.
-Spiritual life is about coming face to face with our own mind. When we try to turn the mind away from the pulls of nature, the mind revolts.
-In the 35th verse, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna: “You are right that the mind is restless and difficult to control. Yet, it can be controlled through constant practice and through renunciation.”
-When we develop a sense of renunciation towards what is harmful to the mind, and we practice disciplines that feed the mind with positive food, then the mind becomes calm and quiet.
-We should slowly withdraw the mind from conflicting thought currents by directing it towards positive channels. The existing storehouse of negative samskaras has to be nullified with a new storehouse of positive samskaras. Positive samskaras are generated by reading of scriptures and through holy associations.
-Spiritual growth is achieved by constant practice and by one’s own self effort. When we are hungry, we have to eat to get rid of the hunger. Similarly, our own effort is crucial for progress in spiritual life. Through practice, one gets uncommon power of mind.
-36th verse: “Yoga is very hard to attain by someone whose mind is not in his control.”
-We should always keep in our mind a spiritual ideal. In the midst of our secular activities, we should recollect our spiritual ideal again and again.
-In the 37th verse, Arjuna asks: “Suppose a person is endowed with shraddha and is making an earnest effort to control his mind. Yet, his mind wanders about, he feels he has not progressed enough, and he fails to attain perfection. What happens to such a person?”
-If a spiritual seeker feels that he is not making progress, it actually shows that he is making progress. Without making progress, he would not feel such dis-satisfaction. At the same time, it means that he has not made enough progress.
-When a person starts his spiritual practices with shraddha - - it is like boarding a train that is bound to reach its destination.
-The person referred to in Arjuna’s question is an ārurukṣhoḥ - a spiritual seeker who is still evolving. He has not reached the Yoga-ārūḍha state, where he experiences identity with the Atman. He could also be a karma-yogi, who has not achieved contentment.
-38th verse: Arjuna continues his question: “Has he totally failed and fallen from both worlds – having neither attained anything in the secular world nor in the spiritual realm?”
-Per Shankaracharya, a spiritual seeker may find himself in a stage where he continues to earnestly pray, do karma-yoga, meditate - and yet does not feel inner contentment. At the same time, he sees others enjoying the world around him. This is a state that every sincere spiritual seeker has to go through.
-Shankaracharya also says that a seeker with shraddha, who has not yet attained the ultimate goal, may have a deviation from his spiritual ideal – this is called Yoga-bhrashta. His past samskaras may assert themselves as one of the following obstacles to deviate him from his spiritual path - Disease, mental laziness, doubt, lack of interest, sloth, clinging to sense pleasures, false perception, lack of concentration, and unsteadiness in concentration.
-There are many examples of seekers who led an intense spiritual life, then had Yoga-Bhrashta in their last life and died. In their new life, at some point, the old positive samskaras assert themselves and lead to a mysterious spiritual transformation in their life.
-Lord Krishna explains later in the 40th and 41st verses: “Even if you had a deviation, do not worry. You will not lose anything. Your spiritual samskaras are like a fixed deposit that no one can take away from you – it is yours forever. Even if you want a material life, you will be forced to continue your spiritual journey.”
-Time is only an imagination. Birth and death are a continuous process. Everyone is born again based on accumulated samskaras.
-Lord Krishna explains further in the 41st verse: “If a devotee has practiced spiritual disciplines in this life but has a deviation towards the end, he will be able to continue his spiritual journey by being born in a family where his parents are spiritually oriented, and where his unfulfilled desires can be fulfilled.”

-6th chapter: verses 32, 33, 34, 35
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on November 27, 2020.
-32nd, 33rd, 34th and 35th verses are interrelated. 32nd verse concludes the important idea of the spiritual unity of the entire creation. 33rd and 34th verses present Arjuna’s question on whether the equanimity of mind can be achieved. The 35th verse contains Lord Krishna’s response to Arjuna’s question.
-32nd verse: “He who judges pleasure and pain everywhere by the same standard that he applies to himself, that Yogi is regarded as the highest.”
-The first stage of spiritual evolution is Atma-jnanam, where we realize that behind and beyond the body and mind, there is the Atman. At the second stage, we realize that this Atman is identical with Brahman. At the third stage, we realize that Brahman as God is present everywhere and in everything. At this highest level, one develops ekatvam (oneness) and samatvam (evenness).
-For a person who has reached this state of samatvam, every secular thing becomes spiritualized. His mind does not deviate from the state of samadhi.
-We can look at clothes made of the same thread from two perspectives. We can see them as different clothes, or we can see the same thread in these clothes. Similarly, for the spiritually evolved person, wherever his mind goes, he only connects with its spiritual dimension. He cannot consciously do harm to anyone.
-“yatra yatra mano yāti tatra tatra samādhayaha” (Drg-Drshya-Viveka 30)
-The statement “Brahma satyam, jagat mithya” is only at a philosophical level. At the highest advaitic level, which transcends all duality, one experiences “Brahma Satyam, jagat satyam”. The world, when perceived from a transcendental perspective, without names and forms, becomes non-distinct from Brahman.
-In the Bhagavad Purana, there is a dialogue between King Nimi and the Nava Yogis. In answer to the King’s question: “Who is an ideal devotee of God?”, one of the sages gives the following answer: “The one who sees in all beings the presence of God, and who sees the presence of all beings in God.“
-33rd verse: Arjuna says: “You have taught me this Yoga of ekatvam and samatvam. I do not see the possibility of it becoming a reality in my life because my mind is restless.”
-34th verse: Arjuna continues: “The mind is restless, turbulent and not yielding. It is difficult to control the mind like the wind.”
-Arjuna thought that running away from his duties and taking on the life of a mendicant was the right path for him. Lord Krishna eventually tells him that the life of renunciation is more intense, as it deals with inner warfare. Renunciation is about taking on bigger challenges and more difficult than facing external challenges.
-35th verse: Lord Krishna responds: “You are right that the mind is restless and difficult to control. Yet, it can be controlled through constant practice and through renunciation.”
-Vyasa classifies the human mind into five categories: (1) Kshipta (scattered) (2) Mudha (dull) (3) Vikshipta (partially focused) (4) Ekagra (one-pointed) (5) Niruddha (fully focused). Arjuna’s question reflects the state of his mind as Vikshipta.
-When we develop a sense of renunciation towards what is harmful to the mind, and we practice disciplines that feed the mind with positive food, then the mind becomes calm and quiet.
-From the Bhagavad Purana: “If horses are not under your control and running away, you don’t jump away from the horses. Instead, holding the reins steady and strong, you direct the horses in the proper direction. Similarly, one should control the rebellious mind, by controlling its negative thought currents.”
-The Bhagavad Purana says that one should slowly withdraw the mind from conflicting thought currents by directing it towards positive channels. The existing storehouse of negative samskaras has to be nullified with a new storehouse of positive samskaras. Positive samskaras are generated by reading of scriptures and through holy associations.
-According to Shankaracharya, the word Krishna means the one whose holy name helps remove the negativity from our mind. A farmer ploughs his field to remove undesirable vegetation. Similarly, Lord Krishna’s name purifies our mind and removes all undesirable elements.

-6th chapter: verses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on November 20, 2020.
-28th verse: “Such a Yogi, free from all obstacles, experiences Atyantam Sukham – ultimate, infinite, spiritual bliss.”
-Atyantam Sukham is not the temporary absence of unhappiness. It is happiness itself. It is the feeling of permanently being settled in a state of contentment, even in the midst of obstacles and challenges.
-Antaraya means obstacles. Patanjali refers to the following obstacles, which cause the mind to wander - Disease, mental laziness, doubt, lack of interest, sloth, clinging to sense pleasures, false perception, lack of concentration, and unsteadiness in concentration.
-Spiritual life is about moving against our natural instinct, which is driven by the attraction of senses towards sense objects. In spiritual life, we turn the mind away from the pulls of nature. We turn it towards our true inner chamber, the Atman. In the process, we face obstacles.
-This Yogi, who experiences his unity with the transcendental reality in every moment and action, is Yoga-antaraya-varjitah – he has transcended all antarayas (obstacles) in his spiritual life. The Yogi gets the feeling of Atyantam Sukham, because these antarayas cannot distract his mind.
-29th verse: “Such a Yogi develops an equanimity of mind, an eye of evenness for all things, because he beholds the presence of Atman in all beings and he beholds the presence of all beings in his own Atman.”
-An ideal devotee may ready his holy books and go to the temple - but in his interactions with others, he sees all as children of the same God, whom he worships in his temple and whose instructions he reads in the holy book. Religion goes beyond the four walls of the temple – it reaches the hearts of everyone.
-In the Bhagavad Purana, there is a dialog between King Nimi and the Nava Yogis. In answer to the King’s question: “Who is an ideal devotee of God?”, one of the sages gives the following answer: “The one who sees in all beings the presence of God, and who sees the presence of all beings in God.“ The same answer is given in the Gita.
-30th verse: “One who sees God in all beings, and all beings in God – that person is never separated from God, and God is never separated from him. He is always in the company of God. “
-As we advance in spiritual life, our interpretation of the Divine Reality also changes. In the early stages, as we experience happiness and unhappiness, we attribute these opposites to God as well. The highest reach of spiritual evolution is when we realize the Divine Reality within our own hearts, and we experience its presence in everyone and everywhere. Then we live in the constant company of God.
-31st verse: “That Yogi, that spiritually illumined person, he is always established in this ideal of spiritual unity. He worships my presence everywhere. Whatever his mode of life, that devotee lives in me, and I live in him.”
-The favorite dwelling place of God is the pure heart of a devotee. Often, we do not allow him to stay there as we have other guests occupying the space such as: desires, anger, hatred, aversion, fear and doubt. When trying to enter, God withdraws, as he sees other guests occupying the space. If the heart is pure, God enters that residence.
-32nd verse: “He who judges pleasure and pain everywhere by the same standard that he applies to himself, that Yogi is regarded as the highest.”
-Whatever is desirable to us, we should assume is desirable to others also. We should treat others as we want to be treated by them. A spiritual seeker develops this attitude when he reaches the highest level of spiritual unity.
-The entire cosmic existence is one for a spiritual seeker who has reached this highest state. He feels compassion towards all beings and towards nature. To him, religion and spirituality transcend the barriers of culture and nationality.