Summarized by: Sridhar V
The class started off with Omkar routine followed by prayers,pranayama & meditation.
We did a recap from our last class where in verses 31,32,33,34,35 and 36 from Chapter 4 were discussed.
We watched videos of Gurudev explaining the meaning of the above verses where in Gurudev’s explains that there could be multiple paths to liberation but the ultimate destination remains the same. Each person chooses his/her path based on various factors but the end goal remains the same.
Gurudev also reiterated that merely external worship of the Lord is not good enough but it has to be sanctified by Jnanayoga as well to earn his blessings since Jnanayagna is more subtler than Drivyayagna.
One should follow “Paripresnena Sevaya” which implies:
Prostration-surrender(Path of devotion)
Paripresnena- Intellectually surrender.(ask questions and clear one’s doubts).
Sevaya- Physically serve the master(not because the Master needs it but to attain liberation).
We also discussed few stories on real knowledge or Jnana :
Story No 1. Teacher and Disciple:
A teacher gave his disciple(teaching brahmayagna)a container which had holes in it and asked him to fetch water. The student used to fill up water in the container and everytime he would reach the class it would be empty and the same would happen while going back home too.The class used to ridicule him but he stuck on to his task for several years without a break.
One fine day the teacher finally enquired if he knew the reason and the student replied in the negative. The teacher then asks for the basket and points out to the class that the holes have become clear and the bottom part of the container has become clean compared to the other areas.
Story No 2:Anguli Malan and Buddha:
There used to be a robber who would rob and kill people passing through a jungle. He would cut a finger after robbing or killing them and would retain it- hence the name Anguli Malan. The reason for this activity was because he was told by someone that more the no of people he robs & kills the sooner he would attain salvation.
Gautam Buddha once passed by the jungle and no matter how hard Anguli Malan tried to catch up, Buddha always evaded him and was ahead of him.Finally he requests Buddha to stop and enquires the reason for him always being ahead of him to which Buddha mentions : I have already reached that place and you are not yet there..
Buddha mentions that one should give up anger & practice detachment. Anguli Malan surrenders and goes to stay with Buddha at his ashram.
The King on hearing Anguli Malan’s story from villagers was on the lookout to catch and punish him.
On his way to the jungle,he happens to stay at Buddha's monastery and mentions the purpose of his quest. Buddha retorts to the King that he need not go to the jungle to search Anguli Malan and that he is present in his monastery itself. The King couldn’t find or identify Anguli Malan amidst all the monks and finally Buddha pointed him out. Buddha explained to the King that whatever sins Anguli Malan had committed were washed out as such but still the King wanted to punish him for his past deeds and Anguli accepts the same wilfully.
Story No 3:
Lord Rama had placed outside his palace a huge bell and if anyone needed the kings attention all they needed to do was to ring the bell for any grievance and they would get justice.
Once a dog rang the bell and Shree Ram came outside to check. The dog complained that his master used to beat with a stick a lot and that it needed justice. Lord Rama was clueless and didn’t know how to accord the correct punishment as there was no precedence for such a crime. He enquires with the dog to suggest an apt punishment and to which the dog suggests to make the master the acharhya of an ashram situated outside the village as a suitable punishment so that he gets refined too in the bargain.
Story no 4:
Dharmaraj or Yudishtira was the ruler(varna system was different those days) and if a crime was committed by a Shudhra he used to warn him and let him go. If a Vaishnaya did the same he would levy a fine and.if a Kshatriya did the same crime he would get more severe punishment. Ultimately if a Brahmana did the same crime, the punsihment used to be the most stringent.
Same type of crime different punishment- The reason was that a Shudhara doesnt know or possess knowledge of the right and wrong.
Since Brahmana had the knowledge of the right and wrong, the worst punishment was reserved for him.
The verses 37,38,39,40,41 and 42 were chanted and the summary of the shlokas are as below -
Excerpts of verses 37 to 39
Analysis:
Lord Krishna says that in this world,there is nothing as purifying as divine knowledge A person who has attained purity of mind through prolonged practice of yoga receives such knowledge in the heart in due course of time.
The way a burning fire reduces the wood to ashes,Lord mentions to Arjuna that the real knowledge would burn all the reactions from materialistic activities to ashes.
Lord Krishna reiterates that a person who has ultimate faith and practices restrainting their mind and controlling their senses attain divine knowledge and that this is the path through which a person can attain supreme peace quickly.
Excerpts of verses 40 to 42
Analysis:
Lord Krishna states that a person who has no faith or knowledge and perennially of a doubting nature would eventually suffer downfall. For the skeptical soul there is no happiness in this birth or the next one.
Lord mentions to Arjuna that a person who has renounced Karma in the fire of Yoga they are not bound by actions. A person who has realized his true self through knowledge have all their doubts dispelled.
Lord Krishna reiterates Arjuna to dispel all the doubts that have arisen in his mind by the sword of knowledge. He mentions to Arjuna “O scion of Bharat,establish yourself in the karma yog- Please stand up and take action”.
In the next class, all of us would be summarizing one or 2 instances from the past where in our reaction was more from a “doership” perspective and as to how we can improve in future from a “non doership or seer” perspective.
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