Some slokas from Bhagavad Gita-1
Bhagavad Gita has many single slokas emphasizing that through just one basic discipline of your mind, you may ultimately reach Reality or Moksha or immortality. You can try it. Even if you are not seeking the realization, it will certainly improve your worldly life as you grow up in the life with any profession you go in. First one for today is from Chapter 2’s sloka 15 about keeping the sameness of mind in two extreme opposite situations.
यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ ।
समदुःखसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥2.15
Yam hi na vyathayantyete purusham purusharshabha;
Samaduhkha sukham dheeram so’mritatwaaya kalpate.
The wise man to whom pleasure and pain are the same, these opposite situations do not afflict him. Such a man is fit for attaining immortality!
दुःख-सुख को समान समझने वाले जिस धीर पुरुष को ये इन्द्रिय और विषयों के संयोग व्याकुल नहीं करते, वह मोक्ष के योग्य होता है।
Can we control our sense organs to bear the sorrow and make ourselves mentally strong in understanding that the sorrow will be only temporary? In the same way, one must control the over-happiness too with some pleasurable happenings which come quite often, as that will be over very soon. Controlling of the sense organs through mind and intellect is possible through constantly practising for it.
2
Sloka 51 from the same chapter 2
कर्मजं बुद्धियुक्ता हि फलं त्यक्त्वा मनीषिणः ।
जन्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्ताः पदं गच्छन्त्यनामयम् ॥2.51॥
Karmajam buddhiyuktaa hi phalam tyaktwaa maneeshinah;
Janmabandha vinirmuktaah padam gacchantyanaamayam.
The wise, possessed of Knowledge, having abandoned the fruits of their actions, and being freed from the fetters of birth, go to the place which is beyond all. With the desire of the fruit of action gone, one is released from the bonds of birth and death and attains to immortal bliss.
Expect queries and comments to continue with the series.
Some slokas from Bhagavad Gita-2
In the end of Chapter 2 named सांख्ययोग, ‘The Path of Knowledge’, the subject of स्थितधी:, sthitadhih, the man of steady wisdom has appeared. And from the sloka 2. 54-72, that is, till the end of the chapter that the various aspects of such a person have came from Bhagwan Krishna replies to the Arjuna queries on the subject in 2.54: ‘What is the description of him who has steady wisdom and is merged in the Superconscious State? How does one person of steady wisdom speak? How does he walk?’
There are two very important slokas that talk about the full renouncement of the desire, काम. I began my Gita journey from learning and repeating these 19 slokas till memorised that was in ‘स्थितप्रज्ञ- लक्षणानि’ in Mahatma Gandhi promoted ‘Ashram Bhajanavali’ for those living in his various ashrams in those that Mahatma founded.
In the Bhagavad Gita with the commentary of Sankracharya, the translator Swami Gambhirananda before starting this section translated this word, sthitadhi, ‘the characteristics of one who has the realisation of the Self.’ First sloka answering the question of Arjuna in 2.54, Krishna says:
प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् ।
आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥2.55॥
Prajahaati yadaa kaamaan sarvaan paartha manogataan;
Aatmanyevaatmanaa tushtah sthitaprajnastadochyate.
When a man completely casts off all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self by the Self, then he is said to be one of steady wisdom!
जब यह पुरुष मन में स्थित सम्पूर्ण कामनाओं को भलीभाँति त्याग देता है और आत्मा से आत्मा में ही संतुष्ट रहता है, उस काल में वह स्थितप्रज्ञ कहा जाता है।
(Note- All the pleasures of the world are worthless to an illumined sage who is ever content in the immortal Self.)
As per a sloka from Kathopanishad almost in the end of it:
यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः।
अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते ॥2.3.14॥
When all the desires that are in the heart of a man get destroyed, then this mortal man becomes immortal and attains Brahman here itself in this life in this very human body.
जब मनुष्य के हृदय में आश्रित प्रत्येक कामना की जकड़ ढीली पड़ जाती है, तब यह मर्त्य (मानव) अमर हो जाता है; वह यहीं, इसी मानव शरीर में ‘ब्रह्म’ का रसास्वादन करता है।
But even in concluding two verses of Chapter 2 of Bhagavad Gita and on the स्थितप्रज्ञ- लक्षणानि’, the same theme is repeated:
विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः ।
निर्ममो निरहंकारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥2.71॥
Vihaaya kaamaan yah sarvaan pumaamshcharati nihsprihah;
Nirmamo nirahankaarah sa shaantim adhigacchati.
The man attains peace, who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the sense of ‘mine-ness’ and without egoism.
वह (स्थितप्रज्ञ) पुरुष सम्पूर्ण कामनाओं को त्याग कर ममतारहित, अहंकाररहित और स्पृहारहित हुआ विचरता है, और वह शान्ति को प्राप्त है।
And the concluding sloka of the chapter and the subject is:
एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति ।
स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ॥2.72॥
Eshaa braahmee sthitih paartha nainaam praapya vimuhyati;
Sthitwaasyaamantakaale’pi brahmanirvaanamricchati.
This is the Brahmanic eternal state, O son of Pritha! Attaining this, none is deluded and his discriminatory capacity in tact. Being established therein, even at the end of life, one attains to oneness with Brahman.
हे अर्जुन! यह ब्रह्म को प्राप्त हुए पुरुष की स्थिति है, इसको प्राप्त होकर योगी कभी मोहित नहीं होता और अंतकाल में भी इस ब्राह्मी स्थिति में स्थित होकर ब्रह्मानन्द को प्राप्त हो जाता है।
Can one give up his desires from the mind,(which is considered by Upanishads and Gita both as the biggest enemy of a person, now or well in time? In one of the slokas in Gita, the wise person must keep on trying to give up desires fully before the last moment in life, then he becomes free.
Please appreciate the anarchy prevailing among the people in our nation and perhaps in the world over. Please go through these 19 slokas on Sthitpragya once every day and, maybe, every morning as an educated man’s worship. I am hundred percent sure. It will bring a change in you if you understand its importance, for a peaceful happy life.
Some slokas from Bhagavad Gita-3
The main purpose of this series is that we, Hindu can and must become happier by bringing in the preparatory spiritual disciplines in primary secondary education system. Gita has hundreds of slokas about its importance even in worldly life. In the following verse, Gita emphasizes detachment while working on the assigned work with focused mind and dedication. Realization of Brahman is for those who wish to go that path through Yoga of Action or Yoga of Knowledge…. Even for those who are worldly householders these disciplines are the starting point for success and reach pinnacle in every field. Can one disagree that with only the extreme concentration of mind only one can attain exceptionally an R&D mind or breakthrough innovations or even solving some day-to- day difficult problems.
In Chapter 3 of Gita with a query from Arjuna, Krishna preaches on the Yoga of Action with a very revealing sloka:
तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर ।
असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः ॥3.19॥
Tasmaad asaktah satatam kaaryam karma samaachara;
Asakto hyaacharan karma param aapnoti poorushah.
If one always perform action which should be done without attachment, the man reaches the Supreme meaning realises Brahman, the ultimate Goal.
इसलिए तू निरन्तर आसक्ति से रहित होकर सदा कर्तव्यकर्म को भलीभाँति करता रह क्योंकि आसक्ति से रहित होकर कर्म करता हुआ मनुष्य परमात्मा को प्राप्त हो जाता है।
—
In this chapter itself there is another sloka where the desire (related wife, son and wealth) has been called the toughest enemy of every person:
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥3.43॥
Evam buddheh param buddhwaa samstabhyaatmaanam aatmanaa;
Jahi shatrum mahaabaaho kaamaroopam duraasadam.
Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, you slay your toughest enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer? Subdue the mind with practice. It is difficult to conquer desire because it is of a highly complex and incomprehensible nature. But if a man of discrimination and dispassion, who does constant and intense Sadhana, can conquer it quite easily and the result will be great achievement in worldly life.
इस प्रकार बुद्धि से पर अर्थात सूक्ष्म, बलवान और अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ आत्मा को जानकर और बुद्धि द्वारा मन को वश में करके हे महाबाहो! तू इस कामरूप दुर्जय शत्रु को मार डाल। Think for a moment every the various desire we have, many of them even unnecessary that throw it after getting it. Reduce your desires to minimum, you can immense happiness. How much property or other luxury objects should be sufficient. Is there is any need for this endless hankerings that ultimately brings only mental tortures or get wasted..and thrown out as garbage.
Some slokas from Bhagwad Gita-4
One of the biggest problems of India today is not extreme poverty only. The more shocking news for India is the increasing influence of those who hardly know and appreciate the basic spiritual disciplines required to build the society of good people in India. Unfortunately these people are the leaders in every field. The society is dividing itself faster and faster every day through vested interests. The whole society but few are in chaos bringing politics in every thing in life, be it castes, religions, even secular and Real Knowledge. No one right in the villages any more talks about Ramayana, or farming techniques and how to improve farming productivity. Our religious activities have become limited to going to temple, somehow chanting or reading some portion of a religious book or singing some bhajans, if at all by some. It is required but with one-mindedness and total dedication, not just like a superficial karm-kand or charity of some money for moksha to beggars, may be fake ones at least in big cities. We are going faster and further and further away from our ancient culture and values required in a good person in our now globally appreciated scriptures such as Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. And the situation is deteriorating every day.
By just following a maximum of 50 slokas from them one can build the unimaginable exemplary characters and strength of our people. If understanding 50 slokas is difficult, Indians can certainly understand and follow just two slokas in their lives, which can make India the topmost nation. And our priests, leaders and gurus alive must reach to mass rather than talking only in circles of rich clients. I have written earlier but shall repeat if the readers wish so.
Some readers have raised objections for the slokas mentioned in earlier entries of this series as all slokas, if practiced properly, lead to reaching the Brahman that is the universal Self too. It is too difficult to understand for common materialistic people, particularly for the younger, but even the people well-above sixty today keep themselves busy in the worldly life of enjoying their sense-organs and hardly give time for what Hindu scriptures have recommended. However, the main theme in last 3 slokas, where those individual disciplines of life such as getting rid of the desires as they are biggest enemy of a person and to work always without attachment to avoid incurring sin, and keeping oneself untroubled in mind in pain or pleasure as these are temporary. Even if one does not wish for the realisation of Brahman, the person will certainly like to have a happy peaceful life. And the discipline mentioned in those slokas will certainly do that. You may not appreciate that but I can say from experiences of working life that I could not reach where I could have because of no my lack of control over my anger (though that used to be the right reason according to me). It never works actually and does never give peace. You only repent for it when nothing can be done any more to neutralise the effect of your anger and a general impression getting created in your colleagues and superiors. I was advised against my shortcomings even by very senior mature well- wishers. But I could not drop that weakness from my behaviour. Now I am having the next sloka from Chapter 4 of Gita that mentions some very important human disciplines that if not followed creates permanent damages of this divine human life for everyone.
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः ।
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः ॥4.10॥
Veetaraagabhayakrodhaa manmayaa maam upaashritaah;
Bahavo jnaana tapasaa pootaa madbhaavam aagataah.
–
Freed from attachment, fear and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of right knowledge of your being, many have attained to My Being.
–
जिनके राग, भय और क्रोध सर्वथा नष्ट हो गए हैं और जो मुझ में अनन्य प्रेमपूर्वक स्थित रहते हैं, ऐसे मेरे आश्रित रहने वाले बहुत से भक्त उपर्युक्त ज्ञान रूप तप से पवित्र होकर मेरे स्वरूप को प्राप्त हो जाते हैं।
**
यदृच्छालाभसंतुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः ।
समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥4.22॥
Yadricchaalaabhasantushto dwandwaateeto vimatsarah;
Samah siddhaavasiddhau cha kritwaapi na nibadhyate.
Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites* and envy, even-minded in success and failure, though acting, one is not bound.
जो बिना इच्छा के अपने-आप प्राप्त हुए पदार्थ में सदा संतुष्ट रहता है, जिसमें ईर्ष्या का सर्वथा अभाव हो गया हो, जो हर्ष-शोक आदि द्वंद्वों से सर्वथा अतीत हो गया है- ऐसा सिद्धि और असिद्धि में सम रहने वाला व्यक्ति कर्म करता हुआ भी उनसे नहीं बँधता।
Some slokas from Bhagwad Gita-5
Sameness and then equanimity
The attainment of mind-control to keep yourself cool in facing the pairs of opposite-situations has been an important subject propounded in Gita and ultimately it led to the realisation of Brahman for Karma Yoga, Dhyan Yoga, and Gyan Yoga.
It starts right in Chapter 2 with Krishna preaching to Arjuna about the importance of the same in sloka 2.48:
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि संगं त्यक्त्वा धनंजय ।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ॥2.48॥
Yogasthah kuru karmaani sangam tyaktwaa dhananjaya;
Siddhyasiddhyoh samo bhootwaa samatwam yoga uchyate.
By established in Yoga, undertake actions, casting off attachment and equipoised in success and failure. Equanimity is called Yoga.
तू आसक्ति को त्यागकर तथा सिद्धि और असिद्धि में समान बुद्धिवाला होकर योग में स्थित हुआ कर्तव्य कर्मों को कर, समत्व ही योग कहलाता है।
Here in the above there is only one situation, success and failure. Gita contains many, where one is to have sameness, i.e. between friend and enemy, cold and heat, honour and dishonour, with a lump of earth, stone and gold, good and bad, loss and gain, denunciation and praise, agreeable and disagreeable, pleasant and unpleasant, censure and praise…etc.
And then from Upanishads, Manusmriti, Gita, Ashtavakra Gita reaches the sameness or equanimity of the Self in all beings and in everything in the universe. The importance of equanimity in our outlook as basic discipline must be brought in day to day life. It is of great importance for a peaceful life. It is something to be internally realised. It has been the subject of many slokas in different chapters and yoga practice too.
This sloka 18 of Chapter 5 is one of the best on the value of having attained समत्व, with the change in the outlook about all the beings in the universe to sameness with the same Self in every one of them.
विद्याविनयसंपन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि ।
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥5.18॥
Vidyaavinaya sampanne braahmane gavi hastini;
Shuni chaiva shvapaake cha panditaah samadarshinah.
The learned ones look with equanimity on a Brahamana endowed with learning and humility, a cow, an elephant and even a dog as well as an eater of dog’s meat.
ज्ञानीजन विद्या और विनययुक्त ब्राह्मण में तथा गौ, हाथी, कुत्ते और चाण्डाल में भी समदर्शी ही होते हैं।
Almost on the same line is a sloka in Chapter 6 of Gita
सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु ।
साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते ॥6.9॥
Suhrinmitraary udaaseena madhyastha dweshya bandhushu;
Saadhushwapi cha paapeshu samabuddhirvishishyate.
He excels who has the sameness of view with regards to a benefactor, a friend, a foe, a neutral, an arbiter, the hateful, a relative, good people and even sinners.
सुहृद् (स्वार्थ रहित सबका हित करने वाला), मित्र, वैरी, उदासीन (पक्षपातरहित), मध्यस्थ (दोनों ओर की भलाई चाहने वाला), द्वेष्य और बन्धुगणों में, धर्मात्माओं में और पापियों में भी समान भाव रखने वाला अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ है।
And the next sloka is
इहैव तैर्जितः सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मनः ।
निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद् ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिताः ॥15.19॥
Ihaiva tairjitah sargo yeshaam saamye sthitam manah;
Nirdosham hi samam brahma tasmaad brahmani te sthitaah.
Here itself is rebirth conquered by them whose minds are established on sameness. Since Brahman is the same in all and free from defects, therefore they are established in the Brahman.
जिनका मन समभाव में स्थित है, उनके द्वारा इस जीवित अवस्था में ही सम्पूर्ण संसार जीत लिया गया है क्योंकि सच्चिदानन्दघन परमात्मा निर्दोष और सम है, इससे वे सच्चिदानन्दघन परमात्मा में ही स्थित हैं।
Why people of every religion, caste all over India are making the total situation worse day by day by making themselves different. We neither appreciate human dignity, nor do we understand the real religion, which thousands of years ago our sages had perceived and called Sanatan keeping in mind the future generations. Why do today’s political leaders and religious leaders not teach the whole country and abroad to live in harmony following the ideas of modern great man Swami Vivekananda on Mahatma Gandhi or many eminent saints? Why every person in all community is busy day and night doing every work thinking of his personal interest?
पूरे भारत के हर धर्म, जाति के लोग क्यों अपने को अलग अलग बनाकर दिन पर दिन बदतर स्थिति बनाते जा रहें हैं। हम न मानवीय मर्यादा में रहते हैं, न असली धर्म को समझते हैं जिसे हज़ारों पहले हमारे ऋषियों ने अपनी आनेवाली पीढ़ी का ध्यान रखते हुये सनातन कहा था। क्यों आज के राजनीतिक नेता एवं धर्मगुरु आधुनिक महापुरुष स्वामी विवेकानन्द के विचारों पर चल पूरे देश और विदेश को एक सौहार्द भाव में रहने की शिक्षा नहीं देते? क्यों हर व्यक्ति, समुदाय अपने व्यक्तिगत स्वार्थ की सोचते हर काम करने दिन रात व्यस्त है?
Some slokas from Bhagavad Gita-6
Bhagavad Gita emphasizes on controlling our sense-organs and mind and practice to get rid of some of our weaknesses. I can tell that I suffered badly due to my hot temperament and missed many chances to move up the ladder. But for my anger, there was no one in the organization who could compete with me. As a second example, I shall talk about the desire and how my desire to have big houses built or bought keep accumulating unnecessary things normally not required, brought me in tension and trouble and have been and will be difficult to dispose off including the big collections of books, though I have done my best to give away tonnes of things already till now from the houses that at a life I loved to have. We should have foreseen the changing social system and breaking of the joint family. All three of my sons are settled in the US and not going to return. I would have gone for a two-bedroom apartment. Instead I kept on building big houses (a bungalow in my maternal place where my parents were living, then a three-storied with 4 bed-rooms in every floor in Salt Lake, Kolkata, again a 180sq. mtrs. Kothi in sector 41, Noida and selling them, and then the present one a 4-bedrooms flat in high-rising housing complex, even with scarce resources instead of enjoying life in smaller places. Ultimately now I am looking for a good old age home that can provide all the needs, as we are in our 80s at around 70-80K per month for us. But I have still not succeeded. When one passes away, the home must take care of the left out one even till his or her body is disposed of. However, we both have donated our bodies to the department of anatomy in AIIMS, New Delhi and do not wish to have any functions or karma-kand done after the death. Please take lessons from experiences for a successful career even if you are not spirituality prepared enough or interested in the realization of the ultimate Reality. Following slokas of Chapter are regarding the same subject where Krishna advises Arjun through him to everyone to achieve these personal disciplines before the end of this life.
1
शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्छरीरविमोक्षणात् ।
कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ॥5.23॥
Shaknoteehaiva yah sodhum praak shareera vimokshanaat;
Kaamakrodhodbhavam vegam sa yuktah sa sukhee narah.
He, who is still here in this world, before the liberation from the body, is able to withstand the impulse born of desire and anger, is a Yogi, and a happy man.
जो व्यक्ति इस मनुष्य शरीर में, शरीर का नाश होने से पहले-पहले ही काम-क्रोध से उत्पन्न होने वाले वेग को सहन करने में समर्थ हो जाता है, वही पुरुष योगी है और वही सुखी भी।
2
कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम्।
अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम्॥5.26॥
Kaamakrodhaviyuktaanaam yateenaam yatachetasaam;
Abhito brahma nirvaanam vartate viditaatmanaam.
–
Absolute freedom, Bliss exists on all sides for those self-controlled wise persons who are free from desire and anger, who have controlled their thoughts and who have realized the Self.
काम-क्रोध से रहित, जीते हुए चित्तवाले, परब्रह्म परमात्मा का साक्षात्कार किए हुए ज्ञानी पुरुषों के लिए सब ओर से शांत परब्रह्म परमात्मा ही परिपूर्ण है
3
यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः।
विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः॥5.28॥
Yatendriya manobuddhir munir mokshaparaayanah;
Vigatecchaabhaya krodho yah sadaa mukta eva sah.
With the senses, the mind and the intellect always controlled, having liberation as his supreme Goal, free from desire, fear and anger—the wiseman is verily liberated forever.
जिसकी इन्द्रियाँ मन और बुद्धि जीती हुई हैं, ऐसा जो मोक्षपरायण मुनि जो परमेश्वर के स्वरूप का निरन्तर मनन करने वाला है, इच्छा, भय और क्रोध से रहित हो गया है, वह सदा मुक्त ही है।
दृष्टिकोण - Indra's Viewpoint 