Gita 14.19 Seeing that our actions are impelled by the modes inspires us to resist the desires induced by the modes

Transcript

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na anyam gunebhyah kartaram vidadhrasthana upashyati gunebhyasya param vetti madbhavam sodhi gacchati Bhagavad Gita 14.19 Krishna is speaking here and he says, na anyam gunebhyah kartaram na anyam apart from gunebhyah kartaram, apart from the modes, kartaram, doer, there is no other doer.
vidadhrasthana upashyati When one sees that, when one sees like this drashta, when one sees that there is no doer apart from the modes, gunebhyasya param vetti and when we see that beyond the modes, there is a supreme control, madbhavam sodhi gacchati then such a person will attain me. na anyam gunebhyah So now here Krishna is drawing us towards the conclusion of whatever he has spoken in the subject of the modes. Now all conceptions, in order to be beneficial, have to lead to a change of vision.
Without that, without the change of conception, without the change of vision, the education of conceptions is not of much use. After all, we are all spiritual beings, but right now we are in material consciousness. So there is, if say we understand that we have a disease, or if there is an epidemic in a particular place, and that epidemic is spread through particular kinds of foodstuffs, then we need to make sure that we don’t eat that food.
Otherwise, we are going to be trapped. So, we are going to be diseased. If we truly wish to overcome the problems that we are facing, if we truly wish to go beyond whatever illusions may be bedeviling us, we very much need to have at our core a spiritual self-understanding.
And this applies at a practical level. From any specific disease to the generic disease of material attachments, bhava roga, which is afflicting all of us. Just as, if someone has diabetes, then they need to learn to see that sugary food is actually harmful for them.
And they need to avoid it no matter what happens. So, our conceptions, whatever concepts we learn, they need to lead to the appropriate reshaping of our vision. Only then the education, the concepts will benefit us.
So, here Krishna is telling that education, the concept of the modes, how should it, or how will it reshape us? And he describes that the reshaping that is expected to happen is through the way we see the actions being performed. So, when we see that actually the modes are acting, that it is the modes that are functioning, nanyam gudebhyah kartaram, Krishna earlier said that all living beings are bound by the modes. sattvam rajas tamaiti gunah prakriti sambhavan nibadnanti mahabaho dehe dehinamogayam So, with these imperishable modes, all living beings are bound, nibadnanti.
So, when we understand this, then we move forward to trying to alter our situation, to break free from the bondage. But before we can break free from the bondage, we have to, at the very least, recognize the bondage. And that recognition of bondage is what is being talked about over here.
So, sometimes we get angry and speak or do certain things. Sometimes we become, we feel lazy and we are not able to do anything. Sometimes we become contemplative.
So, all this is action impelled by the modes. nanyam gudebhyah kartaram For whatever we do in the world, actually apart from the modes, there is no doer at all. So, apart from the modes, there is no doer at all.
So, with the doer of the modes, the modes impel us to do certain actions. Now, does that mean that we don’t have free will? No, we do have free will to choose which mode will influence us. To choose how we will be influenced by which mode.
So, darshta anupashyati, the wise person sees, the seer sees systematically that gudebhyah kshaparam vetti that there is someone who is beyond the modes also. Now, this can refer to the supreme, who is transcendental and who is the controller of the modes and who can liberate us from the modes. This understanding helps us to infuse ourselves with bhakti.
This understanding helps us to move closer to Krishna through the purification that comes in our heart by the practice of devotion. Because we understand if Krishna is not the supreme controller, he is in control and he can help us to, he can help release us from the bondage by which we are bound presently. So that understanding is inspiring in taking shelter of him.
Another way of looking at this is also that the soul itself is transcendental. The soul is non-material, the soul is spiritual and the soul is meant to help us The soul is who we are. The soul is actually para, is beyond the pull of the modes.
But because, as was told in 13th chapter, 22nd verse, Because the soul is situated in material nature, presently, and as we situated there because of the desire to enjoy, so due to that the soul has now become bound. And if we want to avoid this bondage, we need to recognize that we have to go beyond the grip of material nature. We need to go beyond the, the grip of material nature comes upon us because of the lure of material nature, because of our desire to enjoy that nature.
Just as, as long as an alcoholic has a desire to enjoy alcohol, will be pulled towards alcohol, but as soon as they give up that desire, the pull because of the alcohol will go away. So similarly, for us as spiritual beings, as long as we have, as long as we have the desire, we can’t do much. We will be pulled.
But when we learn to see that the desires being triggered within us are because of the modes, and we start saying no to the desires, and of course the most effective way to say no to desires is by saying yes to higher desires, by saying yes to Krishna. But when we do that, then we will find that actually saying no is not that difficult, because we are saying yes, and once we start saying no consistently, the pull will decrease. So, by seeing that what happens at the material level is impelled by the modes, and that by also seeing that there is a reality beyond the material to which we belong, and for which we long, we can thus, by this vision, transcend the effects of the modes, which will be talked about in the next verse and in the remaining chapter.