Gita 18.42 Brahmanas cultivate material material regulation and spiritual redirection by intellectual conviction

Transcript

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Thank you. svabhavajam So here Krishna is talking about the qualities of a Brahmin svabhavajam.
These are the qualities that they are born with. What are they? Shamo peacefulness which refers to the mind not being agitated. Dhamas that means if the mind does get agitated still one does not indulge at the sensual level that means sense control.
Best is to keep the mind peaceful but if the mind gets agitated at least ensure that the senses don’t act wildly. Shamo Dhamas Tapah Tapah refers to austerity that means actually speaking that one is getting caught and carried away by the worldly things one doesn’t let themselves get carried away. So even when the inclination is there for the senses to indulge one learns to restrict them.
Tapah Shaucham Shaucha is cleanliness. One recognizes that tendency to be unclean it can reflect externally and internally both can be so a disorderly situation is not particularly indicative of goodness and often a cluttered situation leads to a cluttered mind. Shamo Dhamas Tapah Shaucham Shantir Arjavam Evacha Shanti is tolerance forgiveness Arjavam straightforwardness one does not duplicitous Jnanam Vijnanam Astikyam cultivates knowledge cultivates realization of that knowledge and Astikyam in today’s parlance frequently refers to faithism but in the Vedic context it refers to faith and not just faith in God but faith in scriptures scriptures are considered the way to know about God that means knowledge and realization of that knowledge one cultivates that is in harmony with scripture in the conclusion of scripture Jnanam Vijnanam Astikyam Brahma Karma Svabhavajam Brahma Karma Svabhavajam so therefore the important thing is that Brahma Karma Svabhavajam Svabhavajam is born from their Svabhava Brahma Karma so from the overall way of living life as a Brahmana these qualities are natural to them if we look at the overall characterization we will see the person is inclined towards some pursuit higher than material acquisition or material gratification it is intellectual cultivation and ultimately transcendental realization so we can live for physical acquisition material acquisition physical acquisition and essential gratification broadly speaking possessions and pleasures and that would broadly signify life in the mode of passion and we can live for something higher once we understand that there is a better way to live there is a way to purge ourselves of our negativities by focusing on Krishna and by going towards Krishna then we can do so so vital for our inner growth is this understanding that unless we are steadily focused we will not achieve anything worthwhile now what is considered worthwhile will also vary based on what mode a person is situated in a person in the mode of ignorance may think that getting some alcohol to drink that is that is worthwhile a person in passion may think that getting sensual pleasure getting people to recognize my power and position that is in the mode of that is success that is worthwhile a person in goodness realizes that it is moving towards Krishna it is becoming absorbed in Krishna that is truly worthwhile and ultimately to go there we have to redirect our vision from the material to higher realities the mode of life that is not so captivated by worldly things the mode of living that is characterized by material regulation and spiritual redirection based on intellectual conviction that is the characteristic of a Brahmana now Krishna does not mention bhakti as a characteristic of a Brahmana because there may be Brahmanas people who are in mode of goodness relatively speaking who may not necessarily be devoted they may not necessarily be attracted to the Supreme they may not necessarily be captivated by the Supreme all that they will have is the recognition that life is meant for us to purify ourselves and thereby grow upwards towards Krishna so those who do not understand this purpose they may actually be moving living in goodness thinking that there must be something higher to life without knowing what higher things to pursue they may be interested in poetry in philosophy in science and if they look for knowledge and gradually they may come towards the conclusion of that there is some higher reality and we need to harmonize with that higher reality they may be on the progressive path also they are also considered to be in the mode of goodness and they too will get elevated so this is how we live life striving to connect with Krishna, striving to become deeply absorbed in Krishna so when we as devotee seekers see Brahmanas, Brahmanical qualities, we see that these are qualities which are very very conducive for our spiritual realization and thus we strive to cultivate as many of them as possible and thereby rise in spiritual realization thank you