Gita 02.15 – Nothing is worth being distracted from Krishna

Will give knowledge that will illumine Arjuna and the whole world.

Thank you. Samadukha Sukham Dheeram, Somra Tattvaya Kalpate, Yampi Nayathyam Tete. But actually one who is not disturbed.

Purusham Purushar Shabha. That person, and then there is a rhyme, play of words over here. Purusha is coming twice, but first Purusha refers generally to people.

Second Purusha refers to Purushar Shabha. It's a part of Purushar Shabha which is a reference to Arjuna. And the implication is that, Oh Arjuna, what happens to you? Arjuna, that Purusham Purusham, Samadukha Sukham Dheeram.

That will be Samadukha Sukham. We could poison its happiness and distress. So Amritattvaya Kalpate.

And that will lead to immortal happiness for you. So Amritattvaya. And in this, Oh Arjuna, you can find everlasting happiness.

So now we need to recognize that Krishna is existing at a higher level of consciousness for us to access. Krishna does pervade the world, but ultimately we will transcend the world, rise to the spiritual level of reality and therein relish Krishna. Therein connect with Krishna.

So now, if we are too caught up with the ups and downs of what happens at the material level, then we will have very little if any impetus to rise to the spiritual level of reality. So to rise to the spiritual level, the best impetus comes when we recognize that Krishna, that whatever happens at this level doesn't matter too much. So the mind generally distracts us by promises of pleasure and threats of trouble.

So much pleasure, so much pleasure, so much pleasure. Come on, go and enjoy. Threat of trouble, that may go wrong, that may go wrong.

But no. So now what happens is that when we recognize, just like somebody might be too caught in watching some TV program. Now, yes, at one level, when somebody is very caught in the TV program, we can appreciate two things.

One is that either the program is very well made and the other is that, oh, this person is very interested in the program. So either way, the point is that if that person has to do some other work or it's a student who has to study and instead is caught in the program and the student has to recognize, OK, I have other things to do, more important things to do. And when we start getting caught in the illusion of this world, in the drama, the action of this world, then what we can appreciate is that actually, no matter what is happening, if within the illusion, there can be so much drama, so much stimulation and I can get attracted so much to it, then how much more will be my attraction to that realm of reality, which is only imperfectly and fragmentally being depicted in this movie, in this television program or movie or whatever.

That means that if this world is offering us, just as Krishna says, It's a fragment of the glory of Krishna and a spark of Krishna's splendor. And if that can absorb us so much, then how much more can actually the supreme glory of Krishna absorb us? And for that absorption, all that we need is to connect ourselves with Krishna more and more and more. And actually, whatever person is maybe attracted to some movie or some sports or some video game, that is a conditioned, unnatural attraction in the sense that that has got nothing to do with the soul.

That is just some attraction which is present in the mind based on certain circumstantial ups and downs, some circumstantial conditioning which have been acquired, that one has got so caught up in that. But actually, if we get attracted to Krishna, then that is the soul's original attraction. So, in that sense, both the attractive object and the attraction are distortions of the original, where only a fraction is manifested.

Then when the original attractive object and the original attraction or the original direction for the attraction are manifested, how much more will be the attraction? Krishna is the supreme all-attractive object and the soul has the supreme attraction to Krishna. And when that attraction is manifested, then nothing in this world can actually distract us. Now, we just need to redirect.

We need to realize the attractiveness of Krishna and we need to redirect our attraction from the world to Krishna. And that can be done by the process of chanting. So, by meditating that whatever seems extraordinarily important at this level of reality, that is actually transitional and beyond this level of reality is a higher level of reality, wherein there is far greater happiness available.

And the chanting is the way for us to connect with that higher level of happiness. By that, we can absorb ourselves in relishing the holy name. Thank you.