Gita 02.15 – Those unaffected by the temporary attain the eternal

Vedita 2.15 Krishna is continuing his instruction about how to apply the knowledge that we are not the body. So, first the 2.13 said that because the body is unchanging, so don't be bewildered by the change. But then the change does affect us, so 2.14 says tolerate it.

And 2.15 will describe what is the benefit of such tolerance. Yam hi, that person, na vyatayandete, na vyatayandete, one who is not agitated, one who is not troubled, one who is not disturbed. Purusha, purusharishabha, that purusha, purusharishabha, that person who is not bewildered.

So, that is a very poetic rhyme. We see this again and again in the Bhagavad Gita. And the poetic effect is increased by using repetitions of words.

So, we saw how sudana, sudana was repeated by Arjuna in 2.4. Madhusudana and Arisudana. So, two different lines, but because of the end of the line, it is a very beautiful effect. Similarly, here we have purusham, purusharishabha.

So, first purusham refers to the person about whom Krishna is describing. That person who tolerates, that person who does not get disturbed by the ups and downs of that world, of this world. So, it is that person being referred to.

And then purusharishabha refers to Arjuna. To whom Krishna is speaking. Purusharishabha.

Rishabha actually means best of. So, purushabha. Purushabhanu Maharaj.

So, purushabhanu. Rishabha actually means king or leader. So, purusharishabha means best among men.

So, Arjuna is being encouraged to act gallantly by reminding him that he is no ordinary person, he is a great person. Purusharishabha. So, sama-dukha-sukham dheeram.

Sama-dukha-sukham. That there is equanimity in happiness and distress. So, amritattvaya kalpate.

Such a person will attain amritattvaya. Amritavaya kalpate. So, what does here amrit means? Is he talking about the heavenly nectar? No, not at all.

Krishna is talking about not heavenly nectar but about immortality. Such a person will attain immortality. And by attaining immortality, that person can actually reclaim the spiritual nature and the spiritual life that is actually our nature as souls.

So, now how do we move forward in our life's journey? If you understand I am not the body, I am the soul. You know, this knowledge of the soul needs to change our goal. Otherwise, that knowledge will remain abstract.

If I understand that I am not who I think I am, if I have been told that, oh, you are born in a poor family, you are a poor person, and then you suddenly come to know that, oh, actually, I am practically a prince. I am the son of a very wealthy person. Then that change of knowledge should lead to a change of goal.

Change of goal is to ask, who am I? Okay, then if I belong to a wealthy family, then let me find out who is that wealthy family. How do I belong to that family? How can I relink with that family? So, similarly, when we understand that I am not the body and the soul, the soul is eternal, the body is temporary, then naturally, what should happen is the knowledge of the soul should inspire within us the desire to change. And how will that desire come? By inspiring us to march onwards in our life.

By inspiring us to focus on the spiritual in our life. And we focus on the spiritual when we understand that the material is temporary. Whereas, we have a right to the spiritual.

We have an opportunity to attain the spiritual. If we can just focus on it, if we can just put aside our distractions and learn to stay focused on that which is the eternal dimension of life. So, in general, the purpose of life is to lead a life of purpose.

And the ultimate purpose is to connect with Krishna. Of course, Krishna himself as the goal of spiritual life is not yet talked about. What is talked about here is about you are not the body or the soul.

But once we understand that the soul is eternal, then naturally we want to attain the eternal level of reality. And that will come by tolerance. Now, how does, why is it that tolerating the temporary enables us to attain the eternal? Because the temporary and the eternal are, our location in the temporary or eternal is determined by our, by where our emotions are entangled.

If our emotions are entangled in the temporary, then naturally we stay in the temporary. If our emotions are entangled in the eternal, naturally we attain the eternal. So, the key thing is for us to move from the temporary to the eternal means to redirect our emotions from the temporary to the eternal.

So, here Krishna is talking about redirecting the emotions at least away from the temporary. That means not getting affected by the temporary. It's like if a person is watching a movie and is very caught in the movie.

There are certain emotions generated from the movie and the person, maybe it's a horror movie and the person is crying or almost trembling or sweating, profusely thinking that, Oh, what is going to happen to me? But that same person understands that actually I'm safe. So, takes the attention off the movie and turns around and realizes, Oh, I'm safe actually. Nothing to get so excited about.

Then that means that that person is actually recognized that I am different. That I am actually not the body. That actually nothing from the movie is actually affecting me.

So, to the extent the person is watching the movie and is excited by what happens in the movie, to that extent the person forgets the real life separate from the movie. Similarly, as souls, to the extent we allow ourselves to be carried away by bodily emotions, to that extent we can't relish spiritual emotions, to that extent we stay entangled. And that is why it is vital for us to move away from bodily emotions and to stay unaffected by them.

And by that we can reclaim our spiritual identity. Now, this task is difficult because the material is what is easily perceivable for us and the spiritual is not perceivable. So, because it's a difficult task, Krishna is inspiring Arjuna by saying Purusha Arshabha.

You are the best among the Purushas. And you can take up challenging tasks, Arjuna. So, take up this challenging task, do this challenging task and by that you will prove your caliber.

You act in glorious way. The Kshatriyas love challenges and Arjuna is, Krishna is exhorting him. You are Purusha Arshabha.

Therefore, you can be like this Purusha who tolerates. And by that you will attain immortality. So, in this way Krishna exhorts Arjuna to tolerate whatever inevitable pain may come.