Gita 02.41 – Intent shapes intelligence

Thank you. Krishna is continuing to talk about the process of yoga and now he's talking about the qualification for success in this process. So, vyavasaya atmika, vyavasaya atmika, vyavasaya in the vernacular means business, in the Sanskrit, it means one-pointedness, resolute.

Atmika, so the essence of the buddhi is vyavasaya, determination. Atmika is an adjective which comes from atma. Atma actually means the soul or the essence.

So, one-pointed intelligence essentially means. Ekeha kurunandana, kurunandana, oh Arjuna, listening to the gurus, that the intelligence of those who practice yoga, now the pronouns in this word are implied, in this words are implied. So, those who are vyavasaya atmika, they fix their life, fix themselves on one goal, ekeha.

On the other hand, bahushakha, bahushakha is many brands, anantasya, not only the brands is many, but they are actually infinite. Buddhayo vyavasayinam, those who are not fixed in their intelligence, their buddhi is vyavasayinam, is not fixed. So, now in one sense, the was becomes a little confusing here.

What is it actually saying? This is the oft quoted words, but if you look literally at the Sanskrit, because of the absence of pronouns or not very clear presence of pronouns, it sometimes becomes a little confusing to understand. But essentially it is saying, if you look at the previous words, we understand the context that Krishna talked in the previous verse about how the eternal irreducible gain is obtained from the path of yoga. And therefore, knowing this, those who practice yoga, this path is determined.

On the other hand, those who are not determined, those who are avyavasayinam. So, in one sense, we could say the subjects of this are vyavasaya atmika at the beginning and avyavasayinam. So, those who are avyavasayinam, those who are resolute, their determination, their buddhi, intelligence becomes one pointed.

Those who are irresolute, their intelligence becomes multi-branched. So, it's interesting the verse is talking about intelligence as a function of intention or determination. Actually, our whole consciousness follows our intent.

I mean, somebody is intently interested in cricket, say, which is being played on a ground which is millions of miles away, which may be thousands of miles away. But on the television, it is coming that the person's concentration goes over there. So, Krishna says over here, that those who are resolute, their intelligence becomes one pointed.

On the other hand, those who are irresolute, their intelligence becomes multi-branched. Now, indirectly, Krishna is telling that, Arjuna, your intelligence has become multi-branched. You're thinking, should I do this? Should I do that? Should I do that? Don't think like this, or don't let your intelligence become multi-branched, stay fixed.

And the next verses he will talk about how those who aim to attain heavens, it is their intelligence that becomes multi-branched. Those who aim for, those who attain heavens are similar worldly gains, be they this world, be they worldly in terms of in this world or in the heavenly worlds, both are worldly gains. Those who seek such worldly gains, their intelligence becomes multi-branched.

But those who seek the eternal gain, their intelligence stays fixed. So, now, Krishna is talking about how the theme will be buddhi. And next verse will talk about avipashchitaha, those whose intelligence is not very developed.

And next verse 2.44 will also talk about buddhi, how the buddhi is abducted by attachments. So, here, Krishna is stating that the our resolution, our inner determination will direct our intelligence. And so, ultimately, actually, if we see, our whole being is directed by our desires.

So, an intelligence is an important aspect of our being. Many times we will see that students, if they want to study, sometimes they just do not feel like studying. Maybe I just watch a cricket match, maybe I will sleep for some time, maybe I will just chat with someone on social media for a few minutes, or whatever, you want different kinds of breaks.

And after that, here, the important point is that here, the key is to recognize that the determination will direct the intelligence. Now, in another sense, when the intelligence is strong, that will become determined. That is also true.

The relationship is bi-directional, symbiotic. But here, Krishna is talking about the intelligence that is needed. If you see the word buddhi was talked about in 2.39 also.

With buddhi, you engage yourself. So, we make our intelligence strong by hearing from guru sadhu shastra. Now, there is material intelligence, which is basically our information processing ability.

Some people may be able to be very good at maths, some others may be very good at say, music, others may be very good at physics or language or whatever, different, we may have different kinds of material intelligences, which may be very good at different levels. But all these do not help us to rise to the spiritual level of reality. So, when we talk about that, we need spiritual intelligence.

Spiritual intelligence essentially means the intelligence to differentiate between matter and spirit, to differentiate between the temporary and the eternal. And that intelligence comes by hearing from guru sadhu shastra. So, when we choose to invest our intention, when we choose to invest our faith, at least our desire, okay, I want to try this out.

Once we make that resolution, then we will see that, oh, this is the conclusion of scripture. So, Krishna in a subtle sense is also addressing over here, the perception that, oh, there are so many things in scripture and sometimes scripture seems to be contradictory, as Krishna himself seems to have spoken contradictory in 38 and 39 verses, 37 and 38 verses. Similarly, even within scripture, one finds speaking a statement which seems contradictory.

So, how does one deal with those contradictory statements? That is something which has to be learnt. And for that, one has to have the intention fixed. I want to know the truth.

And I will see the truth with the help of a truth seer or one who has seen the truth. And like that, under the guidance of guru and sadhu, when we study shastra, and we learn from guru sadhu shastra in this way, then we become clear in our understanding. There is one conclusion to scripture, there is coherence in scripture.

There is one coherent message that runs through the scripture and we just have to discover it. So, even in the scripture between karma kanda and jnana kanda, between jnana and bhakti, between karma and bhakti, like this, there can be many seeming contradictions. And a person can get lost in the lower levels or can get lost in the confusion between various levels.

So, that confusion, if one is to resolve, one has to become, one has to have a vyavasaya atmika. When one is resolute, then the buddhi will become one-pointed. And then one will be able to march onwards.

So, that marching will refer to the marching straight, even amidst the ups and downs of life, even amidst the dualities or the differences we may find in the scripture. And that one-pointedness will go on even when we face various kinds of problems. So, Krishna will especially be here in the future verses, talking about the difference between karma kanda and karma yoga.

And he will talk about how those who are in the path of karma kanda, their intelligence gets multi-branched and thereby lost. Whereas those who are in the path of karma yoga, their intelligence stays steady and that is how they are able to move onwards. Thank you.