Gita 02.45 – Gain possession of the soul by giving up obsession with matter

Our consciousness safe in service to Krishna.

Thank you. Three modes. The Vedas talk about subjects within the three modes.

This is Bhagavad Gita 2.45. Oh Arjuna, go beyond the three modes. Be situated beyond dualities. Be situated in constant goodness.

Be free from anxiety of gain or protection. Be a possessor of the self. So, in this section, Krishna is continuing his analysis of how Arjuna should act at the level of yoga.

And he has said that he should not get carried away by the flowery words of the Vedas. That was what Krishna told Arjuna in 2.42.43. They are flowery words, but don't get enamored by them. So, naturally the question will come in Arjuna's mind that, oh, but the Vedas are meant to be guidebooks for humanity.

How can I not follow the Vedas? So, he says that they are in Trigunya, but you have to become Nishtrigunya. So, this is the first explicit mention of the three modes in Bhagavad Gita. And this will be repeatedly mentioned throughout the Gita.

And in fact, there will be a full chapter, the 14th chapter, which will talk about the three modes. And even the 17th chapter will be on the basis of three modes only. The division of the faith.

And then 18th chapter, also first half, talks a lot about the three modes and analyzing various things within the three modes. So, elaborately, we will discuss about the three modes later. But essentially, the modes are the both, they are the building blocks of matter, as well as the forces that keep the soul within matter.

So, he is saying that the Vedas talk about the three modes. So, as I said, the three modes are the building blocks of material existence, in the sense that just as if we have whatever we see on a TV screen or on a movie screen, essentially, there are three colors, RGB or RYB or whatever. But those three colors, say red, green, blue, they combine to create not just many, many different colors, but all the different forms of men and women and all the actions that happen between them.

It is all created basically by those three things, three colors. Similarly, everything that happens at the material level is constituted of three modes in various combinations. And the three modes are not just the components of matter, but they are also the subtle forces that shape the interaction between consciousness and matter.

The soul is affected by different modes and accordingly the soul acts in this world and becomes entangled. The soul becomes either attracted to certain things because of passion, or just becomes passive and lethargic because of ignorance, or becomes introspective and thoughtful because of goodness. Now, this is a subject we will discuss later.

But essentially, here Krishna is telling that the Vedas talk about the three modes, Trigunya, Vishaya, Veda. It means the Vedas are meant to guide us and keep us on the path of Dharma while we are caught in material existence. Now, you have to go beyond three modes, this Trigunya, Bhav Arjuna, Bhav Arjuna, go beyond the three modes.

So, the Atma is transcendental to the three modes and to realize the Atma, one has to go beyond those three modes. So, Krishna has said Arjuna, this Trigunya, Bhav Arjuna, that the modes create dualities. Now, if we look at a TV and suppose we are colorblind and we did not see any of the attractive color that will be depicted on the TV, then neither would anything appeal to us, nor would anything horrify us.

So, like that, we become nirdvandu. So, if we go beyond the three modes, then the pattern of the various things with their various responses, we become transcendental to them. We don't become blind, but we become, because we get a higher satisfaction, because we get a higher meaning to life, we are no longer allured by these things.

That means we go beyond the dualities which are created by the modes. Means that we become situated in constant goodness. The word Sattva can mean goodness, it can also just mean existence.

So, both are in effect synonymous. Constant goodness is not possible in this world at the material level, because all the modes, they compete and every mode is influenced by other modes, contaminated by other modes, if the original mode is higher. So, goodness is contaminated by passion ignorance in this world.

So, to be nitya-sattva-stho, we need to be situated in not just goodness, but we have to rise above goodness to pure goodness, that is transcendence. And nitya-sattva-stho means eternal existence, if we take sattva as existence, then eternal existence is also possible in the transcendental level only, at a spiritual level. So, either way Krishna is saying, become situated at the spiritual level.

Do not bother about profit or loss or protection or provision at the material level, focus on Atmavan. So, Atmavan is a very instructive, profound word. Van usually means possessor.

So, dhanyavan, possessor of knowledge. Bhagyavan, possessor of fortune. Bhagavan is the possessor of opulences, the six defining opulences characterize the supreme all-attractive being Bhagavan, Krishna.

So, now Atmavan is the possessor of the soul. So, now, if we are the soul, what does it mean to become Atmavan? How can we become possessors of ourselves? So, here possessor is used more in the sense of being in possession of our awareness. Are you in possession of your senses? That means, we sometimes use this usage to mean that, are you thinking clearly? Are you thinking sensibly? So, to be in possession of means to be properly aware.

So, Atmavan means to be in possession of one's Atma, means to be aware of one's spiritual identity and to know that the Atma is our real wealth. To know that the soul is actually the person who I actually am and I need to stay at the spiritual level and by staying at the spiritual level, I can experience the highest happiness. So, Atmavan, to hold on to the soul, to hold on to spiritual awareness, to hold on to the knowledge that I am the soul and I have a real life at the level of the soul.

To hold on to that means to recognize that this knowledge, this awareness of the soul is my real wealth and to hold on to it and to not let material concerns, material ups and downs, dispossess us of our spiritual awareness. So, Krishna says that Arjuna, the pursuit of heavens and the pursuit of good karma will keep you materially conscious and will keep you spiritually dispossessed. But if you go beyond the Vedas, here the Vedas are used not in a universal sense of all the Vedic literature.

It is used in the sense of the four Vedas, the Rig, Vedas, Sam and Ajur, Samhitas, which primarily talk about Karma Kanda. So, do not be caught in seeking material results through your religious activities. Go beyond that and do not be allured by those promises of the Vedas.

You become, go beyond the modes, which influence you internally, psychologically. Go beyond the modes and become situated, become situated at the eternal level. And for that, recognize that the Atma is your treasure and hold on to that treasure and try to increase and strengthen your hold on that treasure.

And ultimately, it will become your eternal treasure.