Gita Overview Mumbai 15.1-8 Analysis of the upside-down tree metaphor

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Hare Krishna. So, we are going to start with the 15th chapter now. Now, we have exactly 150 verses remaining.
20 in this chapter, 24 in the next chapter, 28 in the 17th chapter, that is 72 verses. And 78 in the last chapter. So, we are on an average doing 7 verses per class.
That was the original target when we planned with completing the Gita in 100 hours. So, I am leaving from here on 26th morning. We will need for 150 verses, we will need around 22 classes.
So, we have around almost like more than 11 working days we have. So, we should be able to complete it. So, we won’t have a class tomorrow or Saturday.
But we should be able to complete adequately. By 23rd or 24th only we should be able to complete it. So, are any of you feeling that I am going very fast? Well, in the 13th chapter, the last part I took a little fast.
Because that was, I felt most of the concepts I had covered and going too deep into the concepts would not have been relevant at this level. So, actually the Bhakti Shastri according to Sri Prabhupada’s original plan was not the only forum for studying Bhagavad Gita. When Bhagavad Gita is studied in Bhakti Shastri, then again it is to be studied in Bhakti Vaibhava.
And then again it is to be studied in Bhakti Sarvabhauma. That was the scheme. But currently when Bhakti Vaibhava is held, it primarily focusses on the study of Bhagavatam only.
Can’t hear me? Hare Krishna. So, what we are doing is, we are studying Bhagavad Gita quite deeply. But we can’t go too much into the depth.
So, in this time when I am taking the Bhagavad Gita, I am focussing primarily on the verses and understanding the concepts taught in the verses as well as the flow of the Gita. So, I am not going too much into the Acharya’s commentaries. I am focussing only on those parts which help us to directly understand the verse and the related verse concepts.
So, let’s start with the 15th chapter now. When we spend more time on a verse, See, basically, yeah. Correct.
Correct. Correct. See, how it is.
Have all of you studied the 12 aims of Shastric study? At the start of your course? No. Anyway. They have designed 12 aims of Shastric study.
So, there is personal application, there is preaching application, there is theological application, there is faithfulness to parampara. Like that there are 12 different aims. So, what I focus on is, either the relevance of a particular verse to our tradition or our personal application or our preaching context.
So, wherever a verse or a theme is relevant in that way, that means we are at a junction basically. So, we are connected with our tradition. We want to understand our tradition better.
We want to link. We want to internalise the Christian consciousness better. And we want to be able to better equip to present it to others.
So, actually these are the three connections that any practitioner needs to have. Connection with the tradition. Connection with the world.
And a connection in the heart. So, that connection in the heart happens to application. Connection with the tradition happens with understanding the tradition.
And connection with the world happens by understanding what are the contemporary ethos. What are the way people are thinking right now. So, these are my three primary thrusts.
So, depending on whichever verse is relevant. For example, I spend a lot of time on So, 14th chapter was more on connecting with the world and connecting in words. 13th chapter, I felt it was mostly understanding how those verses are connected with our tradition and understanding of Chinta Veda.
So, that I felt didn’t need too much time. So, that’s why some places I spend more time. Yeah, it’s more or less, I don’t plan the classes to the T. But overall I have an idea of what I am going to speak.
And generally planning the classes completely takes off the spontaneity. Then we can’t have question answers and we can’t have discussions based on what is most relevant for the classes. So, let’s start with 15th chapter.
अश्वत्तं प्राहु रव्ययं अश्वत्तं प्राहु रव्ययं चन्दां सियस्य परणानी यस्तं वेदस वेदवेद यस्तं वेदस वेदवेद So, this is quite enigmatic words in the Gita. Enigmatic means puzzling. So, ऊर्गमूलम अधशाकम There is a tree whose roots are upwards, ऊर्गमूलम and शाकम are अधः, downwards.
Branches are downwards. And अश्वत्तं प्राहु रव्ययं. This is almost like imperishable tree.
And चन्दां सियस्य परणानी So, चन्द, चन्द refers to the Vedic hints. परणानी, the leaves of these are the Vedic hints. And यस्तम् वेद is the वेदवित.
One who knows this is the knower of the Vedas. So, one significant point in this verse is the imagery and the second is the usage. Imagery means the idea of an upside down tree.
We don’t see such a tree in nature. Now, Krishna doesn’t explicitly say in this verse that this world is a reflection of the spiritual world. And that’s why it’s upside down.
That’s implied over here. So, this verse is sometimes interpreted differently by different people. But essentially, the point is Krishna is talking about something which is upwards.
Upwards means reverse, which is not normal. So, that is the idea of an upside down tree. That is the imagery.
The imagery has several significant points. It is आव्यय. So, normally we know material existence is not आव्य.
It is not imperishable. But why does Krishna use the word आव्यय? Because although matter and material forms are not eternal, the material existence continues on. It may become manifest, it may become unmanifest.
When a person comes to a jail, the person doesn’t stay in that jail. It is temporary. But the jail itself continues to exist.
So, आव्यय. Krishna will later on talk about how you have to cut off. असंगशस्त्रेन दुरुधेन चित्वा.
So, we will talk about that. So, obviously, if you have to cut it off, then that doesn’t kill the tree. That cuts off our bondage.
So, आव्यय indicates that this world will forever continue to exist. Now, one time, Srila Prabhupada gave a very strong lecture about the illusion of sex pleasure. And then after that, somebody asked him, Swamiji, he said, if everybody gives up sex and becomes monk like you, then how will the world go on? So, Prabhupada replied, there will still be enough fools like you who will make it go on.
So, Prabhupada should be quite blunt at times. So, the point is that when Srila Prabhupada talks about the illusion of sex pleasure, he doesn’t expect that it never happens that people will give up sex pleasure entirely. The idea is that there is a difference between sexuality and sexualisation.
Sexuality is a part of all living beings. That is a natural, biological feature. And that is a biological mechanism.
Prabhupada writes in the 10th chapter of the 3rd Canto, the 10th section of the phases of creation, he says that human beings are more passionate than animals. Although we normally say animals are as ignorant as human beings may be a slightly higher. He says they are more passionate because the human sexual drive is not regulated.
Animals have their reproduction, copulation at specific times, specific seasons. But in humans, it is all the more unregulated. So, why is that? Because humans have a more developed consciousness by which they want more happiness.
We strive for more happiness and then when we strive for more happiness, we actually are meant to strive for that greater happiness at the spiritual level. But when we don’t know about the spiritual level, we try to get more happiness at the material level. And that’s why you see how many animals suffer from obesity because of overeating or they suffer from digestive order just because of improper eating.
They don’t. Because for them, although they also get pleasure eating, sleeping, waiting, defending, their behaviour is more or less controlled by the instincts that they have. It’s governed by the body which they have, practically speaking.
They have some free will, but not much. Human beings, we have the capacity to experience higher happiness, but instead we use that developed consciousness to try to get more gratification at the bodily level. So, what has happened in our modern culture is everything has become sexualised.
Sexualised means that the advertising, the culture, the dressing, the talking, you know, people make jokes and people when they speak, they have innuendos. Implied jokes, that sort of thing. So, everything has become sexualised in today’s culture.
So, sexuality is a natural part of biology. It has its part in psychology. It’s a part of nature.
But sexualisation means bringing sexual meaning and sexual thoughts into everything. Somebody has to advertise a CD. Now, there is no need to put the CD in the mouth of a female with lipstick and show it that way.
The CD is just an object for your transfer. But through this kind of advertisement, the CD becomes sexualised. So, the problem in modern culture, it’s not that Vedic culture is prudish in denying sexuality.
No, sexuality is a part of life. And that is very much there. So, a few people may become monks and try to go beyond the sexual urge completely.
For most people, there is Granth Ashram. But the point is actually in modern society, things go far beyond the indulgence in the sexual urge to the sexualisation of everything. So, as I said, people talk, walk, everything is filled with sexual overtones.
And that is counter-productive. So, Govind Shila Prabhupada speaks about this way. It’s pointing because Shila Prabhupada himself included Granth Ashram.
He was a Granth and he included Granth Ashram. So, it’s not that Vedic culture is against sex per se. It’s a part of human biology.
The only thing is there is over-infatuation with that in our culture. And that over-infatuation can go both ways. One way is that people just constantly think about it, think about it, think about it, think about it.
And the other extreme that is there in some conservative cultures is just don’t think about it, don’t talk about it. Just pretend as if that part of life doesn’t exist to you. Many times when people get introduced to ISKCON and they read Prabhupada’s books and they find so much about sex in Prabhupada’s books.
So, actually that is education. We shouldn’t get too obsessed about it. So, rather than completely sort of denying the whole part and pretending that that part doesn’t exist in life or making that part as the essence of life.
This is one part of life. So, modern culture has this sexualisation which has become obsession and that is undesirable. So, the jail will go on on its own.
It’s not that the prisoners have to worry if I leave the jail what will happen to the jail. That is stupidity. The prisoners should think how I can get out of the jail.
There are other people who will take care of the jail. So, now Krishna has used the word Ashvattha. Ashvattha, Prabhupada translates to the Banyan tree.
The word Ashvattha has multiple meanings in Sanskrit. Basically it refers to some tree of the big branch. So, now Ashvattha also means Ashva-tha.
Ashva is horse. Tha is to be situated. So, Chakravartipada explains that Ashvattha, a horse often stands on three legs.
He just raises one leg and stands on three legs. So, he says like that, actually this world is called Ashvattha and it’s upside down. Because this world is like the one leg which is up.
When a horse stands on three legs, the one leg that is suspended that leg is a little uncomfortable. So, like that this world is an uncomfortable place to be. So, it is Ekapada Vibhuti and the remaining Tripada Vibhuti is the spiritual world.
Just like the horse has four legs, three legs are on the ground, one leg is in the air. So, like that three parts of the existence are in the spiritual world. They are stable.
They are eternal. They are joyful. They are Vaikuntha.
Whereas this one part which is suspended, it is Kuntha. It is filled with anxiety. Krishna Prabhupada says that if somebody catches you, ties you up and puts you upside down, he suggests that you will be miserable.
His whole material existence is like being put upside down. So, this is the imagery. And then the second part is the usage.
See, Krishna gives a little paradoxical usage. He says that Chanda is Parana. The Vedic hymns are the leaves.
But then he says, one who knows the full tree is Vedavid. Not one who knows the Chanda. One who knows the leaves is Vedavid.
That means that just by knowing the Vedic rituals or the Vedic verses, one doesn’t become the knower of the Vedas. The Vedas are a broad body of knowledge that is not just restricted to the hymns or the rituals that are talked about in the hymns. It is a complete body of knowledge which gives us an understanding of the whole material world and the spiritual world.
So, Krishna will talk about, now he is talking about the word Vedavid. He will talk about what is the purpose of the Vedas. It is not just to recite the Vedic hymns.
In 15.15 he will tell, So, the purpose of the Vedas is to know him. That’s why the Vedic hymns are one part of this tree. That is the leaves.
But the knower of the Vedas is not just the knower of the leaves but the knower of the whole tree. That means the knower of the predicament of the conditioned soul and the knower of the way to come out of that predicament. So, Krishna is telling, Okay, somebody might think this is upside down tree is there.
But these things are not so simple. He says some branches also grow upwards and some roots also grow downwards. So, branches are moving in all directions.
Downwards and upwards. And then, means it flourishes by the effect of the moons. So, now what is he referring to by branches going upwards and downwards? This is the root.
The root is Satyaloka, Brahmaloka. From where this whole material creation expands. And just as when the creation grows, it grows from up to below.
In the sense that, modern science has the concept of evolution. First there was simple and from simplicity, complexity came. Whereas the Vedic concept is of devolution.
The first original was most complex. Brahmaji is the most intelligent among all living beings. And from there, other living beings emerged.
So, from that root, Brahmaji is the first created being in the universe and he created the rest of the universe and then other living beings appeared. Now, those living beings who are in this creation, they within the universe can go up or go down. Depending on their karma.
Like Krishna talked about in 14.18, Purvam Gacchini Sattvastu, Madhya Dikshiti Rajastha, Jaganya Guna Vrittistha, Adho Gacchini Tamasa. So, when he is saying about some branches go up, some branches go down, he is referring to the way living entities move up and down and the way they create their destiny. So, the branches of this tree refer to, now we are talking about the branches of the tree, when living entities act based on their actions, their trajectory within the universe changes.
They may go up or go down or stay wherever they are. So, that’s what he refers to. So, some paths within this universe, since there is somebody called Martyaloka, then if he follows the path of Kunya, then he will go to Swargaloka.
If he follows the path of Paap, he will go to Narakloka, lower planets. So, that’s what he means. So, within this creation, some branches go up, some branches go down.
And what causes the growth of these branches? Somebody cultivates goodness, the person will move up. Somebody cultivates ignorance, the person will go down. So, Pravalaha is referring to twigs.
So, actually when the branches, there is a main trunk, from the trunk branches come. Small, small branches are called as twigs. In the twigs, we have leaves and then we have flowers and we have fruits.
So, we say Pravalaha. We are saying that the twigs are the leaves. That means, in this tree, where is it growing ultimately? Every tree, for example, the normal trees grow towards the sunlight.
That’s where they want to get energy for photosynthesis. We are saying the tree of material existence basically grows towards the sense objects. The twigs are growing, the twigs are the sense objects.
That means, people in this world are seeking sense gratification. Shankaracharya and Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalambha Soto says, Samsara Vruksha Agha Beejam Ananta Karma Shakhaayutam Karanapatram Ananga Pushpam Arya Dukha Phalilampatitam Dayalo Lakshmi Narasimha Mamadehi Karavalambam So, he says, Samsara Vruksha This whole world is like a tree, a huge tree. Agha Beejam Ananta Karma Agha is like we have Aghasura.
Agha is sin. Sin is the beeja of this tree. That sin is what was talked about in 13.22. Purusha Prakriti Stori Bhumpe That is our enjoying mentality.
Samsara Vruksha Agha Beejam Ananta Karma Shakhaayutam The unlimited activities that a soul performs, they are the Shakha. By the activities, the Shakhas are created. The branches are created by the activities.
Shakhaayutam Samsara Vruksha Agha Beejam Ananta Karma Shakhaayutam Karanapatram Ananga Pushpam So, some small differences are there in the metaphor. Karanapatram. Karana is senses.
Senses are the leaves. Ananga Pushpam Ananga is Kamadei. The sense gratification basically.
Pushpam. So, when the tree grows, it gives flowers. The flowers are the sense objects of Cupid.
But then he says, I very enthusiastically climbed up the tree. Aaruya Dukkha Phalilam Patitam Dayalo Aaruya I climbed up this tree and what did I get? Dukkha Phalilam The fruit of this tree is Dukkha. And therefore, Patitam Dayalo I have become very fallen in chasing this tree.
Lakshmi Narsimha Mamadei Hikara Valammam Please rescue me from this material existence. So, this is a metaphor which also comes in. This metaphor is more elaborately developed in the second chapter of the tenth canto where the second chapter is The Devasthava The sthava isthuti That is, the Delhi gods offer prayers to Lord Krishna who is in Devaki’s womb.
So, that time, there are several verses which talk about this tree of material existence. And then Some roots also go downwards, he is saying. And then Karmanubandhini Manushyaloke So, in this Manushyaloka, people become bound by their karma.
And now Arjuna gets a question This sounds like a very complicated tree. He is saying some branches go up, down Can you explain this a little bit more to me? So, Krishna explained, this is not explainable. He says, it can’t be explained.
I discussed earlier, don’t figure it out, get out. That’s what Krishna will tell you here also. So, Upalabhyate means to be understood In this world, you cannot understand this form.
Why is it not understandable? Because it is so big. नान्तोनचादेविजिसंपतिष्ट Where is the beginning, where is the end, where is its foundation? Now where was this hugeness talked about earlier in the Gita? 11th chapter. नान्तम्नमद्यम्नपुनस्तवादिम् I don’t know where is your middle, where is your beginning, where is your end.
So, it’s more or less the same thing. This tree is also representing the universe. And the root, the root is also representing the universe.
So, both are huge. So, actually, the universe in and of itself is not infinite. It is finite.
But from our perspective, the universe appears infinite. For us with our tiny intelligence, to even understand how great the universe is and how it works, it’s impossible. Scientists may understand more and more about the mechanism by which the universe works.
But there is a limit to how much we can understand. Because the universe is not just a work of engineering. It is also a work of art.
What is the difference between a work of engineering and a work of art? See, work of engineering, basically you try to analyse it. This computer is there. What is it made up of? This component, this component, this component.
We break the device we studied into its component parts. And when we understand each of the component parts, then automatically we build up and understand this is how the function works. And once I have understood the machine, I have understood.
So basically, an engineering product may be doing some extraordinary functions. But if we break it down into its individual parts, all the parts are doing something which is familiar and ordinary. But when we combine together, they do something extraordinary.
On the other hand, in a work of art, actually we take something familiar and imbue it with some extraordinary meaning. When there is poetry, it’s not that the secret of poetry is not based on using some word which nobody has heard. Poets generally use familiar words.
But the way they use it and the meaning that they convey through it. Actually, there are people who say, study Shakespeare’s work, other poets’ works. Sometimes people find multiple layers of meaning within the poetry.
If you see it this way, it means this. If you go deeper and you find this means. That’s what actually happens now.
Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita are poetry. Of course, there is infinite meaning in this because this is the word of God. But science proceeds by demystifying things.
Things appear mysterious, but we demystify them. Try to understand how it works. So science demystifies the unfamiliar.
Whereas art mystifies the familiar. Okay, this word is familiar, but what does it mean over here? This looks so amazing. What does it mean? So what happens is science can understand the creation only up to a particular limit.
Because Krishna not only expresses his engineering expertise over here, Krishna also expresses artistic expertise over here. So that’s why the more scientists understand, what happens is they find there is much more still to understand. You go and understand a particular theory and this looks so good, but then in science they find that every answer raises many more questions.
And we find the answers to those questions and then it raises further more questions. So that’s because you cannot get to the bottom of it all. Because the universe is not just a work of engineering.
It’s not that you just break it into your parts and then you understand it. And once you understand it, it’s finished. It’s also a work of art.
And a work of art has almost endless layers of meaning. And the deeper we go into it, the deeper we can understand it. So Einstein’s life also illustrates.
Einstein, one of the things he said is that the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible. What does that mean? The most incomprehensible thing about this world is that it is comprehensive. So why he said that? Because if the universe has just come about by a big bang, there is no need for the universe and its components to obey precise mathematical laws.
If all the particles just exploded from some singularity, then why should all the particles in the universe obey f is equal to g m1 m2 upon r squared? So why should it behave in predictable ways? And why should those predictable ways be comprehensible? So the most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensive. So why is the universe comprehensible? Because it reflects the intelligence of God. And we have been given a fraction of the intelligence of God.
And that’s why we can understand. But later on, in the 1940s and 50s, roughly, toward the final stage of his life, when Einstein found that the quantum theory was correct, and then he said that the quantum theory was radically in opposition to his relativity theory. So he said, nothing in the universe seems to be comprehensible.
It’s as if the ground has been pulled from under one’s feet, and there is no place where one can stand. So what happened is, okay, by his scientific rational approach to understand certain things, because the universe has multiple levels of meaning, at one particular time, he stopped understanding. If you don’t understand all this, don’t bother about it.
What I’m saying over here is, no, achintya, when we say, it’s not just a magic wand we blow to say that things are not explainable because we can’t explain them. No, inexplicability is built into the fabric of the universe. It’s not just because we can’t explain things, so we use the concept of achintya.
No, because it expresses the infinite intelligence, in terms of artistry and engineering of the Supreme Lord. That’s why inexplicability is built into the fabric of the universe. So Krishna said, don’t try to understand it.
It is very deeply rooted. So asanga, what is the significance of this word? The bondage has happened because of sanga. And liberation will happen by asanga.
So, karanam guna sangosya was 13.22. So, asanga shastrena dhrudhena chitva. By asanga, cut it apart. Dhrudhena chitva, determination is required.
So, virudham ullam, our material desires are deep rooted. That’s why we require consistent, persistent effort to break them. And then Krishna makes a very significant point here.
It’s not just enough to become, to break free from material existence. After that we have to do something. Taha padam tat parimaar gitauvyam We recited this.
I am just explaining. When you go there, after you attain that liberated stage, then, yasmin gata ranivartanti bhuya. That place is where we will not come back from.
But what do you do over there? Tam eva chadyam purusham prapadyam There you surrender the supreme person from whom Gita pravrtti prasitapurani, from whom the creation has manifested. So, this actually is a verse that refutes Mayavada. Because Mayavadis have the idea that just for the sake of liberation, we can conceive a person, meditate on the person and then ultimately merge into the impersonal Brahman beyond that person.
But Krishna is telling, my asanga become liberated, attain this liberated platform and then in that liberated platform, surrender to supreme person. So, tam eva chadyam purusham prapadyam Now Krishna sometimes refers to himself in the third person and sometimes he refers to himself in the first person. So now who is that supreme person that he has to surrender to? It’s him only.
So, I will explain why he does that in 15.16 and 17, 17 and 18. But let’s take it to that. He is referring to himself in the third person over there.
Purusham prapadyam, surrender to him. Now he will describe after that. Okay, if I have to surrender, how do I surrender? So, for cutting off this material existence, actually asanga shastra is there.
But for surrender, what is the process? That is described in the next verse. nirmāṇamohā jīta-saṅgla-doṣā ādhyātma-nityā-vinivṛtta-kāmaḥ vandvair vimukta-sukha-duḥkha-saṅge bhajanty amūḍhā padamau vayantā So, nirmāṇamohā. So, moha is illusion.
Māna, māna is the pride or arrogance. nirmāṇamohā jīta-saṅgla-doṣā So, give up that pride. That pride arises from jīta-saṅgla-doṣā.
Light arises from material association. Give up that association. ādhyātma-nityā-vinivṛtta-kāmaḥ We are always spiritually situated by which one can become free from lust.
So, this nivṛtta refers to retirement. Vinivṛtta refers to permanent retirement. So, actually, we have to become permanently retired from material desire, especially from lust.
Vinivṛtta-kāmaḥ Prabhupāda says in a lecture that the bond, the service to lust is like a slavery. Normally, when a person is doing some service, that person is offered some remuneration for that. And after a lifetime of service, that person is honourably retired.
But, when a person is a slave, if a person is a slave, there is no retirement in slavery. Till the last drop of energy is there in a person’s life, the slave master will extract work from the slave. Similarly, lust makes us labour till the last moment of our life and into our next life also.
That’s why, actually, lust will never give us retirement from it. But, we have to be done with lust. That’s why Prabhupāda translates this Vinivṛtta as Be done with lust.
One who is… Those who are done with material lust. Sometimes, when two people have very strong disagreements and they decide that No, we are never going to have any… I am done with you. I am done with this.
I am done with you. We are finished. Nothing more.
Vinivṛtta-kāmaḥ dvandvair mukta-sukha-duḥkha-saṅge One becomes equal points of mis-equality and then Amūḍhā Krishna will use the word mudhā later in 15.10 One who surrenders in this way to Krishna is Amūḍhā Then bewildered. So, after describing this now, Krishna will describe what happens in that spiritual world. nirmāṇi mahājika-saṅge The overview of the chapter So, Krishna will talk about attaining liberation by detachment.
He will describe the upside down manner that’s verse 1 to 6. Then, if one doesn’t attain liberation, what happens to the soul? I will describe in the next section, 7 to 11. Otherwise, one suffers in the bondage and liberation and transmigration. Then, when we are trapped like this in material existence, Krishna helps to liberate us.
How he helps? Materially and spiritually. I will describe in 12 to 15. Then, how he helps spiritually and what is the essential message of the Vedic scriptures through which he helps.
That is 16 to 18. That is the essence of Vedanta. And lastly is that we need to know Krishna by which we will attain liberation.
To know Krishna means to know everything. We almost completed the first section. Let’s start the second section now.
I will note the song. So, this verse talks about how a person is will attain. What will the person attain after liberation? When we surrender to the Supreme Lord, we will attain that supreme abode.
So, this verse, the Acharya described that it also has some metaphorical meaning in it. So, Krishna says that this place is not illuminated by the sun. So, actually sun enables us to see.
Sun facilitates the capacity of sight. So, no sun refers to that place is not visible to the eye. The moon is in charge of the mind.
Moon is the personality of the mind. So, no moon means not conceivable by the mind. And fire is generally connected with the speech.
He gave a fiery speech. So, it refers to not describable by the tongue, by speech. So, actually it is also in a sense true that in the spiritual world there is no dependence on the sun, moon or fire.
The sun, moon and fire are there in the spiritual world. So, Krishna’s usage of words is very specific. He says he is not saying that these are not there.
He says these places are not illuminated by the sun, moon and fire. That means they are self-luminous. They alone depend on the sun, moon and fire for illumination.
And Krishna will contrast this later in 50.12 with the nature of this world where this world is illuminated by sun, moon and fire. So, we know when the Rashtralaya is performed, the Rashtralaya is performed at the time of Shatpurnima. That time the full moon is there.
So, naturally these are there. Sun, moon and fire but there is no dependence on them. And we discussed earlier about how Shila Prabhupada includes electricity over here.
Why he includes electricity? Because he wants to you know the word Vidyuta over here in the translation. But, remember why he includes it? Yes. Yeah, fully you will understand the point.
Every other possibility means okay, so electricity is inclusive for all the sources of light. Yes. See, both the answers are correct.
Why include electricity? Translation has to be a balance between precision and relevance. So, precision means give exactly the words as they are given in the original book, precise. Precise means accurate, correct.
So, the translation not only has to be precise, it has to be relevant to people. So, if the relevance is not there, then people will not be able to see, okay, okay, that’s what some old book said, how does it matter to me now? Isn’t it? Translation has to be precise and relevant. Prabhupada writes in the Prahlad Maharaj phrase that one verse जिवो वैक्तो अचुत्मिकर्षिति मा वित्रुप्ता that the tongue is pulling me towards this and the ears are pulling me towards that.
And there Prabhupada says that the ears are always attracted to hearing cinema songs. And Prabhupada says this in the translation, not even in the paraphrase. So, now somebody in a sceptic way says that at Prahlad Maharaj time there was no cinema songs.
So, what is Shila Prabhupada doing over here? Shila Prabhupada is giving us the relevant translation. The point is that all the senses are attracted to their corresponding sense objects. And when Shila Prabhupada translated at that time cinema songs were becoming very popular in India and the west also.
So, now maybe if you have to give that translation, say that the ears are attracted to what? iPod music or whatever. You know. The slight difference might be there.
So, when Shila Prabhupada includes electricity, his point is communicating effectively to us the point that that spiritual world does not require anything for illumination. So, we people, most people don’t even think of sun, moon and light. Sun, moon and fire as sources of illumination.
They mostly think of their tube light or something as a source of illumination. Isn’t it? So, people are so disconnected from nature. Many people are there in America who children when survey was done in school.
So, the children were asked where does the milk come from? They said from the supermarket. They had no idea milk comes from a cow actually. So, like that people just are not aware of the roots.
So, even materially the roots of what to speak of spiritually. You know, sun on the switch, light comes along. But where does the electricity come from? Electricity ultimate, all light sources ultimately are recycled electricity.
Recycled sunlight. So, Prabhupada is making the translation relevant to us. Import of this verse is that self illumination abode, if you attain it then you will never come back.
So, and now he is connecting what was in third person in the previous verse in the first person in this verse. There you surrender to that supreme person. That abode is my abode only.
So, he brings in for the first time in this chapter he is bringing in he is introducing himself over here. Now, seventh verse on what he talks about if you don’t practise devotion service and surrender if there is no asanga there is no detachment then what happens? So, Karshati. So, Karshati.
So, actually there is Akarshan and there is Karshati. So, Krishna is sarva akarshati di krishni. Krishna actually attracts everyone but when we are not attracted to him then there is this friction grinding.
So, Karshati conveys a struggle. Struggle in material existence. So, if you see Krishna is using very precise words purushaha prakriti sthohi and now prakriti sthani karshati.
So, if one has asanga then yajna gatvananivartante but if one continues with sanga then lets say purushaha prakriti sthohi prakriti sthani karshati he will struggle. Why will he struggle? Because of the mind and senses. The mind and senses keep dragging us.
I want this. I want that. Get that.
Actually the mind and senses don’t just drag us from one sense object to another. They drag the soul from one body to another. One universe to another.
And then the material existence continues on. Now, because the mind is the most formidable of all the senses and the mind in a sense controls all the senses so Krishna mentions the mind separately and he doesn’t refer to five senses he refers to six senses with the mind as the chief among the senses. And actually this verse has two distinct parts and connection between the two parts is interesting.
One part is what Sri Prabhupada would often quote mamai vamsho jeevalo that the soul is my part. And this is also again a refutation of Mayavada because the word is there. Sanatana He is eternally my part.
He is my eternal fragment. So, first verse is saying that soul is my part. Second part is saying that the soul suffers in material existence due to the mind and senses.
What is the connection between them? The connection is that if the soul doesn’t act as Krishna’s part then the soul becomes controlled by maya, by the mind and senses and suffers. Either we accept Krishna as almighty if we don’t accept Krishna as almighty if we don’t serve almighty Krishna then our mind and senses become almighty. Serving Krishna is joyful but serving the mind and senses is painful.
So, manah shashtan indriyani kar shati So, the first part is telling the original joyful position of the soul and the second part is telling the artificial painful present position of the soul. That is the connection between the two parts. Can you read it right in the middle? When the mind is in the mode of goodness.
Would somebody like to read that loudly? So, basically this is a paraphrase of Urdhvamulamadarshak. Now, Urdhvam gacchinsatvastha The activities are good. One goes up.
And before that Prabhupada writes that the conditioned soul is bound up as though shackled by iron chains. So, what are these chains that are binding us? They are the modes. The desires are induced by the modes.
In the 16th chapter Krishna will talk about Asha, Pashti, Baddhaha The soul is bound by hundreds and thousands of desires. So, shackled by iron chains. And he is bound up by the false ego.
Purusha prakriti sthohi So, actually there are many specific desires that emerge. But the primary bondage between matter and spirit is due to the false ego. And once the false ego is there after you become bound there are so many schemes that come up.
Ok, I can enjoy this. I can eat this. I can read this.
I can touch this. I can see this. So, where do all these ideas come from? That is the mind.
The mind is the chief agent which is driving him in material existence. The mind is the chief agent. So, manah chishtani indriyani prakriti sthani karshati The mind is the special troublemaker.
And Prabhupada emphasises Mayavada in the second paragraph by telling about how this is not a part which is temporarily partitioned. Because sanatana means it is always a part. Any questions about this till now? shariram yadava apnoti grahitvaitanisanyati grahitvaitanisanyati vayuragandhanivasaya vayuragandhanivasaya shariram yadava apnoti One attains the body and yachchapi utkaramati utkaramati means gives up.
So, the word Ishwara, Acharya has explained differently. The Ishwara can be used in a sarcastic sense. What kind of Ishwara is this? You just get some body which he doesn’t know and then when he doesn’t know he has to suddenly leave the body.
So what is the meaning of such a soul being an Ishwara? Which is none of us choose the body that we get. All of us would have wanted a stronger, healthier, more good looking body and then none of us choose when we will leave the body. Suddenly we are told.
So what kind of Ishwara is it? He accepts and gives up. So this is the example of Vayurgandha. The other meaning of the Ishwara is that this soul, although he is in material existence and although he is going through the cycle of transmigration but the soul can determine the direction.
In that sense is Ishwara. I cannot change the body that I have got right now but by acting properly I can change my post-mortem destination. So in that sense I am Ishwara.
I can actually determine where I will go. So we are not Ishwara in terms of supreme controllers. We are minute Ishwaras.
So the word Ishwara can either be in sarcastic sense or it can be in the sense that we do have some control in terms of where we will go in our life. So what does the soul carry from one body to another? It is the conception of life. What do we attain from the next life? Whatever bhava we have acquired, according to that we will attain a physical nature in the next life.
So the soul essentially carries the conception that is acquired. So the soul is living in a human body but by repeated eating of meat has acquired the conception that meat is very enjoyable. Then nature will tell, that is your conception of life.
Then better that you have a body that is more compatible with that conception. And that is how the soul will get a lion’s body or a tiger’s body or some other carnivore’s body. So we carry our conception of life.
And in the Prachini Parishad section, when Nalguni is instructing the Prachini Parishad, there is a story of Purrava. What is the name of the king? Puranjana. Story of Purranjana in the fourth canto, chapter 25, 26, 27, 28.
So there, the main message of that Purranjana metaphorical story, Prabhupada writes is that the soul has to change his certain role. Not change in terms of replace but change in terms of purify. So liberation is not about changing the physical world.
That is something which will change at the time of death. But that will not lead to liberation. It is only when we change our certain world.
That is why it is Krishna consciousness. When we change our consciousness, then we become liberated. So we have different conceptions and whatever conception we acquire in this life, we will carry it to the next life.
So bhakti means we change our conception from being the enjoyer to being the servant. And without that change, we go on a cycle of birth and death. So we will continue in the next class.
Krishna will talk about this. How the mind is the centre and the mind causes where the centre will go in the bondage. Thank you very much.