Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 9 - Synopsis

From Swami Parthasarathy's unique book - The Complete Works of Swami Parthasarathy which is a collection of his talks on spirituality, including the Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 9 - The Yoga of Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret

Synopsis

1) Self pervades the world Verses 1-10

Krishna offers to impart the knowledge of Reality that pervades the world. How to achieve this supreme knowledge and free yourself from all agitations and sorrow. 

People lack this knowledge. Being unknown to all mankind, He refers to it as a supreme secret.

Those who fail to pursue this knowledge remain bound to the world of mortality. Krishna appeals to seekers to free themselves from this manifest world and reach the unmanifest Reality-to discover the Divinity that supports the pluralistic phenomenon.

All living beings and inert things arise from the supreme Reality. They exist in the Reality. They ultimately merge into the Reality.

The periods of manifestation of the world and its dissolution run into billions of years. The supreme Reality acts as the disinterested Self witnessing the entire creation and dissolution.

2. The Deluded disregard Self, the Wise glorify and seek Self - Verses 11-19

People remain ignorant of the Self within. They do not recognise the supreme Architect of the cosmic phenomenon. Deluded of the Self, they sink into the quagmire of perceptions, emotions and thoughts. These deluded people live a purposeless life of vain hopes and aspirations in the world.

The wise perceive the Self as the source of this world. They glorify and pursue the Self. Firm in their vows, deep in their devotion, they strive all their lives until they realise the Self.

Krishna descries the Self's manifestation in the world as the one Divinity pervading the infinite range of beings and things everywhere.

3. One attains what one strives for - Verses 20-28

This topic describes the variety of human pursuits and ho each gains its particular objective in life. These pursuits fall under three distinct types of activities in the world.

The persons belonging to the first type act with self-centered interests in this world. They go about their activities merely fulfilling their ego and egocentric desires. Consequently, they suffer from mental agitations and sorrow (papa). 

Others in the second category work unselfishly for higher and nobler goals in life. They serve and sacrifice for their chosen ideal. They gain the joys of heaven (punya).

The third variety seek spiritual Enlightenment. They strive for liberation through their devout offerings to the supreme Being. They oblate all their actions, feelings and thoughts to the altar of Self-realization. Such seekers become liberated from their mundane existence and gain the ultimate bliss of Realisation.


4. Dedicated effort leads seekers, even the unrighteous, to Self-realisation Verses 29-34

A seeker's direction in the spiritual path matters more than his spiritual status. A righteous person may move towards wordly attractions and devolve spiritually. Whereas, an unrighteous person may take to the spiritual path and evolve.

Therefore, in your spiritual life what really matters is not where you are but hat direction you choose to take. The path of evolution or devolution. 

The topic concludes  with a tone of encouragement even to the unrighteous that anyone can attain Enlightenment through devotion and dedicated effort towards the supreme Self.

CHAPTER 6 - BHAGAVAD GITA

VERSE 1, CHAPTER 6

He who does his bounden duty without depending on the fruit of action, he is a sannyasi (ascetic) and a yogi; not the one without fire and not the one without action

Anasritah karmaphalam karyam karma karoti yah
sa sannyasi ca yogi ca na niragnirna cakriyah


Today most people have a distorted concept of a yogi and a sannyasi. Most people believe that yogis and sannyasis are merely those who don ochre robes, remain generally inactive and secluded from society and put on unusual demonstrations in the name of religion.

This verse revolutionizes such misconceptions.

A yogi/sannyasi is not without action (na akriya). Nor is he one without fire (niragni), meaning without an ideal, a goal a common cause to work for.

Instead a yogi/sannyasi dedicates himself to a higher ideal in life and performs his obligatory duties for achieving that goal without either the least anxiety to gain it or dependence on the success of his achievement.

Both yogis and sannyasis merely do what they ought to do in life. They act on obligations, duties and responsibilities directed towards the ideal set of their intellect. They do not operate on mere likes and dislikes of the mind.

The only difference between a yogi and a sannyasi lies in their ideals. The yogi begins his spiritual journey with a limited ideal dedicated to the welfare of the society. As he advances spiritually and becomes a sannyasi, he replaces this with the absolute ideal of realising the supreme SELF within. 

Inspired by their ideals both yogi and sannyasi act tirelessly, completely devoid of attachment of the fruits of their pursuits.

VERSE 2, CHAPTER 6

O Pandava, know yoga to be that which they call as sannyasa; none indeed becomes a yogi without renouncing sankalpa (thoughts).

Yam sannyasamiti prahuryogam tam viddhi Pandava
na hyasannyastasankalpo yogi bhavati kascana

Krishna tells Arjuna that yoga (Path of Action) and Sannyasa (Path of Rennunciation) are the same path.

Yoga and Sannyasa both belong to the spiritual path leading to the ultimate goal of self-realiation. Their direction is diametrically opposed to the common trend of human pursuits towards materialism and sensualism.

Yoga forms the earlier part of the spiritual path while sannyasa refers to the latter part, which culminates in the knowledge of Self.

A seeker turns away from the material and sensual world towards the spiritual goal of Self-realization.

In the very beginning of his spiritual journey the initiate still possesses many vasanas/desires. He therefore needs to follow the Path of Action (yoga) to exhaust his vasanas through actions.

As he progresses on the spiritual path, he will have freed himself from most of his vasanas and thus turned introvert. He will find himself less prone to activity and more to spiritual study, contemplation and meditation. He will then become a sannyasi (recluse). Continuing the same path, the sannyasi reaches the abode of the supreme Reality.

The verse pronounces the fundamental requirements for a yogi to start on his spiritual pilgrimage. None can follow the spiritual path without giving up his sankalpa (obsession) for the material and sensual world. The human mind continuously erupts with a lava of desires. It is constantly desiring, wishing, planning, scheming to acquire and enjoy more and more of the world. This desire lava is called sankalpa. A yogi forsakes sankalpa and reaches the higher realms of spiritual perfection.