विवेचन सारांश

Keep ME in your thoughts throughout your life to avoid rebirth

The Ultimate Power is described by various adjectives:

kavi: The one who has immense knowledge of the scriptures.

purāṇa: HE is so ancient, it is impossible to even comprehend it. He has come before the existence of the Universe.

manuśāsitāraṃ: HE is the master of the entire Universe. 

aṇoraṇīyaṃ: His size is incomprehensibly small, smaller than an atom. Its power is to hold everything (in this brahma tattva). And yet, it cannot be thought upon or meditated upon. Likewise, we cannot estimate His vastness.

Jnaneshwar Maharaj has said that the sparks of fire cannot understand the larger fire. Likewise, our minds are incapable of understanding HIS vastness. Our scriptures explain HIS vastness and other concepts in helpful ways. For example, the sun and the sky are used as metaphors of  to help us understand the larger concept. The limitation to our understanding is because of our limited intellect. So we must study the scriptures to enhance the size of our intellect.  A frog in a well can only see the well and does not have the capacity to look beyond. Comparing ourselves to frogs in the well helps us grasp the vastness of the problem.

The ideal process of remembering the Almighty at the time of the death is explained here. The mind should be unshaken. It should be full of devotion towards Bhagavān and with the strength of Yoga (Prāṇayama in particular, which controls our Prāṇa shakti).  We bring our Prāṇa shakti between our eyebrows, and meditate on Brahma Tattva. 

Bhagavān says that the scholars of the Vedas know HIM as the imperishable that does not have a definite form. HE does not change with time. Those who practice sincere self-control become free from all worldly attachments, and enter into the imperishable. Those desiring this must practice bramacharya - being constantly connected to Brahma Tattva.

HE reveals the goal and the process of attaining it, in the coming shlokas.

Our physical body has nine gates (organs). Closing all the gates, one should concentrate so that the mind which is normally confined to the ajna chakra moves to the sahasra chakra in the head. All this is done by the practice of dhyana.

The one-syllabled Brahma Tattva, Om, is explained fully in the Mandukya Upanishad.

Bhagavān says “I am remembering you and you should remember ME too”.

Sri Krishna explains how one can attain HIM. There is a dhyana state on the verge of death. As you chant Om, you will accelerate to that merger. It may sometime be difficult to say “Om”, but one can remember others for who they have an affection towards. This is just fine, because all mantras ultimately merge into Om.

This shloka is specifically for those who are unable to do yoga.

At the end time, how is one expected to do this? After all, death may happen at any time. A person may be in an accident, or may be drowning or may be in a coma.

What then?

Bhagavān reassures Arjuna that as long as they have thought of HIM all their lives, they ae not required to remember HIM at that last moment. HE will enter the dying person's subconscious mind and awaken it. 

Lesson: Every Sadhak should spend time every day thinking exclusively of Bhagavān. You must remember HIM (referred to sometimes as Smaran bhakti) at happy times and sad times, like Bhakta Prahalad.

What is the benefit of uniting with HIM? The person does not have to come back to the mortal world.

Sri Krishna says that the world is a place where one gets sorrow (duhkha). HE says, you will get freedom from this state when you attain Me.

Nothing is permanent in this world, especially happiness. These moments are transient. Rivers flow in one direction and they do not think about what happened in their path earlier. Their entire goal is to unite with the ocean. Likewise, our entire goal in this lifetime should be to merge with the Absolute.

A person who follows the guidelines mentioned before reaches the highest state. Sri Krishna reassures us: Do not be in the belief that this is only for a few people. All you need to do is think of ME as often as possible.

Everything is destined to experience rebirth. From Brahmā’s abode to everything else in the Universe, all entities are subject to generation, dissolution and rebirth. There is only one place where this is not going to happen – and that is when we attain Paramātmā. 

In the state of sleep, many things happen in our dreams and nightmares, sometimes frightening us. But when we wake up, those dreams do not affect us. Similarly, when we attain Bhagavān, “normal” things will have no meaning as there is no rebirth. For those who cant attain the Paramātmā, rebirth in this world is ensured, again and again. We have only one lifetime’s memory. However, there have been countless lives before, of which we are not aware of. Birth and death is a cycle that every living thing has to endure until the final unison with the Paramātmā. 

Thus ended this beautiful vivechan, covering many subtle concepts,. It was followed by a Question-and-Answer session.

Questions and Answers session:

Aryan ji 

Q: We come to this earth and experience lots of pleasure. So why is it misery?
A: Whether we play, eat a chocolate and anything else - this pleasure lasts for only a short while. It is replaced by sorrow. The actual state of bliss is permanent. And that is why we must merge with Sri Krishna. Earthly pleasures are transient and short lived.

Poonam ji
Q: How can we concentrate between our eyebrows. And if we are the favourite of Sri Krishna, why did he send us to this world?
A: We are here because of our past karmas. We do the best we can for our children. Subsequently we cannot manage their lives and much depends on their choices.
We are part of his creation.  The issue of concentrating of the Prāṇa shakti  and moving it from one place to another is a complicated matter. 

Manjula ji
Q: Elaborate on the concept of sushupti. 
A: This is a state of being neither awake or asleep.  It is dreamless sleep.

Nirmala ji
Q: Why has God created us?
A: Many reasons have been cited. They can be found in the Brahmasutras. Swamiji says it is part of Leela. It is a part of Sri Krishna's Swabhava. It is our responsibility to understand that we are part of His Leela.  He has asked us to live with this world that HE has created.