विवेचन सारांश

Bhagavān tells us the secret as to how one can become HIS Best Friend

In the Shlokas, we discussed in previous session, Bhagavān Śrī Krishna had given us a list of ways through which one could reach him and become his favorite devotee like Practice, Knowledge, Meditation and forsake expectations from our actions. In this Shloka Bhagavān says that Knowledge triumphs Practice and Dhyana or Concentration triumphs Knowledge. However, what triumphs all is the ability to not expect anything from our actions.

When we learn something new, we sometimes memorize it by repeating it over and over again, that is by practicing. However, memorizing will not give us the knowledge within what we are memorizing. When we get the knowledge of what we learnt by practice, then we are said to have acquired the Gyana or Knowledge. So, while Practice is good, but gaining the true knowledge behind what we practice is better. Now what is better than Gyana? It is Dhyana or Meditation. Deeply focusing and concentrating on the knowledge helps us to remember it. Like deeply meditating on Bhagavān helps us come closure to HIM.

But, giving up the fruits of our Karma or Action is above all other. Let us try to understand what giving up the fruits of our karma mean through an example. We study hard for our exams. We expect to get good marks in the exam because we work so hard to study well. Bhagavān says that we should not worry too much about the outcome of our efforts, that is the marks we get in the exam. Our job is to set a target, study well towards it and give the exam to the best of our ability. We should not worry too much about what marks we will get after that.

We had spoken that there are 39 such good qualities which a person should have and to become a true devotee. We may consider them as 39 papers which we will keep opening in the upcoming Shlokas. We can self-grade ourselves honestly on a scale of 1 to 10. At the end of the session, we can add our marks to get our total goodness score.

From this Shloka onwards, Bhagavān starts calling out the 39 qualities.

The first quality HE talks about is Dwesh. Dwesh is grudges or spiteful thoughts. Bhagavān tells us to be adveṣhṭā or free of malice. HE says we should not have Dwesh in our minds and never think ill or harbour any hatred under any circumstance against others.  For example, if one of our friends come first in class and we miss the rank, we should feel happy for him and appreciate him rather than be spiteful on his success.  

The second quality Bhagavān talks about is Maitri which means Friendship. In school don’t we often form groups with our best friends and then sometimes we get into fights with other groups, or even stop talking to some groups. Bhagavān advises us to not do such a thing as groupism but remain friends with everyone and be cordial to all people. Those who study Bhagavadgītā like our young Sadhaks of course will be very strong on this trait and likely to be on Bhagavān’s favorite list.

Bhagavān tells us the third quality we all must try to develop is Karuna which means Compassion or Kindness towards all living beings. We should never irritate those who are younger to us by maybe pulling their hair or snatching their bags, which we may do sometimes. Bhagavān also tells us that we should not hurt any animals like killing mosquitos and other insects that irritate us. Rather we should keep our environment clean so that such insects don’t come near us. Bhagavān says even such insects are living beings and hence entitled to our kindness.

The fourth quality we all should imbibe is Nirmama that is to conduct ourselves with Humility at all times. We should not be proud of our capabilities or what we have and should be always Humble. We should shun the habit of saying 'This is mine’ or ‘I have it’! We should realize, all that we have been bestowed upon us by Bhagavān; we are just the recipients of those from Parameshvara. We should accept them with grace and be thankful of the bounty we receive, rather show pride in what we have.

As Bhagavān said earlier, we should be caring, and we should be sharing also. We should never be selfish and share what we have with others, be it our brothers and sisters or our classmates in school.

Bhagavān tells us the fifth quality is nirahankāraḥ or absence of pride and ego. Pride is a bad quality, and we should never ever show it to anyone. We should be Ahankar-rahit which is devoid of pride. So, if we come first in class or win a competition, we should definitely feel happy, but we should not show any pride for our achievement to others. 

The sixth important quality to become Bhagavān’s favorite is sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ. This quality gives us the capability of equanimity or the ability to not become very happy or too sad under any circumstance. It is to remain calm and composed, whatever be the situation. If we do very well in a competition, we can be happy but not become wildly happy. Also, if we don’t do so well, we should not become very sad and discouraged. We should accept the outcome and move on. This quality is not easy to imbibe and comes with practice.

The seventh and a very important quality is Kṣhamī – or the ability to forgive. If our friends or siblings make a mistake, we should have the ability to forgive them, even if they don’t say sorry. Not only should we always forgive but we should also forget the mistake of others. ‘Forgive and Forget’ should be our motto.

We now look at the eighth quality of a true devotee. That quality is Santuṣhṭaḥa. Being Santusta means to be ALWAYS satisfied with whatever Bhagavān has given us. Like at the start of every school year we should not ask our parent for new school bags and shoes and so forth. If they are not torn or broken and in good working condition, why
should we ask for new ones? We should always try to be happy with what we have and ask only for that for which we truly have a need. We
should not be like Nobita who starts crying and runs to Doraemon whenever he sees some gadget which he does not have.

Of course, the children who are attending the Vivechan session learn Bhagavadgītā and hence likely to have this quality in them.

Bhagavān then explains the ninth quality which is yatātmā or self-control. It often happens when we want to watch a particular program on TV, and our sister or brother wants to watch another. This may lead to a fight over which channel to watch and we end up throwing the remote breaking it into pieces. Then there is when we should be studying but we don’t do that and go and play or watch TV.

We should never ever lose control on ourselves and behave in an unworthy manner. Studying the Gītā and practice will help us gain this quality

The tenth quality is dṛiḍha-niśhchayaḥ which means Determination and Resolution. When we decide to do something or achieve something, we should work toward with firm resolution. Many a time, we plan to do something like learn Yoga for being healthy. While for the first few days, we do it very diligently but slowly we become careless and maybe eventually totally stop doing it. As per Bhagavān, his favorite devotee cannot be like this. Bhagavān’s favorite devotee is one who once decides to do something, will do it with full determination and best of his ability.

There is quote that goes ‘zameen tallath zamaa tallath magar banda nahi tallath’ which means the ground may shake, the crowds may move but a determined persons like our young and brilliant Sadhaks will remain determined and resolute in their action and goals.

A famous Saint once said that we mustTwo-Marro (to give two tight slap) to those who procrastinate and leave everything to do tomorrow. We should be always resolute in achieving our goals.

Bhagavān says, mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ. In this Charan or line, HE explains the eleventh and twelfth quality that all of us should strive to have.  It is complete dedication from the mind and from the intellect towards Ishwar, the Supreme Being.  Thoughts about HIM should always be dwelling in our heart and in our mind with complete dedication. In addition to improving our concentration, this will help us to get closer to Bhagavān and become his favorite disciple.  

We need to note the thirteenth quality carefully and imbibe it in our lives. Bhagavān says yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate cha yaḥ wherein HE declares a true devotee will never agitate any being nor would be agitate by anyone. Sometimes, some naughty students in class may ridicule us by calling names or saying we look funny. We should not get agitated by that and start a fight but should remain calm and ignore such provocations. Once we do that, the person who is irritating us will also lose interest since he will not get the desired relation from us.

The fourteenth quality is Harshrahit. While this word may mean devoid of happiness, it doesn’t mean that one can’t be happy or rejoice for a happy event. What it means is a true devotee will not get over excited but will remain calm and be happy in moderation.

Next comes the fifteenth quality which is being amarṣhrahit or someone who has control over jealousy and is unenvious of others.

The sixteenth quality is Bhayrahit or the absence of fear, being unafraid. Being Bhayrahit doesn’t of course mean to go and stand in front of the tiger to prove you are fearless. It is to not be afraid of those things that can’t harm us. Some of us are very afraid of cockroaches or lizards. They are such small animals and doesn’t even bite. So why should we be afraid of them?

There is a beautiful Bhajan that goes, Hamare Saath Śrī Raghunath Too Kis Baat Ki Chinta. We are all Gītā Sadhaks and thus Bhagavān is watching over us. So, we never need to be afraid.

Udwaigrahit or free from any kind of anxiety and aggression are the seventeenth and eighteenth quality. When one possesses these qualities, one will not be perturbed by anything and will not turn aggressive in their behavior. If we are Udwaigrahit, ‘How dare you’ will not be a sentence in our communication.

The nineteenth quality of a true devotee is anapekṣhaḥ or having moderate expectation from others as well as from one’s actions.  As we discussed earlier, such a person while will set goals for himself, will not hanker for unrealistic outcomes from their actions and performance. His expectations from others will also be in moderation. By doing so he will be able to control his elation as well as his disappointment and will be able to remain peaceful.

We should maintain proper hygiene of our body and ensure we maintain good cleanliness habits like washing our hands properly before meals, taking regular bath and so forth. We should also keep our things organized and in order instead of throwing our school bag in one direction, the tie in another and the socks in yet another when we come back from school! Just imagine how difficult it becomes to find them all next morning when you are in a hurry to get dressed and go to school. We must also ensure that we keep our environment clean by not throwing garbage on the street and not littering our homes.

Bhagavān emphasizes that we should maintain cleanliness within our inner self as well as our bodies. And this is the twentieth quality of the true Bhakta which is called śhuchiḥ. When we say cleanliness of our inner self, it means that we should not be thinking or wishing ill or backbiting others. That is a sin. The thoughts in our mind should always be pure, positive and good by always meditating on Ishwar and not thinking poorly of others. Negative and malicious thoughts in mind impact our actions also and we don’t want to become villains either in thought or in action.

Bhagavān loves those who exhibit such good habits.

Dakṣa or being skillful and expert is the twenty-first quality Bhagavān now explains to Arjuna. Like some of us have very good handwriting means we are Dakṣa in handwriting. Those of us who don’t have very good handwriting can always practice and become Dakṣa or an expert. This can be applied to any of things that we do like, drawing, painting etc.

Being Udāsīna or neutral is the twenty-second quality that Bhagavān advises us to cultivate within ourselves. We should remain neutral to what happens and to the results of our actions.

We should also try to be gata-vyathaḥ or Byatharahit. With this twenty-third quality, one wouldn’t be bothered or be easily troubled when something goes wrong. A little unhappiness will not frustrate this person. Have we not sometimes picked up a fight with someone because he got what we wanted? Instead of enjoying what we got, we become sad and make others sad too by doing this. Bhagavān tells us that a good Sadhak will never do such a thing but be happy with what he has.

The twenty-fourth quality is an interesting one. Bhagavān says sarvārambha-parityāgī which means we should not initiate an action. Now that doesn’t definitely mean that we will not take any initiative to study. It means we will not initiate some small or wrong things like immediately rushing off to the Sweetmeat shop to buy some Jalebi and Samosa just because we want to eat it. We should initiate those actions that are needed to be done and not just because we want to do it.

In the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth quality, Bhagavān reiterates that one should not be overly happy (hṛiṣhyati) in a happy situation nor be filled with animosity (dveṣhṭi) in unpleasant situations.

Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth qualities says we should not do too much  śhochati that is lament too much for something that we didn’t get or an event that didn’t go as per what we had hoped for. We should not also hanker too much for something meaning we should not have intense desire or akanksha for something and have a long wish-list. Bhagavān loved those children who are mindful to not have such intense desires.

Bhagavān now says we need to become śhubha-aśhubha-parityāgī. We should anyways renounce our bad habits like hurting other living beings, telling lies, littering our neighborhood etc. But we should not be doing an excess of anything that is not bad too. Like we should not sleep excessively for 12 hours though adequate sleep is necessary for our good health. So even if something is not bad, we should not overindulge in it. This was Bhagavāns advise for the twenty-ninth and thirtieth qualities.

We should always try to inculcate all the qualities that Bhagavān is telling us about and do things as HE wants us to do. That will make us HIS favorite devotee.

Bhagavān now tells us how to behave with others as the thirty-first quality of a good devotee. HE says we should be friendly with all and should never show animosity towards anyone. We should have an amicable disposition for all and not dislike anyone or consider anyone as an enemy.

We always like it when someone praises us for something done well and dislike it if we are punished or insulted. In the thirty-second quality, Bhagavān is telling is to not be too affected by māna-apamānayoḥ that is either praise or by insult and remain composure under both events.

The next or the thirty-third quality Bhagavān explains is Śītoṣṇa which talks about how we should conduct ourselves in cold and warm climate. We should not become very impacted by the outside weather and accept them as they are.

Bhagavān tells us to be saṅga-vivarjitaḥ that is not have any attachment to material things. We should not be so addicted to watching cartoons or playing on the mobile that we become sad and start crying if we can’t do that on a particular day. ‘It’s okay’, should be our attitude. That is the thirty-fourth quality, Bhagavān wants us to have to be his favorite.

Bhagavān already told us to remain equally composed and in control of our behavior if we are praised or insulted. Bhagavān reiterates this in the thirty-fifth quality & says we should remain equipoised whether praised or scolded.

The thirty-sixth and the thirty-seventh quality that Bhagavān loves to see in all his favorite devotees are positivity and the ability to remain happy. HE wants us to have the ability to think positively even if the circumstance is demanding. We should not lose our ability to be happy even in the face of adversities.

Like the thirty-fourth quality, the thirty-eighth quality tells us not be too attached to a particular place. We should be aniketaḥ which means without attachment to the place of residence. For example, we sometimes don’t want to go to school and want to stay at home, because we like to be at home.

The thirty-nineth and the last quality which Bhagavān advises us to have is the ability to remain focused. When we sit down to do our homework, we shouldn’t get distracted and start watching TV. Bhagavān loves those who have the ability to remain focused and are sincere in their action.

In the end Bhagavān Śrī Krishna tells us through Arjuna that he loves those who follow his teachings and try to imbibe the 39 good qualities with unwavering
faith and sincerity.

Only with such a character and disposition does one become dear to Bhagavān.

We should thus practice so that we can bring as many of the 39 qualities in our lives as possible. We don’t need to pick all 39 at one go but with focus practice imbibe them over a period of time.

With this, Bhagavān completes explaining the Bhakti Yoga to Arjuna.

One may wonder what is a Pushpika which is the conclusion of all chapters in Bhagavadgītā. It is like the introduction card of the chapter as it has the name of the chapter, the chapter number, that it is a conversation between Bhagavān Śrī Krishna and Arjuna.

The name of the topper performer in last week’s Quiz-2 was announced. The Topper for last week’s Quiz is: Pranita Ji who scored 100/100 in 11 minutes.

The session concluded with by a Questions and Answers session and chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.

Questions and Answers

Hiral Chauhan Ji

Q: Should we help others if we want to become Bhagavāns favorite?

A: Absolutely correct

Chinmayi H.A. Ji

Q: Radha Ji is Laxmi Ji’s avatar and Krishna Ji is Bhagavān Vishnu’s avatar, then why did Krishna Ji get married to Rukmini Ji?

A: Radha Ji was not Laxmi Ji’s avatar. It was Rukmini Ji who was Laxmi Ji’s avatar and hence she was married to Śrī Krishna. Radha Ji was his Bhakt, or devotee and in her previous birth had received the boon to become Krishna Bhagavān’s Premika, HIS beloved.

Aditi Anjankar Ji knew and helped with the correct answer.

Bani Dudhani Ji

Q: What will we get if we do good actions?

A: We will be able to reach closer to Bhagavān and in his refuge. And of course, we will become his best friend and favorite!!

Chanakya Ji

Q: Indra Bhagavān once created a deluge of Rain when Bhagavān Śrī Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill on his little finger. Why did both events happen?

A: Once, when people of Gokul were planning for the Puja of Indra Bhagavān, Śrī Krishna, a child then, advised them against it. Convinced by Krishna, the villagers did not perform the puja.

Furious with the people for listening to the little child Krishna and worshipping the Govardhan Hill instead of him, lndra Ji decided to punish them by sending terrible rain clouds 
to flood the land of Vrindavan.

As terrible rains, thunderstorms ravaged and flooded the land the frightened inhabitants of Vrindavan approached Little Krishna Bhagavān for help. Śrī Krishna, who understood the situation perfectly well, lifted the entire Govardhan Hill on the little finger of HIS left hand and held it up like an umbrella. Over the people and their cows and possessions. This helped to break Indra Bhagavān’s pride and also perform Govardhan Ji’s puja well.

K Hemanth Ji

Q: What should we not think about results?

A: You can definitely set a goal think about the results, but you should not become attached to it. Do not become demoralized and depressed if the results are not up to your expectations and goal. You should remain balanced whatever be the outcome.

Aradhya Ji and Pranav Jagdale Ji

Q: When was Bhagavadgītā first sung?

A: It was 5161 years ago in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. We just celebrated the Jayanti recently.

Shivansh Gupta Ji

Q: What is the reverse ‘S’ sign in

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि?

A: That is called an Avagraha. It doesn’t have any pronunciation of its own. Post sandhi, the अ (a) gets removed.

Asthaben Chhabhaiya Ji

Q: Why does Bhagavadgītā tell is to pray to Bhagavān Krishna only?

A: That is incorrect. In fact, Bhagavadgītā tells us to pray to any God. When Bhagavān says Mam, he doesn’t specifically mean HIMSELF, but the Paramātmā.

Vansh Bansal Ji

Q: How will we come to know that we have become Bhagavān’s favorite?

A: When you are able to imbibe all the 39 qualities of a good devotee that is mentioned in Chapter – 12 of Bhagavadgītā, you can assume that you have become Bhagavān’s favoritest.

Mahi Kashyap Ji

Q: I have joined classes just today. Do I have to study Chapter – 12 on my own?

A: You can ask the faculty in your group to send you the audios and with that you can learn Chapter – 12 on your own. You can also find the recording of the last Vivechan session on https://vivechan.learngeeta.com/ or in YouTube.

Suyash Bobade Ji

Q: What is the marks that we gave ourselves in class for?

A: That is for your self-evaluation on how far in the journey you are in becoming Bhagavān’s most favorite devotee.

Vedik Patel Ji

Q: How can I control my anger?

A: Whenever you feel very angry, shut your eyes and take deep breaths. If you have memorized Shlokas from Bhagavadgītā, you can start chanting them or start counting from 100 in the reverse order.

Riva Kansara Ji

Q: Who wrote Bhagavadgītā?

A: Bhagavān Śrī Krishna narrated it to Arjuna, which was heard and dictated by Veda Vyas Ji with Ganesh Ji being the scribe and writing it down.

Riyyansh Ji

Q: Why was Śrī Krishna smiling on the battlefield?

A: That is because Bhagavān found Arjuna’s sudden dilemma a little funny and hence, he smiled. After that HE counselled Arjuna and made him confident again to fight the battle.

Medhansh Khatri Ji

Q: Should we harbor enmity towards negative and evil people?

A: You should not have any enmity towards them but should try stay away from them. However, you should always be ready to help if such a person is in need of one.  

Janardan Ji

Q: Which is the longest chapter in Bhagavadgītā?

A: It is the 18th Chapter with 78 Shlokas.

Ram and Rashi Barhate Ji

Q: Why did Śrī Krishna narrate the Bhagavadgītā to Arjuna?

A: Adi Shankaracharya Ji says that Arjuna was endowed with the 26 Daivi Guṇa. Since he was good model person and disciple. Bhagavān Śrī Krishna narrated the Bhagavadgītā to him.

Rugved Tiwari Ji

Q: I am unable to login to the quiz though I have put the correct name and password. What should I do?

A: That may be due to network issues. In addition, please send your name and PRN to your WhatsApp group to check if there is any backend issue.

Hithhesh Ji

Q: How many Shlokas are there in Bhagavadgītā?

A: There are 700 Shlokas in Bhagavadgītā