विवेचन सारांश

The three Guna- Sattvik, Rajasik and Tamasik- Way to control our self towards improving our inherent qualities and identify with our self rather than the body

Having discussed sattva Guna in the previous sloka, here we will understand about Rajo Guna which is indicated by’ lobha’ or greed. The earlier example that we discussed about our desire to buy a new dress (only because our friend had a new dress) despite possessing many highlights the trait of Rajo Guna.

Here Bhagavān is addressing Arjuna by another name.

Question: What is the name by which Bhagavān addressed Arjuna?

Answer: Dhanushya ji and Kavya ji both replied correctly as “Bharatarshabha”.

The suffix to Bharata means as strong as a ‘rishabaha’ meaning the Bull which tills the fields. Arjuna is considered as a very strong person with the raw power of a Bull.

Key learning 

The Sattvik Guna increases the level of knowledge whereas the Rajasik Guna results in an increase in greed and desire.

Answer: Dhanush ji correctly answered ‘Kurunandana’.

‘Kurunandana’ is an expression meant for Arjuna as the one who is very dear to Sri Krishna among all the ‘Kurus’. It is similar to Sri Krishna who is known as the dearest of Yashoda Maata. 

Arjuna was an epitome of spirituality and a great warrior. It was not that Bhagavān was only teaching Arjuna. It indicates that indirectly HE is teaching us also to introspect whether we are following the right path and that we are not imbibing the Tamasik qualities and that we are learning to follow Satvik qualities.

Bhagavān also spoke on the effects of Tamo Guna. A person with Tamo Guna will exhibit a low level of understanding (a state of ignorance) which creates confusion in mind and is inhibited by taking proper decisions even for one's own good.

Eg: Homework is to be finished and submitted in class the next day. However after coming back from school the mind wanders and decides to first play and then do home work. After coming back home from play the body is tired and thinks that homework can be done after dinner. However, after dinner the stomach is full and the body wants to sleep. Homework remains unfinished. Postponing due to laziness or lethargy is a trait of Tamo Guna.

Bhagavān continues to tell us the reason to follow Sattvik Guna and not Tamasik Guna especially since the next birth of the person depends mainly on:

•  The Guna that he has practiced and imbibed during the life.
• The quality of thoughts that arise at the time of death
• 
  

We are living on the earth which is also called ‘Mrityuloka’ as death is inevitable on earth. Likewise there are different loka or worlds mentioned in this universe.

Bhagavān said if all good thoughts and qualities are in us one can get the best of the netherworlds after death. One should endeavour to go to heaven. Having said that, it is also in us to make our living environment like a heaven on this earth by worshipping and engaging in Bhajans and performing good actions.

Prahlad - The epitome of Sattik Guna

Prahlad is the best example in practicing sattvik Guna. He was constantly engaged in worshipping Bhagavān Narayana despite all the troubles and obstacles he had to face from the challenges and threats put forth by his father Hitanyakashipu. He remained fully focussed in his devotion towards Bhagavān Vishnu, by not letting the difficulties bother him and pull him back from his ideals.

His father tried a lot of cruel ways to make Prahlad stop worshipping Bhagavān Narayana by throwing him into jail, shoving him off from a cliff, or throwing him into a pit full of snakes.

 Prahlad always said that whatever happens and wherever he is his Bhagavān will be with him and hence he was free from worry towards the cruel actions that were undertaken against him. He continued to be happy and content with his devotion.

Prahlad was a sattvik by nature and was experiencing the divine presence and the state of togetherness with Bhagavan even while on earth because of his unwavering determination and pure devotion. 

Key learning

Eg: If one has a bicycle, the next desire is for a motor bike, then a car, then a home and this elevation of desires never ends. In reality the desire to acquire more and more does.

Ravana and the unending desires which ultimately led to his destruction:

Ravana was a strong warrior and an ardent devotee of Shiv ji. He had a vast kingdom to rule, expert weaponry at his disposal of which he was an expert, and was a Sanskrit scholar. The shiv tandav stotra is such a beautiful composition which kindles the devotion within us when chanted. Even with all these he still had the desire to possess a golden Lanka and wanted to snatch it from Kubera. 

Any good possession with others was his target to acquire with his indomitable desire to possess.

What is the learning here?

If we harbour desires we cannot do anything properly as the mind keeps running behind the desire and the mind will find it impossible to concentrate on anything.

A Tamasik will not be able to make any good decisions as such a person lacks knowledge discernment of what is good and what is bad and this ignorance does not allow them to make a correct decision.

Eg: When a movie is playing on the TV and at the same time a Vivechan session is held the mind has to decide whether to watch TV or watch a movie.

The obvious right decision is to listen to Vivechan and the mind should be enabled in deciding this way.

It is the blessing from Bhagavān that we are able to make a proper decision as we also have some Sattvik qualities.

However for those who do not have a strong mind the decision will lead them to laziness, lethargy, sleepiness and engage in unfruitful actions.

If controlled by Tamasik qualities, in the next birth, such a person will be born as those ignorant creatures like insects or any other specie from the animal kingdom.

We must be grateful that we are engaged in learning Gītā by joining Geeta pariwar , an opportunity given to us by Bhagavān guided in making us decide on this course of learning. If someone asks what to do we get by learning Gītā we can understand in further sloka.  

In this shloka, Bhagavān expounds more on the three Gunas:

• Sattvik indicates a person whose disposition is always pleasant and at peace even when speaking with animals or birds.
  

It can be observed that Sri Krishna Bhagavān always was surrounded by all the animals and birds all the time as they were attracted to the sattvik qualities in him.

When our mind is engaged in studies it will be easy to memorise and hold it in mind.

• Rajasik indicates a person who is consumed with desires.
  

Even while sitting in Vivechan session to listen, the mind wanders, desiring to play or go shopping or getting attracted with the aroma of mother’s cooking taking the mind towards food. When this happens, whatever is spoken in the Vivechan session will not register in the mind. The level of concentration while studying for exams also gets affected as just the time spent in front of the book will not result in remembering the lessons.

• Tamasik indicates lethargy, laziness and sleeping for long hours and this makes the person ignorant and sluggish. 
• 
  

• A sattvik person will always be in the path of progress and climb higher in the ladder of success. Such a person will study well, understand well, and hence will have more time to keep learning varied matters. Such a person can become sarva guna sampanna meaning a versatile master of many disciplines. Whatever tasks they engage in will be with complete focus and they learn faster and comprehend faster.
• A Rajasik person will just do as much necessary as they feel and is content even if scoring low and do not have the drive to show interest in putting in additional effort.
  
• A Tamasik person will only move downward and is a non-achiever and will never progress.
  

Eg:  A person may be good at singing and be endowed with a beautiful voice but has no drive or desire to practice and improve. Such an attitude will eventually result in destroying the capability and capacity to sing after a dormant year or two due to lack of training and practice.

When we start learning Gītā and progress by learning one chapter after another chapter, if we do not chant every day and just attend class we can never memorise the slokas.

Practice is very important and by chanting at least one or two chapters every day is required to keep the memorisation intact.  Practice is the key to perfection.

Bhagavān said that the one who wastes time doing nothing is a Tamasik and will never progress. It is more important for children to understand and follow good practice. As the children move to higher classes the effort required increases. In addition to school curriculum one should also keep some time for chanting Bhagavān Gītā and practice sattvik qualities which will help in overall progress in life.

The one in Tamasik can move upto the Rajasik and from Rajasik to the Sattvik.

There are some knowledgeable people who move even beyond these. When we are all learning Gītā everyone is at a different level of learning. Some finish Jignasu exams, some Pathik and some Pathaka. Some complete Gītā vrati too and this may result in some sort of egoistic feeling thinking that becoming Gītā vrati is an achievement. Such an ego should not be developed as it will result in harbouring a sense of pride which is a Rajasik quality.

In contrast to such a pride filled mind, there are some saints who are beyond all such sense of accomplishment and completely devoid of any such feeling of greatness or pride. They remain pleasant and peaceful all the time and such a quality is even beyond the Sattvik Guna.

Answer: Arpit ji correctly replied and said Pandava.

In reply to Arjuna, Bhagavān explained that such saints are immersed in their own thoughts and will only think that they are in a body which performs any action which can be identified with l these three Guna. Other than for performing actions, they do not have anything to do with it body.

The Nirvana shatakam composed by Adi Shankaracharya gives a rightful glimpse of living beyond the thought of identifying our self with the body that we are endowed with:

mano buddhi ahankara chittani naaham
na cha shrotravjihve na cha ghraana netre
na cha vyoma bhumir na tejo na vaayuhu
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham

I am not any aspect of the mind like the intellect, the ego or the memory,
I am not the organs of hearing, tasting, smelling or seeing,
I am not the space, nor the earth, nor fire, nor air, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, am Shiva (that which is not)...

na cha Prāṇa sangyo na vai pancha vayuhu
na va sapta dhatur na va pancha koshah
na vak pani-padam na chopastha payu
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham

I am not the Vital Life Energy (Prana), nor the Five Vital Airs (manifestations of Prana),
I am not the seven essential ingredients nor the 5 sheaths of the body, I am not any of the body parts, like the mouth, the hands, the feet, etc.,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva (that which is not)...

na me dvesha ragau na me lobha mohau
na me vai mado naiva matsarya bhavaha
na dharmo na chartho na kamo na mokshaha
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham

There is no hatred nor passion in me, no greed nor delusion,
There is no pride, nor jealousy in me,
I am not identified with my duty, wealth, lust or liberation, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva (that which is not)...

na punyam na papam na saukhyam na duhkham
na mantro na tirtham na veda na yajnah
aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham

I am not virtue nor vice, not pleasure or pain,
I need no mantras, no pilgrimage, no scriptures or rituals,
I am not the experience, not the object of experience, not even the one who experiences,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva (that which is not)....

na me mrtyu shanka na mejati bhedaha
pita naiva me naiva mataa na janmaha
na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shishyaha
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham

I am not bound by death and its fear, not by caste or creed,
I have no father, nor mother, or even birth,
I am not a relative, nor a friend, nor a teacher nor a student, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, am Shiva (that which is not)...

aham nirvikalpo nirakara rupo
vibhut vatcha sarvatra sarvendriyanam
na cha sangatham naiva muktir na meyaha
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham

I am devoid of duality, my form is formlessness,
I am omnipresent, I exist everywhere, pervading all senses,
I am neither attached, neither free nor limited, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva (that which is not)...

Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya explained in clear terms that it is not the body, neither the Karmendriyas or the Jnanendriya, it is just Bhagavān Shiv ji beyond all those senses.

When someone asks our name we identify ourselves with this body and it has a name. However the one who has risen above all this is different from our own bodily identity.

An illustration from the parables of Sri Krishna and Durvasa on the identity:

Once Bhagavān Sri Krishna was sitting under a tree playing flute and surrounded by his friends and gopikas. They were all chit chatting with each other.

Sri Krishna said: “ I have never seen any woman in life.”

The Gopikas retort saying that he has been seeing them throughout and has played and danced with them even being naughty, breaking their pots and stealing butter and so on and how can he say that he has not seen any Woman?

After some days they come to know that Maharshi Durvasa will be arriving at the river banks of Yamuna on the other side of the river. He was highly knowledgeable but also known for his short temper. The Gopikas express there desire to go and seek his blessings.

Sri Krishna agrees and advises that they should cook some good food and carry it to sage Durvasa. At that point of time it was known that Sage Durvasa was observing a religious vow and was consuming only Durva leaves as food. The Gopikas could not understand what to cook and take if Sage Durvasa would eat only Durva leaves which had medicinal qualities. However, under the advice of Sri Krishna they cooked and carried some food.

They reached the river front only to find that river Yamuna was flowing at full spate and there was no way they could cross the river. They went back to Krishna and asked him to find a way to cross the river.

Sri Krishna advised that they should stand in front of the river and say “If Sri Krishna has not seen any woman in life, the Yamuna should allow them to cross to the other side.”

Though they had their doubts about the truth in this statement from Sri Krishna they still went ahead and uttered to  river Yamuna as advised. To their surprise, Yamuna parted the water and made way for the Gopikas to cross. It made them wonder whether they should believe whatever Sri Krishna had told them.

After crossing the river they went and paid respects to the Sage Durvasa and offered him the food cooked by them. They in all humility told the sage that although they knew he was under religious vow to consume only Durva leaves, they   had brought the food as advised by Sri Krishna,

The Sage consumed the cooked food offered to him and then the Gopikas started their journey back to the river side to cross the river. Once again the river Yamuna was flowing strongly and it was not possible to cross. They go back to Sage Durvasa and seek his help.

The Sage advised that they should go to river Yamuna and call out: “ If Sage Durvasa has not broken his vow of not eating anything other than Durva leaf then they should be allowed a way to cross.”

Though the Gopikas were again perturbed by the statement as they considered it as not true they still went ahead and uttered the same to river Yamuna.

As soon as they uttered the statement as advised by Sage Durvasa the river parted and made way for them to cross.

Both the statement as said by Sri Krishna and by Sage Durvasa appeared untruth and incorrect to the Gopikas.

How was this misconception of words uttered explained?

The answer is in the word guṇātīta and is hidden in this. Those who are guṇātīta have risen above all the three Sattvik, Rajasik and Tamasik Guna.

Whatever Sri Krishna said was true as it is the eyes, one of the Karmendriya that sees a woman which is a part of the body which is not identified with his self the soul.

Likewise when Sage Durvasa ate the cooked food he did not break any vow as it is the Karmendriya of touch and taste that consumed the food and which is a part of his body and not the soul.

Eg: In Mahashivrathri in each place the devotees place different type of food as offering to Shiv ji based on their own perception. However this does not affect Shiv ji as he is a guṇātīta.    

In this shloka, Bhagavān explains that a Gunateeta  will also find liberation as they shower devotion to Bhagavān at all times. Sant Jnaneswar Maharaj ji also said if all do their work as a duty and with diligence even that is also Bhakti. All these saints did not shun their duties to become saints. Being in a family everyone should carry out their duties whether as the father, mother, son or daughter or a gardener who performs duties or any other as destined in life. 

If we chant Sanskrit slokas every day our concentration levels and the sharpness in mind will increase. It is also effective to keep some time to meditate in addition to carrying out our duties to enhance our focus.

The session ended with Harisankirtan.

Question and Answers:

Dhanushya ji

Question: Why was Bhagavān addressing Arjuna in different names?

Answer: Arjuna was the favourite of Bhagavān and hence he called him by different names. Just like we also call children at home by different names with love and affection.

When Arjuna praised Bhagavān in 11th chapter what did Bhagavān say?

Bhagavān showed HIS cosmic form to Arjuna because he liked Arjuna who was HIS good friend. Looking at the cosmic form Arjuna started praising Bhagavān as he was so enamoured by the sight he was seeing.

Sharayu Ji

Question:When Bhagavān was speaking to Arjuna in the battle field whether the war was stopped?

Answer: The Gita was imparted by Bhagavān before the war started when Arjuna asked Bhagavān who was his charioteer to take the chariot and stop in the centre of the battle field. Arjuna wanted to watch who were all congregated for war on both sides. The actual conversation could have been for about 45 minutes to an hour. Not to be compared with the time that we take to chant and still more time to understand. Maharshi Ved vyas ji has split the spoken words of Bhagavān into 18 chapters to facilitate our understanding. Hence the chapters are arranged by him by grouping similar subjects for our better understanding.

Question: Who all saw the Cosmic form?

Answer: It was seen by Arjuna, Sanjaya and Maharshi Ved Vyas. They had the divine sight to see. Mahasrshi Ved vyas wanted to give the divine sight to Dritharashtra but he was not ready for it as being blind he felt he will not be able to recognise anyone and requested for the divine sight to be given Sanjaya his minister. Even Arjuna got the divine sight as it was not possible to see the cosmic form with the ordinary eyes

Vriti ji

Question: If all had the divine sight why could they not stop the war?

Answer: The divine sight was given only after the decision to war was taken. Maharshi Ved vyas was a trikala jnani who knew what would happen in future. As regards stopping the war Bhagavān himself had negotiated with Duryodhana in a bid to avoid the war. The offer was to give atleast 5 villages to Pandavas which was also refused by Duryodhana who said that even a needle point of land will also not be given . Hence the war happened despite all efforts to avoid war.

Arpit ji

Question:If the conversation happened in less than one hour, did Bhagavān complete the entire Gita to Arjuna?

Answer: Swami Govind ji Giri Maharaj used to say that he was able to chant the entire Gita in 45 minutes. It is indicative that it is possible that Bhagavan would also have spoken Gita in this time.

Swadha ji

Question: What would happen if all had the divine sight?

Answer: Everyone would have seen the cosmic form. All would have known the reality and all would be living in harmony and there would not be any illwill. Gita also teaches us the same and lets us be aware that Bhagavan is always in us and we need not fight.