विवेचन सारांश

The Divine Qualities That Lead the Soul to Liberation

• Abhayam: The word means fearlessness. This quality has been mentioned first because we need fearlessness to walk on the path of righteousness and virtue. Examples of fearlessness can be seen in the confidence of a student who is assured that the class teacher knows him well and will therefore protect him. Similarly, a person may revel in the sense of security he would feel because of his proximity to those in positions of authority. One can therefore well imagine the sense of well-being a person would feel if he is assured that the Parameshwar knows him and is there to protect him! All it needs is an unflinching faith in HIM to tide over the feelings of fear and apprehension. In the 68th and 69th shlokas of chapter 18, Sri Bhagavān mentions the circumstances which can instil fearlessness in a person:

In Chapter 11, Paramātmā tells Arjun that he is just;

निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन्

Arjuna thinks he would be killing but who is going to be killed has already been predetermined by HIM.

• Sattvasaṃśuddhi (Purity of Mind)- The word indicates purity of heart and mind. Who would not long to see the Paramātmā? Yet, something within us obstructs our from getting a clear vision of HIM. The situation is akin to our inability to see ourselves clearly in the mirror because of the layers of dust that have covered the mirror and have consequently hindered our view. Similarly, we need to have purity of mind and heart before we can see Parameśvara clearly. The pure mind is the same as milk collected in a completely clean vessel to retain its purity. In Ramcharitmanas, Sri Rama says, 'Mohe Kapat Chhal Chhidra Na Bhawa'. Taking recourse to dishonesty and deceit is
  aversive to HIM.
• Jñānayogavyavasthiti (Steadfastness in Spiritual knowledge)- We should be consistent and steadfast in whatever activity we choose to undertake. Many a time, in the course of learning the Gita, we might think we are too preoccupied with our work-schedules to pay attention to this sacred text. However, in such instances, we should ensure that we do not veer away from our purpose, and be steadfast in our pursuit of this holy knowledge.
• Dāna (Charity)- In this day and age, people have started giving the utmost importance to material wealth. No matter how much we have, we pine for more and more money. In holy scriptures like Shukra Niti, there are given a few ways wherein we should spend our money. It says, we should keep aside 10% of our income for charity. Alternately, we can spend 20% of our income on enjoyment, reinvestment, helping relatives, charity and emergency or saving, respectively. Money is not the only criterion for charity. Giving our time in cleaning the neighborhood, spreading happiness around us and simply giving back something to society in lieu of what it has given us, are other examples of charity that are not always translated into money. 'Homeopathy' and Allopathy' are used to heal people. Let us make use of another 'pathy' namely, 'Sympathy' to give a healing touch to the world around us. That would be yet another example of charity. Let us not forget what we have got from our society and our country as mentioned in the lines below:

देश हमें देता है सब कुछ,
हम भी तो कुछ देना सीखें।।

सूरज हमें रोशनी देता,
हवा नया जीवन देती है,
भूख मिटाने को हम सबकी,
धरती पर होती खेती है,
औरों का भी हित हो जिसमें,
हम ऐसा कुछ करना सीखें।। 1।

A lady-devotee, who had joined Geeta Pariwar in June 2020, was donating money twice a month to the organisation anonymously on every Ekadashi for a year. Her identity was finally revealed through the Geeta Pariwar's database. The lady said that since she could not offer her services either as a trainer or a technical assistant, the least she could do was offer money as a token of her gratitude to the Geeta Pariwar.

• Damah: The word means 'control' or 'restraint'. We have 5 karmendriyas or tools of action like legs, hands, stomach, rectum and genitals, and 5 Gyanendriayas or sense organs like eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Our eyes might want to see something alluring and our legs might long to go elsewhere. We need to control our senses. Often, even while attending to an important class like the Geeta class, our mind gets distracted, our legs start shaking and our mind wanders off to wordly thoughts. Controlling our urges is an example of Damah.
• Yagya: The word yagya is not to be confused with Havana or Homa. Yagya is what we perform for Samashti or Loka Kalyana, that is, for the collective welfare of society. During Covid, Geeta Pariwar distributed food packets to the needy, thus performing Bhojana Mahayagya in the form of 'Anna Dana'. The Vedas mention different kinds of yagya, namely,

 2. Deva Yajña - Offering all the deities uncooked food items like ghee, cow milk, grains and soma.

3. Bhūta Yajña - includes food offering to the animals, birds and living beings from spiritual
worlds.

4. Pitri Yajña – Offering of pinda to the ancestors in the family tree.

5. Manushya Yajña – Helping and feeding the guest (atithi), poor people, hungry people and
providing shelter to the homeless.

• Swadhayaya: The word means 'self-study'. Nowadays we do not have enough time, nor do we know how to study the Śāstras. In this day and age therefore, it is sufficient for us to learn the Gītā. However, we need to go into its depth to grasp its true essence. Each shloka contains so much depth that one can spend a month explaining its deeper meaning and interpretation. When Jay Dayal Goenkaji, founder of Geeta Press, was asked in Kolkata to explain the first three shlokas of chapter 16, he spent more than month in its elucidation. We should read the holy text daily and as a 'take way', learn a new message or a lesson from the shlokas.
• Tapah: Students attending to their lessons with faith, a mother preparing food for her family with total absorption in the work that she is doing, a cricketer playing with thorough zeal: all these are examples of tapah. Tapah means, doing the actions we are supposed to perform with a sense of 'Kartavya Buddhi'.
• Aarjavam: Straightforwardness, transparency of thoughts and expression, and simplicity are all the qualities that come under Aarjavam. What better example than that of Shabari to illustrate this pure quality! The great sage, Matanga Muni had told Shabari when she was just a sixteen year old girl, that one day Śrī Rama will visit her abode. In her excitement, Shabari forgot to ask when and from which route and direction would Śrī Rama be coming. Filled with enthusiasm and faith, Shabari would clean all the routes, adorn them with flower and collect fruits in anticipation of Śrī Rama's visit. Shabari had no sense of deceit or falseness about her. Her devotion to Śrī Rama was pure and untainted. Shabari was 80 years old when Śrī Rama finally visited her Kutir. Pleased with her devotion, Śrī Rama revealed the 'Navdha Bhakti' or the nine ways of devotion to Shabari, hearing which she was able to achieve union with Paramātmā.

• Ahiṃsā (non-violence)-Non-violence means non injury to others. It should be practiced in the areas of Manasa or mind, Vacha or speech and Karma or action. Sometimes we restrain ourselves from exhibiting any signs of violence, but does that mean, we have completely relinquished it? If a person hits us, we may not retaliate, but our minds might be filled with thoughts of slapping the person back to get even with him. This is violence in thoughts. In chapter 15 Paramātmā states : 'Sarvasya Chaaham Hrudi Sanni vishto'. In every body's heart we find seated the Supreme Master of all, the Paramātmā. When we commit violence towards others, we only end up hurting HIM. Sri Bhagavān, who has bestowed us with bounties of nature, is getting hurt by us mortals! Thus, we should avoid injuring others through our words, thoughts and actions in order to avoid showing disrespect to HIM.
• Satyam (truthfulness) -This is the basis of all the divine qualities because falseness and craftiness leads to fear, anger and violence. We should be following 'Apriyanrit Varjitam Yatha Bhutarth Vachanam' which means, speaking the truth and at the same time, avoiding uttering words that are false and that are hurtful to the ears. There are two types of truth: Satya means the truth as it is seen in a literal context. For example, when I am asked if I saw monkeys, I would reply that I had seen monkeys. There would be no further elaboration or precision in my answer. Hrtam means the exact truth, wherein I go on to say that I saw four monkeys. Here I go into the details of the truthful sight that I have seen. We should therefore be mindful that we do not hurt others while practicing the quality of truth. It is better to remain silent than to be vocal in our needled criticisms that would offend others.
• Akrodhaḥ (absence of anger) - Absence of anger is one of the noble qualities. There are two aspects to this word. While Akrodha implies controlling anger which had arisen in us, Kshama implies not feeling anger at all and forgiving others. When our desires are not quenched, our posessions are taken away and our vanity is wounded, we are stung with anger, consequently moving away from the right path of virtue. A sureshot way of controlling anger is to see HIS presence in every living being,and honour HIM by restraining our anger.
• Tyāgaḥ (renunciation) - This word means giving up something one loves. If we love to have a cup of tea and see another person pining for that same cup of tea, the act of giving up our own pleasure for the sake of that person and offering him the cup of tea would be an instance of tyaga. If we examine our actions closely we will see that giving up something we love for the sake of others gives us tremendous satisfaction. Giving our favorite dress to our sister, or parting with one pair of footwear out of the vast collection we might have accumulated, are all indications of tyaga or sacrifice without any expectations of rewards. There are families that keep aside some thing from their shopping list for the pleasure of others. That spirit of sacrifice is what we all need to inculcate in ourselevs.
• Shanti(peacefulness) - One must not get agitated by the external factors like clothing, money,possession, etc., because these material objects have an 'expiry date' and just give us a fleeting pleasure. They distract us from the holy path of righteousness. In the 12th Chapter, it has been stated by HIM that renunciation of one's fruits is better than meditation because this provides everlasting peace or 'tyagachhantiranantaram'.
• Apaiśunam (absence of fault finding) - Criticising others and finding faults even where none exists, is one of the most futile past-times. Infinitely better would be the attitude of looking for the good qualities in another person. Criticism done with the purpose of genuinely helping the other person evolve, is acceptable.However, criticism done to hurt others or mock others is as good as causing them injury.
• Dayā bhūteṣva (compassion towards every living being) - Sympathy or compassion, and empathy or the ability to put oneself in others' shoes to realize what they are going through, are also considered sighs of divine qualities. Only when one is empathetic towards the miseries of others, can one help them to overcome their sorrows. According to a great saint, one must be like purified butter, which melts when kept in the Sun. One should be moved with compassion to see someone in trouble and offer help if one can.
• Aloluptvaṃ (absence of greed) - Covetousness is a common feature in most of us. Small kids compare what they have and what they are wearing with what others are wearing or possessing. They long to have the same privileges that their peers have. It is from childhood itself that the value of non-covetousness and absence of greed should be inculcated in us. Greed only leads to misery as we get completely wrapped up in the "I, Me, Myself' mode of egocentric attitude. There are some who have wardrobes full of expensive clothes. Yet, they long for more. Not even once do they think of the truly needy persons who might not be having even a single item of clothing to wear. Others buy dozens of pairs of footwear without giving any thought to those who might be barefoot due to scarcity of money. Rather than compare materialistic acquisitions, it would be far better and fruitful to compare the divinely qualities that others might be possesing, and enhance oneself in these attributes. The less we desire, the more peace we get! If we start donating our old possesions while buying new ones, we will get that everlasting, elusive peace.
• Mārdavaṃ (gentleness) - Peace, in its own natural course, leads to gentleness in behaviour and thought. There are people who hurt us. However, if we discard all feelings of revenge and resentment towards such persons, we can rest assured that we are indeed on the right spiritual path!
• Hrīr (modesty) - When we perform any wrong action, we feel ashamed and apprehensive about what others would think of us. In a way, at least this line of thought keeps us away from doing any wrong act that would be frowned upon by society. It ensures that our moral values remain intact.
• Achapalam (absence of fickleness) - Often we find people indulging in fidgety behavior like moving and shaking their hands and feet instead of sitting still. This frivolous and restless behaviour is distracting and keeps us away from reaching our pre-set goals. We must therefore always remain focused in the work assigned to us instead of letting our minds be scattered in different directions.

• Tejaḥ (vigor) - When we come across saints, we feel like prostrating before them. It is the tejah or the light of vigour and energy in them that makes us respect them. It is the tejah in them that makes them live by their own set of noble principles. Their vigour comes from the nourishing, home-cooked, wholesome Satavik food that they eat. If we have pizzas, burgers and pastas everyday, we can be sure that the quality of tejah would NEVER set in as these are all described as junk food.
• Kṣhama (forgiveness) - The power to forgive can give one a tremendous strength of character. Let us question our feelings when we are upset by others' behavior and relapse into an unforgiving mode. Who are we to get angry with anyone? Are we all not part of the same Supreme Paramatma? When we decide not to forgive others, are we not being harsh towards HIM who resides in all of us?
• Dhṛtiḥ (fortitude) - There are some learners of the Gita who are impatient and expect to complete the understanding and memorization of all the chapters of the holy text within a month. Is that ever possible? One should be prepared that learning the shlokas of the Gita might take about a year or more. One must have patience and determination to complete the task, and rest not till the goal is reached. Patience and forbearance, therefore, sum up the implication of the word 'Dhṛtiḥ'
• Saucham (cleanliness) - We should take care that we are 'cleansed' from within and 'clean' on the exterior as well. 'Cleansed' from within indicates being free of any toxic thoughts. At the overt level, we should maintain hygiene at all times, taking a bath and washing hands and feet whenever we enter home from office or school or whenever we sit for meals. Absence of malice and callousness towards others will purify our thoughts- then we can say with conviction that we are indeed in a state of Saucham!.
• Adroho (absence of hatred)- One must not have the feeling of hatred as it gives rise to anger and violence. This leads one towards the wrong path.
• Nāti-mānitā (absence of ego)- It is our Ahankar or vanity that creates a discord between reality and perception. We perceive ourselves to be superior. How erroneous can this line of thought be, especially because it is Paramatma HIMSELF who has given us so much in life! Whatever we have got is not due to our special attributes but because of the Grace of Yogeshwar. Keeping this fact in mind at all times, we should be completely free of all ego and pride.