Freedom through Divine Love

Bhagavad-Gītā

Chapter Eighteen:

  Mokṣa-Yoga

Freedom in Divine Love

यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्ण यत्र पार्थो धनुर्-जनः
तत्र श्रिर् विजयो भूतिर् ध्रुवानितिर् मतिर् मम

yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇa yatra pārtho dhanur-janaḥ

tatra śrir vijayo bhūtir dhruvānitir matir mama (BG 18.78)

"Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystics, 

and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, 

there will also certainly be opulence, 

victory, extraordinary power, and morality. 

That is my opinion."

 Summary:

In Gītārthasamgraha  the 18^th chapter is summarized by Yamuna, the guru of Ramanuja as follows.

गीतार्थसम्ग्रह

२२

ईश्वरे कर्तृताबुद्धिह्  सत्त्वोपादेयतान्तिमे

स्वकर्मपरिणामश् च शस्त्रसारार्थ उच्यते

Gītārthasamgraha

Text 22

īśvare kartṛtābuddhih  sattvopādeyatāntime

svakarmapariṇāmaś ca śastrasārārtha ucyate.

“The essential wealth of the scriptures is spoken thus:

“The individual soul believes himself to be the subject, or originator of action (karma), but action originates with God Himself as the Subject, the author of all action.  While he is the original subject, he is uncontaminated by karma.

As far as karmic action goes, good karma is relatively better than bad karma. Sattvik action should be cultivated, better still is work in sacrifice, karma-yoga.

"Go deeper..."

२३

कर्मयोगस् तपस्तीर्थदानय ज्ञानदिसेवनम्

ज्ञानयोगो जितस्वान्तैः परिशुद्दात्मनि स्थितिः

karmayogas tapastīrthadānaya jñānadisevanam

jñānayogo jitasvāntaiḥ pariśuddhātmani sthitiḥ (23)

“Karma-yoga is the observance of austerities, pilgrimages, charities; jñana-yoga aims at purification through meditation on the absolute.

भक्तियोगः परैकान्त्यप्रीत्या ध्यानादिषु स्थितिः

त्र्यानाम् अपि योगानां त्रिभिर् अन्योन्यसंगमः (२४)

bhaktiyogaḥ paraikāntyaprītyā dhyānādiṣu sthitiḥ

tryānām api yogānāṃ tribhir anyonyasaṃgamaḥ (24)

 “Bhakti-yoga is the exclusive concentration on the supreme in divine love. These three are related.”

नित्यनैमित्तिकानां च पराराधनरूपिनं

आत्मदृष्टेस् त्रयो ‘प्य् एते तत्कैवल्यस्य साधकः

निरस्तनिखिल ज्ञान द्र्स्त्वात्मानम् परानुगम्

प्रतिलभ्य परां भक्तिं तयैवल्यस्य साधकः

भक्तियोगस् तदर्थि चेत् समग्रैश्वर्यसाधनम्

आत्मार्थी चेत् त्रयो ‘पि  एते तत्कैवल्यस्य साधकः

२५-२७

nityanaimittikānāṃ ca parārādhanarūpinaṃ

ātmadṛṣṭes trayo ‘py ete tatkaivalyasya sādhakaḥ

nirastanikhila jñāna drstvātmānam parānugam

pratilabhya parāṃ bhaktiṃ tayaivalyasya sādhakaḥ

bhaktiyogas tadarthi cet samagraiśvaryasādhanam

ātmārthī cet trayo ‘pi  ete tatkaivalyasya sādhakaḥ  25-27

“All  three yogas lead to success through sacrifice for the ultimate pleasure of God as well as the liberation of the soul. When nescience all vanished and one has realized his soul as a servant of God, then the practitioner may achieve bhakti  and thereby attain God's highest domain.” Through bhakti yoga one attains the highest liberation, personal freedom and divine love through service to the absolute. This is realized through surrender. All three yogas ultimately arrive at the same goal, since all three aim at exclusive concentration on God.

"Go deeper..."

ऐकान्त्यं भगवत्य् एषां समानम् अधिकारिणम्

यावत्प्राप्ति परार्थि चेत् समग्रैश्वर्यसाधनम्

ज्ञानी तु परमैकान्ती तदायत्तात्मजीवनः

तत्सम्श्लेसवियोगैकसुखदुःखस् तदेकधिः

२८-२९

aikāntyaṃ bhagavaty eṣāṃ samānam adhikāriṇam

yāvatprāpti parārthi cet samagraiśvaryasādhanam

jñānī tu paramaikāntī tadāyattātma-jīvanaḥ

tatsam-ślesa-viyogaika-sukha-duḥkhas tadekadhiḥ (28-29)

Yamunācārya continues...

“While these different yogis approach the supreme with different qualifications, (adhikāra) one who aspires towards the supreme (bhagavan) will fully attain him in the end. One who practices karma yoga sacrifices action in an attempt to come closer to God; one who practices the yoga of wisdom (jñāna) is exclusively concentrated in meditation on God, and one who practices the yoga of divine love serves God. His happiness or unhappiness are brought about by his union with an separation from him; his mind is focused on Him alone”

भगवद्-ध्यान-योगोक्त-वनन्दनस्-तु-कीर्तनैः

लब्धात्मा तद्-गतप्राण-मनो-बुद्धीन्द्रिय-क्रियः

निज-कर्मादि-भक्त्यन्तं कुर्यात् प्रीत्यैव कारितः

उपायतां परित्यज्य न्यसेद् देवे तु तामभिः

३०, ३१

bhagavad-dhyāna-yogokta-vanandanas-tu-kīrtanaiḥ

labdhātmā tad-gataprāṇa-mano-buddhīndriya-kriyaḥ

nija-karmādi-bhaktyantaṃ kuryāt prītyaiva kāritaḥ

upāyatāṃ parityajya nyased deve tu tāmabhiḥ (30,31)

The follower of bhakti who surrenders in divine love, worshiping the lord with salutations, litanies, glorifications, meditation, prayers and kīrtana, renouncing all personal interest, dedicating mind, spirit, senses, prāna,  and soul to Krishna. Inspired by love, having found his only happiness in complete dedication and perfect humility, he obtains the highest domain, the personal abode of the Lord.

ऐकान्त्यात्यन्तदास्यैकरतिस् तत्पदम् आप्नुयात्

तत्प्रधानम् इदम् शास्त्रम् इति गीतार्थसम्ग्रहः

३२

aikāntyātyantadāsyaikaratis tatpadam āpnuyāt

tatpradhānam idam śāstram iti gītārthasamgrahaḥ (32)

 This is the essential summary of the 18^th chapter and the true message of the Bhagavad-Gītā.

So, according to the Gītārthasamgraha  of Yamunacharya, the final chapter of Bhagavad-Gītā concludes with its essence: the  highest form of eternal freedom is divine love, realized through dedication to the Supreme Person.