Bhagavad-Gita Explained
Chapter Two:
Atma-jñāna
by Michael Dolan/B.V. Mahayogi
True wisdom about the atma will discover the bhakti principle
of dedication. This principle is explained as follows:
अन्याभिलसित-शुन्यं ज्ञान-कर्माद्य् अनावृतम्
आनुकूल्येन कृष्णानुशीलनं भक्तिर् उच्यते
anyābhilasita-śunyaṁ jñāna
karmādy anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṃ bhaktir
ucyate
Bhakti means dedication to the
sweet absolute, Kṛṣṇa, Reality the Beautiful. Divine love is untainted by karma
or jñāna. True dedication, in other words, is free from both the
tendency for either exploitation or renunciation. It is unconditional surrender
to the Personality of Godhead.
The word buddhi in
Sanskrit means “intelligent.” Gautama became famous as the “Buddha”
or the “intelligent one."
Here, true wisdom or buddhi, is stressed by Kṛṣṇa as an essential aspect of his teaching.
Here, true wisdom or buddhi, is stressed by Kṛṣṇa as an essential aspect of his teaching.
Kṛṣṇa says,
व्य्वसात्मिक बुद्धिर्, एकेह कुरु-नन्दन
बहु-शाखा ह्य् अनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम्
vyvasātmika buddhir, ekeha
kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy
anantāś
cha, buddhayo ‘vyavasāyinām
BG 2.41
“This path of wisdom is for those whose
intelligence is fixed and does not waver. Only one whose intelligence is
focused on the true nature of atma will progress on this path, O son of
the Kurus. Whereas those who cannot focus will lose their intelligence in the
unlimited branches of material knowledge, such as those found in the Vedas.”
It may seem strange that Kṛṣṇa
is taking a moment to criticize so-called “Vedic knowledge.”
But his point with Arjuna is to focus on the eternal. Many branches of
knowledge promote materialistic outcomes. The “Vedic knowledge”
deals with everything from sex in the Kama-sutra to war in the Dhanur-Veda, to
medicine in the Ayur-Veda and astrology in the Jyoti-shastra. Here, Kṛṣṇa
is not condemning the knowledge of the Vedas, but pointing out that as we
become attached to the material world, we tend to focus on superficial
knowledge. This focus on material things vitiates our focus on our true
spiritual self.
As our mind and intelligence
become more involved in material life, forgetting our true self, we become
obsessed with the details of material well-being and take shelter of scriptural
conclusions that uphold our point of view. Arjuna wants to avoid the conflict
and he quotes scripture to Kṛṣṇa to support his cowardice. Kṛṣṇa
is reminding him that many aspects of scripture are useful in supporting every
day life, but misleading in terms of self-realization.
He says, “The less
informed are often deluded by the flowery words of scripture. These supposed
followers of the Vedas look for power, good karma, a high birth, even heaven.
Misled by the pomp and circumstance of rituals and ceremonies, they fail to see
their real self-interest.”
To avoid some of the difficult turns of
phrase found in the Sanskrit, we might paraphrase Krishna’s
argument as follows:
“Try to understand the object of the
scriptures, Arjuna. By understanding the purpose behind the Vedas you will
grasp the meaning of the individual texts. Common people ignorant of the
meaning of the Vedas like the sweet words that promise good karma. They don’t
understand that the inner meaning of scripture is the attainment of the Supreme
Truth. The little injunctions of the scripture are local ideas. The big idea is
surrender to divinity. The scriptural details about karma are like small wells
in the desert where some water may be found. We find some relief from thirst.
But this is limited.
A well may give some water, but a
vast lake satisfies all the purposes of a small well. Know the infinite.
Knowing that, everything is known. Getting that, everything is gotten. Following
mundane scriptural injunctions, rituals, and ceremonies may help us in this
world, but by following social religion and the flowery words of the Vedas we
lose sight of the higher goal.
“Seek out the proper wisdom about
the atma and the Higher Self. Fix your intelligence there. When we are
too much involved in this world our intelligence becomes lost in trivia. When
we allow the mind to become seduced by the idea of enjoying the senses we lose
ourselves. Proper enlightenment is called “samādhi” which means “fixed
mind.” But samādhi becomes impossible when the world is
too much with us. As long as we are interested in enjoying this world we can
never attain enlightenment.
The Vedas are really concerned
with the threefold aspects of this worldly subjective illusion. But you,
Arjuna, must become free from these distractions. Become fixed in proper yoga
and free yourself from illusion.”[1]
स्वल्पम् अप्य् अस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात्
२.४०
nehābhikramanāśosti pratyavāyo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt
2.40
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिर् एकेह कुरुनन्दन
बहुशाखा ह्य् अनन्ताश् च बुद्धयोव्यवसायिनाम् २.४१
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kurunandana
bahuśākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayovyavasāyinām 2.41
याम् इमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्य् अविपश्चितः
वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यद् अस्तीति वादिनः २.४२
yām imāṃ puṣpitāṃ vācaṃ pravadanty avipaścitaḥ
vedavādaratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ 2.42
कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम्
क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति २.४३
kāmātmānaḥ svargaparā janmakarmaphalapradām
kriyāviśeṣabahulāṃ bhogaiśvaryagatiṃ prati 2.43
भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम्
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिः समाधौ न विधीयते २.४४
bhogaiśvaryaprasaktānāṃ tayāpahṛtacetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate 2.44
त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन
निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान् २.४५
traiguṇyaviṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna
nirdvandvo nityasatvastho niryogakṣema ātmavān 2.45
यावान् अर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके
तावान् सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः २.४६
yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ saṃplutodake
tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ 2.46
