Bhagavad-Gita

Capítulo Tres

Karma: La Ética, El Sacrificio, El Camino

Conclusion

Por Michael Dolan/ B.V. Mahāyogi

Traducido por Teresa Loret de Mola, Tapanandini DD

Kṛṣṇa ha hablado extensamente de ontología y de la naturaleza del alma, mientras que al mismo tiempo ha exhortado a Arjuna a la acción, ofreciéndose a sí mismo a la divinidad centrado en la sabiduría del atma-yoga.

Tras escuchar por un rato a su amigo y guía, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna por fin pregunta: “¿Y qué hay del pecado? Mi querido Kṛṣṇa, ¿Qué es lo que nos arrastra hacia los actos pecaminosos? Parece que de algún modo somos atraídos hacia el pecado casi en contra de nuestra voluntad. Somos impulsados de algún modo, como a la fuerza, hacia los actos pecaminosos. ¿Por qué es eso?”

El mismísimo Dios contesta:

“El ego falso lo mueve a uno a involucrarse con la pasión de la naturaleza material.

El deseo florece. El deseo insatisfecho provoca la ira. La ira lo devora todo.

“Es el enemigo de este mundo.

“Tal como el humo cubre el fuego, la chispa de vida- El atma es cubierta por diferentes niveles de lujuria y deseo. Como un embrión se desarrolla en el vientre, el atma se cubre por distintos grados de lujuria. La conciencia es originalmente pura, pero se cubre más y más por distintos grados de ego falso, deseo e ira. De ellos nace el impuso al pecado.

“De este modo, Arjuna, el atma, envuelta en las sombras del deseo, olvida su propio interés. Encendida por el propio interés equivocado, se hace enemiga de sí misma. La lujuria y el deseo que lo atan a uno a este mundo son como un fuego que nunca puede ser saciado. La lujuria y el deseo hacen hogar en la mente, los sentidos. De este modo la inteligencia se desconcierta. El deseo cubre el conocimiento auténtico de uno mismo.

“La materia parece genuina al alma encerrada en esa ignorancia. Pero la realidad es mucho más sutil de lo que aparenta. Superior a la energía material de tiempo y espacio, está la sensación nerviosa, la percatación sensorial y los sentidos conscientes. La propia mente es superior a la mera percatación sensorial; la inteligencia consciente es superior al poder mental emocional; y el atma es superior a la inteligencia. El atma es superior a la estimulación nerviosa, la percatación consciente, las emociones de la mente y el cuerpo e incluso la inteligencia.

“El conocimiento del alma que te he explicado es importante. Con esta sabiduría, uno puede realizar el propio ser como trascendental a los sentidos materiales, la mente y la inteligencia. Al reconocer un poder supremo, uno ha de controlar al ser inferior a través del ser superior. De este modo, con la ayuda de la acción en sacrificio, o karma-yoga, a través de la fuerza espiritual una ha de conquistar al enemigo insaciable: El deseo. Y así, Oh Arjuna, a través del conocimiento, el auto-control, y sacrificio, conquistar el deseo- el enemigo del conocimiento, y auto realizarse.

Fin del Capítulo Tres: karma-yoga, ética y sacrificio.

अर्जुन उवाच

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोयं पापं चरति पूरुषः

अनिच्छन्न् अपि वार्ष्णेय बलाद् इव नियोजितः ३.३६

श्रीभगवान् उवाच

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः

महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्य् एनम् इह वैरिणम् ३.३७

धूमेनाव्रियते वन्हिर् यथादर्शो मलेन च

यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस् तथा तेनेदम् आवृतम् ३.३८

आवृतं ज्ञानम् एतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा

कामरुपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ३.३९

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिर् अस्याधिष्ठानम् उच्यते

एतैर् विमोहयत्य् एष ज्ञानम् आवृत्य देहिनम् ३.४०

तस्मात् त्वम् इन्द्रियाण्य् आदौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ

पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्य् एनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ३.४१

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्य् आहुर् इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः

मनसस् तु परा बुद्धिर् यो बुद्धेः परतस् तु सः

३.४२

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानम्

आत्मना

जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ३.४३

arjuna uvāca

atha kena prayuktoyaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ

anicchann api vārṣṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ 3.36

śrībhagavān uvāca

kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ

mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam 3.37

dhūmenāvriyate vanhir yathādarśo malena ca

yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam 3.38

āvṛtaṃ jñānam etena jñānino nityavairiṇā

kāmarupeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca 3.39

indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate

etair vimohayaty eṣa jñānam āvṛtya dehinam 3.40

tasmāt tvam indriyāṇy ādau niyamya bharatarṣabha

pāpmānaṃ prajahi hy enaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam 3.41

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

3.42

evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā

saṃstabhyātmānam ātmanā

jahi śatruṃ mahābāho

kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam

3.43

El Sendero y El Camino

Bhagavad-Gita

Capítulo Tres

El Camino

Por Michael Dolan/ B.V. Mahāyogi

Traducido por Teresa Loret de Mola, Tapanandini DD

Sigue tu camino.

"Bhagavan dijo:

'Los envidiosos y los ignorantes desdeñan estas enseñanzas. No están interesados en ningún sacrificio, Esas almas egoístas están condenadas a la ignorancia y la esclavitud. Presta atención, Arjuna: no puedes actuar contra la naturaleza. La inacción no te cuadra. Eres un hombre de acción y no puedes evitar tu naturaleza. Incluso los iluminados deben estar de acuerdo con su naturaleza; pues cada quien sigue su naturaleza. No puedes reprimir la tuya. Más aún, no caigas bajo el control de los sentidos y los objetos sensoriales porque son obstáculos en el camino de la Realización de sí mismos. No te guíes por la atracción y repulsión hacia los objetos sensoriales.

'Es mejor que cumplas tu deber, aunque de manera imperfecta, que el intentar hacer el trabajo de otro. De hecho, es mejor morir, haciendo el trabajo de tu propia naturaleza que tratar de realizar el deber de alguien más. La imitación es suicida; es peligroso dejar tu senda para seguir el rastro de la de otro.'"

ये त्व् एतद् अभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम्

सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस् तान् विद्धि नष्टान् अचेतसः ३.३२

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर् ज्ञानवान् अपि

प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ३.३३

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ

तयोर् न वशम् आगच्छ्हेत् तौ ह्य् अस्य परिपन्थिनौ ३.३४

श्रेयान् स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात् स्वनुष्ठितात्

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ३.३५

ye tv etad abhyasūyanto nānutiṣṭhanti me matam

sarvajñānavimūḍhāṃs tān viddhi naṣṭān acetasaḥ 3.32

sadṛśaṃ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛter jñānavān api

prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati 3.33

indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau

tayor na vaśam āgacchhet tau hy asya paripanthinau 3.34

śreyān svadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt

svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ 3.35

Chapter Four

Bhagavad-Gita Fourth Chapter

The Meaning of Knowledge: The Yoga of Wisdom

by Michael Dolan/B.V. Mahayogi

The Story so far...

In the second and third chapter of the Gita, Kṛṣṇa has analysed the transcendental nature of the soul, contrasting the eternal atma with the temporal world. Understanding the soul leads to wisdom and non-attachment, Kṛṣṇa explains. Wisdom means knowing who you are. Throughout the work, Kṛṣṇa is identified as Bhagavan or God. He tells us that we must cultivate our relationship with God through sacrifice.

Wisdom and Sacrifice

Wisdom should be coupled with sacrifice; since work is the active principle of love, our work should reflect a heartfelt love of God. Other forms of sacrifice are inadequate and superficial. Simply rending the flesh won’t do. Self-flagellation and mortifying the body in the name of renunciation will not help us achieve the goal. True sacrifice is a question of dedication especially through work which must be done without attachment. Arjuna’s position is that of warrior. The conflict at Kurukṣetra is meant to rid the world of despots and tyrants. It is not a holy war as such, but it is God’s will. Arjuna must follow God’s will. While there may be duty to family, country, and society, real dharma is transcendental. The highest, eternal function of the soul is to serve divinity with love and devotion. This is the purport of the Vedas and of sacrifice. Other paths lead but to repeated birth and death.

Arjuna's doubts

And yet, at the end of the third chapter, Arjuna still can’t understand what to do. He is still bewildered. He doesn’t really grasp the essence of Krishna’s teaching. When he talks ontologically about the soul and wisdom, he seems promote a spiritual life. Is he advocating meditation? And how can Arjuna meditate on the battlefield. At the same time, he seems to advocate work. But what is  duty? Then again, Kṛṣṇa is driving his chariot. What is  Kṛṣṇa’s authority? And how can he say that one yoga is better than another?

The Fourth Chapter

At the beginning of the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita Arjuna wants to get at the source of Kṛṣṇa’s advice.  If the second chapter dealt with ontology and metaphysics and the third chapter turns to ethics, here we are faced with epistemological considerations. How is true knowledge transmitted? If sacrifice is to be tempered with wisdom, who is to guide us? Who is wise?

The Sanskrit here reiterates that the speaker is Bhagavan or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The wisdom that Arjuna hears is coming directly from divinity. But even divinity himself offers reasons.

The Version of the Gita

The version of the Gita is as follows:

“Bhagavan said, ‘I taught this yoga of wisdom to the sungod himself. He taught it to the father of man, who passed it on to his sons. Great kings like Nimi and Janaka understood this science which was handed down through the disciplic succession of old. But in time the teachings were lost. And so again I explain this ancient yoga to you as you are my friend, dedicated to Me.’

“Arjuna said, ‘And yet the sun-god Vivasvan was born in ancient times. How could you have explained this to him so long ago?’

“And the Lord said, ‘I am the Lord of all things, beyond birth and death. Unlike you, I descend to the world by my own sweet will. I seem to be an ordinary person, but I appear with my divine energy in my transcendental form. My advent is ordained when there is a decline in dharma and a rise of irreligion. Then I descend as an avatar to right wrongs. I descend upon this earth to deliver the saintly and to destroy evildoers. In this way, my advent is ordained throughout millenia to proclaim and protect dharma.

When divinity appears within this world, His ways are mysterious. They are not the ways of ordinary men. O, Arjuna, My birth, my deeds, my words, are not the stuff of mundane life. One who knows the true nature of God will never be reborn, but attain my divine abode. Such a soul will find their heart melted in divine love.

श्रीभगवान् उवाच
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवान् अहम् अव्ययम्
विवस्वान् मनवे प्राह मनुर् इक्ष्वाकवेब्रवीत् ४.१
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तम् इमं राजर्षयो विदुः
स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परंतप ४.२
स एवायं मया तेद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः
भक्तोसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्य् एतद् उत्तमम् ४.३
अर्जुन उवाच
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः
कथम् एतद् विजानीयां त्वम् आदौ प्रोक्तवान् इति ४.४
श्रीभगवानुवाच
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन
तान्य् अहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परंतप
४.५
अजोपि सन्न् अव्ययात्मा भूतानाम् ईश्वरोपि सन्
प्रकृतिं स्वाम् अधिष्ठाय संभवाम्य् आत्ममायया
४.६
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर् भवति भारत
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्य् अहम्
४.७
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे ४.८
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम् एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति माम् एति सोर्जुन ४.९
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया माम् उपाश्रिताः
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावम् आगताः ४.१०

śrībhagavān uvāca

imaṃ vivasvate yogaṃ proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākavebravīt 4.1

evaṃ paramparāprāptam imaṃ rājarṣayo viduḥ

sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ paraṃtapa 4.2

sa evāyaṃ mayā tedya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ

bhaktosi me sakhā ceti rahasyaṃ hy etad uttamam 4.3

arjuna uvāca

aparaṃ bhavato janma paraṃ janma vivasvataḥ

katham etad vijānīyāṃ tvam ādau proktavān iti 4.4

śrībhagavānuvāca

bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna

tāny ahaṃ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṃ vettha paraṃtapa 4.5

ajopi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaropi san

prakṛtiṃ svām adhiṣṭhāya saṃbhavāmy ātmamāyayā 4.6

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmy aham 4.7

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām

dharmasaṃsthāpanārthāya saṃbhavāmi yuge yuge 4.8

janma karma ca me divyam evaṃ yo vetti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṃ punarjanma naiti mām eti sorjuna 4.9

vītarāgabhayakrodhā manmayā mām upāśritāḥ

bahavo jñānatapasā pūtā madbhāvam āgatāḥ 4.10

Chapter Three conclusion

Bhagavad-Gita Third Chapter

The Meaning of Sacrifice: Karma-yoga
Conclusion

by Michael Dolan/B.V. Mahayogi

Kṛṣṇa has spoken at length on ontology and the nature of the soul, while at the same time exhorting Arjuna to act, offering his in sacrifice to divinity while fixed in the wisdom of atma-yoga.

After listening carefully for some time to his friend and guide, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna at last asked: “And what of sin? My dear Kṛṣṇa, what is it that draws us to sinful acts? It seems that we somehow attracted to sin almost against our will. We are impelled somehow as if by force to sinful acts. Why is this?

The Bhagavad Gita notes:

God Himself replied:

"False ego moves one to become involved with the passions of material nature.

"Desire blooms.

Unfulfilled desire sparks anger.

Anger devours all.

"It is the enemy of this world.

"Just as smoke covers a fire, the spark of life--The atma is covered by different levels of lust and desire. As an embryo is enveloped by the womb, the atma is covered by different degrees of this lust. Consciousness is originally pure, but it becomes more and more covered by different gradations of false ego, desire, and anger. Thus the impuse to sin is born.

"In this way, Arjuna, the atma, shrouded in the shadows of desire, forgets his own self-interest. Fired by a false self-interest, he becomes an enemy to his own self. The lust and desire which binds one to this world is like a fire that can never be satiated. Lust and desire make their home in the mind, senses. In this way the intelligence becomes baffled. Desire covers real self-knowledge.

"Matter appears to be real to the soul ensconced in such ignorance. But reality is far subtler than it appears to be. Superior to the material energy of time and space, is nervous sensation, sensory awareness and the conscious senses. The mind itself is superior to the mere sensory awareness; conscious intelligence is superior to emotional mental power; and the atma is superior to intelligence. The atma is higher than nervous stimulation, conscious awareness, the emotions of the mind and body, and even intelligence.

"The knowledge of the soul that I have explained to you is important.

By this wisdom, one may realize one’s self to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence. By recognizing a higher power, one should control the lower self by the higher self.

In this way, with the help of action-in-sacrifice, or karma-yoga, through spiritual strength one may conquer the insatiable enemy: Desire. And so, O Arjuna, through knowledge, self-control, and sacrifice, conquer desire--the enemy of knowledge--and become self-realized."

The end of Chapter Three: Karma-yoga, ethics and sacrifice

अर्जुन उवाच

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोयं पापं चरति पूरुषः

अनिच्छन्न् अपि वार्ष्णेय बलाद् इव नियोजितः ३.३६

श्रीभगवान् उवाच

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः

महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्य् एनम् इह वैरिणम् ३.३७

धूमेनाव्रियते वन्हिर् यथादर्शो मलेन च

यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस् तथा तेनेदम् आवृतम् ३.३८

आवृतं ज्ञानम् एतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा

कामरुपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ३.३९

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिर् अस्याधिष्ठानम् उच्यते

एतैर् विमोहयत्य् एष ज्ञानम् आवृत्य देहिनम् ३.४०

तस्मात् त्वम् इन्द्रियाण्य् आदौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ

पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्य् एनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ३.४१

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्य् आहुर् इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः

मनसस् तु परा बुद्धिर् यो बुद्धेः परतस् तु सः

३.४२

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानम्

आत्मना

जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ३.४३

arjuna uvāca

atha kena prayuktoyaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ

anicchann api vārṣṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ 3.36

śrībhagavān uvāca

kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ

mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam 3.37

dhūmenāvriyate vanhir yathādarśo malena ca

yatholbenāvṛto garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛtam 3.38

āvṛtaṃ jñānam etena jñānino nityavairiṇā

kāmarupeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca 3.39

indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate

etair vimohayaty eṣa jñānam āvṛtya dehinam 3.40

tasmāt tvam indriyāṇy ādau niyamya bharatarṣabha

pāpmānaṃ prajahi hy enaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam 3.41

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

3.42

evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā

saṃstabhyātmānam ātmanā

jahi śatruṃ mahābāho

kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam

3.43