Gita: The Song of Life – 10 Gita: The Song of Life – 10 Posted November 1, 2003 In the sixteenth chapter of the Gita, Sri Krishna describes the good qualities and the temperament of a satwicperson. He says that, through practice and prayer, man can transform himself into a loving and a caring person Arjuna: “The gunas?Krishna?This is something new—Quite startling, indeed. What are gunas?I know the word means a ‘rope.’ Do they bind?Can we unite the knots?Can we escape? How strong?” Sri Krishna: “Yes,You are boundWith a triple twistedRope: Satwa, Rajas, tamas their names.Satwa is—calm and steady goodness.Rajas is—quickness, action, skill.Tamas is—dullness, stupid, sloth. Satwa leads you up;Tamas pulls you down;Rajas keeps you busy,In between. Satwa is a golden chain, still it chains you;Rajas is a copper chain, so it ropes you;Tamas is an iron chain, so it binds you;Atma—no rope can bind it. Know It! Be the atma,You are free!The gunas shape the form and style ofThought and word and deed. WhetherYou will surely reach the goal,Or take the pathsThat ruin you— They can make you God or beast,Deva or Asura, as they please.Who will be pleased, Arjuna,If Asura he becomes?” Arjuna: “Tell me, Lord, the gunas I should gainTo make this home of clay Deva-dwelling paradise,Where no asura can comeAnd play his pranks.” Sri Krishna: “I am glad, Arjuna,You really want to learnAnd practiceWhat I teach. The Deva man has no fear.He causes fear in none.He is pure in thought and word and deed.He knows the true from the false. He is eager to give to those in needThe proper gift at the proper time.He is Lord of all his sensesThey cannot drag him, the way they go. He helps in plenty, studies fully, suffers gladly,Keeps himself straight, does not plan evil,Or speak a wee bit harsh…Or act without love to hurt or pain. He is honest, anger-free, detached and coolForgets other’s faults, is kind.He is a hero, who can keep desires in check.He is ashamed to mix with evil men and things. Unmoved by outer charm, he finds no taste in praise.Intelligent, patient, bold and calm,Devoid of itch to cause any harmThese are the signs of the Deva man. And let Me tell you,You areAlmost,One!” Arjuna: “Now,Krishna,How to spot the Asura man?That I may keep him far, far away!”

Gita: The Song of Life – 9 Arjuna: “I…I see these,Spanning space,A thousand suns,With stars, twinkling in your hair. Lo! All the heavens, in Thy halo!All the hells, beneath Thy feet!Cascades of fire, electric streaks‘Round Your fearful face! I see:Me and my cousins there—Elders, teachers,Uncles, brothers— Your crushing and crunching,Your pouring forth and drawing inA million worlds,A billion souls… Krishna! Krishna! Enough! Enough!Pray, be my dear Krishna, soon—Tender, slender,Soft.” Sri Krishna: “Here,I am by your side—Your whip, your friend, and charioteer;Dear fellow, look at Me!” Arjuna: “Do You ask me, Lord,To worship—As this cosmic, all-inclusive power—This all-pervasive energy? Or,Can I prefer the charming formYou have become now,Again?” Sri Krishna: “Arjuna, the first is the best, the hardest test;But, it is beyond the reach of most!Choose the second,And live for Me. Live by Me,In Me, with Me—All the time,And everywhere.” Arjuna: “In You, with You,For You, By You?I am afraid, oh Lord,I might fail.” Sri Krishna: “You can succeed,If you march on, boldly.For I lead you by the hand—When you march. Or, if you can’t,Get busy…In works that add to the glory of your God!Be good. See good. Do good. Or, if this, too, frightens you,Do your work as best as you can,And if that is offered to Me,And be content—for then, you get my grace. Or, if you feel week, too week for this,Do every work,But, do not calculate how much you gain—Or lose. Hear Me, ArjunaThe surest,And quickest—path—To get from Me the grace, I long to grant. Have pity in your heart—And mercy…In your hand,And understanding in your brain. Strong in faith, calm, content,Pure, perfect—love, for the sake of love.Your body is a field, where weeds grow wild—Ego, anger, greed, and hate. I am the knower of the field—And let Me confide in you:I am the very field!All these I became, when I willed the many. Grace is gained, when many is seen as One!But, the gunas, they decide your point of view,Grace or glory,Or just living and dying!”

Gita: The Song of Life – 8 Sri Krishna tells Arjuna to master the mind by dhyana (contemplation or intense concentration) and derive jnana (wisdom and understanding) and bhakti (devotion, adoration and emotional yearning). In chapter nine He tells us that everything is divine. Krishna reveals that He pervades the entire universe not in form but beyond the form—He is formless. He is rooted in all the beings and is the essence of the atom, minerals, or any other matter—living or non-living. He says that He is Sat-Chit-Ananda (being, awareness, bliss). Sri Krishna: “All humans die,But each believesIn everlasting lifeFor sure. There is, in all, an ‘I’ that cannot fade;The body dies; but the Atma is Sat;It ever is—It is never no. How can I neglect you, when you try to beBetter and purer and nearer to Me?‘I am Yours,’ you say;‘You are Mine,’ I reply. With no other thought,If you live, in Me, I shall be beside you,Easing the weight—Here, in your life, and even beyond. Offer Me a leaf—Your senses, pure;A flower—your thought;A fruit—your deed; And a tear or twoThat drop the right.I welcome these—More than gems or gold.” Arjuna: “It is so simpleAs You advise;Leaf and flower,Fruit and tears… Seem quite easy.But you requireSenses,Mind and thought and deed.” Sri Krishna: “Why fear when I am hereTo help?When you take one step,I am nearer you, by ten! Whatever you give,Whatever you take,Give, as you give Me.Take, as a gift from Me. You may call on your God,But I respond, as He;You may worship any form, butI am the one adored!” Arjuna: “You are here; You are there;You are everywhere;You were and areAnd will ever Be But now, You appearEnmeshed in time and space.Does Your gloryEnvelope all the globes?” Sri Krishna: “I am the solar orb, star and satellite,Planets, comets, and galaxies.I am the first and last and middle, too!I am the best and worst, the cosmos and the cell. My hands and feet, My eyes and ears are everywhere—Seeing, hearing, in and through—unseen, unheard;I am the fire, fed by vital airs, which digest the foodThe living eat—bite or lick, swallow or chew.” Arjuna: “Give me the chanceTo see in You.Your cosmic glory,I plead with You! I see, in You,A brother-in-law;I pray for vision of Your truest truth!How long am I to hug untruth?” Sri Krishna: “But, Arjuna, those, your eyesAre frail and feeble,They cannot see My glory;They fail! Come,I’ll give you the other eye,The inner one,The wisdom eye! Now, see and shudder;Watch and thrill.You come and learn;Fill the heart with bliss!”

Gita: The Song of Life – 6 Sri Krishna tells Arjuna to master the mind by dhyana (contemplation or intense concentration) and derive jnana (wisdom and understanding) and bhakti (devotion, adoration and emotional yearning). In chapter nine He tells us that everything is divine.  Krishna reveals that He pervades the entire universe not in form but beyond the form—He is formless. He is rooted in all the beings and is the essence of the atom, minerals, or any other matter—living or non-living. He says that He is Sat-Chit-Ananda (being, awareness, bliss).  Arjuna: “Krishna!The mind, did You say?—A steady flame?No spurt, no quiver? No splatter?But how,Dear Lord?It is very hard. It is ever on the move!No halt for the flit.Can wind be rolled and packed?Can water be sliced and hacked?” Sri Krishna: “I do not impose an impossible task;By daily practice,You can succeed.Lessen your wants—the mind gets weak. It cannot be your master, then.You have the power—the mind is yours;It must obey,Be put down by you, by dhyana. Derive jnana,Duty, devotion, discipline;They reveal you as I—And I as all!” Arjuna: “Stay, stay, stay, stay…You may be all—But,How can I be You?” Sri Krishna: “There is nothingOther than Me.I am the leastAnd the largest. The food is ‘I’;The fire is ‘I’;The cook, the plate, the eater—is ‘I’.The hunger is Mine; the relief is Mine. The work you do with added strength—is MineThe fruit of work—is Mine, not yours.I am the One and only—no second, anywhere.I willed; Let Me be many!And I becameEverything you see and hear…Smell and touch and taste—is ‘I’. My thought, My word, My deed,I am the goal, the guardian,God. The source, the flow, the sea,The seed, the tree, the fruit.Only fools will say I am just a man—For they see Me, in this human form. I am the good and bad, the joy and pain,The sun, the earth, the sky and outer space;Your Atma—a spark; your body—a speck;From Me they arose; in Me they merge! Man wants to move from darknessInto the light, to know things clearer,To know his ‘self’—And nature and God. For the Atma is the chit; it is always aware;Man craves for lasting joy, joy that does not debase or cloy;For the Atma is the anand, that is always full and free;I Myself, am ‘Sat-Chit-Ananda’.”

Gita: The Song of Life – 5 Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that action [karma] cannot be avoided. Even the simple acts of maintaining our bodies are actions. We must discriminate and not follow our desires and fancies, but master them and decide how, when, and where to act. He further says that the four divisions of society are not rigid or unmovable. Through the cooperative efforts of the  four divisions—Brahmins (learned people), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers), Vysyas (traders), and Sudras (farmers and laborers)—and adhering to their respective duties, the welfare of the whole world will be assured. Accepting this diversity will contribute to real unity. Arjuna: But I have heard of another fourWho each emerged, as the Vedas say,From face and arms and thighs and feet—Of the one eternal cosmic God.” Sri Krishna: Another four?When God’s own voice, the Veda, declares,Understand it rightly,Partha, dear! Brahmins—they say, from cosmic person’s face;Kshatriyas—from cosmic person’s arms;Vysyas—from cosmic person’s thighs;Sudras—from cosmic person’s feet. All four do form the body of God;Each limb needs the other three,For its own health and strength:Workers, traders, fighters, teachers— Artha, dharma, kama, moksha—Each group in charge of one goal;Their karma flow, the mental bent—These decide the group, the caste.” Arjuna: “Krishna!Is karma such a tyrant force?Are they boundBy iron destiny?” Sri Krishna: “It is the ‘I’ that binds the doer,The ego ‘I,’ that gloats and grieves.When you hug the deed as ‘mine,’You are bound in chains and born again. Say to yourself:‘Not I—but HE. I am just an instrument.I am a puppet dancing on the stage.He pulls the strings, I enact the role.’ Be a lotus-leaf on water, not wet.Float, as a boat on the angry flood,But do not allow the water in.This is the yagna you are born to do.” Arjuna: “Yagna? That word means a vedic rite,To get from the Gods a boon.How can I, a warrior,Be duty-bound, to yagnas in this life?” Sri Krishna: “ ‘Yagna’Has a deeper meaning.It is giving up—For gaining God. Your skills, let others share;Your knowledge, let others receive;Yagna is the very breath of life.It is fed by faith in the wisdom of the sage.” Arjuna: “The roots of faith, Krishna!Are eaten by pests—The pest of doubt,The pest of pride.” Sri Krishna: “Don’t loose heart and give up the gain.Sit quiet.Sit straight, in silence—For a while. Empty the mind; shut off the senses, five—And dwell on thoughts of Me alone.Your mind should be the candle flamePlaced on windless, window-sill. Say to yourself:‘I am in all; all in me.’Joys and sorrows, which others have, are yours—There are no ‘others’ at all.”

Gita: The Song of Life – 4 Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna that He comes down as an ‘avatar’—divine incarnation—to protect the good and the righteous and to destroy evil. He leads people on the path of peace and prosperity, perfection and righteous living. An avatar wills His birth as a human and is not bound by desires or destiny. He is pure, free, and chooses the circumstances of His incarnation which best suit His Divine mission. He then said that there are four types of devotees: i) those who worship God for success. ii) those that pray in distress and ask for protection and rescue. iii) devotees who are seekers of the light; they are not interested in money, fame, or comfort. iv) And lastly, the God realized one,  for them the whole world is a creation of God. Sri Krishna: “A doubt?Out with it,Partha!Doubt damages deep: Like the mole in the eye,The stone in the shoe,The thorn in the sole,The worm in the ear.” Arjuna: “How could…?When did Surya learn from You?You are over eighty; I am close behind.Manu, Surya, both did live—many an eon ago!” Sri Krishna: “I am not born—Neither do I die!Let Me reveal—You are equally free! For I am you, as Arjuna,—andYou are I, as Krishna!That is the truth,Though seldom believed! The prayersOf pure and noble mindsAnd the wrongsOf wicked throngs… Invite Me to take on human form—To heal, to cure, to teach, to save,To guide, from night—to light;To lead, from hate—to love. This task I take, whenever the need.Sages know Me and welcome, gladly.Many do not have the eye to see Me—In this human role of ‘Avatar’ play!” Arjuna: “Why are You so partial, Lord?The many deserve Your grace,Much more than the sage—Why deny them the touch of truth?” Sri Krishna: “Most people, Arjuna,Repeat this blame—And slander Me,Without end. I favor a fewAnd keep others afar!But it is they who stay away, and,It is these, who cling to me! Four groups, Arjuna, each worthy—more or less,Seek Me, secure Me, and serve Me.Those, diseased in body, brain, and mind—I lessen the pain, cancel the cause—or cure. Those who pine in poverty—They call on me for food or shelter,Light and love,I bless them; the need is met; they rejoice! Those who search for God,In books and nooks andTrek through hill and dale, in vain—They come and wonder, ruminate and rest. The last but verily, the first,I most do love—The realized ones,Ever alone, in bliss divine!”

Gita: The Song of Life – 3 Sri Krishna: “Listen to me, Partha,I am busy as you see,But I have no need or want or wish;If I am idle, mankind will idle, too! You too must work.Be an example—and great.You eat; you breathe; you sleep and wake.You think and feel—you cannot but! Plant and insect, stone and stump,Wind and rain, both heat and cold—Each does operate, as per My plan!No one, nothing—can escape work. Be calm, collected,Steady, straight!Be a sthithaprajna,On the battlefield!” Arjuna: “Sthithaprajna?What type of man is that?If I must be one,Please tell me how!” Sri Krishna: “Man longs for this and that—He wishes to own.The wish opposed, breeds anger;It makes his vision dim. And he can’t stick to the moral path,For he loses reason,His dearest treasure.That leads man to calamity. But sthithaprajna is wiser!He is rooted in his reality!He is happy with inner bliss.He is the seer not the seen. No pang of grief,No thrill of joy—He is atma, soul,Untouched by both. Virtue his breath,God his goalOthers sleep, when his body tiresAnd wake, when his mind awakes. His night is when the mind is on;His day dawns, when the mind is off.This is the wisdom, I once did teach—To Surya and Manu, in ages passed. You, my closest pupil,Thickest friend,Can learn it now—From Me!” Arjuna: “Stop! Stop! Stop!… Surya? Manu?How could it be?I am bothered by a doubt;It hurts me so!”