Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 - The Yoga of Knowledge

In the Bhagavad Gita - Text and Commentary by Sri Sivananda (Sivananda Press Durban SA) Chapter 2 is The Yoga of Knowledge or Sankhya Yoga.

Sanjaya explains Arjuna's condition as being agitated by attachment and fear.

With Arjuna, being overcome by pity and and despondent, Lord Krishna rebukes him for his dejection, which was due to Moha or attachment, and exhorts him to fight. After failing to convince Sri Krishna through his seemingly wise thoughts, Arjuna realises his helplessness and surrenders himself completely to the Lord, seeking His guidance to get over the conflict of his mind.

Lord Krishna takes pity on him and proceeds to enlighten him by various means. He explains to Arjuna the imperishable nature of the Atman, for which there is no past, present or future. The Atman never dies, therefore Arjuna should not grieve. Krishna further explains that Atma or the Self transcends the five elements (earth, fire, water, air and ether); cannot be cut, burned or dried. The nature of Atma (the Self) is unchanging and eternal.

Arjuna is informed that pleasure and pain, hot and cold is felt by everyone because of the contact of the senses. The senses carries the sensations through the nerves to the mind and that one should be able to withdraw the senses from the objects. Krishna asserts that only one who has the capacity to be balanced in pleasure and pain alike is fit for immortality. Arjuna is told that if he does not fight and flees the battle, he will condemned as being coward ( action unworthy of a warrior).

After Arjuna is taught about the immortal nature of the Atman, he is then informed about the performance of action without the attachment to the fruit (like gain or loss, defeat or victory.) His actions should be perform with a balanced mind. Krishna advises Arjuna to fight, free from desire for acquisition of kingdom or preservation of it.

Arjuna wants to know the characteristics of the man with a stable mind. This person, Krishna says, will have no desires at all. This person is content, having realised the Self. Lord Krishna describes such a person as not being affected by adversity and will have no fear or anger. He takes things as they come. The stable minded man has perfect control of the senses, as the senses draw the mind outwards. The Yogi, having achieved a stable mind, remains steadfast even though all sense-objects come to him. He is unmoved and lives a life of eternal peace.

Finally, Krishna concludes that the eternal Brahmic state frees one from delusion forever. Even at the end of life, when one departs from this body, one does not lose consciousness of one's identity with Brahman.

See related video clip (the first part of Chapter 2):

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