Chapter-7Knowledge and Realization[In this chapter Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, how he can be searched and researched by intelligence.]Lord Said:Oh Arjuna, by listening to meWith your mind fixed in me,With your mind depending on me,After learning yoga well,You would know me completely,And without any doubt, in your mind. 1I would teach you fully that knowledge,Together with realization and experience,After learning which there would be,Nothing left to learn in this world. 2One in thousand men tries to becomeLearned in the knowledge of perfection,And only one of those learned menReally know Me in reality. 3My nature is split in toThe eight fold division ofEarth, water, fire, air, ether,Mind, wisdom and pride. 4But this is only my baser nature,And different from this, Oh Arjuna,Is my higher form, which is in the form of soul,By which this entire world is sustained. 5Please understand that all things,Are born to these two forms of living and non living,And I am the origin and source of destruction,To the entire world, consisting of these two forms. 6Oh Arjuna, There is nothing,Higher or bigger than me,For like the beads strung on a thread,Everything else is strung on me. 7Oh Son of Kunthi, I am the taste of water,The light of the Sun and the moon,The letter Om of the Vedas,The manhood in all men,And the sound of the sky. 8I am the earthy scent of mud,And the glowing light of fire.I am the soul of all the living,And the austerity of the sages. 9Oh Arjuna, understand me as the seed,Which is primeval of everything that you see,As the wisdom of the wise,And the prowess of the heroic. 10Oh greatest among the Bharata clan,I exist among the strong ones asThe power without desire and attachment,And as the desire not opposed to just duty,Among all beings that roam. 11Please know that that the serene,Active and base states are born out of me,But please do understand that I am,Not in them but they are in me. 12In the form of these three states,The entire world exists in delusion,And does not understand me,Who is stable and outside of these three states. 13This divine illusion of mine,Which is based on these three states,Is extremely difficult to surmount,And those who surrender themselves to me,Easily cross this divine illusion of mine. 14Those ignorant people drowned in the mire of sin,And those wicked souls, who have lost,Their wisdom due to this deep delusion,And those with the attitude of demons,Do not take refuge in me or worship me. 15Oh Arjuna, those who are distressed greatly,Those who are in search of wisdom,Those who are searching for wealth,And also the wise man, are the four people,Who always worship me. 16Among them the wise man who is,Daily in contact with me and who has devotion,To the single entity is the best.For it is for definite that I am very dear to him,And he indeed is very dear to me. 17Though all of them are great,I am of the opinion that,Among them the wise man is the best.He being constantly in my communion,Always tries to reach me,As there are no other higher aims. 18After several births, this wise man,Realizing that everything is the universal godhead,Reaches me and such a person is rare indeed. 19There are others, who are swayed,By particular desires that attract them,Who are ignorant, follow particular rites,For praying to particular deities, 20To the person who wants to be a devotee,For whichever god he addresses with faith,I make his faith extremely unflinching. 21He with type of stable faith,Worships the God of his choice,With great willingness andGets fulfilled those desires,Given to him by me. 22But for them, who are of lesser wisdom,That type of benefit would be temporary,For those who worship demigods attain them only,And those of my devotees always attain me. 23Those ignorant ones do not understand,My divine form which never changes,Which does not have any thing above it,And think that I have attained a form*,While I am never born and have no form. 24*incarnationI am not understood, by many people,Because I am hidden by the divine illusion,And this world which has lost its wisdom,Does not understand me who am birth less,As well as the one who undergoes no change. 25Oh Arjuna, I understand clearly the past,The present and the future happenings,But no one understands and knows me. 26Oh Terror to his enemies, Oh Arjuna,Even as soon they are born, all beings,Are born with the twin delusions,Of desire and aversion. 27But those who do good deeds,Get rid of the effect of bad actions,And get freedom from these twin ties of desire,And would firmly worship me with devotion. 28Those who try to surrender to me,For getting rid of death and old age,Would know about the ultimate truth,And all about the science of the embodied self,*And also the dynamic action in full. 29* The word used is Adhyathma.This is explained in the next chapterThose who know me with the concerns,Of beings, gods and sacrifices*Fix that idea in their deep mind,And know about me even at their death. 30*The words used are Adhibhootham, Adhidaivam and Adhiyagnam. These are explained in the next chapter.Thus ends the Seventh Chapter of Bhagwad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called Knowledge and Realization.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-8The Non Decaying Ultimate Spirit[Several words indicated by the Lord in the last chapter are explainedin this chapter. This chapter also describes the two types of death,one in which there is rebirth and another in which there is no rebirth.]Arjuna asked:Hey greatest among men, what is that Brahmam?What is Adhyathmam? What is karma?What does Adhibhootha indicate in reality?Which is really called Adhidaivatham? 1Hey killer of Madhu, Who is Adhiyagna in this body?How is it? And how does a man at his death bed,Who has restrained himself, know about and realize you? 2* see last two verses of Chapter 7Lord said:The highest imperishable entity is Brahman,Its existence as the embodied soul is Adhyathmam,Those sacrifice which leads to origin and development,Of all beings and events is called Karma. 3The perishable body is called Adhibhootham,The cosmic being who activates is Adhidaivam,And Oh best among all beings, I myself am,Called Adhiyagna of this body. 4He who lives in this perishable body,Even when the end is very near,If he has memory of mine deeply within him,Without any doubt reaches me. 5Oh Son of Kunthi, he attains that,Which had always occupied his mindOr that which occupies his mind,At the time of the parting of the soul. 6So always keep thinking of me,And also fight in the war and,If you always keep your mind and brain,On me, you will surely attain me. 7Oh Arjuna, He who thinks of the Supreme Being,With constant practice of yoga,Which does not stray from thoughts to thoughts,Attains him without any doubt. 8He, who meditates at the time of the parting of the soul,On Him, who knows everything that is to be known,Who is ancient, who is ruler of everything,Who is smaller than the atom, who is the sustainer of all,Who has a form transcending thought, who is resplendent like the sunAnd who is beyond darkness of ignorance with devotion and stable mind,And fixes the life breath between his eye brows,Using the great power and strength of yogaWould definitely reach that Supreme Being. 9-10I would tell you now in brief,About that imperishable being,Which is described as non perishable,By those with deep knowledge of Vedas,And which is sought as a refuge by those aspirants,Who have left out all desires,And lead a life of abstinence,With a deep desire of attaining that. Being. 11He who closes all doors to his senses,Parks his mind in his heart,Fixes the breath of life in his head,And enters the state of yoga,Chanting the letter Om,Which is the single letter Brahman,And leaves his body,With my thought in his mind,Attains the highest ever state. 12-13Oh Arjuna, My access is very easy,For him, who daily without any break,Thinks about me only and does not,Think of any thing else and who,Leads a life of a yogi with constant regularity. 14Those great souls who have attained,The highest state of salvation,Reach me and do not takeThe transient and sad rebirth. 15Oh Arjuna, all the worlds includingThe word of Brahma, provide youTemporary shelter which is not permanent.Oh son of Kunthi, but once they reach me,They are never born again. 16Those men who know Brahma's day,As lasting for one thousand yugas*,And his night lasting for one thousand yugas,Are the only one who knows the day and night. 17* One yuga is 12000 deva years and the deva year is of 360 days, whereeach of their day is man's one year. This can be known to yogis only.When the day* comes, all beings,Become separate and come out ofThe state of absence of clarity,And when the night comes they merge back. 18*Reference here is to the Brahma's day when creation takes place.All the crowd of living and the non living beings,Come to existence, several times during the day,And during night they disappear and are absorbed,And when again the day comes, they come out helplessly. 19Besides this unclear*, and indiscernible beings,There is another unclear and indiscernible entity,Which is perennial and that entity,Is stable and never gets destroyed. 20*The first entity referred to is nature and the second the perennial Brahmam.That unclear entity which never gets destroyed,Is referred to as the highest supreme goal,And attaining that goal, one never returns,And this is my supreme state. 21Oh Arjuna, that in which every other thing,Can exist inside, and that great supreme being,Who pervades in every known place,Can be easily attained by devotion,Which is single pointed and perpetual. 22Oh Arjuna, please hear from me,About that period of times in which,Yogis who depart, return or not return? 23Those who die in the light caused by fire,During day time, during the waxing period of moon,During northern solstice and are the devotees of Brahmam,Would eventually attain the Brahmam. 24Those who die when there is smoke,Or during night, during the waning phase of moon,And during the southern solstice and are,Well versed in yoga, attain the moon,And return back to earth. 25It is for sure that, these bright and dark paths,Are considered to be two eternal paths,By one path they do not return back,And by the other they return back. 26Oh Arjuna, the yogi who understands these paths,Is never, ever disappointed and so be always,Becomes endowed by being an expert in yoga. 27The Yogi attains all the good things,Assured by practice of the Vedic chant,By performing fire sacrifices,By ascetism and by charity,Because of his clear understanding of the above. 28Thus ends the Eighth Chapter of Bhagwad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called Non Decaying Ultimate Spirit* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-9The Active Knowledge which is the Secret[Lord Krishna points out that people with specific targets attain only them and the one who does all actions surrendering to the supreme spirit, reaches him and merges with him.]Lord said:I would tell you, who is bereft of jealousy,That knowledge, which is extremely secret,Which is full of real reasoning,And which frees you from the curse of ignorance. 1This is the king of all knowledge,Greatest among secrets, holy,Pure, one which can be experienced,Very easy to follow, which is imperishable,And which does not swerve from the just path. 2Oh devotee of the supreme, those men,Who are not interested in this dharma,Do not attain me and reenter the path,Of the ordinary world after their death. 3This entire world is fully occupied,By me, who is not visible to any one,And all the materials here are within me,But I am not within them always. 4Also none of the beings are within me,For please see my divine glory,And realize that my soul sustains other beings,Protects them but I am not within them. 5Like the immeasurable air that wandersAll over, but is contained within the sky,Understand that all beings are contained within me. 6Oh son of Kunthi, all beings at the end of the cycle,Merge within my nature completely andI give rise to them again at the beginning of the new cycle. 7These beings which are in the control of my nature,Become completely dependent on my nature, and,I give rise to them again at the beginning of the new cycle. 8Oh Arjuna, these activities do not tie me up,Because I am not attached to any activity,And remain as if I am not interested in them. 9Due to my supervision, Nature,Gives birth to movable and immovable things,Oh son of Kunthi, due to this,All of them revolve between states of existence. 10Not understanding me, who am lord of all beings,And not understanding my exalted nature,Fools disregard me, when I take the human form. 11These ignorant people with vain desires,With vain jobs, which are being done by them,With vain wisdom and with shattered knowledge,Would adopt deceptive demoniac forms. 12But the great souls of this world,Obey my godliness and without any doubts,Worship me, who am at the beginning,And at the end of all beings and things. 13They always worship me with firm discipline,With stable efforts and great devotion,And serve me with steadfast love towards me. 14Others worship me as the unified one,Through the clear knowledge of my form,And yet others worship me, who has faces all over,As unified or as having separate forms. 15I am the rituals, I am the sacrifice,I am the offering to the manes,I am the medicine, I am the chants,I am the ghee, I am the fire,And I am also the sacrificial offering in the fire. 16I am the father and mother of this world,I look after it; I am its grandpa, further,I am the one to be understood,I am purity; I am the letter Om,And I am the Rik, Yajur and Sama Vedas. 17I am the goal, I am the sustainer,I am the Lord, I am the witness,I am the abode, I am the refuge,I am the friend, I am the source,I am the destroyer, I am the support,I am the repository and the eternal seed. 18Oh Arjuna, I give rise to heat,I restrain and let loose the rain,I am the death as well as immortality,I am the existence and non existence. 19Those who learn the three Vedas,Worship me with fire sacrifices,Get purified of their sins, by drinking Soma,And request for going to the heaven.Their good deeds take them to the land of Indra,And they enjoy the same pleasures asMerited by the holy devas. 20They enjoy that extensive heaven,And once the effect of their,Good deeds is completely eroded,Come back to this land of humans,Thus, those that follow the path of the Vedas,Who are infatuated by pleasure,Spend their lives in going and coming. 21I look after the welfare of those,Stable minded and great devotees,Who do not think of anything except me,And worship me through meditation. 22Oh Son of Kunthi, even those individuals,Who worship other gods with steadfast devotion,They really worship me, not following the right path. 23For, am I not him who takes the fruit,Of all sacrifices and also the,God who grants blessings as a result of them?But they do not realize me properly,And return back to this mortal world. 24While the people who worship devas, attain themThose who worship the manes attain them,Those who worship evil spirits attain them,And those who worship me attain me. 25If someone offers me with clean mind and great devotion,Either a leaf or flower or fruits or water,I happily accept that which is offered by him. 26Oh son of Kunthi, whatever you do,Be it eating or worshipping or giving in charity,Or doing meditation with austerity,Do it after, offering it to me. 27By doing like this you would get freedom,From the bonds of good and evil action,And after getting freedom, you would,Come to me with a heart of renunciation. 28I am in equal measure in all beings,As I do not hate anybody nor love anybody,But those who worship me with great devotion,Are within me and I am within them. 29Even if a man with evil habits, worships me,Without any other aim or desire,I would consider him as a good man,For he has taken the right decision. 30He would become a righteous soul soon,And reach the stable and peaceful state,And so, Oh son of Kunthi, proclaim to this world,That a devotee of mine never perishes. 31Oh Arjuna, It is a fact that,Women, businessmen, workers,And people of other lower birth,Once they surrender to me,Reach me, the highest supreme goal. 32When this is a fact, is it necessary,To tell again, about the Brahmins with good deeds,And great sages of royal nature?So having reached this unpleasant and temporary world,Worship only me with devotion and sacrifice. 33Please become, one who thinks of me,One who is my devotee, one who worships me,And one who always salutes me.For if you consider me as your divine goal,Single mindedly, you would attain me. 34Thus ends the Ninth Chapter of Bhagwad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Active Knowledge which is the Secret.Chapter-10The Manifestations of God[Though God is everywhere and in everything, his manifestations stand out in some persons/things. Lord Krishna gives a brief list of such persons/things where his manifestation stands out.]Lord said:Oh mighty armed one, please again,Hear my pleasant words,Which are being told to you,With a desire to do you good. 1My greatness is not fully realized by devas,Nor sages even though I am the primal cause,Of all the devas and all the sages. 2He among men, who knows me,As the one without beginning,One without birth and the,God of all the worlds, is the one,Who is really wise and is bereft of sins. 3Intelligence, wisdom, freedom from delusion,Patience, truthfulness, control over senses,Tranquility, happiness, sorrow, birth, death,Fear, freedom from fear, non violence,Balance in thought, contentment, austerity,Charity, fame, notoriety, and other such properties,Are born out of me in to all beings. 4-5Those ancestors of the present day beings,Like the seven sages, four sons of Brahma,And all the Manus are strong persons like me,And were born out of my mind. 6There is no doubt that those who know,This glory and power of mine, attainThe unshakable state of yoga. 7The men who are wise realize,That I am the source of everything,And everything acts through my power,And see me everywhere and in everything,And constantly worship me. 8They become happy and satisfied,Keeping their thoughts on me,Keeping their soul directed to me,And teaching each other about me. 9I give that divine wisdom which will,Help them to reach and attain me,To those who are very stable,And who serve me with love and devotion. 10For blessing them, I live in their heart,And light the lamp of divine wisdom in them,And drive away the darkness caused by ignorance. 11Arjuna asked:You are the divine Brahman,And the sacred place of attainment,And all great sages including Narada,Asitha, Devala and Vyasa call you,As the first God and eternal being,Who is divine and the birth less one,And you are also saying the same thing. 12-13Oh Kesava, I realize fully,That whatever you tell me is the truth,But I know that neither the devas nor asuras,Know anything about your divine form. 14Oh greatest among all beings,Oh creator of everything,Oh Lord of everything in this world,Oh the great God of all gods,Oh ruler of all this earth,I know that you alone know yourself. 15So I think that it is only proper,To request you to tell me those manifestations,Through which you pervade this entire world. 16Oh great yogi, be pleased to tell me,How I should concentrate and think about you,And fully understand you?Please tell me in what all objects,I should think and meditate about you. 17Oh Janardhana please tell me in detail once more,About your yogic power and your manifestations,For I am still not satisfied by the nectar,Which I have been drinking by my ears, so far. 18Lord said:Well, oh greatest among the Kuru clan,I would tell you about my manifestations,Which are important, for if I tell them on detail,Such a narration will never end. 19Oh Arjuna, I am the soul,That resides in the heart of all beings,And I am the beginning, middle and end,Of all the beings that is known. 20Of the sons of Adithi, I am Lord Vishnu,Among the shining objects, I am the Sun God,Among the Marut sons of Dithi, I am Marichi,And among the stars, I am the moon. 21Among the Vedas, I am the Sama Veda,Among the devas, I am Indra,Among the senses, I am the mind,And within the animal, I am their brain. 22Among the eleven Rudras, I am Lord Shiva,Among the Yakshas, I am Kubhera,Among the eight Vasus, I am the Fire God,Among the peaks, I am the divine Meru. 23Among the priests, I am the Brahaspathi,Among the commanders, I am Lord Subramanya,And among the water bodies, I am the sea. 24Among the great sages, I am Bhrugu,Among the words, I am the letter Om,Among the sacrifices, I am the sacrifice of chanting,And among the immovable, I am the Himalayas. 25Among the trees, I am the holy banyan tree,Among the deva sages, I am Narada,Among the gandharwas, I am Chithra Ratha,And among the perfect souls, I am the sage Kapila. 26Among the horses, I am Uchaisravas,Born along with nectar, from the ocean of milk,Among the great elephants, I am Iravatha,And among men, know me as their king. 27Among the weapons, I am the Vajrayudha,Among the cows, I am the wish giving Kama Dhenu,Among those who create, I am the god of love,And among serpents, I am Vasuki. 28Among the many hooded snakes, I am Adhi Sesha,Among beings living in water, I am Varuna,Among the manes, I am Aryama,And among those who punish, I am Lord Yama. 29Among the sons of Dithi, I am Prahladha,Among the calculators, I am time,Among the animals, I am the lion,And among the birds, I am the eagle. 30Among those who move fast, I am the wind,Among the armed beings, I am Lord Rama,Among the fishes, I am the shark,And among the rivers, I am the Ganga. 31Oh Arjuna, among those created beings,I am their beginning, middle and end,Among knowledge, I am the science of the soul,And among those who argue, I amThat argument which searches for the truth. 32Among the alphabets, I am the first letter Aa,And among compound words, I am,The two word combination with equal emphasis on both,I am the also the deathless time, and I am,The one with faces everywhere, who protects. 33I am the death that steals everything,I am the originator of everything that is created,Among the women, I am goddess Lakshmi and Saraswathi,And I am also the goddess of fame, memory,Stability, Wisdom and patience. 34Among the songs of the Veda, I am the great Sama,Among the meters, I am Gayathri,Among the months, I am November-December,And among the seasons, I am the flowering spring. 35Among those who cheat, I am gambling,I am the strength of those who are strong,I am the victory, I am the steadfast effort,And I am the goodness of the good. 36Among the clan of Vrushnis, I am Krishna,Among the Pandavas, I am Arjuna,Among the great sages, I am Vyasa,And among the poets I am Shukra. 37In the hands of those who punish, I am the rod,Among those who want to win, I am justice,In matters which are secret, I am silence,And among the wise, I am the wisdom. 38Oh Arjuna, among all matters,I am that which is their root,If you ask me, whether there are,Any moving or not moving things,In which I am not there, the answer is no. 39Oh tormentor of his enemies, there is no limit,To my manifestations proving divinity,And what has been told aboveIs but in brief, the chronicle of my manifestations. 40Anything which proves my manifestation,Or looks like having the sign of glory,Or exists as the greatly great power,It has to be understood asA part of my power which has materialized. 41But Arjuna, What advantage would you get,By the knowledge of these and please understand,That I am firmly supporting all the worlds,Using a small portion of my divine power. 42Thus ends the Tenth Chapter of Bhagwad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Manifestations of God* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-11Seeing of the Universal Form[Lord Krishna shows his universal form to Arjuna. Seeing that fearfulform of the Lord, Arjuna is made to realize that all his enemies havealready been killed and he is but an instrument in the hands of God.]Arjuna asked:The words you told with an aim to bless me,Are very secret and clearly explain the science of the soul,And those words have removed my delusion. 1Oh lotus eyed one, have I not heard from you,In detail about birth and death of all beings,And also I heard about your perennial greatness. 2Oh greatest God, I have realized you fully,The way that you chose to explain to me,But Oh greatest Lord, I also desire,To see your great form in reality. 3Oh Lord, if you think that I am fit to see that,Oh God of all yogas, please be kind enough,To show me that non perishable form. 4Lord said:Oh Arjuna, please see my divine form,Which is of different kinds, which is,Of different hues and shapes and,Which are in hundreds and thousands. 5Please see in me the adithyas, Vasus,Rudras, Aswini devas and Maruths,Please also see my never before seen forms. 6Oh Arjuna, now please see togetherThe entire stable and unstable world,And also all that you wanted to see in me. 7But you would not be able to see me,Using the normal eyes that you have,And I am giving you a divine sight,Which would help you understand my godliness. 8Sanjaya said:Oh king, after telling these words,Lord Hari who is the lord of all yoga,Showed Arjuna his divine godly form. 9That form had many faces and eyes,Many greatly surprising sights,Wearing many heavenly ornaments,And armed with many divine weapons. 10That form wore several celestial garlands and apparels,Anointed with divine sandal paste and greatly wonderful,Resplendent, limitless and having faces on all sides. 11If by chance one thousand suns,Adore the sky with their shine,Then that great being's light,Would be some what equal to it. 12Then that son of Pandu saw in the body,Of the great god of gods,The entire world with all its divisions. 13After this, that Arjuna filled with wonder,And all his hairs of the body standing erect,Started telling like this, after saluting Him. 14Arjuna said:Oh God of gods, I am seeing in your body,All devas, similarly hosts of other beings,Lord Brahma sitting on the lotus,All sages and all celestial serpents. 15Oh God of the universe, Oh God with universal form,I see your limitless form with many hands, many bellies,Many mouths and many eyes, wherever I turn,And I am not able to see your end, beginning or middle. 16I am seeing everywhere all around,Your immeasurable form, wearing a crown,Holding a mace and the holy wheel,And which shines in all directions,Which is a ball of light blinding my eyes,Which appears like a fire burning bright,And which is resplendent like the Sun. 17I believe, that you are imperishable,A divine form, a thing to be known,The resting place of this universe,A person who never decays andAlways preserves the great tenets of eternal religion,And that you are the primeval being. 18I am seeing you as one without,Beginning, middle and end,As one with limitless powers,With innumerable hands,With Sun and moon as your eyes,With the raging fire as your mouth,And one who heats the world by his light. 19Oh great being, is it not true that the spaceBetween the sky and the earth is filledCompletely by your great form?All directions and all the three worlds,Are extremely afraid and trembling,Seeing this wonderful and terrible form of yours. 20Very many Gods are entering within you,Very many of them, who are frightened,Are praising you, with saluted hands,While bands of great sages and perfect souls,Are uttering the words, Let there be peace,And are also singing your praise. 21You are being seen with sense of awe.By Rudras, Vasus, Sadhyas,Viswedevas, Aswini devas, maruthsThe manes who take vapour as food,Gandharwas, Yakshas, AsurasAnd hosts of perfect beings. 22Oh great warrior, all the world and also me,Are trembling with fear seeing your great form,With several mouths, several faces, several eyes,Several shoulders, thighs and feet,And several bellies, several teeth and tusk. 23Oh Vishnu, seeing your form which touches the sky,Which is resplendent, which is multi coloured,Which has open mouths and which has broad eyes spitting fire,I am having a trembling heart and am not able to,Have even traces of courage and peace. 24Oh Lord of all devas, seeing your mouth,With tusks and resembling the fire at deluge,I am benumbed and not able to see any directions.And also I am not able to attain mental peace,And so be pleased with me, Oh abode of the universe. 25All the sons of Drutharashtra, along with,Hoards of kings who rule the world,And also Bheeshma, Drona, Karna, the son of a charioteer,And also many of our own warrior chiefs,Are rushing in to your very fearful jaws with teeth,And some of them are seen with smashed heads,Caught in between the spaces between your teeth. 26-27Similar to the rushing of the currents of water,To the great ocean, these human warriors,Are entering your mouth, which has flames all around. 28Similar to the moths rushing towards the flaming light,Towards their destruction, the beings of the world,Are also speedily rushing in to your mouth to die. 29Hey Vishnu, You are swallowing the world,By your mouth which is full of flames,And also licking them from all sides,And your fierce rays which glow,Is filling the world with radiance and burning it. 30Oh fierce looking God, please tell me who you are?And let my salutations become yours and oh great deva,Please show mercy on me as I am interested,In knowing about you who is primeval,As I have not really understood you properly. 31Lord said:I am the terrible time that destroys people,And am here to destroy the world and even without you,All those enemy soldiers who are assembled here,Would not live for any more time. 32So you please get up, win over the enemies,And gain fame as well as enjoy the benefits,Of the great kingdom which is filled with wealth,Please also understand hat I have already killed them,And also understand that you are only an apparent,Reason for killing them, Oh Arjuna*. 33*Here Arjuna is addressed as one who is capable of using the bow with left hand.Please kill Drona, Bheeshma, Jayadratha,Karna and all other great warriors,Who have been already killed by me,Don't be afraid and become sad but fight. 34Sanjaya said:Hearing these words of Lord Kesava,Arjuna trembled and saluted him,And with great fear again saluted him,And with a faltering voice asked. 35Arjuna asked:It is only proper that the world becomes extremely joyous,And becomes attracted by singing your praise,And the rakshasas get frightened and run everywhereAnd all the host of perfected beings are saluting you. 36Oh great being, Oh endless one, Oh God of Devas,Oh abode of the world, why would they not,Salute you, for you never ever decay,You are the distinct, you are the indistinct,And also that which is beyond both of them. 37Oh Lord with endless form. Oh primeval God,Oh ancient God, you are the supreme repository,To this great universe, you know everything,You are that which is knowable, and alsoThe highest abode that pervades everywhere. 38You are the wind, you are the god of death,You are the fire, you are God of rain,You are the moon, you are the creator,You are the great grand sire and to you,I salute again, again and again,And also thousands of salutations to you. 39Oh God who is everything, salutations to you,From the front and from behind and from all sides,You are of limitless prowess and of limitless valour,And you pervade in everything,And you also become everything. 40Without realizing, the greatness of yours,And without knowing, this great form of yours,Because of my ignorance, and affection to you,I might have impertinently called you,Hey you Krishna, hey you Yadhava,And hey my pal and so Oh my lord Krishna,I beseech you, who is immeasurable,To pardon me for those insulting words,Told when we were playing, when we were lying down,While we were eating, while we were sitting together,While we were alone or while we were in company 41-42Oh God, who is the unrivalled power,You are the father of this world,Which is movable and immovable,You are the Lord fit to be worshipped,You are greater than the greatest being,And there is none in three worlds equal to you,And so how can there be any one greater than you? 43Oh God therefore I prostrate before you,Lying down on the ground before you,And beg to you, who is the worshipful lord,Please pardon all my mistakes and errors,Similar to the father pardoning his son,Similar to a friend pardoning his friend,And similar to the lover pardoning his sweetheart. 44Oh God, having seen that which I have not seen,I am elated and happy with joy and also,My mind is confused due to fear,And so please show me your normal form,Oh God, abode of the world, please be kind. 45I want to see you wearing the crown,Holding the mace and the wheel,And Oh God with thousand arms,Please become one with only four arms. 46Lord said:Oh Arjuna, having been pleased by you,I have shown this universal resplendent form,Which is beyond limits, which is primeval,Using my divine power and this form,Has not been seen by anybody other than you. 47Oh great warrior of the clan of Kurus,I cannot be seen by studies of Vedas,Or sacrifices or by charity or by rituals,Or by doing austere penances, in this form,By any one in this mortal world, other than you. 48Please do not get afraid or deluded by seeingThis fearful form of mine and get rid of your fear,Become happy and see that form of mine,Which used to be seen by you before. 49Sanjaya said:The Lord after saying this to Arjuna,Appeared before him, in his normal form,And that great one cheered up,The frightened Arjuna assuming,His normal pleasant form. 50Arjuna said:Oh Lord Krishna, after seeing this human formOf yours, I have become self composed,And have gone back to my normal self. 51Lord said:All the gods are ever desirous of seeing,That rare form which was seen by you nowBut have not been able to see it like you. 52I cannot be seen in that form,In which you have seen me now,By either the Vedas or austeritiesOr charity or fire sacrifices. 53Oh scorcher of his enemies, please know,That I can be seen or known or conversed toIn this great form by undivided concentrated devotion. 54Oh Pandava, he attains me at the end,Who considers me as the supreme goal,Who is only devoted to me with out attachment,And who bears no ill will against any being. 55Thus ends the Eleventh Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called Seeing of the Universal Form.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-12The Path of Devotion[This chapter tells us in detail about devotion to God. It clearly saysthe idol worship is inferior to the worship of the supreme formlessentity. A very universal definition of devotion to god is also given.]Arjuna asked:Among your devotees, who worship,You with a stable mind and with devotion,And those who worship the imperishable,Which cannot be known to the senses,Who is the better one, Oh God? 1Lord said:I consider those devotees who with a stable mind,And with great sense of devotion worshipping me,As those who know the concept of devotion, well. 2In spite of that, those devotees of the imperishable,Which is beyond words, which cannot be seen by the eye,Which is beyond the reach of mind, which is everywhere,Which is without change, which is stable and eternal,And which can never be destroyed by anything,And who worship me, coupled with equanimity,Controlling their senses well, and also pray for the welfare of everyone,Surely and definitely reach me, without any doubt 3-4They find it hard to meditate on the abstract,For the way to the abstract is difficult,For those, who have attachment to this body. 5But for those, who renounce all actions in me,Believing me as their greatest goal,And do not depend on any other method,But meditate on me and worship me,And have their mind fixed in me,Would get freed from this sea of life with death,And Oh Arjuna, I redeem them and protect them. 6-7If you always keep your mind in me,And let your intellect rest in me,There is never any doubt at any time,That you would live in me after that. 8Oh Arjuna, but if you do not haveThe capacity to keep your mind firmly in me,Then you can attain me by steady practice of Yoga. 9If you are not even able to practice yoga,Do all actions of yours dedicated to me,And such actions also would lead you to perfection. 10In case where, even this cannot be done,Then with deep sense of humility andA mind, only thinking of surrender to me,Be pleased to renounce the fruit of all your actions. 11Knowledge is superior to yogic practice,Meditation is superior to mere knowledge,Renunciation is far superior to meditation,For Renunciation speedily takes you to peace. 12That great devotee is very dear to me,Who does not hate anybody else,Whose mind is filled with friendliness,Who is also a store of mercy,Who never claims anything as his,Who is completely devoid of pride,Who feels pain and pleasure as equal,Who is always filled with joy,Who is the one who likes yoga,Whose decisions are always firm,And who dedicates his mind and intellect to me. 13-14That great devotee is very dear to me,Who never puts the world in to trouble,Who is never tormented by the world,And who is free from elation, jealousy, fear and anxiety. 15That great devotee is very dear to me,Who does not want anything, who is pure,Who is clever, who is extremely indifferent,Who is never troubled and does not start.Any action aiming at fruits of such action. 16That great devotee is very dear to me,Who never rejoices, who never hates,Who never grieves, who never wants,And who has renounced all good and bad. 17That great devotee is very dear to me,Who is alike to friend and foe,Who behaves similarly in honour and dishonour,Who is alike in heat and cold,Who is alike in pain and pleasure,Who is free from any attachment,Who likes alike praise and censure,Who is silent, who is satisfied with anything,Who is without a home and who is stable. 18-19All those great devotees, who practice this method,Which is perennial and is as per Dharma,According to the above said method and with faith,Are those who consider me as their supreme goal,And are extremely dear to me. 20Thus ends the Twelfth Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Path of Devotion.Chapter-13Discrimination between Arena and the Performer[The difference between the physical body, which performs actions andthe ultimate spirit, which makes it act but never gets involved in thenature of action is clearly brought out here.]Lord said:Oh Son of Kunthi, those with knowledge tell,That this body is called the Kshethra (Field/arena),And he who knows this is called the Kshethagna (Farmer/performer) 1[In one of the translations by Sri Swaroopananda there is one extra verse. It isArjuna asks:I desire to learn Oh lord,The difference between Nature and the Holy Spirit,And also that between the field and the performer,And also knowledge and the knower, in its entirety.]Oh Arjuna, understand that in all kshetras,I am the Kshethragna and I am of the opinion,That knowledge about Kshethra and Ksethragna,Is the only real and true knowledge. 2(Kshethra - Arena and Kshethragna - The performer)I would tell you in brief, what is Kshethra,What is it like, what its modifications are,Wherefrom it arose, who is the Kshethragna,And what powers are those of the Kshethragna? 3This has been sung differently by great sages,This truth has been separately sung by the Vedas,And also has been explained by words,Which are causal and indicative of the Brahman. 4In brief Kshethra is the five great elements,And egoism, intellect, that truth which is not clear,The ten sense organs, the mind, five sense objects,Desire, aversion, happiness, misery, the body,Intellect and patience, along with their modifications. 5-6Humility, lack of snobbishness, non violence,Patience, honesty, service to the teacher,Cleanliness, steadiness, self control,Non attachment to the sense organs,Lack of egoism, seeing misery inBirth, death, old age and sickness,Non attachment towards son, wife and family,Being even minded, stable equanimity when,Likes and dislikes are presented,Unswerving devotion to me through yoga,Attachment to clean places of solitude,Dislike for crowd, Constant unfaltering,Action towards getting divine knowledge,And research for finding the true knowledgeAll are called divine knowledge,And all others are termed as ignorance. 7-11I will now tell you about that,Which should be achieved and,When achieved leads to deathlessness.For that is the highest, birth less Brahman,Which is neither a being nor a non being. 12It has arms and legs everywhere,It has eyes, head and mouth everywhere,And it has ears everywhere and existsPervading everything in the world. 13Though it exists in the actions of sense organs,It is completely bereft of all sense organs,Though it is unattached to anything,It sustains everything, though it is without properties,It is the prime protector of all properties,Though it is outside of all beings, it is also inside,Though it is moving, it is also not moving,And being subtle, it is difficult to understand,And though it is far away, it is very near. 14-15Though it is an undivided in beings,It appears as if it is divided and,It is known as the creator,Maintainer and destroyer of beings. 16It is described as the light of lights,And is also mentioned as beyond darkness,And it exists in the heart of every being,As the knowledge, that is to be known,And as that one which can be attained by knowledge. 17Thus has been told in brief, the properties,Of Kshethra, knowledge and the knowable.Knowing which properly, my devotee,Becomes fit to attain my being. 18Know that, the principles of,Nature and purusha are beginning less,And also understand that the differing,Properties and shapes are born out of nature. 19The nature is the creator of all effects and causes,And the Purusha is said to be the cause of joy and sorrow. 20In reality Purusha* resides in nature andExperiences the properties of nature,And the reason for his birth in good and bad forms,Is because of his attachment to those properties. 21* Literally a male but here the performerThe Purusha is the overseer, he who permits,He, who nourishes, the consumer, the lord of lords,And also supreme soul and is different from this body. 22He who realizes the Purusha and Nature,Along with these properties,Whatever may be his mode of life,Is surely, never born again. 23Some people are able to see the soul,Within themselves by meditation,Some see it by the path of knowledge,And others see it through the path of action. 24Others though they do realize it in these ways,Serve and worship, by hearing it from someone,And they also definitely by their devotion,Cross the state of life and death. 25Oh Arjuna, please understand that all that exists,Whether they are animate or inanimate,Have come, in to being because of,Interaction between arena and the performer. 26He who is able to see that great God,Who exists equally in all things and,As Imperishable in all perishable objects, sees me. 27Seeing that God who abidesEqually everywhere, he reachesThe higher self by not denying the real self. 28He only sees, who sees that,Only nature does all the actions of the world,And knows that the soul is inactive. 29When he realizes in his mind,That the diversity of beings,Ultimately belong to one source,And they also emanate from one source,He himself becomes the ultimate Brahman. 30Oh son of Kunthi, the supreme self*,Which is indestructible and without beginning,And which is bereft of any properties,Does not act, even if it is in the body,Nor is it attached to anything. 31*supreme soul/brahmanSimilar to the sky which is subtle,Never gets contaminated by anything,This supreme self which is located,In every body, never gets affected by the body. 32Just like one Sun is lighting everywhere,This one real soul illuminates all bodies, Oh Arjuna. 33Those who perceive the difference between,The nature and the Supreme Purusha,And see through their eye of knowledge,That all beings that are born merge in nature,Reach and merge with the supreme Self. 34Thus ends the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called Discrimination between Arena and the Performer.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-14The Three Quality States[Every individual is the mixture of goodness, emotion and delusion. Hispersonality is determined by which of these predominates and isnoticed. To merge with the infinite and attain immortality, one has totranscend these three quality states.]Lord said:I would tell you again about that knowledge,Which is the highest among all knowledge,Knowing which the sages attain supreme salvation. 1Those who follow this knowledge,And have attained my supreme nature,Are not born at time of the creation,And also never die at the time of deluge. 2Oh descendent of Bharatha, the great nature,Is my place of creation and I place the germ in that,And from that are created all beings and things. 3(The trigger mechanism is kept by the Lord and this makes nature to act.)Oh Arjuna, in whichever wombs, whatever is born,For all of them mother is the great nature,And I am the seed giving father. 4Oh great warrior, the three qualities,Which are called as Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas*,Are born of nature and bind tightly that Nature,Which is changeless, in to this body. 5*Good, emotional and base qualities respectively.Oh sinless one, of them the quality of Sathwa,Is resplendent because of its nature of purity,And its freedom from evil and it binds the embodied self,By its attachment, to happiness and knowledge. 6Oh Arjuna, on the other hand the quality of RajasIs of the form of emotion and creates in the self,The sources of desire and attachment,And binds the embodied self by attachment to action. 7Oh Arjuna, The quality of Thamas is created by ignorance,And creates in all embodied beings, delusion,And binds it, using sleep, laziness and madness. 8Oh Arjuna quality of Sathwa leads you to happiness,Quality of Rajas to work with attachment,And the quality of Thamas, weakens wisdom,And leads you to the sense of delusion. 9Oh Arjuna, Sathwa tries to rise you up,Overpowering Rajas and Thamas,Rajas overpowers Sathwa and Thamas,And Thamas overpowers Sathwa and Rajas. 10Note: all of them are present in every one but one dominatesWhen you see the sparkling light of wisdom,Manifesting through all sense openings,This should make you realize that,The quality of Sathwa predominates. 11Oh Arjuna when the quality of Rajas predominates,You would see greed, restlessness, activity,Lack of peace, attachment and desire. 12Oh son of Kurus, When Thamas predominates,Ignorance, laziness, inadvertence and delusion,Come up to the fore and are noticed. 13If the embodied self attains death,When quality of Sathwa predominates,He would reach the divine worlds,Meant for pure and great beings. 14If the embodied self attains death,When the quality of Rajas predominates,He is born among those who are attached to work,And when Thamas predominates,He is born among irrational people. 15They say that virtuous actions leadTo the quality of Sathwa and purity,The result of quality of Rajas is sorrow,And the result of quality of Thamas is ignorance. 16While wisdom is born out of quality of Sathwa,Greed is born out of the quality of Rajas,And ignorance, delusion and inadvertence,Are only born out of the quality of Thamas. 17While those with quality of Sathwa go to higher spheres,Those with the quality of Rajas are in middle spheres,And those with the baser quality of Thamas,Travel to the lower spheres. 18When the one who sees, does not see,Another one who does action other than qualities and,Realizes that which is beyond the states of qualities,He eventually attains my being. 19He crosses these three qualities,Which made the embodied self,And attains that great state andTravels beyond birth, death and old age,And attains the state of immortality. 20Arjuna asked:How do we recognize the one,Who has transcended these three qualities?How does he behave and,How does he cross these qualities? 21Lord said:Oh Pandava, the transcended one does not hate,The light of the mind due to Sathwa,The state of activity due to Rajas,The state of delusion due to Thamas,When these properties come up,And he does not feel sorry when they cease. 22He who appears indifferent and unconcerned,Who is not rocked by these three qualities,Who is stable in knowing that only qualities function,Who is steady and stable,Who considers pain and pleasure alike,Who abides within his own self,Who considers stone and gold is of equal worth,Who considers like and dislike as same,Who is courageous in his stability,Who considers praise and blame as similar,Who considers honour and dishonour as equal,Who has same attitude towards friend and foe,And renounces all actions started by him,Is called the one beyond the effect of qualities. 23-25The one who serves me with stable devotion,Easily crosses the effect of qualities,And becomes suitable for becoming the supreme being,For am I not the embodiment of that Brahmam,And also the gateway for immutable immortality,And matchless and absolute joy. 26-27Thus ends the Fourteenth Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Three Quality States.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-15The Knowledge of the Supreme Being[The entanglement with the day to day life is compared to a Banyan treewhich starts growing from the top (brahmam/Supreme godhead) and growsand spreads down in this material world. The only method to put an endto this perennial entanglement is to cut the stem of this tree, bydetachment. It is also mentioned that a soul taking a new body, bringsthe memories from the old body when it leaves. The nature of theimperishable Supreme Being is explained.]Lord Said:People talk about the endless banyan tree,With its roots above and branches below,And whose leaves are the Vedas,And he, who knows this, knows the Vedas. 1Its branches which are nurtured by the three qualities,Grow both below and above, with the senses as its shoots,And its roots which are stretched below,Produce actions in this human world. 2Thus its form is not experienced here,As it has no beginning nor end and nor existence,And this well entrenched banyan tree should be,Cut by a strong sense of detachment,And then, one should search and travel,By that way by which, those who travel never return,Determining within oneself, that he seeks,Refuge in that primeval being,From whom this entire eternal process was started. 3-4Bereft of pride and delusion,Without the curse of attachment,Devoted fully to spiritual pursuits,Fully getting rid of the desires,Getting freedom from joy and sorrow,And fully getting rid of ignorance,They attain that deathless goal. 5That place where one goes, but never returns,Is the place of my supreme state,Neither sun nor moon nor fire can illuminate it. 6That part of me, which is in the embodied soul,Appears in this world, draws in to it the six senses,And finds a place in this state of nature. 7Once this soul leaves a body and takes another,It draws these six senses from the body he leaves,And take them along with it to the new body he assumesSimilar to a breeze carrying scents with itself. 8He enjoys all sense objects using fully,Using the ears, eyes, organs of touch, smell,And the mind, all of which he makes as his,And enjoys all the sense objects. 9Whether he is the one who leaves,Or the one who is in stable stateOr the one who enjoys these senses,He is not seen by the ignorant ones,But is seen by those with eyes of knowledge. 10Those yogis who make lots of effort,In trying to see him within them, see him,But the ignorant ones in spite of effort, do not see him. 11Please understand that light,Which resides in the sun,And lights the entire universeAnd which illuminates the moon,And which illuminates fire as that of mine. 12By my power I enter within the earth,And I support all its beings,And I nourish all herbs,By becoming the watery moon. 13Becoming the digestive fire of all beings,And uniting myself with the exhaled and inhaled breath,I digest all the four types of food* which is consumed. 14*Food that is eaten, swallowed, sucked or chewed.I am the one, who is in the hearts of all beings,I am the memory, knowledge and forgetfulness,I am the one which is taught about by the Vedas,And I am the one who knows Vedas and made philosophy. 15There are two classes of beings in this world.The perishable and imperishable beings,Perishable beings are all the beings who exist,And that supreme immutable being* alone is not perishable. 16* The word used is that which is hidden.Different from these two groups is,He who enters in all the three worlds,And sustains it after entering in to it,And who is completely immutable,And is commonly called Lord or supreme self. 17Because I am beyond the perishable,And even greater than the imperishable,I am called as the highest Supreme Being,By all the world as well as Vedas. 18Oh Arjuna, he who without any delusion,Understands me as the Supreme Being,Becomes knower of all and,Would see everything as me and worship me. 19Oh sinless one, I have taught you now,This knowledge which is extremely secret,And knowing this one, one becomes wise,And becomes one, who does what should be done. 20Thus ends The Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Knowledge of Supreme Being.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-16Division of Divine and Demonic Attributes[All being are classified in to divine and demonic. The Lord tells Arjuna how to identify these two classes.]Lord said:Fearlessness, clean mind, steadfastness in yoga,Charity, self control, sacrifice, learning of Vedas,Austerity, honesty, non violence, truth,Absence of anger, renunciation, peace,Not telling slanders, pity towards all beings,Be desire less for others property, gentle nature,Modesty, firmness of mind, courage,Forgiving nature, not getting impatient,Purity, absence of deceit and humility,Are the nature of those born with divine state, Oh Arjuna. 1-3On the other hand Oh Arjuna, deceit, arrogance,Self praise, anger and also harsh words and ignorance,Are the nature of those born with those Demonic state. 4Divine state is deemed to lead to salvation,And demonic state leads to attachment,And Oh Arjuna, please do not be sad,For you are born with the divine state. 5Oh Arjuna, two types of beings exist in this world,And they are divine beings and demonic beings,And I had told you in detail about the divine ones,And please hear from me now about the demonic. 6The demonic beings do not understand about,Actions that should be done and those that should be avoided,And with them there is no cleanliness, truth and good behaviour. 7Their world is full of lies, unstable, without God,Created by interaction between each other,Which is based only on lust and passion. 8These ruined souls holding to path of materialism,Loose their souls, doing horrible deeds,And are enemies of this world and are born,With an aim to destroy this world. 9Holding on to their desires which cannot be satiated,Filled with hypocrisy, egoism and arrogance,They hold on to bad thoughts, because of delusion,And observe unclean resolves and jobs. 10Held in the net of thoughts which are perennial,And end with only their death, they would think,That passion is the greatest of their aims,And are convinced that it is the only ultimate thing,And also tied tightly with hundreds of bonds and desires,Becoming slaves to their passions and anger,And they would search for the tainted wealth,To fulfill their cravings of passion. 11-12They being under the illusion of ignorance,Would think thoughts like, This was attained by me,I am going to get fulfilled of this desire,I am having this; I am going to further get this,That enemy was killed by me; I am going to kill others,I am the God, I would be enjoy pleasures,I would achieve results in my actions,I am strong, I would run after pleasures,I am rich, I belong to a noble family,There is none who are equal to me,I would do fire sacrifice, I would be charitable.And many similar thoughts and would get befuddled,Get deep in to lair of passion, become deeply attached,To the pleasures which are brought about by the senses,And would fall in the deep dirty hell. 13-16They praise themselves,Do not respect the holy ones,Are filled with vanity,Haughty due to possession of wealth,And perform sacrifices for names sakeNot following the proper path. 17They would be egoistic, strong,Proud, passionate and angry,And hate me who am in them and others,And laugh at people who conduct sacrifices. 18They are inimical, cruel, base humans,And sinners and I make them to be born,Every time in this world among,Those with demonical properties. 19Oh Arjuna, these fools take several,Births among people with demonical properties,Do not seek me and reach still baser levels every time. 20The three gates for traveling to the hell,Are lust, anger and greed andThese three are to be shunned always. 21Oh Arjuna, that man who avoids these,Three dark paths to hell and follows,What would bring good to himself,Goes towards the supreme goal and reaches it. 22He who does not follow the ways of scriptures,But does work under the impulse of desire,Does not attain perfection, happiness or supreme goal. 23So the only guide for you to decide,What should or should not be done,Are the laws formulated by the scriptures,And you should now understand and follow them. 24Thus ends the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called Division of Divine and Demonic Attributes.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-17Three Kinds of Faith[The three quality states taught in Chapter-14 is further elucidated in this chapter.]Arjuna said:Oh Lord, please tell me about those,Who set aside the laws of scriptures,And perform sacrifices with faith,Is it Sathvic, Rajasic or Thamasic? 1Lord said:That faith which naturally occurs in every being,Is classified in to three classes,Which are Sathwa, Rajhas and Thamas,And please hear about them. 2Oh Arjuna, each person's faith,Would be according to his personality,And one 's self is personification of his faith,And so every one is classified according to his faith. 3The person of Sathwa faith worships Gods,The person of Rajhasa faith worship Yakshas and Rakshasas,And the person of Thamasa faith worships devils and ghosts. 4Those fools who perform severe austerities,Not enjoined in the scriptures having,Given themselves to egotism and pride,With desire, attachment and tenacity,And torture the senses of the body,As well as me, who is within it,Are to be understood as the ones,Who are traveling in the demonic way. 5-6Please understand that the people,Who follow each of these three divisions,Have separate food habits, perform,Different type of sacrifices austerities and charity,So please hear it from me, about them. 7The people of the Sathwa faith like the food,That increases span of life, wisdom, strength,Health, pleasure and taste and which areJuicy, starchy, nourishing and agreeable. 8The people of the Rajhasa faith prefer the food,Which are bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent,Dry and acidic and which would lead toSorrow, pain, grief and diseases. 9The people of the thamasa faith prefer the food,That is stale, tasteless, which has turned sour,Which is old, remnant from what other people ate,And that which is not suitable as offering to the God. 10That sacrifice done by people not desiring anything,Done as the performance of their enjoined duty,And done according to scriptures with a stable mind,Is the one which is performed in the Sathvic way. 11That sacrifice done with an aim at something,With ostentation and pride, Oh Arjuna,Is the one which is performed in Rajhasic way. 12That sacrifice done not according to rules,Without free distribution of food,Which is performed without holy chants,And without suitable gifts to the priests,Is the one which is performed in the Thamasic way. 13Worship of Gods, the twice born, teacher,And the wise and observing purity,Honesty and also non violence,Is termed as the physical austerity. 14Talking of words that does not hurt,Talking that which is truth, that which is dear,That which causes good andRecitation of the Veda that one has learnt,Is termed as the vocal austerity. 15Clarity of the mind, kind thoughts,Silence, humility and pure aims in life,Is termed as the mental austerity. 16These three types of austerities,Practiced with great devotion withNo desire for the fruits of such action,And with great stability of thoughtIs termed as Sathwika by great ones. 17That austerity done with pride,And with the aim to gain,Respect, honour and adoration,Is unstable and not permanent,And is termed as Rajasika type of actions. 18That austerity performed with foolish desire,And practiced with self torture orWith the aim of causing harm to others,Is termed as the Thamasic type of action. 19That charity done with no expectationOf return, done at the proper place,At the proper time and given to the one,Who has not done anything for us,Is termed as the charity of the Sathvic type. 20That charity given with pain in the heart,Expecting some thing in return,Or expecting some blessing in return,Is termed as the charity of the Rajhasic type. 21That charity given after insulting somebody,Given at the wrong place in the wrong time,To the unworthy persons without any regard for him,Is termed as the charity of the Thamasic type. 22The Brahman is denotedBy Om, Thath, and Sath,And by these were fashioned,The Brahmins, Vedas and the fire sacrifices. 23Because of that, the followers of Veda,Always start the sacrifices, charities,And austerities, which are carried out by them,According to Vedas, with the chant of Om. 24And the seekers of salvation,Who do not bother about the results,Start the sacrifices, charities,And austerities with word Thath. 25Oh Arjuna, the word sath denotes,The fact of existence and goodness,And is also used to denote,Anything that is auspicious. 26Being steady and stable in,Sacrifices, austerities and charity,Is denoted by the word sath,And it would also denote,All actions carried out for these. 27Sacrifices, charities and austerities,Done without faith in them is,Termed as the negative of sath,And would not be of any use,In this world or in attaining salvation. 28Thus ends the Seventeenth Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called Three Kinds of Faith.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-18The Way to Renunciation and RelinquishmentArjuna asked:Oh Krishna, oh great warrior, Oh killer of Kesi,I would like to understand distinctly,The true import of renunciation and relinquishment. 1Lord said:The great sages have termed giving up actions,Those lead to fulfillment of desires as renunciation,And the learned told that completely abandoningThe fruits of all actions as the act of relinquishment. 2Some scholars have told that actions,Should be given up as being evil,And others are of the opinion,That sacrifices, charity and austerity,Should never be relinquished. 3Oh great one of Bharatha clan,Oh greatest among men,Please hear my decision,Regarding relinquishment,Which is of three types. 4Sacrifices, charity and austerity,Should never be relinquished,For they indeed should be performed,Since they sanctify the wise. 5I am of the firm opinion that,These acts as well as others,Which are similar to them,Should be performed but giving upAttachment and the fruits thereof. 6It is not proper to renounce,Obligatory daily duties, for,Forsaking such work,Has been classified as Thamasic. 7If some one, leaves out his duties,Considering them as a bother,And leading to trouble,He is doing a relinquishment,Which is Rajasic and will not,Obtain the fruits of renunciation. 8Oh Arjuna, doing ones daily duties,Without attachment and withoutAny attachment to fruits from itIs termed as Sathwic relinquishment. 9That man who relinquishes, endued,With wisdom and without doubt in his mind,Does not hate disagreeable dutiesAnd also does not prefer agreeable duties. 10Any being with a body can at no time,Relinquish all actions, but he can,Relinquish attachment to its fruits,And he is called as the one who relinquishes. 11Those who do not relinquish the fruits of attachment,After death undergo agreeable, disagreeable and mixed,Results for action performed by them but such a result,Never occurs to the one who relinquishes. 12Oh mighty armed one, learn from me,The five causes for carrying out the work,Which has been declared in that wisdom,Which is the end of all action. 13They are the body, which is the seat of action,The agent, who carries out the actions,The different organs of sense gratification and wisdom.The highly varied type of actions that are being carried out,And fifthly, the God who is presiding over them. 14When a man does any action by his body,Or words or mind, justly or unjustly,They are caused by these five only. 15Such being the case, the one with bad understanding,Who looks upon the soul as the agent of all action,Is of perverted mind and does not realize the truth 16But the one who does not feel that he does it,And whose self is not attached to what he does,Does not kill any beings even if he kills them. 17He who tries to gain knowledge, the knowledge itself,And what he understands are theThree reasons for carrying out any actions,And the action, the doer and the reason for the action,Are the three bases for all such actions. 18The knowledge, the action and the doer,Have been mentioned as three separate forms,In the science of the study of properties,And be pleased to hear about them also. 19That wisdom by which one sees,The same undivided and perennial object,In all the objects of varied forms and hues that he sees,Is termed as the Sathwic wisdom. 20That wisdom which makes one sees,Different and distinct beings.In the different bodies of different types,Is termed as the Rajhasic wisdom. 21That wisdom which is irrational,And not based on truth which,Leads one to believe any chosen single object,Is the only thing and is the whole,Is termed as Thamasic wisdom. 22That action performed withoutAttachment to the fruits thereof,Which is ordained as the one that needs to be done,And done without attachment or repulsion,Is termed as the action which is Sathwic. 23That action performed with,A view to attain the fruits thereof,Which is performed with conceit,And done after much effort and trouble,Is termed as the action which is Rajhasic. 24That action performed without any thought,About the good or results of such action,The problems it is likely to cause to others,Done without gauging ones capacity to do it,And done in the state of delusion,Is termed as the action which is Thamasic. 25That doer who is unattached, not egoistic,Endued with pep and vigour in doing action,And who is unaffected by success of failure,Is termed as the doer who is Sathwic. 26That doer, who is attached, looks forward,To the fruits of the actions performed,And is violent, greedy and not clean,And is elated or dejected by the results of the action,Is termed as the doer who is Rajhasic. 27That doer who does not have a stable mind,Who is vulgar, arrogant and a cheat,Who is lazy and only does bad actions,Who is not confidant about himself,And who keeps on stalling for long,Is termed as the doer who is Thamasic. 28Oh Arjuna, now please here from me,Completely and individuallyThe three fold distinction between,The intelligence and courage. 29Oh Arjuna, that intellect which is aware,Of what is renunciation,Right and wrong action,Fear and fearlessness andBondage and liberation,Is termed as Sathwika intellect. 30Oh Arjuna that intellect which knows and,Which views in a distorted way.Just action and wrong action,Dharma and Adharma,Is termed as Rajhasic intellect. 31Oh Partha, that intellect, which is darkness,And regards Adharma as Dharma,And also views everything in a perverted way,Is termed as the Thamasic intellect. 32Oh Arjuna, that courage which regulatesFunctions of the mind, the senses and self,In an unswerving fashion by Yoga,Is termed as the Sathwic courage. 33Oh Arjuna, that courage which regulates,Dharma, desire and wealth to achieve,The desire to the fruits of action, that one performs,Is termed as the Rajhasic courage. 34Oh Arjuna, that courage which does not,Make a stupid man give up sleep, fear.Grief, worry, and the feeling of conceit,Is termed as Thamasic courage. 35Oh courageous one, of the Bharatha clan,Now hear from me about the three fold definition,Of happiness, which one enjoys by getting used to it,And by which one gets to the end of sorrow. 36That happiness which is like poison at first,And becomes like a nectar in due time,Which is born out of the intellect,Which in turn is born out of self realization,Is termed as Sathvika happiness. 37That happiness which arises due to senses,Which is like nectar at the beginning,And slowly turns in to poison,Is termed as the Rajhasika happiness. 38That happiness arising from sleep, laziness,Miscomprehension and results in delusion,Is termed as the Thamasic happiness. 39There are no beings in earth or heaven,Who are devoid of these three types of qualities,Which are born out of the nature. 40Oh scorcher of enemies, these duties are distributed,Among the Brahmins, kings, merchants and workers,According to the qualities, which are natural to them. 41The qualities which are natural to the Brahmins are,Control of mind and the senses, austerity,Purity, forgiving nature, uprightness, knowledge,Quality of searching and belief in the life after death. 42The qualities which are natural to the kingly class are,Bravery, boldness, fortitude, cunning in the war,Generosity and feeling that they can achieve. 43Interest in cultivation, cattle rearing and trade.Are the qualities natural to the merchant class,And actions which are service to others,Is the quality natural to the working class. 44The man who is busy with his duty,Attains the perfection which is the highest,And please hear from me how while doing his duty.He manages to attain that perfection. 45He who pervades everywhere,Helps in the evolution of all beings,And the one who worships him.By doing his duty, attains perfection. 46It is better to perform one's dharma,In a manner considered as imperfect,Than performing another man's dharma,In a manner that is considered perfect,For one who does his duty, attracts no bad effects. 47Oh son of Kunti, One should not,Relinquish one's own DharmaEven if it is imperfect, for allActions are imperfect in some way,And are unclear like fire covered with smoke. 48With unattached intellect, subdued heart,And not having any desire at all,And by renunciation, one attains,Freedom from action and Supreme perfection. 49Oh son of Kunti, learn from me now,How by reaching such supreme perfection,One attains the everlasting goal,Which is the supreme consummation. 50He is fit to attain the everlasting goal,Who has pure intellect, has fortitude,Has controlled his body and senses,Subdued sound and other senses,Has abandoned hatred and attraction,Has retired to a very lonely spot,Eats little, has controlled body, speech and mind,Is engaged in meditation and Yoga,Is dispassionate, has forsaken egoism,Pride, power, lust, wealth and property,Is peaceful and is free from me and mine. 51-53Attaining the supreme goal,He becomes peaceful,Neither desires nor grieves,And is same to everyone,And has great devotion to me. 54By devotion he really understands me,As to who and what I am,And having thus known me,He enters and merges with me. 55Even after doing all actions.But by taking refuge in me,By my grace, he will attain,My feet which is eternal and stable. 56Mentally surrender all actions to me,Have me as your highest goal,Resort to the path of intellectAnd fix your mind on me always. 57By fixing your mind on me,You would get my grace,And overcome all roadblocks,But because of conceit,If you would not follow what I say,You would certainly perish. 58If you depend only on your pride,If you decide not to fight this war,That decision is in vain,For your nature would oppress you. 59Oh son of Kunti, you are already bound,By your own nature, and if by delusion,You decide not to fight in this war,You will be forced to do it, in spite of yourself. 60Oh Arjuna, God lives in the mind of everyone,And causes all of them to revolve like a robot. 61Oh Arjuna, take refuge on that God with sincerity,And you will attain the supreme peace of his eternal abode. 62This great wisdom, which is the secret of the secrets,Has been told by me to you and now do according to your desire. 63Please hear again my advice,Which is the greatest of all,For you are dearly beloved to me,And you know that I would speak,Only that which is for your good,Let your mind be full of me,Let you be fully devoted to me,Surrender and bow down to me,And then I will reach you,And I promise you this,As you are very dear to me. 64-65Give up all Dharma and take refuge in me alone,And grieve not, for I would liberate you from all sins. 66All these should not be told by you,To one who lacks devotion and austerity,Nor to one who does not serve me,And nor to one who despises me. 67He who will teach this to my devotes,With devotion to me, would reach me at the end,And no one will be doing dearer service than him to me,And no one will be dearer than him to me. 68-69And I believe steadfastly that the one,Who reads this conversation between us,Would have worshipped me,By performing the wisdom sacrifice. 70The one who just hears this with attention,And free from malice, would be liberated,And attain the holy world of the righteous. 71Oh Arjuna, have you heard what I told you,With an attentive mind and has your ignorance,Which caused the great net of delusion, is destroyed? 72Arjuna said:My delusion is completely destroyed,And by your grace, I have regained my wisdom,And Oh Achyutha, since my doubts are gone,I will be firm and do as you told me. 73Sanjaya said:Thus I have heard the wonderful conversation,Between Lord Krishna and the great Arjuna,Causing my hairs to stand at an end 74By the blessing of Sage Vyasa, I have heard,This most secret and supreme Yoga,Which was being taught by Lord Krishna,Who himself is the supreme lord of Yoga. 75Oh King, remembering and recalling,This wonderful conversation between,Lord Kesava and Lord Arjuna,I am rejoicing and rejoicing again. 76Oh King, when I recall and recall,That wonderful form of Lord Vishnu,I rejoice again and again. 77My firm conviction is that, wherever there is Krishna,Who is the Lord of Yoga and wherever there is Arjuna,The great wielder of the bow, there is prosperity and victory. 78Thus ends the Eighteenth Chapter of Bhagwad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Way to Renunciation and Relinquishment.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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