SUMMARY OF THE SECOND CHAPTER OF BHAGAVAD GITA

The second chapter of Gita is entitled “The Sankhya Yoga”. Yoga means union. Yuj means to join. In Sanskrit it is called Yoga and in English it is called Religion. Each chapter of Bhagavad Gita is called Yoga and it helps you to unite. You are separated from something and you are asked to unite to something you are separated from. If you use physical body to unite with self it is Karma Yoga. If you use your mind to unite with self it is Bhakti yoga. If you use your knowledge/ intellect to unite with self it is called Gnana Yoga. The physical Body, Mind and Intellect are the equipments that you carry with you.

The 2^nd and 18^th Chapters are the most important in the entire Gita where lord Krishna condenses the entire Gita teaching. The first chapter is the preparatory ground. The actual teaching of the Gita begins from the second chapter. The second chapter contains the essence of entire Gita. 18^th Chapter contains the summary of entire Bhagavad Gita.

The eighteenth chapter of Gita is entitled “Mokshasanyasayoga” (The yoga of liberation through renunciation). You are completely attached to the external world. When you grow and go to a higher dimension the lower falls away. It is like a Child which is attached to a toy. As the child grows up and takes interest in a bicycle the child gives up the toy for the cycle. Thus it can be said that enhancing your knowledge is renunciation. You don’t renounce anything. You drop/ give up something and take up some other thing as your knowledge is enhanced. You have to perform your obligatory duties and responsibilities without craving for the fruit of action. The lord states that these ordained duties are of two kinds – daily routine ones (nithya) and occasional special duties (naimittika). These have to be done by all but it is the attitude behind the acts that matters. This is called renunciation in action. You have to develop the spirit of renunciation while acting. Whoever does obligatory duties without bothering about the fruit of actions is a Sanyasi (A person who does what he ought to do viz.Teacher, priest).

The 2^nd Chapter can be classified into 4 main topics as under:

1^st Topic – Arjuna saranagadhi (Verse 1 to 10).

2^nd Topic – Gnana Yogaga (verse 11 to 38) otherwise called Sankya yogaga.

3^rd Topic – Karma Yogaga (verse 39 to 53).

4^th Topic – Chitapragna Lakshanani (verse 54 to 72).

1^st Topic: Arjuna saranagadhi: Verses 1 to 10.

Arjuna chooses to surrender to lord Krishna as he suffers from the problem of samsara in the battle field. Samsara was intensely felt by Arjuna. The battlefield triggered the problem of samsara as he faced his own near and dear towards whom he was attached. Raga or attachment is an expression of samsara. Whenever I get attached to anything in this world Viz. a person or an object, I allow that person to determine my emotional state. Events in that person’s life determine my emotional state. I have become an emotional slave. My mind and my emotional state is no more under my control. The world will determine my emotional state when I am angry, happy etc. The precious gift of freewill that bagawan has given me has been lost by me when I am attached to something. I have lost control of my entire life. The quality of my Life, action, judgment depends upon my emotional quotient. At this point of time there is no difference between me and an animal.

Attachment is the most powerful expression of samsara as per Vedanta. Attachment is the loss of freewill – a slave of the world. Love is not attachment. The world today is infested with attachment which passes off as Love. Attachment is an emotional slavery. Love is, being available to the object of love whenever that person requires help. In the 1^st Chapter of Gita, Arjuna was in the intense grip of grief (anger, jealousy) which is a severe expression of samsara and also called as Soka. The 3^rd expression of samsara is when my knowledge, my intelligence and IQ are blocked when I am affected by samsara. I will not be able to take the right decisions in Life. Right decisions require right judgement. Right judgement requires discriminative power. My discriminative power is lost when I face samsara problem. There is delusion (confusion) called Moha. During this time feelings like my future is bleak and my current life is lost come in the mind. Samsara is Raga+Soga+Moga put together, which Arjuna experienced intensely. When the pain is mild you can either go to a doctor or take medicines by yourself and avoid going to a doctor. When the pain is intense you have to necessarily go to a doctor for getting a cure. Similarly Arjuna discovered the problem and wanted a solution. He discovered that he could never solve the problem by himself. He discovered helplessness. In the 2^nd Chapter, Arjuna rushes to a doctor (Krishna). Lord Krishna was available to him and that too very near to him.

3^rd Topic: Karma Yoga: Verses 39 to 53.

Krishna talks about vishesa karma yoga. Scriptures talk about specific spiritual exercises which are exclusively designed for spiritual growth. Preparation for Gnana yoga by doing special exercises is necessary. One has to do pancha maha yagna wherein I reverentially contribute in 5 areas of infrastructure.

They are: Deva yagna – doing all types of religious pujas (sandyavandanam, Temple visit etc.) meant for spiritual growth. Use all pujas for spiritual benefit.

Pithur yagna – Reverential contribution done for my parents, grandparents especially when they need my services in their old age. Ancestor worship in the form of shrardha/ tharpana will add to my spiritual growth.

Manushya Yagna – any type of service viz. a smile, to anyone is Manushya yagna.

Rishi yagna / Brahma yagna – Worship of rishis and scriptures. I contribute to the preservation of my religion.

Bootha yagna – Reverence to animals.

By doing all the above mentioned without any exception, the spiritual growth becomes faster.

Vishesha karma yoga / samanya Karma yoga talks about performing an action. We have to convert every action into worship be it any action that we do. The actions may be waking, eating, working in the office etc. Doing one’s work with a focused mind and with passion is considered worship. All action must be done cheerfully unmindful of the result which could be favourable or unfavourable. Failures are also an integral part of our life. It is necessary that you have to mentally prepare yourself to confront failure when it happens. Our mind cannot take failure in life so easily. You have to tell yourself that your job is only to perform up to your capacity. The result will be as per the law of karma. Keep telling yourself; ‘I want success but I am not afraid to take failure also as god’s will or eswara prasada. Failures will not disturb my mind (imaginary or actual failure)’. A reacting mind cannot learn from life experiences. Depending upon the world for peace, security and happiness is a risky proposal. Therefore I should learn to depend on myself for getting peace, security and happiness. I have to strengthen myself and Gnana yoga alone will strengthen me to depend on myself.

2^nd Topic: Gnana Yoga: Verses 11 to 38.

Gnana yoga is the pursuit of self knowledge and knowing who I am (my real nature). Atma itself is not the body, mind or sense organs. These are only the medium through which I the atma functions. Atma is different and is of the nature of consciousness principle. It is chaitanya swaroopa which is the invisible and innermost essence of every individual.

The 5 features of consciousness are as under:

- Consciousness is not a part, product, property of the body.

- Consciousness is an independent principle which pervades the body and makes the body alive. It is in the body and not of the body.

- It is not limited by the boundaries of the body. It is all pervading like space.

- Consciousness continues to exist even after the material body disintegrates. This is like the presence of electricity even after the removal of the bulb.

- The surviving consciousness after the death of the body is not accessible for transaction since there is no medium through which it can express itself. It is the ‘Atma’. We see the light on a paurnami night and call it moonlight. It is not the light of the moon. It is actually the sunlight. Sunlight is not a part, Product, property of the moon. Sunlight is all pervading and we mistake it as moonlight. Likewise Consciousness which you experience does not belong to the body and is an independent entity. Surya enlivens the Moon and “Atma” enlivens the body. ‘Atma’ is Nithya (everlasting), Sathya (truth), Akartha (non-doer), Aboktha (non enjoyer), Sarvagathaga (all pervading); Nirvikara (does not undergo any change). It is Aprameya; not an object that is perceived by sense organs (because sense organs can perceive only the material things). We have to understand atma separating it from the body. This is similar to Moon and light which are two separate things.

There are two ‘I’s. The first ‘I’ is the body and the second ‘I’ is the Chaithanyam (‘Atma’). Pure consciousness is an abstract entity like light. Light pervades the entire hall and space. One can neither touch it nor cut it. It is intangible and indivisible. Understanding the light concept more and more will help understand the ‘Atma’. I realize that ‘I’ am not the body and ‘I’ am the ‘Atma” which is eternal. I will understand that I have a temporary body which will be taken by god without giving any notice period. I become the user of the body and not the owner.

4^th Topic: Sthitapragna Lakshanani: Verses 54 to 72.

By Chitapragna Lakshanani is meant natural or spontaneous traits of a Gnani. One of the traits of a Gnani is being equanimous and having a samatvam mind. This is called abyasa. A gnani has discovered that he is the ‘Atma’ which is poornam and functioning through a finite medium called body, mind. Gnani can give up anything without feeling that he is missing anything. You can use the sense organs but never become a slave of the same. Use the mind but never become the slave of the mind. Do vedantic meditation and meditate upon the teachings of the gita. Do nidhidhyasanam which will be useful for receiving, retaining and assimilating the knowledge. A person can discover fulfillment in him or herself which is called poornatvam. Self fulfillment is poornatvam when you get freedom from binding desires. Freedom from attachment, freedom from fear, freedom from anger. You perform the duties of life. What happens is not in our control. Krishna concludes by comparing a gnani to an ocean. When rivers are full and pours water into an ocean the ocean is poornam.

Ocean is the same (poornam) when no water comes from the rivers. Sometimes we feel that rising sun shows prosperity and setting sun is adversity because it will disappear. We should treat both as the same. Wise people are those who have got a calm mind in prosperity as well as in adversity. This samatvam is the benefit of being a Chitapragna. Lord Krishna calls it Brahmisthiti. Krishna tells Arjuna that he should go through karma yoga and Gnana yoga to become Brahmisthiti.

What is retirement?

You are an expression of your own Vasanas (manifestation of desires). Everybody is helplessly expressing his own vasanas. A singer will be singing. An artist will be painting. He cannot renounce that. You should not be bothered about what you get out of your action. You have to relinquish the fruits of your action. Your duty is to do what you ought to do. There is no such thing as retirement. You continue to function and not worry about the result of your action. Never retire from action. You retire from the fruit of your action.

If you wish to live, there are ways to live. Even the deep sea will become a wonderland if you have a passion for swimming. We have to swim along the Ocean of Life (starting with our birth due to our previous janma karma) if we have to reach the feet of Lord; the almighty.

It will be useful to know the difference between intelligence and intellect in this context.

All of us are acquainted with intelligence. The most brilliant persons in this world deal with intelligence which is the knowledge gained from external agencies viz., School, College. You can improve your knowledge further and become more intelligent. The intellect has to be developed by oneself. A teacher can guide you but you have to develop by yourself. It is like developing your muscles. Developing the muscles from when you are born with what you have developed till now. The way to develop your intellect is not to accept anything for granted. We find that people everywhere take everything for granted. Questioning everything at every step right from your formative years (from the age of 6) will help develop your intellect. Life is how you relate to the world. It is not the world that distresses you but how you relate to it. Otherwise you have unreasonable expectations which cause you misery. You will find that success and peace are totally lacking because of the absence of intellect. You will find that there is no intellectual development at all in you. Buddhi is intellect. One should have a satvic buddhi which enables you to choose the right field of activity. You can choose an activity that goes with your personality. You can differentiate between what is to be done and what is to be avoided. Satvic intellect gives you the direction. It guides you to the path of liberation.

Beauty is for admiring; Knowledge is for giving; Mind is for thinking; Life is for living. Let’s enjoy every minute of living our life.

Living is not a science. We should understand that Living is an art, a skill, a technique. You need to learn and practice it as you would to play a game or a musical instrument. Let us appreciate this fact and start using our intellect and not fall prey to emotions.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com