Those people who see themselves as
non-separate from me, recognising me, gain me. For those who are always one
with me, I take care of what they want to acquire and protect what they
have.
*THOSE WHO SEE ME AS NON-SEPARATE FROM THEM I TAKE CARE OF THEIR YOGA-KSHEMAM!*
This is a very famous and often quoted verse. It has an important location. It is about the middle of the Ninth Chapter, which is in the middle of the 18 Chapters.
*This verse can be taken in two ways, as a description of a jnani, a wise man, or as a Mumuksu’s approach to the object of his seeking.* Sankara takes it as a description of a jnani, based on the words, ‘ye ananyah,’ which he says, is meant to distinguish these people from the ones Bhagavan has mentioned before in the previous two verses.
*Ananyas* *means those who do not look upon ‘me’ as other than themselves, as another being.* They do not see ‘me’ in one form or another as someone separate from themselves. These are ananyas and they are never separate from ‘ me.’
How is this possible?
These are individuals, and how can they be non-separate from Isvara, the Lord? Sankara says that it is possible due to the fact that the Lord is the atma of all of them. When this is so, naturally, those who recognise the atma as Paramesvara are non-separated from him.
The atma of Isvara is the atma of jiva, and it is caitanya, eka, one, advitiya, non-dual, and which is satyam jnanam anantam brahma. Those who recognise themselves as such are called ananyas.
Such people, mam cintayantah, recognising me or enquiring into me, mam paryupasate, gain or seek me.
And tesam, for them, nitya abhiyuktanam, who
are non-separate from me at any time, I take care of their yoga and ksema.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR STATEMENTS IN THE GITA — Yoga-Kshemam vahami aham.
Kshema is retaining a protecting what you have acquired, praptasya raksanam ksemah.
Yoga has many different meanings. For example, it can mean the title of a chapter.
But when Yoga and Kshema appear together in a compound, the meaning for yoga is acquiring what you do not have, apraptasya prapanam. And it must be also desirable to you.
If you look at your life, all your concerns come under one of these two.
What is it that bothers you?
It will either be about something you want, *Yoga* or something you are afraid to lose, *Kshema.* You have no peace; I want to gain it; yoga. You do not have enough money, you want to gain some; yoga. You are losing your health, and you want to retain it; ksema. *So yoga and ksema indicate a lot about the life of a jiva. If yoga-ksema is taken care of, everything is taken care of.*
The Bhagavad Gita beautifully encapsulates this principle in Chapter 9, Verse 22:
"Ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham." ("To those who are constantly devoted and who worship Me with love, I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.") It's a reminder that ...
The Lord says, ‘nitya-abhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahami aham, I, take care of the yoga-ksema for those who are always non-separate from me.’
Sankara’s Bhasyam continues with more insights into this important sloka of the Gita!
Be Blissful.
S,Sekar
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
