UDDHAVA GITA CHAPTER VI

Lord Krishna has pointed out to Uddhava in verse 25 (Ch VI) that Satsangha or Company of Satpurushas are very essential for spiritual growth. When we have the company of noble people, dharmic people, people of devotion to God and people who are Satpurusha this association will be very useful and unknowingly we will imbibe all their virtues.

Thereafter Uddhava asks Krishna the definition of a satpurusha. Krishna answers in verses 29 to 33. Lord Krishna mentions 30 virtues that can be found in a satpurusha. In the 29^th verse 7 virtues are enumerated. They are do not pain others (ahimsa). Be compassionate to others. Restrain violent impulsive responses. Be honest, speak truth and have integrity. Avoid unhealthy tendencies (jealousy). Have a mental balance (samatvam). They have freedom from stress, anxiety. In verse 30 Krishna enumerates 11 virtues. In our early part of life we can give importance to Artha (material desire), Kama (sense pleasures, worldly entertainment). This should get shifted to Dharma pradana (a life of contribution and service) says scriptures. Then only we can go to Moksha pradana way of life. We have to shift gradually to moksha pradana before we die. If worldly desires over-power me then it becomes impossible for Moksha. A Satpurusha spends time for Dharma and Moksha. Sensory addiction can be disastrous. Karma yoga is defined as keeping the mind equanimous. Freedom from stress is possible and is important for spiritual growth. Be calm always under any situation. Surrender to the lord and give all your responsibilities and worries to God. Then God will give you the strength to face every situation in life which is experienceable here and now.

Ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣhāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣhemaṁ vahāmyaham (BG Ch9 Verse 22)

There are those who always think of Me and engage in exclusive devotion to Me. To them, whose minds are always absorbed in Me, I provide what they lack and preserve what they already possess. when we offer ourselves exclusively to Him, māmekaṁ śharaṇaṁ vraja, God bestows His complete grace and takes full responsibility, by preserving what we have and providing what we lack.

We should have shreddha in Bhagavan’s promise. We should gradually get exposed to scriptural teachings and scriptural study which is compulsory. All other sadanas will not give me a clear direction. Scriptural study is like a GPS. Scriptural study will tell me where I stand and will show me where I have to Go. I should have a scriptural Road Map.

Self confidence is the most important virtue. Never ever look down upon yourself.

In the 6^th chapter of Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna talks about 4 types of Grace. First is Atma Kripa. I should have my own grace in the form of Self confidence. Then the other three will follow. 2^nd is Eswara kripa, God’s grace will follow. Next is Guru Kripa. Bhagavan will send a guru to guide me as I don’t know any guru. Eswara kripa will lead to Guru kripa. Next is Sastra kripa. Scriptures should come to my mind. Guru will introduce, interpret and transfer the scriptural message to me. It will become a Sastra kripa. Without Atma kripa the other three is not possible. You should never lose your heart. Never use the word it is difficult, it is tough, it is impossible. Remove these from your dictionary.

At Karma yoga level the 6 enemies are Kama (worldly desires), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed or miserliness), Moga (delusion, depening on finite world, finite possession and finite relationship for my peace, security and happiness), Madha (arrogance, superiority complex) and Matsarya (Jealousy, envy).

Regarding Gnana yoga the 5 enemies are enumerated in Brigadharanya Upanishads. The 5 problems are because of our identification with various layers of our body. Annamaya kosha has the problem of death. Pranamaya kosha has the problem of hunger and thirst. Manomaya kosha has got the problem of Soga (grief). Vignanamaya kosha has got the problem of delusion. Anandamaya kosha has the problem of desire. A gnani transcends all of these by learning to identify all the Kosas. A Gnani will say “I am not the pancha kosas. I am the transcendental Atma”.

Every one of us is the creation of God. God resides in every one. You should see divine in every one. After studying the scriptures, you have to share, interact, and discuss with likeminded people what you have understood. Then you will get more clarity of what you have studied. We have to maintain good relationship with everyone. Show compassion to others. Your prayer should be “Sarve Bhavanthu Sukinaga” (let all people in the world be happy). You have to pray for the humanity to be happy.

Mental purity will make you get a desire for scriptural study. Spend more time in Shravanam, Mananam and Nidhithyasanam. You will get more time for Vedanta Vichara. If your children are grown up, take Vanaprasta ashrama. Remain in home and not do any household activity. Children are there to take care of household activity. From Grihashramam to Vanaprasthashramam to Sanyasa ashramam; then take Gurukulam (find a competent Guru) and study there.

Be blissful.

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

UDDHAVA GITA CHAPTER VI VERSE 20

In Uddhava Gita Chapter VI, Ver. 20 Lord Krishna gives a beautiful instruction to all the people. The instruction is about the purification of the organ of speech. When physical body is associated with all kinds of dust it becomes impure. We purify the body by taking a bath. We have got a powerful organ which is the organ of speech and the only given gift for all the human beings by Bhagavan. This indriyam will also get polluted because of wrong association and by the utterance of all kinds of rubbish words. When the organ of speech is used wrongly by uttering bad words, indecent words, it gets polluted which we never notice.

If the organ of speech is polluted by using indecent words, how to purify the same. The only way to purify / sanitize the organ of speech is by chanting slokas from sacred scriptures. Words uttered from scriptures will wash off all the pollution by the words we chant. Why scriptural words purify? They talk about only the ultimate purifying agent. Vishnu Sahasranamam is considered to contain words which are sacred. By chanting words from Vishnu sahasranamam, our speech will get purified. If you cannot avoid these bad words keep quiet. You can chant “Sri rama ramethi rame rame Manorame. Saharanama tathulyam Rama Nama Varanane” ten times. Lord Krishna says one should have some scriptural parayanam. Otherwise he will become useless. Speech associated with scriptures has to be uttered everyday by you. Nirguna Bhagavan is talked about in Veda Antha Bagha. Actual Bhagavan consisting of Shristi (creation), Srithi (sustenance) and Pralayam (destruction) should be read by all and understand who is Bhagavan. Before the origination of the universe, before the origination of time and space Isvara was present. He is Anadhi (beginningless). He has no form. He is a formless Jagat Karanam. Reading the scriptures will purify our speech. Learning the meaning after reading will purify our mind. You will get rid of the ignorance of Bhagavan and ignorance of yourself (Isvara agnanam and atma agnanam). Ignorance and Self misconception are the worst mental impurity. This will go away by reading and learning the meaning of Scriptures. Learning the meaning is called Jignasu, which means enquiry (vichara). Surrender your mind on the Lord who is the Karanam. The instantaneous benefit is that your mind becomes relaxed. All the worry about your family, Children, grand children will go away. We need not worry and everything will be better off.

Enjoy life.

Be Blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

CAUSE OF BONDAGE AND MEANS OF LIBERATION

In the 6^th chapter of Uddhava Gita Lord Krishna is answering the questions raised by Uddhava at the end of the fifth Chapter. The question pertains to the cause of bondage and the means of liberation. Also Uddhava wanted to know the difference between a liberated person and a bonded person (samsari) because both of them live in the same world. There are some people who think that moksha is possible only after death by going to some other higher loka. Krishna says one can be liberated even when one is alive and he is called jivan mukthi. He continues to live in the body after attaining jivan mukthi.

How a Gnani looks at the world, how he looks at himself and his experiences is only at his perspective. Krishna is discussing the topic from verse 5 (CH VI) onwards. Initially he talks about Bhagavan himself as a liberated Gnani. He talks about Bhagavan also as a gnani and a liberated one. Bhagavan has Maya Sakthi and pervades the whole creation and pervades all living beings. He is the consciousness pervading the Karana Sariram of every Jiva. In the karana sariram alone all the potential karmas of all the jivas are residing. Behind Stula sariram (Physical body) and Shukshma sariram (Subtle body) we have Karana sariram in which our future Prarabhda karma is hidden. It will give pleasurable and painful experiences. This holds good also for a Gnani who has to exhaust his prarabhda which he has got before he became a Gnani. As even the body grows, it has to give pleasurable and painful experiences to the body. Bhagavan is the Karma Pala Dhadha. Bhagavan is the witness of every good and bad deed we are doing. Bhagavan is called Karma adyahshaga who is the witness of all the things that we are doing. At the appropriate time Karma palam will be given to us. Some of the karma will fructify in the present janma. Some will fructify in the future janma. Bhagavan is a gnani who has discovered he is Akarta and abhokta. Bhagavan does not experience any karma pala. Bhagavan is Akartha and abhokta only because of Self knowledge. A jiva can become Akartha and Abhoktha only if he becomes a wise person (Gnani). Whosoever has got ignorance (Self ignorance) he will be bound whatever may be his accomplishment in life. A person having Self knowledge (without any degree or qualification) is a liberated person. He has Vidya (Atma Gnanam, Self Knowledge).

Be blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM

Knowledge is the outcome of information. Persistent assimilation of knowledge results in wisdom.

Plato says, “No amount of factual information would make ordinary man into educated or ‘virtuous’ man unless something is awakened in him, an innate ability to live the life of the soul.”

Wisdom does not comprise pieces of disconnected information in isolation; rather, it arises when we logically analyse the given information and apply it to solve practical issues. A synthesis of theoretical and practical knowledge alone leads to viveka, wisdom. Wisdom lies not only in knowing right from wrong but in practicing what is right or good , and avoid what is wrong or bad. Our conduct is the sole arbiter of our being wise or otherwise. However literate a person may be, if he lacks wisdom – if he is vivekashunya – he is uneducated.

Wisdom makes us realize that uniformity is unnatural and its attainment is impossible. Wisdom leads to harmonious development of an individual. It leads to illumination of the heart and cultivation of the imagination. It trains us to decide all issues with equanimity, calmness, with composure and with good judgment.

Wisdom as Bhagavad gita asserts, makes us enlightened, as who “acts without attachment. A wise person does not create disturbance in the beliefs of the ignorant”. This leads to peace with oneself and peace in the society, which lays the foundation of a peaceful world order.

Be blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN SAVE YOU.... IS YOU

Only you, can stabilize yourself

Only you, can save yourself

Be your own Anchor.

Only you, can lift yourself by yourself.

“You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself.”

This is reality in this materialistic world.

Be blissful.

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

KRISHNA'S INSTRUCTION FOR PURSUING A SPIRITUAL PATH

In the fifth chapter of uddhava gita, which is an important chapter, lord Krishna is giving a clear set instruction for all those people who want to pursue a spiritual path. 

The whole teaching is based on Vedas which are the original scriptures. Puranas are secondary scriptures and Shruthi granthas. They are borrowed from original scriptures which are Vedas. Vedas guide a spiritual seeker to Vedic way of life. The message is Moksha or Liberation is possible only when the mind is prepared for that work. So mental refinement is required for attaining Gnana yogyatha prapthi. We will naturally get a desire for Vedantic study after we prepare our mind. It (a prepared mind) will give opportunity for gaining knowledge. When we develop a sincere desire for gaining spiritual knowledge Bhagavan will give us the opportunity. 

Refine the mind, develop a desire for study of scriptures and opportunity will be given by Bhagavan and you will get gnanam. Use your entire religious life for internal refinement. Instead of doing pooja for worldly benefits convert the same pooja for your internal refinement. Use your family life for serving the family and contribute and not control. Do your duties including raising your children only for your internal refinement. Once sufficient refinement comes, you will naturally get a desire to know about spiritual teaching. You will get an interest in satsanga, interest in listening to spiritual discourses, in spite of other attractions. 

Lord Krishna said “Never attempt to gain spiritual knowledge by yourself". You have to go to a Guru who himself has got spiritual knowledge from his Guru, who himself has got spiritual knowledge from his Guru which is called a traditional Guru. Start exposing yourself to vedantic teaching. The teaching will be abstract because our own nature is abstract. Continue to refine your mind. Complete refinement is not required. Let the exposure to Vedanta be there on one side. Let the sadana be there for mental refinement. Vedanta class will be more meaningful and interesting to hear. Everything will take time.We should be patient. Spiritual growth is gradual. Internal growth will be tortuously slow, often creating diffident in mind as to whether I will progress or not in my spiritual journey. Any growth is gradual only. Internal growth is still subtler only. Maintain your desire for gaining spiritual knowledge and reduce your talking.

Be blissful

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

GREAT PEOPLE

Great people forgive and forget.
Great people let insults go.
Great people do not plot revenge. They move on.
Great people are tolerant, indulgent and above all forgiving. 
He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge which he himself has to pass.
Learn to forgive.

A Good Teacher Explains

A Great Teacher Inspires.