Summary:

Lesson 188 shows methods to devotion to attain Godhood. Krishna also summaries the 2 only Spiritual practices in existence: Karma-Yoga and Jnana-Yoga.

Source: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 62, 63, 64, 65, 66

Revision:

• VERSE 56-62 TOPIC: Devotion to Truth by means of Karma-Yoga.
  • What is Karma-Yoga?  A doctor doing his duty well, saving patients lives, is not Karma-Yoga. The doctor needs:
    1. To recognize Ishvara as the karma-phala-data (all results comes from God and all actions are possible only because of God),
    2. Life a prayerful life.
    3. Taking refuge in God (acknowledging Him by various spiritual practices).
• VERSE 56:
  • Doing proper actions by Karma-Yoga > gives “My grace”.
  • What is grace? Ever-available/favorable for person's growth. Involves acting per svabhāva (one's natural strengths that others find unnatural/hard) + being assertive.
  • Ishvara can't help the lazy. Needs you to act FIRST.
  • Surrender to Īśvara means:
    1. Understand all actions are means to an end.
    2. Perform yajna as it acknowledges God.
    3. Ishvara arpana (entrusted): Offer responsibly to God's alter as you-jiva are a trustee in His world.
    4. Ishvara prasada: Since Bhagavan alone IS; this means you are ever receive from the infallible-intelligent-order (karma-phala-data).
• VERSE 57:
  • Karma-Yoga = Buddhi-Yoga. Why “yoga of intellect”? Because Karma-Yoga engages your viveka (discernment) of dṛṣṭa/adṛṣṭa (seen/unseen consequences; thus mindful) and healthy/unhealthy behaviors. Both require analysis.
• VERSE 58: 
  • Krishna gives warning if one doesn't engage Buddhi-Yoga. If choose to slack (impulsive/mechanical thinking); you will perish. Body will perish; rebirth. And will be pulled down by ancient tama-guna notions.
• VERSE 59:
  • Krishna further advises that withdrawing (not engaging in Buddhi-Yoga), is unwise. Because engaging opens access points to unconscious mind; which are governing our perception. If they remain buried, perception/change is won't sustain.
  • Withdrawing = inertia = tama-guna = moha (delusion).
• VERSE 60: 
  • Naturally mind will ask “Why shouldn't I withdraw?”. It seeks rational. Because your svabhāva (natural inclinations) will compel you to express yourself accordingly. If they remain buried, they manifest as agitations.
• VERSE 61:
  • Lord (like electricity) is in intellect of all beings. He (awareness; brahman) is activating all jivas to move think, just as electricity causes all appliances to function.
  • When atma (awareness) pervades the instrument > instrument helplessly acts (according to V60; svabhava).
  • Therefore who has free-will? The electricity or the appliance? Lord (awareness; Self) or body-mind? The later. 
    • I (awareness) don't have free-will.
    • I (body-mind) have free-will.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 62:

tam eva śaraṇam gaccha sarva-bhāvena bhārata ।
tat prasādāt parām śāntim sthānam prāpsyasi śāśvatam ॥ 18-62॥
Surrender to Him alone with your whole heart, Bhārata (Arjuna)! By His grace you will gain absolute peace, the eternal abode.  ^{(Swami Dayananda)}

• Jīva has 2 choices every day:
  1. Live an impulsive/mechanical life driven by samskaras.
  2. Take to deliberate actions, striving to align them to serve the well-being of the environment (benefits larger quantity of people). This kind of living invokes, tat prasādāt; His grace.
     • In other words, take to Karma-Yoga, which produces a God-centered perspective.
• Then prāpsyasi parāṃ śāntim śāśvataṃ sthānam; you shall attain supreme peace (moksha) and the eternal abode [while alive and after death].

VERSE 63-66: Summary

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 63:

iti te jñānam ākhyātam guhyāt guhyataraṃ mayā ।
vimṛśya etat aśeṣeṇa yathā icchasi tathā kuru ॥ 18-63॥
Thus (this) knowledge, more secret than every (other) secret, has been imparted to you by Me. Having analysed this completely, do as you like.

• Whole Gita (manual for liberation) can be divided into 2 paths: Karma-Yoga & Jnana-Yoga.
  • Krishna says in BG CH3.3: Two-fold lifestyle in this world was told by Me in the beginning. Pursuit of knowledge and pursuit of karma-yoga.
  • Every practice other then knowledge falls under Karma-Yoga.
    • Regarding “Bhakti-Yoga” mentioned in CH12; it is not a separate path, but mixture of Karma-Yoga & Jnana-Yoga.
  • In CH18, Karma-Yoga was called sattvic-dispositions; otherwise a combination of:
    • sannyasa
      1. renunciation of of actions for desires objects / personal gain / future agenda, but rather directed for well-being or serving.
      2. giving up or renouncing actions that are to suit personal fancies/desires).
    • tyaga
      1. renunciation of specific results or expectations per personal fancies, from our actions.
      2. giving up or renouncing like-dislike oriented expectations/results from actions).
    • Sannyasa + Tyaga definition = Karma-Yoga.
• Verse:
  • Jñānam ākhyātam te mayā; This knowledge has been imparted to you by Me [since CH2.11].
  • guhyataram ākhyātam guhyāt; Don’t take this teaching for granted because it is knowledge of all knowledges.
  • vimṛśya etat aśeṣeṇa, kuru yathā icchasi; I don’t want to tell you what to do. Reflect well on what was advised and do as you wish. Act with discernment. Because (a) You’ve heard enough to make an informed choice. (b) Uniform advice is impossible since everyone is in different stage.
    • Knowing this, all Krishna can do is pray the student knows where things fit and purpose of each sadhana.
    • Krishna also implies he doesn’t want Arjuna to be dependent on him. Because (a) wanting to be wanted is a form of samsara (b) wanting to depend is samsara.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 64:

sarva-guhyatamam bhūyaḥ śṛṇu me paramam vacaḥ ।
iṣṭaḥ asi me dṛḍham iti tataḥ vakṣyāmi te hitam ॥ 18-64॥
Again listen to My supreme word, the most secret of all. Since you are very dear to Me, hence I shall tell what is good for you.

• Verse demonstrates the infinite compassion and patience of God, who expresses His love as continuous advice for our well-being through the scriptures, sages, and saints.
  • In this way, Krishna makes one last attempt to advise Arjuna. Perhaps Krishna is worried Arjuna may subscribe to old ways.
  • He says: bhūyaḥ śrṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ; again listen to My supreme words. Once again I will summarize the Gita!
• Why is Kṛṣṇa repeating again? Because, iti asi dṛḍham iṣṭaḥ; you are very dear to Me. You have listened so long, so out of My Infinite Love, I reach out to you again.
• NEXT TWO VERSES: Summarize 2 stages that lead to moksha through Karma-Yoga & Jnana-Yoga (which makes up BGita book).

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 65:

mat-manāḥ bhava mat-bhaktaḥ mat-yājī mām namaskuru ।
mām eva eṣyasi satyam te pratijāne priyaḥ asi me ॥ 18-65॥
Become one whose mind is offered to Me, one whose devotion is to Me, one whose worship is to Me; do salutations to Me. You will reach Me alone. I truly promise you. (Because) you are dear to Me.  ^{(Swami Dayananda)}

• Summarizes Karma-Yoga (using verse CH9.34). Otherwise, called devotion OR surrender.
• In reference to Devotion/Worship (yajna):
  • What are methods to devotion/worship?
    1. Declaring what matters to you. Slowly shifts your thinking.
    2. Puja. 2 Steps: (a) Offer  (b) Ask.
    3. Japa. Repetition of Lord’s name. EG: Om Tat Sat, Om namaḥ śivāya.
    4. Pranayama: breath control.
    5. Dānam: Charity (resources, time, your care, monetary). CAUTION: Don’t fall for pride arising from doing-good, else it reinforces the kartā/bhoktā.
    6. Dhyanam (meditation): can be open/closed eyes as discussed last session.
    7. Reading about / watching God’s glories.
    8. Svādhyāya (Self-study): Of Bhagavad Gita (because it’s essence of Vedas). Understanding nature of:
       1. Jiva: 3 bodies.
       2. Jagat: 5 elements / mithya resolvable into space-time ^{(distance & amount-of-changes)} which is a mere concept resolving into IS-ness.
       3. Ishvara: Higher Existence-Awareness & lower 3 guna/māyā. Knower/Known. Spirit/Matter.
• In reference to Karma-Yoga:
  • ACTIONS: Can’t be given up; only give up prohibited (adharma / Niṣiddha-karma).
  • DUTIES IN LIFE: Doing others duties well-done is worse then doing own duty aligned with own aptitude/inclination (svabhava).
    • How to balance duties between yourself and others? EG: Wife/boss/friends/you are all demanding attention.
      1. We consider our ROLE as an instrument of God (instead of husband, son, worker). And that our effort is service to God (and not various individuals).
         • Rational? In V61, it was stated that Lord resides in the heart of all living beings.
         • This is one meaning of CH2.11, when Krishna said: “Do not to grieve for those [bodies] who do not deserve to be grieved.”
           • IE: All these bodies are mere instruments, as is your body. Some instruments have made unwise decisions (EG: Drona, Bhishma). See them as mere instruments, not “my guru, my friends”.
      2. One starts to see all results as delivery of the infallible-Intelligent-Order; hence is less troubled by favorable or unfavorable events. Hold vision bigger then the small jiva and the perceptible world (jagat).
• VERSE:
  • mat-manāḥ: fix the mind on Me.
    • Method 1:
      • Before you can “fix the mind”, must know what is it that it’s fixing on. The Lord. But what is the Lord?
        • Upadana-karanam: material case. Material from which creation IS.
        • Nimitta-karanam: Efficient/intelligent cause. Intelligence which puts materials into a functional synergy.
      • Therefore when you “fix the mind on God”, the mind is recognizing whatever material it’s fixed on, is nothing but Lord. That’s why “feeling Ishvara's presence”  is ignorance, because the very mind that’s trying to feel Ishvara — is Ishvara (material; upadana-karanam).
      • EG: Sperm meiosis includes (a) splitting; intelligent-cause, and (b) division; material-cause.
    • Method 2:
      • Summary: Classify thoughts as Matter (3 gunas). Claim nature as Spirit/Formless (Brahman).
      • STEP 1: Start to inquire, “What is the same about every thought?”.
        • EG: It came in time. It’s different. It is uncalled for. It is either pleasant/unpleasant. It’s filled with visuals/sounds/feelings.
      • STEP 2: Put entire thought bubble into apara-prakriti (Matter).
      • STEP 3: Ask, “What presence is still true now as it was before the thought came?”. The Existence-Awareness (sat-cit) presence.
      • STEP 4: Claim your nature by stating: “I (as Existence-Awareness presence), am free of all experiences/sensations that manifest into my awareness”.
  • mat-yājī: Be My worshipper.
    • Take to noble actions. Contributing to well-being of others. That’s how the Lord is worshipped-in-action. Also means, take to: prayers, puja, tapas, danam, etc.
  • namaskuru mām: Surrender to Me.
    • Take to life of Karma-Yoga (4 levels: Align aptitude to career > Bring in ethics > What bigger thing are you representing > Only representing Ishvara) / arpana & prasada.
  • eṣyasi mām eva satyaṃ pratijāne te: Do this and I promise you will reach the highest.
    • If not into jñāna-yoga: Mind will become jñāna-yoga-friendly.
    • If into jñāna-yoga: Mind enjoys accelerated ignorance-removal.
• NEXT VERSE: Jnana-Yoga summary…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 66:

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇam vraja ।
aham tvā sarva-pāpebhyaḥ mokṣyayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ ॥ 18-66॥
Giving up all karmas, take refuge in Me [the non-dual] alone. I will release you from all karmas; do not grieve.

• This is the final teaching verse in BGita. It summarizes Jnana-Yoga implicitly (through implied meaning).
• Also highly MISINTERPRETED verse. EG:
  • parityajya sarva-dharmān: Renounce all dharma (which further has several meanings: God, nature of a thing, duties, values of life, spiritual practices).
  • vraja mām ekam śaraṇam: Seek Me [Krishna] as your shelter. Hence people will say “Don’t worship any God but Krishna”.
• VERSE: (by help of Adi Shankara commentaries on this verse)
  1. parityajya sarva-dharmān: Renounce all dharma.
     • Don’t take literally. Need to look at implied meaning. 
       • Add “adharma” also. Because Krishna has stated previously “give up adharma” (EG: CH16, removal of asura-sampat).
     • What do we mean by “dharma”?
       • If “Dharma” is interpreted as “NOBLE ACTIONS”, then…
         • It means, renounce all Punya-karma (all proper kāyikam/vācikam/mānasam karmāni). In which case we must also add “Renounce all adharma”, because Krishna stated previously in CH16 (asura-sampat).
           • So renounce all punya-papa-karma. In short: renounce all actions.
         • OBJECTION: How can a living being renounce all actions, when Krishna stated actions can’t be renounced long as alive (CH3.5 ^{[No one remains for a second without performance of actions due to gunas]}, CH18.11)?
           • ANSWER: Must keep entire Gita in mind wherein Krishna says all karmas belong to BMI complex; never ātmā. Long as “I” identity is in BMI, then dharma/adharma cannot be renounced. Hence renouncing is only possible by recognizing Self is not doer (of the dharma/adharma).
       • SUMMARY: Renounce the BMI (that which generates dharma/adharma).
         • OBJECTION: If I was never the BMI, then how can I renounce it?
           • ANSWER: You are not renouncing the BMI, but ignorance/notion that made Self think that “I am BMI”.
         • OBJECTION: If Self is not a mind, how can Self “think” it is the BMI?
           • ANSWER: Due to association to mind, Self (upahita) was a thinker as it couldn’t tell itself apart from the upadhi.
  2. vraja mām ekam: Reach Me [Krishna], the nondual.
     1. Question: What is the meaning of “Me” (the Lord)?
        • 3 Meanings:
          1. Eka-rupa: Personal God (Rama, Krishna) with form.
          2. Aneka-rupa / Vishva-rupa: Seen in CH11. God is every form in the universe.
          3. Arupa / Nirguna-Brahman / parā-prakṛti ^(CH7) / kṣetrajña ^(CH13): Verse is referring to this, established in word “ekam” (the One; one without a second).
     2. Question: How does the jiva “approach/reach” the all-pervading One?
        • Don’t take word “reach” directly, but implied. Dropping false notion there is a distance/difference between “I” and the Limitless One (Brahman).
        • Therefore the ultimate surrender (saranagati) is dropping the false notion (by right knowledge) by śravaṇam, mananam, nididhyāsanam — as stated by Krishna in BG4.34 (…by asking proper questions, those wise will teach you this knowledge).
     3. OBJECTION: How can Adi Shankara say sharanagati (surrender) is jnanam (when it’s mostly associated with personal-deity worship)?
        • Because Veda (it's conclusion in entirety) declares God can only be attained by jnanam.
        • Upanishads declare, there is only ONE other way to get moksha without jnanam: Roll the sky like a mattress.
        • Krishna stated throughout BGita:
          • BG4.33: Jnana is superior to Yajnas. Every action culminates in knowledge.
          • BG7.18: All these (ajnani devotees) are certainly noble. However the wise man (jnanin) is myself.
  3. What is the benefit of assimilated knowledge?
     • mām ekam śaraṇam; The Limitless One (Brahman) alone is the only real refuge from samsara, because only Brahman is beyond time/space.
     • ahaṃ tvā mokṣayiṣyāmi; I shall release you from all past sins [and merits as both are merely iron/gold chains, both which guarantee rebirth].

Keywords:

Resources:  L188 Mind-Map

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Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching given to Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya), Paramarthananda & Chinmaya Mission.

Recorded 18 Oct, 2022