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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 10, 2019 3:57:23 GMT -6
Here is what I have so far on Chapter 4
Gita 4
(The glorious Lord said;) This yoga eternal was by me shown To Vivasvan; Vivasvan made it known To Manu, and from Manu, in his turn, The king Ikshvaku did this yoga learn. 1 This yoga, handed down from ancient time, Was known to wise kings in unbroken line; Thus, Foe-tormentor, yoga was conveyed. But in the lapse of time it has decayed. 2 That same yoga is taught today by me To you, which is the highest mystery; This ancient knowledge I to you obtend, Because you are my devotee and friend. 3 (Arjuna said) Much later is thy birth, O Lord divine! Than Vivasvan, born in the ancient time; How is it possible to comprehend, 'Twas thou that did this yoga first commend? 4 (The glorious Lord said) O Arjuna, both you and I have passed, Innumerable life-times in the past; As for myself, I am aware of all, Those births you are unable to recall. 5 Although I am birthless, immutable, The ruler of beings, ineffable; Yet entering my nature I take birth, By my own will, and manifest on earth. 6 The pious to reclaim, and to destroy The wicked ones who cause such great annoy; Righteousness to establish and attest, I make myself in each age manifest. 7 Whenever righteousness diminishes, When prominent are vice and wickedness, Then, Bharat righteousness to suscitate, I do in my own person incarnate. 8 And whoso knows this mystery of mine, The nature of my birth and deeds divine, Leaving the body, is not born again, But does, O Arjuna, to me attain. 9 From passion and from fear and anger free, Take refuge and engross yourself in me; Purged in the cleansing fire of this wisdom, Unto me thus full many souls have come. 10 In whatever way men seek me to gain, Responsive, I their worship entertain; Thus, Partha, I respond accordingly, Since men follow my path in every way. 11 Those here who worship of the gods maintain, Fulfilment of their actions soon attain; For, swiftly in the word from action springs Accomplishment of man's undertakings. 12 According to three attributes innate, And actions, I the four-fold caste create; Though I am the agent, nevertheless, I am immutable and actionless. 13 No action ever my being pollutes, Nor do I cherish hopes for actions fruits; And who has knowledge thus of me in truth, Also remains unbound by acts, forsooth. 14 Knowing me thus, the men of old, indeed, Performed actions in order to be freed, You too should act, and emulate their ways, As did the ancients in the olden days. 15 What action and inaction are per se, Even the wise, bewildered, cannot say; Wherefore what action is I will explain, Whence freedom from all ill you will attain. 16 'Tis needful one should know the distinction 'Twixt action, inaction, and mal-action; The ways of action's use, purpose, and end, Are very difficult to understand. 17 Who in inaction action comprehends, And action in inaction apprehends, Among mankind wise and attuned is he, Albeit he performs activity. 18 And whoever acts without hankering, Disinterested in his undertaking; He is a wise man, who with wisdom's fire, Burns up worldly extraneous desire. 19 Casting desire for action's fruit aside, On none relying, ever satisfied, Though acting according to duty's call, It is as though he does nothing at all. 20 Unambitious and self controlled and free, Forsaking all his worldly property; No stain of sin in his action contracts, Since it is merely the body which acts. 21 Contented with what comes by chance is he, From malice free, above duality; Whom failure and success do not confound, Equanimous, though acting, he's not bound. 22
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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 10, 2019 22:34:42 GMT -6
Continuing with Gita 4
Who all worldly attachments has o'ercome, Whose consciousness is stablished in wisdom; Who acts for sacrifice, and thus resolved, Has all his actions utterly absolved. 23 To him the offering, the sacred ghee, The fire, the priest, are all divinity; Who sees Brahman in all of these, and knows His acts are in Brahman, to Brahman goes. 24
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Post by Nitaidas on Oct 13, 2019 12:21:30 GMT -6
Thanks, Madanmohan dasji. Great stuff. Keep them coming.
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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 14, 2019 3:48:25 GMT -6
Some devout yogins, pious voteries, In sacrifice worship divinities; And others to the fire of Brahman bring, Their devout sacrificial offering. 25 The senses, such as hearing some consign, In worship, to the fire of discipline; Yet others the sense objects consecrate, Into the fire of sense, to dedicate. 26 Yet others offer up with pious care, Sense faculties into the vital air, Through fire lit by wisdom without taint, They practice the yoga of self-restraint. 27 And others who consecrate their substance Of wealth, practice yoga of hard penance; Others by Vedic study, sacrifice To wisdom, strict in their austerities. 28
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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 15, 2019 13:49:07 GMT -6
Yet others consecrate the breath inhaled In respiration to the breath exhaled; And thus the vital force within restrain, And regulation of the breath maintain. 29 And others who their diet regulate, The vital force and functions consecrate; All these knowers to sacrifice are fain, And by sacrificing are purged of stain. 30 Those who of sacrificial food partake, To eternal Brahman their way betake; This world is not for those, O Kuru's lord, Who offer not; what of the other world? 31 Thus sacrifice in diverse forms is made, And at the mouth of supreme Brahman laid; And you should know they all from action spring, Which knowing, shall to you salvation bring. 32 O Foe-tormentor, wisdom far exceeds The sacrifice of substance and of deeds; O Pritha's son, who wisdom cultivates, In wisdom finds all action culminates. 33 To learn of this 'tis meet you should repair, And with prostration, serve with pious care, And question those who are in wisdom wise, And they will guide and teach you wisdom's ways, 34 O Pandu's son, when this wisdom you gain, You shall not be deluded e'er again; And by this practice you shall plainly see, All beings in the self, the self in me. 35 Even among men of iniquity, If you the worst of sinful men should be, Still, in the boat of wisdom you may cross This sea of sin, without nor scathe nor loss. 36 As blazing fire that fuel does produce, The fuel consumed, to ashes does reduce; So, Arjuna, does wisdom's fire burn All actions up, and into ashes turn. 37
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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 16, 2019 3:34:40 GMT -6
Truly, like wisdom there is nothing here, For purification that may compare; Whoso in this perfection does attain, In due time the bliss of the self will gain. 38 The faithful who their senses well restrain, Unto this divine wisdom soon attain; And gaining this wisdom, with perfect ease, Without delay achieve the supreme peace. 39 But ignorant and faithless doubters go To utter ruination, fraught with woe; They have no portion in this world, nor there, Nor can happiness be the doubter's share. 40 But who disinterested yoga maintains, His doubts all cut away, wisdom attains; And self controlled, O you who treasures win, He is not bound by action or by sin. 41 Therefore, Bharat, thro' ignorance prevails The gnawing doubt your bosom now assails, In yoga fixed, with wisdom's sword, cut down This ignorance. Arise and win renown! 41 Om, yea, That Truth In the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, The beautiful Upanishad of wisdom, Consisting of the knowledge of Brahman, The Yoga scripture, Forming a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, This was the fourth canto Entitled The Yoga of Wisdom in Disinterested Action
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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 16, 2019 15:10:31 GMT -6
Commencing Canto V
Canto V (Arjuna said) Again, Krishna, two ways you praise at once; In action to engage, or to renounce; Now deign to tell me which of these is best, In confirmation, that I may be blest. 1 (the Glorious Lord said) The renouncement of acts, or the pursuit, Both lead to the blessedness absolute; But of the two, pursuit of acts exceeds, More than the renunciation of deeds. 2 Whoso has neither desire nor hate, Should be known as a true renunciate; O mighty armed, beyond duality, He is with joy and ease from bondage free. 3 'Tis only the puerile and fools that prate, And not the wise, that differentiate Twixt Sankhya and yoga; but the astute, Who follows one, picks of both ways the fruit. 4
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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 17, 2019 10:36:37 GMT -6
The regions which the Sankhyas do attain, The yoga practitioners also gain; And who perceives the unity of these, Beholding their oneness, he truly sees. 5 O mighty armed, it is only with pain, Sans yoga, to renunciation gain; But that wise sage who to yoga adheres, Eftsoons to the supreme Brahman repairs. 6 The pure hearted, who with yoga endued, With self controlled, and with senses subdued, Who sees all beings in the self remain, Though acting he is free from taint or stain. 7 The wise who know the truth should hold this view, 'I am the agent not of what I do'. And while he hears or sees or apprehends Odours and touch, or eats or sleeps, or wends, 8 Or breathes or speaks, gives or takes, or replies, Or when he opens and closes his eyes, He realises as a certain fact, The senses with their objects interact. 9
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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 19, 2019 10:03:15 GMT -6
Who offering of acts to Brahman makes, And who all his fond attachments forsakes, Is not assailed by sin or touched by grief, As water is repelled by lotus leaf. 10 The yogin, with body, senses and mind, And the intellect to action consigned, He, unattached, performs activity, In order to attain self purity. 11 Who is attuned, unattached to the fruit Of acts, attains supreme peace absolute; The unattuned, desirous of gain, Bound firmly to the fruits of acts remain. 12 But who with self control and steady mind, To renunciation his acts consigned, He neither acts, nor to action compels, And happy in the town of nine gates dwells. 13 The great Lord from whom all this world proceeds, Performs no action, nor impells to deeds, For him no fruit of action is aduced, Since these are by man's own nature produced. 14 The great Lord does not accept or contract The sins of any, or the pious act; For it is ignorance that wisdom veils, The which it is that all creatures beguiles. 15 But who by knowledge has ignorance quelled, Whose ignorance of the self is dispelled; Perceives wisdom as the manifest light, The truth supreme shining as the sun bright. 16 Absorbed in him by intellect and soul, Steadfast in him, with him for cherished goal, They go to regions whence never again, Return they here, washed of their sin and stain. 17 The learned, with humility edued, Maintains an equanimous attitude; The brahman, cow, dog, and elephant too And outcaste, the wise see with equal view. 18 Whose mind in equanimity remains, The conquest here of birth and death attains; Who with pure Brahman gain similitude, Are thence established in beatitude. 19
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Post by Nitaidas on Oct 19, 2019 11:31:18 GMT -6
Way to go, Madanmohan Dasji. You're being enormously productive. Thank you for posting these lovely translations!
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Post by madanmohandas on Oct 21, 2019 10:25:21 GMT -6
Not overjoyed at the agreeable, Nor depressed at the disagreeable; Whose intellect undeluded remains, Knows Brahman, and unto Brahman attains.. 20 Who unattached to outward contacts is, Who of the self within tastes of the bliss; Whose self attuned with Brahman e'er remains, Enjoys a happiness that never wains. 21 The pleasures which do from sense contact grow, Are verily the source of pain and woe; They have their beginnings and endings too, And hence, the wise do not these joys pursue. 22 But who can here endure and tolerate, While in the mortal and bodily state, And is not by desire and wrath consumed, He is a happy man, and well attuned. 23 The man who takes his pleasure from within, And joys in his inner light; this yogin Attains to Brahma Nirvana's repose, And to the blissful state of Brahman goes. 24 The wise who Brahma Nirvana attain, And cleansed thereby of sin the taint and stain, Whose doubts are cleft, whose senses are controlled, Are into the bliss of Brahman enrolled. 25 Those wise ascetics with the self restrained, From desire and wrath, have thus attained Control of mind, and wander without care, And find the bliss of Brahman everywhere. 26 When all contacts external he forgoes, His concentrated gaze between the brows; The inward and the outward breath restrains, And equal balance of the breath maintains, 27 Who senses, mind and intellect engage, Intent on liberation, that wise sage, Who does his fear and anger subjugate, Enjoys always the liberated state. 28 Who know me as the one who takes delight In penance and in sacrificial rite; Of all the mighty ruler, and the friend, He does unto the supreme peace ascend. 29
Om, yea, That Truth In the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita The beautiful Upanishad of wisdom Consisting of the knowledge of Brahman The Yoga Scripture Forming a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna This was the Fifth canto Entiled The Yoga of renunciation of Acts.
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Post by madanmohandas on Nov 2, 2019 5:03:10 GMT -6
Well, commencing with Canto VI
The Blessed Lord said, Who acts performs as duty does require, Without for the subsequent fruit desire; He is a renouncer and yogin hight, Not he who does not act or fire light. 1 This renunciation is said to be Attuned with yoga; this learn thou from me, Since no one can become a yogin true, Who does not worldly ambition eschew. 2 For the wise sage who to yoga aspires, 'Tis said the means is action sans desires; But who to yoga's height has gained ascent, The means is an equanimous content. 3 When he attachment for sense objects breaks, And all worldly activity forsakes, Renouncing every desire for gain, The lofty heights of yoga does attain. 4 Let each self then the self by self upraise, But let him not by self the self debase; For self alone is of the self the friend, The self also a foe who may contend. 5 The self is the friend of the self for him, Who by the self the self has conquered been; But for the self that is uncontrolled, know, The self alone is of the self the foe. 6 But who serenely has the self subdued, Attains the Supreme self's beatitude; In heat and cold, in pleasure and in pain, Sees honour and dishonour as the same. 7 Who with knowledge and wisdom is endued, Remaining firm and with senses subdued; Such yogin, well attuned is said to be, Who pebbles, stone, and gold as equal see. 8
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Post by madanmohandas on Nov 3, 2019 4:05:49 GMT -6
Who well-wishers, friends and enemies too, Strangers and kin behold with equal view, A holy man and sinner unredeemed, As foremost among yogins should be deemed. 9 The yogin thus his mind should concentrate, And on the self constantly meditate; Alone and in a place secluded, he Will contemplate, from all desire free. 10 Establish, in a place well cleaned and neat, Not raised too lofty, nor too low a seat, With pelt and cloth and Kusa grass o'erspread, And in yoga practice dedicated; 11 Thereon the mind should concentrated be, Restrained from sensual activity, In steady posture, practising control Of senses, for the cleansing of the soul. 12 With steady posture he should meditate, Sitting with body, neck and head held straight; Not glancing here and there, and continent, Gazing on the tip of the nose intent. 13 The soul thus pacified and free from fear, Steady in vows of continence sincere, Let him thus deep meditation maintain, And in communion with me e'er remain. 14
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Post by madanmohandas on Nov 4, 2019 14:57:33 GMT -6
In constant bliss of soul the yogin joined, And gaining mastery over the mind, In the state of supreme peace does repose, And to my own divine region he goes. 15 Who eats too much, too little, cannot be In truth, O dear Arjuna, a yogi; And neither he who ever wakeful keeps, Nor he who when he should be wakeful sleeps. 16 But who eating, play and work regulate, And who all their endeavours moderate, Are regular in sleep and wakefulness, Attain yoga, that wipes out all distress. 17
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Post by madanmohandas on Nov 5, 2019 14:57:17 GMT -6
Now when his mind the yogin well restrains, His soul the transcendental state attains; Free from desire, by senses not beguiled, As well attuned is such a yogin styled. 18
Just as a lamp when in a sheltered spot, Burns with a steady flame and flickers not, So the yogin with mind under control, Is fixed in meditation on the soul. 19
When in that state serene, the mind reposed, And to yoga practice fondly disposed, The self within the self is then descried, And resting in the self is satisfied; 20 He then the final supreme bliss conceives, Which intellect, not the senses, perceives, And knowing this, of joy divine partakes, Stablished in truth which he then ne'er forsakes. 21 And having repose in that state achieved, He weens nothing better could be conceived, Wherein he does firm and steady remain, He is unshaken by severest pain. 22 This thou the meditative state shouldst know, Which drives away all misery and woe. 23
With firm resolve, undeviating mind, All his hopes and aspirations resigned, The senses by the mind controlled must be, By regulated practice constantly. 24
Then little by little he will restrain, And by intellection steadiness gain, Thinking of nothing else, he should control His mind, and contemplate upon the soul. 25
Where'er the mind, restless, unfixed, may stray, It must by discipline be drawn away, And from its roving be brought back again And under the souls' firm control remain. 26
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