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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 3, 2019 4:26:55 GMT -6
Canto XII
(Arjuna said;) Of those who worship you as devotees, Always attuned, who seek your grace to please, And those fixed in the pure unmanifest, Of these two types of yogins, which is best? 1
(The Glorious Lord said;) Those devotees who thus absorb their mind In me, and always to worship inclined; With loving faith superior are blest, And most attuned with me, I deem these best. 2
Yet those who seek the imperishable, The indefinite and ineffable, The all-permeating unmanifest, Immovable, firm, by no word expressed; When they have thus all their senses restrained, Their intellect in equity maintained, And to proper forms of worship commit, Who seeks for all welfare and benefit; Thus practising with faith assiduously, They also in the end attain to me. 3/4
But difficult the task for those whose mind, Is dedicated to the undefined, To seek the undefined, immaculate, Is fraught with woe in the embodied state. 5
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 4, 2019 12:42:49 GMT -6
Continuing with Canto XII.
But those who worship me with single mind, Who have all actions unto me resigned, And who exclusively love cultivate, Worship and always on me medite, 6 Those I myself lift up from that dread sea, Of death, in this world transmigratory, Who thus absorb their minds in me always, I swifty, O son of Pritha, upraise. 7
Verily I say fix your mind on me, Apply your intellectual faculty, And thence you shall in me refuge attain, Oh let not any doubt of this remain! 8
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 4, 2019 23:30:45 GMT -6
But if you cannot fix your mind in me, Due to your mental incapacity, Then, Dhananjaya, practice regulate; Desire to attain me cultivate. 9
But even if you cannot practice this, Then dedicate yourself to my service; And consecrate to me all action's gain, And you shall supreme perfection attain. 10
And if in this you are not so inclined, Then to my yoga practice be resigned, Renouncing all the fruit that action brings, And be thus self satisfied in all things. 11
Knowledge is better by far than practice, Than knowledge meditation better is, Than meditation, fruits of acts resigned, This resignation thus brings peace of mind. 12
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 5, 2019 11:39:28 GMT -6
Who has for others not the slightest hate, Most amicable and compassionate, Sans pride, possessiveness, yet tolerant, In happiness or woe always content; 13
Such yogin, satisfied and always blest, Firm in his conviction and self-possessed; With mind and intellect resigned to me, Such an one is my own dear devotee. 14
From whom the people have no fear of harm, Who from the people fears no dire alarm; From joy and woe, fear and anxiety, He is free; and is also dear to me. 15
Who is impartial, clean, and dexterous, Indifferent, and free from all distress; Who all his undertakings does forswear, He is my devotee, to me most dear. 16
Who is not elated, who has no ire, Unlamenting, and void of all desire; Who does both the good and evil forswear, He is devoted, and to me most dear. 17
Who sees alike both friend and enemy, In both high honour and foul infamy, The same in heat and cold and weal and woe, And who all fond attachments does forgo; Who is always satisfied and the same, Whatever befall, be it praise or blame; Who is steadfast, silent, homeless, resigned, Love-filled, he is most dear among mankind. 18/19
And those who this righteous path thus pursue, And worship, as I have explained to you, Filled with ambrosial faith, my devotee, Is the most loved by me exceedingly. 20 Om, yea, That Truth, In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, The Upanisad of wisdom, Consisting of the knowledge of Brahman, The yoga scripture, Forming a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, This was the Twelfth Canto Entitled The Yoga of Devotion.
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 7, 2019 15:52:14 GMT -6
Now, Gita XIII
Arjuna said; O Keshava, I fain would learn from you Of the Prakriti and Purusha too, The Ksetra, Ksetrajna, the object known, And of knowledge gathered by perception. 1 The Blessed Lord said; This body is the field of perception, Called by the name of Ksetra, Kunti's son; And who this field of perception surveys, As the Ksetrajna is known by the wise. 2
And in all Ksetrajnas, I am the one Who perceives all of them, O Bharat's son; Knowledge of Ksetra and Ksetrajna known, Is proper knowledge in my opinion. 3
Now what is that field, whence its origin, Its constitution and transformation, Who is that knower, what his potency, In concise terms now hear of that from me. 4
The ancient rishis have sung in their lays, In many meters and in many ways, And lines of the Brahma Sutra proclaim, What is the cause and effect ascertain. 5
The gross elements and the false ego, Intellect, the unmanifest also; The senses and the organs, ten and one, And the five objects of sense perception. 6 Desire, hatred, happiness, distress, The sum of all, and conscious steadfastness; Herein the field's constituents are known, Its faculties and transformations shown. 7
Pridelessness, modesty, non-violence, Innocent simplicity, tolerance, Service to the preceptor, cleanliness, Restraint of the self and firm steadiness; 8 Renunciation of objects of sense, To be devoid of haughty arrogance, To always apprehend the miseries, Of birth and death, of old age and disease; 9 Without fond attachment for company Of son or wife, the home or family; Always equanimous in loss or gain Of cherished objects; to always maintain 10 Unwavering yoga of devotion, In some secluded place and all alone; To have no aspiration nor to long To dwell where multitudes of people throng. 11 In knowledge of the self firm constancy, To learn of wisdom and philosophy; All this as true knowledge has been declared, All else is ignorance with this compared. 12
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 11, 2019 0:22:02 GMT -6
The object to be known I shall relate, Whereby one attains the immortal state; Brahman, beginningless, my pure essence, Beyond existence and non existence. 13
Everywhere are his hands and feet sublime, Everywhere his heads and his faces shine; With ears everywhere he incorporates, And everywhere covers and permeates. 14
Without organs of sense he does perceive, From him the senses perception receive, Though unattached all the world he sustains, He enjoys, though attributeless remains. 15
Within and without beings he exists, Thus the mobile and immobile subsists; His subtlety is hard to understand, He is both far away and near at hand. 16
Although he seems in beings to divide, He always undivided does abide; Who is the stay of beings by his power, Know also he does create and devour. 17
Of bright stars the luminary divine, 'Tis said he beyond all darkness does shine. Knowledge, the knower, the perceivable, He reposes within the hearts of all. 18
Thus knowledge and the field of perception, The object known, have here been dwelt upon; My devotee with full knowledge of this, Attains to my state of eternal bliss. 19
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 11, 2019 0:22:26 GMT -6
Now both, it should be known, nevertheless, Nature and the soul are beginningless; The evolutes of gunas are induced By Nature, whereby effects are produced. 20
Indeed, Nature the cause is said to be Of all cause and effect and agency; Whereas 'tis said, the soul itself contrives The cause whereby it joy and woe derives. 21
The living soul thus in Nature confined, Enjoyment of Nature's attributes bind; Attachment to the attributes alone, Is cause of birth from good or evil womb. 22
The overseer and the permiter, The Lord, enjoyer and mighty ruler; Superior within the body dwells, The Soul supreme, 'tis said, whom all excels. 23
Whoever thus knows Nature and the soul, And the attributes, comprehends the whole; Let him in whate'er condition remain, He never here shall take his birth again. 24
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 12, 2019 5:17:23 GMT -6
The self within the self some visualise, And see the self with meditation's eyes; And others by yoga attain to this, Of action and also analysis. 25
Nay, even the ignorant who are stirred To worship me by what they have but heard; Thereby the state of death they go beyond, Who hearing of these things are ever fond. 26
Whatever does exist or come to be, The moving and nonmoving entity; O Bharat's prince, when nature is combined, Ksetra and ksetrajna in union bind. 27
Who sees the same soul in all forms abide, And within the supreme ruler reside; Immortal souls in decaying bodies Confined; and whoso sees thus truly sees 28
Who sees the same self everywhere exist, And all in the Supreme ruler subsist; He does not the self by the self debase, But unto the Supreme does onward pace. 29
Who understands all acts and agency Are wrought with Nature in conformity; And who sees that the self does nothing do, Perceives correctly with perception true. 30
And when he sees the separated soul Within the undivided Supreme whole; How from the One does all this emanate, He then attains Brahman, the supreme state. 31
Without beginning and immutable. Superior and imperishable; The self, O Kunti's son, though he remain Embodied, does not act; is free from stain. 32
Just as the sky does all things permeate, But rarified, retains its pristine state; Likewise does he in the body remain Uncontaminated and free from stain. 33
E'en as the Sun illumination spreads, And over all this world his light he sheds; On likewise, by the self, O Bharat's son, Is lighted up the field of perception 34
And those who can dispart with wisdom's eye The knower and field of activity, The soul's release from bondage comprehends, And unto the supreme goal onward wends. 35
Om, yea, That Truth, In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, The Upanisad of wisdom, Consisting of the knowledge of Brahman, The yoga scripture, Forming a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, This was the thirteenth Canto, Entitled, The Distinction of Ksetra and Ksetrajna
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 14, 2019 1:52:47 GMT -6
Canto XIV of the Gita, dealing with the distinction of the three attributes, begins with a preamble to the main theme in four verses.
(The Blessed Lord said;) Hearken again to my supernal speech, Wherein the best of all knowledge I teach; The wise sages this knowledge having gained, Have the supremest perfection attained. 1
And whoso in this knowledge refuge gain, Perfect similitude with me attain; They are not born with creation's process, Nor in destruction undergo distress. 2
Great Brahman as the womb I designate, Which by my potency I impregnate; Whence creation of beings was begun, Then brought into existence, Bharat's son. 3
From whatever wombs beings are thus born, In varied forms and species, Kunti's son, All these from mighty Brahman's womb proceed, And I the father am who plants the seed. 4
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Post by Nitaidas on Dec 14, 2019 22:36:07 GMT -6
Great work, Madanmohanji. You're amazing. Keep them coming.
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 15, 2019 6:40:27 GMT -6
Sattva, Raja, Tama, are attributes Of Nature which have varied evolutes; Which tho' immortal, Mighty armed, does bind The soul within the body fast confined. 5
Of these Sattva does always pure remain, Full of illumination, void of stain; Which binds to knowledge and to happiness, The soul embodied, you who are sinless. 6
Know Raja to be passion and desire, Craving, and for company to aspire; It binds the soul, O Kunti's noble son, To perform desire prompted action. 7
But Tama, know, is born of ignorance, Inadvertence, folly, and indolence; It binds all bodied souls in delusion, And slothfulness, O Bharat's noble son. 8
From Sattva, Bharat, happiness proceeds, From Raja, zeal in practising good deeds; But Tama the soul's pristine knowledge veils, And with folly and indolence assails. 9
When Raja and Tama are in descent, Then, O Bharat, Sattva is prominent; When Raja and Sattva, Tama assails. Tama over the other two prevails. 10
When all the portals of the body shine, Illuminated by wisdom divine, And knowledge develops by increment, Then it is said Sattva is ascendant. 11
Greed and endeavour and to undertake Diverse activities for passion's sake, These rise when Raja gains preeminence, With vast increase, O Bharat's noble prince. 12
Dark ignorance and slothful indolence, Delusion, folly and inadvertence. All these arise by Tama's influence, With vast increase, O Kuru's noble prince. 13
If when Sattva predominates he dies, The bodied soul ascends up to the skies; And does the region of the blest attain, Where dwell the sage and wise, free from all stain. 14
And if he dies when Raja dominates, Mid those attached to deeds he incarnates; But Tama to darkest ignorance dooms, To birth in brutish and ignoble wombs. 15
The fruit of pious work is said to be, Of Sattva, from all taint and blemish free; Raja the fruit bears of sorrow and pain, And Tama bears of ignorance the stain. 16
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 16, 2019 8:05:52 GMT -6
Sattva’s development pure knowledge brings, And greed and avarice from Raja springs; From Tama folly and inadvertance, And verily the gloom of ignorance. 17
The Sattva state does raise and elevate, The Raja remains in the middle state; But those in the vile attribute must go, Of Tama, to the dark regions bellow. 18
And when a wise seer does truly see, Aside from attributes, no agency; He then perceives whom attributes transcends, And unto my divine state onward wends. 19
Transcending these three attributes that form The embodied in bodies that conform; He is freed from birth, death, old age, and pain, And does to immortality attain. 20
(Arjuna said;) O mighty Lord, by what signs may I know The one who beyond attributes does go? How does he conduct himself, how does he Transcend these attributes of gunas three? 21
(The Blessed Lord said;) When light or action gain the ascendant, Or when prevails utter bewilderment, Who is not fraught with hatred or desire, When these rise to prominence or retire; 22 As one indifferent and unconcerned, Who has these functions of gunas discerned, Remains unmoved tho' attributes impel, And unwavering does securely dwell, 23 Self-possessed and in joy and woe the same, The same in gain and loss, in praise and blame, Sees mud and stone and gold with equal view, In what is pleasing and unpleasing too; 24 Who regards equally both fame and blame, And views friend and enemy as the same, Who all his fond undertakings forgoes, 'Tis said, beyond the attributes he goes. 25
And whoso worships me unswervingly, With yoga of devotion constantly, The attributes of gunas he transcends, And to the Brahman supreme he ascends. 26
Indeed I am the stay and resting place Of the supreme Brahman and deathless grace; Eternal virtue and true righteousness, And supreme everlasting happiness. 27 Om, yea, That Truth, In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, The Upanisad of wisdom, Consisting of the knowledge of Brahman, The yoga scripture, Forming a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, This was the fourteenth Canto, Entitled, The Distinction of the Three Attributes
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 17, 2019 8:47:51 GMT -6
Gita XV (The Blessed Lord said;) With roots above and branches down below, The deathless Banyan tree, 'tis said, does grow; It's leaves are hymns of poetry ornate; Who knows it is in knowledge consummate. 1
It's branches nourished by the attributes, Above, below; sense objects are it's shoots; It's pendulous and tangled roots fast bind To actions, in the world of humankind. 2
It's true form in this world remains unseen, With no beginning, no ending, nor mean; With axe of non-attachment, dexterously, Uproot and fell this mighty Banyan tree. 3
Thereupon the path to the supreme wend, Whence gaining none ever again descend; And say, 'I seek the ancient Primal One, From whom the stream perennial begun.' 4
From haughty pride and from delusion free, Without the fault of evil company; Who knowledge of the self always pursues, Who all his worldly ambitions eschews, Who all duality does thus transgress, Is free from vain happiness and distress; Who always undeluded thus remains, Those regions imperishable attains. 5
Nor sun nor moon there shed their radiant light, Nor is there burning fire shining bright, That is my own supreme transcendent sphere, Which having gained, one never returns here. 6
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 18, 2019 14:29:11 GMT -6
Indeed a part of my own self exists; Immortal soul who in the world subsists; Who thro' the mind, the sixth organ, contacts Nature, which thus deludes him and attracts. 7
And when the master of the body takes A new form, and the old body forsakes, These faculties of senses with him stay, As the breeze from the flowers scents convey. 8
The ears, the eyes, the tactile sense as well, The tongue, and the sense that apprehends smell; Along with mind he over these presides, Which the pleasure of sense objects provides. 9
Thus he remains, departs and goes his way, Enjoying life under the guna's sway, Yet this the foolish cannot e'er descry, But only those who see with wisdom's eye. 10
The yogin who devout practise maintains, Perception of the self within attains, But those who practise inconsistently, Tho' striving, unaware, they do not see. 11
The splendour of the sun Aditya spreads, And his light over the universe sheds, And radiance of fire and moon shine, Derive from the supreme splendour of mine. 12
Within the earth I enter and sustain, And beings by my energy maintain; I nourish all herbs and simples that grow, With fertile beams that from the bright moon flow. 13
In bodies of creatures I am installed As gastric fire, Vaisvanara called; With inward and the outward breath compressed, I do the four-fold types of food digest 14
Indeed within every heart I repose, From me memory, wisdom, comes and goes, In all the Vedic texts it has been shown That it is myself that is to be known; The knowledge of the Vedic texts I wit, For I am he who the Vedanta writ. 15
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 19, 2019 7:08:34 GMT -6
Two types of beings are discernable, The everlasting and perishable; All creatures perish by their fate’s decree, But one is everlasting said to be. 16
Yet distinct, higher, and everlasting, There is the almighty Supreme being, Who enters the three worlds and rules the whole, As the Supreme imperishable soul. 17
Since I excel all perishable things, And even imperishable beings, I am thus in the world and Vedas famed, And as Supreme Purusottama named. 18
And whoso knows, by folly unbeguiled, Myself as the Purusottama styled, He, knowing all, thus worships me always, With all his heart, Bharat, adores and prays. 19
Thus holy scripture’s secret mystery, To you, sinless one, has been told by me; The wise, by intellection, Bharat’s son, Achieves perfection, and his task is done. Om, yea, That Truth, In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, The Upanisad of wisdom, Consisting of the knowledge of Brahman, The yoga scripture, Forming a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, This was the Fifteenth Canto, Entitled, The Yoga of the Supreme being
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