Bhagavad Gita

  January 31 – Chapter 2; Verse 28 Day 31 [2.28]   अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत । अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना ॥ २-२८॥   avyaktādīni bhūtāni vyakta madhyāni bhārata avyakta nidhanānyeva tatra kā paridevanā (2.28)   அவ்யக் 1 தா 1 தீ 3 னி பூ 4 தா 1 னி வ்யக் 1 த 1 மத் 4 யானி பா 4 ரத 1  | அவ்யக் 1 த 1 னித 4 னான்யேவ த 1 த் 1 ர கா 1  ப 1 ரிதே 3 வனா ||28 ||   28. Beings are unmanifested in their beginning, manifested in their middle state, O Arjuna, and unmanifested again in their end! What is there to grieve about?   Commentary: The physical body is a combination of the five elements. It is perceived by the physical eye only after the five elements have entered into such combination. After death the body disintegrates and all the five elements return to their source. The body cannot be perceived now. It can be perceived only in the middle state. The relationship as son, friend, teacher, father, mother, wife, brother and s...

  Wisdom of Yoga Lesson 2.3 (Verse 26-38) January 30 – Chapter 2; Verses 26-27 Day 30 [2.26-2.27] अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् । तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥ २-२६॥   atha chaina ṁ nitya-jāta ṁ nitya ṁ vā manyase m ṛ itam tathāpi twa ṁ mahābāho naiva ṁ śhochitum arhasi (2.26)   அத 2  சை 1 னம் நித் 1 யஜாத 1 ம் நித் 1 யம் வா மன்யஸே ம்ருத 1 ம் | த 1 தா 2 பி 1  த் 1 வம் மஹாபா 3 ஹோ நைவம் ஶோசி 1 து 1 மர்ஹஸி ||26|| 26. But, even if you think of It as being constantly born and dying, even then, O mighty-armed, you should not grieve!   Commentary: Lord Krishna here, for the sake of argument, takes up the popular supposition.   Granting that the Self is again and again born whenever a body comes into being, and again and again dies whenever the body dies.   O! Mighty-armed (Arjuna of great valour and strength), you should not grieve thus, because b irth is inevitable to what is dead and death is inevitable to wh...

  January 29 – Chapter 2; Verses 23-25 Day 29 [2.23-2.25] नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः । न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ॥ २-२३॥   naina ṁ chhindanti śhastrā ṇ i naina ṁ dahati pāvaka ḥ na chaina ṁ kledayantyāpo na śho ṣ hayati māruta ḥ (2.23)   நைனம் சி 2 ன்த 3 ன்தி 1  ஶஸ்த் 1 ராணி நைனம் த 3 ஹதி 1  பா 1 வக 1 : | ந சை 1 னம் க் 1 லேத 3 யன்த் 1 யாபோ 1  ந ஶோஷயதி 1  மாருத 1 : ||23||   23. Weapons cut It not, fire burns It not, water wets It not, wind dries It not.   COMMENTARY: The Self is indivisible, partless. It is infinite and extremely subtle. So, the sword cannot cut It; fire cannot burn It; water cannot wet It; wind cannot dry It.   अच्छेद्यो ऽयमदाह्यो ऽयमक्लेद्यो ऽशोष्य एव च । नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलो ऽयं सनातनः ॥ २-२४॥   achchhedyo ’yam adāhyo ’yam akledyo ’śho ṣ hya eva cha nitya ḥ sarva-gata ḥ sthā ṇ ur achalo ’ya ṁ sanātana ḥ (2.24)   அச் 1 சே 2 த் 3 யோ  ‌யமதா 3 ஹ்யோ  ...

  January 28 – Chapter 2; Verse 22 Day 28 [2.22] वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि । तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा- न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥ २-२२॥   vāsānsi jīr ṇ āni yathā vihāya navāni g ṛ ih ṇ āti naro ’parā ṇ i tathā śharīrā ṇ i vihāya jīr ṇ ānya nyāni sanyāti navāni dehī (2.22)   வாஸான்ஸி ஜீர்ணானி யதா 2  விஹாய நவானி க் 3 ருஹ்ணாதி 1  நரோ  ‌ப 1 ராணி | த 1 தா 2  ஶரீராணி விஹாய ஜீர்ணானி- அன்யானி ஸன்யாதி 1  நவானி தே 3 ஹீ ||22||   22. Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters others that are new.   Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda: ‘Reincarnation’ is a fact only in relation to the physical body.   The Self is unborn and undying! Life is continuous, only the dress is replaced by new ones every now and then. All religions agree that the soul is imperishable and survives the body.   There seems to be diffe...

  January 27 – Chapter 2; Verse 21 Day 27 [2.21] वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् । कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ॥ २-२१॥   vedāvināśhina ṁ nitya ṁ ya enamajam avyayam katha ṁ sa puru ṣ ha ḥ pārtha ka ṁ ghātayati hanti kam (2.21)   வேதா 3 வினாஶினம் நித் 1 யம் ய ஏனமஜமவ்யயம் | க 1 த 2 ம் ஸ பு 1 ருஷ:  பா 1 ர்த 2  க 1 ம் கா 4 த 1 யதி 1  ஹன்தி 1  க 1 ம் ||2.21||   21. Whosoever knows Him to be indestructible, eternal, unborn and inexhaustible, how can that man slay, O Arjuna, or cause to be slain?   Commentary: The enlightened sage who knows the immutable and indestructible Self through direct cognition or spiritual Anubhava (experience) cannot do the act of slaying.   He cannot cause another to slay also.   Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda: Daily we are aware of three states of consciousness.   In deep sleep, there is no diversity.   In dream state, one (the mind) creates an illusion of dive...

  January 26 – Chapter 2; Verses 19-20 Day 26 [2.19-2.20] य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् । उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ॥ २-१९॥   ya ena ṁ vetti hantāra ṁ yaśhchaina ṁ manyate hatam ubhau tau na vijānīto nāya ṁ hanti na hanyate (2.19)   ய ஏனம் வேத் 1 தி 1  ஹன்தா 1 ரம் யஶ்சை 1 னம் மன்யதே 1  ஹத 1 ம் | உபௌ 4  தௌ 1  ந விஜானீதோ 1  நாயம் ஹன்தி 1  ந ஹன்யதே 1  ||2.19||   19. He who takes the Self to be the slayer and he who thinks He is slain, neither of them knows; He slays not nor is He slain. Commentary: The Self is non-doer (Akarta) and as It is immutable, It is neither the agent nor the object of the act of slaying.   He who thinks “I slay” or “I am slain” with the body or the Ahamkara (ego), he does not really comprehend the true nature of the Self.   The Self is indestructible.   It exists in the three periods of time.   It is Sat (Existence).   When the body is destroy...

  January 25 – Chapter 2; Verses 18 Day 25 [2.18] अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः । अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ॥ २-१८॥   antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktā ḥ śharīri ṇ a ḥ anāśhino ’prameyasya tasmād yudhyaswa bhārata (2.18)   அன்த 1 வன்த 1  இமே தே 3 ஹா நித் 1 யஸ்யோக் 1 தா 1 : ஶரீரிண: | அனாஶினோ  ‌ப் 1 ரமேயஸ்ய த 1 ஸ்மாத் 3 யுத் 4 யஸ்வ பா 4 ரத 1  ||2.18||   18. These bodies of the embodied Self, which is eternal, indestructible and immeasurable, are said to have an end. Therefore, fight, O Arjuna! Commentary: Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna the nature of the all-pervading, immortal Self in a variety of ways and thus induces him to fight by removing his delusion, grief and despondency which are born of ignorance   Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda: What was the need for all this discourse on the nature of the Self to make Arjuna fight?   Was it not enough to point out that it was his duty as a prince? No. It w...

  January 24 – Chapter 2; Verse 17 Day 24 [2.17] अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् । विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य न कश्चित्कर्तुमर्हति ॥ २-१७॥   avināśhi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam ida ṁ tatam vināśham avyayasyāsya na kaśhchit kartum arhati (2.17)   அவினாஶி து 1  த 1 த் 1 வித் 3 தி 4  யேன ஸர்வமித 3 ம் த 1 த 1 ம் | வினாஶமவ்யயஸ்யாஸ்ய ந க 1 ஶ்சி 1 த் 1 க 1 ர்து 1 மர்ஹதி 1  ||17||   17. Know That to be indestructible, by whom all this is pervaded. None can cause the destruction of That, the Imperishable.   Commentary: The Self ( Brahman or Atman ) pervades all objects like ether. Even if the pot is broken, the ether that is within and without it cannot be destroyed. Similarly, if the bodies and all other objects perish, the eternal Self ( Brahman ) that pervades them cannot be destroyed; It is the living Truth, Sat . Brahman has no parts.   There cannot be either increase or diminution in Brahman.   People are ruined by loss of ...

  January 23 – Chapter 2; Verse 16 Day 23 [2.16] नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः । उभयोरपि दृष्टो ऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥ २-१६॥   nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sata ḥ ubhayorapi d ṛ i ṣ h ṭ o ’nta stwanayos tattwa-darśhibhi ḥ (2.16)   நாஸதோ 1  வித் 3 யதே 1  பா 4 வோ நாபா 4 வோ வித் 3 யதே 1  ஸத 1 : | உப 4 யோரபி 1  த் 3 ருஷ்டோ 1  ‌ன்த 1 ஸ்த் 1 வனயோஸ்த 1 த் 1 வத 3 ர்ஶிபி 4 : ||16|| 16. The unreal hath no being; there is no non-being of the Real; the truth about both has been seen by the knowers of the Truth (or the seers of the Essence). Commentary: The changeless, homogeneous Atman or the Self always exists.   It is the only solid Reality.   This phenomenal world of names and forms is ever changing. Hence it is unreal.   The sage or the Jivanmukta is fully aware that the Self always exists and that this world is like a mirage.   Through his Jnanachakshus or the eye of intuition, he directly cognize...

  January 22 – Chapter 2; Verses 14-15 Day 22 [2.14-2.15] मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः । आगमापायिनो ऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥ २-१४॥   mātrā-sparśhāstu kaunteya śhīto ṣ h ṇ a-sukha-du ḥ kha-dā ḥ āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāms-titik ṣ haswa bhārata (2.14)   மாத்ராஸ்ப 1 ர்ஶாஸ்து 1  கௌ 1 ன்தே 1 ய ஶீதோ 1 ஷ்ணஸுக 2 து 3 ஹ்க 2 தா 3 : | ஆக 3 மாபா 1 யினோ  ‌னித் 1 யாஸ்தா 1 ன்ஸ்தி 1 தி 1 க்ஷஸ்வ பா 4 ரத 1  ||14|| 14. The contacts of the senses with the objects, O son of Kunti, which cause heat and cold and pleasure and pain, have a beginning and an end; they are impermanent; endure them bravely, O Arjuna! Commentary: Cold is pleasant at one time and painful as another.  Heat is pleasant in winter but painful in summer.  The same object that gives pleasure at one time gives pain at another time.  So the sense-contacts that give rise to the sensations of heat and cold, pleasure and pain, come and go.  Therefore, they are imp...