February9 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 2; Verses 2.45-2.46 (Day 40) Sankhya Yoga
February 9 – Day 40
Verse 2.45-2.46
त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन ।
निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान् ॥ २-४५॥
trai-guṇya viṣhayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna
nirdwandwo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kṣhema ātmavān (2.45)
த்1ரைகு3ண்யவிஷயா வேதா3 நிஸ்த்1ரைகு3ண்யோ
ப4வார்ஜுன |
நிர்த்3வன்த்3வோ நித்1யஸத்1 வஸ்தோ2 நிர்யோக3க்ஷேம
ஆத்1மவான் ||45||
45. The Vedas deal with the three attributes (of Nature); be thou above these three attributes, O Arjuna! Free yourself from the pairs of opposites and ever remain in the quality of Sattwa (goodness), freed from the thought of acquisition and preservation, and be established in the Self.
Commentary: Guna means attribute or quality. It is substance as well as quality. Nature (Prakriti) is made up of three Gunas—Sattwa (purity, light, harmony), Rajas (passion, restlessness, motion), and Tamas (inertia, darkness). The pairs of opposites are pleasure and pain, heat and cold, gain and loss, victory and defeat, honour and dishonour, praise and censure. He who is anxious about new acquisition or about the preservation of his old possessions cannot have peace of mind. He is every restless. He cannot concentrate or meditate on the Self. He cannot practice virtue. Therefore, Lord Krishna advises Arjuna that he should be free from the thought of acquisition and preservation of things. (Cf. 9.20-9.21)
यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः सम्प्लुतोदके ।
तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः ॥ २-४६॥
yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ samplutodake
tāvān sarveṣhu vedeṣhu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ
(2.46)
யாவானர்த2 உத3பா1னே ஸர்வத1:
ஸம்ப்1லுதோ1த3கே1 |
தா1வான்ஸர்வேஷு வேதே3ஷு ப்3ராஹ்மணஸ்ய விஜானத1:
||46||
46. To the Brahmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of as much use as is a reservoir of water in a place where there is a flood.
Commentary: Only for a sage who has realised the Self are the Vedas of no use, because he is in possession of knowledge of the Self. This does not, however, mean that the Vedas are useless. They are useful for neophytes or aspirants who have just started on the spiritual path.
Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda: Verse
46 has a double-meaning! The universe and the scriptures dealing with it are of
no use to the sage of self-realisation. Or: Do we not find that in a
place flooded by water, we cannot use it for drinking? A reservoir is still
useful, and has its limited use. Even so, the sage of self-realisation would
still use the vedā and modern science in their own limited spheres of utility,
realising that self-realisation is infinitely superior to these. He is carefree
for he has no desires. He is not anxious to acquire anything in particular nor
to preserve what he has. Where is the good in clinging to passing shadows? He
holds, without a sense of possession! If you abandon all care concerning yogakṣema
(acquisition and preservation – material welfare), and if you are totally
devoted to God, he takes care of you! (cf IX:22).
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