April 13 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 4; Verses 4.34-4.35 (Day 104) Karma Yoga

 April 13 – Day 104

Verse 4.34-4.35

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।

उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥ ४-३४॥ 

tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā
upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattwa-darśhinaḥ (4.34) 

த¹த்³வித்³தி⁴ ப்¹ரணிபா¹தே¹ன ப¹ரிப்¹ரஶ்னேன ஸேவயா |
உப¹தே³க்ஷ்யன்தி¹ தே¹ ஞானம் ஞானினஸ்த¹த்¹த்¹வத³ர்ஶினஹ ||4.34|| 

34. Know that by long prostration, by question and by service; the wise who have realized the Truth will instruct thee in (that) knowledge. 

Commentary: Go to the teachers (those who are well versed in the scriptures dealing with Brahman or Brahmasrotris, and who are established in Brahman or Brahmanishthas).  Prostrate yourself before them with profound humility and perfect devotion.  Ask them questions, “O venerable Guru! What is the cause of bondage?  How can I get liberation?  What is the nature of ignorance?  What is the nature of knowledge?  What is the Antaranga-Sadhana (inward spiritual practice) for attaining Self-realisation?”  Serve the Guru whole-heartedly.  A teacher who is versed in the scriptures (Sastras) but who has no direct Self-realisation will not be able to help you in the attainment of the knowledge of the Self.  He who has knowledge of the scriptures and who is also established in Brahman will be able to instruct thee in that knowledge and help thee in the attainment of Self-realisation.  Mere prostrations alone will not do.  They may be tinged with hypocrisy.  You must have perfect faith in your Guru and his teaching.  You must serve him whole-heartedly with great devotion.  Now hypocrisy is not possible. 

यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।

येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ॥ ४-३५॥  

yaj jñātwā na punar moham evaṁ yāsyasi pāṇḍava
yena bhūtānyaśheṣheṇa drakṣhyasyātmanyatho mayi (4.35) 

யஜ்ஞாத்¹வா ந பு¹னர்மோஹமேவம் யாஸ்யஸி பா¹ண்ட¹வ |
யேன பூ⁴தா¹ன்யஶேஷேண த்³ரக்ஷ்யஸ்யாத்¹மன்யதோ² மயி ||4.35|| 

35. Knowing that, thou shalt not, O Arjuna, again become deluded like this; and by that thou shalt see all beings in thy Self and also in Me! 

Commentary: That, the knowledge of the Self mentioned in the previous verse, that is to be learnt from the Brahmanishtha Guru through prostration, questioning and service.  When you acquire this knowledge you will not be again subject to confusion or error. You will behold that underlying basic unity.  You will behold or directly cognize through internal experience or intuition that all beings from the Creator down to a blade of grass exist in your own Self and also in Me.  (Cf. IX.15; XVIII. 20)

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda:

This knowledge which is the goal as well as the basis of all actions, the knowledge of the spirit of sacrifice, has to be acquired from the ‘knowers of truth’, but they wait till the seeker approaches them in the attitude of discipleship.

Prostration is only a symbol of surrender – prapatti. This Sanskrit word has a wonderful import. The student realises in his heart that he is sunk in grief for lack of knowledge, that he cannot obtain it on his own (from books etc.), and that the guru alone can guide him to it. Before this three-fold fact is immediately and directly ‘seen’, and one’s own vain ‘knowledge’ firmly rejected – all of which enables true humility to arise in one’s heart – no knowledge is of any practical use. Even if some knowledge is acquired, it only acts as an intellectual burden, sinking man a little lower into the mire of vanity. But once the right attitude is acquired, there is deep and genuine yearning at heart and we can learn from anything and anybody. Dattatreya had twenty four gurū.

The jñāni or the guru is like a bridge. The bridge is the ‘other shore’s’ helping hand reaching out to this. The guru is God’s helping hand reaching out to the seeker. The seeker must surrender his vanity to the guru and prove his devotion by whole-souled service. The guru will then impart the highest knowledge to the disciple, understanding, grasping and assimilating which, the latter will experience cosmic consciousness. Incorrect understanding of any of the factors involved will lead to a dreadful caricature of the beautiful guru-disciple relationship. 

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