SrI: Dear BhakthAs of Lord PaarthasArathy : Today we will study the THIRD Paasuram of Swamy Desikan's GeethArTa Sangraham dealing with the SECOND adhyAyam of SrImath Bhagavath Geetha .This chapter has 72 slOkams. 328. The Essence of the SECOND chapter *********************************** Udalam azhinthidum uLL uyir onRu azhiyAthu yenaippOl vidhumathu paRRu vidAthathu adaittha kirisaikaL kaduka unakku uyir kAttu(m) ninaivu athanAl uLathAm vidu mayal yenRu Visayanait-tERRinAn VitthakanE ----(3) (Meaning): Oh Arjuna! I am eternal and the Lord of all (SarvEswaran). There is no question about this matter. Similarly , there is no question about the eternal status of the JeevAthmAs. They have no death. AathmA inside the body does not age . AathmA does not cease to exist as it moves from one body to the other.It is eternal (nithyan), ever present . No one should think it is anithyam and sorrow over that thought . Aathma can not be cut up by weapons . It can not be burnt by fire nor dried by the wind . Jeevan is capable of penetrating through every thing in a subtle manner. This aathmA can not be killed. AathmA is indestructible. It is the height of ignorance for one to think that he is the killer of the AaathmA and that AathmA is capable of being killed .The term Death in the worldly parlance is nothing but the departure of the Aaathma from one body to enter in to another body. Oh Arjuna ! It is appropriate to think that the aathmA , which resided in the physical body of your enemies will go to Svarga lOkam , gain a body better than that it had on this earth and enjoy all the bhOgams there .You should be happy reflecting over that thought . Does anyone really regret over casting aside the old and torn clothes for the good fortune of wearing clean and brand new attire ? Oh ArjunA ! You might grieve over the death of the body instead of the AathmA .Even that thought is not proper.This body is constituted by the five elements ( Pancha BhUthams). It is the abode of the eternal jeevan to experience the fruits of its karmAs. When the karmaas are exhausted , the physical body has no reason to continue its existence. It falls down. It is absolutely natural for the physical body to undergo changes . Oh Arjuna! Even if you do not destroy the body during your war with the enemies , teir sareeram will die sooner or later. Therefore , there is no reason for sorrowing over the death of the physical body , the temporary home of the jeevan in SamsAric state. Additional Comments: ****************** 1. Lord Paarthasaarathy is saluted as Vitthakan here . He is addressed so as the mysterious One here because , He performed UpadEsam for Arjunan here on the battle field , while serving as his charioteer and staff. 2. " vidumathu paRRu vidAthathu adaittha kirisaikaLE ": With the benefit of Saasthra Jn~Anam , the chEthanan should comprehend clearly the true nature ( Svaroopam of of the AathmA and perform one's karmAs with no attachment to their fruits and treat their performance as Bhagavath Kaimkaryam in the mode of NishkAmyam . One should only detatch from the fruits of the karmAs and should never abandon the prescribed karmAs.To engage in just wars is the duty of a Kshathrian. There is no other lofty karma for a Kashathrian.Therefore , Oh Arjuna , You should engage in performing this just war , cast aside the fruits of victory arising from such a war . When you do so , You will be performing karma yOgam and will gain MOksham at the end. 3. " kaduha unakku uyir kAttum nianivu athanAl uLathAm " : After gaining control of your mind through the practise of this Karma Yogam , you will progress to the stage of Jn~Ana yOgam , which is an anubhavam of unrelenting reflection on the svaroopam of the AathmA .The subsequent stage is Aathma SaakshAthkAram or direct experience of the AathmA . Therefore consider that this just war ( Karma yOgam ) is an aid to the lofty goal of aathma SaakshAthkAram (Kaivalyam) and as a result remove your confusion that the perishable body made up of the five elements is the same as the eternal , imperishable AathmA . 4. Swamy AlavanthAr's summary of the 72 slOkams of this Second adhyAyam takes this form: nithyAthma-sanga karmEhAgOcharaa Saankhya-yOgadhee: dhvitheeyE sTitha-dhee-lakshA prOkthA tann-mOhasAnthayE 5. AchArya RaamAnujA's commentary : Arjuna fell at the feet of the Lord and appealed : " Oh My Lord ! My mind is befuddled with compassion for my relatives and teachers . I am bewildered about my duties . Instruct me , Your sishyan , who has sought Your protection as Prapannan and teach me what is certainly auspicious for me to do ( "YacchrEya: syAnniscchitham BrUhi tanmE sishyas-tEaham-saadhi mAmm ThvAm prapannam" ). For the benefit of Arjuna , who was totally confused about what is dharmam and what is adharmam due to love and compassion in an inappropriate situation ( asTAnE samupasthitha snEha kaaruNyam) , GeethAchAryan began the introduction to Saasthram to dispell his ignorance .Starting from the Geetha slOkam , II.12 ( "There never was a time,when I did not exist ") to the charama slOkam , XVIII.66 (" I will release you from all your sins, grieve not" ), Lord PaarTasArathy instructed Arjuna about Karma , Jn~Ana and Bhakthi yOgams as " the means for attaining the highest spiritual fulfilment . Lord PaarthasArathy instructed that AathmA ( Self) is " eternal , stable , immovable and primeval , unchanging , unshakable and ancient " ( " atha AathmA nithya: sTANu , achala: ayam SanAthana: sTira- svabhAva: aprakampya: purAtana: cha"). Special SlOkams of this Chapter ************************** KarmaNyEvAdhikArastE maa phalEshu kadAchana maa karmaphala-hEthur-bhUrmA tE sangOasthvakarmaNi ---II .47 (Meaning): " To work alone , You have the right and not to the fruits. Do not be impelled by the fruits of work. Nor have attachment to inaction". Acts performed with a desire to Phalan lead to bondage.The opposite way ( nishkAmya Karamam ) leads to your release from the bonds of KarmAs. Yoga: karmasu kousalam --II . 50 (Meaning): Yoga is skill in action. Therefore strive for yOgA. develop evenness of mind , discard good and evil as well as the here and now. Relinquish the fruits from action and free yourself from bondage of rebirth and ascend to My supreme abode ( Padham gacchanthyanAmayam) ! SlOKam II .56 ************ dukkhEshu anudhvigna manaa: sukhEshu vigathaspruha: veetharAga Bhaya krOdha: sTithadhee: MuniruchyathE (Meaning): " He whose mind is not perturbed in pain , who has no longing for pleasures , who is free from desire , fear and anger--he is called a sage of firm wisdom ". SlOkam II . 63 ************ " From anger ( KrOdhAth) there comes (Bhavathi) delusion (sammOha:); from delusion , the loss of memory ( Smruthi vibhrama:); from the loss of memory , the destruction of discrimination (Buddhi naasa:); and with Buddhi nAsam , he is lost (praNasyathi) ". SlOkma II . 69 ************* "What is night (nisA) for all beings (SarvabhUthAnAm) , in it the controlled one is awake ( tasyAm jaagarthi samyami). When all beings are awake ( ysyAm jaagarthi bhUthAni) , that is the night to the sage ( Saa nisA pasyathO munE: )". who sees Additional reading Material ********************* adiyEn's earlier postings on Swamy AlavanthAr's GeethArta Sangaraham are archived in Bhakthi archives( dated Nov 7, 11 and 23, 1995): http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/archives Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan SrimathE SrI Lakshminrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka SrIvaNN SaThakOpa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya Nama: ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! 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