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SrI:

 Dear BhakthAs of Lord  PaarthasArathy   :

Today we will study the FOURTH Paasuram of Swamy Desikan's
GeethArTa Sangraham dealing with the  THIRD adhyAyam of
SrImath Bhagavath Geetha .This chapter has  43 slOkams.

329. The  Essence of the THIRD  chapter
*********************************
sankam tavirnthu sakam sathir peRRa DhananjayanE
pongum guNangaL puNarppu anaitthum puhavittu avaRRuL
nankaNN uraittha kirisai yelAm yenavum navinRAr
yengum aRivarhaLE yenRu NaaTan iyampinanE -----(4)

(Meaning): In the previous paasuram , Lord pointed out that
Karma yOgam has to be done first to get the mind under control
and then one should proceed to Jn~Ana yOgam . A question arises
here about some one , who is competent to perform Jn~Ana yOgam
directly without the intermediate step of Karma yOgam. The question is
why should such a capable person trouble himself with Karma yOgam .
The answer is that the gains of Jn~Ana yOgam can not be realized unless
Karma yOgam is mastered first. We have to perform Karma yOgam
first and please the Lord by doing karmAs without anticipation of
the fruits of the karmA . Sins are destroyed during the practise of such
karma yOgam. The mind gets cleansed. The power of dhOshams
like desire and anger diminish and the indhriyams come under
the influence of the saadhakan . This leads on to the practise of
Jn~Ana yOgam as the next step. If one does not perform Karma
yOgam first and proceeds directly to Jn~Ana yOgam , it is like
some one , who wants to build a seven tiered gOpuram by
starting with the seventh tier first. He will become a laughing
matter.

Further , no one can stay idle even for a second without doing
any karma except during the praLaya Kaalam . Jeevan is goaded
by one or other of the three guNams to perform one or other karmAs.
Karma yOgam is easy to practise.Mistakes do not creep in , while
one practises Karma yOgam .It is impossible not to be engaged in
KarmAs .The bodily existence will be impaired , if we abandon
Karma yOgam . Even the great souls like King Janaka , who were
fully qualified to jump start their Saadhanai with Jn~Ana yOgam
practised Karma yOgam first to show to the world the correct
sequence. If some one sets an example by doing skipping Karma
yOgam , even those , who are not competent to perform Jn~Ana
yOgam will mimic the capable ones and end up in spiritual
disaster. This will lead to the accumulation of sins by the trend
setter and he will further lose his grip on the Jn~Ana yOgam as well.

Additional comments on the words & Passages of this Paasuram
**************************************************
1. "Sangam Tavirtthu" : When one performs Karma yOgam, one shoud
do it for Bhagavath preethi and for gaining any fruits that one may desire.

2. Pongum guNangaL puNarppu anaitthum avaRRuL puhavittu":
Satthvam , Rajas and Tamas are the three guNams associated with
Prakruthi. In the body of the chEthanam , they are present in different
proportions. They are behind the performance of appropriate karmAs
as described in detail in the 14th chapter of SrImath Bhagavath GeethA .
Jeevan deludes itself by thinking that it is the doer of the karmAs.This
delusion (Bhramam) arises from the  wrong conviction that Sareeram
is indeed the aathmA . In contrast to these deluded souls , those who
have a clear understanding of the Aathma Svaroopam will know
that the ability to perform karmAs is a natural attribute of the Aathma
and the association with the three guNams are the causative factor.
This is known as Karthruthva anusandhAnam .

3." NangkaNN uraittha kirisaikaL yelAm yenavum navinRAr yengum aRivarhaLE"
Those who recognize that all the karmAs are performed by SarvEswaran
through His Servant , the Jeevan for the purpose of His own joy .One has
to comprehend this tatthvam , while performing Karma roopa kaimkaryams.
Those who have this practise are considered as the Masters of the essence of
all Bhagavath Saasthrams.

Instructing Arjuna in this manner , Lord commanded him to engage
in the practise of his karmAs as a Kshathrian and fight his enemies
in that righteous war .

4. Swamy AlavanthAr's sumamry of this Third adhyAyam is :

asakthyA lOkarakshAyai guNEshvArOpya karthruthAm
SarvEswarE vaa nyasyOkthA thrutheeyE karma-kAryathA

5. RaamAnujA's summary: The aathma sAkshAthkAram
( the direct visualization  of the indibvidual Self/Jeevan) is
the precedent for success in practise of Bhakthi yOgam.
This is explained in the next four chaptrs starting from
the Third Chapter.

BhagavAn states that the practise of Jn~Ana yOgam by plunging
head long is a difficult and dangerous act ( sahasA yEva Jn~Ana
yOgO dhushkara: ).The chEthanam in this world can not exist
without action driven by the guNAs born of Prakruthi. Anyone
who says that he has skipped Karma yOga and jumped to
Jn~Ana yOga directly is a hypocrrite (MiTyAchAran). There is
every fear of downward descent in his case .Therefore , one
has no choice but to perform obligatory karmAs (niyatha
Karmaa) without seeking the fruits thereof .  By performing
karmAs without attachment to the fruits of such karmAs ,
one atains the Supreme being:

tasmAth asaktha: sathatham kaaryam karma samAchara
asakthO hyAcharankarma Param aapnOthi purusha:
---SrImath Bhagavath GeethA: 3.19

GeethAchAryan goes on to say that He is " AvAptha samastha
Kaaman " ( One who has all of His desires fulfilled) and the Supreme
Master of all and yet He goes on working (performing karmAs)
for the protection of the world and its beings.

The Lord instructs ArjunA to surrender all of his actions
to Him with a mind focussed on Him as the antharyAmi
of all and engage in his battle ahead resolutely without
the heat of excitement :

Mayi SarvANi karmANi sanyasya adhyAthma chEthasA
nirAsir-nirmamO bhUthvA yudhyasva vigatha jwara:
---SrIamth Bhagavath GeethA : 3.30

Here , the Lord instructs ArjunA to perform all prescribed
karmAs befitting his role as a Kshathriyan free from selfishness
and in a mood of not seeking the phalans for such karmAs .
He asks ArjunA to dedicate the fruits of all those required
KarmAs to Him with adhyAthma chEthas ( with a clear mind
knowing that the Lord is the indweller in all ) and never forgetting
that Lord is his Master ( Seshi) and he is His (LOrd's) agent ( Seshan).
One who has this sEshathva Jn~Anam is the one with adhyAthma
chEthas. Lord states that thoe who do not have this Tatthva
Jn~Anam are lost forever.

During the rest of this third adhyAyam , Lord explains the difficulties
in the practise of Jn~Ana yOgam .GeethAchAryan stresses
the importance  of controlling the senses AT THE VERY BEGINNING ,
so that both Jn~Anam ( knowledge) and Vij~nAnam (discrimination)
are not destroyed ( Geethai  II . 41).

Next , BhagavAn rank ordered the adversaries to Jn~Ana Yogins:
The indhriyAs ( senses) are important virOdhis for gaining kowledge
(Jn~Anam). Even if the Yogi controls the senses , the mind exerts
a dominat role by lusting after the sense objects and becomes a bigger
impediment to gaining  Jn~Anam. If one controls the mind , BUddhi
( the intellect ) still is a greater impedimen tthan Senses and the mind.
Even after controlling the sensory organs and the mind , the Buddhi can
play some perverted games and stand in the way of gaining Jn~Anam.
Assuming that the senses, mind and intellect are some how controlled ,
there is a virOdhi , which is the biggest of them all .That is desire
(Kaama:).

IndhriyANi parAnyAhu: indhriyEbhya: param Mana:
Manasasthu parA Buddhi: yO BuddhE: parathasthu Sa:
---Geethai: III. 42

In the final slOkam of this chapter ( III .43) , the Lord instructs
Arjuna to recognize Kaamam (desire) as the top most obstacle in
the pursuit of Jn~Ana yOgam and directs Arjuna to destroy
this enemy(desire)  by stabilizing the Manas with the help of
Buddhi  , which in turn is reined in by the practise of Karma yOgA
( " AathmAnam mana: AathmanA BuddhyA Karma yOgE
avasTApya , yEnam Kaama roopam dhurAsadham Sathrum
jahi (nAsaya) ithi " ).

Chapter  1 is about " Arjuna"s sorrow and Confusion "
Chapter 2 of Geethai is about : " Communion through Knowledge ".
Chapter 3 is about " Communion through Action ".
Chapter 4 is  about " Renunciation of Action in Knowledge".
Chapter 5 is about "  Communion through Renunciation "
Chapter 6 is about " Communion through Meditation "

These are the six Chapters of the First Hexad united together
as a self-consistent Unit.

We will take up next , the study of the 42 slOkams of the Fourth chapter.

In the third chapter, the emphasis was on the need to practise
Karma yOgA with Phala thyAgam for both the Saadhakan with
a strong body impulses as well as for the one qualified to practise
Jn~Ana  yOga.

In the fourth chapter , the absolute need for practising Karma YogA
is reiterated and emphasized . Further, the avathAra rahsyam of the Lord
is touched upon .

Swamy  Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

SrI Lakshminrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka
SrIvaNN SaThakOpa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya Nama:





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