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: ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70 http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! 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