New Study Of Gita Nov 13 Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar

New Study Of Gita Nov 13 Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar

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  STUDY OF GITA Dr. Shriniwas Kashalikar
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  Nov 13, 2009,10:00 am How one is enemy of oneself? With reference to the famous verses towards the beginning of the 6th chapter, (UDDHARET ATMANATMANAM….), as described earlier (pg 55); the consciousness trapped in body, mind, ego and/or subjectivity is the enemy if not properly negotiated with and mastered or conquered. This consciousness becomes our friend, close friend once negotiated with and conquered, or shall we say brought in harmony with ourselves. This activity of winning part of our own consciousness, without being repulsive or escapist is YOGA. It is said (by those who have achieved this MAHAYOGA), that NAMASMARAN makes this possible. In 11th chapter Lord Krishna endows Arjuna with “objective vision” or extrasensory vision; by lifting him from his subjective realm and perspective. Arjuna “sees” or actually experiences the cosmic consciousness. This “vision” or actual experience of objective reality is unfathomable in every sense, because of our yet undissolved subjective existence! For the same reason it is frightening. It is like moving with supersonic or superphotic (faster than the speed of light) speed. Arjuna experienced something similar to (but more complex than) high speed centrifugation or high speed revolutions creating destabilizing vertigo upsetting all body and mind systems.
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  Arjuna went beyondtime and sense of time seemed to have lost. He actually “saw” the panorama spread over ages and millennia. He saw generations after generations getting dissolved in that consciousness. He “saw” the seekers of truth worshipping that consciousness and the ignorant oblivious of Him; being afraid and running from Him! Arjuna realized that Lord Krishna; the human form in front of him is actually cosmic consciousness pervading him and his consciousness in and out and from all sides. He felt stunned by this unparallel experience of omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent God. He was overwhelmed by the experience of what is implied by the terms unborn, immortal and infinite! He realized what is meant by the origin of universe and the destination of the universe. He sensed what consciousness beyond consciousness is; and origin and culmination of all spiritual, intellectual and emotional endeavors in literature, art and science; practiced by human civilizations, knowingly and unknowingly in the pursuit of the “truth”; are! Since this experience is similar to that of getting burst or exploded from within; it is destabilizing and shattering, even though it is thrilling and exciting in ultimate sense! Arjuna therefore while getting saturated and suffocated, urged Lord Krishna to reappear in human form! This is precisely the point of idol worship; actually this word idol worship is very superficial and narrow and does
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  not convey thespirit. It is aptly called MURTIPOOJA. The cosmic consciousness is brought in human or other form and then worshipped. This practical and simple way of connecting with the cosmic consciousness has been welcomed by billions of people for millennia. The saints; as alluded to; earlier; have further made it simple by practicing NAMASMARAN and preaching it and thereby made the enlightenment accessible; to billions of people for generations gone; and generations to come! Lord Krishna reappears in His human form (still as a murti of a deity with four hands, so as to distinguish Him as different from ordinary human being) and explains to Arjuna that it is possible to not merely, know and reach Him, but actually merge with Him; through devout love with absolute fidelity and loyalty. In my view Lord Krishna implies here; that this unconditioned and devout love is the culmination and pinnacle of all penance and efforts (such as PRANAYAM, ASANA and others). This is YOGA of YOGA or YOGA attained through YOGA or MAHAYOGA! At the end of 11th chapter; Lord Krishna asserts that SWADHARMA i.e. every moment lived in His consciousness or remembrance; characterized by inimitable and sublime love for everyone in the universe; which signifies supreme form of universal unity; certainly takes an individual and hence billions of individuals to His supreme abode!
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  In 12th chapter,Arjuna, like any genius (after “seeing” “cosmic formless form” and “deity form” of Lord Krishna); probably realizes the necessity to confirm (for the benefit of billions) the Lord’s opinion about the nature of worship, and hence requests Lord Krishna to explain which type of devout love; amongst the two viz. that for formless cosmic consciousness and that for a specific form (idol, murti or NAMA); is preferable and conducive to individual and global blossoming! Lord Krishna explains that it is quite difficult to remain focused on “formless cosmic consciousness”, (though those who can do this; and have supreme love for everyone in the universe; reach Him); hence worshipping Him in some form, (because it is not practicable for a common man to comprehend, remember and realize every moment the the self realization or the realization cosmic consciousness and its application in day to day life) and also by doing every activity in His remembrance (and offering Him, because everything actually belongs to Him) is desirable. He further advises Arjuna (and every one in the universe) that even if this also may be found difficult; one should persist on it. Because, through consistent and persistent efforts, the individuals reach Him and blossom step by step from conceptualization and practice; to enlightenment; to composed or integrated mental state; to detachment for every result (the fleeting gains and losses); to absolute all enlivening, all empowering and all enlightening peace! Lord Krishna briefly describes the great characteristics of such an individual (and hence the society) and assures Arjuna that following this path is like drinking the sap of
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  immortality and beingone with the eternal source of love that emanates through generations after generations! Lord Krishna probably thought that Arjuna (and many others like him who are like limbic system, autonomic nervous system, neuroendocrine system, endocrine system etc. associated with instinctual and emotional; and conscious and subconscious behavior and hence) is not yet tuned to this kind of enlightenment. In other words the enlightenment did not yet seep down and did not yet percolate into the bones and into every cell! In such situation it became necessary to explain the purport from different angle, in still somewhat different language, and with different semantics. Thus in 13th chapter Lord Krishna explains the meaning of KSHETRA, KSHETRAJNA, JNANA and JNEYA, which mean body with all its systems, knower, knowledge and object of knowledge; respectively. All this is explained in scriptures such as BRAHMASUTRAS elaborated by rishis, which revolve around, spring from and culminate in Lord Krishna i.e. cosmic consciousness. PRUTHVI, which broadly means all particles, AAPA, which broadly means all liquids, TEJA, which broadly means the fire principle, VAAYU, which broadly means all energy and AAKASHA which broadly means space are called PANCHA (five) MAHABHUTAS.
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  BUDDHI, AVYAKTA andAHANKAR constitute the subtler aspects of human beings such as intelligence, unapparent forces and the subjective schema (of one’s own and the universe) forming conceptual framework. These eight embodying various instincts and emotions constitute KSHETRA. The knower of this KSHETRA is KSHETRAJNA i.e. cosmic consciousness i.e. LORD KRISHNA. It has to be conceived that this consciousness when restricted or limited to KSHETRA i.e. human body and associated phenomena, constitutes the KSHETRAJNA in that respect. JNANA is knowledge; which is not merely information collected by an individual but enlightenment through study of ADHYATMA i.e. holistic physiology or study of intricacies of the dynamics of nature (KSHETRA); and consequent intellectual, emotional, instinctual and physical behavior of an individual! JNEYA is object of knowledge; which in ultimate respect is only one; final reality; viz. BRAHMA. It is without beginning and end. It is neither true nor false. Here true and false refer to concept of “is” and “is not”. “Is” and “Is not” are plausible only with reference to space and time in view of the three dimensional nature of
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  everything and itsdurability! Hence it is beyond “is” and “is not”! It is conceived as: It has countless hands, eyes, ears, mouths and so on. It is said to encompass everything; space, time and all individual consciousnesses. It incorporates all sensory perceptions and beyond it all! It is beyond all describable attributes as it is beyond the language of quality (words) and quantity (numbers). It is detached as well as attached and it is beyond all qualities and yet experiences the qualities! It is present inside and outside of everything and it is static as well as dynamic. It is extremely subtle and hence beyond perception and is infinitely away as well as in vicinity. It is beyond all light and all darkness, which are functions of visual systems! It is the knowledge as well as object of knowledge and ever present in the core heart of every one. All these qualities are described to reinforce the super concept; of cosmic consciousness. The BRAHMA or PURUSHA and PRAKRUTI are said to be free of beginning and end. PURUSHA can be conceived as consciousness and as the root of every expression or manifestation, which act as fields and rest all with beginning and end and changes; constitute contingent aspects viz. the GUNAS. Understanding these concepts helps an individual to identify himself/herself as being increasingly closer and closer or being in common with the cosmic consciousness
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  and begins tosee the happenings in the universe and individual life as products of PRAKRUTI and GUNAS. This is progressive liberation. This liberation becomes possible because the individual sees that cosmic consciousness is like immortal, eternal space that is essential component for everything that happens in universe but neither participates in the activities nor gets influenced by them and it is like Sun, which illumines the universe without actually “going” to the nooks and corner and without actually “becoming” part of those places. Lord Krishna then describes the “applied” aspects of the holistic physiology viz. the implications of the contingent GUNAS; in human life (with undoubted impact on the universe) in 14th chapter.