Gita insights - the redeemed

     In Gita insights – the doomed we understood the retrograde direction of Preyas. The Kama centered focus causes strong prejudice in our understanding, by distorting it through likes and dislikes, eventually strengthening the vasanas and thereby enslaving our mind and senses to sense objects; thus finally immersing in asuric mindset. The direction is based on the choice we all seem to have every single moment with every single Karma. Though our prior decisions may cloud our understanding and make it seem like having no choice, we always have a choice between Preyas and Shreyas, for every single Karma. More importantly, we saw the asuric mind is opposed to both Dharma and Bhagawan. The disastrous Preyas choices definitely are ominous in their outcomes, yet they are coated with pleasant attractions for the mind, which compels and impels our mind to be enslaved in that direction.

    This must make us wonder, what happens if one chose the path of Shreyas. More interestingly we find many who turn towards Bhagawan come with many flavors, not only in their interests, but also in their approach. We analyzed the transition that has happened to Bhakti - Now and then. Bhakti is of many types. But from an aspiration perspective, Bhagawan Sri Krishna has classified them into four types in the Bhagavad Gita. We get this insight in Chapter 7, Sloka 16 with an additional insight in Sloka 17.

Gita Insights:

    The human mind has been turning towards a higher power for millennia. While the Abrahamic idea was centered around lure of pleasure or fear of eternal punishment, the ultimate truth seeker is bound to settle for nothing but the highest. This opens the door to many stages in between.

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन । आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥

caturvidhā bhajante māṃ janāḥ sukṛtino’rjuna । ārto jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha ॥ BG 7-16

Four types of seekers, filled with virtues, turn their attention to me (Bhagawan) – those distressed/being specific in their need, the one curious to learn more, the one desirous of achieving the ultimate and the one who lives that wisdom.

आर्तो (Artha): When a desire of an individual is fulfilled, there is no aspiration towards anything better or higher, as the individual is in a state of Sukha, pleasure/happiness. At the outset, it may appear that the fulfilled desire may impel the individual to achieve more. Yet if one were to categorize the different categories of aspirations based on the vision, all these material ambitions fit under a single category called Kama. When there is a blockade in achieving the desired or when one’s possessions are being taken away (by time or others), it causes Dukha, sorrow. We studied these modifications in detail in Desire – a genealogical approach.

 

   As the individual attempts to deploy all the available resources to restoring Sukha, they sometimes feel the paucity of resources in the realms that is thinkable. This forces them to look up to a superior entity, Bhagawan and the interaction is for the sole purpose of restoring the missing Sukha. This the individual hopes will happen due to restoring of some favorable situation or an easy pathway to sukham or by nullifying the causes of Dukha.

   This is reinforced by the limited understanding of Bhagawan as compassionate, provider of health, wealth and all what one seeks. Though this understanding is extremely correct, but our engagement for this sole purpose is what limits our growth and deeper connection with Bhagawan. 

 

    Draupadi represents the best example for reaching out to Bhagawan every time she resolved that no one, including her own husbands, will not come to her aid. When Dusshasana abused her in the presence of all the Kuru elders and her husbands, she turned to Sri Krishna. The same was repeated when she was confronted by the impossible demands of serving Durvasa Maharishi, as we studied it in Only Krishna saves – Akshayapatra. The same situation gets reproduced when Aswattama launched Apandavastra on Uttara’s womb who was carrying the only progeny – Parikshit.

जिज्ञासु (Jignasu): These individuals have an inkling of understanding that there is something beyond material or immediate aspirations. There is a seeking, a thirst for knowledge. The understanding comes from either a vague or deep realization that eternally chasing and obtaining objects of pleasure are providing only ephemeral happiness. The veil of happiness shrouds every sorrow. They have the firm conviction that knowledge is the golden key that opens doors to higher planes. Their upasana and sadhana is centered around obtaining more wisdom.

    The characters King Viduratha and Queen Leela in Yoga Vasishta, both embody this quest for knowledge. Knowledge here is not the materialistic kind, here the vichara is directed to understand the real nature of Atman. This redirection involves pulling away of the mind from materialistic outcomes, driven by Kama and vasana. There is a gradual pulling away from the world of objects and the senses. The direction changes from the external to the internal.

    There is a clear understanding that emanates in the increasingly saatvic mind about the existence and nature of Jivatma, Jagat and Ishvara. There is evidence accruing in the mind on the differences between Atman and Anatman. Though in the early stages there may be an extraordinary pressure coming due to the Vasanas and Prarabda Karma, steady cultivation of Viveka and Vairagya aid the Bhakta to stay tuned to a higher cause.

अर्थार्थी (Artharthi): Perhaps the most widely interpreted word in this sloka. Different commentators have given different slants. Two most common interpretations are found. Artha implies wealth, so some have literally translated it as one who is desirous of wealth. So these Bhaktas are implied to have a desire or longing for acquiring wealth, prosperity, long life, sovereignty. The variation implied from the first category, which is distress driven, this one is seen as desire driven. In other words, these are the ambitious. Often Sugriva and Vibhishana are given as examples who were motivated by Dharma and desired to put an end to their adharmic brothers who were also the rulers.

 

    The spiritual implication of this interpretation would imply the foregone conclusion of the existence of Daivam and the over reliance on desirous karmaphala that is at the root of all their Kamya Karma. This type of interpretation gives limited credibility to this category of Bhaktas.

    

    Some other commentators opine that Artharthi is located in a different sequence, implying a gradual ladder of increasing proximity of the Bhakta with Bhagawan. It appears that Bhagawan has introduced the idea of accidental, distress based call, followed by the curious to seek more substantial knowledge and ended this spectrum as Jnana. In between, the introduction of Artharthi makes us pause, why will he place wealth seeker in between the one seeking knowledge and the one who has realized it as wisdom? Does wealth occupy a higher place in sequence than the quest for knowing?

    Instead, these commentators point out Artha as a shortened form for Purushartha. If we take this angle, Artha implies as the ultimate purpose in life. This insight makes this perfectly fit in the sequence presented by Sri Krishna. From a distress based temporary engagement, the Bhakta graduates to a level where there is a clear seeking of more information. This leads to desiring for the ultimate achievement a human mind can aspire – Moksha. This culminates as Jnana that there is Jivan Mukti, right here in this very birth or Videha Mukti, after shedding this body.

 

   Examples from this interpretation as numerous as it includes all serious Mumukshus to the ones who attained Mukti. Desire to keep the mind on the highest and ultimate purpose of life is unlike other desires as it does not subject the mind to raaga or dvesha.

ज्ञानि (Jnani): Jnana is a state of self-illumination. The person has realized the real nature of one’s SELF. There is a complete understanding of the nature of Jiva and its connection to Parabrahman. This is not a fleeting recognition, but a sustained understanding that is borne out of the inner realization. The world of Samsara loses its complete grip on such an individual. There is no expectation in such a realized Mahatma. Desires and Vasanas lose their grip as they are burnt. There is no aspiration left as the highest has been realized. There is no seeking of knowledge as the understanding is firm that Bhagawan himself is Jnanaswaroopa. Such a Mahatma merely continues as a tool in Bhagawan’ hands. One cannot understand their real motives of their actions as it is merely an expression of Bhagawan itself. The best summary of Jnani in the words of Swami Krishnananda

“The devotee who wants only God, and wants nothing from God or through God, is the jnani. “

    Anyone wanting anything from Bhagawan is definitely stepping down on this scale presented by Sri Krishna. Is it even a wonder, why in the very next sloka he declares that

 

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते । प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥

teṣāṃ jñānī nityayukta ekabhaktirviśiṣyate । priyo hi jñānino’tyarthamahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ ॥ BG 7-17

    Amongst these types, the one who is wise, steadfast, deep-rooted in undivided Bhakti excels (the rest). I am cherished by such a Jnani and such a person is very dear to Me.

 

Why me? : The mystery in this engagement is deepened as there seems to be a response to prayers, but not every time. The lack of understanding that Bhagawan is the Phaladhata and makes the Distam (द्दिष्टं) factor as a response to our intense prayer. On one hand, we want to reduce Bhagawan to a mere genie that grants every prayer, every whim, every desire. On the other hand, the impossibility of achieving intense desires, brings equally intense heartaches.

    When one realizes that all my prior Karma merely seem to fructify as a response to my intense prayer, even that Distam was determined by my own actions. Also the fact that if one were to do enough Purushartha to compensate for our Prarabda interference, we may still be able to achieve our desired results.     

 

    This understanding is required not to unnecessarily confuse ourselves why Bhagawan gives problems even to Bhaktas or why bad things happen to good people. In the tussle between our current purusharthas, exertion, and the Praradba, the stronger one wins. In all our understanding this mysterious factor, Distam, is completely ignored as we have no idea of its existence.

 

 Evolutionary ladder: On the path of Shreyas, the direction of the Jiva is critical. Is it always turned externally towards the objects of pleasure or is it turning towards itself. Even in times of extreme duress or intense desires seeking a higher goal, the mind of the Jiva turns its gaze inwards. The connection could be very adulterated and sporadic, yet this temporary selfish seeking still makes one look inward and higher. This is referred to as Vyabhacharini Bhakti by Krishna in another section of the Gita. Contrast this with unconditional, uninterrrupted constant focus on Bhagawan without a specific desired based seeking, as in Avyabhacharini Bhakti in the ultimate level.

    The same pattern is seen in the Vedas, where the Samhitas and the Brahmanas focus on helping the individual to seek the higher power for specific goals like getting wealth or having children. As the external turns to internal, the Vedas lead us through the Aranyakas and when the gaze is fixed on the external, the Upanishads portion of the Vedas come to the rescue.

    In the same way, Artha seeking is replaced by Jignasa, a quest for knowledge. As the understanding deepens, the focus is only on seeking the ultimate, the very purpose of human existence. Once the objective is attained, there is no further seeking, no more desire, no more separate existence from the Paramathma. There is a union of the Jiva with Paramatma, though envisioned by different sampradayas differently, in this final stage the seeker, seeking and sought are in unison.

    In just two slokas, Sri Krishna has walked us through the entire spectrum of a Jiva. It can fall the worst asuric state, covered by dense tamas on one extreme end, whilst it has no separate identity or existence outside of Bhagawan, as the highest state of the Bhakta. The entire engine that puts a Jiva on this spectrum is Karma. In some states this binds the choices and freedom of the Jiva to a pre-determined path, almost making one think that there is no choice. As one moves up the scale, there is a gradual understanding that there is Preyas and Shreyas, which eventually ends as our actions as an expression of Bhagawan himself.

    May we meditate upon these two slokas and try to understand our current trajectory. Let us free ourselves from the auto piloted bad Karma, samsara, vasana. Let us add more Satsangha that will let us elevate on the path of Shreyas. Let us all grasp the lotus feet of Bhagawan Sri Krishna and plead him not more fruits of our desires, knowledge or even Moksha, but let us plead to realize that we are mere instruments in his hands. Let us all aspire to be the highest category Bhaktas and be part of his leela.

ॐ तत् सत