Gita 9.3
अश्रद्दधाना: पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप |
अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि || 3 ||
aśhraddadhānāḥ puruṣhā dharmasyāsya parantapa
aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛityu-samsāra-vartmani
This verse explores the concept of faith in the context of spiritual realization and devotion to God, specifically within the framework of Bhakti (loving devotion). It emphasizes the necessity of faith as a foundational step toward understanding and experiencing God, despite the challenges posed by the lack of direct perception.
1. Promise of Knowledge: Shree Krishna, in his teachings, offers knowledge that leads to the path of loving devotion—referred to as "this dharma." However, the promise of spiritual insight is contingent upon the individual's willingness to engage with this path.
2. The Role of Faith: This verse emphasizes the importance of faith, stating that before experiencing God directly, one must undertake a leap of faith. The Bhakti Rasāmṛit Sindhu is cited to indicate that initial belief is crucial: "The first step in the path to God-realization is to have faith." This faith eventually paves the way for satsaṅg (association with the good or spiritual company) and personal practice of devotion.
3. Challenges of Doubt: This verse addresses a common scepticism—many people refuse to believe in God because they cannot see Him. It counters this viewpoint by illustrating that belief in unseen realities is not exclusive to spirituality; rather, it is a fundamental aspect of human understanding.
Examples provided include legal judgments based on testimony and a president's reliance on reports from various regions, underscoring that faith is integral to function in both spiritual and material domains.
4. Metaphor of Butter in Milk: A poignant story is shared to reinforce the message:
A king encounters a sadhu who challenges his scepticism about the existence of God. When the sadhu produces a cow and engages the king in a dialogue about milk and butter, the king acknowledges that even though he cannot see butter in the milk, he believes it's there because of a process (yoghurt and churning) that will reveal it. This analogy equates God's omnipresence to butter in milk, asserting that while God may be invisible, a systematic process exists to perceive Him, and that requires faith.
5. Active Decision-Making in Belief: This verse emphasizes that belief in God isn't instinctual; it requires a conscious choice.
The example of Shree Krishna saving Draupadi from humiliation illustrates that even miraculous events can be dismissed by those unwilling to embrace faith. The Kauravas witnessed a divine act yet failed to acknowledge Krishna's omnipotence due to their inherent scepticism.
6. Consequences of Lack of Faith: Shree Krishna asserts that individuals who reject the spiritual path do so at the cost of divine wisdom, remaining trapped in the cycle of life and death without the transformative experience of realising God.
Gita 9.4
मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना |
मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थित: || 4||
mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na chāhaṁ teṣhvavasthitaḥ
The Vedic philosophy presents a unique perspective on the nature of God and the creation of the world, emphasizing the omnipresence of the divine rather than a detached creator. The core tenet of this philosophy, as highlighted in the quotes from various Upanishads and hymns, is that God is all-pervasive and exists within every being and throughout the universe.
eko devaḥ sarvabhūteṣhu gūḍhaḥ sarvavyāpī
(Śhwetāśhvatar Upaniṣhad 6.11)
“There is one God; He is seated in everyone’s heart; He is also everywhere in the world.”
īśhāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ yat kiñcha jagatyāṁ jagat
(Īśhopaniṣhad 1)
“God is everywhere in the world.”
puruṣha evedaṁ sarvaṁ, yad bhūtaṁ yachcha bhavyam (Puruṣh Sūktam)
“God pervades everything that has existed and all that will exist.”
1. Omnipresence of God: Key verses from the Upanishads, such as the Śhwetāśhvatar Upaniṣhad (6.11), the Īśhopaniṣhad (1), and the Puruṣh Sūktam, illustrate the belief that there is one God who dwells in every heart and is present throughout the creation. This asserts that God is not a distant deity but is intricately connected to the world and all its inhabitants.
2. Philosophical Interpretations :
Pariṇām (Transformation) : Some Eastern philosophers propose that the world is a transformation of God, akin to milk transforming into yogurt when mixed with acid. Under this view, the universe is seen as an effect or manifestation of the divine essence.
Vivarta (Illusion): Others argue that the world is akin to an illusion, where what we perceive as reality is actually not distinct from God (Brahman). This perspective likens the mistaken identity of a rope for a snake in the dark to the misperception of the world as separate from the divine.
3. Shree Krishna's Teachings: Verses from sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita (7.4 and 7.5) introduce a different perspective. They assert that the world is neither simply a transformation of God nor merely an illusion but rather an expression of God's material energy (Maya śhakti). Additionally, the individual souls are considered God's superior energy (Jīva śhakti).
4.God's Nature : While the world and souls are manifestations of God’s energies, Shree Krishna indicates that God transcends these energies. The analogy of an ocean and its waves serves to illustrate this point: just as an ocean produces waves that are part of it yet cannot encapsulate the entirety of the ocean itself, God exists beyond the realms of both Maya and Jīva. Thus, while everything is connected to God, He is not limited or defined by them.
Gita 9.5
न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् |
भूतभृन्न च भूतस्थो ममात्मा भूतभावन: || 5||
na cha mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśhya me yogam aiśhwaram
bhūta-bhṛin na cha bhūta-stho mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
This verse illustrates on the nature of God's energies, particularly focusing on a third energy known as Yogmaya śhakti, distinguishing it from the previously mentioned Maya śhakti and Jīva śhakti.
1. Three Energies of God: In addition to the material energy (Maya śhakti) and the spiritual energy (Jīva śhakti), there exists a third energy referred to as Yogmaya śhakti, or divine energy. This energy is essential in understanding God's interaction with the world and His personality.
2. Characteristics of Yogmaya: Yogmaya is described as God’s all-powerful energy, capable of making the impossible possible (kartum-akartum-samarthaḥ).
It enables God to perform extraordinary feats, such as being present in all hearts while simultaneously being unperceived by them. This is a reflection of His divine power keeping individuals spiritually aloof from His presence.
It enables God to perform extraordinary feats, such as being present in all hearts while simultaneously being unperceived by them. This is a reflection of His divine power keeping individuals spiritually aloof from His presence.
3. Separation from Maya: God maintains a distance from the influence of Maya, which is the material energy that governs the physical world.
The Bhagavatam attests to this, stating that Maya feels embarrassed to even stand before God, emphasizing His supremacy over the material energy.
The Bhagavatam attests to this, stating that Maya feels embarrassed to even stand before God, emphasizing His supremacy over the material energy.
4. God’s Immutable Nature: A key point made is that if the material world had the power to influence God, any decay or destruction of the world would also affect Him. However, God's nature and personality remain unchanged despite any modifications in the world around Him.
This stability highlights the transcendence of God above the fluctuations of the material realm.
This stability highlights the transcendence of God above the fluctuations of the material realm.
5. Vedic Description: The Vedas give God a title, Daśhāṅgulī, meaning “ten fingers,” which symbolizes that He is fully present within the world, yet also ten fingers beyond it. This metaphor suggests that while God is engaged with the material world and its entities, He remains untouched and unaffected by its nature and limitation
Gita 9.6
यथाकाशस्थितो नित्यं वायु: सर्वत्रगो महान् |
तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि मत्स्थानीत्युपधारय || 6||
yathākāśha-sthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān
tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthānītyupadhāraya
This verse discusses Shree Krishna's assertion in the Bhagavad Gita regarding the relationship between God and all living beings, particularly focusing on the term "mat sthāni," which means "all living beings rest in Him."
1. Meaning of "Mat Sthāni": Shree Krishna uses the term "mat sthāni" three times in verses four to six. This term highlights the essential idea that all living beings exist within God and cannot be separated from Him, irrespective of their physical forms or material connections.
2. Understanding the Relationship: The concept of how the world rests in God can be challenging to grasp. It can be understood through a comparison to Greek mythology, where Atlas is depicted as holding the earth and the heavens upon his shoulders. However, Shree Krishna’s description goes beyond this image.
Instead of suggesting a physical support system as represented by Atlas, Krishna implies that the entire cosmos exists in space, which is an expression of God’s energy. Therefore, all beings and the universe are fundamentally resting within Him.
3. Analogy of Wind and Sky: To help Arjun understand, Shree Krishna employs an analogy involving the wind and the sky. The wind, despite its motion and change, does not exist independently from the sky. It moves continuously while remaining contained within it.
Similarly, the souls—though they exist in various forms, moving through different bodies and experiences over time—have no independent existence apart from God. They may travel through the material realm, yet they are fundamentally encompassed within God.
4. God’s Sovereign Will: The text emphasizes that everything in the cosmos is subordinate to God's will. All creation, sustenance, and destruction occur according to His divine plan and intention.
This further reinforces the notion that all beings and the material world exist within the realm of God’s influence and governance, establishing a profound spiritual connection where everything is ultimately resting in Him.
This further reinforces the notion that all beings and the material world exist within the realm of God’s influence and governance, establishing a profound spiritual connection where everything is ultimately resting in Him.
Gita 9.7 & 9.8
सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम् |
कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम् || 7||
प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुन: पुन: |
भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् || 8||
sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya prakṛitiṁ yānti māmikām
kalpa-kṣhaye punas tāni kalpādau visṛijāmyaham
prakṛitiṁ svām avaṣhṭabhya visṛijāmi punaḥ punaḥ
bhūta-grāmam imaṁ kṛitsnam avaśhaṁ prakṛiter vaśhāt
In the verses discussed, Shree Krishna addresses the question of where living beings go during mahāpralaya, or great annihilation, when the universe ceases to exist. He explains that after the end of Brahma's lifespan, which lasts for an immense period of 311 trillion 40 billion Earth years, the entire cosmic manifestation dissolves into an unmanifest state. This process involves several stages of merging:
1. The five great elements (pañch mahābhūta)—earth, water, fire, air, and ether—merge into the five subtle elements (pañch tanmātrā).
2. The five subtle elements dissolve into the principle of ahankār (ego).
3. Ahankār merges into mahān (the great principle).
4. Mahān integrates into prakṛiti, the primordial energy.
5. Finally, prakṛiti rests within the divine body of Maha Vishnu, the Supreme Lord.
During this dissolution, all souls within the material creation also return to the divine body of God, entering a state of suspended animation. Their gross and subtle bodies disintegrate back into the material source, Maya, while their causal bodies remain intact.
When creation resumes after this period of dissolution, the material energy unwinds in the reverse order: from prakṛiti back to mahān, ahankār, pañch tanmātrā, and finally to pañch mahābhūta. Subsequently, the souls that were in suspended animation, retaining only their causal bodies, are reintroduced into the universe. They are then endowed with new subtle and gross bodies according to their causal bodies.
The diversity of life forms arises from this process, resulting in various bodies that differ according to the elemental composition dominant in different planetary systems. For instance, some creations have fire as the prevailing element, while on Earth, earth and water are dominant. This diversity in bodily forms leads to a wide range of functions and experiences across different planes of existence. Thus, Shree Krishna refers to these varied life forms as myriad, emphasizing the complexity and richness of creation within the cycles of existence.
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Bhagavad Gita [English]- 4.1.2025
