By In spite of the wide spread presence of entire Vedas and Puranas in the Indian culture, no other scripture has the status like the Bhagavad Gita. In the background of the war of Mahabharata, Sri Krishna’s conversation of the Bhagavad Gita is for every Arjun who after understanding the glory of life wants to attain its ultimate meaning. Since last three years (2016–18) the journey of Bhagavad Gita with SRM, on one hand has unravelled the various aspects of the universal dispensation untangling the confusions in our mind and on the other hand by directing our Arjun like thoughtfulness via a thoughtful journey, illuminated the complete path to experience the divine state of thoughtlessness.
Arjun — An ordinary man or a seeker?
There is a continuous flow of conflicting thoughts within us. These thoughts keep changing on the basis of right-wrong, auspicious-inauspicious, desire-non desire. In this flow of thoughts, man experiences happiness and misery, but not being able to understand the root cause of happiness and misery remains entangled in this net of thoughts. In every ordinary man’s life this is an untold truth, but Arjun, a symbol of thoughtfulness, seeks to reach for the reason behind the experiences of happiness and misery. Before the war of Mahabharata, Arjun was also in this dilemma, how can he kill his own people? The expansion of this thought became so intense in Arjun that he was drowned in despair. This continuous experience of sadness is called ‘despair’. Normally when man is in a state of despair, he either disassociates from the gathering or discusses his despair with those who are already immersed in this state. Presenting his state of despair and dilemma to Lord Sri Krishna made Arjun a seeker and not an ordinary man. Thereafter, the entire Bhagavad Gita paved the way for seeker Arjun on his journey of ultimate accomplishment.
Arjun and Sankhya Yog
When seeking for divine is invoked in an ordinary person, the preacher first introduces him to Sankhya Yoga — ‘Sankhya’ meaning right definition of the nature of the consciousness and ‘yog’ meaning connection. Illustration of Sankhya Yog is when heard by a person with attributes of devotion carried forward from past life, it awakens his dormant consciousness uniting him to ultimate experience. The practice of Sankhya Yog perpetuates the true nature of self, there by gradually diminishing and finally dissolving the doer-ship of a seeker, opening up the divine portals of ultimate union, and freeing oneself from the transmigration of birth and death. Lord Sri Krishna explains the complete Sankya Yog in the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, which unravels the technique of contemplative meditation in the seekers with past life accomplishment. In Sankya Yog due to clear determination about one’s infinite and eternal nature, the doer-ship of mind, body and intellect is spontaneously relinquished, which becomes instrumental for one’s emancipation over a certain passage of time.
Arjun and his commencement for self attainment
Often, every person does not carry the deep attributes of his efforts of self-attainment from past life. The inward journey of such a person cannot commence even with the enriched methods of Sankya Yog. The ignorance and ego existing in a person keep strengthening his emotions of doer-ship in his karmas and for this reason it seems an extremely difficult effort to return back from the emotions of doer-ship. For every person in this situation is the ultimate interpretation of Karma-Bhakti-Gyan yog (Action-Devotion-Knowledge) of the Bhagavad Gita which is a paramount path that leads a person to the ultimate destination- ‘Salvation’.
Arjun and Karma Yoga
It is mandatory to go through the complete process of self-attainment to get freedom from despair. To begin this process, firstly Lord Krishna exhorts about Karma-Yog. Man cannot remain free from Karma no matter where he lives. In some way or the other, he is always entangled in the cob-web of physical-mental and verbal actions. Such a person has to first practice in life the four fundamental formulas of Karma-Yog. These four fundamental pillars are-
• To renounce the desire of the fruits of actions i.e. to do actions without expectations,
• Do Karma with diminishing attachments and malice,
• Do Karma with diminishing emotions of doer-ship,
• Do Karma for the Universal welfare.
When one is very conscious about these four sentiments, the warp-weft of thoughts give way. With the relinquishment of the desires of the fruits from the actions of the present, the possibility of karmic manifestation in future begins to deplete which gives the seeker sabbatical to understand the inner intimate nature. This comprehension of Karma Yoga has been expanded by Lord Sri Krishna from Chapter Three to Six of Bhagavad Gita.
KarmaYogi Arjun and Bhakti Yog
Karma-yogi Arjun has intrinsically developed such a mental and physical state that he can now understand the real nature of macrocosm, microcosm and consciousness. In the religious sects, the nature of God, Lord, Pure Soul and Super consciousness has been explained in detail, but this nature is not understood by anyone until one becomes a Karam-Yogi. Not until the neurons in human brain are activated, anyone can either understand the glory of the infinite nature or have the courage to experience the eternal and infinite. In fact, to experience the infinite the so called walls of safety should be dismantled and this is possible only for a Karma-Yogi who is capable to understand the nature of infinite. The complete explanation of this is detailed in chapter seven to twelve of the Bhagavad Gita. As a result of this the seeker gathers the divine courage to awaken the experiences of the infinite. Rising above from all discriminations develops a vision which is bereft of differences, having cognition of the presence of all pervading energy in every particle — development of such a state is called Devotion. At the end of the Bhakti-Yog Arjun enters into this state of devotion which is a major mile stone in the journey towards self realisation. It is only possible with this vision of a devotee to realise in the realm of nature only that ‘one’ super consciousness.
Devotee Arjun and Gyan Yog
In the Bhagavad Gita the recitation of three yog by Sri Krishna is a depiction of sequential journey. It is impossible to reach to the ultimate accomplishment if any one of the three Yog is eliminated. When a seeker becomes a Karma-yogi then only he attains the competence to understand the infinite and the courage to break the walls of ignorance and ego gathered through the attributes of several birth. Now begins the subject of Gyan Yog in which God very clearly explain to his devotee the methods and kind of efforts required to attain the ultimate experience of self-realisation. In its expanse from chapter thirteen to seventeen, Lord Sri Krishna extends the topic of triple-virtues of nature and subject of ‘one’ super consciousness. Every man is tied with the qualities of Sattva-Rajas-Tamas because the entire nature is created out of these three qualities. Existing in these qualities, to experience the God beyond these triple virtues and duality, man will have to enter into ‘Sattva Nature’ that which Sri Krishna has defined as ‘Renunciation’. Sattva Nature is that mile stone in the path of man’s gradual progress, which can serve as a starting point for experiencing eternal and infinite. Hence, through Gyan yog, Lord Sri Krishna directs Arjun to follow ‘Sattva’ in every field of life. This is the definition of ‘Renunciation’ by Sri Krishna.
Renunciate Arjun and Param Yog
Now the time comes that the contemplative Arjun, a Karma-yogi who is steady in sattva nature who is living life with the complete and affable coordination of karma-bhakti-and Gyan-yog, kick starts in him the inner conflict between the attributes accumulated from over several births and present understanding. In this state Arjun’s complete surrender towards discernible lord Sri Krishna and living his life as per His preaching, becomes the powerful tools for him to win the inner conflict. On the grounds of intense faith towards Sri Guru and confidence in one’s self-efforts a seeker can accomplish the ultimate union with God. In the last chapter of Bhagwat Gita declaration of Arjun’s faith — ‘Let Thy Will Be Done’ -(Karishye Vachnam Tav) is indicative of his earnestness and obeisance to abide by Sri Guru’s commandments.
Arjun’s Renunciation and Journey to Salvation
The last chapter of Bhagavad Gita is ‘Moksha Sannyaas Yog’ which is the summation of all the chapters. Lord Sri Krishna preaches that with Karma Yog, renunciation of the fruits of karma is real ‘retraction’ (tyaag). As a result of this retraction, the infinite magnificence of God, it’s divine traits and prominent divine traits, its constitution of ‘Energy’ can be assimilated intellectually. Only after making this decision is the beginning of Gyan Yog in which the seeker acquires ‘Sattva nature’. Being steady in this Sattva is stated by Sri Krishna as ‘renunciation’ (sannyaas). Accordingly, this comprehensive and magnificent journey of renunciation to asceticism and ascetic to salvation is concluded.
Arjun — Confluence of Devotee-Devotion-Dissolution
The incredible glory of the Bhagavad Gita is because it guides an ordinary people like Arjun (we all) to go through the medium of Karma Yog to converge into the character of a seeker and illuminate the complete path of self-efforts which at the end achieve ultimate consciousness. This divine song of Lord Sri Krishna when originates through the discreet knowledge and wisdom of a Sri Guru then what is not achieved in innumerable birth’s becomes achievable in short span of time. Bhagavad Gita encompassed in sectorial and communal beliefs, when interpreted by the divine touch of an enlightened living Sri Guru, number of Arjun(s) find their clear objective of life and their spiritual consciousness reaches to its zenith. It is my personal experience that if the principles of Bhagavad Gita are lived with devout faith towards Sri Guru, then both the present and past are bound to be bright.
