Summary:

Lesson 60 starts with antidote or solution to ‘escaping' or overcoming illusion of maya/mohini's trap of 3 gunas (tama, raja, sattva). Then we learn to identify 4 types of devotees (bhaktas) of God – which ever human goes through. Lowest to highest: Arta > Artharthin > Jijnasu > Jnani.

Source: Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 – verse 14, 15, 16

REVISION:

• Krishna pointed out cause of saṃsāra OR human problems in 13th verse.
  • Seeking:
    • security from insecure objects.
    • permanence from impermanent objects.
    • fulfillment from the finite objects of the world.
    • happiness from sorrow giving objects
  • Expectations never fulfilled. Leading to disappointment being “just part of life”. Thus, misplaced seeking is the cause of misery.
  • Also Verse 13 explains reason for wars (microcosmic conflict on macrocosmic scale):
    1. Sāmānya kāraṇam: General words.
       Viśeṣa kāraṇam: How I use those words. Create hate or establish peace.
    2. Person only knows aparā, which is always incomplete. Believe that conquering more aparā will give fulfillment.
  • In Verse 13 we also established, once problem is diagnosed then any solution will never again waste my time. We now know Aparā-prakṛti cannot give security, fulfillment, permanence. Parā-prakṛti alone can.
• SOLUTION (saṃsāra nivṛtti kāraṇam; Cause of saṃsāra cessation) given in verse 14-19. Krishna calls this by several names…
  • Īśvara prāptiḥ (discovery / achievement / ‘arrival’)
  • Īśvara śaraṇāgati (surrendering to God).
  • Īśvara bhakti (acknowledging __ / attachment to / faith onto / fondness for / devotion)
• Now question will be, what is bhakti? Verse 14 begins…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 – Verse 14:

daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā |
māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṃ taranti te ||

This divine māyā of mine which consists of (three) guṇas is indeed difficult to cross over. Only those people who surrender to Me cross over this māyā.

• Māyā is like ice rink. Fun. But once fall (which everyone does), very hard to get up because everything slippery. Similarly, saṃsāra (product of Māyā) is like the ice rink. It’s slippery. Provides no motionless stability.
• Problem is people HOLD onto slippery environment (aparā), unable to tell it apart from what is relatively solid & eternally solid (parā). So Krishna reminds: Before tragedy strikes, hold on to Me (parā). That way, have ‘something' to fall back on.
• eṣā māyā: this aparā prakṛti, which is saguṇa, savikāra (undergoing decomposition), savikalpa (variety, differentiated) is māyā.
  • What is glory of Māyā? Capacity to delude/tempt the mind AWAY FROM Īśvara.
  • Brings OBJECTION from saṃsāri: What’s the point of religion? Who cares about God. We can manage everything ourselves.
    • Such arrogance comes ONLY when things are going nicely NOW. Attitude is effect of māyā or mohinī delusion.
  • What does it mean to say “Māyā deludes”? It’s generated appearances are other then what is shown to my perception.
    • EG: Oasis water on desert. Mirage appearance is dishonest about it’s reality. False advertisement! Thus “I see THAT which is NOT”.
    • In what way does it delude? Turning mind from parā-prakṛti TO aparā-prakṛti.
• Therefore, duratyayā, meaning māyā is so powerful in deluding that we can NEVER transcend it by own intellect.
  • Why not? Because māyā is too subtle to identify. We can not tell we’re under it’s influence/spell.
    • Just like some people can’t tell if they’re drunk.
    • Just like first time drug users can’t identify if the drug is working. It creeps in so slowly.
    • Just like youth of past would call today’s youth, mobile drug addicts. While today’s youth consider mobile a “normal”. While today’s youth calls past yoyo’s/marbles, an outdated phenomena.
  • SUMMARY: duratyayā – māyā cannot be easily conquered.
• Why is maya not easily conquered or overcome? Because guṇamayī: meaning māyā is made up of 3 gunās, which TRAP. Either tama, raja, sattva.
  • EG:
    1. Tamaḥ: Many drugs & intoxicants like alcohol. Create either relaxation or primitive sensual desire.
    2. Rajaḥ: Achievement, fun, entertainment.
    3. Sattvaḥ: Intellectual pursuits. Professionals in their fields. Skills.
  • Since entire universe made up of 3 gunā, means everyone is addicted to combination of guṇā. They are like tea flavours. Endless flavours. Something for all.
  • Much more detail on guṇa in CH14.

• And where is this guṇamayī OR aparā-prakṛti located? Daivī, belongs to Me (the parā-prakṛti which aparā depends on).
• What is SOLUTION to not being thrown around like laundry by māyā washing machine?
  • Only solution is, māmeve ye prapadyante. Those people who surrender to Me (parā), take shelter in Me humbly, without being arrogance. Meaning:
    • Such people do not say “I do not require God or religion in my perfectly smooth life”.
    • Such people understand that we cannot cross saṃsāra independently. We require Īśvara kṛpā (grace).
      • And only Īśvara will give ācāryaḥ. Ācāryaḥ will give śāstram. Therefore hold onto śāstram, not ācāryaḥ.
      • Because scriptures clarify remaining doubts, guide you in life and teach you ultimate security is already yourself.
• 2^nd line conclusion: Those who surrender to Me, who practice bhakti, taranti etāṃ māyām, they alone will cross over this māyā.
  • Remember Bhakti meaning: acknowledging __ / attachment to / faith onto / fondness for.
  • So 2nd line says: Bhakta’s alone will cross over māyā. Meaning bhakti is the SOLUTION.
  • Krishna calls “prāptiḥ” (discovery). OR śaraṇāgati (surrender).
• Brings up question, what exactly is bhakti?
  • Willingness to let go of control to a HIGHER reality which can help me transform my life.
  • Such Bhakta (devotee) goes through 3 stages of bhakti:
    1. Manda bhakti: I use Lord as means for worldly ends. Artha, kāma, dharma. Lower form of bhakti. God is MEANS. Worldly things are END.
    2. Madhyama bhakti: Gradually bhakti matures. Lord is no more MEANS for worldly ENDS. But God is end in itself. Dharma dominates.
       • In this stage, one discovered limitations of all things. Nothing in world is worth depending on. Thus this stage leads to Bhagavān becoming GOAL of life. In other words, person goes from WORLD dependence to GOD dependence.
    3. Uttama bhakti: Final level. Bhagavān is neither means nor end. All that is here is ONE without a second.
       • It is understood real Īśvara sought is never away nor different from self.
       • Only uttama leads to mokṣa (total freedom).
  • SUMMARY: Start manda > graduate madhyama > culminate in uttama.

• SUMMARY OF VERSE:
  1. Many people not turn to bhakti because do not have suffice puṇyam. Thus do not believe nor interested in Īśvara, and turn away.
  2. While others are blessed owning to past puṇya-karma, thus helplessly feel attracted to subject of God.
     • Thus on beginning, scriptures temporarily present various forms of Īśvara for our worship.
     • Starts like math. Find X. We don’t know X. Except we need to discover X.
     • People with suffice puṇya-karma, God is like “X”. Until they know EXACTLY what God is, one holds onto their idea of God (Īśvara).

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 – Verse 15:

na māṃ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ |
māyayā'pahṛtajñānā āsuraṃ bhāvamāśritāḥ ||

The vicious mean people who are deprived of their discrimination by Māyā, who are deluded, (and) who have taken to demonic nature do not surrender to Me.

 

SUMMARY of Verse 16:

• Ārtaḥ / Arthārthī bhakta:
  • Use God for material ends.
• Jijñāsuḥ bhakta:
  • After sometime, one becomes mature. Understands worldly things cannot give worthwhile security, fulfillment, happiness. Thus goal becomes Īśvara.
  • Some attributes of Jijñāsuḥ:
    • Īśvara alone can give me security/happiness. Doubtless.
    • Īśvara can be accomplished only in terms of knowledge. It’s not a physical event.
      • Do not have to travel to reach all-pervading Īśvara.
      • Therefore “I need to discover how is it that God is here and now.”
        Previously I said “I want God”, now I say “I want knowledge of God.”
    • Knows Īśvara-jñānam only possible in purified mind. Therefore jijñāsuḥ-bhakta continues to be a religious person, but uses religion for purify of mind ONLY.
  • What is difference between religious person and spiritual person?
    • 2 Types of Religious people:
      1. Materialistic religious: ārtaḥ & arthārthī bhakta.
      2. Spiritual religious: jijñāsuḥ bhakta. Uses religion for getting cleansing of mind, Every ritual, ceremony, namaskāra, temple visit… utilized for purity.
  • Initially jijñāsu performs karma-yoga for purity of mind. Later shifts to jñāna-yoga for getting jñānam through scriptures/ācāryaḥ.
    • Therefore Karma-yogi = jijñāsu. Also Jñāna-yogi = jijñāsu.
    • Both take years. Thus journey of sacrifices is LONG.
  • After successfully completing karma/jñāna-yoga, jijñāsu CONVERTS to jñāni.

• Jñāni: Stage of going from dvaita bhakti to advaita bhakti. I am never away from TOTAL. TOTAL is I, and I am TOTAL.

• Final words of encouragement:
  • Since EVERYONE go through these 4 levels, never feel discouraged. Because those we look up to, also were lowest level of ladder.
  • Finally remember, never get stuck at any level for too long. Keep moving FORWARD. Never look back.
  • Aim to transcend each level until jñāni stage. This is your life mission!

Keywords: acarya, acaryah, ahalya, apara, artah, artharthi, arthārthī, arthārthin artharthin, artharthi, arthi, bhagavan, Daivi, duratyaya, gnani, gunamayi, gunas, ishvara, jijnasu, jijnasuh, jnani, kama, maya, mohini, moksha, mudha, namaskara , nivritti, nivrtti, pancali, panchali, para, prahlada, prakriti, prapti, punya karma, puranas, Purusharthas, rajah, sadhana, samanya karanam, samsara, samsari, saranagati, sastra, sattvah, sharanagati, shastra, siddha, tamah, upanishad, vibhisana, visesa, vishesha karana

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Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching given to Chinmaya Int. Foundation & Swami Paramarthananda

Recorded 30 July, 2019