Summary:

Lesson 62 corrects the thinking which gives birth to “My God is superior”. We also discover worldly ends can be gained by invoking specific deities, however we also see every material attainment has 3 intrinsic defects. None are exempt from experiencing them. Crash course on sadhana chatushtaya (4-fold qualifications leading to jivanmukta). Finally we see how Consciousness is self-evident to everyone.

Source: Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 – verse 21, 22, 23, 24

REVISION:

• Last week verse 20, Krishna has begun differentiating 2 types of bhakti (devotion). Purpose is to help student align actions which lead to spiritual progression. And since spirituality is bhakti, we need to FIRST know 2 types of bhakti: Sakāma & niṣkāma-bhakti.
• Niṣkāma: devotion & worship of infinite Lord for purpose of ultimate end / liberation. Per Upaniṣad: Sreyaḥ.
• Sakāma-bhakti: devotion & worship of Lord for seeking material ends. Either: dharma, artha, kāma. Per Upaniṣad: Preyaḥ.
  • Since sakāma gives finite ends, Krishna presents sakāma-bhakti as worship of finite deities.
• Next question, who is finite deity and who is infinite deity?
  • Every deity has form or picturization. Indicates finite. Thus can’t have infinite form.
  • However any deity CAN be infinite if we choose to invoke the infinite in that deity.
    • EG: Rāma form-wise is finite. Or Buddha, Jesus, Kṛṣṇa, Ganapati, etc.
    • All devatās in smṛti, śruti, purāṇa, itihāsa HAVE FORM. Thus finite.
  • And despite finite, we have choice to invoke, visualize, imagine, superimpose infinite. EG: Small flag > nation.
    • And since Lord Krishna is main deity in Bhagavad Gītā, Krishna symbolizes infinite Īśvara.
    • If one is Ganeśa bhakta, then Ganeśa would symbolize infinite. Etc.
  • Meaning deity is neither pūrṇam avatāra (incarnation) nor apūrṇam. Depends how person invokes.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 – Verse 21:

yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayā'rcitumicchati |
tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tāmeva vidadhāmyaham ||

Whichever devotee desires to worship faithfully any particular form – I stabilise that very faith of that devotee.

• Krishna is speaking about sakāma bhaktās who wish to have various world desires fulfilled by invoking particular devatās.
• He says, tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayā'rcitumicchati: Depending on sakāma-bhakta’s desire, he/she will invoke a particular deity (tanum).
  • Which one? Varies on literature in karma-kāṇḍa. EG: If person has wish to cure disease:
    • If viṣṇu-bhakta > worship dhanvantari-mūrti.
    • Another bhakta: chants mantra tryambakam yajāmahe.
    • Another bhakta: mṛtyu devata pūjā.
    • Another bhakta: Lord Sūrya represents health (ārogyam).
    • Another bhakta: aśvinī kumāra represents health.
    • Another bhakta: walking in nature / ocean dip represents health.
  • Meaning sakāma-bhakta will take any of these deities for health depending on their religion, background, culture, resonance, personality.
• Krishan also says sakāma-bhakti is valid, not sinful. Therefore will be fulfilled.
  • But what is condition? Śraddhayā. Must have faith in the deity to bring the result.
    • Meaning, quantity of benefit received is proportional to faith in the selected devata. Higher the faith = quicker and more aparā-prakṛti results.
• What happens to sakāma-bhakta after gaining results? 2^nd line (tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tāmeva vidadhāmyaham)
  • By fulfilling his/her desire, consequence is “I (Īśvara) reinforce his/her bhakti”.
  • Meaning motivation for repeated bhakti is strengthened.
  • Next time problem, bhakta runs to deity again. Also tells others. Word spreads, and soon all are worshipping that deity.
    • Explains why some temples and new-age healers get rooms filled up. One had extreme faith, it worked for them. Then told others.
• Why does Krishna say “I fulfil their desires”, when devotee is performing pūjā (worship) to finite deity, and not infinite Īśvara? Because any quantity of finite belongs to Infinite.
  • What does Infinite mean? No finite is excluded. If a single is missing, then it’s not infinite.
• So when desires are fulfilled, it appears the finite devata blessed the devotee. Devotee believes their deity is the all-powerful. But in reality all blessed power is because of Me (infinite Īśvara).
  • Therefore Krishna is giving blessing power to all finite devatās, who are in turn blessing the devotee.
    • In B.Gītā context, all deities bless devotee only because of Kṛṣṇa.
    • In Śiva purāṇam context, all deities bless devotee only because of Śiva.
    • In Holy Bible context, all miracles follower receives is because of Jesus Christ.
    • Parent blesses child with toys because of employer.
  • Thus all devatās (particular Gods) are intermediary. Like postman who seems to be blessing with deliveries, but source of gift is from elsewhere.
  • Hence Krishna is (stated in 5.29): (1) ultimate receiver of all worship, and (2) karma phala data
    • EG: Many flowers offered into river, all end up in ONE ocean. Similarly namaskāra to any finite devata, goes to infinite Īśvara.
    • Hence if want infinite result of mokṣa, then in context of B.Gītā, go to Krishna who represents infinite Īśvara.
      • In studying Śiva purāṇam, then for unlimited result go to Śiva.
      • Thus be not captivated by form. None is superior/inferior.
• CONCLUSION: Infinite Īśvara receives all worship through worship of finite names/forms.
  • And the one infinite Īśvara we call by many names: Father in Heaven, Devi, Allah, Śakti, Ahura Mazda, Yahweh, Christ, Babaji, Viṣṇu, etc.
  • Thus the form/name is not important. Only invocation of infinite IN the form/name is important.
  • Although for sakāma-bhakta, their infinite = aparā-prakṛti. So unknowingly continue invoking finite, which Krishna speaks more in next verse…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 – Verse 22:

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktastasya”rādhanamīhate |
labhate ca tataḥ kāmān mayaiva vihitān hi tān ||

Endowed with that faith, he engages in the worship of that (form) and, from that, he attains all those desires which are indeed granted by ME alone.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7 – Verse 24:

avyaktaṃ vyaktimāpannaṃ manyante māmabuddhayaḥ |
parāṃ bhāvamajānanto mamāvyayamanuttamam ||

Not knowing My superior nature which is changeless and unsurpassed, the indiscriminate ones consider Me to be the unmanifest which has assumed manifestation.

• Krishna says, 2 types of people:
  • Have not understood Īśvara properly.
  • Understood Īśvara properly.
• What is proper Īśvara understanding?
  • Nature of Īśvara has 2 aspects:
    • Higher: Parā-prakṛti: cetana tatvam (conscious principle)
    • Lower: Aparā-prakṛti: acetana jada tatvam (unconscious matter principle)
• Krishna say, ignorant people (abuddhayaḥ: indiscriminative) have not understood God, because only recognize Lower nature.
  • Thus mistake physical body of Lord to be REAL God.
  • For this reason their aparā-prakṛti Īṣvara has arrival/departure.
    • EG1: Avatāra śarīram born = Happy. Avatāra śarīram dies = Wait for another avatāra.
    • EG2: Krishna comes > Gopīs rejoice. Krishna goes > Gopika Gītā starts.
  • Krishna says: such devotees are ignorant, unintelligent, deluded.
• Whereas devotee who ALSO recognizes higher/parā-prakṛti nature of Īśvara (which is consciousness principle) – there is no arrival/departure.
  • Because consciousness is self-evident to everyone – all the time. (svayam / nitya prakāśa rūpam)
    • EG1: Fact that one can mention of an object, means they are free-of/other-then the object.
      • Meaning whatever is THOUGHT/EMOTED is object of knowledge. And if it’s known, it’s other then the knower/witness (sākṣī).
    • EG2: Person talks about their ignorance of not being liberated, means the person is “above” the object of knowledge being ignorance.
    • EG3: Can not talk about a covering, unless you are BEYOND the covering. Meaning, consciousness (parā-prakṛti) is NEVER covered.
  • Therefore wise person (jñāni) has CONCLUDED Īśvara is here-now, EVER EVIDENT as Consciousness in me.
    • Logic of conclusion is: if leave consciousness out of the picture, there is only aparā, which is inert/non-conscious. But that’s impossible, because all day I am “aware-ing” aparā objects. And awareness = parā-prakṛti.
• Whereas for unintelligent people, who mistake Lord as aparā alone, their misconception is: avyaktaṃ vyaktim āpannaṃ, think Lord has disappeared NOW (avyaktam). Then they perform tapaḥ for Lord to appear again.
• Why do they have such misconception? ajānantaḥ, do not know of higher nature of God.
  • Higher nature is NOT physical/mind. EG: Anything channelled which is coming through person’s mind, is only lower nature of God.
• What is higher nature of God? paraṃ bhāvam (supreme nature).
  • Caitanya svarūpam, which is everywhere. All the time. NEVER not evident.
    • EG: Hear word1, conscious. Word2, conscious. No words, conscious of silence. Word3, conscious.
    • Thus whether thoughts/perceptions PRESENT or not, I continue being conscious.
  • Also called: satcitānanda. OR: satyam jñānam ānanda brahman svarūpam.
• What is glory of this supreme nature (paraṃ bhāvam)? Avyayam, never subject to change. Or nirvikāram (absence of modifications)
  • Logically can NOT be talking about Krishna’s body because we have: baby Krishna, butter-stealing boy, gopī’s heart stealing youthful Krishna, disappearing dead-corpse Krishna.
• And this supreme nature (paraṃ bhāvam) which is free of change (Avyayam/nirvikāram) – is anuttmam, unsurpassable/highest.
• Niṣkāma-bhakta knows superiority of the supreme nature, thus pursues it as main priority in this short life.

Keywords: acarya, alpamedhasam, apanna, apara, apurna, asana, ashvini kumara, asvini, atrpti, atripti, avatara, bhaktas, brahmaji, brahman svarupa, sadhana catustaya, sadhana catushtaya, devatas, dosa, dosha, dosas, dhanvantari-murti, dharana, duhkham misrita tvam, gensha, gopika gita, gopis, ishvara, itihasa, jijnasu, jnani, katha upanishad, mishrita, moksha, mrityu devata puja, mumukshutva, namashiva, namasivaya, namaskara, narayana, nirvikara, nishkama bhakti, niskama, niyama, para, param bhavam, prakasa rupam, prakasha, pranayama, prarabdha karma, pratyahara, preya, preyah, preyas, punya karma, puranas, purna, purnam, sadhana chatushtaya, sakama bhakti, sakshi, saksi, samadhana, samsara, sarira, sat sampat, satchitananda, satcitananda, satya jnana, shad sampat, shakshi, shakti, shama, sharira, shat sampat, shiva purana, shraddha, shruti, smriti, smrti, sraddha, sreyah, sreyas, sruti, surya, svarupa, svarupam, titiksa, titiksha, tryambakam yajamahe, upanishad, uparama, upasana, vairagyam, vajashrava, vajasravas, vishnu, yama

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

Recorded 13 Aug, 2019