Summary:

Chapter 2, Verse 18: Arjuna is reminded that the body (sharira) is temporary and subject to disintegration, while the self (shariri) is eternal and indestructible. This verse emphasizes the need for a cognitive distinction between the body and the self. The body is merely an instrument for gaining wisdom and should not be mistaken for one's true identity. 

Chapter 2, Verse 19: This verse addresses the misconception of the doer (karta / hantaram) and the enjoyer/sufferer (bhokta / hantam). It explains that the human mind is inherently designed to seek freedom from limitations, driving one to engage in actions to relinquish the sense of smallness. This often results in a cycle of appropriate and inappropriate actions, leading to corresponding quality of life. The feedback from these actions can either help one evolve and become stronger or lead to bitterness for others hurting you. The solution lies in recognizing relationship between the doer/enjoyer and the self is a satya-mithya relationship. .

REVISION:

• QUESTION:
  • What difference does this final reality (all-pervading, indestructible) make in my life? I still have to make tough decisions in life/career/relationships. Seems like final reality is unconnected to our life. We don’t know how to relate to it.
• ANSWER:
  • Suppose you have discipline for Science, and wants to discover how universe came, how many galaxies, what are blackholes. And someone asks, “What difference does it make to me whether there’s black holes or not, whether world is 4 billion or 13 billion years old?”. So if you reduce everything to “What difference does it make to me?”, can you possibly get far enough into anything, until it actually begins to make a difference?. No. We’re used to “If my senses can’t see it, it’s not useful”. If you thought like that, we wouldn’t have any technological advancements, as any worthy discovery starts as something you can’t initially perceive.  Therefore have to change approach towards knowledge. If keep saying “What difference does it make to me?”, you remain at basic animal level of perception. Go beyond your immediate concerns.
  • It’s a very big thing to shift identity from individual to cause of universe. Once you understand, then you can ask “How do I want to change my life to reflect my new understandings?”.
• Suppose you say, “This vision is too big, I want to stay with my vision”. The loss is:
  1. MORTALITY: You become a mortal.
  2. FLEETING: You’re subject to fleeting moments of joy, and most of life is solving problems, maintenance.
  3. INSECURITY: When your body is young, you load it up with complexes. Thus never able to fully enjoy life.
  4. GUILT: Small person wants to engage in world to become big through actions, thus you do things incorrectly (as impossible to get things right), and guilt/hurt comes. Guilt is about your mistakes ( I should’ve). Hurt is others mistakes onto you (Why did this person do this to me).
  5. SUMMARY: This knowledge isn’t theoretical. Has direct impact on how you look at life and live it. 

BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 18

अन्तवन्तः इमे देहाः नित्यस्य उक्ताः शरीरिणः ।
अनाशिनः अप्रमेयस्य तस्मात् युध्यस्व भारत ॥ २-१८॥
antavantaḥ ime dehāḥ nityasya uktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ ।
anāśinaḥ aprameyasya tasmāt yudhyasva bhārata ॥ 2-18॥

These bodies of the embodied one (the self), which is not subject to change and destruction, and which is not available as an object of knowledge, are said to be subject to end. Therefore, Bhārata (Arjuna)! (get up and) fight.

• Verse introduces 2 concepts:
  1. Śarira (deha): Body which we think “I am”. Śarira means “that which is subject to disintegration / instrument to get stuff done”.
  2. Who are you?
     1. Śarīri — Self (atma) who has that sharira for length of time to express oneself.
     2. EG: Mistake is to take on identity of sharira, thus hardly secure due to grey hair, freckles. One’s self is loaded with hundreds of complexities, thus can’t live with freedom.
• SOLUTION: Cognitive distinction is required. Long as using body (designed to disintegrate) is used to gain wisdom, then body is a blessing, not a burden.  You are entrusted with the instrument for length of time.

BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 19

य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्
उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते (१९)
ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ yaścainaṁ manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate (19)

The one who thinks this (self) to be the killer and the one who thinks of it as the killed, both do not know. This (self) does not kill; nor is it killed.

• PROBLEM:
  • Hantāram (Killer), stands for doer (karta). And Hantam (killed), stands for enjoyer/sufferer (bhokta).
    • Human mind is designed to return to it’s true nature (which is free of burdens/limitations). That’s why nobody can stand limitations. And way to remove sense of limitation is by engaging in world, thereby becoming a doer, enjoyer/sufferer. “I’m small and want to become big through my interaction with world”. Causes you to do actions, sometimes doing what is right, and sometimes you lose perspective as need for love/connection is so high, willing to violate/cheat to get something. All in the name of becoming free from limitation, since it’s your innate program.
      • SUMMARY: Karta does action (appropriate / inappropriate) > results come (keeping with quality of actions) > quality of life.
    • OTHER KARTA/BHOKTAS: Then there are other kartas (doers) also trying to get fulfillment through action, and sometimes disregard your wellbeing as they too are in desperate need to remove sense of limitation. So not only you receive results of your actions, by results of others actions.
    • FEEDBACK: With karta/bhokta comes guilt/hurt feedback, as you don’t always act responsibly. Can use feedback to evolve or nurse bitterness of others having hurt you for 40+ years.
      • SUMMARY: Engage as small entity > don’t completely get what you want > in the process acquire guilt/hurt > quality of life.
    • CONCLUSION: Forms conclusion, no matter what I do, bound to produce loss/afflictions, never fills me completely.
• SOLUTION:
  • Need to undo self-identity, but recognizing body is merely an instrument which has capacity to do/enjoy for sake of ascertaining my true nature. Then it’s no longer entangled in my self-image. That’s when body becomes a privilege.
    • EG: If someone is infringing your freedom, you can:
      1. Accommodate them, meaning understand where they’re coming from.
      2. Influence in positive ways.
      3. Keep distance to protect yourself.
  • While having this doer/enjoyer instrument, understand relationship between doer/enjoyer and Self to be satya-mithya relationship. You are free from performed actions. I am the light in whose presence life of drama (hero/villain) is illumined. You light up the actions not only of your doer/enjoyer, but everyone's doer-enjoyer instrument.
    • Metaphor of Atma's relationship to Doer/Enjoyer: You’re watching movie and at times feel happy/sad. The characters are projections of light on a clean-white screen which is never affected by the characters.
• NEXT VERSE: Nature of atma is explained again…

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Course was based on Neema Majmudar's Bhagavad Gita & Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.

Recorded 22 Sept, 2024