Summary:

Chapter 2, Verse 28: All beings cycle between manifest and unmanifest states, making grief unnecessary as nothing truly dies. Like seeds becoming trees and Einstein's E=MC² equation showing matter-energy transformation through nuclear fusion. While this reveals there is no true death, it doesn't give permission to misuse your human birth. 

Chapter 2, Verse 29: The verse addresses the wonder (āścarya) of self-knowledge and its varying levels of comprehension. Due to body-mind identification and ignorance, beings get caught in samsara-cakra (cycle of existence), experiencing ups and downs like a stock market. The path to understanding varies greatly – some grasp it instantly while others struggle despite repeated exposure. The verse illustrates this through examples of royal families, students of Kena Upanishad, and emphasizes that connecting with the right teacher and tradition is itself a wonder/mystery. The methodology of using sounds to reveal self-knowledge is considered a wonder. Verse essence: The self (atma) is a profound mystery that some grasp easily while others struggle to comprehend even after extensive study.

Revision:

Force of destruction is integral part of creation. It is fact of life. If afraid of “force of destruction”, you are ironically destroying yourself with anxiety. Anxiety is when don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Since tomorrow is connected to your life, it affects you.

How to come out of anxiety?

1. First step, acknowledge “I am anxious”. To acknowledge/accept is to not resist the facts. Then engage in something constructive, to take mind away from the anxiety.
2. Use the laws to your advantage. IE: Use the power of destruction to pray to remove your anxiety. Intelligent living. EG: Two Boatman. Both want to cross river. One is only focused on his attempt to cross and his skills. Other is alive to direction of wind, flow of river. Who will be more efficient? Who is alive to the wind/flow.
3. Life presents with many scenarios. In each scenario, need to discern (a) what can I control, and (b) what is beyond my control.

Mahabharata Story Illustrating What is Taken Away by Force of Destruction, Can be a Blessing in Disguise:

King Nala, who had everything – a beautiful kingdom, a loving wife Damayanti, and great prosperity – lost it all in a game of dice to his brother, Pushkara. Exiled to the forest, he even had to separate from Damayanti for her own safety. At his lowest point, he became a charioteer in King Rituparna's court.

During this period of loss, Nala mastered the art of horses and charioteering to such perfection that he became known as Bahuka, the unparalleled charioteer. He also gained extraordinary mathematical skills and the secret knowledge of dice from King Rituparna.

When Nala finally reunited with Damayanti and regained his kingdom, he was no longer just a king – he had become a master charioteer, a mathematical genius, and most importantly, had developed inner strength and wisdom that no future adversity could shake.

The loss of his kingdom became the very means of his greater elevation. Just as Krishna tells Arjuna in the Gita, what appears as poison at first can turn into nectar with the right perspective.

INTRO TO VERSE 28: Arjuna, grieve not because there's no real death…

BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 28:

अव्यक्त-आदीनि भूतानि व्यक्त-मध्यानि भारत ।
अव्यक्त-निधनानि एव तत्र का परिदेवना ॥ २-२८॥
avyakta-ādīni bhūtāni vyakta-madhyāni bhārata ।
avyakta-nidhanāni eva tatra kā paridevanā ॥ 2-28॥

Bhārata (Arjuna)! All beings are unmanifest in the beginning, manifest in the middle, and (again) unmanifest in the end. What indeed is there to grieve about?

Anyone/anything that has come into begin was in state of unmanifest (avyaktādīni bhūtāni). Then it comes into manifestation (vyaktamadhyāni bhārata). Then after length of time becomes again unmanifest (avyakta nidhanāni eva).

Examples of things alternating between manifest-unmanifest, thereby not ever going through “death”:

1. Before tree came into being, it was there in unmanifest form (in seed). Then seed gives itself up to become tree. When tree is destroyed, is it gone forever? No. It left behind itself in form of seed. Similarly, there's no total ending of anything in the universe. It’s merely goes between manifest-unmanifest-manifest cycle, and/or changes state as shown in next point…
2. Einstein’s equation E=MC2 shows in scientific forms: shows energy transfer to matter, and matter to energy. EG: Uranium atom is split = energy release = nuclear power plants. Hydrogen protons fuse, creates helium atom, but also releases energy (called nuclear fusion), powering our sun.

Does this fact of “no death” give permission to waste body away carelessly, unproductively? Manifestation of human birth (manusya janma) is extremely rare. It’s the greatest gift in the universe. You are a trustee of it.

NEXT VERSE: When will this manifest-unmanifest journey end for me?

BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 29:

आश्चर्यवत् पश्यति कश्चित् एनम्
आश्चर्यवत् वदति तथा एव च अन्यः ।
आश्चर्यवत् च एनम् अन्यः शृणोति
श्रुत्वा अपि एनम् वेद न च एव कश्चित् ॥ २-२९॥
āścaryavat paśyati kaścit enam
āścaryavat vadati tathā eva ca anyaḥ ।
āścaryavat ca enam anyaḥ śṛṇoti
śrutvā api enam veda na ca eva kaścit ॥ 2-29॥

One looks upon the self as a wonder. Similarly, another speaks of it as a wonder and another hears it as a wonder. Still another, even after hearing about this (self), does not understand it at all.

We come with this body-mind, and ignorance, thus think of it as “I”. In attempt to free “I” from smallness, we engage in countless actions, thereby get caught in samsara-cakra. Meaning lifetimes are linear progress, but like stock market (up and down).

For example…

• One can reach a peak, and suddenly fall to rock bottom or waste away their privileged births. EG: Some musicians, movie stars, etc.
• Others start low and uplift themselves to brahmana, scholar, leader.
• Even royals have challenges. EG: Prince Charles (around 35) gives brilliant speech, and looks at his mom for approval, seeing she showed no emotion. To see her, he had to book appointment. Seeing her, first thing he says “I gave amazing speech and you showed no emotion!”. Every human being has basic needs.

It's A Wonder Explanation…

Eventually, in one life, once recognizes the ultimate purpose of life is to come out of samsara-cakra. Person asks Arjuna’s second question, “What do I do to get final fulfillment? Am I good as this limited person?”.

Without scriptures/guru, the answer to Arjuna's question is a wonder! Then after coming to class, there are two students. For one student, despite listening, it’s going over their head. Another student is connecting to the teaching and enjoying their perception dramatically transforming.

For example, there were two students in Kena Upanishad. One showed amazing grasping power when asked to explain nature of atma. The other asked (after the teacher taught the entire Upanishad), “When will you begin the teaching?”.

Who gets it, and who doesn’t is a wonder (āścarya). Being connected to the right teacher and tradition is a wonder. Methodology is used to reveal the nature of self through sounds. Sounds are just sounds, but have power to convey meaning. That’s a wonder!

NEXT VERSE: Krishna closes argument that atma is indestructible, and body is meant to end.

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Course was based on Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.

Recorded 11 Nov, 2024