Post on fifth adhyaya.

                                                   

      

          

          Today is the auspicious Akshayya Trutiya. Our Guru Shri Bappasaheb used to teach us something new on this day every year. I can only remember those good old days and try to inculcate i those invaluable teachings in myself. For the present, let me start today's post. 

In fifth adhyaya also, Arjuna asks similar question as he had asked in the third adhyaya.  However, there is slight difference in these questions as Arjuna is slowly coming out of confused status. Here, Arjuna is asking Krishna that on one hand you praise the path of knowledge and advise to renunciate all the karmas. On the other hand, you ask me to perform karmas as no one can live without performing them. This puts me in dilemma, so please tell me conclusively which path should I adopt for my welfare?  The Lord was really happy to answer and said that there is no difference in the path of sankhyas leading to sannyasa or in the path of karma yogis, who perform karmas without attachment in  fruits. A devotee properly practicing any one of these two would attain the common goal of both  i.e. self realization. At the same time, the Lord concludes in the same shloka that between the Sannyasa and karma yoga, the later is better.


श्रीभगवानुवाचः संन्यासं कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ ।  
 तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात् कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥ २ ॥

Shri Bhagwan said:

Practicing renunciation (sannyasa) of karmas and performing the Karma yoga both would lead the aspirant to beatitude (nishreyas). However, of the two, Karma yoga i.e. performance of karmas in a detached and selfless way is definitely superior.            

Then the Lord starts describing status of a  devotee, who has accomplished spiritual goal. by practicing this yoga. In shloka 17 he says---


तद् बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः । 
            गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्ति ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः ॥ १७ ॥
  All the sins of an aspirant, whose intellect is converged in Him i.e. Brahman, whose self is merged in Him, who is fully devoted to Him and whose all actions terminate in Him; get washed away by His Dnyana. That aspirant reaches such destination from where there is no return to this world. In short, he gets freed from the cycle of death and birth. 


As commentary on this shloka i Dnyandeva has written following two ovis which I thought proper for discussion in this post. 

     बुद्धिनिश्चयें आत्मज्ञान । ब्रह्मरुप भावी आपणा आपण । 
     ब्रह्मनिष्ठा राखे पूर्ण । तत्परायण अहर्निशीं ॥ ८७ ॥


          When a yogi attains firm knowledge of Atman (Atma - dnyana) in his intellect, he  gets convinced that he is the form and being of Brahman (Supreme Self) and maintains total identification with that form of Brahman, all through day and night.


            ते बुद्धी धुरे करुनी । कर्म करिती चित्त देऊनी । 
      परि ते नैष्कम्यापासुनी ।  मुक्त दिसती ॥ ६१ ॥

Such yogis perform karmas by applying their intellect and mind, yet they look to be more free from bondage of these karmas compared with those, who practice naishkarmyata i.e. actionlessness or abstinence from activity and its consequences. Why it happens is explained in the next ovi.

    जें बुद्धीचिये ठावूनि देही । तयां अंहकाराची सेचि नाहीं । म्हणोनि कर्म करितां पाही । 
       चोखाळले ॥ ६२ ॥

 While performing karmas, they do not even remember the ego in their intellect, mind or body. As a result, they acquire total purity through these  karmas.


There are  a few more ovis in the adhyaya about such yogi, who being 'Brahmavid' i.e. knower of Brahman, stays in Brahman all the time etc. We will, however see a wonderful ovi in the  adhyaya describing importance of karma yoga for all the seekers. I would like to draw attention of the readers to beauty of the simile used by Dnyaneshwar Mauli. The ovi is as under::


तरी जाणां नेणां सकळां । हा कर्मयोगु कीर प्रांजळा । 
जैसी नाव स्त्रियां बाळां । तोयतरणीं ॥ १६ ॥

As a boat is convenient for everyone including ladies and children for crossing a river; karma  yoga    is easy and suitable for all the aspirants of liberation whether they are knowledgeable or ignorant. we will discuss such ovis in detail  in our next round of this adhyaya in  due course.In our next post we will discuss a few important ovis from the sixth adhyaya.