# 12: Bhagavad Gita Class by Swami Tadatmananda - Ch.2 Verses 23 - 28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q_3YsDdf1M

[01:01] Om.
[01:03] Welcome back to our Bhagavad Gita class.
[01:07] We continue to study chapter two.
[01:11] And we'll begin our recitation today with verse 20, the longer meter.
[01:14] And as always, glance at the meaning as you're listening to me so that you know what you're chanting when you repeat after me.
[05:57] Okay.
[05:59] Let us return to where we left off.
[06:03] We had finished verse 22.
[06:07] So, we begin today with verse 23.
[06:10] We're in this section.
[06:13] Chapter two is one of I think the second longest chapter or the longest chapter, and it includes several different subject matters.
[06:24] Most chapters include only one subject.
[06:28] Chapter two includes several.
[06:31] So, we saw the first part of chapter two, which was that still Arjuna giving reasons for why he shouldn't fight the battle, and then finally seeking advice from Sri Krishna.
[06:44] Then it it switched beginning with verse 11 where Sri Krishna began his spiritual teaching to Arjuna, which is the section we're in right now.
[06:55] Later, we'll see some other topics will come, including Karma Yoga will come later in
[07:00] Chapter two.
[07:01] But here, Sri Krishna continues to encourage Arjuna to fight by helping Arjuna understand that Bhishma and Drona's bodies will fall on the battlefield.
[07:17] Many bodies will fall on the battlefield, but nothing happens to Atma.
[07:22] Atma, the true self, sat chit ananda, our standard definition of Atma.
[07:32] Uh sat an unborn, uncreated, unchanging reality that is chit, consciousness, that is ananda, full and complete.
[07:48] That sat chit ananda Atma is utterly unaffected by weapons.
[07:51] And that's what's being described here in verse 23.
[08:31] Ainam, this uh you have to break up the words.
[08:33] Na ainam chindanti shastrani.
[08:39] Shastrani, weapons.
[08:40] Na chindanti, cannot cut, cannot pierce ainam, this one, this sat chit ananda Atma.
[08:50] Weapons cannot cut it.
[08:53] Nainam dahati pavakaha.
[08:56] And pavakaha, fire, one of many words for fire, na dahati, cannot burn ainam, this one, sat chit ananda Atma.
[09:08] Further, na cha, cha, and at the end of the third line, apaha, water.
[09:18] Water na kledayanti, waters, it's always plural.
[09:23] Uh waters na kledayanti, cannot wet or dampen ainam.
[09:31] Have to separate cha and
[09:35] Ainam.
[09:35] Ainam, this one, this sat chit ananda Atma.
[09:38] And finally, na shoshayati marutaha.
[09:44] Maruta, wind.
[09:44] Na shoshayati, cannot dry it out, cannot make it withered.
[09:53] Um you might have noticed that we have four of the five fundamental elements here.
[09:59] Beginning with Earth, shastra weapons are made of the element Earth.
[10:07] So, first is the element Earth cannot affect Atma.
[10:07] Then comes Pavaka, fire, Agni.
[10:16] Agni cannot affect the cannot affect Atma.
[10:19] Then comes the element Apaha, water, cannot affect Atma.
[10:25] And finally, Maruta.
[10:28] Wind, Vayu more commonly called.
[10:28] Vayu cannot affect Atma.
[10:32] So, four of the five
[10:35] elements. You might say, "What about the fifth element, Akasha?"
[10:40] Akasha can't affect anything.
[10:44] No necessity to to mention Akasha here.
[10:47] But, what is the point here is that Atma is a different kind of reality.
[10:53] This is one thing that that Advaita Vedanta is famous for, especially Shankara's teachings.
[11:01] Advaita Vedanta showing that Atma doesn't share the same level of reality as the material universe.
[11:11] Little bit like in the language I think we've used in this class before is, "Atma is more real than the world."
[11:23] Remember our definition of real is that which doesn't get born, that which doesn't die, that which doesn't change, that which always exists.
[11:33] It's just the fan.
[11:35] So, that
[11:37] that Atma being unborn, unchanging, and eternal is more real than the world.
[11:43] The world that comes and goes.
[11:46] The world is constantly changing.
[11:48] The world was born some 14 billion years ago.
[11:51] The world will eventually cease to exist.
[11:53] Atma is more real than the world.
[11:56] And anything that's more real can't be affected by what is less real.
[12:05] When you're sitting in a movie theater and you're watching some movie where a bomb explodes, that bomb in the movie can't affect you sitting in the theater.
[12:17] You're more real than the theater.
[12:21] Or in a dream, if you're being chased by an elephant, the elephant in the dream can't hurt you because you are more real than that elephant.
[12:29] So, Atma being more real than the world of elements cannot be affected
[12:38] or or hurt in any way by anything in the world.
[12:42] He continues, same idea.
[12:45] Achhedyo Ayam Ayam.
[12:53] Akledyo Shosyahevacha.
[13:00] Nitya Sarvagata Sthanur.
[13:08] Achaloyam Sanatanaha.
[13:16] Excuse me.
[13:18] First half basically rephrases what was taught in the prior verse.
[13:21] So, Achhedyo Ayam.
[13:27] Prior verse we had the pronoun Enam for Atma.
[13:31] Here we have the pronoun Ayam for Atma.
[13:34] Ayam.
[13:34] This one.
[13:34] Ayam, this Atma is Adahyo.
[13:38] Achhedyo.
[13:40] It can't be pierced.
[13:40] It can't be cut by any shastra, by any weapon.
[13:51] It can't be burnt by fire.
[13:55] It this Atma is Akledyo.
[13:59] It can't be made wet by water.
[14:04] And Ashosyahevacha.
[14:06] It cannot be dried.
[14:08] Ashosha.
[14:08] It cannot be dried out by by the winds.
[14:11] So, restating what was said in the prior verse.
[14:19] Now, there's an important question we can ask here.
[14:21] Why?
[14:21] Based on what can Arjuna claim that Atma is is unaffected by these four elements?
[14:30] And he gives the reason.
[14:33] Shri Krishna gives the reason in the second half of this verse.
[14:36] Atma is
[14:40] Nit And I'll give the words first and then make some observations.
[14:44] Simply, the words are, "Atma is Nitya, eternal."
[14:51] Eternal meaning unborn and unchanging.
[14:51] "Atma is Sarvagataha."
[14:56] Literally, all pervasive.
[15:01] There is one all pervasive consciousness manifest in all sentient beings as we've discussed before.
[15:10] "Atma is Sthanuhu."
[15:13] Stable, unchanging.
[15:15] Literally, Sthanu is a post.
[15:19] But, it means that which is stable.
[15:22] And in this context, that which doesn't undergo any kind of change.
[15:27] "Atma is Achalaha."
[15:30] Unmoving.
[15:30] Also means unchanging.
[15:34] "Ayam, this Atma is Sanatanaha."
[15:38] Eternal, everlasting,
[15:41] timeless, beyond time, more real than time.
[15:46] Anything that exists in this world ages with time.
[15:50] But, that which is more real than this world of time is not subject to change including aging.
[16:00] Now, something very important to point out here.
[16:05] And that is this statement, "Atma's eternal, all pervasive, unchanging, everlasting."
[16:13] That sounds like so many scriptures.
[16:16] Even like like Hebrew scriptures of the Old Testament or Greek scriptures of the New Testament of the Bible or Arabic scriptures of the Quran.
[16:28] These kinds of statements we hear, they sound very scriptural.
[16:31] "Atma is eternal, all pervasive, unchanging."
[16:38] And that that scriptural sound leads us to think
[16:42] that, "Oh, this is a matter of belief.
[16:46] I have to believe this.
[16:46] Atma is Nitya.
[16:49] I have to believe Atma's Nitya.
[16:51] Atma's Sarvagataha.
[16:54] I have to believe that Atma's all pervasive."
[16:56] And we make that connection because we're so accustomed to hearing scriptural statements that dictate what you should and should not believe.
[17:09] There are great number of scriptures including portions of the Vedas.
[17:13] The whole the prior part of the Vedas that deals with rituals and many other topics, that portion of the Vedas does indeed deal with lots of matters of faith.
[17:28] But, we're not studying that portion of the Veda.
[17:30] You might have learned that the Veda has two broad parts.
[17:34] There's a Karma Kanda and a Gyana Kanda.
[17:36] The Karma Kanda is the part that deals with all the rituals and matters of belief.
[17:42] But,
[17:44] the Gyana Kanda is the portion that deals with knowledge.
[17:52] Specifically, does not deal with matters of faith.
[17:55] It deals with matters of knowledge.
[17:58] That's what the term means.
[18:00] Gyana Kanda.
[18:00] The portion of the Vedas that deals with matters of knowledge.
[18:05] That portion of the Vedas, as you might know, is compiled at the end of each of the four Vedas.
[18:13] So, each of the four Vedas has a Gyana Kanda that occurs at the end of the Veda.
[18:17] Therefore, they're called Vedanta.
[18:20] Anta means end.
[18:20] The Anta Bhaga, the final portion of the Veda, is Vedanta.
[18:28] And that's what Shri Krishna's teachings are based on.
[18:33] The point I'm making is even though this is all scriptural, no doubt.
[18:37] But, and even though the great majority of scriptures do indeed deal with matters
[18:48] of faith and belief,
[18:50] the Gyana Kanda of the Vedas, the Vedantic teachings that come in the Vedas and the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, which is based on those those that that Vedanta.
[19:03] And I just make a connection for you.
[19:06] The name of that section, Gyana Kanda, the technical name is Upanishad.
[19:12] And in a prior class, we quoted several verses from the Katha Upanishad.
[19:15] Shri Krishna was quoting and paraphrasing verses from the Katha Upanishad, part of the Gyana Kanda of the Vedas.
[19:27] So, the point I'm making here is even though most scriptures deal with matters of belief,
[19:34] this particular scriptural passage does not deal with matters of of belief.
[19:40] Atma is not something you believe in.
[19:47] Yeah, it just sound just sounds so funny
[19:50] to me.
[19:50] Do you believe you exist?
[19:53] Atman is your true nature.
[19:55] You know you exist.
[19:57] It's not something you believe in, it's something you know in a very simple intuitive way.
[20:04] But the you know that you exist as a conscious being, that much is already known to you.
[20:11] But the true nature of that consciousness is unknown to you.
[20:21] Look at this.
[20:21] Atman is partially known.
[20:24] You know that Atman is You know that you are a conscious being.
[20:31] Conscious, chit.
[20:31] Being, sat.
[20:31] You know that you are sat chit.
[20:36] You may not know that you're ananda, and that's what all these words are helping you to understand the true nature of sat chit ananda.
[20:45] So when Shri Krishna says here Atman is nitya,
[20:50] eternal, he doesn't mean that you should believe that Atman is nitya.
[20:56] It means you should discover your own true nature to be unborn and uncreated.
[21:02] How do you make that discovery?
[21:06] Well, in part with the help of these teachings, but also in terms of your own experience.
[21:14] You have to find out how what is born and changing is your body and mind.
[21:19] Your body is born and constantly changing.
[21:22] Your mind was born and is constantly changing.
[21:30] And that changing body and mind are present in your experience as is consciousness, but in your experience body and mind change, consciousness doesn't change.
[21:44] Consciousness is the unchanging light of awareness by which you know the changing
[21:52] Consciousness is the unchanging light of awareness by which you know the changing conditions of your body and mind.
[21:55] I'll say that again.
[22:06] I'm just giving you one example.
[22:08] We're not going to We could spend hours going through each one of these words.
[22:12] We're not going to do that here.
[22:15] But the point is each of these words are meant to help you discover your true nature.
[22:21] They're not meant for belief.
[22:24] You're not supposed to believe that Atman is all pervasive, sarvagata.
[22:29] You have to discover how it is so that your consciousness is not stuck inside your head.
[22:35] You have to discover that.
[22:38] Again, with help of the three things, shruti, yukti, and anubhava.
[22:45] We discover it with the help of shruti, scripture, yukti, reasoning, and anubhava,
[22:52] Experience.
[22:54] All of Vedanta is based on these three.
[23:01] Reasoning, and using anubhava, experience.
[23:05] So Shri Krishna says Atman is sarvagataha.
[23:08] You have to discover how Atman is your consciousness is all pervasive using shruti, scripture, using yukti,
[23:20] Atman is kanoor, unchanging, achalaha, unchanging, sanatanaha, eternal.
[23:31] You have to discover this using shruti, yukti, anubhava.
[23:34] This is absolutely not meant for belief.
[23:39] And a final point here.
[23:44] And that is from a Vedantic standpoint belief is fundamentally weak.
[23:53] And when I say fundamentally weak, what I mean is that belief can be shaken.
[24:00] Belief is not absolutely reliable.
[24:04] You all know of someone, a very pious person, who used to pray every single day until some tragedy happened.
[24:15] And that tragedy was so horrible that their faith was shaken and they stopped praying.
[24:24] How terrible that is when that happens.
[24:26] It's very sad.
[24:28] But what that means is there's no such thing as unshakable faith or belief.
[24:36] Any kind of faith or belief is subject to being shaken if the if the circumstances are right.
[24:46] On the other hand knowledge is unshakable.
[24:52] Your knowledge that 2 + 2 is 4.
[24:56] Would you have? Could that knowledge be shaken in the midst of a terrible tragedy?
[25:03] If you were in the midst of some horrible situation, really upset, in a in a state of chaos, in that in the midst of that horrible situation, would you have any doubt that 2 + 2 is 4?
[25:19] Knowledge can't be shaken.
[25:22] So let's be very clear.
[25:26] Our goal here is not belief, our goal here is knowledge.
[25:28] Belief is important early on.
[25:32] In chapter 4, we're going to see a famous verse where Shri Krishna says shraddhavan labhate jnanam.
[25:37] One who has faith gains knowledge.
[25:45] Meaning faith leads to knowledge.
[25:48] Faith or belief is not the goal.
[25:51] Knowledge is the goal.
[25:53] Okay, enough said.
[25:55] Continuing.
[26:27] Continuing in the same line.
[26:29] Do you see the pronoun ayam in the first
[26:32] line? The a drops off due to grammar
[26:35] rules. Ayam comes twice. Ayam, this one,
[26:38] this Atman is avyaktaha.
[26:42] Vyakta means manifest, visible.
[26:46] Atman is avyaktaha.
[26:50] It is not visibly present in the world
[26:54] because it's not a physical thing.
[26:57] We said before Atman is more real than
[27:00] the world of elements.
[27:02] Also Atman, ayam, this one, the last
[27:05] word in the first line, ayam, this Atman
[27:09] is achintyaha.
[27:11] Now achintya literally means
[27:14] unthinkable.
[27:15] But that's not a very helpful
[27:18] translation. The commentator
[27:21] suggests that it's better to understand
[27:23] the word as uninferable.
[27:28] Not a Not unthinkable, but uninferable.
[27:32] And that uses a little bit of a
[27:34] technical part of logic where when we
[27:38] use inference. Inference is you see
[27:41] smoke
[27:43] rising above the mountain
[27:45] and you infer the presence of fire. You
[27:48] don't see the fire.
[27:50] But you see the smoke, and based on the
[27:53] presence of smoke, you infer the
[27:56] presence of fire. But in
[28:01] order to infer the presence of
[28:04] So something has to be visible to you in
[28:08] order to infer the fire. The fire can't
[28:12] be seen. If the smoke couldn't be seen
[28:15] also, you couldn't infer the fire. So
[28:18] smoke has to be visible.
[28:21] Something has to be visible to make an
[28:25] inference. Something has to be
[28:26] perceptible
[28:28] to make an inference. If you drink water
[28:32] and it's it's sweet,
[28:35] you can infer that somebody put sugar in
[28:39] the water. If you drink water and it's
[28:41] salty, you can infer that there's
[28:43] there's salt in the water. So the point
[28:46] I'm making is inference depends on a
[28:49] perception.
[28:51] When Shri Krishna says here that that
[28:53] Atman is achintyaha,
[28:56] the commentator Madhusudana Saraswati
[28:59] says Atman cannot be inferred.
[29:03] And Atman cannot be inferred, why?
[29:05] Because in order to make an inference
[29:08] you have to perceive something first.
[29:12] You have to perceive the smoke to infer
[29:15] the fire.
[29:16] You have to taste the the sweetness
[29:20] to infer the presence of sugar, etc. So
[29:24] since Atman is not perceptible,
[29:28] therefore Atman cannot be inferred.
[29:32] Finally, ayam Atman
[29:35] in the middle of the second line, ayam,
[29:37] this one, Atman, uchyate is said is said
[29:42] to be what? Avikaryaha.
[29:45] We've been talking about this,
[29:46] unchanging,
[29:48] immutable.
[29:51] Anything that changes
[29:54] is subject to decay and destruction.
[29:58] Atman is unchangeable, therefore not
[30:01] subject to decay and destruct-
[30:03] destruction.
[30:05] Tasmat, now here comes
[30:08] a big conclusion. So, Shri Krishna began
[30:12] talking about about
[30:14] uh
[30:15] Atman in the in with the 11th verse of
[30:18] chapter two when he began teaching, and
[30:21] he said there that that Arjuna, you
[30:23] shouldn't grieve. You you will grieve
[30:25] for those who don't deserve grief. And
[30:28] now he concludes here, Tasmat therefore,
[30:32] Arjuna
[30:33] evam viditvainam
[30:36] viditwa having understood
[30:40] enam, you have to break those words
[30:42] apart. Viditwa enam
[30:45] having understood enam this one, this
[30:49] Atman. Having understood it evam thus,
[30:53] having understood Atman in this way, na
[30:57] anushocitum arhasi. Na arhasi, you
[31:01] should not shocitum grieve. You have no
[31:05] reason to grieve. This is not a matter
[31:07] for for grief or mourning.
[31:10] Notice he says
[31:13] therefore, Arjuna, having viditwa,
[31:16] having known
[31:19] Atman thus.
[31:21] He doesn't say believing thus.
[31:24] He doesn't use the word believe here.
[31:27] He uses the same the he was uses the
[31:30] actual the most one of the most common
[31:32] words
[31:33] for to know. It comes from the root vid,
[31:37] vid to know. The word veda
[31:41] is name of our scriptures comes from the
[31:43] root vid to know. So, it's the most
[31:46] common word for to know. He uses that
[31:49] here, viditwa, having known, having
[31:53] understood.
[31:55] He doesn't say having believed or having
[31:58] faith in Atman. As we said, this is not
[32:01] a matter of faith at all.
[32:05] Now we get a shift of perspective as we
[32:07] turn to the next verse. And uh let's see
[32:10] the verse and then I'll explain the uh
[32:12] shift.
[32:48] Atha, now and that's a good word for
[32:52] making this transition. Now
[32:56] athacha, and now
[33:03] ma I looked at the second line, manyase.
[33:08] Manyase
[33:10] uh if if you think, manyase
[33:14] if you think if you think
[33:18] back back up, cha enam enam this one,
[33:22] this Atman. If you think this Atman is
[33:26] nityajatam
[33:28] e jata born, nityajata eternally born.
[33:33] Let me give you the meaning of the words
[33:34] first. So, suppose manyate manyase,
[33:38] suppose Arjuna, you think you consider
[33:41] that enam that this Atman is nityajatam
[33:45] is eternally born, nityam va mritam va
[33:50] or nityam mritam eternally dying.
[33:56] If you consider Atman to be eternally
[33:58] born or eternally dying. Now, there are
[34:02] several ways of interpreting that. I
[34:04] think the most helpful way of
[34:06] interpreting this is to connect it to
[34:09] the sukshma sharira. So far, our
[34:13] discussion has been about Atman. So
[34:17] Shri Krishna, the basic principle that
[34:19] that Shri Krishna has taught is that you
[34:21] need not grieve because nothing happens
[34:24] to Atman. So, the whole prior discussion
[34:28] has been focused on suchidananda Atman.
[34:31] Now, let's consider from the standpoint
[34:34] of sukshma sharira
[34:37] the subtle body. Remember in our
[34:39] metaphor, our computer metaphor, you
[34:42] have hardware like your computer has
[34:45] hardware, you have hardware, it's your
[34:48] physical body
[34:50] and just as your computer has software,
[34:53] you too have software. Software is all
[34:57] your mental faculties. So, your software
[35:00] includes your mental faculties, your
[35:03] faculties of sight, hearing, smell,
[35:06] taste, and touch, your faculties of
[35:08] grasping, walking, and talking. The
[35:11] prana that enlivens your body, all of
[35:15] these constitute your software, so to
[35:18] speak.
[35:20] And the basic difference is that
[35:22] hardware is physical, tangible.
[35:26] Software is not physical, tangible. As
[35:30] we've said several times, your your
[35:33] computer's hard drive weighs several
[35:36] ounces, the software on the hard drive
[35:41] weighs nothing at all. We've seen that
[35:43] metaphor before.
[35:45] So, the software
[35:47] that enlivens you
[35:49] the sukshma sharira, which is a
[35:52] non-physical,
[35:54] non-tangible.
[35:55] Non-physical just means subtle, means
[35:59] non-tangible, means you can't see, hear,
[36:01] taste, smell, or touch it. Doesn't mean
[36:03] it doesn't exist. The software exists.
[36:09] Sure, but have you ever seen
[36:12] a bit? Software is bits.
[36:16] A bit is not something you see. A bit is
[36:19] an idea. Software is all conceptual,
[36:23] it's ideas. It's not a physical reality.
[36:26] Okay, enough said. So, now we're going
[36:28] to shift
[36:30] with this 26th verse, we shift our
[36:33] perspective from Atman to sukshma
[36:36] sharira.
[36:38] Previously, Shri Krishna says nothing
[36:40] happens to Atman, therefore you need not
[36:43] grieve. Now, Shri Krishna is going to
[36:46] say nothing happens to sukshma sharira,
[36:49] either. Therefore, you need not grieve.
[36:52] And he says here, suppose
[36:55] uh atha now, manyase, oh Arjuna, if you
[36:59] think that enam this Atman is nityajatam
[37:05] eternally born means born again and
[37:09] again and again, born into one body
[37:12] after another body, born into one life
[37:15] after another life nityam va mritam in
[37:19] the second line, or if you think that
[37:21] Atman is eternally dying, I'm sorry uh
[37:24] this sukshma that that sukshma sharira
[37:27] is eternally dying.
[37:30] So, with regard to sukshma sharira
[37:32] getting born again and again and again
[37:35] and then dying again and again and
[37:39] again. So, from the standpoint of subtle
[37:42] body
[37:43] which goes from one life to the next,
[37:47] the tru-
[37:49] philosophers like calling it
[37:50] transmigrating
[37:53] entity. Fine.
[37:55] So, even from that standpoint, tathapi
[37:59] in the third line, even then
[38:01] mahabaho, oh mighty armed Arjuna, even
[38:06] then, twam, you
[38:10] na shocitum arhasi, you need not grieve
[38:15] enam for this one. Here, enam this one
[38:19] is referring not to Atman
[38:21] but to the subtle body.
[38:24] Why? Why should Arjuna not grieve to the
[38:27] subtle body? Well, again, the physical
[38:29] body dies on the battlefield, the subtle
[38:32] body at the time of death, as we've
[38:34] discussed before, the subtle body
[38:36] detaches itself from the physical body,
[38:39] is driven on by the laws of karma to
[38:43] acquire another physical body for the
[38:46] sake of of discharging the accumulated
[38:49] karmas. This is all according to the
[38:51] laws of karma.
[38:53] So, here
[38:55] Shri Krishna changes his perspective and
[38:58] gives Arjuna a whole different
[39:01] a whole different basis for not grieving
[39:05] for his loved ones, Bhishma and Drona.
[39:10] When you love someone
[39:13] is that love for their physical body?
[39:16] That doesn't make sense. The love is for
[39:19] the person, the personality.
[39:23] Well, that personality
[39:25] belongs to the sukshma sharira, does it
[39:27] not? Not to the physical body.
[39:31] That's personality that we love, a
[39:34] person's kindness,
[39:36] a person's intelligence, a person's
[39:39] wisdom, a person's love.
[39:42] All of these
[39:44] features belong to the sukshma sharira.
[39:48] That's what we love about a person, and
[39:51] that
[39:53] doesn't die when the bodies are struck
[39:56] down on the battlefield. That's the
[39:59] point. So, the bodies die, the subtle
[40:02] body travels on.
[40:06] And the
[40:07] the commentator here Madhusudana uh
[40:10] Saraswati
[40:12] draws our attention to the law of karma,
[40:15] which guarantees
[40:18] that the subtle body doesn't die when
[40:21] the physical body dies. Let's There's
[40:23] just see this briefly.
[40:25] I mentioned before that this doctrine of
[40:28] karma is very complex, very elaborate,
[40:31] and I have uh produced a series of three
[40:35] or four videos on this topic. Uh you can
[40:38] find those videos on my YouTube channel.
[40:42] Just look up doctrine of karma, and
[40:45] those videos will tell you in great
[40:47] detail all that you need to understand.
[40:50] But, let's just see one point here in
[40:53] particular uh that's described in those
[40:55] videos, but here the commentator wants
[40:58] to make the commentator makes a very
[41:00] strong point.
[41:02] And here's the point.
[41:04] When at the time of death
[41:08] the physical body dies
[41:11] and it is burnt. It is reduced to ashes.
[41:15] So, the question then is, well, if the
[41:18] physical body is reduced to ashes after
[41:21] death then why isn't the subtle body
[41:24] also
[41:25] in some way reduced to ashes? The
[41:29] physical body gets destroyed after
[41:31] death. Why doesn't the subtle body get
[41:35] destroyed at the time of death? There's
[41:38] some logic to that according to the
[41:41] doctrine of karma. And here's the logic.
[41:44] Every action
[41:46] must yield its result. This is the basis
[41:50] of the doctrine of karma.
[41:52] Karma means if you do an action, you
[41:55] have to get a result. If I drop the pen,
[41:58] it has to fall.
[42:00] For an action, karma, there has to be a
[42:03] result, phala.
[42:06] And here's where the doctrine of karma
[42:08] goes further by saying that in this
[42:13] life, you have committed many karmas
[42:17] for which you have not yet received the
[42:22] results.
[42:24] To commit a karma and not yet receive a
[42:27] result is like dropping this pen, and
[42:30] the pen doesn't fall. Suppose the pen
[42:33] remained suspended in space.
[42:37] The action was committed, the result is
[42:41] pending.
[42:43] When you've committed many actions in
[42:45] this lifetime,
[42:48] not all of those actions have yielded
[42:50] their results. Many of those actions
[42:53] give results which are pending.
[42:57] And those pending results eventually
[43:00] have to take place. The pen eventually
[43:03] has to fall. The results of the deeds
[43:06] you have committed eventually
[43:09] have to fructify.
[43:11] But, suppose you die
[43:15] before those results fructify.
[43:19] Well, the law of karma is such that you
[43:22] can't have results that don't fructify.
[43:26] Those results must fructify and must
[43:29] fructify to whom? Whoever committed the
[43:34] action
[43:35] must receive the result.
[43:38] Right?
[43:39] Whoever committed the action must
[43:42] receive the result, and the one who
[43:45] committed the action
[43:48] is associated with the subtle body.
[43:51] Your physical body doesn't commit any
[43:54] action. Your physical body is an
[43:55] instrument. It's an instrument you use
[43:59] like when you use a spoon to eat ice
[44:02] cream.
[44:03] You use a spoon to get to eat ice cream.
[44:06] Who gets the calories?
[44:09] Not the spoon. The spoon is just an
[44:11] instrument. So, the point here then
[44:15] is that your body is just an instrument.
[44:18] So, your body is not the agent of
[44:21] action,
[44:23] nor is consciousness,
[44:25] atma, the agent of action. Body is just
[44:29] an instrument. Consciousness is
[44:31] unchanging.
[44:34] Unchanging consciousness doesn't do
[44:37] anything.
[44:38] Your decisions to do things,
[44:41] those decisions take place in your mind,
[44:44] intellect, and your mind and intellect
[44:46] are part of your subtle body.
[44:49] So, the point here is that the one who
[44:53] commits actions
[44:55] is associated with your subtle body.
[44:59] To finish this up, we said, when you
[45:01] die, many actions you've committed leave
[45:06] pending results.
[45:09] Those pending results must fructify,
[45:13] and the one who committed those results
[45:16] must receive those The one who committed
[45:19] the actions must receive those results.
[45:23] The one who committed the actions is
[45:25] associated with the subtle body.
[45:28] And here the doctrine of karma ensures
[45:32] that that subtle body, for the sake of
[45:35] fructifying those pending results,
[45:39] the integrity
[45:41] of the subtle body is maintained
[45:45] at death. The integrity of the physical
[45:48] body is not maintained. It returns to
[45:51] elements.
[45:52] But, the integrity of the subtle body is
[45:55] maintained by the law of karma. I've
[45:59] I've call it karmic glue.
[46:02] Karmic glue holds the subtle body
[46:06] together,
[46:07] drives it on to acquire another physical
[46:11] body for the sake of receiving those
[46:15] pending results. Now, the the uh
[46:19] commentator here makes a point, and that
[46:21] is according to the doctrine of karma,
[46:25] it is guaranteed
[46:28] that the subtle body will survive death,
[46:32] travel on, and take another birth. Why?
[46:36] Because according to the doctrine of
[46:38] karma, those pending results must
[46:43] fructify. This is a doc The doctrine of
[46:46] karma in the most simple form is for
[46:49] every action there has to be a result.
[46:52] But, then things get more complicated
[46:54] when you commit an action and then you
[46:56] die,
[46:57] very inconveniently,
[46:59] leaving the results pending.
[47:02] And that's why the subtle body drives it
[47:06] maintains the integrity of the subtle
[47:09] body, drives it on
[47:12] to uh to receive the results of those
[47:15] pending karmas. It's a little bit like
[47:17] in in science, there's a law of
[47:19] conservation of energy, conservation of
[47:22] mass, conservation of momentum. This is
[47:26] similar. It's conservation of karma
[47:29] phala. The results are conserved,
[47:33] which is to say that once you've
[47:35] committed the action, even if you die,
[47:38] the result is conserved, so to speak.
[47:42] Okay.
[47:45] Now, I've completely distracted myself.
[47:47] Here we are.
[47:49] So, tasya So, Shri Krishna says, uh
[47:53] from the standpoint just to summarize
[47:56] verse 26, from the standpoint of sukshma
[48:00] sharira also. Prior verses are from the
[48:03] standpoint of atma, but in verse 26,
[48:06] Shri Krishna shifts to the perspective
[48:09] of subtle body. From the perspective of
[48:12] the subtle body also, Arjuna, you need
[48:16] not grieve.
[48:18] And he continues.
[48:54] Very simple logic here.
[48:59] Dhruva, the word dhruva, you dhruvo, the
[49:03] word dhruva. Many of you know Dhruv as
[49:07] the pole star,
[49:08] but dhruva literally means stable,
[49:12] unmoving. So, the pole star is called
[49:15] Dhruv or dhruva because it's the only
[49:18] star that doesn't move. But, dhruva as
[49:22] pole star is a secondary meaning.
[49:24] Primary meaning is that which is
[49:29] unmoving, that which is And here in this
[49:32] case, it means that which is certain.
[49:36] You
[49:37] Dhruva can mean and many times means
[49:40] unmoving
[49:42] uh unchangeable, but here it Every word
[49:46] has many meanings, and here the word is
[49:49] certain.
[49:51] Dhruva, it is certain. What is certain?
[49:55] Jatasya mrtyu, mrtyu, death is dhruva,
[50:01] certain. Jatasya,
[50:04] for anyone born.
[50:06] For anyone born, death is certain.
[50:10] Dhruvam, and it is in the second line,
[50:13] dhruvam, and picking up the last word,
[50:15] cha dhruvam cha, and it is also certain
[50:19] uh What is certain? Janma, birth.
[50:22] Mrtyasya, for anyone who has died. So
[50:27] So for
[50:30] To paraphrase the first two lines, death
[50:33] is certain for anyone born.
[50:37] And birth is certain for anyone who
[50:41] dies, according to the doctrine of
[50:43] karma. The suksma sarira is The
[50:46] integrity is maintained, it is driven on
[50:49] by the laws of karma, the winds of
[50:52] karma, we'll call them, drives that
[50:54] suksma sarira on.
[50:57] And
[50:58] this reasoning we Sometimes we we we
[51:02] overlook the obvious.
[51:05] Sometimes
[51:06] uh it sadly at a at a time of loss, when
[51:10] you lose a loved one,
[51:14] sometimes
[51:16] even mature adults will ask, "Why Why
[51:20] did he or she have to die?"
[51:24] Well,
[51:25] they got born.
[51:27] I don't mean to make light of it,
[51:29] but they died because they were born.
[51:34] And really speaking, there's only one
[51:36] way to avoid dying, and that is not to
[51:41] be born in the first place.
[51:44] But no one would choose not to be born
[51:48] in the first place.
[51:50] Therefore, death is inevitable,
[51:54] and it's uh
[51:56] in American English, they call it a
[51:58] package deal.
[52:00] A package deal means when you get born,
[52:02] it means death comes along with it.
[52:05] Tasmat, therefore, Arjuna.
[52:09] Apariharye
[52:11] arte, you have to put the a back in.
[52:15] Arte, with regard to this matter, which
[52:19] is apariharya,
[52:21] unavoidable.
[52:23] With regard to this unavoidable
[52:27] matter of death,
[52:29] natvam socitum arhasi.
[52:32] Na arhasi tvam tvam, you na arhasi, you
[52:37] should not socitum, you should not
[52:39] grieve, there is no need for you to
[52:41] grieve.
[52:44] This
[52:47] There's something so basic here that
[52:49] that we lose sight of it.
[52:52] The inevitability of death, we all get
[52:55] it logically,
[52:58] but we don't get it emotionally.
[53:01] Right?
[53:02] We all know death is inevitable, but
[53:05] when death comes, we can't deal with it
[53:08] emotionally.
[53:10] Do you know, it's a it's a little bit
[53:12] like children.
[53:14] Children wanted their way when you tell
[53:17] that When a child has had three cookies,
[53:20] and mom said and the child says, "Mom,
[53:22] can I have another cookie?" Mom says,
[53:24] "No.
[53:25] Three cookies is enough." Mom says,
[53:27] "No." The child starts crying.
[53:32] Why? Because the child can't have it his
[53:35] way or her way. The child wants the
[53:38] world
[53:40] to behave in a way
[53:43] that's suitable for the child.
[53:46] But the fact is, mom is not going to
[53:49] give four cookies. Mom is going to stop
[53:52] after three cookies. The child has to
[53:55] learn to handle that. The child has to
[53:58] learn that the world does not conform
[54:03] to our expectations, to our wants, to
[54:06] our desires. And that applies to the
[54:10] adult reality of dealing with death.
[54:14] It's an emotional issue. We understand
[54:16] death intellectually, emotionally
[54:20] it's We have to grow up, in a manner of
[54:23] speaking. The child has to grow up, so
[54:26] when mom says, "No," the child doesn't
[54:28] cry. In the same way, we all have to
[54:32] grow up, in a manner of speaking, so
[54:34] that we can deal with death emotionally
[54:39] with more grace, with more acceptance
[54:42] and understanding.
[54:45] Okay.
[54:47] Yeah, we have time.
[54:51] Avyaktadini
[54:54] bhutani,
[54:56] avyaktadini
[54:58] bhutani,
[54:59] vyakta madhyani Bharata,
[55:03] vyakta madhyani Bharata,
[55:06] avyakta nidhananyeva,
[55:10] avyakta nidhananyeva,
[55:13] tatra ka paridevana,
[55:17] tatra ka paridevana.
[55:22] Bhutani
[55:24] beings,
[55:25] living beings. Living beings means
[55:30] sthula sarira, physical body,
[55:33] enlivened by a suksma sarira, subtle
[55:38] body.
[55:40] A suksma sarira, without a subtle body,
[55:43] is a corpse.
[55:46] And a subtle body without a sthula
[55:49] sarira is
[55:52] unmanifest,
[55:54] not a living being.
[55:57] So,
[55:58] bhutani here, beings. Beings means a
[56:02] combination of subtle body and
[56:06] a physical body, the just like uh yeah,
[56:09] your sthula sarira, physical body,
[56:13] invested with a suksma sarira, subtle
[56:17] body.
[56:18] These are avyaktadini.
[56:23] These beings are avyakta adi. Adi, at
[56:27] the beginning,
[56:28] they are avyakta.
[56:31] Vyakta means manifest.
[56:34] Avyakta means unmanifest.
[56:38] And here we're referring again to the
[56:40] travel of the subtle body
[56:43] before a subtle body
[56:46] invests itself in a new physical body,
[56:51] it is avyakta adi. It is unmanifest
[56:56] in the beginning,
[56:58] before
[57:00] before the subtle body is connected to
[57:02] the physical body.
[57:04] Vyakta madhyani. And madhyani, in the
[57:08] middle,
[57:09] those beings are vyakta, manifest. After
[57:14] the subtle body is invested into the
[57:18] physical body, then it is manifest. So,
[57:21] from the moment of conception, in the
[57:24] Hindu worldview, from the moment of
[57:26] conception, the suksma sarira is
[57:29] associated with the physical body,
[57:32] and therefore it is vyakta, manifest.
[57:36] First it is vyakta, manifest as an
[57:39] embryo inside of mother, eventually it
[57:42] is born, and it lives its whole life
[57:44] being vyakta, manifest. Finally, avyakta
[57:50] nidhananyeva.
[57:53] Nidhanani bhutani. Bhutani, all those
[57:57] beings, nidhanani,
[58:00] at the end, meaning after they die, all
[58:04] those beings are avyakta. Avyakta
[58:08] nidhana, those who in the end become
[58:13] unmanifest
[58:14] again, after the body dies, and after
[58:18] the suksma sarira detaches itself from
[58:22] the body, and travels on once again
[58:25] unmanifest.
[58:27] End of the second line, Bharata is an
[58:30] address, term of address, O descendant
[58:33] of Bharat. Bharata, O great Arjuna.
[58:38] Every This is true for every single
[58:43] person. Before
[58:45] they are born,
[58:47] avyakta, unmanifest. After they're born,
[58:52] vyakta, manifest. After they die,
[58:56] avyakta, unmanifest.
[58:59] Tatra, with regard to this matter, ka
[59:02] paridevana?
[59:05] What's the problem?
[59:08] In in American English, ka paridevana,
[59:11] what's what's the problem?
[59:13] Yeah.
[59:14] Bat kya hai?
[59:18] So, there's there's no problem.
[59:22] This is the cycle of life.
[59:26] The Hindu worldview is is
[59:29] of
[59:30] everything being cyclic. The universe
[59:34] itself is cyclic, going through periods
[59:37] of manifestation and dissolution.
[59:40] Srushti and pralaya. The universe goes
[59:44] through periods of manifestation and
[59:46] dissolution.
[59:48] Similarly, every sukshma sharira goes
[59:53] through periods of being associated with
[59:56] a physical body, manifest, and not being
[01:00:00] associated with a physical body,
[01:00:03] unmanifest. So, these cycles of being
[01:00:06] vyakta, manifest, and avyakta,
[01:00:09] unmanifest.
[01:00:11] This cycle is natural. This cycle is
[01:00:15] inevitable.
[01:00:17] Therefore, Arjuna, tatra ka paridevana,
[01:00:21] where is the problem?
[01:00:23] There's no problem.
[01:00:25] We'll continue next time.
[01:00:27] Om sarve bhavantu sukhinah. Sarve santu
[01:00:34] niramayah.
[01:00:37] Sarve bhadrani pasyantu.
[01:00:41] Ma kascid duhkha bhagbhavet.
[01:00:46] Asato ma sadgamaya.
[01:00:49] Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya. Mrtyor ma
[01:00:55] amrtam gamaya. Om shanti shanti
[01:01:01] shantihi.
[01:01:05] Om
[01:01:06] tat sat.