Bg 14.26
māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
Bg 14.27
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
Om tat sat iti śrīmadbhagavadgītāsu upaniśadsu
brahmavidyāyām yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasamvāde
guṇatrayavibhāgayogo nāma caturdaśosdhyāyaha
Translation
26. And he, serving Me with unswerving devotion, and crossing beyond the GUNAS, is fit to become BRAHMAN.
27. For I am the Abode of BRAHMAN, the Immortal and the Immutable, of everlasting DHARMA and of Absolute Bliss.
Commentary
Being a practical text-book of religion, the Geeta is never satisfied by giving mere philosophical discourses. Every discourse, after explaining a definite aspect of our philosophy, prescribes immediately a way of training by which the imperfect can aspire to be and ultimately achieve Perfection.
HE WHO SERVES ME WITH UNSWERVING DEVOTION --- Love for God is called "devotion." Our minds revel readily and with pleasure wherever there is love. Our entire nature is fed by our thoughts, and, as the thoughts, so the mind. To contemplate steadily upon the Infinite Nature of the Self is, ultimately, to become the Self, and thus end our limited, mortal ego.
Contemplation upon the nature of the Lord in all sincerity and intensity cannot be maintained effectively at all times. As we are today, we are not capable of maintaining the mind in a state of meditation all the time. Therefore, Krishna, knowing this weakness of man, advises a practical method of maintaining this thought for a longer period of time through the process of dedicated service (seva). That all work, if intelligently undertaken in a spirit of dedication and service, can be readily converted into a worship, has already been explained in Chapter-III. This clearly and evidently shows that mere devotion to the Lord is not enough. The Gita Acharya expects his devotees to bring religion from the Pooja-rooms and temples to the fields of their every-day-life of activities and in all their contacts with others around.
Such a practice of constant God-awareness and dedicated service removes the agitations of the mind and tunes up the inner instrument for a more efficient flight through meditation. Tamas and Rajas get more and more reduced, and thereby the proportion of Sattwa in the seeker's subtle constitution increases. And such a seeker "IS FIT TO BECOME BRAHMAN." Such an individual who has gained a wealth of Sattwa in his inward composition will discover in himself a greater ability and poise during his meditation. The re-awakening to the consciousness of the Self cannot then be very far off.
Here, it is said that the seeker is fit for becoming Brahman. To realise Brahman is to become Brahman, to realise the waker, is to become the waker.
HOW CAN THE SAGE HIMSELF BE BRAHMAN? LISTEN:
In describing the Yoga of Devotion and its ultimate goal, the Geeta has already indicated: (XII-8) "YOU SHALL NO DOUBT LIVE IN ME THEREAFTER"; and the devotee, under the inspiration of his love, will forget himself as a separate individual, and his mind will merge with his point-of-contemplation, the Lord. In the previous stanza, we were told, "HE WHO SERVES ME WITH UNSWERVING YOGA-OF-DEVOTION", will steadily transcend his identification with his Matter-envelopments. To the extent the ego dies, to that extent the experience of the Divine can manifest. To retire from waking is to enter the hall-of-sleep; and while one is dozing, one is walking further and further away from the realm-of-wakefulness and proportionately entering the peaceful abode-of-sleep.
To leave completely one plane-of-Consciousness, is to enter entirely into another plane of Consciousness. The waker himself totally becomes the DREAMER and the DREAMER knows no waking-state. The DREAMER ends his dream when he either wakes up to the world or slides into the joys of peaceful slumber. There is no transaction across the frontiers of these distinct planes-of-Consciousness.
FOR, I AM THE ABODE OF BRAHMAN --- The Self that vitalises the seeker's bosom is the Pure Consciousness, that is the same everywhere, "IMMORTAL and IMMUTABLE, ETERNAL and BLISSFUL." To realise the Self within, is to realise the Infinite Self. To taste a piece of cake is to taste all cakes of all times and for all times, because the KNOWLEDGE OF the taste of cake is ever the same. In the realm of experience, if a meditator apprehends the Self in him, he at once experiences the Omnipresence of the Self. As long as a pot exists, the pot-space is seen distinct from the space around. Once the pot is broken, the pot-space itself becomes the unbounded space in the Universe; similarly, when life's false identifications with the body, mind and intellect are broken down --- in short, when the ego is dead, the Awareness of the Infinitude rises up to flood the bosom with THE ETERNAL DHARMA AND THE UNFAILING BLISS.
Shri Shankara, in his extremely rational and analytical commentary, gives for this stanza three alternative interpretations, each one not contrary to the others, but each one elucidating more and more the philosophical contents of this verse. Shankara says "BRAHMAN IS PARAMATMAN, IMMORTAL AND INDESTRUCTIBLE. HE ABIDES IN ME WHO AM THE SELF (PRATYAG-ATMAN). THAT BEING THE SELF, ONE RECOGNISES, BY RIGHT KNOWLEDGE, THE IDENTITY OF THE SELF IN ONESELF AND THE SELF EVERYWHERE."
Shankara gives an alternative meaning to the verse: "IT IS THROUGH THE POWER (MAYA) INHERENT IN BRAHMAN, AS ISHWARA, THAT HE SHOWS GRACE TO HIS DEVOTEES. I AM THAT POWER IN MANIFESTATION, AND THEREFORE, BRAHMAN AM I."
Again, as another alternative interpretation, he suggests a third meaning which, as we said earlier, is not contrary to the former two suggestions, but, in fact, paints in greater detail, the beauty of the stanza and its contents. "BY BRAHMAN IS MEANT HERE THE 'CONDITIONED-BRAHMAN'; WHO ALONE CAN BE SPOKEN OF BY SUCH WORD AS 'BRAHMAN'... CONDITIONED-BRAHMAN ALONE CAN BE CONCEIVED OF IN THE FINITE INTELLECT, PERCEIVED BY THE MIND AND EXPRESSED THROUGH LANGUAGE AS A CONTRAST TO MATTER. Here the term Brahman only means Spirit as opposed in nature to inert Matter. Thus, Matter and Spirit, both factors conceived by the limited intellect, are limited and so finite objects of knowledge. But both are known by the Consciousness, the Supreme. Therefore "I, THE UNCONDITIONED AND THE UNUTTERABLE, AM THE ABODE OF THE CONDITIONED-BRAHMAN, WHO IS IMMORTAL AND INDESTRUCTIBLE."
The Illuminator is always different from the illumined. The "subject" is the knower, and the "object" is the known. Krishna, the Infinite, represents the Eternal Subject, and therefore, He is the Abode of all "objects," including the concept of the Self which is the Spirit that vitalises and gives a similitude of sentiency and appearance of activity to all the Matter-envelopments. The conditioned Brahman (sa-upadhika) rests upon the Consciousness that is aware of it, which is the Unconditioned (nir-upadhika) Brahman.
In the following chapter (XV-16, 17 and 18) it will be explained as the three Atmans: Anatman, Jivatman and Paramatman.
Thus, in the UPANISHADS of the glorious Bhagawad-Geeta, in the Science of the Eternal, in the scripture of YOGA , in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, the fourteenth discourse ends entitled:
THE YOGA OF GUNAS
Om Om Om Om Om
Source: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
Bg 14.27
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
Om tat sat iti śrīmadbhagavadgītāsu upaniśadsu
brahmavidyāyām yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasamvāde
guṇatrayavibhāgayogo nāma caturdaśosdhyāyaha
26. And he, serving Me with unswerving devotion, and crossing beyond the GUNAS, is fit to become BRAHMAN.
27. For I am the Abode of BRAHMAN, the Immortal and the Immutable, of everlasting DHARMA and of Absolute Bliss.
Commentary
Being a practical text-book of religion, the Geeta is never satisfied by giving mere philosophical discourses. Every discourse, after explaining a definite aspect of our philosophy, prescribes immediately a way of training by which the imperfect can aspire to be and ultimately achieve Perfection.
HE WHO SERVES ME WITH UNSWERVING DEVOTION --- Love for God is called "devotion." Our minds revel readily and with pleasure wherever there is love. Our entire nature is fed by our thoughts, and, as the thoughts, so the mind. To contemplate steadily upon the Infinite Nature of the Self is, ultimately, to become the Self, and thus end our limited, mortal ego.
Contemplation upon the nature of the Lord in all sincerity and intensity cannot be maintained effectively at all times. As we are today, we are not capable of maintaining the mind in a state of meditation all the time. Therefore, Krishna, knowing this weakness of man, advises a practical method of maintaining this thought for a longer period of time through the process of dedicated service (seva). That all work, if intelligently undertaken in a spirit of dedication and service, can be readily converted into a worship, has already been explained in Chapter-III. This clearly and evidently shows that mere devotion to the Lord is not enough. The Gita Acharya expects his devotees to bring religion from the Pooja-rooms and temples to the fields of their every-day-life of activities and in all their contacts with others around.
Such a practice of constant God-awareness and dedicated service removes the agitations of the mind and tunes up the inner instrument for a more efficient flight through meditation. Tamas and Rajas get more and more reduced, and thereby the proportion of Sattwa in the seeker's subtle constitution increases. And such a seeker "IS FIT TO BECOME BRAHMAN." Such an individual who has gained a wealth of Sattwa in his inward composition will discover in himself a greater ability and poise during his meditation. The re-awakening to the consciousness of the Self cannot then be very far off.
Here, it is said that the seeker is fit for becoming Brahman. To realise Brahman is to become Brahman, to realise the waker, is to become the waker.
HOW CAN THE SAGE HIMSELF BE BRAHMAN? LISTEN:
In describing the Yoga of Devotion and its ultimate goal, the Geeta has already indicated: (XII-8) "YOU SHALL NO DOUBT LIVE IN ME THEREAFTER"; and the devotee, under the inspiration of his love, will forget himself as a separate individual, and his mind will merge with his point-of-contemplation, the Lord. In the previous stanza, we were told, "HE WHO SERVES ME WITH UNSWERVING YOGA-OF-DEVOTION", will steadily transcend his identification with his Matter-envelopments. To the extent the ego dies, to that extent the experience of the Divine can manifest. To retire from waking is to enter the hall-of-sleep; and while one is dozing, one is walking further and further away from the realm-of-wakefulness and proportionately entering the peaceful abode-of-sleep.
To leave completely one plane-of-Consciousness, is to enter entirely into another plane of Consciousness. The waker himself totally becomes the DREAMER and the DREAMER knows no waking-state. The DREAMER ends his dream when he either wakes up to the world or slides into the joys of peaceful slumber. There is no transaction across the frontiers of these distinct planes-of-Consciousness.
FOR, I AM THE ABODE OF BRAHMAN --- The Self that vitalises the seeker's bosom is the Pure Consciousness, that is the same everywhere, "IMMORTAL and IMMUTABLE, ETERNAL and BLISSFUL." To realise the Self within, is to realise the Infinite Self. To taste a piece of cake is to taste all cakes of all times and for all times, because the KNOWLEDGE OF the taste of cake is ever the same. In the realm of experience, if a meditator apprehends the Self in him, he at once experiences the Omnipresence of the Self. As long as a pot exists, the pot-space is seen distinct from the space around. Once the pot is broken, the pot-space itself becomes the unbounded space in the Universe; similarly, when life's false identifications with the body, mind and intellect are broken down --- in short, when the ego is dead, the Awareness of the Infinitude rises up to flood the bosom with THE ETERNAL DHARMA AND THE UNFAILING BLISS.
Shri Shankara, in his extremely rational and analytical commentary, gives for this stanza three alternative interpretations, each one not contrary to the others, but each one elucidating more and more the philosophical contents of this verse. Shankara says "BRAHMAN IS PARAMATMAN, IMMORTAL AND INDESTRUCTIBLE. HE ABIDES IN ME WHO AM THE SELF (PRATYAG-ATMAN). THAT BEING THE SELF, ONE RECOGNISES, BY RIGHT KNOWLEDGE, THE IDENTITY OF THE SELF IN ONESELF AND THE SELF EVERYWHERE."
Shankara gives an alternative meaning to the verse: "IT IS THROUGH THE POWER (MAYA) INHERENT IN BRAHMAN, AS ISHWARA, THAT HE SHOWS GRACE TO HIS DEVOTEES. I AM THAT POWER IN MANIFESTATION, AND THEREFORE, BRAHMAN AM I."
Again, as another alternative interpretation, he suggests a third meaning which, as we said earlier, is not contrary to the former two suggestions, but, in fact, paints in greater detail, the beauty of the stanza and its contents. "BY BRAHMAN IS MEANT HERE THE 'CONDITIONED-BRAHMAN'; WHO ALONE CAN BE SPOKEN OF BY SUCH WORD AS 'BRAHMAN'... CONDITIONED-BRAHMAN ALONE CAN BE CONCEIVED OF IN THE FINITE INTELLECT, PERCEIVED BY THE MIND AND EXPRESSED THROUGH LANGUAGE AS A CONTRAST TO MATTER. Here the term Brahman only means Spirit as opposed in nature to inert Matter. Thus, Matter and Spirit, both factors conceived by the limited intellect, are limited and so finite objects of knowledge. But both are known by the Consciousness, the Supreme. Therefore "I, THE UNCONDITIONED AND THE UNUTTERABLE, AM THE ABODE OF THE CONDITIONED-BRAHMAN, WHO IS IMMORTAL AND INDESTRUCTIBLE."
The Illuminator is always different from the illumined. The "subject" is the knower, and the "object" is the known. Krishna, the Infinite, represents the Eternal Subject, and therefore, He is the Abode of all "objects," including the concept of the Self which is the Spirit that vitalises and gives a similitude of sentiency and appearance of activity to all the Matter-envelopments. The conditioned Brahman (sa-upadhika) rests upon the Consciousness that is aware of it, which is the Unconditioned (nir-upadhika) Brahman.
In the following chapter (XV-16, 17 and 18) it will be explained as the three Atmans: Anatman, Jivatman and Paramatman.
Thus, in the UPANISHADS of the glorious Bhagawad-Geeta, in the Science of the Eternal, in the scripture of YOGA , in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, the fourteenth discourse ends entitled:
THE YOGA OF GUNAS
Om Om Om Om Om
Source: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
