What Bhagavadgita says about a lazy no-gooder

 

In my daily reading today, I recited this shloka from the Bhagavadgita:

अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः ।

विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते ॥ १८-२८॥

 I have scanned the Bhashya from Adi Shankara (published by Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya).

The words used here to describe someone who is a no-gooder- lazy, unproductive, and a burden on society- are a big list for me to self-introspect. Here I list the qualities enumerated for such a "bum":

1. अयुक्तः -  One who does not strive to attain balance and resonance with life, viz. Yoga.
2. प्राकृतः - One who is crude, unrefined, vulgar, in all his dealings.
3. स्तब्धः - One who does not lie down in prostration towards anyone, owing to his haughtiness.
4. शठः - One who tries to attain magical powers to hurt others.
5. नैष्कृतिकः - One who is busy trying to scuttle others' activities and their constructive efforts.
6. अलसः -  One who is dormant and goofing off precious time.
7. विषादी - One who always blames life and bad luck, complaining how he doesn't get a break.
8. दीर्घसूत्री - One is always postponing what's to be done, shirking his responsibilities.
9. कर्ता तामसः उच्यते - Such a person should be called a slothful, dormant, lazy, no-gooder bum.

Something to introspect about, is it not?

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

***

महेश्वरः

यो वेदादौ स्व॑रः प्रो॒क्तो॒ वे॒दान्ते॑ च प्र॒तिष्ठि॑तः । 

तस्य॑ प्र॒कृति॑लीन॒स्य॒ यः॒ पर॑स्स म॒हेश्व॑रः ॥

Meaning: I attach the original Bhashya of Sayanacharya below.

He, who is indicated as OM in the beginning of the Vedas, 

and extolled in the Upanishads, and the One who is found

merged in His own creation and yet is above it all, is Maheshwara!

Understanding Sanatana Dharma through Srimad Bhagavadgita

 

There is a heated debate these days between those who want to eradicate Sanatana Dharma as a scourge and a menace and those who live and breathe the faith in Sanatana Dharma. I am myself a Sanatani Bharatiya as you can see from my signature at the end. 

I thought I would use the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (The Holy Song of God) to quote some verses to explain Sanatana Dharma.

Here goes:

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः  ॥ ४-१३॥

स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः ॥ १८-४५॥

Meaning: Varna, the Sanatana word for social division, is God-made and is based on Guna= nature or aptitude and Karma=deeds/works done by man. A painter, a scholar and a warrior are all differently gifted in Guna and Karma. 

So there is no question of any birthright of entitlement (even in political families) if there is no ability. 

Irrespective of his Varna, each human being can perform his Karma and attain success and perfection. 

This is as close as it can ever get to the most liberal and democratic mindset possible, and it was stated long before other civilisations thought of social equality.

So Sanatana Dharma is the most egalitarian social order based on merit.

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः ।

हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥ १२-१५॥

Meaning: If anyone wants to be a true Sanatani and please God, he should neither provoke hate in society towards himself by his words and deeds, nor feel or express hate towards anyone. He should be beyond wild elation, anger, fear, or agitation in all circumstances. This will enable him to think and act clearly and purely.

युक्ताहारविहारस्य  युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु ।

युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ॥ ६-१७॥

Meaning: A Sanatani pursues a lifestyle without excess in eating or fasting, play or work, sleep or wakefulness, because moderation is the way to overcome sorrow. This lifestyle is considered the best even in modern medicine!

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।

महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥ ३-३७॥

Meaning: Man has deadlier enemies within himself than outside. They are lust and greed, anger and hatred. They instigate avarice and violence. They consume the man like a big fire and cause him to fall into evil.

बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् ।

बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ॥ ७-१०॥

Meaning: God is the Sanatana=eternal and indestructible seed of life in every being without exception. God manifests in everyone as the faculties of intelligence and the radiant life potential. In Sanatana Dharma, all are equal and equally contain godliness.

What is Dharma? Dharma is one's duty performed to one's best ability as a Yoga based on one's Guna and Karma. See what God says:

क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति ।

कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति ॥ ९-३१॥

Meaning: Irrespective of anyone's history, if he becomes dedicated in thought and word and deed to Dharma, he should be considered holy. He shall quickly attain the ultimate beatitude. In fact, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says in this verse, "Arjuna, know this as my vow that my devotee (a true Sanatana Dharma follower) will never perish!"

In summary, what our holiest book, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita says, is this:

Sanatana = The eternal seed of godliness in everyone.

Dharma = The way of life to realise life's greatest potential irrespective of birth. 

🙏🙏🙏

Vedanta as I understand it

I began to study Vedanta when I was 17 years, through Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda literature. Before that I had read Ramayana and Mahabharata and heard many devotional discourses.

Through the years, more Vedanta lectures, books. Osho. Chinmayananda. Ishwar Puri. And most importantly Srimad Bhagavadgita - many many books and lectures. 

Here is my status update. This diagram lays out the gamut of human experience and consciousness as laid out in Vedanta according to me. It is 100% aligned to Srimad Bhagavadgita. 

The lines connecting all the elements are called Leela. The entire experience is a play of consciousness.

Ishwara is central to it. He is the supreme, all-encompassing, ultimate, dynamic, creative, intelligence. He is the creator-sustainer-dissolver of Leela and all elements.

Sacchidananda is also called Brahman or, by some, Parabrahman. It is Ishwara without his creative dynamism. It is all Truth, all Knowledge, all Bliss.

Jeeva is the combination of Brahman and Prakriti. He is me. And you. 

Prakriti is the gamut of human experience which is the changing reality. It is also the raw material of matter and energy. 

Purushartha is Jeeva's pursuit through free will of Artha, Kama, Dharma and Moksha. 

Jeeva needs a Guru to channel his endeavours into Sadhana. Guru is in flesh and blood. He is a Jeeva who has connected with Ishwara. 

Sadhana leads to Darshana. Ishwara manifests in our chosen form and gives us the taste of bliss, intuition, beauty, and love. Without Darshana, it is all made up in the mind (=Prakriti) and has no "real" substance. 

Darshana is grace. Through grace one acquires the qualities of Jnana and Bhakti. They are two sides of the same coin. 

Jnana Bhakti makes Jeeva attain Moksha which is another way of saying becoming Sacchidananda. 

Jeeva cannot ever become Ishwara. Who says so? The Brahma Sutra itself. But becoming Sacchidananda is not a bad thing!

Remember, this is all Ishwara Leela! 

हरिः ॐ तत् सत् 

Postscript 

You can read Adi Shankara's commentary on Brahma Sutras here. 

The sutra where it is clearly stated that Ishwara is supreme and paramount is given below. The original Sanskrit Bhashya is available at IITK supersite also shown here.