CHAPTER IV Introduction
Ending Action in Knowledge
For the Aryan mind, novelty in the spiritual kingdom has no charm. Any new idea, however logical and intellectual it might be, is not readily accepted by the children of the Aryan-culture as a part of their Brahma-Vidya, unless the interpreter of the new idea can show that his technique has already been envisaged in the existing scriptures of this culture. In this way we can say that we are Veda-bound as a cultural unit.
In the last chapter, Krishna propounded a revolutionary idea in the form of Karma Yoga which sounded as though it was a novel intellectual theory cooked in Krishna's own brain. Arjuna, as a true student of the Hindu culture, would not willingly accept it unless his teacher gave an endorsement that, what he had lectured upon was nothing other than an intelligent reinterpretation of the ancient sacred Vedic Science. In this chapter an all-out effort is made by Krishna to bring home to Arjuna that the Lord Himself, the author of the Vedas, had been asserting the same old Truth and nothing new.
Again, whenever a teacher, in his inspiration, emphasises a particular stage of self-development, chances are that the dull-witted seekers may misunderstand the import of the words and conclude that the partial-path explained is the entire-route to the Infinite. In order to remove this mis-understanding, the fourth chapter indicates the greater path of Jnana Yoga, the "Path-of-Knowledge," which is the only main arch-way through which all pilgrims must pass in order to reach the Temple of the Self. Upto this arch-way, seekers living in different psychological and intellectual domains may walk their own "paths," but the main gate is Jnana Yoga through which all must pass to have Darshana at the glorious altar. According to Shankara, this Yoga alone forms the subject of the Lord's teachings throughout the Geeta.
Bg 4.1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt
Bg 4.2
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa
Translation:
The Blessed Lord said:
1. I taught this Imperishable YOGA to Vivasvan; Vivasvan taught it to Manu; Manu taught it to Ikshvaku.
2. This knowledge, handed down thus in regular succession, the royal sages knew. This YOGA, by long lapse of time, has been lost here, O Parantapa (burner of the foes).
Commentary Excerpts:
The Lord is making an open statement, that what He had been saying so far was nothing other than an intelligent reiteration of what is the content of the immortal Vedas. Inspired by a Divine remembrance, the Lord declares that He Himself, at the very beginning of creation, imparted the Knowledge of the Vedas to the Sun, and later on, the Sun-god conveyed it to his son, Manu, the ancient law-giver of India. Manu, in his turn, declared it to Ikshvaku, the ancestor of the Solar-dynasty that ruled over Ayodhya for a long period of time.
The word "Veda" is derived from the root Vid, "to know"; Veda, therefore, means 'Knowledge.' The 'Knowledge' of divinity lurking in man and the technique by which it can be brought out to full manifestation are the theme of the Veda text-books, and the Truth of this theme is eternal.
Just as we can say that electricity is eternal, as there was electricity even before the first scientist discovered it, and electrical energy will not be exhausted because of our forgetfulness of its existence, so too the divine nature of man will never be destroyed because of our non-assertion of it. The knowledge of the divine content and its possibilities in man are indeed eternal.
The creation of the universe, it is accepted even by modern science, must have started with the Sun. As the source of all energy, the Sun was the first of the created objects, and with its very creation, this Great Knowledge of the Self was given out to the world.
The theme of Vedic literature being the subjective divinity, language fails to express it completely. No deep experience can be exhaustively expressed in words. Therefore a study of the scriptures by one's own self is apt to create misunderstandings in the mind of the student, rather than a right appreciation of it. Thus it is a time-honoured tradition in India that spiritual lessons are directly heard from a true Master, who has vivid inner experiences in the realm of the Spirit. It has been handed down from Master to disciple and we have been given here the identity of the earliest students of Brahma-Vidya.
This Yoga, the Yoga in which the Vedic teachings regarding activity (Pravritti) and retirement (Nivritti) are comprehended, thus handed down in regular succession among the "Royal sages," has its own destinies. At certain periods of history, this Knowledge seems to be readily available for the service of mankind, but at certain other periods of history it falls into disuse and becomes, as it were defunct. The golden era of spirituality dies down to inaugurate the dark ages of undivine life. At such periods of monstrous materialism, the generation is not left in neglect to suffer and groan under its own negative values. For, at that time, some great master appears on the horizon to inspire, to encourage and to lead the generation away from the ruts of sorrow onto the highroads of cultural revival.
Krishna rightly evaluates the period of the Mahabharata and declares: "THIS YOGA, BY LONG LAPSE OF TIME, HAS BEEN LOST HERE."
Sources: Vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
Ending Action in Knowledge
For the Aryan mind, novelty in the spiritual kingdom has no charm. Any new idea, however logical and intellectual it might be, is not readily accepted by the children of the Aryan-culture as a part of their Brahma-Vidya, unless the interpreter of the new idea can show that his technique has already been envisaged in the existing scriptures of this culture. In this way we can say that we are Veda-bound as a cultural unit.
In the last chapter, Krishna propounded a revolutionary idea in the form of Karma Yoga which sounded as though it was a novel intellectual theory cooked in Krishna's own brain. Arjuna, as a true student of the Hindu culture, would not willingly accept it unless his teacher gave an endorsement that, what he had lectured upon was nothing other than an intelligent reinterpretation of the ancient sacred Vedic Science. In this chapter an all-out effort is made by Krishna to bring home to Arjuna that the Lord Himself, the author of the Vedas, had been asserting the same old Truth and nothing new.
Again, whenever a teacher, in his inspiration, emphasises a particular stage of self-development, chances are that the dull-witted seekers may misunderstand the import of the words and conclude that the partial-path explained is the entire-route to the Infinite. In order to remove this mis-understanding, the fourth chapter indicates the greater path of Jnana Yoga, the "Path-of-Knowledge," which is the only main arch-way through which all pilgrims must pass in order to reach the Temple of the Self. Upto this arch-way, seekers living in different psychological and intellectual domains may walk their own "paths," but the main gate is Jnana Yoga through which all must pass to have Darshana at the glorious altar. According to Shankara, this Yoga alone forms the subject of the Lord's teachings throughout the Geeta.
Bg 4.1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt
Bg 4.2
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa
Translation:
The Blessed Lord said:
1. I taught this Imperishable YOGA to Vivasvan; Vivasvan taught it to Manu; Manu taught it to Ikshvaku.
2. This knowledge, handed down thus in regular succession, the royal sages knew. This YOGA, by long lapse of time, has been lost here, O Parantapa (burner of the foes).
Commentary Excerpts:
The Lord is making an open statement, that what He had been saying so far was nothing other than an intelligent reiteration of what is the content of the immortal Vedas. Inspired by a Divine remembrance, the Lord declares that He Himself, at the very beginning of creation, imparted the Knowledge of the Vedas to the Sun, and later on, the Sun-god conveyed it to his son, Manu, the ancient law-giver of India. Manu, in his turn, declared it to Ikshvaku, the ancestor of the Solar-dynasty that ruled over Ayodhya for a long period of time.
The word "Veda" is derived from the root Vid, "to know"; Veda, therefore, means 'Knowledge.' The 'Knowledge' of divinity lurking in man and the technique by which it can be brought out to full manifestation are the theme of the Veda text-books, and the Truth of this theme is eternal.
Just as we can say that electricity is eternal, as there was electricity even before the first scientist discovered it, and electrical energy will not be exhausted because of our forgetfulness of its existence, so too the divine nature of man will never be destroyed because of our non-assertion of it. The knowledge of the divine content and its possibilities in man are indeed eternal.
The creation of the universe, it is accepted even by modern science, must have started with the Sun. As the source of all energy, the Sun was the first of the created objects, and with its very creation, this Great Knowledge of the Self was given out to the world.
The theme of Vedic literature being the subjective divinity, language fails to express it completely. No deep experience can be exhaustively expressed in words. Therefore a study of the scriptures by one's own self is apt to create misunderstandings in the mind of the student, rather than a right appreciation of it. Thus it is a time-honoured tradition in India that spiritual lessons are directly heard from a true Master, who has vivid inner experiences in the realm of the Spirit. It has been handed down from Master to disciple and we have been given here the identity of the earliest students of Brahma-Vidya.
This Yoga, the Yoga in which the Vedic teachings regarding activity (Pravritti) and retirement (Nivritti) are comprehended, thus handed down in regular succession among the "Royal sages," has its own destinies. At certain periods of history, this Knowledge seems to be readily available for the service of mankind, but at certain other periods of history it falls into disuse and becomes, as it were defunct. The golden era of spirituality dies down to inaugurate the dark ages of undivine life. At such periods of monstrous materialism, the generation is not left in neglect to suffer and groan under its own negative values. For, at that time, some great master appears on the horizon to inspire, to encourage and to lead the generation away from the ruts of sorrow onto the highroads of cultural revival.
Krishna rightly evaluates the period of the Mahabharata and declares: "THIS YOGA, BY LONG LAPSE OF TIME, HAS BEEN LOST HERE."
Sources: Vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
