CHAPTER VII
Knowledge and Wisdom
The Eighteen Chapters of the Geeta, in the arrangement of their ideas, fall into three sets of six chapters each. This is the conclusion arrived at by many Geeta-students. According to them, the Geeta, being a book which re-interprets the very essence of the Vedic Law in the entire scheme of its discussions, the Divine Song expresses the Truth of the Mahavakya: "THAT THOU ART."
The Mahavakyas are four in number --- one taken from each of the four Vedas, and they form four definite pointers, all indicating the one and the same sacred Truth, which the Vedas unanimously declare. Of these "THAT THOU ART" (Tat Twam Asi) is called the "instructional message" (Upadesha Vakya). This crisp sentence summarises the entire Vedic lore and its philosophy, and therefore, voluminous commentaries are necessary to elucidate the true significance of each of these three short words.
According to some reviewers of the Geeta, the first section of the Divine Song, comprising the opening six chapters, explains the significance of the term "Thou" (Twam), in this Mahavakya. The second section, opening with the seventh chapter and concluding with the twelfth, explains the term "That" in the same declaration. From this chapter onwards, therefore, we will be gaining a true glimpse of the "goal of the spiritual science," as indicated in the Hindu cultural tradition. The last six chapters naturally express the meaning of the term "Art" (Asi) and explain the identity between That --- essence and Thou --- significance.
The previous chapter not only gave us the technique of Self-realisation through the methods of concentration and meditation, but also concluded with Krishna's own personal opinion upon who exactly was the noblest among the different seekers pursuing the different "path." According to the Lord of Vrindavana, a meditator who tries to concentrate his mind upon the Self is superior to those who strive to deny all sense enjoyment to this body (Tapaswins), or to those who make deep and learned investigations into the scriptural literature (Jnanis), or to those who have dedicated themselves to selfless service of the society (Karmis). The Flute-bearer has again tried to express his opinion as to who, among the meditators, is the most noble. It was declared in the concluding stanza of the previous chapter that of all the meditators, the one who has successfully merged his mind in the nature of the Pure Consciousness, through the path of single-pointed meditation, is the highest seeker, and the dearest to the Lord.
Naturally, there would be a possible doubt, in the mind of Arjuna, as to how a limited and mortal mind-and-intellect of a finite creature could ever embrace and comprehend the entire limitless Infinite. In order to remove this doubt, Krishna opens this particular chapter, with a promise that he would explain to Arjuna the entire science, both in its theoretical and speculative aspects, and clear all his possible doubts on the subject. Indeed, for exhaustiveness in treatment and thoroughness in exposition there is, perhaps, no other religious textbook that can stand a favourable comparison with the Geeta. In this sense of the term, we should appreciate the Geeta, not only as a textbook of our philosophy, but also as a literary masterpiece of beauty and erudition in the world's literature.
|| Chapter-7 ||
Sources: The Holy Geeta
Knowledge and Wisdom
The Eighteen Chapters of the Geeta, in the arrangement of their ideas, fall into three sets of six chapters each. This is the conclusion arrived at by many Geeta-students. According to them, the Geeta, being a book which re-interprets the very essence of the Vedic Law in the entire scheme of its discussions, the Divine Song expresses the Truth of the Mahavakya: "THAT THOU ART."
The Mahavakyas are four in number --- one taken from each of the four Vedas, and they form four definite pointers, all indicating the one and the same sacred Truth, which the Vedas unanimously declare. Of these "THAT THOU ART" (Tat Twam Asi) is called the "instructional message" (Upadesha Vakya). This crisp sentence summarises the entire Vedic lore and its philosophy, and therefore, voluminous commentaries are necessary to elucidate the true significance of each of these three short words.
According to some reviewers of the Geeta, the first section of the Divine Song, comprising the opening six chapters, explains the significance of the term "Thou" (Twam), in this Mahavakya. The second section, opening with the seventh chapter and concluding with the twelfth, explains the term "That" in the same declaration. From this chapter onwards, therefore, we will be gaining a true glimpse of the "goal of the spiritual science," as indicated in the Hindu cultural tradition. The last six chapters naturally express the meaning of the term "Art" (Asi) and explain the identity between That --- essence and Thou --- significance.
The previous chapter not only gave us the technique of Self-realisation through the methods of concentration and meditation, but also concluded with Krishna's own personal opinion upon who exactly was the noblest among the different seekers pursuing the different "path." According to the Lord of Vrindavana, a meditator who tries to concentrate his mind upon the Self is superior to those who strive to deny all sense enjoyment to this body (Tapaswins), or to those who make deep and learned investigations into the scriptural literature (Jnanis), or to those who have dedicated themselves to selfless service of the society (Karmis). The Flute-bearer has again tried to express his opinion as to who, among the meditators, is the most noble. It was declared in the concluding stanza of the previous chapter that of all the meditators, the one who has successfully merged his mind in the nature of the Pure Consciousness, through the path of single-pointed meditation, is the highest seeker, and the dearest to the Lord.
Naturally, there would be a possible doubt, in the mind of Arjuna, as to how a limited and mortal mind-and-intellect of a finite creature could ever embrace and comprehend the entire limitless Infinite. In order to remove this doubt, Krishna opens this particular chapter, with a promise that he would explain to Arjuna the entire science, both in its theoretical and speculative aspects, and clear all his possible doubts on the subject. Indeed, for exhaustiveness in treatment and thoroughness in exposition there is, perhaps, no other religious textbook that can stand a favourable comparison with the Geeta. In this sense of the term, we should appreciate the Geeta, not only as a textbook of our philosophy, but also as a literary masterpiece of beauty and erudition in the world's literature.
|| Chapter-7 ||
Sources: The Holy Geeta
