2. Nov 13, 2009, 10:00
How one is enemy of oneself?
With reference to the famous verses towards the
beginning of the 6th
chapter, now it appears that, the
consciousness trapped in body, mind, ego and/or
subjectivity is the enemy if not properly negotiated
with and mastered or conquered. This consciousness
becomes our friend, close friend once negotiated with
and conquered, or shall we say brought in harmony
with ourselves. This activity of winning part of our
own consciousness, without being repulsive or
escapist is YOGA. It is said by those who have
achieved this, that NAMASMARAN makes this
possible.
In 11th
chapter Lord Krishna endows Arjuna with
“objective vision” or extrasensory vision; by lifting
him from his subjective realm. Arjuna “sees” or
actually experiences the cosmic consciousness. This
“vision” or actual experience of objective reality is
unfathomable in every sense, because of the yet
undissolved subjective existence! For the same
reason it is frightening. It is like moving with
supersonic or superphotic (faster than the speed of
light) speed. Arjuna experienced something similar to
(but more complex) high speed centrifugation or high
3. speed revolutions creating vertigo and upsetting all
body and mind systems.
Arjuna went beyond time and sense of time seemed
to have lost. He actually “saw” the panorama spread
over ages and millennia. He saw generations after
generations getting dissolved in that consciousness.
He “saw” the seekers of truth worshipping that
consciousness and the ignorant or oblivious being
afraid and running from it!
Arjuna realized that Lord Krishna; the human form in
front of him is actually cosmic consciousness
pervading him and his consciousness in from all
sides. He felt stunned by this unparallel experience of
what actually is implied by the terms omniscient,
omnipresent and omnipotent God. He was
overwhelmed by the experience of what is implied by
the terms unborn, immortal and infinite! He realized
what is mean by the origin of universe and the
destination of the universe. He sensed what
consciousness beyond consciousness is; and what is
the origin and culmination of all spiritual, intellectual
and emotional endeavors in literature, art and
science; followed by human civilizations, knowingly
and unknowingly in the pursuit of the “truth”!
4. Since this experience is similar to that of getting burst
or exploded from within; it is destabilizing and
shattering, even though it is thrilling and exciting in
ultimate sense!
Arjuna therefore while getting saturated and
suffocated, urged Lord Krishna to reappear in human
form.
This is precisely the point of idol worship; actually
this word idol worship is very superficial and narrow
and does not convey the spirit. It is aptly called
MURTIPOOJA. The cosmic consciousness is
brought in some kind either human or any other form
and then worshipped. This practical aspect therefore
has been welcome and participated by billions of
people for millennia.
The saints a alluded to earlier; have further made it
simple by practicing NAMASMARAN while
preaching it and thereby made the enlightenment
accessible to billions of people for generations gone
and generations to come!
Lord Krishna reappears in His human form (still as a
murti of a deity with four hands, so as to distinguish
Him as different from ordinary human being) and
explains to Arjuna that it is possible to not merely,
5. know and reach Him, but actually merge with Him
through devout love with absolute fidelity and
loyalty. In my view Lord Krishna implies here; that
this unconditioned and devout love is the culmination
and pinnacle of all penance and efforts (such as
PRANAYAM, ASANA and others). This is YOGA
of YOGA or YOGA attained through YOGA!
At the end of 11th
chapter; Lord Krishna asserts that
SWADHARMA i.e. every moment lived in His
consciousness or remembrance; characterized by
inimitable and sublime love for everyone in the
universe; which signifies supreme form of universal
unity; certainly takes an individual and hence billions
of individuals to His supreme abode!
In 12th
chapter, Arjuna, like any genius (after
“seeing” cosmic formless “form” and deity form of
Lord Krishna) probably realizes the necessity to
confirm (for the benefit of billions) the Lord’s
opinion and hence requests Lord Krishna to explain
which type of devout love; amongst the two viz. that
for formless cosmic consciousness and that for a
specific form (idol, murti or NAMA); is preferable
conducive to individual and global blossoming!
6. Lord Krishna explains that it is quite difficult to
remain focused on “formless cosmic consciousness”,
(though those who can do this have supreme love for
everyone in the universe and reach Him); and hence
worshipping Him in some form, by doing every
activity in His remembrance as if to offer Him is
desirable. He further advises Arjuna (and every one
in the universe) that even if this also may be found
difficult; one should persist on it. Because, through
consistent and persistent efforts, the individual reach
Him and blossom step by step from consistent efforts
i.e. conceptualization and practice; to enlightenment;
to composed or integrated mental state; to
detachment for every result (the fleeting gains and
losses); to absolute all enlivening, all empowering
and all enlightening peace!
Lord Krishna briefly describes the great
characteristics of such an individual (and hence the
society) and assures Arjuna that following this path is
like drinking the sap of immortality and being one
with the eternal source of love that emanates through
generations after generations!
Lord Krishna probably thought that Arjuna (and
many others like him); in one sense; and the systems
such as limbic system, autonomic nervous system,
neuroendocrine system, endocrine system etc.
7. associated with our instinctual and emotional; and
conscious and subconscious behavior; are not yet
tuned to this kind of enlightenment. In other words
the enlightenment did not yet seep down and did not
yet percolate into the bones and into every cell! In
such situation it became necessary to explain the
purport from different angle, in still somewhat
different language, and with different semantics.
Thus in 13th
chapter Lord Krishna explains the
meaning of KSHETRA, KSHETRAJNA, JNANA
and JNEYA, which mean body with all its systems,
knower, knowledge and object of knowledge;
respectively.
All this is explained in scriptures such as
BRAHMASUTRAS elaborated by rishis, which
revolve around and spring from and culminate in
Lord Krishna i.e. cosmic consciousness.
PRUTHVI, which broadly means all particles,
AAPA, which broadly means all liquids, TEJA,
which broadly means the fire principle, VAAYU,
which broadly means all energy and AAKASHA
which broadly means space are called five
MAHABHUTAS.
8. BUDDHI, AVYAKTA and AHANKAR constitute
the subtler aspects of human beings such as
intelligence, unapparent forces and the subjective
schema (of one’s own and the universe forming
conceptual framework).
These eight along with various instincts and emotions
constitute KSHETRA.
The knower of this KSHETRA is KSHETRAJNA i.e.
cosmic consciousness i.e. LORD KRISHNA.
It has to be conceived that this consciousness when
restricted limited KSHETRA i.e. human body and
associated phenomena, constitutes the
KSHETRAJNA in that respect.
JNANA is knowledge; which is not merely
information collected by an individual but
enlightenment through study of ADHYATMA i.e.
holistic physiology or study of intricacies of the
dynamics of nature of nature (KSHETRA); and
consequent intellectual, emotional, instinctual and
physical behavior of an individual!
JNEYA is object of knowledge; BRAHMA.
It is without beginning and end. It is neither true not
false. Here true and false refer to concept of “is” and
9. “is not”. It is conceived as having countless hands,
eyes, ears, mouths and so on. It is said to encompass
everything; space, time and all individual
consciousnesses. It incorporates all sensory
perceptions and beyond it all! It is beyond all
describable attributes as it is beyond the language of
quality (words) and quantity (numbers). It is detached
an attached and it is beyond all qualities and yet
experiences the qualities! It is present inside and
outside of everything and it is static as well as
dynamic. It is extremely subtle and hence beyond
perception and is infinitely away as well as in
vicinity.
It is beyond all light and all darkness, which are
functions of visual systems!
It is knowledge as well as object of knowledge and
ever present in the core heart of every one.
All these qualities are described to reinforce the super
concept; of cosmic consciousness.
The BRAHMA or PURUSHA and PRAKRUTI are
said to be free of beginning and end. This can be
conceived as conscious space and conscious energy
which act as fields and rest all full beginning and end
10. and changes constitute contingent aspects viz. the
GUNAS.
Understanding these concepts helps an individual to
identify himself as being increasingly closer and
closer or being in common with the cosmic
consciousness and begins to see the happenings in the
universe and individual life as products of
PRAKRUTI and GUNAS. This is progressive
liberation. This liberation becomes possible because
the individual sees that cosmic consciousness is like
space that is essential component for everything that
happens in universe but neither participates in the
activities nor gets influenced by them and it is like
sun, which illumines the universe without actually
“going” to the nooks and corner and without actually
“becoming” part of those places.
Lord Krishna then describes the “applied” aspect of
the holistic physiology viz. the implications of the
contingent GUNAS, in human life in 14th
chapter.
