A Study of the Bhagavadgita : 4-2: Swami Krishnananda

Chinmaya Mission:

On the 23rd of January, Chinmaya Mission, Palakkad, celebrated its 21st Prathishta Dinam. The Mahotsav was particularly auspicious as it received the divine presence of Swami Swaroopananda. Commencing with the Prathishta Dinam rituals on the same day, the ceremony initiated with Maha Sudharshana Homam and Ganapati Homam. This was succeeded by Sahasra Kalasha Abhishek, led by Swami Swaroopananda and Swami Asheshanadaji, alongside other Acharyas. The divine celebration unfolded with special poojas and soulful bhajans.

From the 24th to the 30th of January, Chinmaya Mission, Palakkad, orchestrated Swami Swaroopananda's Mega Gita Jnana Yajna named SAMSKAARA. The spiritual proceedings commenced with the 'Dhwajarohanam' conducted by the revered Swami Swaroopananda in the presence of Naduvil Madhom Pushpanjali Swamiyar, Badrinath Ravalji Sri Ishwar Prasad Swami Asheshanandaji, and other Acharyas of Chinmaya Mission. 

On the 24th of January, the spiritual conclave was formally inaugurated by the Honourable Governor of Kerala, Sri. Arif Muhammed Khan, Sampoojya Swami Swaroopanandaji, Dr. E. Sreedharan, and other dignitaries. Each day from the 24th to the 30th of January featured various programs and cultural events. Additionally, Swami Swaroopanda delivered discourses on 'Kaivalyopanishad' at Tapovanam. The mega event stage showcased the Gita Yajna focusing on Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 - 'Karma Yoga'

On the 26th of January, Republic Day, was designated as 'Amruthajeevanam.' The day commenced with the unfurling of the flag by Swami Swaroopanda and other dignitaries from the defense service. Swamiji paid homage to the families of brave soldiers who selflessly sacrificed their lives for the nation. Additionally, he honored the winners of Gita chanting competitions held earlier.

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Saturday 03, Feb 2024 06:20.

Chapter - 4: The Total Picture of Creation-2.

Post-11.

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1.Sattva is all-pervadingness. The consciousness of omnipresence and all-pervadingness is sattva. In Pure Consciousness, there is no such thing as all-pervadingness, and so on. We cannot say that consciousness is all-pervading unless we define it in terms of Prakriti's sattva guna, because a thing can be all-pervading only when there is a space to pervade. As space is a part of Prakriti, then Purusha, which is independent of Prakriti, cannot be said to be all-pervading in a strictly logical sense. It is just Being-as-such, Pure I-am, and cannot be called all-pervading. But it appears to be all-pervading on account of its reflection in the sattva guna of Prakriti, which also has other qualities – rajas and tamas. It does not mean that Prakriti is only pure sattva, all-pervadingness. 

It also has, under its arm, the projective forces or factors known as rajas and tamas. On account of a subtle apperception of rajas and tamas also, together with sattva, there is a slight limitedness imposed on the reflection of consciousness in the sattva guna of Prakriti. And then what happens? After Purusha there is Prakriti, and after Prakriti there is Mahat. Mahat is the third principle – Cosmic-consciousness, the Pure I-am, Be-ness-as-such. The Absolute Existence becomes conscious as all-pervading, omnipresent. This Mahat, or the Great Being Mahat-tattva, is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. This is the God of the universe, you may say if you like.

2.Pure God, by Himself, creates nothing. He is just All-in-All. Creativity is attributed to God on account of His so-called reflection in the sattva omnipresence of Prakriti, and God becomes Mahat-tattva, also known as Hiranyagarbha in Vedanta terminology. The pure potential of consciousness prior to the manifestation of Mahat in terms of Prakriti is called Ishvara, which is something like the cosmos sleeping. Sleeping is not an inactive condition; it is a dormant potential of future activity. So in Ishvara-tattva, which is the potential of Universal Consciousness coming in conjunction with Prakriti as a whole, we have Ishvara-tattva. 

This is a term which is not in the Sankhya but in the Vedanta doctrine. Mahat may be said to be Hiranyagarbha, the all-knowing creative principle, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent consciousness. When omnipresence becomes conscious of itself – I-am, omnipresent – it becomes cosmic Ahamkara. So first is Purusha, second is Prakriti, third is Mahat, fourth is Ahamkara. Ahamkara here is to be understood as Cosmic Self-awareness – the whole universe becoming conscious: 'I am.' It is not merely omnipresence as such; it is consciousness of one's being omnipresent.

3.In the state of Ahamkara, Cosmic I-amness, or consciousness of one's being omnipresent, a threefold activity is supposed to take place: the threefold division of the supreme Self-consciousness into the subjective perceiver adhyatma, the objective universe adhibhuta, and a third connecting link adhidaiva, about which I mentioned already. The trouble of creation starts at this stage. Until this time, it was all paradise, glory, all-pervading bliss, God roaming alone in the Garden of Eden; there was no Adam and Eve, nothing of the kind. Wonder! 

This wonder gets clouded when this Cosmic I-amness decides to divide itself into three, and beholds itself as three. For example, your body has a trunk, a right hand and a left hand. The right hand is totally different from the left hand. If you can suppose that the right hand has a consciousness, and with that consciousness it can know the existence of the left hand, this will be adhyatma and adhibhuta. But it cannot know the existence of the left hand except through the body, of which it is a part. So the entire body is the transcendent connecting link which makes it possible for the adhyatma to be aware that there is adhibhuta.

4.Now, I mentioned that there is a threefold division of this universal omnipresence – adhyatma, adhibhuta and adhidaiva. The adhibhuta prapancha, or the universe of material existence, we may say, is originally a space-time vibration complex. Even today, physical scientists and philosophers of physical science say that the whole universe is basically space-time. Space, time and motion – this is the beginning of creation. Space means a sudden vacuum, as it were, created before the omnipresence. In order that you may become something other than what you are, you have to cease to be what you are at present. If God has to become the object, He has to cease to be the subject. Now, He cannot cease to be the subject as He is the Pure Subject, so a sudden vacuous condition is created, as perhaps is done by a juggler who creates an illusion. 

Suddenly a thing which is not there will be projected before you. Your consciousness is interfered with by the juggler's magic or his slight-of-hand. Immediately he creates a vacuous condition of your mind by his action so that you forget what you saw and you begin to see what is not there. God may be playing His magical trick, as it were. God is sometimes called Mahamaya, which means the Great Juggler who can project a thing which is not there. God created the heaven and the Earth, says the Bible. Out of what substance did He create them? Out of his own body, which is something very funny to say. And if there is nothing outside God, out of what substance did He create it? He created it out of a vacuum, a kind of nothingness.

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To be continued

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