Commentary on the Bhagavadgita : 26 - Swami Krishnananda.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2022. 20:00.

Discourse 43: The Fifteenth Chapter Concludes – The Greatest Secret Revealed

POST-26.

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"Shrotram chakshuh sparshanam cha rasanam ghranam eva cha
adhishthaya manash chayam vishayan upasevatee." (15.9) : 

“With the help of the mind and the five senses—hearing, seeing, touching, tasting and smelling—the individual jiva enjoys by indulging in the objects of sense.”

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"Utkramantam sthitam vapi bhunjanam va gunanvitam
vimudha nanupashyanti pashyanti jnana-chakshushah." (15.10) : 

“Foolish people don't know that I am at the back of all things. Whether they are standing, moving, getting up, taking their meals—whatever be their occupation, that occupation becomes possible because of My being there as an active impelling power; but fools think that they themselves are doing everything.”

When we walk, we feel that we ourselves are walking; when we eat, we feel that we ourselves are eating; when we see a thing, we feel that we ourselves are seeing it—whereas somebody else walks for us, somebody else sees for us, somebody else tastes for us. “Fools do not understand this, but those who have the eye of wisdom know that I am doing all these things—even the perception of things, even the digestion of food, and even the locomotion or the movement through the feet.”

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"Yatanto yoginash chainam pashyanty atmany avasthitam
yatanto ‘py akritatmano nainam pashyanty achetasah." (15.11): 

This great Being, responsible for every kind of activity in the world, is visualised by the great yogins as located, lodged, in their own heart. There is no great difficulty in having a vision of this great Reality, because it is the Self of all; and as the Self is the nearest and the dearest, it should be very easy to come in contact with That. Actually, there is no such thing as contact with the Self, because the Self does not come in contact with anything. It is just what it is, and this mystery of the Self not coming in contact with anything and being all things at the same time is seen only by yogins, and not by those who are spiritually illiterate.

yatanto ‘py akritatmano nainam pashyanty achetasah :

“Yogins have a vision of this inner Reality masquerading through all the forms of the world; but those who are indulgent through their sense organs, even if they put forth immense effort, will not be able to see Me or visualise Me.” Here is a clue as to why it is not so easy to have a vision of God though it is well known that God is nearest—nearer than our very neck, as is well told in all the scriptures and by saints and sages. The reason is akritatma.

When Dhritarashtra heard that Sri Krishna was coming as an ambassador and wanted to see him, Sanjaya said, “What can you see? You cannot see him because Sri Krishna is kritatma and you are akritatma. Akritatma cannot have a vision of kritatma. So why are you saying that you want to see him?”

What is the meaning of kritatma and akritatma? A person who has subdued his sense organs perfectly is kritatma. Such a person is Lord Krishna; and we are the opposite of it. Kritatmata means subjugating the sense organs and integrating the personality into a single power, rather than a diffused power manifesting itself through five channels of expression. In the personality of integrated beings like Sri Krishna, the energy does not flow in different directions. Their energy acts as a total impact, not as a diffused impact through the channels of sense perception. Therefore, those who are not kritatma—who are akritatma, who have not controlled their sense organs and are very much indulgent in respect of objects outside—even if they struggle hard, they will not see It. What is the use of struggle when it is based on ignorance and a desire for that which is quite different from what one is asking for?

To be continued ...

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