essential verses of bhagavad gétä chapter 13
TRANSCRIPT
Essential Verses of Bhagavad Gétä – Chapter 13
By Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati
Presented by Arsha Vidya Center Monday, June 23rd to Friday, June 27th
Souvenir 2014
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 1
sdaizvsmarMÉam!
sadäçivasamärambhäm
z»racayRmXymam!
çaìkaräcäryamadhyamäm
ASmdacayRpyRNtam!
asmadäcäryaparyantäm
vNde guéprMpram!
vande guruparamparäm
I salute the lineage of teachers, beginning with Çiva, the Lord, (linked by)
Çaìkaräcärya in the middle, and extending down to my own teacher.
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 2
Arsha Vidyä (Knowledge of the Åñis) Center, aims to bring through live teaching, the sacred,
authentic and traditional texts of Vedänta to the Bay Area.
Vedänta is part of the Vedas, aimed at mature minds that seek unconditional freedom from
limitations. Says Çré Vyäsa in the very first verse of the epic Brahma Sütras: Awatae äü ij}asa, translated as, ‘After seeing that the commonly known methods of attaining happiness, such as
money, friends, fame etc. are not lasting, may a thinking person inquire, with the help of a
knowledgeable teacher, the possibility of gaining absolute freedom, here and now, not
hereafter’.
This involves unfolding the unchanging and free nature of a person by an informed, skilled
teacher who has undergone the discipline of learning Vedänta directly from his or her guru,
and can show this to a mature, inquiring student, willing to learn.
Other Activities of AVC Adult Classes (Vedänta, Bhagavad Gétä & other texts, Sanskrit)
Recordings of classes and discourses
Children’s classes
Gétä Home Study groups
Celebration of special occasions
Annual visits of Swamijis to the Bay Area
Annual trip to the äçrama in Saylorsburg, PA
Annual trip to the äçrama in Rishikesh, India
AVC Website: http://www.arshavidyacenter.org
AVC Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArshaVidyaCenter
Arsha Vidya Center (AVC)
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 3
Table of Contents
Çänti Päöhaù/Guruvandanam/Gétä Dhyänam ............................................................................... 4
Bhagavad Gétä – Introduction to Chapter 13 .................................................................................... 6
Excerpt from Gétä Home Study Course By Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Bhagavad Gétä – Chapter XIII (Verses 7 to 11) ................................................................................. 8
By Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati
Bhagavad Gétä Home Study Course ...............................................................................................10
By Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati
Ecology & Bhagavad Gétä ................................................................................................................12
By Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Remain In Tune With The Harmony of The Universe ..................................................................19
By Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati
AIM for Seva ......................................................................................................................................20
Swami Viditatmanandaji with Püjya Swami Dayanandaji
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 4
zaiNt paQ> Çänti Päöhaù
` s/h na?vvtu, s/h naE? Éun´u, s/h vI/y¡? krvavhE, te/j/iSvna/vxI?tmSt/u, ma iv?iÖ;a/vhEš.
` ZaaiNt/> ZaaiNt/> ZaaiNt?>.
Oà sa/ha nä?vavatu, sa/ha nau ? bhunaktu, sa /ha vé/ryaà ? karavävahai, te/ja/svinä/vadhé ?tamastu /,
mä vi ?dviñä/vahai š. Oà çänti/ù çänti /ù çänti?ù
May the Lord indeed protect both of us. May He indeed nourish both of us. May we together
acquire the capacity (to study and understand the scriptures). May our study be brilliant.
May we not disagree with each other. Oà peace, peace, peace.
` pU[R/md/> pU[R/imd/< pU[aR/TpU[R/mud/Cyte pU[R/Sy pU[R/mada/y pU[R/mevaviz/:yte,
` za/iNt> za/iNt> za/iNt>.
Oà pürëa/mada/ù pürëa /mida/à pürëä/t pürëa /muda/cyate, pürëa /sya pürëa /mädä/ya pürëa /mevävaçi /ñyate
Oà çä/ntiù çä/ntiù çä/ntiù
That (Brahman) is fullness. This (apparent creation) is fullness. From fullness this full
(apparent creation) comes about. Bringing (out) this full from fullness, fullness alone remains.
Oà peace, peace, peace.
guévNdnm! Guruvandanam
ïuitSm&itpura[anam! Aaly< ké[alym!, nmaim ÉgvTpad< z»r< laekz»rm!. 1.
çrutismåtipuräëänäm älayaà karuëälayam, namämi bhagavatpädaà çaìkaraà lokaçaìkaram
I salute Çaìkarabhagavatpäda, the abode of çruti (Vedas), småti (Gétä, etc.), and puräëas (epics
like Rämäyaëa, Mahäbhärata, etc.), the repository of compassion, the one who bestows
happiness on the world.
z»r< z»racay¡ kezv< badray[m!, sUÇÉa:yk&taE vNde ÉgvNtaE pun> pun>. 2.
çaìkaraà çaìkaräcäryaà keçavaà bädaräyaëam, sütrabhäñyakåtau vande bhagavantau punaù punaù
I salute, again and again, Çaìkaräcärya who is Lord Çiva, and Bädaräyaëa who is Lord Viñëu,
the venerable ones who wrote the aphorisms (Brahmasütras) and the commentaries (bhäñyam
to the Brahmasütras).
$Zvrae guéraTmeit mUitRÉedivÉaigne, Vyaemvd!VyaPtdehay di][amUtRye nm>. 3.
éçvaro gururätmeti mürtibhedavibhägine, vyomavadvyäptadehäya dakñiëämürtaye namaù
Salutations to Lord Dakñiëämürti, who is all-pervasive like space, but who appears (as
though) divided as the Lord, the teacher, and the Self.
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 5
gukarSTvNxkarae vE ékarStiÚvtRk>, ANxkarinraeixTvad! guéirTyiÉxIyte. 4.
gukärastvandhakäro vai rukärastannivartakaù, andhakäranirodhitväd gururityabhidhéyate
The letter ‘gu’ stands for darkness (of ignorance), and ‘ru’ represents its destruction. A guru is
so called because he destroys the darkness (of ignorance).
sdaizvsmarMÉa< z»racayRmXymam! , ASmdacayRpyRNta< vNde guéprMpram!. 5.
sadäçivasamärambhäà çaìkaräcäryamadhyamäm, asmadäcäryaparyantäà vande guruparamparäm
I salute the lineage of teachers, beginning with Çiva, the Lord, (linked by) Çaìkaräcärya in the
middle, and extending down to my own teacher.
gIta Xyanm! Gétä Dhyänam
` pawaRy àitbaeixta< Égvta naray[en Svy< Vyasen ¢iwta< pura[muinna mXyemhaÉartm!,
AÖEtam&tvi;R[I< ÉgvtImòadzaXyaiynIm! AMb TvamnusNdxaim ÉgvÌIte ÉvÖei;[Im!.
oà pärthäya pratibodhitäà bhagavatä näräyaëena svayaà
vyäsena grathitäà puräëamuninä madhye-mahäbhäratam
advaitämåtavarñiëéà bhagavatémañöädaçädhyäyiném
amba tvämanusandadhämi bhagavadgéte bhavadveñiëém
Oà. O Goddess Mother, O Bhagavadgétä, (you who were) taught by Bhagavän Näräyaëa
himself for the sake of Arjuna, the son of Påthä (Kunté), (who was) faithfully collected and
reported by the ancient Sage Vyäsa, (and placed) in the middle of Mahäbhärata, (who is) in
eighteen chapters, who showers the nectar of non-duality, and who is the destroyer of the life
of becoming (saàsärä), again and again I invoke you.
y< äüa vé[eNÔéÔmét> StuNviNt idVyE> StvE-vRRedE> sa¼pd³maepin;dEgaRyiNt y< samga> ,
XyanaviSwttÌten mnsa pZyiNt y< yaeignae ySyaNt< n ivdu> surasurg[a devay tSmE nm>.
yaà brahmä varuëendrarudramarutaù stunvanti divyaiù stavair-
vedaiù säìgapadakramopaniñadairgäyanti yaà sämagäù
dhyänävasthitatadgatena manasä paçyanti yaà yogino
yasyäntaà na viduù suräsuragaëä deväya tasmai namaù
My salutations unto the Lord about whom Brahmä, Varuëa, Indra, Rudra, and the Maruta-
devatäs praise with divine hymns, the one whom the singers of Sämaveda praise by singing
with full complement of the limbs (of singing) in the order of pada and krama and the
Upaniñads, the one whom contemplative people see with minds resolved in him in a state of
meditation, whose nature the celestials and demons do not know.
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 6
Bhagavad Gétä – Introduction to Chapter 13
Excerpt from Gétä Home Study Course by Swami Dayananda Saraswati
The Nature of the Knower and the Known
The tradition looks upon the entire Gétä having its subject matter in the Upaniñad
mahäväkya – “tat tvam asi, you are that”, a statement which contains the whole teaching.
“You” means the person who is addressed, the jéva who wants to be enlightened. “That” is
Éçvara, the Lord, to whom the individual is equated in this statement tat tvam asi.
In the first six chapters, the Gétä çästra unfolds the meaning of “you”, tvam. The first chapter
reveals Arjuna’s sadness. The individual, jéva, is always sad, sometimes acutely, otherwise,
chronically. Chronic sadness is managed through various escape routes like dance, music,
movies, accomplishments, exhibition skills, and so on. But sometimes it becomes acute as it is
for Arjuna. He no longer wants to resort to any mode of escape but wants to address the
problem. Thus, in the second chapter we saw Arjuna discovering in Kåñëa a teacher and
seeking a solution, placing himself at the Lord’s feet as a disciple. And Lord Kåñëa accepted
and began teaching him, not simply advising him. Thus the teaching began. Knowledge of the
real meaning of the word tvam, the pratyagätmä, was unfolded as avinäçé, not subject to
destruction; nitya, eternal; ajam, the one who is unborn; not subject to change, avyayam, who
cannot harm nor be harmed, that is, who is neither subject nor object, (veda avinäçinaà
nityaà ya enam ajam avyayam । kathaà sa puruñäù pärtha kaà ghätayati hanti kam.)
Weapons do not cut him; fire does not burn him (na enaà śastrān i na enaà dahati pāvakah .)
In these various väkyas the nature of the pratyagätmä, which is equated to Éçvara, was
unfolded.
Though they are one, there is a seeming contradiction between the jévä and Éçvara. Éçvara is omniscient, sarvajïa, and the cause of everything, sarva käraëam, whereas the jéva is
alpajïa, of limited knowledge and bound by the various laws, and so on. How are these to be
equated? You have to understand what is meant by the word ‘you’ and therefore Bhagavän
unfolds the pratyagätmä, as the real meaning of the word ‘you’.
In the second chapter Lord Kåñëa presents the means, karmayoga, that will aid in
gaining this knowledge. Then Arjuna expressed a doubt in the third chapter about whether he
should adopt a life of sannyäsa, or continue with karmayoga, both of which are for the jévä.
Then the fourth chapter unfolds the real nature of sannyäsa as the giving up of action
through knowledge, jïänakarmasannyäsa, again revealing that the pratyagätmä is not an
agent of any action, akartä. The one who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is the
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 7
one who has discrimination, who is united (to ”me”) and has done all is to be done, (karmaëi
akarmayaù paçyet akarmaëi ca karma yaù । sa buddimän manuñyeñu sa yuktaù
kåsnakarmakåt. )
In the fifth chapter sannyäsa is further unfolded showing that the pratyagätmä is not a
doer, akartä, or enjoyer, abhoktä. Even seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going,
sleeping, letting go, grasping, winking, and so on, the knower of the self does not perform any
action, (paśyaï śṛṇvan spṛśaï jighrann aśnan gacchan svapaï śvasan pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇan
unmiṣan nimiṣan api, indriyāṇi indriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan. naiva kiñcit karomi iti
yukto manyeta tattvavit.) In the sixth chapter contemplation upon the pratyagätmä is advised:
“Having made the mind alive to the self, one should not dwell upon anything else as separate
from the self)” – (ätma – saàasthaà manaù kåtvä na kiïcidapi cinayet ). This again is predom-
inantly tvam padärtha even though the equation is shown. Thus the first six chapters are cen-
tered on the word “you” in the sentence “That you are”.
The whole emphasis changed dramatically even in the initial verses of the seventh
chapter where Bhagavän talks about Éçvara, the meaning of the word “that,” tatpadärtha, as
the cause of the entire world, jagat. In the tenth chapter he talks of the glories, vibhütis of
Éçvara; in the eleventh chapter he shows the cosmic form, of the Lord, viçvarüpa, and the
twelfth chapter Lord Kåñëa talks about üpäsanas. When Éçvara is discussed, the jéva becomes a
devotee. Thus the second group of six chapters, ñaökam deals predominantly with Éçvara.
The third ñaöka, the last six chapters, of Gétä, talk about the identity of the jéva and
Éçvara and the means, upäya, for achieving that identity. Accordingly, certain values and
attitudes are going to be discussed in these chapters. Çaìkaräcärya’s long introduction to the
thirteenth chapter is an indication of the importance of this chapter in Bhagavad Gétä.
àk«it< pué;< cEv ]eÇ< ]eÇ}mev c,
@tt! veidtum! #CDaim }an< }ey< c kezv. BG 13 - 1.
This I wish to know: Keçava (what is) nature and
indeed the person, the field and indeed the knower
of the field, the means of knowledge and what is to
be known?
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 8
Bhagavad Gétä – Chapter XIII (Verses 7 to 11)
- - - (Kñhetra - Kñetrajïa – Vibhäga - Yogaù)
The Nature of the Knower and the Known
śrībhagavānuvāca
1)
॥ ७॥ amānitvamadambhitvamahiṁsā kṣāntirārjavam
ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucaṁ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ Verse 7 amānitvam – humility; adambhitvam – absence of hypocrisy; ahiṁsā
– nonviolence; kṣāntiḥ - forgiveness; ārjavam – straightforwardness; - ācārya-upāsanam – service of the teacher; śaucam – cleanliness; sthairyam – steadfastness; - ātma-vinigrahaḥ - self-control
Humility, absence of hypocrisy, nonviolence, forgiveness, straightforwardness, service of
the teacher, cleanliness, steadfastness, self-control… 2) ए
॥ ८॥ indriyārtheṣu vairāgyamanahaṅkāra eva ca
janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiduḥkhadoṣānudarśanam Verse 8
indriyārtheṣu – with reference to sense objects; vairāgyam – dispassion; anahaṅkāraḥ – absence of egotism; ए eva ca – and indeed; - - - - - - janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣa-anudarśanam - seeing clearly the evils of
pain in birth, death, old age and disease
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 9
… dispassion with reference to sense objects and indeed absence of egotism and seeing
clearly evils of pain in birth, death, old age and disease …
3)
॥९॥ asaktiranabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu
nityaṁ ca samacittatvamiṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu Verse 9 asaktiḥ - nonattachment; anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ - absence of excessive affection; - - putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu – regarding son, wife, house, etc., ; nityaṁ ca – and
always; - sama-cittatvam – evenness of mind; - - iṣṭa-aniṣṭa-upapattiṣu – regarding the gain of desirable and the undesirable
… nonattachment, absence of excessive affection regarding son, wife and house, and always evenness of mind regarding the gain of desirable and undesirable …
4) ॥ १०॥ mayi cānanyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī
viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṁsadi Verse 10 mayi ca – and in me; avyabhicāriṇī bhaktiḥ – an unswerving devotion; - ananya-yogena – not connected to anything else; - - vivikta-deśa-
sevitvam – the disposition of repairing to a quiet place; aratiḥ - no longing for; - jana-saṁsadi – in the company of people
… and an unswerving devotion to me that is not connected to any thing else; the
disposition of repairing to a quiet place, no longing for company of people …
5)
ए ॥ ११॥ adhyātmajñānanityatvaṁ tatvajñānārthadarśanam
etajjñānamiti proktamajñānaṁ yadato'nyathā Verse 11
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 10
- - adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṁ - steadfastness in the knowledge centered on the
self; - - - tatva-jñāna-artha-darśanam – keeping in view the purpose of the
knowledge of the truth; ए etat jñānam iti – this is knowledge; proktam – told; ajñānam – ignorance; yat anyathā – what is opposite; ataḥ - to this
… steadfastness in the knowledge centered upon the self, keeping in view the purpose of
the knowledge of the truth - (all) this, that was told is the means of knowledge. What is
opposite to this is ignorance.
` . 13 .
om tatsaditi çrémadbhagavadgétäsüpaniñatsu brahmavidyäyäà yogaçästre çrékåñëärjunasaàväde
kṣetrakṣetrajñavibhāgayogo nāma trayodaśo'dhyāyaḥ || 13||
The Bhagavad Gétä Home Study Course Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati
Question: Swamiji, which book would you suggest for the study of the Bhagavad Gétä?
Answer: The best book, of course, is the Bhagavad Gétä Home Study Program by our Püjya
Swamiji. However, it is not concise. It is a very elaborate in-depth study of the Gétä. Swamiji
taught a three-year residential course here in Saylorsburg and conducted classes on various
topics including the Bhagavad Gétä. There are 312 lectures in 312 cassettes on the Bhagavad
Gétä, which was taught along with Çré Saìkaräcärya’s commentary on it. It was this material
that was transcribed, edited, and published as the Bhagavad Gétä Home Study Program. The
reason for bringing it out in this form was that Swamiji wanted even those who did not have
the benefit of attending a full time course to gain the benefit of the study of the Bhagavad Gétä
in the same way. It is called a ‘home study’ in as much as the Gétä can be studied at home.
The Bhagavad Gétä Home Study Program is a very elaborate book of almost 2000
crown-size pages. It is now published in four volumes. If one wants an in-depth study that
would be an appropriate text. If you want a very short text of the Bhagavad Gétä just to get an
overview of it, there is another small book called The Teaching of the Bhagavad Gétä, which is
compiled from Püjya Swamiji’s public talks. Many years ago, in 1978, Püjya Swamiji gave a
series of 19 public evening talks, which were transcribed, edited, and published as a book.
That is a very concise book of about 170 pages. One can study it and get an idea of the overall
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 11
teaching of the Bhagavad Gétä. Other than these, there are a number of other books available. I
would only prescribe these two books because, in our opinion, they are authentic. It is
important that the one who writes a book have clarity regarding the text, the teaching, and its
purport.
What does the Gétä teach us? What is the subject matter or the purpose of the Bhagavad
Gétä? The purpose of the teaching is to help us discover the fact that we are truly limitless.
Thus, the purpose of the teaching is mokña. As a result of the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gétä
one should become free.
My sense of sorrow or unhappiness arises from my thinking that I am a limited being.
Therefore, discovering the fact that I am limitless makes me free. The similarity between the
self and Brahman, knowing which one gains liberation, is the subject matter of the Gétä. What
do we need to do to gain liberation after gaining this knowledge? Nothing; the knowledge is
itself the direct means of liberation. Nothing more need be done. Who is the one qualified to
gain this teaching? One who has an intense desire for this knowledge gains it.
The subject matter of the Bhagavad Gétä is a consistent revealing of the fact that the one
who looks upon oneself as a jéva or a limited individual is, in fact, limitless. Some preparation
of the mind is necessary to be able to see this fact when it is taught. That is called the
purification of the mind. The Bhagavad Gétä presents karma-yoga as a means to self-
purification in preparing for this knowledge. Jïäna-yoga is presented as a means to liberation.
The Bhagavad Gétä is to be studied with clarity regarding its purpose and teaching.
There is great clarity and consistency in Püjya Swamiji’s treatment of the Bhagavad Gétä in
unfolding its teachings, or, for that matter, his treatment of any other Vedäntic text. There will
be no confusion in the mind of the student only if there is clarity and consistency in the
teaching.
A number of new Bhagavad Gétä Home Study Groups in Milpitas,
Fremont, South San Jose, Saratoga/Los Gatos/Cupertino, and
Dublin/Pleasanton/San Ramon have been formed this year. Please
contact Durga Krishnamoorti at [email protected] for details.
Website: http://www.arshavidyacenter.org/ghsx.html
Download Bhagavad Gétä Home Study Course material from:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qqwbc66aduacqpq/CcT42w3U3S.
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 12
Ecology and the Bhagavad Gétä
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
There are people who are highly concerned that humanity is in danger. They warn that
if conditions continue like this, if people don’t care, the ozone hole will become so huge that
people will have a radiation problem. For some, the whole concern is for the life of human
beings and the suffering that they will have in the long run. Therefore, they say that in order to
protect human life, we have to protect the environment, maintain the ecological balance—save
the trees, save the rainforest and create green lungs everywhere.
While we agree with this, the Gétä has a wider perspective that includes all forms of life.
Why don’t all forms of life deserve protection? Why only human life? What is distinct about
human beings and why do we place human worth above that of other creatures? What is the
sanctity of human life? In which way are the lives of other creatures on this planet less sacred
than human life?
In the third chapter, verse 11 of the Gétä, we have:
devaNÉavytanen te deva ÉavyNtu v>, prSpr< ÉavyNt> ïey> prmvaPSyw.3-11॥
devānbhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu va । parasparaà bhāvayanta śreya paramaväpsyatha
Propitiate the deities with this (yajïa). May those deities propitiate you. Propitiating one another, you
shall gain the highest good (mokña). (BG 3.11)
The perspective offered by this verse is not even limited to life on this earth—its scope
is cosmic. The Gétä here is talking about an awareness of all the forces. In this vision, the
natural forces of the universe are not separate from Éçvara, the Lord, for the universe is a
manifestation of Éçvara, the Lord. We can look at this Lord from the standpoint of a given
force. As such, any phenomenon, any force, is considered a devatä, a deity. This entire jagat—
the world of names and forms, including natural forces—is a manifestation of the Lord. It is
not that Éçvara at a certain time created the jagat as separate from himself. Although we may
refer to the jagat as a ‘creation’ from the standpoint of the Lord as a conscious, all-knowing
being, this is not ‘creationism’. We may use the word ‘creation’, but we follow it by the word
‘manifestation.’ Why?
In the view of creationism, the creator is separate from his creation. Since the creator
must have a place, where, then, does he reside? If he is a distinct entity, where will he be? He
would have to be located in space. But space itself is a part of the whole space/time creation.
Where was the creator when he created space? The creator cannot be in space and create space,
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 13
for if he is in space, space has already been created. If he is inside space, who created space? It
is also not possible for him to be outside space, spatially. The Lord cannot be an individual
located outside space, because which is the space that is outside space? Both ‘inside’ and
‘outside’ refer to space. The only real possibility is that space is not separate from the Lord.
Only if we conceive of space/time as absolute is the creationism model feasible. But
modern physics, consistent with the vision of Vedänta, has shown that space/time is not
absolute. It has been proven that space and time are collapsible and that they come to manifest
along with the other things. If that is so, space is more a manifestation of whatever was the
unmanifest cause. ‘Creation’ is the formful aspect of the unmanifest— nothing new has been
‘created’. Space and time and everything in space and time—the whole thing—is a
manifestation of Éçvara. Therefore, space itself cannot be separate from the Lord.
If that is so, then an awareness on the part of human beings that they are not isolated
entities and that the entire jagat is a manifestation of Éçvara, is in order. With this awareness,
we can strike harmony with the world; without or against this awareness, we can constantly
rub against our world. The truth of rubbing is the one who rubs, who creates disharmony, gets
rubbed. You cannot rub against something without getting rubbed in the process. That is the
truth. And we are rubbed all the time, because we keep rubbing against the order of things.
We rub each other and we rub other life forms and matter. And then we say that the world is
inimical to us, and want to save ourselves from the world.
Our foolishness is that we rub and then complain that the world rubs us. “Why me?” is
a common expression. “Why me?” Everybody asks the same thing. Nobody is exempt from
asking, “Why me?” “Why me?” In everybody’s life, there are innumerable occasions to ask,
“Why me?” In the morning getting up you may ask, “Why me?” Although you may use
different words, the equivalent forms are constantly being murmured. This is due to not being
in harmony with what is. In order to be in harmony with the world, you have to change the
whole picture. You must have a bigger picture. Without a bigger picture, small things become
big things. With a bigger picture, small things become smaller. The bigger the picture is, the
smaller is your problem. The big picture really resolves problems, and Vedänta gives you the
biggest picture possible. In this discussion, however, I am not talking of the biggest picture—
just a bigger picture. The amazing fact is that even the bigger picture is enough to free you
from a lot of rubbing.
The Gétä says that your awareness should not fall short of covering, of recognizing,
Éçvara as the force because of which all life forms and matter are possible. The reverence for
forms is a very, very important thing. Unfortunately, in many theologies, this reverence has
been destroyed. Some theologies prohibited worship of any form made of hands or by nature,
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 14
and located God somewhere far away from us. It was assumed that by doing so, they were
updating tribal religion. In fact, in the process, theologies have lost their reverence for forms.
Such reverence, as expressed in the Gétä and other works, is an essential part of Hindu
culture. When, as a child, I kicked the ground, my mother would say, “Hey, don’t kick the
ground. That is mother earth.” “What mother earth? It’s dirt”, I said. “No! It’s mother earth,
påthivé mätä.” Then I would think, “Oh, this is mother, mätä.”
I come from an agricultural family. During a particular month, the water would flow in
the river and the agricultural operation would begin. The first thing was to sow the seeds, the
paddy seeds. Then, after a few days or a month, they would remove the seedlings and
transplant them in the fields. This operation was done by all the villages. Before sowing,
although each villager would sow on his own piece of land, all the villagers would come and
do püjä to a piece of land that belonged to the temple. They would do püjä to the earth. Seeing
this as children, we naturally developed a reverence for the earth. That shows a concern not
for my life alone—but for the one that bears the life. Mother earth is not just something inert.
Inert is a point of view. For instance, when you dream, you dream mountains and you
dream mountain lions. In the dream, the mountain lions are sentient and the mountains are
inert. But you, the dreamer, are not inert, and the dream universe is nothing but you. It is you
who are the dream characters and scenery. You are the creator and you are the manifestation
of the dream world. So when the dream character thinks that the dream mountain is inert, it’s
purely a point of view. You may say one—the dream mountain—is insentient, and the other—
the dream mountain lion—is sentient. But really, both of them are not separate from you—the
sentient you who is dreaming. It is the same with Éçvara, the Lord. Everything we see in
‘creation’—other beings, as well as what we consider ‘inert’ material—is not separate from the
Lord. That is why we don’t take mother earth for granted. The same is true for the other
natural elements. Water is called Varuëa. The air that you breathe in is Väyu. Tvam eva
pratyakñaà brahmäsi. “You alone are the perceptible Brahman.” In fact, we don’t even need a
form to evoke reverence. Väyu, Air, is enough for us. Space is enough. Time is also revered by
us.
Time is generally the one that people are afraid of, except when it is Fourth of July and
you have a holiday. Otherwise, time is the one that frightens everyone. That is because time
levels everybody. It is just with you, silent—a silent assassin. A silent destroyer, it changes the
hair of all—the black haired-one, the blonde-haired one—into what we call gray. That, of
course, is assuming that any hair is still there! Time is ubiquitous. It doesn’t spare anybody or
anything. Empires crumble in its wake. But for Hindus, time is an object of worship. Is there
another culture where death itself can be considered God? Death is not an ordinary thing.
Hindus worship Måtyu—Dharmaräja. So that we have no fear of death, we worship. Suppose
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 15
you see Mr. Death coming? You have to acknowledge him with reverence, you do namaste. He
may even spare you for some time, because he has to reciprocate your namaste. Because death
is considered a natural part of the whole process, the fear of death goes away.
Similarly, every phenomenon, every force that is here, from the standpoint of Éçvara, the
Lord, is not inert because it is a manifestation of that Lord. The awareness of forms being not
separate from Éçvara makes you aware of your environment cosmically. Our environment
doesn’t stop with the atmosphere. The ‘environment’ has an extending radius. To begin with,
the environment is your neighborhood. Then, extend that to the county, the state, the country,
the continent, the globe, the system, the galaxy and the universe—that’s our environment. It is
not an ordinary one, really. It’s an amazing one, having so much to offer in terms of your own
intellectual adventure—so much to offer. We make inroads into Éçvara’s mind when we
explore and understand a particular subject matter. Therefore, we don’t consider any
knowledge to be secular. It is all Éçvara’s knowledge.
To be in harmony with the environment, the Gétä tells us to simply do what we have
got to do every day, with a certain awareness. Let all the devatäs, the deities, do their jobs. Let
the sun shine. Let the air blow, and let it not get stuck in one place. Väti iti väyuù, “Air is that
which moves.” We need all the natural forces. Let every one of them function. In fact, we don’t
call them ‘forces’; we call them devatäs, because we are not referring to some merely material
force. ‘Force’ is Éçvara, the Lord, a singular noun that means all the forces together. All the
forces are one force. Otherwise, they would be in conflict with one another. They form one
singular force, which we call çakti. In Star Wars we heard, “May the Force be with you.” May
çakti be with you, the çakti of the Lord. That’s the force.
If I am aware of the bigger picture, how can I ever do anything inimical to this planet
and to any life form that is here? How can I eat an animal? It is very difficult. How can I harm
anybody? How can I harm anything—even the minerals? In other words, how can I abuse
them? I can use them, because we are all mutually dependent. I contribute, I consume. I am
not merely a consumer—I am a contributor, too.
Sometimes the contribution is to create what I had to destroy. For instance, I am told in
our Dharma Çästra that if you must cut a tree, then you should plant some also. It is not an
easy thing for a tree to grow to full height. It may take twenty years or thirty years—then in a
few moments it is cut down. The tree has survived storms, cyclones, and more. When it was a
small plant, in order to grow it had to survive the stray goat, the hungry cow, and the idiotic
human being. Once it finally became a tree, someone may have cut it down with a chain saw.
In earlier times, using a handsaw, it took some time to finish cutting down the tree. In the
process, the person may wonder, “Should I cut this tree?” He may discover, “No, I should not”
and go away. These days, however, it takes only a few minutes to fell a tree. So one does not
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 16
have the time to reflect upon and change the action. If it is a whole day’s work, then you may
be able to change your mind. Even if during one hour you don’t change, at least there is the
possibility that in next hour you may, so that not much damage is done to that huge tree. Still
it will survive. It may have survived twenty-five years to become this big tree. Some trees have
even taken a hundred years, two hundred years, to grow. The coastal redwood trees in
California have survived five hundred years or even a thousand years or more. Still the trees
are there. And you go and cut them? It is an idiotic thing to do. But people do that. Sometimes
you have to cut a tree. The Dharma Çästra tells me that when I cut a tree, it is a päpa, a wrong
action that has undesirable consequences. Therefore, it tells me I should plant ten trees
somewhere. Sometimes you fell a tree because you want timber. Or, it is in a wrong place,
according to you, because you have decided to put a house there. In fact, it is in the right place.
It is standing there, poor thing, never knowing that you would come there. Had it known, it
would have grown somewhere else. But the tree, unfortunately, cannot walk around. It is
supposed to be so. If the trees and plants were to walk around, you couldn’t get your salad
because when you went to pick the vegetables, they would all run away. You would find the
spinach running away, all the mango trees running away. Already we have traffic problems.
That’s why they are sthävara, stationary. They have to be what they are. They have to provide
you with food.
All food is vegetarian. You can have a non-vegetarian meal, but food is basically
vegetarian. When I say that you can have a non-vegetarian meal, I am not giving a sanction for
that. I don’t want to disturb you, that’s all. You can have a non-vegetarian meal but food is
vegetarian, because if you eat a goat, a cow, or any animal, it has to first find food to give you
food. To give itself as food, it has to find food. Where does it find food? In the same plants and
trees alone. Oñadhibhyaù annam, “From the plants comes food.” Therefore, food is vegetarian.
You can have a non-vegetarian meal by making that cow eat the grass—the vegetarian food—
and then eating the cow. That is not environmentally healthy, really. Eating the cow is neither
healthy for you nor is it environmentally healthy. In fact, I would say it is wrong. It is wrong in
the sense that I can live without eating the cow. When I can live without it, why disturb the
cow? That is why the cow has been given four legs and the trees are not given legs—they are
sthävara, stationary. My food is outside, and it is vegetarian. “What is eaten is food,” adyate iti
annam and “Food is from the plant kingdom,” oñadhibhyaù annam. I’m sorry, but that is the
truth. All the proteins, all the carbohydrates, have to come from vegetarian food. So, although
you can have a non-vegetarian meal, all food is vegetarian because there is no other source. On
this planet there is only one source of food, and that is vegetarian.
When I cut a tree, I have to plant ten trees. Thereby, I protect. I am asked to do that by
the çästra. Otherwise, it’s a päpa. There is also awareness, not only of the life forms, but even
of the so-called ‘inert’ matter, such as minerals, that are here. All of these are not to be taken
for granted. They are here; I am here. I am a consumer; I also contribute to their welfare. Even
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 17
an acknowledgment of the devatäs is expected of me. It’s not that the devatäs won’t function
without that reverence, but my awareness of their contribution makes the environment, the
cosmic environment, different. That is so because I am not totally programmed. I am a person,
endowed with choice. And I have to exercise my choice; I have no choice in exercising my
choice. What choice do I have to not exercise my choice? I have no choice. Because I can
choose, I have to be aware of the whole cosmic environment, and choose to do what is
required in a given situation. You do what is proper, what is the least hurtful. When you must
hurt, you do the least hurtful thing. And be aware of the forces, letting those forces, those
devatäs —Éçvara—bless you. You are aware of them, and you invoke their grace.
By being reverentially aware of all the life forms and minerals that are here, you can
deal with the more topical environmental problems. This ‘cosmic awareness’ precludes your
destroying anything. We protect as well as we can. And the forces will protect us. That’s how
it is. You have to protect what is to be protected. What is to protect you, you should protect.
You can’t lose that. If you have armor, you should maintain it properly. When you are fighting
with bows and arrows, your armor can’t be full of holes. If you are a right-handed tennis
player at Wimbledon, you have to protect your right hand properly because it blesses you. The
whole thing is in your hand—all the monies you’ve earned are all in one hand. If you are a
right-hander, it is only in one hand. If you are a double-hander, it is in two hands. And so, you
have to protect those hands properly. The whole cosmos is an environment that protects us.
We are beholden to protect it. And that environment also includes fellow human beings.
That’s why the goal of environmentalism cannot be merely to protect human beings as
an end in itself. It is not sound to simply try to protect human beings while justifying their
destruction of the other life forms and matter, on the basis that humans are a more complex
life form. I don’t find that human life is more sacred than the life of a bird or a worm—that is
also life. If you argue that it is only a simple form of life, I say that a simple life form is more
sacred because it is in harmony with its environment. It is this complex life form that is a
problem. A simple life form at least does not go about destroying everything else. Its behavior
is programmed.
The more complex the life form is, the more aware you have to be. As a human, you are
a self-aware being; that is your distinction. Naturally, you have to be aware of everything else.
If you are aware of everything else, then I would say human life is really something special.
For unlike the cow, you have been given a tremendous freedom—the special capacity to
choose your actions based on your awareness. This freedom stems from the very self that you
are conscious of. It comes from there, because that self you are aware of is the plus you have.
In that plus is your freedom. Although the self is there for a cow, too, it doesn’t seem to be
totally aware of the self. If it were, it would have complexes like you have. This self that I am
aware of gives me a freedom to choose to do or not to do.
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 18
You can choose to have a couple of months out of the year to hunt deer. For two
months, during ‘deer hunting season’, you are free to hunt the deer. Why not also give the
deer a chance to hunt you? Suppose the deer population decided, “Human beings are too
numerous these days, and that is not good for us. I think for two months we will hunt them.”
Then we are in the same boat. Then it’s fair, a free-for-all—survival of the fittest. I don’t agree
with the justification that, “Swamiji, at this rate, the deer population will increase.” Let them
increase. Why do you bother about that? Let them take care of it. We take on responsibilities
that we are not supposed to assume. It is like someone losing sleep, worrying, “What should I
do to make the sun rise in the morning?” If he considers this to be his problem, what can you
do? We carry too many things that we need not. It is like a lady on the early morning train,
which is empty, who is carrying a big basket of vegetables on her head. When she was asked,
“Why are you carrying that on your head? Why don’t you put it down?” she replied, “I don’t
want to load down the train.” We have too many loads like this. Think about all the loads you
believe you are carrying, which you are not really carrying, which, in fact, somebody else is
carrying. Yet we worry about what will happen tomorrow if we don’t carry these loads. What
will happen tomorrow? Exactly what happened yesterday. Tomorrow the sun will rise. You
are worried about the weather, so you check the forecast—what will the temperature be
tomorrow? All right, now that you know the temperature, what are you going to do? Are you
going to change it? If the forecast says that tomorrow will be 98 degrees, from now on, you
worry about how hot it is going to be.
We create problems. We are funny people, really. We say we are evolutes of monkeys,
but you should talk to the monkeys. I can imagine a conversation with a monkey, “You know,
human beings are evolutes of you fellows.” The monkey said, “What?!! They are evolutes? If
that is the case, we don’t want to evolve!” What kind of evolutes are we? If you have a bigger
picture, however, then you can enjoy what the monkeys cannot. Otherwise, monkeys are
better off. They don’t destroy the environment as we do. If we leave them alone, they just fall
into their slots in the scheme of things. Every snail, every oyster, falls into its own slot. It
doesn’t really transgress it, but rather, does exactly what is expected of it. We have to learn
that so that we don’t rub against our environment and so that we avoid getting rubbed. That is
real ecology.
.
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 19
Remain in Tune with the Harmony of the Universe
Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati
Universe is a marvelous creation. There is a certain order and harmony about it. It
reminds us of an orchestra playing a harmonious melody. This orchestra of the universe has
sentient and insentient objects as performers playing their unique instruments. God is the
master conductor of this orchestra directing all the performers to remain in tune and rhythm
with the harmony of the universe.
Besides the elements of nature such as sun, moon, stars, air, fire, water, earth, trees, and
sentient beings such as animals, birds, insects etc, human being is also one of the performers in
the orchestra of the universe. In fact, he is one of the most blessed performers in as much as it
is only he who has been endowed with the free will to play his instrument as he wishes.
Freedom can be a great blessing if employed with discretion but it can also prove to be
a curse if abused. Therefore there is the need to instruct or guide the human being to remain
in concord with the prevailing harmony.
Lord Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad Gétä that the universe is sustained by yajïa. Any
selfless action or action imbued with spirit of reaching out is what is meant by the word yajïa.
Lord Kåñëa says it is this spirit of offering or yajïa which harmoniously moves the cosmic
wheel. Sun offers itself to form clouds, clouds offer themselves to form rains, rains offer
themselves and grow as food. In this manner, all the members of the universe offer themselves
at the altar of the macrocosm and thereby help move the cosmic wheel.
Human being is also a cog in the wheel and therefore, he is expected to do his part. He
is indebted to each and every member of the universe such as elements, trees, animals, sages,
parents, teachers, ancestors, scientists etc; for what he is today. Lord Kåñëa says in the
Bhagavad Gétä that one who enjoys the favors from the universe but does not return is a thief.
By adopting selfish and violent attitude he may profit externally but by rubbing against the
order of the universe he winds up with conflicts and turmoil within.
It is therefore becoming of a human being to return the favor with a sense of gratitude.
How should he do that?
Everybody is assigned a certain role in life. May that role be performed to the best of
one’s ability, not for a personal gain but for the well-being of the macrocosm. All the duties
and actions that one has to perform may be looked upon as an opportunity to serve the
universe. Thus, when the spirit of offering, the spirit of contributing permeates the life of the
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 20
individual he has struck the fine chord of harmony playing in the universe.
The result is that he is at peace with himself. The spirit of offering, the attitude of
serving or reaching out is such a catalyst that it purifies his heart of selfishness, greed,
aggression, violence, usurpation and other such self-centered tendencies and makes it pure
and divine. Purged of these discordant tendencies he is free from anxieties and conflicts. It is
this free mind that experiences happiness. He is no more dependent on external paraphernalia
to make him happy.
In nutshell, selfishness is equal to unhappiness and selflessness and reaching out is
equal to happiness and peace.
Besides gaining composure, living in harmony with the universe is being one with God
for, Vedas reveal that the spirit of offering itself is Lord Viñëu meaning, the immanent. Let us
by offering ourselves at the service of the universe merge ourselves in God and fulfill the goal
of our life.
Regarded as one of the most profound thinkers of our time, Swami Dayananda Saraswati is a
world-renowned spiritual leader and an authority on Vedanta. AIM for Seva
was born out of his vision to bring value-based education and health care to
the least privileged sections of society. He is also the founder-chairman of the
Swami Dayananda Educational Trust (SDET), which aims to bring high quality
education to rural India, starting with his birthplace, Manjakkudi, in Tamil
Nadu. Know more about Swamiji, his teachings and programs from
http://www.swamidayananda.org.
Swami Dayananda Saraswati (Founder-Chairman)
You came into the world, you left the world.
In between you make the world look brighter, cleaner and richer.
-Swamiji
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 21
The All India Movement (AIM) for Seva educates and empowers lesser privileged
children across 15 states of rural India through a unique concept of Free Student Homes (FSH),
enabling access to value education.
Our story began with a deep understanding of rural India's problems: be it the commute to
schools, domestic pressure or lack of extra-curricular activities in education. We thus proposed
a solution that has now brought the school to the child's doorstep: providing access, enhancing
the quality of education, providing life skills and an environment that's conducive to learning:
AIM for Seva Free Student Homes (FSH). An FSH is an activity center, a classroom and a
learning institute, all rolled into one.
Our Vision
To transform society through a network of seva, of caring, to help each child to contribute to
the progress of the nation.
Our Mission
To reach education to every child across the nation through the concept of a Free Student
Home.
Website: http://www.aimforseva.org
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 22
Concept & Production Cleveland Cultural Alliance
An exiled man, pining for his wife, calls upon a passing cloud to carry his message of love. Cleveland Cultural Alliance brings to stage this sublime classic by the celebrated fifth century Sanskrit
poet Kälidäsa, in the form of an operatic ballet. http://www.dancecca.com/meghadootam
An All India Movement for Seva Benefit Program Educating rural India through Free Student Homes
An Operatic Ballet Extraordinaire Kälidäsa’s
MEGHAD ÜTAM The Cloud Messenger
Music Director: Oscar-nominated artist Smt. Bombay Jayashri Ramnath
Script Adaption & Choreography: Shijith Nambiar & Parvathy Menon
Saturday, August 23 at 7 PM Chabot College Performing Arts Center
25555 Hesperian Blvd Hayward, CA 94545
You can help make their dreams a reality. Sponsor a child and get free VIP passes
Providing value-based education to thousands of rural and tribal children may seem like an uphill task, but it can be accomplished with your help! Every donation takes us further in building an educated and more confident India!
For more details, please contact Vijay Kapoor at [email protected], (650) 208-9565
or visit our website http://www.aimforsevabayarea.org AIM for SEVA
All India Movement
Arsha Vidya Center
Swami Viditatmanandaji’s 2014 visit Page 23
Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati Çré Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati, a disciple of Püjya
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, is an outstanding teacher of
Vedänta. He expounds Vedänta with a simplicity and directness
that make it easy to assimilate. Having studied and worked in the
United States prior to becoming a sannyäsi, Swami
Viditatmananda is familiar with the lifestyles of India as well as
the West. With this insight, he reaches out to students across
both cultures with equal ease.
Swamiji is traditional in his teaching and preserves the
entirety of the age-old wisdom of the Upaniñads. He takes a
contemporary approach in his lectures, which enables the
student to relate to his teaching and imbibe this knowledge
without effort. Swami Viditatmananda is the resident äcärya at
Tattvatértha, which is situated in the western outskirts of
Ahmadabad in Gujarat. As the name suggests, it is a center for
learning the tattva, or truth, as revealed in the Upaniñads and
the Bhagavad Gétä. Apart from English, Swamiji teaches and
writes in Gujarati as well. He also conducts management
seminars with a view to illustrate the relevance of Vedänta in
modern management. Swamiji visits the Arsha Vidya
Gurukulam at Saylorsburg, PA every year, to conduct Vedänta
classes and camps from spring through summer. During this
time, he also travels all over the US and Canada delivering
lectures.
Swamiji is an ideal guru, who imparts the core wisdom
of the scriptures and explains each point in detail until he is
sure that each person in front of him has understood. The depth
of Swamiji’s wisdom, compassion, and kindness brings great
joy to his disciples and to all who come in contact with him.
gukarSTvNxkarae vE ékarStiÚvtRk>, ANxkarinraeixTvad! guéirTyiÉxIyte .
The letter ‘gu’ stands for darkness (of ignorance), and ‘ru’ represents its destruction.
A guru is so called because he destroys the darkness (of ignorance).