Guna-wise analysis of six topics

Gita essays 34

Lord Krishna, while clearing Arjuna’s doubt regarding renunciation, also explained about what constitutes Karma.  Then continuing to speak on the same subject of Karma, Lord spelt out the threefold impulse that propels activity (Karma Chodana) and also the threefold basis of action (Karma Sangraha).  The impulse to action is made up of  Jnanam (knowledge), Jeyam (known) and Parijnata (knower).  The basis of action consists of the Karanam (instrument), Karma (action) and Karta (doer). Of these six factors, Lord takes up for guna-wise analysis Jnanam, Karma and Kartha along with three other incidental subjects Buddhi (intellect), Dhrithi (Will-power) and Sukham (happiness).  As per Swami Paramarthananda, if these six topics are understood properly the entire Gita teaching is understood. Before we take up the classifications of these six subjects, Jnanam, Karma, Kartha, Buddhi, Dhrithi and Sukham, let us remember that Satvic quality contributes to spiritual growth,  Rajasic quality results in spiritual stagnation though it may promote material growth and Tamasic quality leads to spiritual downfall.  So our aim in spiritual path should be to cultivate Satvic variety, shunning Tamasic variety and to try and progress from Rajasic variety to Satvic one . Let us take up the subjects one by one starting from Jnanam.

Jnanam (knowledge)

Jnanam by which the one Supreme Being, Brahman, is seen as Athma in all beings is Satvic Jnanam. Satvic Jnanam recognizes that though the body, mind equipments are different in different living creatures, all of them are the expressions of one and the same Non-dual Truth, Brahman, which is the life-force in all of them and which is different from the body-mind complex. Electric gadgets may be different but they are all activated by one electricity. Similarly one principle of Consciousness as Athma lends sentiency to all living beings. So Satvic Jnanam is that by which one sees the one non-dual Athma in and through all the beings. In Rajasic Jnanam, one knows one’s Real Self is Athma and is different from the body but considers that different beings have different Athmas and so Athmas are many. So Rajasic Jnanam is that through which one considers Athmas as many and holds them distinct and different in every being. Tamasic Jnanam mistakes the body itself as one’s true Self, Athma. It is Deha Athmagya Jnanam. 

Karma (Action)

Satvic Karma is that which is motivated by dharma, performed without raga-dvesha and spells good to the community and the world. These actions are just performed spontaneously with a feeling of fulfillment and joy. Rajasic Karma is one performed to satisfy one's desire in a spirit of arrogance, egoism and vanity and desirous of fruits of action.  Such actions involve considerable effort and strain. Tamasic Karma is one that is undertaken without any regard for the consequences thereof, bringing disaster and sorrow to all including the performer. It arises out of one’s misconception about the goal of life.  Whereas Satvic Karma is dharma-pradhana, Rajasic karma is raga pradhana and Tamasic Karma dwesha pradhana.

Karta (Doer)

A Satvic Karta is one who has no attachment to the field in which he is acting, who is not egoistic, who is full of persistence and zeal unmindful of obstacles on the path, who is not perturbed by the results of his actions, be they success or failure.  He is a performer of Satvic Karma.  Rajasic Karta is one who yields to passions, desires and attachments, who eagerly seeks the fruits of his work, who is selfish, greedy and insatiable, whose acts may cause harm to others, who is not pure in his means and who is tossed between joys and sorrows of life.  A Tamasic Karta is one who has no control over his own base mental impulses and instincts, who is arrogant, vulgar and obstinate in his own wrong conclusions, who is unsteady, despondent, deceitful, indolent, procrastinating and malicious.

Buddhi (Intellect)

Satvic intelligence is that which knows everything regarding dharma and adharma, right and wrong as well as the bondage and liberation comprehensively and correctly.  This intelligence can readily discriminate between things that are to be done (Pravritti) and things that are to be avoided (Nivritti).  Rajasic intelligence is something that has incomplete and doubtful understanding of dharma and adharma, as well as right and wrong.  Swami Paramarthananda calls it “jack of all trades and master of none”. While nishchya Jnanam is Satvic Buddhi, samsaya Jnanam is Rajasic Buddhi.  Tamasic Buddhi is that which understands dharma, adharma, etc., perversely.  This understanding that values the wrong as the right due to ignorance, is no understanding at all; it can only be a misunderstanding, reversing the values.

Dhrithi (Willpower)

Satvic willpower is continuing with one’s Satvic pursuits despite whatever obstacles in the way. It sustains the functions of all organs in the spiritual path unswervingly through yoga.  The willpower with which one steadily controls one's mind and sense organs and their activities through single-pointed concentration upon a given goal is of the Satvic type.  Rajasic willpower is that willpower by which a person continues with material pursuits whatever be the obstacle.  The willpower with which one firmly pursues duty, pleasure and wealth, ever desirous of enjoying the fruits of his action is of Rajasic type.  The will power that makes one persist with his dreams and imaginations, fear and agitation, grief and sorrow, depression and arrogance is of Tamasic type and such a person is called Durmedha, a fool. He does not achieve anything either spiritually or materially as Tamasic willpower is one which follows neither spiritual pursuit nor material pursuit.

Sukham (Happiness)

The happiness which is born of Self-knowledge which looks though painful and arduous in the beginning, is enduring in the long run, in contrast with the fleeting joys of sensual satisfaction. Lord describes it as “like poison in the beginning and like nectar in the end”.  For Self-knowledge brings about tranquillity in the intellect and from this tranquility of the intellect emerges Satvic happiness.  Satvic happiness born out of spiritual growth, without depending upon external factors like money, status, people, possessions, lasts longer and yields greater sense of fulfillment. Rajasic happiness is the temporary happiness provided by the sense-objects. This is a conditional pleasure which can become a potential sorrow and when the conditions go away one feels pain to the extent he felt happiness.  So Lord describes it as “which is at first like nectar and in the end like poison”.  It also suffers from the anxiety about its diminution and ultimate loss.  Tamasic pleasure is born out of sleep, not the physiological every day sleep but the non-apprehension of Reality and the incapacity to perceive the goal of life; indolence, the incapacity of the intellect to think correctly about the problems that it faces to arrive at a correct judgment, and heedlessness, ignoring the values of higher ideals. There is neither spiritual pursuit nor material pursuit because they both require dynamism, which it lacks.

Lord concludes His analysis of various topics with a general statement in verse 40:

There is no being on earth or again in heaven among the Devas that is liberated from the three qualities born of Prakrithi (nature). (18-40)

This verse emphasising the point that there is nothing in the creation which is free from these three guṇas concludes the guna-wise analysis of the six topics that Lord chose to discuss after talking about the constituents of Karma.

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Arjuna’s surrender and advice on Athma.

Gita essays - 2 

In the first Chapter Arjuna was doing all the talking, trying to solve his problem of raga (attachment), moha (delusion) and soka (grief) and in the process delivering a long lecture on Dharma and Adharma, concluding it with his decision that he would not take up arms against Bhishma and Drona even if it meant death at the hands of the Kauravas and then sat down putting down the bows and arrows.  Lord Krishna had been silent  all along giving Arjuna a patient hearing like an expert management counsellor and now reacts with a sharp rebuke urging Arjuna to shed the unmanly behaviour and stand up to do his duty.  Then Arjuna comes up with his real problem of helplessness to solve the problem of inner weakness of raga, soka, and moha  and surrenders to Lord Krishna with these words (2-7):

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसंमूढचेताः। (Kaarpanyadoshopahataswabhaavah Pricchaami twaam dharmasammoodha chetaah;

यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ।। (Yacchreyah syaan nishchitam broohi tanme Shishyaste’ham shaadhi maam twaam prapannam.)

My mind is overpowered by helplessness and my intellect is completely deluded regarding righteousness. With my mind thus confused, I ask You.  I am Your disciple who has surrendered to You.  Please teach me decisively what is good for me.

When Arjuna surrenders with these words, the roles get changed.  Arjuna is no longer the Yajamana and Sri Krishna an ordinary driver; Arjuna is now a humble disciple and Sri Krishna, the Jnani Guru.  And only after Arjuna’s realisation of his helplessness and surrender, Lord Krishna starts his advice in the course of which he gives the essence of Jnana kanda and Karma kanda of Vedas, which makes Bhagavad Gita one of the Prasthana thrayas, authoritative basic texts along with Upanishads and Brahma Sutras. This advice along with Arjuna’s reaction runs into 17 chapters in which in chapter 2 we get a brief introduction and in chapter 18 a short sum-up.

In chapter 2, after Arjuna’s surrender Lord Krishna starts his advice with feedback and sarcasm as well, as seen from the first verse of advice where he says “You speak words of great wisdom, but you forget that wise people do not grieve for either the dead and living and act the same way”(2-11).  He thus points out that Self-ignorance, Athma ajjnanam is the basis of his problem and so in the first phase of advice he imparts Athma-anathma vidya briefly, dealing with Arjuna’s problem from a philosophical angle and in that process starts explaining the nature of Athma, one’s Real Self. It is because of His advice based on AthmaJnanam, Self-knowledge, that  the chapter gets its title as Sankhya Yoga.  

One is not the physical body which is subject to changes as child, youth and old person and perishes ultimately in course of time but is the unchanging eternal Athma within which undergoes no change at any time when the body undergoes all the changes.  When the present body perishes, Athma acquires a new one and continues in it.  So as Athma, there was no time when all of us were not there in the past nor will it be in the future.  That is why a wise person, called Dheera, does not grieve over the death of the body which is always changing and is unreal, as only unreal things keep changing.  The Reality behind the unreal body is the unchanging Athma.  

What is the nature of this Athma?  Lord Krishna describes in verse 2-24:

अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च।(Acchedyo’yam adaahyo’yam akledyo’shoshya eva cha)
नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः।। (Nityah sarvagatah sthaanur achalo’yam sanaatanah.)

This (Athma) cannot be cut, nor burnt, cannot be wetted, and cannot be dried. This is eternal, all-pervading, changeless, immovable, and unborn.

So weapons, fire, water, and wind do not affect it.  Therefore one who thinks of himself as the killer and the other as killed does not really know that He slays not nor the other is slain.  What happens at death is Athma casts off one body for another just as a person changes clothes, casting off old one to put on new one.  Further death is certain for the one born and also birth is certain for the dead.  Again the body is a combination of pancha bhuthas which are in a manifest state as body, only when body is alive and are in an unmanifest state before birth and after death. So Arjuna should not grieve over the inevitable and as a warrior in the battlefield, he should go ahead doing his duty of fighting as per his visesha dharma as a kshatriya, shedding his delusion and grief.  For Arjuna as a kshatriya it is his svadharma to fight a righteous war to establish Dharma and not to back out of it for his selfish or personal reasons. Only failure to fight such a battle is a sinful act and he will incur no sin acting in accordance with his visesha dharma; only in running away from it, he will incur sin.  So fighting, he will attain the heaven if killed, or if victorious, rule the world.  Lord Krishna also points out that even from a worldly angle, he should not run away from the battle as it will earn the ridicule of his peers as an act of fear and cowardice and this dishonour is worse than death for a kshatriya.

Now Lord Krishna concludes this phase of advice which was given from a philosophical and ethical angle with an important advice which is as well valid for all in the battle of life (2-38):

सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ।( Sukhaduhkhe same kritwaa laabhaalaabhau jayaajayau)
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि।।(Tato yuddhaaya yujyaswa naivam paapamavaapsyasi.)

Treating happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike, engage in battle. This way you will not incur sin.

Lord Krishna here emphasises a quality of which he has spoken earlier.  This is the quality of equanimity, also called samatvam.  Samatvaṁ means balance of mind, ie to keep one’s cool in all situations without being carried away by the situation. Samatvam is also called Yoga, in the second phase of advice in this chapter, to be seen later.

The salient features of this phase of advice are:

1)    Athma is eternal and indestructible

2)    Bodies enveloping the Athma are ephemeral with a beginning and end

3)    Death is only for the body and it is certain for one born

4)    Embodied beings constantly pass through the cycle of birth and death and so wise do not grieve over death.

5)    As Athma is indestructible, one cannot slay nor get slain

6)    For a kshatriya not to fight a righteous war is only an act of sin and not fighting it

7)    Not to fight will only invite ridicule as coward and dishonour is worse than death for a kshatriya

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Gita on Happiness

Happiness is a feeling in our mind. The happiness we normally experience is happiness derived from objects, relationships and incidents and they are temporary.  The mind is composed of thoughts. The ever-present Athma, whose nature is pure happiness, Aananda, illumines the mind.  In the instant a desire is fulfilled the mind relaxes, and Athma’s reflection in the calm mind is experienced as happiness.  This is only a momentary pleasure lasting until the mind is calm and peaceful. For the next instant when another thought or desire arises, reflected Aananda of the Athma is replaced.  Rather than recognizing the Athma as the actual source of happiness, the source of happiness is projected out onto the changing world of objects, and we try to gain happiness from them, an activity the scriptures compare to trying to drink water from a mirage.

Duration of happiness and intensity of happiness may vary but they are not permanent and all these are classified as Vishayananda.  Pure happiness, Aananda, is not a property of the mind, nor is it an ingredient of any other object, but it is the Swarupa of Brahman, who enlivens all living beings as Athma and this pure happiness is called Athmananda to differentiate it from Vishayananda.  Acquiring Self-knowledge, one discovers that his Real self is Brahman and established in this knowledge, is in a state of perennial Bliss as a Jivan Muktha.  This happiness that comes from Self-knowledge, Lord Krishna classifies as Satvic happiness, contrasting it with other types of happiness that are classified into Rajasic and Tamasic happiness.  Satvic happiness is defined as ( Gita 18-37):

यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम्। (Yattadagre vishamiva parinaame’mritopamam)
तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम्।। (Tatsukham satvikam proktam athmabuddhiprasaadajam)              

Satvic happiness is said to be that which is like poison in the beginning, and is like nectar in the end, and which is born out of the tranquillity of mind as a result of Athma Jnanam (Self-knowledge).

Acquiring Self-knowledge is an arduous process and the spiritual path for acquiring Self-knowledge involves various Sadhanas; i.e. purifying mind through KarmaYoga, attaining single-pointed concentration through Upasana Yoga, rendering the mind subtle through Sadhana Chathushtaya Sampathi and gaining Jnanam through Jnana Yoga.  As it involves lot of self-discipline to pursue the path one tends to avoid it like poison.  So Lord Krishna terms it is like poison in the beginning. But when one pursues and gains Athma Jnanam, the mind becomes calm and peaceful at all times and in this tranquil mind Athma’s reflection is ever present as permanent bliss and he enjoys this inner bliss like nectar, whatever be the external conditions and personal circumstances.  So Lord Krishna describes it as nectar in the end.  Describing such a happy person Lord Krishna says (5-21):

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम्। (Baahyasparsheshwasaktaatmaa vindatyaatmani yat sukham)
स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते।। (Sa brahma yoga yuktaatmaa sukham akshayam ashnute)

With his heart unattached to external objects, he gets the bliss that is in the Self. With his heart absorbed in meditation on Brahman, he acquires permanent Bliss.  

Athma Jnani is one with no attachment to the objects and happenings of the external world, and is internally absorbed with Brahman in all circumstances, adverse and favourable. So the internal bliss he enjoys is not affected by external circumstances or internal inconveniences.  The happiness that arises out of contact of senses with sense-objects in the external world is described as Rajasic happiness by Lord in verse (18-38):

विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम्। (Vishayendriya samyogaad yattadagre’mritopamam)
परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम्।। (Parinaame vishamiva tatsukham raajasam smritam)

Rajasic happiness is said to be that which is like nectar in the beginning, but is like the poison in the end, and which is born out of the contact between sense-objects and sense organs.

As contrasted with Satvic happiness that is derived from internal contact with Athma, Rajasic happiness arises from external contact with anathma.   Anathma being impermanent the happiness derived from this contact is also not permanent.  This happiness arises out of contact and contact involves senses and sense-objects.  The sense-objects are not under one’s control and that may cause pain.  Further the sense objects are liable to change causing one sorrow when they change. Again as the happiness arises from the activities of sense-organs, there is more and more sorrow and less and less happiness from these contacts as the sense organs decay with age. Also the joy arising from first contact diminishes with subsequent contacts with the same object, as in the case of second and third helpings of ice-cream.  Really this happiness also is not from the external object but only from one’s inner Self mistakenly attributed to the external object.  Vedanta texts give the example of a dog with the bone to illustrate this.  A dog chewing a hard bone hurts its jaw and the blood oozing from it, the dog mistakes as coming from the bone and chews still harder and hurts itself more.  In the same way the happiness we think as coming from external object is only the internal happiness that is felt in a mind that has become temporarily calm with satisfaction and this happiness lasts only as long as the calmness of the mind lasts. So though initially these contacts of sense-organs with sense objects give happiness like nectar, they turn painful like poison in the long run because they are temporary, diminish with age, not as satisfying with repetition and are not fully under one’s control.

Tamasic happiness is defined as (18-39):

यदग्रे चानुबन्धे च सुखं मोहनमात्मनः। (Yadagre chaanubandhe cha sukham mohanamaatmanah)
निद्रालस्यप्रमादोत्थं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।। (Nidraalasyapramaadottham tattaamasamudaahrita)

That happiness which in the beginning and in the end is self-deluding and born of sleep, laziness and indifference is called Tamasic happiness.

 

No doubt sleep gives one happiness but one cannot experience that happiness at that time, being asleep. One only remembers on waking up that he was happily asleep.  In laziness where there is a physical inertia to act and in indifference where there is inertia of intellect to focus attention, the supposed happiness is only a temporary happiness that arises from the postponement of pain or hardship, which may come to affect with a vengeance later.  So this happiness is a self-deluding one and it is the happiness of the dull-witted, weak-willed one.

If one cannot attain Satvic happiness, one can indulge in Rajasic happiness taking the sting out of it by cultivating detachment and equanimity, while discouraging Tamasic happiness and keeping Satvic happiness as the goal.

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