Gita Chapter 8 - Aksara Brahma Yoga

[murugans61]

Hari OM

Brahmaji, the Creator is also a Jivatman having cosmic function to fulfil. Brahmaji has his day and night, his own months and years and his own span of life. He also has his wheel of birth and death and emancipation from that wheel. An understanding of this cosmic design, gives us clarity on what is meant by wheel of time, the wheel of birth and death and emancipation from this relativity. This intellectual grasp is an aid for our seeking mukthi from the wheel of birth and death.

The plan of Nature is the same both in the macrocosm and microcosm. In accordance with it, When a Jivatman goes to sleep , the world projected from his mind gets withdrawn into it. The manifest and unmanifest states of his world are all related to the wakefulness or otherwise of his mind. Similarly, the macrocosmos come into being when Brahmaji wakes up and it helplessly vanishes into the unmanifest state when he goes to sleep, His day and night function on a universal basis. Creation, preservation and destruction of the universe are all contained in the states of the mind of Brahmaji. And this is an eternal cosmic play.

Creation is multitude of beings getting into the manifest state when Brahmaji wakes up and they go into unmanifest state when he retires to sleep. The process of being revoleved in this wheel of birth and death goes on indefinitely, until perfection is reached and mukthi is obtained through the knowledge of Self, Brahman.

What ever be the predominant thought pattern at the time of death tht determines the place of rebirth as well as the type of rebirth. Hence if a person yearns for the Lord at the time of death, his re birth will be conducive for the pursuit of the Lord in which he will naturally be sucssful. But the thought pattern at the time of death is determined by the predominant thought pattern through out one’s life. Hence we need to remember God all the time so that we will remember Him at the time of death also. The law of karma& dharma which is nothing but manifestation of Iswara plays its role in making the person to move out of the cycle of samsara.

Pranams

[lakssg]

What is Creation according to Vedanta?

From absolute stand point Vedanta does not accept any real creation- any thing perceived as name and form is only an appearance. Reality alone is

At a relative plain creation is projection of mind. Creation is manifestation of dormant vasanas which are in the unmanifest form like how a tree is in the seed . It is not production of a new thing with different name,form and quality as understood normally but it is just crystallisation or expression of a specific name,form and quality which was lying dormant. . Nothing new is created here- from seed of mango only a mango tree will come out not a coconut tree.

Endless is creation, and endless is destruction. There is no beginning and no end for it.The total of all living beings enters and sinks into unmanifest and rises from unmanifest, and again sinks into it and rises up. This is applicable to all from- brahmaji the creator to smallest of all beings- of course time period differs. Just as we sink into sleep and rise up into waking, and again sink into sleep and rise up to waking, etc., the same process takes place in the cosmos

[Arvind]

(1) What is Creation according to Vedanta?
In the worldly sense of the term "creation" is generally understood as the production of something new. Philosophically viewed, 'creation' has a subtler significance. A pot-maker creates pot out of mud. The act of 'creation' is only the production of name and form, with some specific qualities, out of a raw material in which the name, form and qualities are already existing in an un-manifest condition. Hence, in Vedanta creation is nothing but a crystallization of the un-manifest dormant names, forms and qualities into their manifest forms of existence.
(Holy Gita Ready Reference , Thoughts and Concepts (13), Ref Sloka 8.18)

(2) If the duration of Brahmaji who creates is also not permanent then who is Isvara?
What is his relation with the Created?
Brahmaji represents the Total Mind of the Universe, the repository of all jivas. Isvara commands Brahma ji to create. Brahman is the substratum of even Brahmaji, as the very Life.
Not only is the Lord the substratum but he himself has become all this - Brahma as well as the world of names and forms- so he is both para and apara as seen in Chapter 7.

(3) It is said in Sloka 19 - अवशः , helplessly they are born. Why is it so? How is this an answer/correlated to what the Lord has already said in Slokas 5 & 6 of this Chapter?
The word अवशः is used by Lord to expand what he has said in Sloka 5,6 of this Chapter that we ourselves shape our destiny and based upon our own samskaras as well as karma phala the jivas are born helplessly. Brahma ji as the Total Mind he projects all the jivas, where and how based upon their own individual mind imprints. Brahmaji only facilitates smooth creation, but where and how the jivas are placed is their own say. This is the idea.

(4) How can we explain or understand these Slokas related to Brahma ji's creation subjectively (taking the deep sleep state).
The individual waking up and deep sleep when we project at the macro level is Brahma ji's day and night. Just as when we go to sleep all our impressions go in dormant form and when we get up the very same jiva with the very same samskaras gets up, so is also the case from one life to another. When we die, the impressions are in the subtle body, which takes another gross body where the jiva can continue his journey, again commanded by his own mental climate.
Project this or imagine this scenario for all the collective jivas, we get an idea of Brahma ji's creation and what these Slokas are talking about.

[Arvind]

Hari Om,

Now let us proceed to Slokas 20,21 where the Lord talks about the state from where there is no return,
unlike the worlds including that of Brahmaji that was just described to invoke dispassion in the mind of the seeker.

Slokas 20,21 Word and Sloka Meaning = Arvind
HGRR Thoughts and Concepts (14), Selections For Reflection (9) = Sathyavathi ji

Reflections on these Slokas - Everyone

Pranams
Arvind

[nikhil1707]

(1) What is Creation according to Vedanta?
There is a beginningless and endless cycle of creation, maintenance and dissolution or resolution.In each srishti, the variety and pattern of objects, the attributes of the bodies and minds and the events and situations have to be fashioned to suit the karmas of the myriad of sentient beings in the janmas they go through in that srishti. This requires conscious planning and skilful action on the part of the creator.
According to Sastra, Brahman is eternal and changeless and It is neither a doer nor a thinker thinking with a mind which undergoes modification

If the duration of Brahmaji who creates is also not permanent then who is Isvara?
The Brahmaji after completing the span of time that is all four fold ages also merges into God and his world merges into nature and nature merges into God.
So here the Brahmaji is not not permanent and merges into Isvara.

It is said in Sloka 19 - अवशः , helplessly they are born. Why is it so? How is this an answer/correlated to what the Lord has already said in Slokas 5 & 6 of this Chapter?
The person who are attached to the lower nature are helplesslly born.The object, action and person attachment make man to reborn and if he id liberated from these three then he will be free.


How can we explain or understand these Slokas related to Brahma ji's creation subjectively (taking the deep sleep state).
It means that when Brahma wakes up there is a creation and when he retires to sleep there is a dissolution.
The life span of hundred years is over there is a final annihilation and Brahmaji emanates from the lord and then there is a new creation of the universe.

[Arvind]

Sloka 20
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः ।
यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥

Word to Word Meaning
परस्तस्मात्तु = But Higher than that
भावोऽ = (an) existence
अन्यो = another
अव्यक्तो = un-manifest
व्यक्तात् = (than that which is) manifest
सनातनः = (which is) eternal
यः स = is there
सर्वेषु = on all
भूतेषु = beings
नश्यत्सु = destroyed
न = is not
विनश्यति = destroyed

Sloka Meaning
But verily there exists, higher than that un-manifest (Avyakta) , another Un-manifested, which is Eternal, which is not destroyed when all beings are destroyed.

Sloka 21
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्‌ ।
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥

Word to Word Meaning
अव्यक्तो = un-manifested
अक्षर = imperishable
इत्युक्तस् = thus called
तमाहुः = they say
परमां = (is) the Highest
गतिम्‌ = goal
यं प्राप्य = attaining which
न निवर्तन्ते = they do not return
तद्धाम = that abode
परमं = supreme
मम = is Mine

Sloka Meaning
Which is called as the Un-manifest and the Imperishable, that, they say is the Highest Goal (path). They who reach It never again return. That is my Highest abode (state).

[lakssg]

Verse20,21 .
This is continuation of explanation to verse 16- where lord tells arjuna- ‘after reaching me there is no return’Lord now explains his nature and why there is no return once you reach him
Certainly there is an unmanifested- the eternal which is higher than the unmanifest- avyaktha.What is the difference between the two
1 st avyaktha(unmanifest) mentioned in the earlier verse is the samashti karana prapancha -this is the place all karya- the manifested merge into at pralaya. So It is greater than vyktha. But it is avidya and is abava .
2 nd avyktha( unmanifested)- is the supreme .This is different from the first avyaktha and superior to it - uthkrishta and is the adishtana of hiranya garba so it is higher than karana prapancha.This cannot be objectified. It is sanathana- eternal,bhava,it is also para( sreshta).it is pure consciousness,beyond satwa rajas ansd tamas. And this is glorified as Akshara in Upanishads-“ Lord is imperishable.”

Why is it called the higest goal? Being the place of no return, Lord proclaims” it is my abode”.Abode and he are not different it is one and the same.This self of nature of awareness is the one which dynamises the unmanifest to project as the manifested world of names and forms.
In the event of destruction of all beings including brahmaji this does not perish. One who reaches here also become imperishable
Similar thought flow is found in - kata upanishad1.3.11
‘Purushanna param kinchit sa kashta sa para gati-‘

[Schandra]

Hari Om.

Shlokas 20&21

The Lord speaks about the un manifest(avyaktha) as part of Brahma's creation cycles in the previous shlokas. Here, He talks about another Avyaktha which is clearly superior to the prior due to its timeless(sanaatana) quality. Unlike the un manifest discussed previously, which changes to the manifest and repeats in a ceaseless cycle, this supreme Avyaktha resists destruction and is permanent. This supreme un manifest transcends time and space and is the highest goal or state of existence to achieve. Failing which,one is subject to a continuous cycle of birth and death. Birth, we have been told in previous shlokas, causes nothing but " pain and finitude". By reaching this highest goal, one is liberated from re-birth and is therefore the most supreme state of existence. The Lord also reiterates that He and this supreme state of existence is synonymous by stating it to be "His highest abode".

[Arvind]

Sloka 20

But verily there exists another higher which is un-manifest, different from the other un-manifest [the causal world or Prakriti in its seed form], which is not destroyed even when all beings are destroyed.
The Lord says there is one more avyakta or "un-manifested" state even higher than Prakriti. And that is Brahman, the substratum of this lower Prakriti which is also un-manifest.

Then how is this higher avyakta different from the lower avyakta? Bhagavan uses three words to show the difference-
(1) भावो = it is of the nature of existence, which means the other - the lower Prakriti is only inert. It seems to live, be enlivened only because of its substratum that is of the nature of Existence.

(2) परस्तस्मात्तु = It is Higher than the other avyakta, Prakriti. Higher is not here to mean in geometric fashion, but what it means is it is even the substratum of the cause and effect (Prakriti). Or it means that Prakriti is dependent on Brahman for its existence, so it is called "lower", but the other way is not true, Brahman can remain independent of Prakriti.

(3) सनातनः = It is eternal. Brahman remains unchangeable, imperishable in all the three periods of time. It is never destroyed even when the the other things are destroyed around it, including as the Lord himself said- "all words including Brahman ji" which all fall in the realm of Prakriti only.

Here a question may arise, why the word avyakta (un-manifest) is used both for Prakriti as well as Brahman.
Maya or Prakriti is also un-manifest in its seed form. When we for example go to sleep, all our impressions remain in the seed form , called the "causal body". When we wake up it comes out and manifests. Since they were un-manifest in the middle, they are also called as "avyakta". Similarly in the case of Brahmaji's creation - all these worlds, all our minds and everyone's minds put together go into un-manifest state at Brahmaji's "night". Therefore Prakriti is also called as un-manifest or "avyakta".

Brahman is also called un-manifest for it never becomes an object of perception. Hence really speaking compared to Prakriti, it is Brahman which is truly "avyakta", for Prakriti manifests and then goes back to un-manifest state. But Brahman ever remains as it is, never coming in the realm of duality of cause and effect.

[Arvind]

Sloka 21

That which is called as the "un-manifest" and "imperishable" is declared as the Highest goal. That is my supreme abode, reaching which men never come back.
Here reference to Brahman is given as the supreme abode , which is of the nature of Existence and pure Awareness. This alone lends dynamism to Prakriti. This Higher abode is not something to be reached in time and space. It is one's own true nature. Understanding and abiding in it is moksha, or reaching the Lord in essence.
Prakriti is also called anadi, but it ends with knowledge. But Brahman was , is and will be. In all other states of conditioned existence, there is coming and going, including that of the worlds of Brahma. But in reaching (knowing) Brahman there is no return as it is one's own Self.
Even in the realm of ignorance one is Brahman only. Therefore the "return" to Brahman is only in understanding that one is not a conditioned jiva. Detaching from the conditioned vehicles of experience - BMI by knowing them to be illusory and knowing one as the pure Self, this movement of understanding from ignorance to knowledge is what is indicated here as "reaching" or "attaining". Therefore it does not involve travel. The movement is only in "understanding".

When we dream, we forget that we are the waker and identify with the dream world and become one of the dream objects. But even when dreaming, I do not become a part of the dream in reality, I am the waker alone. When I wake up, I remain as I am, for I never became a dreamer in reality. In the dream if I was told I am the waker, even then, I am only told who I really am, I do not become the "waker", for I am only in reality only the waker who is now dreaming and thinking I am the "dreamer" because of ignorance.

[Arvind]

Hari Om,

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and reflections On Slokas 20,21.

Let us now proceed to Sloka 22, where the Lord states how He can be easily reached.

Word and Sloka Meaning : Arvind
Thoughts and Reflections = All

Pranaams
Arvind

[murugans61]

Hari OM

Shlokas 20 & 21

Beyond the unmanifest there is another unmanifest Being which is eternal. It does not perish when all beings perish. That unmanifest Being is said to be the imperishable one. Scriptures declare that Being to be the supreme goal, attaining which nobody returns to the world of samsara.
God is the only eternal and changeless principle who is beyond the unmanifest and manifest creation. He is imperishable and is the supreme goal of life. All beings exist in Him and everything is pervaded by Him.

pranams

[Arvind]

Sloka 22
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया ।
यस्यान्तः स्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्‌ ॥

Word to Word Meaning
पुरुषःस = That Purusha
परः = (who is) the Highest
पार्थ = O Partha
भक्त्या = by devotion
नन्यया = (that is) unswerving, without any other object
लभ्यस्त्व = he is attained
यस्या = of whom
अन्तः स्थानि = dwelling within
भूतानि = all beings
येन = (and) by whom
सर्वमिदं = all this
ततम्‌ = is pervaded

Full Sloka Meaning:
That Highest 'Purusa' , O Partha, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone, within whom all beings dwell, by whom all this pervaded.

[nikhil1707]

Sloka 20 and 21

There is one existence that is unmanifest Eternal existence which is beyond Brahma subtle body and this has been used for God.
Who does not perish when all beings perish.In this Eternal existence there is not the least modification while in the entire universe there are many modifications.
The devotees according to the taste and beliefs worshiping Him in different ways and His different forms attain the same Lord so here the lord is removing is misconception which devotees are having.
The God is free from unmanifest and manifest,imperishable and perishable motion and rest.Having attained Him there is no return to this mortal world because He transcends all limits

[Payyubg]

Verse 22:
After an elaborate explanation about the manifested, the un manifested, the supreme goal , The Lord reminds us that knowing these things in theory is one thing , but to actually practice it is quite something else.
In order to actually attain the supreme goal, one must have unswerving faith and single minded devotion to the supreme being. One should have absolute faith , belief and understanding that all beings reside in the supreme being, and the supreme being pervades in all beings.When one realizes that the true essential nature of all beings is one and the same, physical form is of no consequence. All physical and mental boundaries and distinctions that we perceive are irrelevant. The only reality is the supreme being present in our true self.
With this realization , the ego ceases to exist. This state of realization is what we all have to strive to attain. The narasimha avataar - all pervading nature of the supreme being and Prahlada - single minded ,unswerving devotion come to mind.

[Arvind]

Sloka 22
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया ।
यस्यान्तः स्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्‌ ॥


This Verse addresses the following questions-

What is the absolute nature of this Purusha?
The nature of the Purusha is परः meaning he is even Higher than Prakriti, being the substratum of it. There is nothing Higher than Him in this phenomenal manifested universe.

How is he to be attained?
The Lord says he can be attained only by devotion, by bhaki and no other means. Bhakti can be of two types - para and apara. In apara bhakti there is a distinction between God and the jiva being maintained. In para bhakti they both become one, there is no difference at all. Here by bhakti, the para bhakti is meant, where the ego has ended and only God remains. Therefore here bhakti is jnana Bhakti. That is why the Lord uses the word अनन्यया, a devotion that is one pointed, full with no diversions or divisions.

Why is अनन्यया bhakti (jnana bhakti) the means to reach the Lord ?
That being the case, when the Lord says that अनन्यया bhakti is the means to reach Him it very much falls in place. For when one sees oneness with the universe, he only sees the Lord, for he only has become all this. And that is the culmination of bhakti, the knowledge that alone puts an end to bondage. That is why the Lord said knowing this, attaining this, seeing this unity in diversity one does not transmigrate, यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम (Bh Gita 8.21).

Where is the Purusha located?
We do not believe that the Lord sits somewhere and creates the world as something completely different from Him. The Lord himself says that he has become the phenomenal universe, pervading everything. So though the Purusha is Higher than this Prakriti, he is not different from it. He has pervaded everything.
Just as the mud is the cause of all pots, and at the same time mud is different from the pot, Purusha has become all this jagat - the animate and inanimate and is yet different and Higher from it.
The Upanishads talk about the seat of the heart being the place where the Lord is available for perception. But it does not mean he is only sitting in one person's heart. He is everywhere, यस्यान्तः स्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्‌- though he is seated within for perception , he pervades everyone.

[lakssg]

VERSE 22
The goal being the Supreme Purusha. What is the Upaya- Technique to reach him? Means depends on the goal. . The same thought flow was in verse 5 and verse 14 . Once again Lord points out the importance of devotion in response to arjunas 7 th question- how to reach him.
The goal being the inner self the upaya to reach him cannot be any external means. Here reaching denotes knowing/abiding in the truth .This is possible only by love- bhakthi.
In this verse Lord refers to Paramatma as Purusha The word purusha has 2 meanings ‘poornatvat purushah” - and “puri shayanatvat purushah” -All worlds exists in him and the whole universe is pervaded by him . How can The universe which is the effect exist without the cause the purusha. There is nothing greater than this him.
The way to reach him who is the very self is only by single pointed devotion. This ekantha bhakthi is called as ananya bhakthi
From Upasana point of view ananya bhakthi is pure and selfless love which leads to rememberence of beloved effortlessly which makes the mind single pointed without any eagerness for things of the world. Here the mind is mastered to such an extent that even at worst possible circumstance he thinks of lord only.This in turn leads to kramamukthi.
From vedantic stand point love leads to mastering of mind and one detaches oneself from lower to higher .with pure bhakthi he sees oneness leading to identification of oneself with the supreme –jiva brahma aikya.Since such identification is not possible without knowledge this can be taken as jnana bhakthi referred to by lord in chapter 7 .Bhakthi and jnana are not different.

[murugans61]

Hari OM

All that is here is nothing but Isvara. Isavashyam Idam Sarvam has been explained in this verse. He is the Maker and the Material. All beings are in Him and all this is pervaded by Him. A clear understanding of this through Jnana Yoga after attaining purity of mind is the way to know the Self, which is one's true nature.

pranams

[Arvind]

Hari Om,

Thank you all for your wonderful reflections on Sloka 22.

Bhagavan in this Chapter is answering the seven questions of Arjuna. The first six questions were answered in Slokas 3,4. From Sloka 5 the Lord is answering on Arjuna's questions about death and how the Lord is to be remembered at time of death.

Bhagavan explained the various upasanas by which our mind will remain in God all life, and therefore even at time of death, as what we think all life alone will come to our mind at time of death also.

Then to develop vairagya he said that all worlds including Brahma ji are perishable, and therefore one must attain Him. The Lord is the Highest goal, and he pervades all the worlds. He is attainable only by devotion.

Now he explains the fate of the jivas who transmigrate, the possible paths a jiva can take after Death- the Southern and the Northern Paths, which also find reference in the Upanisads.

Now therefore let us review Slokas 23,24 and 25 together.

Word and Sloka Meaning = Arvind
HGRR Terms and Definitions (8,9,10) = Kishan
Thoughts and Reflections = All

Pranams
Arvind

[Arvind]

Sloka 23
यत्र काले त्वनावत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः ।
प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥

Word to Word Meaning:
यत्र = at what , that
काले = time
त्वनावत्तिमावृत्तिं = (one) returns and does not return
चैव = and even
योगिनः = the Yogis
प्रयाता = departing
यान्ति = go to
तं कालं = that time
वक्ष्यामि = I will tell (you)
भरतर्षभ = O Chief of Bharatas

Sloka Meaning:
Now at what time (path) departing, Yogin-s go, never to return, as also to return, that time (path), I will tell you, I Chief of Bharatas.

Sloka 24
अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्‌ ।
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥

Word to Word Meaning:
अग्निर्ज्योतिर = Fire and light
अहः = day-time
शुक्लः = the bright fortnight
षण्मासा = six months
उत्तरायणम्‌ = of the northern course of the sun
तत्र = there
प्रयाता = (when) departed
गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म = they go to Brahman
ब्रह्मविदो जनाः = the knowers of Brahman

Sloka Meaning:
Fire, light, day-time, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice; following this path, men who know Brahman go to Brahman.

Sloka 25
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्ण षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्‌ ।
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते

Word to Word Meaning:
धूमो = Smoke
रात्रिस्तथा = and the night and also
कृष्ण = the dark fortnight
षण्मासा = of six months
दक्षिणायनम्‌ = of the southern course of the sun
तत्र = there
चान्द्रमसं = the lunar
ज्योतिर्योगी = light
प्राप्य = attaining
निवर्तते = (one) returns

Sloka Meaning:
Smoke, night-time, the dark fortnight, also six months of the southern solstice, attaining by these to the Moon, the lunar light, the "Yogi" returns.