Gita is a lyrical discourse in which the author, as Lord Krishna, in first person, exhorts Arjuna, the quintessential man, to perform his assigned (or chosen) duty efficiently. Through the allegory of a mythical war between Arjuna and his first cousins the author refers to the battle of life. In life we are often faced with moral dilemmas; on one side are attachment (moha), love, and on the other is our chosen duty or dharma.

Before we can fight the battle of life we have know who we, the warriors, are. What is our true self? Krishna advises Arjuna that our real self is atma. While the body or adhibhuta is perishable (adhi bhutam ksharo bhavah), (7.4) the adhidaiva or atma, indweller (dehi), is eternal, indestructible and constant (dehi nityam avadhyah). (2.30). This indestructible atma is bound to the body with the three gunas (14.5). (Satvam rajas tam iti gunah prakriti sambhava. Ni bandhanti dehe dehinam avyayam.) All of us are born with these gunas that determine our innate temperaments. We are driven to act by this temperament. Even a wise man acts according to his own nature; beings follow nature, what can restraint do. (3.33) (sadrisham cheshte swasya prakritae) People act wrongly driven by the gunas. (3.37) When Arjuna asks Krishna "What motivates people to wrong-doing?" Krishna replies that born of passion (rajas), desire (kaam) clouds the mind and intellect (aavritam gyanum), as dust covers the mirror. This unappeasable fire of desire is the constant foe of the wise and by controlling one’s senses one should destroy this constant foe of knowledge and spiritual realization.

In chapter 14 the author describes the characteristics of the three gunas, or the three types of temperaments: sattva, rajas, and tamas. Saatvic leads to joy and knowledge; rasasic to passion and desires; and tamasic to ignorance and inertia. The concept is similar to the concept of infant temperament postulated by psychiatrists, Stella Chess and Alexander Thomas.

Through the allegory of the external battlefield of Kurukshetra, the author moves to the battlefield of adhyatma, the inner self. He describes the relation between atma, the individual or phenomenal self, with the universal self, or the Brahmana. God a field of unlimited potential and underlying beauty of everything that is good in this world. "I am the good sweet smell of moistened earth, the fire’s red light, and the vital air (prana) in all that is moving." This reminds one of Kena Upanishad in which the teacher tells his students that Atman is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of the speech, and prana of the prana, and eye of the eye. God cannot be seen or heard, but has to be experienced in the beauty of whatever is excellent in this world. He is the smell in the rose, He is the melody of the lyric, and He is the intelligence of the genius (budhir budhimatam asmi). He cannot be known by sense organs, but through every mental act – pratibodhaviditam.

In chapter 7. 4 he describes that He consists of lower self and a higher self. The lower self has 5 gross elements, 5 subtle elements, and mind, intellect, and ego. The higher self is the atma and adhyatma or parmatma. From the lower self are born the multiple jivas.

PURPOSE OF LIFE He proclaims that the union (yoga - yoke or union) of this individual self with the universal self is the purpose or summum bonum of life. The purpose of life is to know and develop our true self. This is Hindu dharma, process of knowing and developing our real self – true upaasana and true spirituality. He describes many approaches to this self realization and union, depending upon the temperament or svabhav of the person: pursuit of knowledge for a contemplative person (gyan yogen samkhya naam) and pursuit of action for an active person (karma yogen yogi naam).

Krishna, then, expounds the theory of detached action that is summarized in the following verse:

"Thy right is to work alone, but never to the fruits of work;

Let not the rewards of action be thy motive, nor you be attached to inaction."

Krishna tells Arjuna that one should work for work’s sake, for the sake of assigned duty, or dharma, and not for the results. It may be argued that results are the prime motivators of action and that everyone works to achieve desired results. But according to Krishna, one should be motivated by his or her assigned duty (dharma), and not by expected results.

"Let right deeds be your motive, not the fruit that comes from them."

Assigned duty, according to Krishna, is determined by the stage of life (ashrama) and chosen vocation (varna). The four stages of life are: student until the age of 25, household from 25-50, philanthropist from 50-75, a recluse from the age of 75-100. The assigned duty of a student is to study and that of a household is to earn money by righteous means to take care of his house. This concept of duty is similar to the Kantian categorical imperative – action driven by an internal sense of duty, not by inclinations or as a mere means to achieve a desired end. One can achieve the most exalted state of union with God (yoga) by performing her/his assigned duty diligently and efficiently — Yogah karmasu koshalam.

Obsession with results is counterproductive because the outcome of actions is determined by external forces, both known and unknown — the unknown forces maybe called luck or the hand of God. One who is obsessed with the results cannot apply his undivided energies to the task at hand. Last but not the least, desire for the results, if thwarted, causes anger, anger results in loss of memory and loss of memory, in turn, leads to loss of intelligence.

Krishna extols the virtues of detachment from sensory and sensual pleasures. One who is always seeking pleasures of the senses cannot be wise and steadfast in his work. "He is driven like a rudderless boat by the winds of desire. He cannot contemplate, and without contemplation there is no peace and without peace there is no joy."

He (sa) who gives up all the desires (vihaya kamanya sarvan), moves about without attachment (pumamshcharti nispriha), and does not have thoughts of I or mine (nirmamo nirahankarah), gains peace (shantim adhi gacchati).

A person who is satisfied in the self, by the Self (atmanyeva atmana), is called a person of steady wisdom (stitha prajnast adochyate). A person of steady wisdom does not depend upon external contingencies for happiness, is not shaken by adversity; is free from infatuation, fear, and anger, has controlled his senses, and remains emotionally balanced in pain and pleasure, gain and loss, and victory and defeat. (Sukh dukhe samai kritva labha labhau jaya jayau).

This ascetic ideal of stoicism is a common staple of the higher ethics of all religions, but it is impossible to achieve for most of us. Krishna is showing us the ideal, to be happy just because it is the true nature of the self to be happy, and not depend upon the fulfillment of desires. Although desires act as the engines of our actions we should stay calm if our desires are not fulfilled. Otherwise we will be frustrated and angry if they are not fulfilled and anger causes loss of memory and judgment.

Chapter 3 begins with a question by Arjuna — is knowledge better than action? Krishna replies that there are two ways of living: pursuit of knowledge for a contemplative person (gyan yogen samkhya naam) and pursuit of action for an active person (karma yogen yogi naam). Neither renunciation nor mere knowledge lead to perfection unless both are accompanied by selfless and righteous actions performed without the desire for rewards. He tells Arjuna that one cannot stop working even for a moment, because work is the nature of man. He advises Arjuna to perform his assigned duty (Niyatam kuru karma tvam), because action is better than inaction (karma jyayo hya akarmanah). The forces of nature drive a man to work all the time, but the work should be detached from the results (asakata), and performed because it is one’s duty and not because it is going to yield this or that result. The chosen vocation in life (svadharmaa) should be performed as a sacrifice or yagna, surrendering the results to the judgement of god. One should not dwell mentally upon sensual pleasures while at work. By working thus, one can attain perfection and set example for others to emulate. This work ethic of selfless action is the highest ideal (karma-yoga).

Krishna teaches Arjuna about the hierarchy of excellence — "Better than flesh are the senses, better than senses is the mind, better than mind is intellect, and better than intellect is the soul. Therefore, listen to your intellect and soul."

In this chapter, Krishna describes the path of true knowledge, not worldly knowledge, but spiritual knowledge (gyan yoga). Declaring that nothing on this earth is as purifying as wisdom (Na hi gyanen sadrisham pavitramiha vidyate), He tells Arjuna that selfless actions are good but better still are selfless actions performed knowledgeably and wisely. Free from fear (bhaya), passion (vitraag), and anger (krodha), one should take refuge in God. In other words, one should perform one’s chosen work without fear, passion, anger and envy and be content with whatever reward he gets from God for his actions. Chose your vocation from the four vocations created by God according to your innate temperaments. Then follow your chosen vocation as a sacrifice (yagna), do not waver whether you get pain or pleasure, or success or failure. Many people offer material sacrifices to God, but fruitless actions done wisely are the best oblation to the Lord. A person who resolutely follows this path without any doubts achieves supreme peace. Just as fire reduces wood into ashes, this wisdom reduces all "actions" to ashes. By "actions" the author means the rewards and punishments of actions that force the individual soul to return to this world. Thus when these attachments will be destroyed the soul will be liberated form the cycle of birth and death.

This chapter also contains the famous exhortation of Krishna that he appears (incarnates Himself) as Man to liberate the world from injustice (adharma) whenever, the world is saturated with evil. This is a contradiction because later the author says that God is always with us, pervading, whatever is in this world. He is limitless, then, why, He has to embody Himself. Perhaps the author wants to say that a messiah or a prophet is born whenever the world becomes vicious and is on the brink of moral collapse.

In this chapter Krishna reconciles the two paths to salvation: the path of renunciation (sanyasa) and the path of selfless action (tyaga-yoga). He says that one cannot become a recluse (sanayasi) or a yogi just by giving up his home and work, but only by doing his duty without expecting any reward. To the unwise these two paths appear distinct, but in fact they are integrated. The sanyasa or renunciation is the renunciation of the fruits of actions (karma phalam tyaktava), not renunciation of assigned duty. Therefore, one should perform the assigned duty with pure intentions (vishudha atma), controlling the senses (vijit atma jitendriya), and in the spirit of yoga (yoga yukto), duty for duty’s sake

God does not determine what you do, nor is He the agent or doer, nor does He create the desire for results. People do it themselves according to their nature or svabahva. It means that the people are responsible for their actions and they cannot blame God or fate for what they do.

The responsibility of raising oneself is one’s own. Men should raise themselves (Uddhared atmana tmanam) instead of degrading themselves. This can be done by performing your duty with devotion and forgoing the desires and the imagery that goes with actions (samkalpa). Only then the mind is steadfast in action.

The mind can be made steadfast by meditation as well. Sit in a clean quiet place with head, neck, and back straight, focus either on the tip of nose or in between the two eyes, regulate breathing evenly between inspiration and expiration and the two nostrils, and meditate upon the monsyllabic word Aum. Be temperate in eating and recreation and practice yoga with perseverance.

When the mind, restrained and refined by the practice of concentration becomes steady and attains serenity, one is satisfied in his own self, that is, does not depend upon external contingencies for happiness. Such a yogi sees the same awareness or God in everything and everyone (yo maam pashyati sarvatra). The highest yogi judges the pleasure and pain in everyone with the same standard he applies to himself (atmoupamyen sarvatra sam pashyati) or, in other words, is happy in others’ happiness and feels the pain of others as his own.

This concept of immanent God, the same spark of divinity that is present in all, is the basic precept of Raja Yoga. Much enmity will disappear from this world if we can consider that our perceived enemy has the same energy inspiring him, or we see the same spark of divinity in him as in us.

God pervades whatever is in this world in an unmanifest form that is a form that cannot be appreciated by the senses. Although all beings abide in Me I do not dwell in them. I am like a receptacle in which all beings reside or I am like the sky (akasha) in which all winds blow. At the end of a cosmic era (kalpa) all beings go to God and at the beginning of time God animates nature (prakriti) to create more beings. Some people worship God as one (aikatven), some as distinct from nature and the soul (prithaktven), and some in various forms (bahuda vishvayto mukham). Those who worship God in His unmanifest and non-separate (ananya) form get salvation (moksha), even those who worship other gods with devotion (shraadha), worship Me (God) but wrongly (yajante maam a vidhi purva kam). Worshipers of the minor gods go the minor gods (devas), but those who worship Me come to Me directly.

Whatever one does one should do as an offering to God, without undue attachment to the results.

The Lord says that all beings are same to Him: (Samo aham sarva bhuteshu), I am impartial, no one is especially hateful and no one is especially dear to me.

Even if the greatest sinner worships me he should be considered righteous for his righteous resolve. Thus in this chapter, Krishna gives hope of redemption to sinners, though in an earlier chapters he had warned them that they will have to bear the fruits of their sinful actions. Those who worship Me with devotion, whether brahmanas, shudras, or women, abide in me.

But Krishna cautions Arjuna that it is not easy to achieve this state of equanimity, because the mind is restless and turbulent by nature, and has to be tamed by discipline (chanchal hi manah). If the state of perfection in yoga is not achieved in this life time (yoga sam sidhhi aprapya), then one will be born in the home of the pure and prosperous and will have a head start in his yogic achievement in the next life. Thus yogic perfection will be achieved in many births (anek janma sam sidhhis tatoh yati paraam gatim) through constant practice (abhyaasa) with detachment (vairagya).

Devotion or bhakti is also a path to salvation, but one has be a right type of devotee. Among the four types of devotees in this world - one in distress (artah), one who wants to achieve some material thing (arthaarthi), one who truly desires to know me (jigyasu), and one who already knows me (gyani) – the jigyasu and gyani are true devotees. The gyani knows that the Lord is the essence of every thing that is in this world (bijam ma sarva bhutanam).

The Lord also says that those of little understanding worship gods (devas) other than Him with this or that rite to achieve this or that desire, but the fruit of these men of little understanding is limited. The foolish regard Him, the unmanifest (avyaktam), as manifest (vyaktim). These deluded men do not know that He is unborn (ajam) and immutable (avyayam). Throughout Gita, the author extols God as unmanifest or avayaktam and yet contemporary Hinduism is steeped in the worship of the manifest God.

PREREQUISITE FOR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY (ETHICS) CHAPTER 12

Although there are different paths to God, the seeker (narah) has to first develop the characteristics of a person who is dear (priyo) to the Lord, as given below.

A similar list of virtuous traits is given in the 10^th chapter, when the author says that all the desirable traits in human beings arise from Him, such as: intellect (budhhi), knowledge (gyan), non-delusion (asamohah), forbearance (kshma), truth (satyam), restraint (damah), calmness of mind (shamah), happiness (sukham), fearlessness (abhayam), non-violence (ahimsa), evenness (samata), contentment (tushtih), austerity (tapah), and liberality (daanam).

The author describes a hierarchy of the paths to God: Knowledge is better than blind abhyasa (shreyo hi gyanam abhyasa agyanat), meditation with knowledge is better than mere knowledge, and meditation with renunciation of the fruits of actions is the best. The author begins this chapter by reiterating that one should meditate (pary upasate) upon the unmanifest (avayaktam) and indefinable (anirdeshyam) God with an even mind. However, the author admits that meditating on the unmanifest is more difficult than meditating upon the manifest.