Bhagwad Gita for Children II

Bhagwad Gita for Children II

From a series of talks by Sanjay Mehta, transcribed and compiled by Jaya Asthana

Before we begin our studies, we bow down and pay respect to our Gurus (our Teachers).

“Sadashiva Samarambham Shankaracharya Madhyamam
Asmad Acharya Paryantam Vande Guru Paramparam”

Beginning with Sadashiva, through Adi Shankaracharya in between and upto my own Guru, I bow with reverence to the entire tradition of Guru’s

“Vasudēva sutaṃ dēvaṃ Kaṃsa Chāṇūra mardanam ।
Dēvakī paramānandaṃ Kṛṣṇaṃ vandē jagadgurum ॥

I worship Bhagwan Krishna, who is the son of Vasudeva,

Who killed Kamsa and Chanura, who is the bliss of Devaki.

In the last class, we learned that Karma is action, the doer is Karta and the consequence of the action is the fruit of the action, Karma phal.

To re-cap, the first chapter of Bhagavad-Gita is “Arjun Vishad”, which means in simple terms Arjun’s delusion or confusion. Arjun was confused about what to do. So what did he do?  When we are confused, we look for someone who might be able to help us. In the same way Arjun went to Krishna and said, Bhagwan, I am confused, tell me what Shreyas is. I am forgetting my swadharma, my duty in the current situation.

These two words appear throughout the entire Bhagavad-Gita: Swadharma, your current duty, and Shreyas, the greatest good for all. That is why we are repeating it. Shreyas is the opposite of Preyas, which means ‘that which is good only for me’, something I may like but it is not necessarily good for another person.

Now we move to the second chapter, which is called “Sankhya Yog”.

Bhagwan is going to tell Arjun about what the basic principles or fundamentals of human life are.

Bhagwan explained to Arjun what Atma is. Atma is commonly translated as Soul, but it is not Soul, it doesn’t have a good English translation. If I want to call you, I just call you by your name, I don’t translate it. So, let’s just use the Sanskrit word Atma, without translating it.

What is Atma? Atma is the energy inside of us, loosely speaking. It can also be called Consciousness. We talked about the example of electricity.  When the bulb is on, it uses electricity, but we don’t see the electricity, we see the manifestation of electricity through the bulb. In the same way Atma is energy, but we don’t see it. Because of Atma the body exists. My core nature is Atma, the power behind the consciousness.

Now let’s move to Shloke 48, please read the last three words:

“Samatvam Yog ucchyate”. This means “the evenness of mind”.

The nature of the mind is that it is always wandering. Evenness means a mind that is just focused on one, it is not wandering.

Bhagwan Krishna says that when your mind is even it can comprehend learning. Evenness of mind is called yoga.

Shloke 50, last three words are:

“Yog karmasu kaushalam”

Effectiveness and efficiency. Efficiency means you’re doing things, but is what you are doing useful? I’m coming to the class every week because my parent says so, I attend class efficiently, but am I learning or not? Am I effective?

Bhagwan says anything we do, we have to be efficient and effective in action. That is called kaushalam. Kaushal means Perfection, so perfection in action or skillful action is Yog. So there are two definitions for Yog, one is evenness of mind is Yog, and the second is the skill in action. When you are playing a musical instrument, you become one with the music, that is called Yog, that is called Kaushalam.

In shloke number 54, Arjun asks Krishna, “what are the characteristics of a Self-realized person, one who is stable of mind and completely tranquil?

Bhagwan replies, “One whose mind is not wavering, who doesn’t crave anything, and is joyful in himself, that is called a stable person.”

For example, a thought has come to mind that I should go and eat two ice creams today. But then you decide to eat one. Who decides that? The mind (Man) got that thought, but the Buddhi (intellect) made the decision to have only one ice cream.

In Ch 2 shloke 55 Sri Bhagwan says-

Prajahaati yada kaman sarvan Parth manogatan

Atmanyevaatmana tutsah sthitapragyas tadocyate

Arjun, when one thoroughly casts off all cravings of the mind and is satisfied in the Self through the joy of the Self, he is then called stable of mind. This is called Sthita pragya.

Bhagwan also talks about “samadhi”. Samadhi means you are established in that

evenness of mind, where all illegitimate desires are given up, confusions are resolved, and the mind is not disturbed. It is the difference between need and greed. Greed only satisfies one’s ego. For instance, I buy a sandwich, but I cannot finish it, so I throw it away, thinking that I bought it so I can do with it whatever I want. I don’t think about all the children around the world that are hungry. That is greed. That results in a disturbed mind. Another example, if you have a craving for chocolate or ice cream, you are dependent on it, and your mind gets disturbed.

When a person takes only whatever he needs and is satisfied within himself, that person is called a Stitha Pragya. He is not dependent on anything outside of him, so his mind is even.

Now let us go to the Gayatri Mantra.

We have seen that it starts with OM, and that Om is that which protects. We talked about Bhu, which is the Earth which protects all of us, it upholds and sustains all of us.

Today we will talk about Bhuva, which is space. Space is the distance between two objects. The Sun, the stars, all are in space. Even the Earth, with you on it, is in space. Space is everywhere, it is all pervading. It is in my pen, it is in my car, it is everywhere. The second quality of space is that it is untouched, immobile, it doesn’t move. All objects in space remain where they are. If you live in Boston and go on vacation, when you come back Boston is still there, it has not moved. The third quality is that space is not contaminated. So, space has the quality that it doesn’t move, it is all pervading, and it is always pure, and that’s the reason why we say Bhagwan is Space.

Let us end with our closing Prarthana:

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat Puurnnam Udacyate |
Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam Eva vashissyate ||
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

Om, That (Outer World) is Purna (Full of Divine Consciousness); This (Inner World) is also Purna (Full of Divine Consciousness); From Purna is manifested Purna (From the Fullness of Divine Consciousness the World is manifested), Taking Purna from Purna, Purna indeed remains. 

Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi,