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अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः । abhayam sattva-samśuddhi: jñāna-yoga-vyavasthiti: | |
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The sixteenth chapter is aptly named Daiva-asura-sampad-vibhāga-yoga. While the fifteenth chapter describes the complex creation and reveals its source as the inmost Self, this chapter throws light on the range of complex qualities that constitute human mind and personality. Creation accommodates the noble and the ignoble In a very matter-of-fact manner Krishna first enumerates the qualities of the good, noble and benevolent people as well as of the bad, ignoble and malefic. He also assures that Arjuna is blessed with divine virtues! Through this, Krishna obviously inspires and persuades seekers about the good qualities they have to imbibe and strengthen. Equally so, the seekers have to safeguard themselves against the opposite qualities. Why is Krishna elaborating on the contradictory qualities co-existing in Creation as well as in the society around us? Earlier in the 7th chapter he spoke (verse 7.15) about those whose discretion is robbed by the worldly illusion. As a result they fall a prey to the āsurī (evil) tendencies. Likewise in the 9th chapter also Krishna referred to rākṣasī and āsurī prakṛti (destructive and evil nature) overpowering a section of the people (9.12). This is part of the creational display, he explained. Is not Krishna, as an exponent of the supreme Truth, making it clear that Creation is like a huge unbounded sphere, consisting of multiple segments? Amongst them good, benevolent and beautiful ones are there. Equally so, bad, repulsive and ugly ones too prevail. Creation comprehends all these. It accommodates everything and all. Knowing that this is the way of Creation, what should the rightful human do, more so a seeker? Such exposition is necessary as part of providing right enlightenment to the enquirer. It is also meant to exhort the seeker and inform the intelligent to develop the necessary wish and will to take up the dual pursuit of ‘eliminating or safeguarding against the evil’ and ‘incorporating or imbibing the virtues’. Human life at any time must consist of this dual process of ‘elimination and incorporation’. There is no question of feeling disgusted about anyone or anything. The seeker should not feel frightened or confronted by anything at all. The admixture around should only help the seeker in his growth – in gaining depth and flexibility. It should also make him embrace everything by dint of the mind’s own inner splendour. This will mean intensifying the seeker’s own daivī sampat (divine qualities), which alone will ensure the necessary balance and harmony with the world outside. Human life is distinct because every one has the potential to grow and attain the spiritual height. What one should rightly strive for comes within the category of discrimination or viveka. Scriptures repeatedly enlighten the human mind on the subject of viveka and the choices to be made on its basis. It is for every one to heed this exhortation and get benefited by it. It is in this background that one should see Krishna’s exposition of the daivī and āsurī characteristics. Characteristics of the noble He begins as usual with the sāttvik or daivī qualities: अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितः ।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ।।
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् ।
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ।।
तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता ।
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ।।
abhayam sattva-samśuddhi: jñāna-yoga-vyavasthita: |
dānam damaś-ca yajñaś-ca svādhyāyas-tapa ārjavam ||
ahimsā satyam-akrodhas-tyāga: śāntir-apaiśunam |
dayā bhūteṣv-aloluptvam mārdavam hrīr-acāpalam ||
teja: kṣamā dhṛti: śaucam-adroho nātimānitā |
bhavanti sampadam daivīm-abhijātasya bhārata ||
(Bhagavad Gita 16.1, 2, 3)
In the thirteenth chapter Krishna listed 20 virtues, which together constitute “true spiritual wisdom”. All else, he said, falls in the category of ignorance. Here he is enumerating 26 qualities, describing them as attributes of goodness and good people. If the earlier description denoted true spiritual wisdom and the Wise, here Krishna brings a broader canopy to portray good and noble people as such. These qualities should adorn all well-meaning individuals, not to speak of the seekers and the Wise. Naturally, he has also to mention how the opposite group works and is motivated. That is how the āsurī (evil) qualities also come to be mentioned. By this, Krishna describes the true complexity of human society living on this earth. The knowledge and familiarity Krishna provides to the intelligent and enquiring people are quite noteworthy. By this, one will surely get a vision and maturity, otherwise perhaps inaccessible. There is no point in escaping the facts and constituents of creation. It is one thing to say that all should be good. It is altogether different to understand and accept without any reluctance or apprehension how people are in reality. Whether one admits it or not, the world is a complexity. It is all the more so when it comes to the question of humans. Krishna describes this complexity, considering such an enunciation to be an essential part of spiritual seeking and knowing. He lists abhaya, fearlessness, as the first of the twenty-six characteristics. All along he has been stressing freedom from rāga-dveṣa-bhaya. The mind is notorious, causing fear and apprehension in everything. As a result, it becomes suspicious, weak and retreating. Fear can land one in an inescapable muddle in his life. It primarily means anxiety, doubt and undue speculations about what is likely to meet you. Thoughts about possible eventualities in any course of action are quite in place. In fact, these enable you to think, prepare and meet contingencies. But to fear unduly and thereby to hinder or impede the very working of the mind with confidence and hope, is certainly wrong. Krishna says that this should be meticulously avoided. In order to overcome fear, Krishna has set forth many propositions. Yogakṣemam vahāmy-aham is an assurance he has already given (verse 9.22) – “the supreme Reality will ensure the safety and welfare of one whose his mind is constantly devoted to the Supreme”. The true seeker must learn to rely upon the supremacy of the Supreme wholesomely. In the 12th chapter Krishna has specifically stated that when one’s mind and intelligence are made to rest upon the Supreme, his very life thereafter thrives on the Supreme and its glory (verse 12.8). What does this mean? There is a clear possibility for the mind to feel assured of security, protection and hopefulness. With such an assurance, where is the scope for the mind to get assailed by doubts and apprehensions? Nevertheless, to be hindered and affected by such negative considerations is a plight the mind is faced with. That is why this kind of forewarning and assurance become necessary and form part of the spiritual message. The next quality Krishna mentions constitutes the core of spiritual seeking as well as the seeker: Sattva-samśuddhiḥ. Sattva means the being, sam-śuddhiḥ means abundant purity. It is not a question of purifying the body, as by bath. The seeker’s aim must be to purify his being – his inner personality consisting of mind, intelligence and ego. For this, the thought pattern must become pure, the reasoning also should be equally so and the ego must be effaced. How can this inner purification be pursued? The seeker must take to subtle introspection and unbiased reflection. He should find time to sit in a place, alone. He must begin to look into his own inner personality to find out what it consists of and whether he approves of the contents. In other words, what are the thoughts that surge up in him? Are they elevating, ennobling and broadening? Do they reflect sufficient love and concern for others? Or, are they self-centred, hindering growth and expansion? Unless the seeker sits quietly and looks within to examine the emotional processes transpiring there, he will not be able to pursue the purification at all. Sattva-samśuddhiḥ is the essence of seeking. It is the essence of all goodness, virtues and benevolence. The effectiveness of seeking consists in the time and attention the seeker devotes to commune with his mind, intelligence and ego. It does not strictly come under meditation. Mostly those given to meditation do something other than this kind of absorptive contemplation. In a sense, this is self-examination. Without this, no spiritual life or spirituality can be thought of. Jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ – Adherence to the path of wisdom Krishna then speaks of jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ. To seek is to be given to spiritual wisdom and be graced by its benefits. How to give oneself to spiritual wisdom becomes an important question. Yoga verily means to be united or fused with. Naturally, the seeker has to be united with something. Krishna says that the factor to be united with is jñāna, wisdom. Jñāna or wisdom is an outcome the intelligence brings about. It is a possession and embellishment of the intelligence. It is subtle and can be sensed only by the intelligence. The seeker must have the intellectual acuity and astuteness to understand this inner possession or enrichment and then aspire for it. To aspire for the Self, its blissful and immortal nature, is to bring about a total revolution in one’s identity, position and motivation. The very pursuit of wisdom should act as a process of blending or union. Marriage unites one with his partner, marking a new wholesome relationship, influencing his thoughts, attitudes and objectives. So too the birth of a child marks another blending in one’s mind. Likewise, the spiritual wisdom exposing the immortal Self should mark a fusion or union in the mind and intelligence of the seeker. Whether this takes place is a crucial question. Whatever the seeker gains in the form of knowledge must become fused into the mind and intelligence. Or the mind and intelligence should get fused into the wisdom they are exposed to. Such inner fusion is very important. In its absence, the knowledge gained will only be like a material bought to be kept in a storeroom! Food materials like vegetables are brought, washed well, cut into pieces and cooked to be taken during the meal. They get assimilated to become part of the blood and energy in oneself. Likewise, the knowledge the seeker gains must also get fused into his inner being. This process is called jñāna-yoga. To be established in such yoga is called jñānayoga-vyavasthitiḥ. The other qualities like dāna, dama and yajña are well known. The discipline of dāna is intended to instill selflessness into the mind. To give a share of one’s income and possessions fondly with humility to those not related through blood or matrimony, is to enrich and broaden the giver’s heart. Dāna always enriches the giver. Only material benefit goes to the recipient – the bestower gets inner enrichment. Dāna implies ample sensory control and moderation, a sure note of edified human life. Svādhyāya denotes regular study and learning of the scriptural literature, so as to let the message of spiritual wisdom exercise a constant influence in one’s life and activities. Straightforwardness is a very important quality. It means elimination of all stealth and perversion, and cultivation of openness and simplicity. This will help spiritual advancement a great deal. Tapas (austerity) implies carefully selected measures like fasting for a day or half, performing religious routines, regular as well as occasional, chanting, reciting, meditating etc. Austerity can be physical, oral and also inner, namely of the mind and intelligence. The inner austerity is called jñāna-tapas, knowledge-austerity. Krishna made an exclusive mention of it earlier (verse 4.10). The entire study and pursuit of spiritual wisdom is itself a great, deep, jñāna-tapas. The main purpose of austerity is to purify and sharpen one’s mind and intelligence, to imbibe virtuous qualities and to get rid of undesirable traits, to bring about refinement, attunement, integration and harmony. Ahimsā means avoiding all kinds of hurting tendencies, not alone killing or destroying life. Hurting by words, actions and thoughts also comes under himsā. Satya means truthfulness. It is a well known and oft stated discipline, virtue. But it is seldom practised. To state what is in the mind, to do what one thinks and wishes, to reply openly without stealth, to be transparent – in fact, to bring all-fold integration and harmony between one’s understanding, thoughts, emotions, words and actions will alone mean truthfulness. While discussing the “constituents of spiritual wisdom” (13.7-11) Krishna detailed the virtues and excellences to be imbibed by a seeker pursuing spiritual sādhanā. Here, he is analyzing nature of human society as a whole, dividing it as divine and demonic. Of the 26 embellishments he has listed as forming the divine nature, more than half go to constitute one’s inner constitution, character. The rest alone bear upon action and interaction. The emphasis should always be to embody these virtues. For this, one has to be intensely attentive, with a view to imbibe them. In the 13th chapter Krishna referred to tattva-jñāna-artha-darśanam. By this is meant the constant attention, allegiance and attunement the seeker should develop to the goal of life as determined by the knowledge provided by the Scriptures. The mind and intelligence should constantly dwell upon the Upanishadic Truths and evaluations about the transitory nature of life and the world, and also about the imperishable nature of the Self. On this basis, the seeker should clearly see where lies his elevation and fulfillment. This will bring about the necessary discrimination, growth and transformation in him, making him finally an exclusive seeker of the Imperishable. By jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ also Krishna emphasizes the same point. |
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