Episode 680: Chap 4
A Jnana-yoga sadhaka called Bharata would contemplate on Jnana daily & chant the 4th chapter in Kashi Vishweshwara temple. With time, the ability to tolerate heat-cold & other dualities strengthened in him. He desired to travel to other Kshetras. He was travelling through a forest. At sunset, at a suitable spot between 2 jujube trees, he completed his evening worship & chanted the 4th chapter. He slept between those trees with his head & foot touching them. The next morning, he completed his worship, chanted the 4th chapter & resumed his journey.
Strangely from then, the 2 trees withered. In 5 days they died. The 2 souls were reborn as 2 girls. They had the memory of their past birth & knew the 4th chapter which they chanted all day long.
When they were 5 years old, they saw a Maharshi passing by. They eagerly ran & fell at his feet. He was stunned. He asked, ‘Why are you falling at my feet?’
They bowed & said, ‘O Mahatma! A curse caused us to be born as jujube trees. Once you visited us & chanted BG 4th chapter & touched us. With this, we were freed from the curse & got human birth. We remember the 4th chapter we learnt from you. We chant it daily’.
He kissed the girls & and said, ‘Narrate your story in detail’.
They said, “Maharshi Satyatapa began severe penance near Godavari. During summers he meditated within 5 fires, in winters he meditated in rivers & in monsoons he stood in torrential rain.
A long time passed. Indra wanted to verify whether he had the worthiness to continue penance. We were Apsaras in his service. One morning he commanded, ‘Go and destroy Satyatapa’s penance’.
We were proud of our beauty & hence considered this to be an effortless task. We came to earth & haughtily danced & sang in the Ashram seeking to disturb the Maharshi. When he did not notice us even after a long time, our stubbornness intensified. Eager to disturb him, we fell on him. He was enraged. He cursed, ‘Turn into jujube trees in a forest near Ganga’.
We regretted our mistake. We wept & pleaded, “Maharishi! We came here on Indra’s orders. We are not responsible for this. You are the epitome of compassion. Please save us’.
He smiled & said, ‘To punish others is not my duty. Maybe the words that came from my lips were for your well-being. You will be born as trees. Maharishi Bharata will initiate you into the 4th chapter of Bhagavad Gita. From then you will prosper”.
We mentally abused Indra not knowing that due to compassion he ensured that we were cursed. We were reborn as trees. Time went by. You visited. When you began chanting the 4th chapter, we realized that you were initiating us.
We ended that birth at once & are born as humans. Now we realize that Indra’s command, Maharishi’s curse, & your touch were for our benefit. Due to the power of this chapter, we have memory of our past. We are convinced that this chapter will grant us liberation in this birth itself’.
Eventually, Maharshi Bharata & the girls obtained liberation.
Chapter 5
Karmasanyāsa Yogah
Karmaṇya karma yaḥ paśyēt- in 4th chapter, Bhagavan stated that he who sees action in inaction and vice-versa is wise. He is a yogi who has completed all ordained actions.
Jnānagnidagdhakarmāṇam said that actions performed without desire & resolve get burnt in the fire of knowledge & one who adheres to it is addressed a pandit.
Śārīram kēvalam karma- said that one who abandons everything & engages physically in actions is not tainted with sin.
Yadŗcchālābhasantuṣṭah- He who does not seek anything, who is content, beyond dualities & envy, who treats siddhi-asiddhi alike, does not get bound by his actions.
Brahmārpaṇam -the offering is Brahma, the ladle is Brahma, the performer is Brahma & the result obtained by him who is fixed in Brahmakarma samdhi is also Brahma.
Karmajānviddhitān- Vedas detail many types of Yagnas. They are born from action alone. This understanding will aid liberation.
Sarvamkarmākhilampārtha- All actions end in Jnana. Jnānagnisarvakarmāni- Knowledge-fire burns all actions. Yogasanyastakarmāṇam- He who abandons all actions due to Yoga, who shreds all doubts due to Jnana and who remains vigilant, is not bound by actions.
In these statements, He praised renouncing all actions. Further in Citvainam samśayam- He emphasized about Yoga in the form of adherence to action.
Engaging & renouncing actions are opposite states. When only one can be adhered, it is better to adhere to that which is best among them. Seeking to know which is better Arjuna asked,
Arjuna uvāca:
sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛṣṇapunaryogaṁca śamsasi
yachreyaetayorekaṁ tanmebrūhi suniścitamǁ1ǁ
Krishna! You are glorifying renunciation & karma-yoga too. Decisively tell which among them is supreme.
Earlier, Krishna had clearly stated that the Jnana was for those who were situated in Jnana-yoga. For all Yogis, the path of action (karma-yoga) was best, He had said.