Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta

-4th chapter: verses 34, 35, 36, 37-18th chapter: verses 64, 67, 72, 73-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on June 19, 2020.-34th verse: “A seeker of spiritual wisdom should approach a wise teacher with humility, do service to him and ask him questions with all sincerity and shraddha. Then the teacher will instruct him with true spiritual knowledge.”-In terms of inquiry, there are two types of seekers. (1) Those who are humble, straightforward and inquisitive. Once they are convinced of the truth, they become champions of that truth. Swami Vivekananda was such a seeker. (2) Those who ask questions without any seriousness. They pretend to be convinced, but they keep asking the same questions again.-When we have reverence towards the teacher, and a pure thirst for knowledge, our dedication to the subject is intensified. This leads to natural tendency for further inquiry. This characteristic is demonstrated even in the secular world by great scientists.-There is famous verse in Vedanta that summarizes the concept of Guru-shishya parampara, long succession of teachers and students: “I bow down to those great masters, succession of great teachers, who expounded Vedantic ideas, and thanks to whose efforts, I am able to study the same ideas today.”-18th chapter, 67th verse: “Do not teach this spiritual wisdom to those who have no austerity, no devotion, no self-restraint, no humility to do service, and who after listening will belittle you or the wisdom you are imparting”-Unless we are mentally ready with the right attitude, spiritual instructions will not provide real benefits. Our innate tendencies, from past samskaras, can create a mental block.-Listening to great ideas is beneficial only if we approach with humility and purity. If a glass is empty and we pour pure milk in it, we get a glass full of pure milk. If the glass already has some dirty water, and we pour pure milk in it, we won’t even drink the resultant mixture. Humility and purity allow us to act like the empty glass and receive the full benefits of instructions.-An ideal seeker of truth should have the following characteristics: (1) Pure intelligence, which is not cluttered by worldly objects, and which is dedicated to the pursuit of a higher ideal; he should be able to read or listen to ideas and grasp their true meaning (2) Ability to accept what is good for him, and reject what is undesirable.-Sister Nivedita was an example of an ideal student. The combination of her purity/sincerity and Swamiji’s greatness as a teacher led to her complete transformation.-35th verse: “Once you get this spiritual wisdom from a wise teacher, you will not be deluded again. By that wisdom, you will experience the spiritual unity of the whole creation”-18th chapter, 64th verse: “You have listened to Me and My instructions. Now I will teach you the most profound truth of all.”-18th chapter, 72nd verse: Lord Krishna asks Arjuna after imparting all spiritual instructions. “Have you listened to me carefully, did you follow my instructions, did you understand what I said, are you now free from your delusions and doubts?”-18th chapter, 73rd verse: Arjuna answers: “Now my delusion is gone. I am totally free from conflicts. I have got back my memory and feel spiritually awakened. I am fully settled in mind and will act according to your instructions”-36th verse: “If you approach your teacher with this attitude and reach your spiritual goal, then that spiritual knowledge becomes a boat with which you can cross the ocean of worldly life. Even if you have an undesirable past, your dedication will open up your mind, and help you imbibe the teachings completely.”-37th verse: “As a blazing fire reduces wood into ashes, similarly, the fire of knowledge reduces all karmas into ashes.”-When sage Suka went to see king Janaka, and entered his city and court, he saw everything made of sugar. This means that sage Suka experienced the unity of the whole creation, seeing God in everything, and everything in God.-To achieve the highest state of realization, such as that achieved by sage Suka, one needs to practice the following four spiritual disciplines. (1) Discrimination between unreal and the Real (2) Renunciation of what is unreal (3) Self-control: shama, dama, uparati, titiksha, shraddha and samadhana (4) Mumukshutam, or desire for liberation.-An ancient verse says: “It is better to be like an ant that always moves, even though slowly, and covers a long distance, than to be a fast-moving bird that does not make any effort to move at all”.

-4th chapter: verses 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on June 12, 2020.-Yajna in Gita refers to any noble activity done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, for the good of others, without selfish motives, and as an offering to God.-Yajna as a Vedic ritual involves lighting a fire, chanting mantras, offering auspicious things in the fire as an act of renunciation, for the good of the world and to propitiate the devatas (gods).-Verse 27: Atma Samyama Yoga refers to bringing self-restraint to the senses of perception, senses of action and the mind, and giving them a higher spiritual orientation. It is an inner yajna, where the yajna fire is kindled through spiritual wisdom that there is divinity in the entire creation, in every activity and thought. We offer all our actions, thoughts, deeds into this yajna fire.-Atma Samyama Yoga enables us to spiritualize our whole life. Every act, thought, deed is performed as Yajna. Every secular activity becomes spiritualized. We can live in tune with the entire creation, as we are convinced of the divinity in everything.-Yajna is based on the idea that we cannot live in disharmony with nature and expect harmony within. With Atma Samyama Yoga, we connect with the inherent harmony with nature. Harmony outside brings harmony within.-With Atma Samyama Yoga, great qualities such as - non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from stealing, moderation, non-possessiveness – naturally come to us.-28th verse: There are others who sacrifice material things (dravya yajna), who meditate and undertake vows (tapo yajna), who sacrifice through yoga (yoga yajna), and who read scriptures and realize their ideas (jnana yajna). These are all different ways of practicing Yajna.-First step in practicing Yajna is to develop a higher spiritual ideal in our life, and think beyond immediate, tangible benefits. By practicing yajna, one finds harmony and peace everywhere.-An ancient verse describes the prayer of a woodcutter to the birds who live on trees, to illustrate harmony with nature. “I am going to cut this tree. I pray to you to move to another tree. I am depriving you of your habitation and for that I seek your mercy”.-Vedic mantras emphasize harmony and balance of nature. Let the earth, clouds, skies, plants, trees and the entire cosmos remain pure, undisturbed, and in perpetual peace and harmony.-Another Vedic verse describes the morning prayer of sages: “Let the earth remain in its perfect purity, let the streams and rivers be filled with pure water, let Agni remain in its perfect purity”. Their morning prayer was for the good of creation, and to bring auspiciousness and prosperity to the whole world.-29th verse: Some perform yajna by controlling their breath (pranayama). Pranayama is helpful in bringing balance to the mind, but it should only be practiced after being grounded in Yamas and Niyamas.-30th and 31st verse: There are others who practice restraint in eating food. Whatever we do, if we do it as Yajna, without selfish motives – then our whole life becomes spiritualized.-32nd verse: Through all these karmas done as Yajna, you proceed one step closer towards the realization of the divine within you. All actions done with selfish motives bind us to the world. All actions done as Yajna takes us to moksha (liberation).-33rd verse: All actions eventually lead to knowledge. A devotee who is grounded in the knowledge that everything is Brahman – he is not easily influenced by external circumstances. However, a devotee who is a beginner or follower of Bhakti, needs to be careful about what he eats and who he associates with.

-4th chapter: verses 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on June 5, 2020.-The subject of verse 24 is how to spiritualize our entire life - how every secular activity, every word, deed, thought, emotion can be spiritualized – how we can stop seeing the distinction between the secular and spiritual.-Verse 24 is uttered with a deep sense of reverence before people eat food. It emphasizes that everything is, spiritually, one. This truth can be realized by associating all actions with the Divine.-With the imagery of a Vedic ritual (Yajna), this verse says: “the process of offering, what we offer, the one who offers, into what it is offered, the act of performing the ritual, the goal to be reached – everything is Brahman.” Our purpose, our actions, the tools that we use, the mantras that we chant, the Agni (fire) – all are expressions of the same supreme reality. This is natural for the person with highest realization – to him, every act is equally spiritual; there is no distinction between the secular and spiritual.-Similar verse is in Bhagavata Purana. It says: “Whatever we do with body, mind, senses of perception, senses of action – dedicate it as an offering to God”-Actions that we do deliberately, and our instinctive tendencies and thoughts – all can be given a spiritual orientation, by attaching a sense of sanctity of sacredness, by being free from selfish motives, and by offering them to God. We can start this spiritual journey at any time.-These secular activities then become many ways for us to progress towards our spiritual destination, while at the same time, allowing us to serve for the good of the world. Then, we feel inner harmony and contentment.-Every thought becomes a meditation, every word becomes a mantra, every action becomes an act of worship, every travel becomes a pilgrimage, every movement becomes a circumambulation around the deity, and the whole life becomes an offering to God.-A beginner sees secular and spiritual activities as separate. A more evolved seeker does his secular activities as spiritual. For an even more advanced seeker, the line of demarcation between the two disappears. For the seeker at the highest level of realization, whatever he does is spiritual, including activities such as eating food and interacting with others.-A great devotee looks upon inconveniences also as friends, as they remind him of the higher spiritual reality and the limitations of this world.-Verses 25-29 describe different types of sacrifices. Some perform sacrifices to the devas (gods); some sacrifice in the fire of Brahman; some sacrifice all activities at sensory level; some sacrifice the functions of all the organs and pranas; some sacrifice through penance and others through Yoga; some sacrifice through reading of scriptures.-All these sacrifices can be given a spiritual dimension by performing them as Yajna. The attitude with which the sacrifice is performed makes all the difference. Yajna has two meanings: (1) Vedic rituals for harmony and peace of the world and material prosperity (2) Any noble activity done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, for the good of others, without selfish motives, and as an offering to God. Gita discusses Yajna in its broader sense of noble activity, which becomes a royal highway for spiritual prosperity.-All of our daily activities – even the minutest one – can be done as Yajna. The act of cooking food, eating, digesting – all can be done as Yajna. By thus spiritualizing the secular, we get Chitta-prasada (inner contentment).-This attitude can be extended to human relations and also to external nature. Vedic mantras emphasize harmony and balance of nature. Let the earth, clouds, skies, plants, trees and the entire cosmos remain pure, undisturbed, and in perpetual peace and harmony.

-4th chapter: verses 20, 21, 22, 23, 24The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on May 29, 2020.-A karma-yogi is free from kama (desires) and sankalpa (mental worry about results). He is also free from the sense of doer-ship and enjoyer-ship. He may have a high spiritual ideal as goal, he may work with total efficiency, but he works non-attached. His body and mind are always under control, and he is not affected by the success or failure of his actions.-Karma Yoga helps us work with a sense of total relaxation. It allows us to work with more focus and concentration, and thereby achieve better results. Work done as karma-yoga, purifies our chittam, and takes us a step forward in fulfilling our spiritual goal of lasting inner contentment.-For a karma-yogi, work becomes play, and work becomes an experience of relaxation. To achieve this state, one has to give up desires. One should start by first developing higher, noble desires – it helps open up the spiritual path. Once desires are promoted, in the next stage, one can go beyond desires.-A karma-yogi is always working, but always contented. A lazy man who claims contentment is a hypocrite. Epoch makers - Buddha, Shankaracharya, Sri Ramakrishna, Jesus Christ, Vivekananda – were always active and worked for the good of others.-22nd verse: “Such a karma-yogi is always content with whatever comes to him; he is unaffected by pain/pleasure, good/bad, misery/joy, profit/loss; he is free from envy; he is unperturbed in success or failure; he is always active, but free from bondage.”-Shankaracharya discusses the characteristics of a spiritually enlightened person in second chapter. These characteristics constitute the road by which we should travel to reach the goal that the enlightened person has reached.-One should read scriptures that provide a picture of such enlightened Yogis, and their characteristics. Then one should try to develop the same qualities.-The real test of spiritual values happens in secular contexts. How we interact with people who do not share our ideas, how we handle success and failure in secular contexts – these are real tests of our spiritual values. Equanimity of mind during ups and downs in secular contexts, is proof that we are spiritual.-For a jeevan-mukta (liberated), samatvam (equanimity of mind) is natural and automatic. We can practice samatvam, by doing everything with enthusiasm, mentally offering it to God, and then forgetting about it. Then we get total relaxation and contentment.-A karma-yogi, after reaching highest state, won’t have any external transformation. However, his whole life will be different, and he will be free from kama, sankalpa, and mental vrittis.-There is no obligation for a spiritually illumined soul to work, as he is not bound by a sense of duty. He works only for the good of others, and he has no desires of his own. If he decides to live an introspective life, that is also his own choice. One of his important characteristics is total freedom.-Gita presents Yajna as a higher approach to work. Yajna has two meanings: (1) Vedic rituals for harmony and peace of the world and material prosperity (2) Any noble activity done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, for the good of others. Gita discusses Yajna in its broader sense of noble activity, which becomes a royal highway for spiritual prosperity.-23rd verse: Who is liberated and whose mind is immersed in Brahman, whatever he does, it is Yajna. It doesn’t bind him – rather it shatters away the chain of bondage.”-Selfish actions bind us to the world. Unselfish actions, done as Yajna, break the chain of bondage. Everyone can practice Yajna, by doing their actions for the good others, and by surrendering the results of all actions to God. When actions are performed as Yajna, we feel harmony within and with external nature.-24th verse: This verse illustrates the attitude of someone who has reached the highest stage of spiritual evolution. To him, everything is Brahman, his whole life is spiritualized, and his every action is sanctified. In the context of eating food, he thinks – the act of offering, what we offer, who offers, into what it is offered, the goal to be reached – everything is Brahman.-Ancient mantra chanted at time of sannyasa: “Now onwards, every word is a mantra, every movement is a circumambulation around the deity, every thought a meditation, and the whole life is an offering to God”-This attitude of highest spiritual seeker is similar to concept of highest devotee of God in Bhagavad Purana. The highest devotee is one who sees God in everything and everything in God.

-4th chapter: verses 18, 19, 20, 21, 22-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on May 22, 2020.-18th verse: “One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is a Yogi.” He is (1) Buddhiman – wise person, who understands Swadharma (2) Yuktaha – a Yogi (3) Krtsna-Karmakrt – does everything with a smile, unattached.-This verse provides a brief picture of Vedanta-Sadhana – how to practice Vedanta in daily life through non-attachment while doing duties and responsibilities, and thereby enjoy a state of equilibrium.-When we perform actions but feel anxiety, it is because we interpret ourselves as the physical body. Non-attachment means we identify ourselves as Atman - beyond the body, mind, and intellect – then any amount of activity will not make us exhausted. We think “My body is working, I am not working. I am Atman”-If one identifies himself with Atman, he can remain as if he is inactive, seeing inaction in action. He identifies himself beyond action and inaction.-When moving in a boat, we feel as if trees on the riverside are moving in the opposite direction, even though we know they are stationary. Similarly, all actions and inactions take place at empirical level, when we identify with the physical body. When we identify ourselves as Atman, there is no action or inaction, as Atman is not in need of engaging in any activity – it is beyond the concepts of doer-ship and enjoyer-ship.-What does action in inaction mean? Inaction in Gita implies withdrawal from action. There is no action for Atman, so there is nothing to withdraw from. One cannot withdraw from action, unless there is action. -Our actions are not perfect and do not always produce the desired outcome. We should perform actions to the best of our ability but remain non-attached. Then actions do not bind us, and we can stay free of worries.-One should always keep trying to do the right thing – this will keep him away from the risk of doing the wrong thing, because the mind cannot stay quiet even for a moment.-Offering all actions to God is not easy for an early spiritual seeker. As he evolves, he develops an awareness that prevents him from dedicating wrong actions to God, thereby preventing him from doing the wrong actions.-The secret of success of great spiritual personalities – Buddha, Shankaracharya, Sri Ramakrishna, Jesus Christ, Vivekananda – is that they worked at super-human levels, but remained non-attached, established in their true identity as Atman.-Swami Vivekananda said: The world is a gym for us to work out our karmas, climb the ladder of spiritual life, and transcend action and inaction.-19th verse: “Those spiritual seekers, whose undertakings are devoid of selfish motives and desires, they are the wise. Their actions do not bind them. Such wise people are called Pandita”.-One whose mind is withdrawn from the empirical world, who is free from kama (desires) and sankalpa (doer-ship), whose desires are burnt by the Jnana-agni (fire of spiritual illumination), who understand the transitory nature of empirical world, who is established in Brahman as the only reality, whose mind is always oriented towards higher spiritual ideas, who is free from worries and fears – such a person is called Pandita.-Verses 20, 21, 22: These verses provide the psychology of inner contentment. We should do all duties with full enthusiasm, but have the spiritual awareness that success is not permanent. State of total relaxation comes when we perform our actions, but we feel that we have not done anything.

-4th chapter: verses 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 2nd chapter: verses 48, 50-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on May 15, 2020.-Karma is any kind of activity – physical, thoughts or words we speak. Gita approaches karma with a broad meaning to help one progress spiritually, as opposed to interpretation of karma as Vedic rituals for secular prosperity.-Karma has both psychological and philosophical significance. Psychological - every action leaves a residual effect that influences our character. Philosophical – one should perform duties as an end in itself, without looking for tangible benefits.-Path of karma is difficult to comprehend. Two approaches can be followed for conduct of karmas. (1) Whatever we do, do as Swadharma, without any selfish motive. Swadharma, is work that naturally comes to us “unasked”, by virtue of our qualification and fitness. (2) Whatever we do, do as an offering to God.-14th verse: “Actions do not stain Me, and I have no desire for the fruits of My actions. Those who know this, will not be enslaved by their actions.” “Me” in this verse refers to Atman.-We cannot do anything without it affecting our character. At the same time, we cannot monitor all actions. The way out is to do every action without selfish motive, as Swadharma, as Yajna. This yogic approach helps one remain unbound even while doing unpleasant actions.-2nd chapter, 48th verse: “Do your duty being established in Yoga - linking your mind to Atman. Then you can remain in a state of equilibrium and do even unpleasant duties with a smile, without any feeling of effort.-2nd chapter, 50th verse: Through Yoga and detachment, work becomes effective, and liberates one from bondage (2nd chapter, 50th verse: Through Yoga and detachment, work becomes effective, and liberates one from bondage (yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam). It enables one to enjoy their success.). It enables one to enjoy their success.-Isha Upanishad says: “Enjoy the world through the medium of renunciation. Do your duties as offering to God. Then you get inner contentment (chitta-prasada).”-15th verse: “In ancient times, great spiritual seekers attained the highest spiritual enlightenment using this approach of karma-yoga. The efficacy of this path has already been demonstrated by them – you just need to follow this path”.-If one remains idle or runs away from challenging situations, one commits spiritual suicide. One should always keep trying to do the right thing – this will keep one away from the risk of doing the wrong thing, because the mind cannot stay quiet even for a moment.-When one feels conflict, one should not mistake it to be a sign of confusion. Conflict is rooted in higher sensitivity and spiritual evolution. Healthy conflict should assure us that we are on the right track.-16th verse: “Even the wise are confused on what is the nature of action and inaction and what is wrong action.”-Duryodhana said: “I know what is the right thing to do, but I cannot do that. I know what is the wrong thing to do, but I cannot resist from doing it”.-17th verse: “The nature of karma is difficult to comprehend. One should understand the true nature of action, that is sanctioned in scriptures.” One way to decide the right action is to determine what a great spiritual personality had done or would do in a similar situation.-18th verse: “One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is a Yogi.” He is (1) Buddhiman – wise person, who understands Swadharma (2) Yuktaha – a Yogi (3) Krtsna-Karmakrt – does everything with a smile, unattached.-If one identifies himself with Atman – beyond the body, mind, and intellect – then any amount of activity will not make him exhausted – his body and mind may get tired but he is not tired. He can remain as if he is inactive, seeing inaction in action. He identifies himself beyond action and inaction.

Discover how diverse spiritual practices converge towards a singular truth in this enlightening discussion. The analogy of climbing a hill illustrates that all paths lead to the same divine understanding. Explore the importance of love and responsibility, transcending differences to see humanity as a spiritual family. Delve into the stages of spiritual evolution and the impact of personal qualities over lineage, promoting the idea that everyone can attain spiritual growth regardless of their background.

-4th chapter: verses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on May 1, 2020.-6th verse: “Though I am unborn, and beyond all changes – yet, without being subject to the regulation of prakriti and the three gunas, keeping prakriti under control, I incarnate.”-“I” does not refer to Lord Krishna as a limited human being. Rather it refers to the eternal dimension of His personality as Atman. As Atman, He is beyond the six changes: birth, existence, growth, evolution, degeneration and death.-Highly spiritually elevated men are called Satya-Sankalpa (सत्य-सङ्कल्प). They are capable of assuming any human form at their own divine will. They only appear to take the human form – actually, they are established in their true identity as Atman, and are beyond any human weakness.-Avatara (incarnation) is endowed with three qualities. (1) As Atman, He is unborn (2) He is devoid of any changes (3) He is the lord of all beings - and present everywhere, in everything,-Avatara is endowed with six Bhagas (great spiritual characteristics). (1) Great effulgence (2) Great prosperity (3) Great power (4) Great knowledge (5) Great renunciation and (6) Great reputation.-Avatara emerge in all cultures. When we look beyond the diversity of language and culture, we find universality in their teachings and a cosmic unity. In their everyday life, activities, and teachings, there is always a visible transcendental connection.-7th and 8th verses: “Whenever there is a decline of dharma (धर्म) and increase of adharma (अधर्म), then this incarnation takes place to preserve dharma (धर्म), to protect virtuous people, to remove their obstacles and to punish evil doers.”-Ritam (ऋतम्) is the central principle of inherent harmony that exists in nature. Satyam means truth – a person will not deviate from the path of harmony if he practices Satyam (सत्यम्). Dharma (धर्म) refers to the ethical and moral principles through which one practices Satyam (सत्यम्). For example, it is immoral to pollute the earth and therefore against Dharma (धर्म).-Avataras are epoch makers and different from ordinary saints and prodigies. They are not affected by prarabdha-karma (प्रारब्ध–कार्म) – karmas that are responsible for present life. They are born with inherent, highest spiritual realization. With time, their spiritual stature grows; their teachings become more relevant; they continue to inspire for thousands of years.-9th verse: “He who knows My divine nature, My birthless dimension, will not be born again. He becomes a Brahma-jnani (ब्राह्म–ज्ञानि, knower of Brahman).-Avatara is a synthesis of divine and human. His birth and actions are only relative, at the empirical plane. His true identity is divine only, as Atman. Human form comes and goes. The spiritual ideal represented by the Avatara is eternal – one who understands this mystery of impersonal behind the personal, attribute-less behind attributes, birthless behind birth, becomes a Brahma-jnani (ब्राह्म-ज्ञानि).-When we pray to a deity, we should always invoke the infinite, transcendental reality represented by that deity and pray to Him. We should do so in every word and every minute of our meditation and prayer.-10th verse: “Those seekers - who are free from attachment, fear and anger – who are always dependent on Me only – who become purified by Tapas(तपस्) – they reach the highest spiritual realization.”-God is the only real friend, and worth depending upon. Every other object of dependence only leads to misery.-In 12th chapter (Bhakti Yoga), Lord Krishna describes the characteristics of an ideal devotee. He is never miserable, knows everything other than God is relative only, is always contented, and is always connected with the transcendental reality with his mind and senses under control.

-4th chapter: verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on April 24, 2020.-Lord Krishna says that he first taught Yoga to Surya, who taught it to Manu, who then taught it to Ikshavaku. It has been handed down through the “Guru-shishya parampara”, an unbroken succession of teachers-disciples.-In course of time, this Yoga was lost - because those who were expected to preserve this spiritual tradition, failed to practice it properly. Whatever they practiced came to be mistakenly known as Yoga. They did not live as Rajarshis.-Rajarshi is a person who has the dual qualities of a king (Rajatvam) and a saint (Rishitvam). As a king, he has great prosperity, dynamism and efficiency. As a saint, he has a calm attitude, can see far into things, and understands the limitations and impermanence of his wealth and powers.-People should always remember that tradition does not begin with them – rather they inherit it, and it is their duty to preserve it. They should not disown the past. Great cultures and civilizations have survived through parampara.-Parampara can lead to fanaticism or tyranny of hierarchy. In such situations, to make adjustments, great teachers emerge. Such men are called Avatara.-Avatara is Lord descending to human level to preserve values and readjust spiritual equilibrium in the world. Avatara is sublime aspects of human and divine rolled into one.-Avatara can be understood with the concept of parampara. People should understand that civilizations did not begin with them – rather, parampara drives continuity of civilization, resting on the shoulders of great epoch makers.-If anyone claims to manufacture new truth, disregarding what is already stated in the scriptures, we should not believe such a person. Truth is handed down through parampara.-3rd verse: “Today, I have taught you this Yoga, the supreme secret, because you are my devotee and friend, and fit for this instruction”-Among the five Pandava brothers, Arjuna was chosen for the instruction. Even though he was confused and had internal conflicts, he had the ethical courage to implement what he was being taught.-4th verse: Arjuna asks Lord Krishna to reconcile how he could have taught to Surya, when Surya was born many years ago, and Lord Krishna’s birth was much later.-Arjuna’s confusion arises because he looked upon Lord Krishna only as a highly refined human being, not as an Avatara - born as Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Shankaracharya and Sri Ramakrishna.-Avatara signifies descent of the Atman to human form. The Atman takes human form from time to time to protect and sustain the spiritual equilibrium of cosmic existence.-When we do spiritual practices, we ascend from human towards divine. Avatara represents descent from divine to human.-5th verse: “Both of us have had many births in the past. I know that, but you don’t. I know that I have a spiritual dimension, but you don’t know that”-Atman is present in all of us. Avatara understands that a normal human being doesn’t understand this truth. Normal being identifies with body, mind and intellect, and forgets his own spiritual identity.-With ascent through spiritual practices, a normal being realizes the divine truth. Avataras are aware of this when they are born. They may still do spiritual practices as a way to teach others.-Avatara is like a mighty ship that can carry thousands of people across the ocean of samsara, and can go back and forth. Ordinary seekers are like a boat by comparison.-Avatara’s life seems as if everything is pre-meditated. This is seen in the lives of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Shankaracharya, Jesus Christ and Buddha.-Avatara, by his very nature, knows that He is eternally pure, immortal, omniscient, free from bondages and free from delusion.-6th verse: “Though I am unborn, and beyond all changes – yet, without being subject to the regulation of prakriti, keeping prakriti under control, I incarnate.”-“I” does not refer to Lord Krishna as a limited human being. Rather it refers to the eternal dimension of His personality as Atman.-Ordinary beings are subject to interplays of time, space and causation. Avatara is not limited by time, space and causation. Avatara is beyond the six changes: birth, existence, growth, evolution, degeneration and death.-Avatara only appears to become a human being – He does not become a human being. As described in Vivarta-vada (विवर्तवाद), it is a momentary change that can go back to its original state. Parinama-vada (परिणामवाद) refers to changes that are irreversible, such as an oil seed becoming oil.-In Avatara’s everyday life, activities, and teachings, there is always a visible transcendental connection.

2nd chapter: verses 62, 63. 3rd chapter: verses 41, 42, 43. 4th chapter: verses 1, 2-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on April 17, 2020.-You should discipline your senses – do this in the beginning itself rather than waiting for a strong blow. That way, you can get rid of the problem of desire, and not be enslaved by senses.-Desire means obsessive attachment to stimuli from senses, that we know will bring our downfall. We want to get out of it, but we are not able to take to a spiritual ideal, until it is too late. Gita helps us develop spiritual common sense to control our desires.-Intellectual desires, such as in arts and philosophy, can help in the beginning by diverting the mind from sensual pleasures. However, just intellectual pursuit is not enough as it can lead to cynicism. Intellectual desires can also be given a sublime direction.-There are two types of intellectual assertiveness: (1) Creative and constructive, which is grounded in intellectual honesty, as demonstrated by Swami Vivekananda, and (2) Cynicism, where people are stuck in a wheel asking the same questions, without making an effort to listen and get out of it.-An enlightened person is one who transcends happiness and misery, and who looks upon both of them with the same attitude. He is fully immersed in his true identity as the Atman. This gives him immense joy.-62nd and 63rd verse of second chapter explain how one falls in spiritual life. Those who keep thinking of sense objects develop a strong desire to enjoy them. They direct efforts in that direction. When these efforts do not succeed, they become angry, which leads to delusion, which then leads to total confusion of memory and degeneration of the mind.-Unless one can divert the senses towards creative channels, it brings destruction. To divert the mind, one needs to feed the mind with good food.-The Atman is superior to the intellect, which is superior to the mind, which is superior to the senses. Therefore, restrain your senses. By restraining the senses, and identifying with the Atman, one can destroy the obsession of desires.-Kathopanishad compares human life to a journey on a chariot. Atman is the traveler on the chariot, body is the chariot, intellect is the driver, mind is the reins, senses are the horses and the sense objects represent the path. Just as horses should not dictate terms to the rider, so also, sense organs should not dictate the terms to the mind.-Doctrine of karma should not be interpreted as fatalism. Rather, karma-yoga is an approach that enables us to do all our duties with full freedom, as the master of our senses, and with steady spiritual common sense.-Story of “Appointment in Samarra” is discussed to illustrate how the doctrine of karma can be wrongly interpreted.-Shankaracharya gives the example of an arrow which has left its bow, but that can change its direction because of a strong wind. Similarly, with our spiritual practices and by the grace of God, we can escape the consequences of unpleasant karma.-4th chapter of Gita continues the discussion of karma and yajna. The theme of this chapter can be described as: “Dissolving action in knowledge”.-Lord Krishna’s teachings come to us from two streams: (1) Narada Bhakti Sutras, which says that through spiritual surrender (Sharanagati), we can convert all actions into acts of worship. (2) Through Gita, which says that through Swadharma, we can convert every activity into spiritual practice.-Lord Krishna says that he first taught Yoga to Surya, who taught it to Manu, who then taught it to Ikshavaku. It has been handed down through the “Guru-shishya parampara”, an unbroken succession of teachers-disciples.-In course of time, this Yoga as lost - because those who were expected to practice it (for example, reigning monarchs) and lead by example, they were unable to control their senses and failed to practice it properly. Whatever they practiced came to be mistakenly known as Yoga.-Rajarshi is a person who has the dual qualities of a king (Rajatvam) and a saint (Rishitvam). As a king, he has great prosperity, dynamism and efficiency. As a saint, he has a calm attitude, can see far into things, and understands the limitations and impermanence of his wealth and powers. Janaka and Ashoka were examples of Rajarshis.