Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta

Title: Meaning of Om Tat Sat17th Chapter: verses 20, 21, 22, 23Yajna, Dana, and Tapah – these spiritual principles have the triple dimensions of Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika.Yajna refers to any noble, unselfish deed that is done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness and as an offering to God. Our everyday activities can be spiritualized when we perform them as yajna. Then there is no difference between the shrine and the workplace. Any activity not done as yajna becomes a bondage – it is an invisible chain that binds us to the world.Dana refers to any act of compassion, kindness and charity meant to help others.Tapah means austerity, activities that we do with total dedication and with a sense of going beyond the body-mind complex.20th verse: “Charity done with the attitude “It is my duty to help this person”, done in the right manner without any expectation of return, given to someone who is in need of it, who will use it for constructive purpose, and done at the right place and time – such charity is Sattvik.”21st verse: “When charity is practiced with the expectation of getting something back in return or done with a mind that is not happy as it is struggling with its own greed, ort done with a desire to be known as a charitable person – such charity is Rajasik.”22nd verse: “Charity done at the wrong place, at the wrong time, or to unworthy person or without regard for rules and etiquette – such charity is Tamasik.”Suppose a person is sitting in a dirty, filthy place and we give him restaurant food. It is an example of wrong place. Suppose that person has already had his meal and we give him food. It is an example of wrong time. Suppose we give money to a person who uses it for terrible things. It is an example of charity to an unworthy person.The 23rd and 24th verses are very important and explain how we can purify our spiritual activities such as yajna, dana and tapah.23rd verse: “In the Vedic literature, specifically the Upanishads, it is stated that “Om Tat Sat” constitutes the essence of all vedic literature. These three words are behind the origin and creation of the Brahmanas, Vedas and Yajnas.”There are four vedas. Each veda has four parts – Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad. Samhita contains hymns to deities. Brahmana contain description of rituals. Aranyaka contain philosophical discussions and spiritual disciplines. Upanishads contain the highest and most sublime portion of the vedas.It is difficult for normal human beings to perform their spiritual practices with perfection. For example, a prayer is effective when the mind, the act of prayer, the thoughts and emotions are all focused on the prayer. It is difficult for normal human beings to do so – there is an inherent incompleteness and imperfection in their prayer. The same applies to rituals. The spiritual practice – a prayer or an offering or a ritual – can be purified by uttering “Om” or “Om Tat Sat.”The utterance of “Om Tat Sat” can have two levels. The utterance has more effect when we understand its meaning. It has less effect if it is uttered without understanding its meaning.Om is a word symbol that represents the totality of existence and divinity. Whatever we experience in waking state, dream state or deep sleep state – they are all represented by Om.Om is comprised of A-U-M. “A” represents the totality of waking state experiences. “U” represents the totality of dream state experiences. “M” represents the totality of deep sleep experiences. Together, they represent all our experiences, as we cannot have any experience outside of these three states.Om contains the essence of all vedas. All the vedas are an attempt to describe the Absolute Reality which can only be experienced. At the empirical level, the Absolute Reality is denoted with Om.Om comes from two Sanskrit roots which mean “something that is all-pervading that sustains us, protects us from problems of the empirical world, and leads us to the highest spiritual realization.”Sri Ramakrishna used simple language to describe Om. In ascending order, he said: “Puaranas are the lowest. Higher than Puranas are Upanishads. Upanishads are condensed in Gayatri. Gayatri is condensed in Om. Beyond Om is total silence.”The highest level of experience cannot be explained. It is a deeply felt experience whose language is silence. Below silence is Om, which is the first audible, verbal symbol of the divine. When we elaborate Om, we get Gayatri. When we elaborate Gayatri, we get Upanishads. Below the Upanishads, there are many mythological books. All these books are meant to take us beyond books. The highest experience is beyond all these books.Tat means “I am offering it to the all-pervading, divine reality.” It is used to purify all forms of yajna, dana and tapah. These spiritual practices may have inherent imperfections which are rectified by utterance of Tat.When we offer our activity to the all-pervading reality that is present in everyone and everything, the activity is purified. In fact, this is the essence of the Brahma-Yajna-Mantra in the 24th verse of the 4th chapter. 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.”There is nothing in this world, but Brahman. With this strong conviction, when we utter this mantra before eating food, then whatever we eat becomes purified.Sat means strong, steady faith. Yajna, dana and tapah, when done with a sense of sanctity, sacredness, sincerity, honesty and integrity – they get purified.Sometimes devotees chant “Hari Om Tat Sat”. Hari is the name of Vishnu and means the Lord.

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion.The three gunas reflect in different areas of human conduct such as the way we practice rituals, austerities and charity.The 14th, 15th and 16th verses discuss tapah (austerity) - physical austerity, austerity of speech and mental austerity. Austerity is about directing our mind and senses towards higher ideas.14th verse: “Those who practice reverence towards gods/goddesses, ancient sages, wise men and tradition, who do so with mental and physical purity, who do so with chastity and non-violence, whose body, mind and intellect operate in harmony and in one direction – their austerity is of the physical type.”The 14th verse refers to the “twice born”. This refers to people who had a biological birth and later a spiritual birth through initiation. The verse says that we should respect such good people in society. Then we develop their good qualities in ourselves. What we appreciate in others, that we develop in ourselves.15th verse: “Speech that does not cause vexation or anguish or disturbance in the minds of the listener, which is truthful, which is agreeable to the listener, which is beneficial to the listener, as well as recitation of the vedas, are austerities of speech.”16th verse: “Serenity of mind, sympathy, kindliness, silence, self-control, sincerity and honesty in dealings – these are austerities of the mind.”17th verse: “When the three-fold austerities described in the 14th, 15th and 16th verses are done with no desire for material rewards, with the mind, word, thoughts and deed in harmony with each other, with no pretention, with a serene expression – such austerity is considered Sattvik.”18th verse: “When the three-fold austerities are done with the objective of getting respect or acceptance or done with ostentation and pretention – such austerity is considered Rajasik. Such austerity is shaky and transitory in nature.”A smile that is done with pretention or for diplomacy does not last long – it is transitory in nature. Unnatural expressions create problems for the mind.19th verse: “Due to misconception, without following principles of moderation, if someone practices austerities that involve self-torture or harm others – such austerity is considered Tamasik and doomed for disaster.”If a spiritual seeker is very evolved, such as Buddha, and is able to withstand extreme austerity with joy because he is connected with the transcendental, then such austerity is Sattvik. It is a royal highway to enlightenment.Bhasmasura practiced austerity to gain powers to harm others. He ended up destroying himself.The 20th verse describes charity of the sattvic type.20th verse: “Charity done with the attitude “It is my duty to help this person”, done in the right manner without any expectation of return, given to someone who is in need of it, who will use it for constructive purpose, and done at the right place and time – such charity is Sattvik.”In commentaries on this verse, Kurukshetra is cited as an example of an auspicious place for charity and Sankranti is cited as an auspicious time for charity. Such charity is helpful to both the giver and receiver.Every act of charity loosens our karmic blocks. A beginner’s mind may not cooperate when he starts spiritual practices. This is due to karmic blocks or accumulated samskaras which make him act in a certain manner. Noble, unselfish deeds, such as charity, generate spiritual energy and loosen the karmic blocks.With spiritual practices, such as the three yogas, there is a gradual evolution of the human consciousness from the lowest level of Muladhara to the highest level of Sahasrara. This ascent reflects the loosening of karmic blocks and their eventual disappearance. One should start with karma yoga, in the form of noble, unselfish activities.

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion.These three temperaments are based on our samskaras. Every action leaves a residual effect (vritti) in our mental system. Many identical vrittis – from similar, repeated actions – solidify a distinct memory block called Samskara. Samskaras express through our determination to act in a certain manner, called Sankalpa. Sankalpa leads to further actions. This wheel continues, and it shapes our temperament.The food that we eat is linked to the three gunas. The way we practice rituals, austerity and charity is also linked to the three gunas.Food has both a gross and subtle dimension. At a gross level, the food needs to be hygienically pure. At a subtle level, it means food that is prepared and served by people withgood temperament and with affection.10th verse: “The food that was cooked several hours earlier and whose original taste is gone, food that has foul smell, food that has been partly eaten by someone else, and food that is not conducive to the development of higher qualities in the mind and intellect, is liked by those endowed with tamo guna.”Gita as a text belongs to 3,300 BC when there was no refrigerator. The staleness of food implied in the 10th verse should be interpreted in the context of modern times.If a person eats food that was partly eaten by someone else, the emotional state of the other person can be transferred to him.The next few verses describe the three levels of yajna – sattvika, rajasika and tamasika. In Gita, yajna means any unselfish, noble activity. However, in the next three verses it means rituals.11th verse: “Yajna that is performed with great reverence, with no showmanship, with great concentration, with a sense of sanctity, sacredness and self-restraint, with no selfish motive, with the sense that it is a sacred act and duty – such yajna is sattvika.”12th verse: “Yajna that is performed with a desire for material benefit or with a desire for fame or with great pomp and show – such yajna is Rajasika.”When the yajna is performed with showmanship, it is less spiritually beneficial. However, it is better to do yajna with publicity than to not do it at all.13th verse: “Yajna that is performed in an unconventional manner, without a sense of sanctity and sacredness, without the proper utterance of mantras, without giving dakshina to the priests – such yajna is tamasika.”If a priest performs rituals on our behalf and we do not give them dakshina, then the benefit of the ritual only goes to the priest. If we donate to the construction of a shelter, then some spiritual benefit from the construction of that shelter comes to us. In whatever charity we do, we should consider the fitness of the recipient.The 14th, 15th and 16th verses discuss tapah (austerity) - physical austerity, austerity of speech and mental austerity.When we fast, or after a pilgrimage we give up eating a certain food, it is an example of physical austerity. When we speak with good words, it is an example of austerity in speech. When we think good thoughts, it is an example of mental austerity.Upavasa is normally interpreted as fasting. However, its true meaning is “staying near God.” If someone fasts and at the same time fights with neighbors, that is not upavasa. Upavasa also does not mean self-torture. If someone does not fast but decides to read scriptures instead, he is closer to the real intent of upavasa.Austerity is about directing our mind and senses towards higher ideas. Great artists, musicians and scientists gave up worldly enjoyments to direct their mind exclusively on their activity. That is a symbol of austerity. Tyagaraja was a great Indian musician who denied treasures offered by kings – he wanted to compose music only for God.14th verse: “Those who practice reverence towards gods/goddesses, ancient sages, wise men and tradition, who do so with mental and physical purity, who do so with chastity and non-violence, whose body, mind and intellect operate in harmony and in one direction – their austerity is of the physical type.”Brahmacharya is mentioned in this verse. It is important for householders also. After having children, householders should practice chastity and contemplate on higher values. Many ancient sages were retired householders. To reach the experience of oneness with Brahman, one has to go through long spiritual practices which include Brahmacharya. To reach the highest state, one has to transcend tamo and rajo guna, be established in sattva guna and ultimately transcend all three gunas.15th verse: “Speech that does not cause vexation or anguish or disturbance in the minds of the listener, which is truthful, which is agreeable to the listener, which is beneficial to the listener, as well as recitation of the vedas, are austerities of speech.”When Hanuman meets Rama for the first time as Sugriva's messenger, Rama was charmed by Hanuman's art of speaking and his austerity in speech. Rama says to Lakshmana: “See how excellently Hanuman has spoken. He did not utter a single word without relevance. Nor did he omit an appropriate word. Such a voice promotes general welfare and remains forever in the hearts and minds of generations to come. His expression is not too elaborate, not confusing, not dragging, and not very fast. The language he spoke is richly endowed with grammatical purity. It is wonderful and auspicious. It is neither too fast nor too slow. It is captivating the heart. Whose mind will not be pleased by such words. He is a knower of all the vedas.”There is a verse in Mahabharata which says: “There are people who are ready to talk to you about what you want to hear. There are very few people who tell you what you need to hear and what is eventually beneficial to you.”Some people say that they are straightforward and say things as-is. However, if such speech causes anxiety to the listener, it is not sattvik. It should be beneficial to the listener.16th verse: “Serenity of mind, sympathy, kindliness, silence, self-control, sincerity and honesty in dealings – these are austerities of the mind.”Silence is sometimes more powerful than verbosity. Silence is also a language which is inaudible, where mind is involved, and where the sense of hearing is not involved.

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion.7th verse: “The food that we eat is linked to the three gunas. The way we practice rituals, austerity and charity is also linked to the three gunas.”The Chandogya Upanishad contains the first important discussion on the effect of what we eat and the true meaning of food. Shankaracharya has also written commentaries on the broader meaning of food. Food is not just hat we eat with mouth – our mind also eats food. It is all the ideas and associations that we imbibe and that impact our emotions and feelings. The five senses of perception and the sense objects – they all bring food to the mind.The verse in Chandogya Upanishad is:आहार शुद्धौ सत्त्व शुद्धिः सत्त्व शुद्धौ स्मृतिः ध्रुवा स्मृति लम्भे सर्व ग्रन्थीनां विप्र मोक्षः || [7.26.2] It means: “From purity of food comes purity of mind. From purity of mind comes constant remembrance of higher spiritual ideas. From constant remembrance of higher spiritual ideas comes liberation from bondage.”We remember what we are interested in. What are we are interested in depends on the structure of the mind. Whatever the mind has in its system, it wants more of it. If the mind is pure, it remembers and imbibes higher spiritual ideas.In a broader sense, mind refers to Antahkarana, which is made up of four compartments (mind, intellect, memory system, ego sense). In darkness, we may speculate whether something is a pillar or a human – this comes from mind, which is the speculative faculty. When we conclusively determine that it is a pillar, it comes from the intellect which is the determining faculty. We may remember that we had seen a similar pillar elsewhere – that comes from chittam, which is the memory system. And then we may think “I am the one who saw it” – that comes from ahamkara, which is the ego sense.8th verse: “Foods that enrich vitality, energy, strength, health, cheerfulness, mental equilibrium, appetite, contentment, and which are nourishing and agreeable, are liked by those endowed with Sattva guna.”Bhagavata Purana emphasizes that we should only eat what we need for our health and sustenance. It says: “One should only eat what the system permits to eat. Those who eat more, fall sick and become a liability to themselves.” In a broader sense it also means: “Those who are greedy and keep things which they do not need and which belong to others, such people are thieves.”There is an ancient ayurvedic verse from Sushruta Samhita, which defines health in a universal sense.“sama dosha sama agnischa sama dhatu mala kriyaaha| Prasanna atma indriya manaha swastha iti abhidheeyate”It means that a man is in perfect health when he is physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally healthy. In particular, this verse emphasizes that physical health needs to be complemented with a pleasantly disposed and contented mind, senses and spirit. They should not remind us of their existence.Manu Smriti defines what is the wrong type of food. It says:ANAROGYAM ANAYUSYAM ASVARGYAM CA ATIBHOJANAM APUNYAM LOKA VID VISTAM TASMAT TAT PARIVARJAYET (MANU SMRITI 2/57)It means: “One should avoid the following: (1) Food that is not good for health (2) Food that reduces the duration of life (3) Food does not guarantee good health in next life (4) Eating too much (5) Food that makes us do sinful deeds (6) Food that causes people to ridicule you.”Food has both a gross and subtle dimension. At a gross level, the food needs to be hygienically pure. At a subtle level, it means food that is prepared and served by people with good temperament and with affection.The 24th verse of the 4th chapter of Gita is the Brahma-Yajna-Mantra. It is uttered with a deep sense of reverence before people eat food, so the food is purified. 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.”There is nothing in this world, but Brahman. With this strong conviction, when we utter this mantra before eating food, then whatever we eat becomes purified. Whatever we eat, we should eat with a prayerful attitude.We should be moderate when it comes to eating food. Our body should not complain after we eat food. Extreme fanatical fasting and extreme gluttony are both non-spiritual.9th verse: “Foods that are bitter, sour, saline, hot, pungent, dry and burning are liked by those endowed with Rajo guna.”Food that creates temporary emotional excitement, violent tendencies, and disturb the balance of the mind are of the rajasika type.Gita has no reference to vegetarianism. There is no indication that ancient vedic culture was a vegetarian culture. The discussion of sattvik, rajasik and tamasik food goes beyond the concepts of vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Lord Krishna is addressing food in the context of the entire humanity.

Shraddha cannot be properly translated in English. Shraddha refers to a sense of sanctity and sacredness that helps us preserve higher values. It can also mean faith in scriptures, God, teacher, and a sense of integrity. One of the verses says: “A man is only as much as the shraddha he has.”2nd verse: “The shraddha of human beings is three-fold – Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika. It is born out of their own swabhava – their own natural tendencies. “Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo gunamanifests itself as laziness and delusion.Gunas are not visible and cannot be physically verified. We can infer which guna is predominant in a person by observing his external temperament.If a person has wealth and power, but he is humble, has self-control and does not make a show of it – he is endowed with sattva guna. Sattva guna indicates higher transcendental wisdom in a person. If a person is very active and makes a show of his wealth and power, he is endowed with rajo guna. If a person is lazy, ignorant, confused and does not want to earn higher qualities, he is endowed with tamo guna.Shraddha is based on our inherent natural tendencies, our swabhava, which is based on our samskaras. Every action leaves a residual effect (vritti) in our mental system. Many identical vrittis – from similar, repeated actions – solidify a distinct memory block called Samskara. Samskaras express through our determination to act in a certain manner, called Sankalpa. Sankalpa leads to further actions. This wheel continues, and it shapes our Swabhava.In Patanajali Yoga Sutra, Vyasa says: “The river of the human mind flows in two directions. One takes us towards higher spiritual fulfillment. The other is of a negative nature and takes us away from our cherished aspirations.” The mind may not act as our friend when it is not ready. For example, when we want to meditate (positive flow of the river), the mind may procrastinate (negative flow of the river).Vyasa also says: “We can never refine samskaras and turn the mind into a friend without a refining process. The refining process starts with doing some noble, unselfish deeds. Such deeds increase the store house of positive samskaras and negate the negative samskaras.The mind then begins to evolve.”The 1st sutra of sadhana pada in Patanjali Yoga Sutra says: “tap ah-svadhyaya-isvara-pranidhanani kriya-yoga” Kriya yoga refers to any kind of noble, unselfish activity. Such actions help us climb the ladder of three types of shraddhas – from tamasika, to rajasika to sattvika.One of the commentators on this verse says: “This shraddha is inherent but not inflexible. If inflexible, everything will degenerate into blind fatalism. We have the freedom to ascend to higher levels of shraddha by applying our own resources. This will strengthen the river of mind and help it flow in the positive direction.”3rd verse: “The shraddha of every individual is according to his/her natural disposition. Every individual and his level of shraddha are identified as one.”Brahma Sutras discuss the dynamics of leaving the world and the dynamics of returning to the world. We are born with the baggage of past samskaras (tendencies) – we cannot disown them. We collect these tendencies in our Antahkarana (mind, intellect, memory system, ego sense) through actions involving the senses and the mind. When the body is cremated, the physical senses are gone, but the Antahkarana is retained. It accompanies the soul when it takes a new body.These samskaras in the Antahkarana decide what level of shraddha each person possesses.In the next few verses, Lord Krishna describes how we can infer the level of shraddha by analyzing a person’s actions and behaviors, such as whom he worships and what kind of food he eats.4th verse: “Those endowed with sattvika shraddha worship divine, angelic deities. Those with rajasika shraddha worship a god idea that gives them material comforts such as wealth and power. Those with tamasika shraddha worship supernatural and black magic concepts of god.”The God idea that we worship is dependent on our level of spiritual evolution. As we evolve, our idea of God also evolves.In spiritual life, we are never late and nothing is lost. Every moment can be used as the beginning of a new journey.

21st verse: “There are three gates to a hellish life – hellish conditions created from our own actions. These three gates are lust, anger and greed (kamah, krodhah, lobhah). These three should be abandoned.”Every wrong action has desire or lust as its source. Once we have a desire, we direct our senses and energy to fulfill that desire. Not all desires are fulfilled. When the desire remains unfulfilled, we become angry. And then there is endless greed.22nd verse: “The genuine spiritual seeker, who has gone beyond these three gates, who is free from lust, anger and greed, he does things that are good for himself and others. He does not see distinction between himself and others. What is good for him will naturally be good for others.”23rd verse: “Those who act under the impulse of desire and ignore the fundamental principle – to act in accordance with shastram – they will not attain perfection, they will not attain happiness, and they will not reach their spiritual destination.”The literal, dictionary meaning of shastram may be science and theological scriptures. The true spiritual meaning of shastram is that which helps us conduct our life without desire, greed and anger. Shastram is that which helps us conduct our life in such a way that it becomes a blessing for ourselves and others.24th verse: “Therefore this shastram should be your pramanam (authority) in ascertaining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done.”Shastram also means spiritual heritage, accumulated spiritual wisdom, and teachings of great men and women who helped humanity preserve its values. Shastram is the totality of the best elements of human civilization.Civilization was able to preserve those best elements, that sanctity, that tradition because the exponents of these values had no selfish desire, no anger, and no greed.Bhagavata Purana has the following verse: “When honey bees go from one flower to another, whether it is a tiny or big flower, they only collect and imbibe its essence, the honey. They ignore everything else. Similarly, we should only imbibe the highest and most universal spiritual teachings. A wise person should only collect the essence and practice it in his own life – only then it becomes effective.”To emphasize the importance of spiritual practice and realization, Sri Ramakrishna used to give the example of almanac. The almanac has forecasts on rain, but if one takes the almanac and squeezes it, there won’t be a drop of rain. It is true that many teachings are recorded in the scriptures. But they are useless without the effort to practice and imbibe these teachings and realize God.Shraddha refers to a sense of sanctity and sacredness that helps us preserve higher values. It can also mean faith in scriptures, oneself, God, teacher, and inner consciousness. Shraddha can also mean concentration.Arjuna had shraddha but did not understand shastram. The 17th chapter starts with this doubt in Arjuna. He asks the question: “Those who have a high degree of shraddha but do not know how to follow shastram, what happens to them?” The 17th chapter deals with three levels of shraddha.The essence of Arjuna’s question is: “Do spirituals directly talk to us?” For a true spiritual seeker, if his mind is pure and sincere, the whole nature becomes an open book, an open university, an open education institution – he learns from everything.Bhagavata Purana has the legend of Avadhuta who learns spiritual lessons from birds, honey bees, elephants, fish and others from nature. His own mind helps him become a good student and learn from everything in nature. If the mind is pure, it captures the essence of spirituality from everything in this world. Otherwise, there is no end to doubts.Spiritual questions go through a process of self-destruction. They cease to be questions as we spiritually evolve. There are no shortcuts in spiritual evolution – it is a gradual process of evolution.Dogmatic approach does not allow one to evolve to a level of spiritual fitness to make use of what one learns – a dogmatic approach expects the student to just accept it. This is the opposite of shraddha. In Vedanta lineage, the teacher first elevates the student to a higher level where the student is naturally fit to accept the higher truth. For example, Sri Ramakrishna taught Advaita to Swami Vivekananda because he was spiritually ready. Other disciples wanted to learn Advaita, but Sri Ramakrishna did not teach them.In the 63rd verse of the 18th chapter, Lord Krishna says: “I have taught you this great spiritual truth. You analyze what I have taught you, use your own reasoning and do what you want.” This verse emphasizes the importance of spiritual freedom and encourages one to think for oneself. It also indicates that we can only learn from a book or teacher what we deserve to learn, what our mind is ready to learn.Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion.One has to understand where he stands and start climbing the ladder from tamo guna to rajo guna to sattva guna. Highest spiritual evolution happens when we transcend the three gunas. Such a person is called Guṇātita – he is active but remains serene and detached. Swami Trigunatitananda demonstrated this in his life’s work.

17th verse: “Extremely conceited, haughty, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform all sacrifices with great ostentation disregarding all ordinances.” This is the literal translation. The meaning of the verse is that such people do things in an improper manner without any consideration for propriety.Kama refers to desire – the mind wants to go after worldly desire all the time. Dambha refers to religious or spiritual pride and superiority. Māna means they think they deserve more honor than others. Mada means delusion, an over estimation of one’s abilities. These are characteristics of people who become conceited and indulge in showmanship.Sri Ramakrishna refers to three types of devotees – Sattvic, who are serene and contemplative. Rajasic who are externally expressive. And Tamasic who worship in a careless manner.18th verse: “Filled with egotism, power, insolence, lust and anger, such people hate Me. They do not recognize the presence of the divine spark in themselves and in others.”There are two types of strengths. In the first type, one has wealth, power, status but he is self-restraint. He does not have aversion towards anyone. In the second type, the power is accompanied by extreme likes and dislikes.It is important to combine any kind of power with humility and self-restraint. If a wealthy or powerful person is humble, it is a blessing to society.Ramanuja says in his commentary on the 18th verse: “The very idea of Viveka (discrimination) and Vairagya (renunciation) never comes to them because they have no genuine devotion to God. Their mind remains impure, and they always criticize. They think of someone who exercises self-restraint as weak. They think of knowledge without showmanship as ignorance.”19th verse: The literal meaning is: “These people – who are proud, malicious, cruel and born of evil qualities – I hurl them perpetually in the wombs of the demons.” The interpretation is: “Those who deliberately do sinful deeds, they fall into perpetual demonic state.”There is no eternal damnation in Hinduism. Only Madhvacharya talked about it. The majority do not accept this view. God is not the arbitrator.Gita says that we should build our own spiritual destiny. We reap according to the types of seeds we sow. According to our own actions, we create heaven or hell like conditions in our life.If we take refuge in God’s grace, our destiny will change. But we have to make ourselves graceworthy with our own self effort. Such refuge requires complete self-surrender. If we do so, it will be difficult for us to do anything wrong.Prapati is the highest state of a devotee of God. Prapati means complete surrender and is composed of the following characteristics. (1) Always having a positive outlook in life, full of sattvic qualities such as serenity, wisdom, compassion, and broad mindedness. (2) Rejecting all the opposing qualities such as skepticism and self-doubt. (3) Strong faith that God will protect me. (4) Total self-surrender.One of the Brahma Sutras says: “God is taking care of everything. Everything happens according to our previous deeds.”Though everything comes from God, God is not responsible for what we do. We act according to our own samskaras. Just professing a belief in God will not change our life. Prapati or complete self-surrender will have an immediate effect.20th verse: “Those who hate others and reinforce their own evil character, they continue to rotate in this cycle of samsara.”21st verse: “There are three gates to a hellish life – hellish conditions created from our own actions. These three gates are lust, anger and greed (kamah, krodhah, lobhah). These three should be abandoned.”Every wrong action has desire or lust as its source. Once we have a desire, we direct our senses and energy to fulfill that desire. Not all desires are fulfilled. When the desire remains unfulfilled, we become angry. And then there is endless greed.Patanjali prescribes five yamas (important) and five niyamas (auxiliary) in Yoga Sutras. When we practice yamas and niyamas, these three gates are closed.The five yamas are: ahimsa (non-violence, satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (right use of energy) and aparigraha (non-hoarding). The five niyamas are: saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (austerity), svadhyaya (study of scriptures) and Isvara Pranidhana (surrender to God).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 as seeker. (2) Those who ask questions without any seriousness. They pretend to be convinced, but they keep asking the same questions again.A spiritual seeker should practice friendliness (Maitri) towards fellow spiritual seekers, practice compassion (Karuna) towards those who are less evolved, practice happiness (Mudita) towards those who are more evolved, and practice a filtering attitude (Upeksha) towards those who may shake his faith.

The 16th chapter is an analytic study on the basic elements of human personality. Its purpose is to help people understand fundamental values that have enriched human civilization. It reminds us that we should not forget those values in our pursuit of wealth, power and comfort.11th verse: “There is continuous thought in the mind – no control, no restraint – with a desire to acquire something. Gratification of objects of enjoyment is the dominant theme of such people’s existence.”Mind always wants to possess something, not necessarily because we need it. Desires are not always linked to need.12th verse: “Driven by aspirations and desires, they go on to secure those objects of enjoyment by whatever means.”13th verse: “Today, I have got so much wealth and prestige. That is not enough. I have many other desires. I must continue my effort to go after these desires. These objects of enjoyment are mine and will remain mine in the future.”The 13th verse is interpreted in light of the 4th verse, which list six undesirable characteristics of those endowed with Asuri Sampat: Hypocrisy, arrogance, self-conceit, anger, rudeness, and ignorance.The 14th verse should be understood in the context of when Gita was written when warfare was common. It says: “I have killed this enemy. I am the master. I am going to enjoy. I am successful, powerful and happy.”While the 14th verse is written from the perspective of warfare, it applies to modern times where people compete with each other from the standpoint of the companies they work for.15th verse: “I am coming from a high position. There is no one as great as me. I shall perform big rituals. I shall enjoy and I shall acquire great things.”Shankaracharya, in his commentary on the 15th verse, says that such people are in self-delusion. They find out they are deluded when they get a blow from nature such as losing their job or money. The continuous thought current of acquiring material comforts imprisons them.The ancient text Bhagavata Purana (12th skandha, 2nd chapter, 2nd verse onwards) projects what life would be like in the future in Kaliyuga. It says: “Money will be the single most decisive factor in judging the value of people. With what values one lives his life, will be immaterial. Might will be right. Justice and social order will be built on the foundation of wealth. Some people will be enormously rich. Others will suffer from starvation. There will be epidemics spreading all over the world.”The 16th chapter is only concerned about the nature of human beings, not society as a whole. It warns us that if we forget the fundamental human values, society will collapse.16th verse: “They fall into the hellish life of constantly thinking of material comforts. Their mind becomes sick.”We can never achieve everything that we want to achieve. There is no end to desires. All these desires create a cloud of confusion and self-deception. The unfulfilled desires make the mind sick with anxiety and worries.We cannot meet all desires and everything in this world - such as health, money, status - is essentially impermanent. We may intellectually know this, but that intellectual knowledge has not become our emotional state, our common sense. The purpose of the 16rth chapter is to translate this intellectual knowledge into spiritual common sense.17th verse: “Extremely conceited, haughty, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform all sacrifices with great ostentation disregarding all ordinances.” This is the literal translation. The meaning of the verse is that such people do things in an improper manner without any consideration for propriety.For example, when we read a scripture, we should read it with shraddha, contemplate on it and imbibe what we read. Instead, in modern times, if we just click our way through different kinds of content, it would be considered improper.18th verse: “Filled with egotism, power, insolence, lust and anger, such people hate Me. They do not recognize the presence of the divine spark in themselves and in others.”Egotism is an important trait when directed towards creative channels. Sri Ramakrishna used to say that the ego should be given a good job to do. The ego should be our servant, not vice versa.The three gunas operate at the level of the antahkarana, which has four compartments: mind, intellect, memory system and ego. The difference between beings is not at the physical level; rather, it is at the level of antahkarana.Consciousness is one. Antahkarana is different among beings and it reflects consciousness differently. Swami Vivekananda said that the difference between an amoeba and a Buddha is only of degrees, not of kind. Buddha is like the clean mirror, in whom the presence of the lord manifests in His full effulgence.

Delve into the subtle traits that shape our character, exploring the thin line between confidence and arrogance. Recognize how negative qualities manifest, while understanding the significance of cultivating positive attributes for personal growth. The conversation critiques materialism and highlights the importance of aligning ambitions with spiritual values. Discover the impact of ancient teachings on mental wellness, emphasizing the essential role of spiritual nourishment in overcoming psychological distress. Honor the tradition of chanting and its relevance to cultural expression.

16th Chapter: Verses 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8Gita’s conclusion is that the essence of spirituality is about becoming a good human being. This is emphasized in the 9th chapter, in the 12th chapter and in the 16th chapter. The qualities described in these chapters should be imbibed and should express themselves in our everyday interaction with fellow beings.In the 13th verse of the 9th chapter, Lord Krishna says that the one who is dedicated to God should have these divine qualities and should be broad minded.The commentators of the 16th chapter divide human types into three categories. The first group is endowed with Daivi Sampat – those who have divine spiritual characteristics and are naturally inclined to do good. At the other extreme is the third group, those endowed with Raakshasi Sampat – they are evil and cannot do any good by their very nature. In between is the second group – those endowed with Asuri Sampat – they are neither evil, not divine; they have temptations, and are still striving to be spiritual. There is a long list of such people in the world, and such people should be watchful of what they feed to their mind – by doing noble deeds, they can evolve spiritually.A long list of undesirable characteristics is given in the 4th verse as a red flag to help humans to avoid following the path of Asuri Sampat or Raakshasi Sampat.The 2nd verse says that a spiritually evolved person practices ahimsa (non-violence) in thoughts, words and deeds. According to Gita, Ahimsa means avoiding any conscious or deliberate thought/word/deed that can directly or indirectly cause harm to others.The 3rd verse lists the following characteristics of a person endowed with Daivi Sampat: Boldness, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, and absence of provide.A devotee of God is in a state of perfect inner contentment. He has the strength of mind, the will power, the determination to withstand the problems of life and not be shaken by them. Strength without goodness is dangerous – it can create problems for others. Goodness without strength is useless and unproductive.The 4th verse lists six undesirable characteristics of those endowed with Asuri Sampat: Hypocrisy, arrogance, self-conceit, anger, rudeness, and ignorance.Hypocrisy does great harm to the mind. When we are straightforward, there is only one layer in the mind. When we think something else, say something else, and do something else, we create many artificial layers, which create conflict and harm the mind. Being upright and sincere to ourselves is necessary for our mental health.5th verse: “Of the three types - Daivi Sampat, Asuri Sampat or Raakshasi Sampat - Daivi Sampat leads to liberation. The other two lead to bondage. Arjuna – you do not have to worry as you are born with Daivi Sampat.” Samsara refers to the cycle of birth, death and rebirth – our actions leave a residual effect on our mental system, which then become strong attitudes that prompt us to do further actions (karma-vritti-samskara-chakra). We carry these mental tendencies with us from life to life. Daivi Sampat helps us get out of Samsara and eventually attain liberation. The other two keep us rotating along the wheel of Samsara.Lord Krishna anticipates that Arjuna has a doubt about where his character stands. Anticipating this doubt, he clarifies that Arjuna is born with Daivi Sampat.The easiest way to acquire Daivi Sampat is to start practicing spiritual disciplines – prayers, reading scriptures or doing noble deeds. The spiritual energy from these disciplines enriches the mental system.When we undertake spiritual practices, the mind develops the ability to react to life’s situations in a matured manner. Just writing down answers on how to respond to specific life’s situations will not help, because our mind has to be made ready to cooperate.6th verse: “There were two types of beings at the beginning of creation. I have described the divine ones. Now let me describe the other.”From the 7th verse onwards, Lord Krishna describes the external manifestations of those endowed with Asuri Sampat.In the 7th and 8th verse he says: “They do not know what do and what not to do, they have no sense of purity or impurity, they do not have a sense of propriety or impropriety, and they do not have a sense of truth or untruth. They have a natural disposition towards doing the wrong things.”Vedanta discusses two types of temperaments in individuals. (1) Pravritti – those who live in the world as normal human beings enjoying comforts of the world. (2) Nivritti – those who choose to live a life of renunciation.Even when we follow the path of Pravritti, we should be guided by dharma, in our pursuit of artha and kama. Kama means desire. Artha refers to the means to acquire material comforts and fulfil desires. Both artha and kama are regulated by dharma, a self-regulating mechanism and a sense of self-restraint. This self-restraint helps us enjoy the world without harming the mind with worries and anxieties.Mahatma Gandhi considered Gita as a commentary on the first two verses of the Isha Upanishad, which says: “The whole world is pervaded by the Divine. Therefore, enjoy the world through renunciation.” We can enjoy the world by having the awareness that everything in this world is, by its very nature, impermanent. This intellectual knowledge needs to become spiritual common sense.Practicing vegetarianism is helpful in the beginning stages of spirituality but it is not a definition of spirituality. During early stages, it can help bring down negative biological drives, emotions and feelings.