Sanskrit: the true adornment of man

केयूराः न विभूषयन्ति पुरुषं हारा नचन्द्रोज्ज्वला:।
न स्नानं न विलेपनं न कुसुमं नालङ्कृता मूर्धजा:॥
वाण्येका समलङ्करोति पुरुषं या संस्कृता धार्यते।
क्षीयन्ते खलु भूषणानि सततं वाग्भूषणं भूषणम्॥

न विभूषयन्ति - do not adorn
केयूराः हाराः चन्द्रोज्ज्वलाः - Golden armlets and resplendent necklaces that match the moon in lustre
न स्नानं न विलेपनं न कुसुमं - neither baths nor fragrances nor bedecking with flowers 
नालङ्कृता मूर्धजा - nor foreheads decorated with prominent marks 
वाणी एका या संस्कृता धार्यते - his speech alone, that is distinguished as refined and cultured 
समलङ्करोति पुरुषं - adorns well the man
भूषणानि क्षीयन्ते खलु - all ornaments wear off in time, indeed, 
वाग्भूषणं भूषणम् - (So let man choose it) the true adornment of man is his cultured tongue. 

God's assurance

In today's reading of the Valmiki Ramayana, we came across this shloka:
सकृदेव प्रपन्नाय तवास्मीति च याचते।
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यः ददाम्येतत् व्रतं मम ॥६.१८.३३॥
When Sugriva cautions Rama against a ready acceptance of Vibhishana's request for refuge, Rama first asks everyone for an opinion, and only Hanuman suggests that Vibhishana cannot be spurned or tested in the circumstances and he should first be given refuge and also Hanuman says yhat in any case Rama is too powerful to come to any harm.

Rama appreciates what Hanuman says and utters these words in this shloka:
एतत् व्रतं मम - This is my avowed practice that
सकृदेव - if even once,
तव अस्मि इति - "I surrender to you" -thus saying,
प्रपन्नाय याचते च - one comes seeking refuge and with a plea for protection,
सर्वभूतेभ्यः - from the entire world of beings,
अभयं ददामि - I shall give protection and remove his fear.

This very idea is reflected in the name name #455 in Vishnu Sahasranama - सुव्रतः. In fact the Lord says in Bhagavadgita ch. 9 that even a sinner, by turning to the Lord, quickly redeems himself.

November 23, 2017: Subhaashita

To speak: how, what, when

avicārya na vaktavyaṃ vaktvyaṃ suvicāritam

kintu tatraiva vaktavyaṃ yatroktaṃ saphalaṃ bhavet ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

na vaktavyaṃ avicārya  - Nothing should be spoken without  deliberation.

vaktvyaṃ suvicāritam  - What is spoken should be well thought out.

kiñca vaktavyaṃ  tatraiva - And further, it should be spoken only where,
yatroktaṃ saphalaṃ bhavet - what is spoken is fruitful (i.e. not wasted on deaf ears.)

November 22, 2017: Bhagavadgita

śrīmad bhagavadgītā - summum bonum

sarva-guhyatamaṃ bhūyaḥ śṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ

iṣṭo’si me dṛḍham iti tato vakṣyāmi te hitam    ||18.64 ||

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṃ namaskuru

mām evaiṣyasi satyaṃ te pratijāne priyo ’si me   ||18.65 ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

bhūyaḥ śṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ sarva-guhyatamaṃ - Again, listen to my ultimate instruction, which is the most secret of all; 

asi dṛḍham iṣṭaḥ me iti tataḥ - You are most dear to Me,   and therefore 

vakṣyāmi te hitam - I tell you what is the good and right course for you.

bhava - Become

man-manā - one with your mind fully absorbed in Me,

mad-bhaktaḥ - one full of devotion to Me, 

mad-yājī - one who is peforming all actions as an oblation to Me.

namaskuru māṃ - Bow down=Surrender to Me! Then

satyaṃ eṣyasi mām eva - You will truly, most definitely, surely, enter into Me alone.

pratijāne te - I assure you, promise to you, "swear"to you!

asi priyaḥ me  - as you are dear to Me!

These words are the penultimate instructions to Arjuna by Krishna before the charama shloka 18.66. I dare not interpret that one, but am happy to narrate the way these were explained by Pujya Swami Tejomayananda-ji on the day before yesterday. 

God, Bhagavan Krishna, completes the 18th Chapter, wherein He answers Arjuna about what is true Tyaga and true Sannyasa. Then he says these two verses. He has already explained how by purification of one's mind and actions, one foregoes the sense of doership and enjoyership, and reaches God. Now He is restating the same in a very personal way, and tells Arjuna how he can reach Him = Krishna Himself. Thus, the Bhagavadgita is the most unique dialogue between God Himself, and man. We don't need any other scripture or interlocutor!

The formula given here is simple. First immerse your mind fully in your goal. Then love your goal. Then do everything and 100% all your efforts for reaching that goal. So much so you will surrender to that goal. Naturally the result will be you will reach that goal.

When my mind, heart, hand and effort are all totally devoted and surrendered to my ideal, God assures me here that I shall surely reach it!

My sincere Pranams to Pujya Guruji. 

November 18, 2017: When work becomes worship

śrīmad bhagavadgītā: When work becomes worship

yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṃ tatam |

sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ || 18.46 ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

yataḥ bhūtānāṁ pravṛttiḥ - From whom all entities derive their tendencies and activities (through the gunas)

yena sarvam idaṃ tatam - by whom the entire creation is pervaded, 

abhyarcya tam sva-karmaṇā  - by worshipping Him, through one's work/actions, in accordance with one's true nature, 

mānavaḥ siddhiṃ vindati - one attains fulfilment=liberation.

This key shloka occupies an important place in the 18th chapter, as the Lord winds up his discourse while re-emphasizing the nature of one's duty, and how to to perform it.

Pujya Swami Tejomayananda-ji spoke about this shloka at length yesterday. He said that the sum total of all work that man can and will do is like gold ore mined from a gold field. By discovering one's true calling, in accordance with one's tendencies and samskaras, one purifies the work, like purifying the ore into a gold nugget. Then performing that nature-ordained work in a Sattvic way (cited before), one creates a great ornament out of this gold nugget. By offering all one's work as worship of the Lordis like offering the ornament to the deity in the temple, which will be the ornament's greatest application. 

Swamiji said that Hanuman represents the greatest example of this.

Why offer one's true work as worship? After all, all our tendencies, all physical beings, all resources, all abilities, all attitudes, and all fields of action, are all permeated by the Lord. He is the Creator, and He is living and breathing through all. By offering our work as worship, we are only doing what is due! 

Recall Purandara Dasa's famous line: 

ಕೆರೆಯ ನೀರನು ಕೆರೆಗೆ ಚೆಲ್ಲಿ ವರವ ಪಡೆದವರಂತೆ ಕಾಣಿರೋ 

ಹರಿಯ  ಕರುಣೆಯೊಳಾದ ಭಾಗ್ಯವ ಹರಿ ಸಮರ್ಪಣೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಬದುಕಿರೋ 

November 15, 2017: Types of Work

śrīmad bhagavadgītā - trividha karma

niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam |

aphala-prepsunā karma yat tat sāttvikam ucyate || 18.23 ||

yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ |

kriyate bahulāyāsaṃ tad rājasam udāhṛtam || 18.24 ||

anubandhaṁ kṣayaṃ hiṃsām anapekṣya ca pauruṣam |

mohād ārabhyate karma yat tat tāmasam ucyate || 18.25 ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

tat karma ucyate sāttvikam  - that work is called pure, balanced, 

yat kṛtam - which is performed

niyataṁ - as prescribed (as one's duty to self and mankind)

saṅga-rahitam - without attachment to the tasks or results. 

arāga-dveṣataḥ - without passion and hatred, (like and dislike*) 

aphala-prepsunā - without any incentive of personal gains.

tu yat karma kriyate kāmepsunā  -But that work done out of one's desires, 

sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ - or out of ego and self-aggrandisement, 

bahulāyāsaṃ - with much pomp and sweat, 

tad  udāhṛtam rājasam - that is held out as work done out of passion and desire.

tat karma ucyate tāmasam - (Finally) that work is called work done out of ignorance and mindlessness, 

yat anapekṣya anubandhaṁ - which is done without regard to consequences and side-effects, 

kṣayaṃ hiṃsām - without regard to damage done to things and people, irrespective of violence inflicted on others, 

ca pauruṣam - and without considering one's ability to perform the task undertaken, 

 ārabhyate mohād- and begun out of delusion or infatuation.

Swami Tejomayananda expounded these shlokas yesterday. He emphasized that since everyone has a bit of all the three gunas, and they influence our actions from time to time, this analysis will help us to see where we are going wrong, and what is happening around us.

PS:

We can see the Gandhian principle reflects the spirit of Bhagavan Krishna's advice with regard to work. '

A lot of political and business leaders can be seen to be busy with Rajasic and Tamasic work.

Finally the entire mankind can be seen heedlessly plunging the planet into ecological disaster out of a way of life and so-called development that is truly Tamasic.'

Note:  A study of the Gita would clarify that Arjuna was extolled to take up the righteous war as a Sattvic duty, and not with a Tamasic attitude.

*post edit, thanks to Sri. K V Chellappa).  

November 14, 2017: Bhagavadgita on Tyaga

śrīmadbhagavadgītā - What is tyāga?

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat

yajño dānaṁ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām  ||18.05 ||

etānyapi tu karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā phalāni ca

kartavyānīti me pārtha niścitaṁ matam uttamam ||18.06 ||

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ - Acts of worship through work, acts of charity, and obeservance of austerity are not to be given up.

kāryam eva tat - that should be done without fail as,

yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām - these acts of worship, charity and austerity purify and uplift all mankind.

pārtha me niścitaṁ uttamam matam iti    - Oh Arjuna, my decided and supreme opinion is that, 

tu etāni api karmāṇi kartavyāni - even these acts should be performed

saṅgaṁ tyaktvā  phalāni ca - without attachment (ie without ego and likes and dislikes), and no attachment to the results or gains there from.

I am attending the 18th Chapter discourses by Pujya Swami Tejomayananda of Chinmaya Mission at NMKRV auditorium 11-21 November. Wonderful insights and the entire experience is very uplifting.

As Swamiji said, the 18th chapter is the summary or debrief of the entire Gita. In that the very first subject taken up is the idea of non-attachment or Tyaga. Swaimiji clarified that the trio of Tapas, Yagna and Dana mean as follows:

Tapas: bring your entire mind, senses, organs of action, ie the entire being, into a single pointed focus.

Yagna: Using that focus, perform your actions with a grand vision for the welfare of all.

Dana: Such a performance is bound to yield rich results, as is the law of nature. But these results or fruits, should be shared with all, with no attachment or possessiveness.

The ideal cited is that of the tree. It grows, and produces the best of fruits, only to be shared entirely with the world, holding nothing back for itself.