Commentary on the Bhagavadgita

by Swami Krishnananda

We may cast a retrospective glance over the studies that we have made up to this time, which comprise the first six chapters of the Bhagavadgita. These first six chapters form an independent book by themselves. The eighteen chapters of the Gita have been classified into three books: the first six, the next six, and the last six. The first six chapters, as we might have noticed, lay emphasis particularly on the individual’s discipline by rightly directed activity; and we have been told several things in all these six chapters: how an individual should behave, how an individual should conduct himself, and how yogic discipline has to be the central motif of every spiritual seeker.

In the First Chapter we are introduced to the scenery of the actual work-a-day world of what we may call mutual conflict, and an inner instinct for waging a war even with one’s own neighbour, kith and kin, family members. This was the predicament in which Arjuna found himself; and man is symbolised by Arjuna. We have the representative of man in Arjuna. We can find the weaknesses and the strengths of human individuality in Arjuna’s personality. Whatever we feel, he too felt. Whatever is our forte and foible, that was also his forte and foible. Actually, every day we do the same things that he was doing, but in a different magnitude. We may not actually find ourselves in a large field of battle with elephants and chariots and horses and drawn swords; but in a miniature, more modified form, we are in a battlefield every day – each one of us – if we consider the fact that there is some conflict that we have to face from morning to evening. This conflict is partly in our own selves, because it has not always been easy for us to reconcile our judicial and rational understandings with our instinctive feelings, biological calls, and the like. We also feel some difficulty in adjusting ourselves with people outside. Great effort is necessary to see that we do not come in conflict with other people. Though a person may be very near us, maybe living next door, we have to adjust ourselves with him, notwithstanding his nearness. We experience a strain owing to the necessity that we feel to adjust ourselves from moment to moment in the atmosphere that we are placed; and we know that we are always placed in some atmosphere every day socially, geographically, naturally.

Now there is a big storm, which we never expected; yesterday it was so hot, and tomorrow it may be something else. This is a geographical and natural phenomenon with which we have to adjust ourselves so that we may not fall ill. And of course there are various ways in which people think. Not everyone thinks in the same manner every day. As evolution advances, the pattern of thinking in individuals also goes on changing. We cannot take any person in this world for granted, because every individual undergoes even psychological modifications on account of the gunas of prakriti – sattva, rajas, tamas – modifications in the onward march through the process of evolution.

A peculiar difficulty has been briefly pictured before us in the First Chapter of the Bhagavadgita – a chaos of mental activity and a peculiar difficulty whose causes are not easily detectable. Fortunately for Arjuna, Sri Krishna was his guide and, therefore, he was in a better position than many of us here who do not have guides of that kind. Sri Krishna immediately placed Arjuna in the proper context of his activity, saying that all the social and psychological difficulties that he felt, which he expressed in the first chapter, were due to a lack of knowledge.

Here, by ‘knowledge’ Sri Krishna meant the structure of the universe in the light of the components of prakriti as detailed for us in the Sankhya philosophy. Everything in the world – outside as well as inside, individually as well as cosmically – is supposedly constituted of twenty-four principles; and the relationship of oneself with this world is not actually a sentimental one. Our relationship to people outside and to the world is not sensory, not sentimental, not emotional; it is a different thing altogether. That our relationship with the outside world is altogether different from what we assume it to be was not known to Arjuna. And many of us are in the same condition; we do not know the world properly. Therefore, every day there is a peculiar anxiety in our minds, either in a submerged form or in an expressed, patent form.

Sankhya knowledge was lacking in Arjuna. Apart from that, even supposing he had been initiated into the doctrine of Sankhya, which is the pattern of the working of the cosmos, he could not implement it in daily life, especially in the conflict-ridden field where he was stationed. So he was lacking knowledge of both Sankhya and yoga. The Second Chapter briefly lays the foundation for all the teachings in the Gita that follow. The various verses of the Second Chapter sow the seeds for more detailed enumeration detail of the very same theme in the later chapters. In the Third Chapter we saw in larger detail how one has to conduct oneself in this prakriti-ridden world – the world constituted of sattva, rajas and tamas – by applying the knowledge of Sankhya in our day-to-day activity. We should not be under the impression that we are the agents of action or the doers of anything whatsoever, as independent individuality is not permitted in the cosmic setup of the three gunas which constitute the outside world as well as our own selves. Gunah guneshu vartante iti matva na sajjate (3.28) says the Third Chapter. Knowing that the three gunas in the form of the components that make up the individual collide with the very same gunas in the form of objects of sense – knowing this truth of prakriti itself working individually on one side and cosmically on the other side -one does not get attached to any particular individual, event or activity.

We are born with a determination, a will and necessity to perform sacrifice. Saha yajnah praja srishtva purovacha prajapatih, anena prasavishyadhvam esha vo’stv ishta-kama-dhuk (3.10): By mutual cooperation and mutual sacrifice, we will be able to live here comfortably in this world. If we are friendly with other people, those other people will also be friendly with us. A little sacrifice that we do will evoke the very same spirit of sacrifice from other people. Total independence of an individual is not possible in this world where individuality is weak in many ways and cooperation from other people is necessary. Hence, we have to show respect, and a sacrificial spirit should be our attitude towards other people because we expect the same sacrifice from others. It is a kind of mutual give-and-take policy of harmonised behaviour among individuals in society.

After hearing all this, the student may be perturbed: “This teaching is too high for me; it goes over my head. I seem to understand what you are saying, Lord Krishna, and the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. My body is trembling, my mind is running here and there with its distractive activities, and my soul is not able to reconcile itself with the demands of the sense organs, the physical body and the fickle mind. How am I to actually utilise this knowledge that you have imparted to me in my daily work? I have got weaknesses of a hundred varieties.”

The Fourth Chapter tries to give a solacing reply to this doubt. Whenever we have such difficulty and we find ourselves in an impasse which we cannot easily cross, God Himself will descend in the form of an incarnation in order to help us. A descent of divine light will suddenly illumine the dark corners of our daily work. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham (4.7); paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya cha dushkritam, dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge (4.8). We noticed that God’s incarnating is a perpetual activity. It is not something that took place centuries back and may take place again after several centuries. It is the direct action that God takes at every crucial moment whenever there is an impossible situation, as it were, which we cannot handle even with the guidance of our associates.

A great problem is before us. We do not know whether to live or to die. Sometimes such situations arise, and it is then that we have to invoke a higher power. We had such difficulties in the ashram during Gurudev Swami Sivananadaji’s time – to be or not to be, to do or not to do. “Swamiji Maharaj, tomorrow there is a very difficult situation for us. We have no food to eat.” Or – “That person is giving this trouble; this person is a problem. What is to be done? Gurudev, these kind of problems are there.” His answer was, “Don’t bother. It will be all right”; and it became all right.

Now this sentence, “It will be all right,” is a kind of incarnation of God. It is a blessing that comes from a source that is not of this world, and we could not have handled it individually. In the same manner, Bhagavan Sri Krishna gives us a solacing message that we need not feel perturbed that it may be difficult for us to practise yoga. “It is difficult, beyond me totally, physically as well as mentally.” No! When we feel difficulty of this kind, when it is impossible for us to take even one step, if our hearts are pure and our feelings are sincere, we will see a light like a candle flame in front of us. Some good Samaritan will suddenly come to our help. Miracles take place every day, and they can be known to us if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Therefore, no problems will be there. “I am there to take care of you.” Different kinds of spiritual practice are further described in the Fourth Chapter – the kinds of yajna, or sacrifice, in the form of worship, etc., that we have to perform. We went through this in detail towards the end of the Fourth Chapter.