Geeta Vahini

The Gita clearly declares that only the Hridaya-pushpa (Heart-Lotus), free from impurities, that grows in the Manasa-sarovar, the pellucid waters of the Mind, is worthy to be offered to God. That is the reason why Krishna told Arjuna, “My dear brother-in-law, whatever activity you are engaged in, whatever gift you give, whatever food you take, do it as a dedicated offering to Me. Do everything in the dedicatory spirit as a tribute to God, for only such acts reach Me. I have no special preference for any one Name. All Names are Mine. I know neither friend nor foe. I am the unaffected Witness. I reside with all who serve Me and derive joy from that service.”

This raised some doubts in Arjuna’s mind. He asked, “Krishna! You say that you do not make any distinction, that you have neither friend nor foe. How then does it happen that some are happy and others are unhappy, some are strong in body and mind, some are weak and sickly, some are poor and some rich? What is the reason behind all this? When you yourself are above any distinctions of such type, why can you not keep all in the same condition? Observing facts as they are, it is difficult to believe that you look upon all without any partiality.”

Krishna laughed at this ‘doubt’ which worried Arjuna! “I give expression only to truth. I do not adjust My speech to your approval or disapproval. I am not elated when you approve, or depressed when you disapprove. I am the same in all. But all are not the same in Me. You have observed that during the cold months villagers sit around a fire at night. But only those who sit near the fire get refreshed by the warmth. Those squatting far away have also to put up with the darkness. If people stay afar and complain that they do not receive the warmth and that they have to suffer darkness, can you ascribe it to the partiality of fire? It is meaningless to argue from this, that fire treats different people differently.

“The splendour of Divine Vision is akin to this. If you seek to earn it, you have to approach it and stay there. Everyone has equal right to do so and to feed the fire, so that it might illumine and warm even more. Fire is impartial; in deriving its benefit and in making it grow into greater and greater capacity, there are differences. I am Splendour, I have no partiality at all. To experience Me and derive Bliss from Me, all have equal chance, opportunity and authority. Distinctions and differences arise as a result of the faults of the Sadhakas. They are not blemishes in Me.”

Did you notice the loving words of Krishna, the shower of His Grace? How true are His words! Really, people do not understand the faults in themselves. They seek faults in others. If the Lord has faults, how can the world exist or survive? The Lord sees all as equal. His Heart embraces all in Love. That is the reason why the world has at least this much of peace and prosperity. The doctor may declare that the patient has no fever just to console the sick man. But the thermometer cannot lie. God knows and reacts to the inner feeling, not to the outer appearance. He can never go wrong, nor can He be deceived. The world considers only the outward appearance. It is guided by that alone.

Wade in the river. Then only can you know the depth of the water. Eat, if you must know the taste. When people pronounce judgements on the depth or the taste, without wading or tasting, how can their declarations be taken as true? If the Lord Himself was affected by partiality, how could He award the Bliss of Sayujya (Unity in God) to the cowherd maids of Brindavan? Would He have partaken of fruits partly eaten by Shabari? Could Janaka have become a Brahma-jnani? Could Nandanar have achieved the grand vision of the Lord? Could Prahlada and Vibhishana have approached the Lord? Would Hanuman have been accepted as the messenger of Rama? Could Valmiki have written the great epic, Ramayana? Do these indicate any partiality in the composition of the Lord? Or do they prove that He has no such trait? These are examples of the Lord’s Prema (love), His uniform kindness to all.

“Manmana bhava, madbhakto, mad yaji, mam namaskuru,” this command of the Lord means just this. “Keep your mind steadily on Me, be devoted sincerely to Me, prostrate before Me offering all your thoughts, words and deeds to Me, Love Me steadfastly,” He has commanded. He has thus indicated that what He most desires in you are a ‘pure mind’ and ‘untarnished Love.’

Immersed in Manava Tatva (Humanness), you cannot attain Madhava Tatva (Madhavaness). You have to attain Madhava Tatva to get Madhava-hood. To see darkness, you must have darkness only; to see light, you should have light. To understand Intelligence you have to be intelligent. If you are constantly active about human things, how can you realise the Glory of Divinity? To become Divine, you have to dwell in the memory of the Divine, act Divinely, behave Divinely. The state, the environment and the feeling, all must be co-ordinated for that one purpose. Then only can the principle be grasped.

It is on the basis of this truth that Krishna continued thus: “Arjuna! Jnanis are superior even to the gods who are in their turn superior to men. But these Jnanis too are unable to grasp the full import of God. How then can ordinary men like you ever understand it?” At this sly dig, Arjuna bent his head in shame. He said, “Yes, I agree Krishna, You are beyond the grasp of anyone, however intelligent he may be. You are of endless manifoldness. I am convinced. You are the Universal Absolute, I know.

“I believe that you have created the entire Universe and that you are fostering it and presiding over both the evolution and involution of the worlds, that you are the Master of Srishti (creation), Sthiti (sustenance) and Layam (dissolution). You have told Me this yourself. I am ever grateful for this and I am happy that I was considered worthy.

“But how, in what forms, are You immanent in the Universe You have brought into being? I long to hear it from You and make myself worthier to be alive,” said Arjuna. “And, which among these various forms am I to meditate upon? Tell me, so that I can meditate likewise and save myself,” he pleaded.

“A pretty small question, that!” said Krishna, with a smile. “Perhaps, you felt that you can easily understand the answer if given! Right. Since the question has been put, I shall melt a little and give the answer. Listen carefully, I am the Inner Atma in the lotus heart of each and every Being. So, if you believe and direct your life on the basis of the belief that the inner Atma in every being is My Paramatma, that is enough Dhyana for you. See that this belief is not shaken or overthrown; stick to it steadily, practise that belief, apply it in your deeds, words and thoughts. Then the experience of Oneness, of your being Me and I being you, can be achieved.

“The five elements, earth, water, fire, wind and sky are also My forms. I am the activity in the Sun, Moon and Stars. When the great destruction comes, I am the force of destruction and I am the force which constructs again. I am everything from the microscopic to the macroscopic. I am the past, the present and the future. I am the three regions and the three Gunas which have shaped man and nature. There is no object which is not I, no name which is not Mine. Blood taken from any part of the body is the same as from any other part. So too, the Divine is everywhere the same.”

Then, Arjuna joined both his palms and with uplifted hands, he asked, “Krishna! The whole of creation is your form, is it not? knowledge, wealth, power, strength, energy, splendour, all these are expressions of your glory, are they not? Well, will You not give me the sacred chance to fulfil my life’s desire to experience You as all this creation, as Vishvarupa, of the form of creation Itself? I plead with you, I pray at Your Feet.”

Knowing the anguish of his heart, Krishna replied, “Arjuna! I shall certainly satisfy you. But your physical eyes cannot see that glory. The Vishvarupa cannot be perceived by the limited vision which sees and grasps only this nature. Therefore, I shall confer on you the supernatural eye. Now, see!” He said and manifested Himself before him as creation and more. What great Mercy? What superb experience!

While at this point, there is one subtle detail which seekers have to note. The Vedas, Shastras and Puranas, besides many scholars and saints and others who have a right to speak about such matters, all describe God as Sarva-vyapi and Sarva-bhutantaratma, that is, as present everywhere and as the inner reality in every being. On the basis of this, some people argue, “If he is so present everywhere and in everything, why is He not seen by everyone?” For all such, the reply is: how can the physical eye composed of the five elements see beyond the five?

Nothing can illumine an object that does not reflect light. But a flame illumines itself and sheds light all around. God is self-luminous. He illumines all, He is beyond Nature, which is but a manifestation of His Glory. So, He can be seen only by the Eye of Wisdom, an eye that can be won only by His Grace. Hence, worship of God is an essential part of Sadhana. He who fails in seeing himself can never succeed in seeing others, in seeing anything outside him. Engage yourself in Sadhana that will secure the Grace of God; through that Grace, the Jnana-netra, the Eye of Wisdom will be granted. He is easily reachable by the path of devotion. While experiencing the vision of God in the universe, and God as the universe, Arjuna was shedding tears of joy. “Oh, Almighty God! All the gods, Brahma the Creator, all the sages and saints, all the manifold beings and objects, moveable and immovable: Oh, I see every one of these. I see all…Oh, from Your terror-creating Face, Flames of Splendour emerge and spread to farthest distances. How I wish I could know the meaning and purport of this formidable Form,” Arjuna exclaimed.

“Did you see, Arjuna? Have you known by this that I am the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer of all Activity and of all beings and objects? Have you realised that you cannot save anyone on this battlefield, nor can you kill anyone? You have no power to kill nor have they the power to die, by their own efforts. Living and dying are both directed by My Will. I bear the burden of the Earth. I create the burden. I relieve it,” said Krishna, fondly patting Arjuna on the back and speaking softly to assuage his ecstatic excitement.

This incident is a fine example to illustrate how God is bound by sincerity of devotion and how He bends to console and encourage His devotees. Just imagine! How could this Arjuna, who was so hesitating and nervous until he got ocular demonstration like an ordinary mortal, face and conquer mighty heroes and masters of all arts like Bhishma, Drona and Karna? They were conquered by His Will.

Arjuna wiped the tears from his eyes. He folded his hands in prayer. “Oh Lord, I see the Vishvarupa which I had never before seen or heard about, or even conceived. I realise that it is a Factual Truth. Those terrific flames of splendour are scorching me, my body is sizzling under the impact of that Glory. Present Yourself before me, once again, with the sweet smiling Form of Yours. I can no longer bear this Vision. Father! Resume Your Form, I cannot continue to look upon this,” pleaded Arjuna.

His Grace made Him agree. He said, “Arjuna! You have just seen this Universeful Form of Mine, a Vision which no height of Vedic scholarship or ritual asceticism or austerity can ever hope to win. This is achieved only by the Bhakta who is devoted to Me, with Ananya-bhakti; devotion which does not admit of the least distraction. Such Bhaktas see only the Lord. Whatever they do, they do as worship to the Lord. They have no other form before their eyes, no other thought in their minds, no other act for their hands. At all times and places, they see only My Form, they utter only My name. They think only about Me. They feel only for Me or about Me. They are active only for My sake. It is such, O Arjuna! that attain this Vision. I too ask for only this: Ananya-bhakti.”

Arjuna asked with a smile and a little tremor of the lips, “Lord! I realise that You are pleased with undeviating single-pointed devotion. But are you pleased with the worship of You-with-form or You-without-form? Do you prefer Sakara Upasana or Nirakara Upasana? Which melts You more and contributes to success in getting Your Blessings? Which is easier for the Sadhaka and more welcomed by You? Please tell me.”

Krishna was happy that this question was asked. He said, “Arjuna! I do not make any distinction between the two. I am pleased, however I am worshipped, provided the mind is saturated with Me and there is steady faith in every act, word and thought.” Arjuna intercepted with the query, “Krishna! Are mere purity of heart and steady faith enough? Do not sex or status as fixed by caste or the stage of life form obstacles to success?” Krishna chided Arjuna and replied, “I am surprised that you should ask such questions after going through all this experience. Do you not realise that for those who have fixed their minds on God, who have reposed in Me, the Personification of Truth, eternal and pure, there will not be an iota of ‘identification of the self with the body,’ (Deha-bhranti). If they have still the awareness of sex or caste or stage of life with all the attendant pride, humility, etc., it only reveals they have not surrendered their minds to God. For those who have rid themselves of attachment to the body, there will not be the distraction of caste, status, etc.

“But the Ashrama Dharma and the Varna Dharma (the codes of moral conduct prescribed for the castes and for those in the four stages of Life—(student, householder, recluse and monk) do not hinder in any way the discipline of fixing the mind on God or of purifying the mind of evil or worshipping the Lord through all one’s actions, words and thoughts. The distinctions of sex or caste or status or stage of life affect only those who live in the awareness of the body as Reality and who act as if the world is absolute and eternal.

At this, Arjuna said, “Krishna! The contemplation of the Formless, Characteristicless, Nirguna-nirakara is very difficult, is it not, for those with Deha-bhranti or identification of the Self with the body? The worship of the formful aspect of God which is within the reach of the ordinary man, can this yield purity of mind, purity of the inner instruments of consciousness? Please enlighten me.”