Chapter VIII Knowledge of Nirguna (Brahma) & Knowledge of Manifest Divinity It deals with wisdom with real knowledge of Manifest Divinity, inherence of God in all objects as their cause of origin and existence, condemnation of men of devilish nature and praise of devotees, the question of worship of other gods and condemnation of men, who are ignorant of the glory and the nature of God, and praise of those who know it. Shri Bhagwan tells Arjuna to listen how with the mind attached to God through exclusively love and practise of Yoga with absolute dependence on Him, you will know Him – the repository of all power, strength, glory and other attributes, the universal soul- in entirety and without any shadow of doubt. Sri Bhagwan continuing his discourse tells Arjuna that He shall unfold to him in its entirety this wisdom Knowledge of God in His absolute formless aspect along with the knowledge of the qualified aspect of God ( both with the form and the formless) having known which nothing else remains yet to be known in this world. Hardly one among the thousands of men strove to realise God. Of those shining yogis are rare one, devoting exclusively to God know Him in reality. Earth, water, air , fire, ether, mind, reason and also ego, these constitute God’s nature eightfold divided. This indeed is His lower (material ) nature , the other than this, by which the whole universe is sustained, know it to be His higher( spiritual) nature in the form of Jiva ( the Life Principle). Arjuna know that all Jivas have evolved from two fold Prakriti, and that God is source of entire creation and into Him again it merges and disappears. Arjuna God is sapidity in water and the light in the moon and the Sun. He is the sacred syllable OM in all the Vedas, the sound in ether, and the manliness in man. God is the pure odour in the Earth, and the brilliance in fire, He is the life in all beings and the austerity in the men of ascetics. Arjuna know god to be the eternal seed of all beings, He is the intelligence of the intelligent; the glory of the glorious God. Of the mighty He is the might, free from passion and desire; in beings He is the sexual desire not conflicting with virtue or scriptural injunctions. Whatever other entities are born of Sattva ( the quality of goodness), and those who are born of Rajas ( the principle of activity) , and Tamas ( principle of inertia0 know them all as evolved from Almighty alone. In reality, however, neither do God exist in the, nor they in Him. The whole of this creation is deluded by these objects evolved from three modes of prakriti- Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, that is why world fails to recognise God. Standing apart from these and imperishable this most wonderful veil( Maya) of God consisting of three Gunas ( modes of nature) extremely difficult to break through, those however, who constantly adore Almighty are able to cross it. Those whose wisdom has been carried away by Maya and who have been embraced by demonic nature such foolish and vile men do not adore Him. Four types of devotees of noble deeds worship God – the seeker after worldly possessions, the afflicted, the seeker of knowledge and the man of wisdom .Of these the best are men of wisdom, who remain ever established in identity with the Almighty and possessed of exclusive devotion. For God is extremely dear to wise men, who knows Almighty in reality and such a wise man is dear to the God also. In the very last of all births the enlightened soul worships God, realising that all this is God. Such a great soul is very rare. Those whose wisdom has been carried away by various desires, being prompted by their own nature, worship other deities adopting rules related to each other. Whatever a celestial form a devotee ( craving for some worldly object) chooses to worship with reverence God stabilises the faith of that particular devotee in that very form. Endowed with such faith he worships that particular deity and obtains through that deity without doubt his desired enjoyment as ordained by the supreme Creator. The fruit gained by these people of small understanding however is perishable. The worshippers of deities attain the deities, whereas His devotees, howsoever they worship God, eventually come back to Him and Him alone. Not knowing God’s unsurpassable and imperishable supreme nature the ignorant believe God, the supreme spirit to be beyond the reach of mind and senses. They cannot believe that God, who is embodiment of Truth, Knowledge and Bliss can assume a finite form as an ordinary human being through birth. Veiled by God’s Yogmaya (divine potency) He is not manifest to all. Hence these ignorant folks fail to recognise God- the unborn and imperishable Supreme Deity, considering Him as a subject to birth and death. God knows all beings- past and present- even those who are yet to come; but none without reverence and faith can know Him. Through delusion in the shape of pair of opposites- pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow- begotten of hatred and desire all living creatures are falling prey to infatuation. But those men of virtuous deeds whose sins have come to an end being freed from delusion in the shape of pair of opposites ( born of attraction and repulsion) worship Almighty with a firm resolve in every way. They who have taken refuge in Him strive for deliverance from old age and death know Brahma ( The Absolute), the whole Adhyatra ( The totality of t

 

Chapter VIII

Knowledge of Nirguna (Brahma) & Knowledge of Manifest

Divinity

It deals with wisdom with real knowledge of Manifest Divinity, inherence of God in all objects as their cause of origin and existence, condemnation of men of devilish nature and praise of devotees, the question of worship of other gods and condemnation of men, who are ignorant of the glory and the nature of God, and praise of those who know it. Shri Bhagwan tells Arjuna to listen how with the mind attached to God through exclusively love and practise of Yoga with absolute dependence on Him, you will know Him – the repository of all power, strength, glory and other attributes, the universal soul- in entirety and without any shadow of doubt. Sri Bhagwan continuing his discourse tells Arjuna that He shall unfold to him in its entirety this wisdom Knowledge of God in His absolute formless aspect along with the knowledge of the qualified aspect of God ( both with the form and the formless) having known which nothing else remains yet to be known in this world. Hardly one among the thousands of men strove to realise God. Of those shining yogis are rare one, devoting exclusively to God know Him in reality. Earth, water, air , fire, ether, mind, reason and also ego, these constitute God’s nature eightfold divided. This indeed is His lower (material ) nature , the other than this, by which the whole universe is sustained, know it to be His higher( spiritual) nature in the form of Jiva ( the Life Principle). Arjuna know that all Jivas have evolved from two fold Prakriti, and that God is source of entire creation and into Him again it merges and disappears. Arjuna God is sapidity in water and the light in the moon and the Sun. He is the sacred syllable OM in all the Vedas, the sound in ether, and the manliness in man. God is the pure odour in the Earth, and the brilliance in fire, He is the life in all beings and the austerity in the men of ascetics. Arjuna know god to be the eternal seed of all beings, He is the intelligence of the intelligent; the glory of the glorious God. Of the mighty He is the might, free from passion and desire; in beings He is the sexual desire not conflicting with virtue or scriptural injunctions. Whatever other entities are born of Sattva ( the quality of goodness), and those who are born of Rajas ( the principle of activity) , and Tamas ( principle of inertia0 know them all as evolved from Almighty alone. In reality, however, neither do God exist in the, nor they in Him. The whole of this creation is deluded by these objects evolved from three modes of prakriti- Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, that is why world fails to recognise God. Standing apart from these and imperishable this most wonderful veil( Maya) of God consisting of three Gunas ( modes of nature) extremely difficult to break through, those however, who constantly adore Almighty are able to cross it. Those whose wisdom has been carried away by Maya and who have been embraced by demonic nature such foolish and vile men do not adore Him. Four types of devotees of noble deeds worship God – the seeker after worldly possessions, the afflicted, the seeker of knowledge and the man of wisdom .Of these the best are men of wisdom, who remain ever established in identity with the Almighty and possessed of exclusive devotion. For God is extremely dear to wise men, who knows Almighty in reality and such a wise man is dear to the God also. In the very last of all births the enlightened soul worships God, realising that all this is God. Such a great soul is very rare. Those whose wisdom has been carried away by various desires, being prompted by their own nature, worship other deities adopting rules related to each other. Whatever a celestial form a devotee ( craving for some worldly object) chooses to worship with reverence God stabilises the faith of that particular devotee in that very form. Endowed with such faith he worships that particular deity and obtains through that deity without doubt his desired enjoyment as ordained by the supreme Creator. The fruit gained by these people of small understanding however is perishable. The worshippers of deities attain the deities, whereas His devotees, howsoever they worship God, eventually come back to Him and Him alone. Not knowing God’s unsurpassable and imperishable supreme nature the ignorant believe God, the supreme spirit to be beyond the reach of mind and senses. They cannot believe that God, who is embodiment of Truth, Knowledge and Bliss can assume a finite form as an ordinary human being through birth. Veiled by God’s Yogmaya (divine potency) He is not manifest to all. Hence these ignorant folks fail to recognise God- the unborn and imperishable Supreme Deity, considering Him as a subject to birth and death. God knows all beings- past and present- even those who are yet to come; but none without reverence and faith can know Him. Through delusion in the shape of pair of opposites- pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow- begotten of hatred and desire all living creatures are falling prey

to infatuation. But those men of virtuous deeds whose sins have come to an end being freed from delusion in the shape of pair of opposites ( born of attraction and repulsion) worship Almighty with a firm resolve in every way. They who have taken refuge in Him strive for deliverance from old age and death know Brahma ( The Absolute), the whole Adhyatra ( The totality of Jivas and embodied souls),and the entire field of Karma as well as His internal being comprising Adhibhata ( the field of Matter), Adhidaiva ( Brahma) and Adhiyajna ( the unmanifest divinity dwelling in the heart of all beings as their witness. And they who possessed of a steadfast mind, know thus even at the hour of death, they too know God alone.