BG5.9

In his Thiruvaimozhi [2.10], Nammalwar, says 'kilaroli ilamai keduvathan munnam..', meaning one should go to Thirumaliruncholai hill, before one loses vigorous youth, that is before becoming old. If we imagine Sri Bhoomadevi as South India, then She has the Thirumala hills on one side and Thirumaliruncholai on the other. Both are seven hills. This is also called Vrishabadri. Vrishabam means bull, in Sanskrit. Yama meditated here and according to his prayers, the Lord is appearing here as Sri Sundara Raja. Yama got the temple, pond and all others constructed with the assistance of Vishwakarma. Moolavar is called Sri Parama Swami and Uthsavar is Sri Sundara Tholudayan and Sri Kallazhagar. At the entrance to the temple, there is Padinettampadi Karuppan. Today's [27th November, 2007] lecture is from here only. Once, eighteen persons from Kerala came here with the idea of carrying the idol and its power to their place. But the devotees here, knowing their intention, got the idea destroyed and made them to remain here as Eighteen steps at the entrance. Thus the name. The leader among them, after worshiping the Lord, prayed the Lord to make him stay here permanently and accordingly he is stationed here as the watch-god for the temple and he is called Karuppanna Swami. The doors are normally not opened and any disputes of villagers here are settled in front of this door. Karuppanaswami is honoured by offering the garlands used by the Lord, daily. He is alos offered all the prasadams of the Lord after the six time pooja. Annually, before going to the river Vaigai, on Chitra Pournami, the Lord first stands before this gate to bless Karuppanna swami. We will now see the Eighth sloka. In the Seventh sloka, Sri Krishna told that by practicing Karma yoga, one's mind gets purified and is in control and so, one is able to control the sense organs. He views all as equal and whatever action one does, papa never adheres. From now till 12th sloka important message is given out. Swami Alavandar, while summarising the 5th Chapter, told that Karma yoga yields result early and easily. Karma yoga should be done with a feeling of akartrutva, or 'I-am-not-doing' sense. This is most important. We will see both Eighth and Ninth slokas together as they convey a single message:

naiva kincit karomiti
yukto manyeta tattva-vit
pasyan shrinvan sprsan jighrann
asnan gacchan svapan svasan

pralapan visrjan grhnann
unmisan nimisann api
indriyanindriyarthesu
vartanta iti dharayan

"A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all. Because while speaking, evacuating, receiving, or opening or closing his eyes, he always knows that only the senses are engaged with their objects and that he is aloof from them."

Yukto = one who is practicing Karma yoga, tattva-vit = in order to understand the true knowledge of atman, manyeta = thinks like this. Kincit karomiti = even a small work also, naiva = not done [ by him]. A true Karma yogi in pursuit of the real knowledge of atman, never thinks, at anytime, that even a small work or karma was done by him. Are we not coming to the temple? Are we not prostrating? Are we not chanting His names? Then, why does He say that Karma yogi never feels that he is not doing any of these? All these and the domestic activities are done by the sense organs and not by the atman. He is resolved that the organs are doing their duties. Api = even [ this word has to precede every activity Sri Krishna is listing now], pasyan = seeing, shrinvan = listening, sprasan = touching, jighran = smelling, asnan = tasting, gacchan = walking, svapan = sleeping, svasan = breathing, pralapan = talking, visrijan = passing away [ stool and urine], grahnan = grabbing, unmisan = eyes opening, nimisan = eyes closing, he thinks all the respective organs are doing these activities and atman has nothing to do with these actions. We have earlier seen that no action is done by an individual but is the team work of five : God, atman, body, organs and the [five] airs [ prana, apana, vyana, samana and udhana]. Sri Krishna has listed 13 activities here. Of these, the first five are of Gyanendriya [knowledge seeking] organs. Walking, talking, grabbing and passing off waste matter are all of Karmendriya or organs of action. He then lists four activities of the five airs - sleeping, breathing, closing eyes and opening eyes. These activities will always be done whether one wants to do or not. Even while sleeping or in faint, we breathe. If one in sleep blabs, one after waking up says that it was done by the mouth. Same one, while in wake-up stage can not say that the mouth is speaking but says he was speaking. Actually, atman never speaks and it is the organ for speech has spoken. This body and all organs have all arrived at this soul. Soul does not need any of them. Atman by itself, can get all the knowledge and experience these organs individually do. This is possible only when we realize atman swaroopam. Indriyani = all organs, indriyartesu = their respective organ based duties, vartante = are there, iti = like these, dharayan = resolved. Karma yogi, resolves that all the organs are to do their respective duties and atman has nothing to do with those activities. Such a resolved thinking takes him away from this samsaram and leads him to atman sakshatkaram and Moksham.