BG 13.24

We have already seen how Peyalwar and Thirumazhisai Alwar had sung in praise of the Lord of Thiruallikkeni. Thirumangai Alwar has praised the Lord of all sannidhis, in Ten songs. We are entering gopuram and reach the dazzling, tall Dwajasthambam. On one side we can see Thiruvaimozhi mandapam. The Lord listens to a century each of Thiruvaimozhi, everyday, on all the ten days of Irappatthu [இராப்பத்து], here only. Adyayana utsavam is the main festival. The Lord listens to all the 4000 verses of Nalayira Divya Prabhandam, in every Divya desam, in the 21 day festival. Sri Parthasarathy also listens to all the pasurams, surrounded by all Alwars. In the first 10 days during Pagal patthu [பகல் பத்து], the Lord listens to the First 1000 verses and Thirumangai Alwar's Periya Thirumozhi [பெரிய திருமொழி], consisting of 1000 verses. After this, is the Vaikunta Ekadasi, eagerly witnessed by lakhs of devotees in Srirangam and in Thiruallikkeni. During recording of this lecture, we also witnessed the Lord emerging out of Paramapada vasal or Vaikunta vasal [பரமபத வாசல், வைகுண்ட்ட வாசல்].


Then, Thiruvaimozhi is started. On Vaikunta Ekadasi day, the Lord is in Thiruvaimozhi mandapam, under Punyakoti vimanam. All devotees worship the Lord, Whose beauty is beyond description. The Lord graces with the scars of Bhishma's arrows which struck Him in the Mahabharata war. The right hand is showing abhaya - never fear; as it was Sri Gitacharya, in reality, advised Arjuna not to worry. While the Lord in other Kshetrams may have to tell besides showing abhaya mudra, it was Sri Parthasarathy , Who actually said to Arjuna never to be afraid. In the left hand the Lord is holding a small stick, to drive the cattle and horses. Already we saw that Sri Ranganatha was the Lord of this Kshetram. Sri Moolavar is called Sri Venkatakrishnan [ஸ்ரீ வேங்கட கிருஷ்ணன்]. He is large and stands majestically in the garbhagruha, with moustache. Sri Utsavar is called Sri Parthasarathy. This Kshetram is connected with Tirumala. King Sumati, once went to Tirumala. He prayed to Lord that He should grace the King with a form other than the One in which The Lord graced with Four arms, with one arm pointing to His divine feet, one arm on His lap and the other two arms holding discus and conch. The Lord usually graces as desired by His devotees. The Kong desired to see Lord Sri Venkatesa with just Two arms as a Chariot Driver, Sri Parthasarathy! The Lord conveyed to the King that each Kshetram had an unique appearance of the Lord, and it would not be proper to change that; and so, the King should go to Brindaranya Kshetram, which was already praised by sage Sanatkumara and sage Narada, and where Thulasi plants and Kairavini pushkarini were there. If the King meditated there, the Lord would appear as desired by him. Getting this message from the Lord Sri Venkatesa, the King straight away came here and meditated. Once a disciple of sage Veda Vyasa, asked his master as to which place was best suited for him to meditate. Veda Vysaa suggested this place and handed over an idol to his disciple to establish and worship at Brindaranya Kshetram. That idol only is being worshiped by all of us even now! Sri Moolavar is what is described in Purana. This idol has the Lord gracing with right arm holding conch and left arm in dhana mudra. First, a hut like temple was built; but later on, the Lord by His will power, has made it into a very large temple. When the disciple established the idol, same time King Sumati came here and worshiped. The King was conveyed a message by the Lord of the Seven Hills that He was the same, the idol he was worshiping! That is how the Lord got the name Sri Venkata Krishnan. We will now see sloka 24. We saw the Lord mentioned about viveka to Arjuna. Viveka is analyzing and viewing atman and body as Two separate entities. Such a person, who analyzes, though living in this world, is never reborn. In sloka 24, the Lord tells how to develop viveka. To analyze and view atman separately, is not easy. It is not external to us. Atman also is too minute to be percieved physically. If atman is separated from body, it tantamounts to death! Then, how to separate atman and view? The Lord prescribes ways and means to view atman separated from body! By practicing yoga, atman and body could be seen separately. We see so amny objects in this world; but we never realize that the Lord is dwelling in all of them. The skill to view the Lord is possessed by yogis! Prahalada was able to see and declare the presence of the Lord in the pillar. We see sugarcane, but do we see sugar in that? By some process sugar is seen by us. Similarly, by practicing yoga, it is possible to see atman separately. Here the Lord mentions two ways. One is the superior Yoga, which has been attained by the full maturing of well practiced Karma yoga and Gyana yoga. Suppose Karma and Gyana yoga have not been fully practiced and have not matured; we have just started Karma yoga and Gyana yoga; even then, by starting Karma yoga and Gyana yoga, slowly one could analyze and view atman. This is the second method. Thus in this sloka, the Lord tells the First method in the first line. That is when Karma yoga and Gyana yoga are fully practiced and matured. In the second line, the Lord gives out the second method, when even those in the initial stages of Karma and Gyana yoga, need not feel despair, and they can also view atman, by slowly practicing Gyana and Karma yoga. Now, sloka 24:

dhyanenatmani pasyanti
kecid atmanam atmana
anye sankhyena yogena
karma-yogena capare

"Some perceive the Supersoul within themselves through meditation, others through the cultivation of knowledge, and still others through working without fruitive desires."

Pasyanti = [they] see. That is they view atman and body as separate entities by analyzing power. Here Three words atmani, atmanam and atmana are mentioned. Each has to be interpreted differently. In atmani, atma means body. Atmani = in the body, atmanam = atman or soul, atmana = by mind. Thus body, jeevatman and mind are to be understood by these three words. Its meaning changes with context. So, soul which is in body has to be viewed separately. How? Dhyanena pasyanti = by meditation, seen. This Dyanam comes after full practcing of Karma yoga and Gyana yoga. This person is superior to those practicing of Karma and Gyana yoga. These people see the atman in body, by mind in meditation. This meditation is not possible for ordinary persons like us. When we sit in meditation, within a few minutes it is disturbed; because our Krama yoga and Gyana yoga have not matured. Continuous practice of Karma yoga and Gyana yoga, would have removed the impuritues of the mind, which, then would be pure. Only a pure mind can involve in Dyanam. We have to continuously perform our prescribed duties. This would enable impurities to be removed from the mind, and yoga slowly matures. That condition would make one to analyze and see atman separately. Atman is still in the body; and, only when it is in the body one could attempt to practice yoga! In this very earth, where we are living we can see atman separately. He sees by his purified mind in meditation. This is the First method explained in the First line of the sloka. Anye = [but] others, those not fully practiced Karma and Gyana yoga, sankyena-yogena = by Gyana yoga [sankya means buddhi and so sankya yoga means yoga attained by intellect, that is Gyana yoga], karma-yogena = in Karmayoga, capare = attain. This is the same expalined in Chapters 2, 3 and 4, where we had dealt with Gyana yoga, which is inherent in Karma yoga. Karma yoga means performing our prescribed duties without any attachment or for any result. It is done by one without the conscience that one is doing. So by Karma yoga and by subsequent Gyana yoga and by a few with Karma yoga and Gyana yoga fully practiced and matured, view the atman in the body, analyzed as separate from body, and realize atman. This is what Sri Krishna tells Arjuna in this sloka.