BG 18.26

Saranagati is to think His Divine feet are the means and asylum, for obtaining Moksham for us. Charanam + iti + Aagati = Saranagati. Person, who comes to the Lord and states that He is the only means and He is the destination, is called Saranagata. Saranagati is unconditional surrender. If we understand the meaning of Tirumantram [Ashtaksharam], then we have to perform saranagati. It is called Dwaya Maha Mntram, or shortly Dwayam [द्वयम्]. It is with Two lines. By the First line we state that through the Divine Feet of Sri Maha Lakshmi Thayar, we seek the Divine Feet of Sri Narayana, as asylum. By the next line, we pray for reward for seeking asylum, and that is serving the Divine Couple, always. Tirumangai Alwar in his Periya Tirumozhi, described the meaning of Tirumantram, in the First Five decades [padikam பதிகம்], and then in the Sixth decade he surrendered [perform saranagati] to the Lord of the Divya Desam, we are visiting now. It is one of the wonderful Divyadesams. It is Naimisharanyam [नैमिशारण्य நைமிசாரண்யம்]. Alwar says that trusting Him, he has surrendered at His feet. Where was he all these days, the Lord asked. Alwar says that before that, he abandoned his beautiful wife, and started grabbing others' property and wives. He came to know that for all these attrocities, he would be taken to hell after death. There, in Naraka, the servants of Yama, would drag the departed soul and give a temporary body to experience the tortures that were to follow. They would make a copper idol of a beautiful woman and would heat in fire and the idol, with golden color, radiating heat would be placed near this person. Yama's servants would giggle at the soul with the new body and comment that the person was after women and so let him enjoy a full embrace of the woman idol. So saying, they would push the person on the idol! Alwar says that one day he would be subjected to such tortures. Fearing such an experience, Alwar says that he had come to Naimisharanyam, to surrender at the Divine feet of the Lord! Naimisharanyam is a beautiful place. The Lord is here in the form of forest [Aaranyam आरण्यम]. In Pushkar, the Lord appears in the form of water. Today's lecture is from the banks of river Gomati [it is more known as Gomti].


This river is also called Dhenumati [dhenu = go = cow]. Go also means water. So this river has plenty of water. This river flows from Himalayas and should not be confused with Gomati river in Dwaraka, where the river flows West. Here, Gomati river mixes with Ganga, near Kanpur. Lord Brahma started creation. First Swayambhu Manu was created. He married Shatarupa. They had Priyamvrata and Uttanapada, as sons. Uttanapada was the father of legendary Druva. Priyamvrata had Agnitra, Madi, Rishabadeva, Jata Bharata, etc.. as children. Swayambu Manu also had daughters Devahuti, Aahuti and Prasuti. Kardama Prajapati married Devahuti and their child was Kapila, who was the founder of Sankya philosophy. Shatarupa, used to bathe in this river and worship the Lord, in the form of forest, and was blessed to marry Swayambu Manu. We will now see slokas 31 and 32, in which Rajasa Buddhi and Tamasa Buddhi are explained by the Lord. We have already seen what Satvika Buddhi is. It is the intellect or Buddhi, which conveys the true form. It guides the Dharma to obtain wealth in this world and Moksham. It also guides to activities to be done [Karya] and activities to be abandoned [Akarya]. It also reveals which are to be afraid of and which are not. These were stated in sloka 30. Now, sloka 31:

yayā dharmam adharmaṃ ca kāryaṃ cākāryam eva ca
ayathāvat prajānāti buddhiḥ sā pārtha rājasī 18.31

Partha = Arjuna, sa buddhi = that intellect is, rajasi = Rajasa [Buddhi]. Yaya = by which [buddhi], dharmam adharmam = misunderstands Dharma as Adharma. By Satvika Buddhi, one understands Dharma as Dharma and Adharma as Adharma. That is the true nature was shown. Here, confusion prevails, in Rajasa Buddhi. Karyam ca akaryam eva = mistakes between do's and don'ts. Here, this buddhi guides the person to do action, which should not be done and vice versa. Ayathavat = reversing the true nature. By this one mistakes one for another. Prajanati = [like this] guides to understand. So, Rajasa Buddhi guides:

1. To mistake Dharma for Adharma.
2. To provoke to do an action not to be done, and vice versa.
3. To misunderstand one for another, by suppressing the true nature.

This Buddhi emanates from Rajo quality. Buddhi, as mentioned earlier, is in a broad classification, to guide to acquire Gyana. Now, sloka 32, where Tamasa Buddhi is described. In Satvika Buddhi, true nature of a matter is guided. In Rajasa Buddhi, delusion is there and true nature is not guided. In Tamasa Buddhi, makes one to follow wrong things as right. Sloka 32:

adharmaṃ dharmam iti yā manyate tamasāvṛtā
sarvārthān viparītāñś ca buddhiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī 18.32

Partha = Arjuna, sa buddhi = that buddhi is, tamasi = Tamasa [Buddhi]. Tamasavrta = [an atma] surrounded by Tamas quality, manyate = understands, adharmam dharmam iti = understands Adharma as Dharma. In Rajasa Buddhi, Dharma was shown as Adharma. This Tamasa Buddhi nature we could see in thieves, robbers, terrorists, etc., who maintain that all their bad activities were Dharma. Sarvarthan = all matters are, viparitan ca = indicated wrongly. This Buddhi will guide to understand wrongly all things. Instead of appreciating Lord's auspicious qualities, it will guide to describe them as illusion. Tamasa Buddhi will guide:

1. Adharma as Dharma.
2. Misapprehand matters.