BG4.19

Thirumazhisai Alwar says Sri Krishna's plays are all miracles. We saw that Sri Krishna drove away snake Kalinga. Because He remained in the river Yamuna for long time, His body became cold and so He came to this hill here to bask in the Sun and get warmth. This place is called Dwadasa Aditya sheela. As per shastras there are twelve Suns taking turn every month. So all the twelve Suns came together to warm up the Lord. But the warmth became too much and He started sweating. The sweat -prathyandanam- flowed like a stream and collected in a pond. This is called prathyandana theertham. These are the greatness of this spot, from where we will see today's [10th October,2007] lecture. Some 500 years back an idol Sri Madana Mohan was established here. This was done by one Sanathana Goswami, a disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He used to meditate on this idol and reflect on the auspicious qualities of the Lord. A rich man built the present temple for the Lord here. But the idol of the Lord was removed from here and established at Karodi, near Jaipur in Rajasthan. Similarly the Sri Govardana Giridhari idol also was removed from this place and established in Nathdwara in Rajasthan. Now we will go to the 18th sloka from where He is going to explain Karma yoga:

karmany akarma yah pasyed
akarmani ca karma yah
sa buddhiman manusyesu
sa yuktah krtsna-karma-krt

"One who sees knowledge in action, and action in knowledge, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, as he has completed all requirements."

This person is qualified to practice Karma yoga and is eligible to go to Vaikuntam. Who is this person? Yah = the one who, pasyed = sees, akarma = Gyana or knowledge which is different from karma, karmany = in karma, ca yah = and the one who [sees], karma = action , akarmany = in Gyana of a karma, sa = he is, buddhiman= real intellectual, yukta = eligible[for Moksham], manusyesu = in the people, krtsna-karma-krt = he performs all the requirements without exception for the same. One who sees Gyana in Karma and Karma in Gyana is the one who has completed all requirements. How can one see the other as different? We can see a stone as a stone and not as water. Normally, when we do a work we do it without paying attention to the knowledge or when we think of a work, we forget the action. Here Sri Krishna combines both. Thought and action together becomes Karma yoga. When we help a blind to cross a road, the action when combines with the thought that we are doing good to others, it becomes Karma yoga. In the olden days, Garuda mantra was chanted to relieve from snake bites. That time the person capable of doing it will show certain signs by his hands, the mouth will be uttering mantra and he will be reflecting his thoughts on the Garuda. Only the signs will not relieve the affected person. But the knowledge that Garuda will rescue the person and chanting of mantra combined with the signs will bring the person to normalcy. Mere chanting of the Lord's names is insufficient and we should remember the qualities of the Lord. This type of combination alone will benefit our society. We may have a doubt here. One is action and the other is mind thinking. Why should these two be combined? We have earlier seen that even a person practicing Gyana yoga, has to maintain his life and family and so has to earn honestly. Earning is a karma and so he also can not relinquish karma. Similarly, a person trying to practice Karma yoga has to have the basic knowledge that atman and body are different. So gyana and karma have to go hand in hand. Agreeing, we may still doubt whether it is possible? We can not do at the same time things which are opposed to each other. For example, we can not sit and run at the same time. But walking and talking are possible simultaneously. Here also what Sri Krishna tells can be done together. When we prepare a garland of flowers, it is possible to ponder how Perialwar or Sri Andal would have worshiped the Lord. When preparing the garland we may not be able to light the lamp. So He has not asked impossible things to be done together.