BG 12.10

Behind Sri Bhaktavatsala Perumal sannidhi, in Thiruninravur, is the sannidhi of Sri Yerikattha Raman [ஸ்ரீ ஏரிகாத்த இராமன்]. Sri Yerikattha Raman is gracing in Madurantakam, as well as here. Large lake is catering to the needs of all in and around Thiruninravur. Just like the lake is filled with water, mercy is filled in Sri Yerikattha Rama! His mercy is seen in Srimad Ramayana and in His eyes. Today's [24th December 2008] lecture is in Sri Rama sannidhi. Here, as Moolavar, Sri Rama is standing majestically. To His right is Sri Sita and to His left is Lakshmana. Out side this, in a mandapam, we can see Hanuman, in an unique posture. In a fighting pose Hanuman is holding mace in one hand and shield in another. He is carrying on his shoulders Sri Rama and Lakshmana. Under his feet, a demon is getting killed! Thus Hanuman, simultaneously, displays valour by killing rakshasa and service to the Lord, by carrying Sri Rama and Lakshmana. Since this sannidhi is slightle isolated, Utsava Murthy of the Lord, Sri Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman are in the temple of Sri Bhaktavatsala Perumal. Sri Rama, as the Son of Emperor [ஸ்ரீ சக்கரவர்த்தி திருமகன்] is standing in Utsavar form. On His side is His brother, who acted as a shield, Lakshmana. On the other side is Sri Sita, Universal Mother, daughter of Janaka and dughter-in-law of Dasaratha. Anjaneya is ready to carry out the the orders of his Master, Sri Rama. With the blessings of Sri Rama, we will now proceed to study sloka 12 of Chapter 12. It is possible that Sri Rama is here in this temple from a very long time and, it was Sri Rama who saved this place from flooding of the lake. Sri Bhaktavatsala Perumal, on the First day of the Panguni Brahmotsavam, arrives at the sannidhi of Sri Rama and Theerthavari also is conducted in the lake behind. During Sri Rama Navami, Ten day festival is conducted elaborately. More pilgrims should visit this Kshetram and recieve the blessings of the Lord. After all, the Lord is waiting for the devotees to come to Him! In sloka 8, the Lord asked Arjuna to meditate on Him and concentrate buddhi firmly in Him. Arjuna should have Bhakti in Him, with the determination that He was the objective to be attained. When it was felt that such Bhakti would be difficult to practice, the Lord suggested an easier way of meditating on His auspicious qualities. Continuous meditation would induce happiness. This was told in sloka 9 and it is called abhyasa yoga. When doubts arose about the inability of such meditation, the Lord suggested easier way in sloka 10. He advised Arjuna to perform service to the Lord. Thinking that normal persons are not accustomed to service of the Lord, but are habitual of serving themselves, Arjuna had doubts about performing service to the Lord. The Lord, in sloka 11, suggested another much easier method deploying our habits. He advised Arjuna to perform Karma yoga, by doing his duties, but sacrificing the result and not yearning for inferior results. This is what Swami Yamunacharya [Swami Alavandar] in his Gitarta sangraha says, 'asakthasya atma nishtatha'. That is incapable of doing service to the God, duties are performed to get atman sakshatkaram. Here, there are two routes possible. We saw in Chapters 7 and 8 Akshara yogam. That is, to attain Kaivalyam one performs yoga. To attain Kaivalyam, atman sakashatkaram is necessary. He remains for ever enjoying his own atman. This - meditating on atman, atman sakshatkaram, experiencing atman, remaining for ever in enjoying atman and never thinking of reaching Vaikuntam and serving the Lord- is one route. The other route is to understand atman, knowing atman's true nature, realizing atman is servant to the Lord, so serving the Lord, performing Bhakti and reaching Vaikuntam and enjoying the company of the Lord. Sri Krishna tells about the path to reach Vaikuntam, for which one need to practice Bhakti, and in case this was not possible, to do atman sakshatkaram. Therefore, Sri Krishna does not advocate the path to Kaivalyam. So here, the Lord is telling Arjuna to practice Karma yoga so as to result in Bhakti yoga. So here it is Karma yoga, then Gyana yoga, then atman sakshatkaram, then understanding the true nature of atman that atman is always servant of the Lord, then devotion to God resulting in Bhakti. So Kaivalyam or Akshara yoga is not preached by the Lord here. With the Lord easening the efforts of us, we might get a guilty feeling, that since we had expressed our inability in various methods suggested by the Lord for attaining Him and the Lord accepting our position and suggesting easier ways, will the result be in any way lesser than the objective? Since the Lord was compromising on our inabilities, will the final result also be compromised? Assuaging such doubts, the Lord tells in sloka 12:

sreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj
jnanad dhyanam visisyate
dhyanat karma-phala-tyagas
tyagac chantir anantaram

"If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind."

Sreyosi = Is is not better? Jnanam = Gyana [atman sakshatkaram attained by knowledge, is better than ] abhyasa = exercise [of meditating continuously His auspicious qualities, mentioned in sloka 9]. Meditating on the qualities of the Lord is good. But if that was not possible, it is better to do atman sakshatkaram, which is the window for abhyasa yoga. By atman sakshatkaram, one understands the true nature of atman. This understanding will pave way to appreaciate the auspicious qualities of the Lord. We can climb from lower step only to a higher step. So, instead of lamenting that we are unable to reach the final step, access the step below. That is, atman sakshatkaram is to be realized. Dhyanam = meditation [of atman, is better than], jnanad = Gyana [knowledge to get atman sakshatkaram]. So, meditating on His auspicious qualities is good; if that was not possible, better to have atman sakshatkaram; if that also was not possible, better to contiuously meditate on atman. If that is also not possible? Karma-phala-tyaga = performing Karma yoga renunciating desire for result or aspiring for inferior objectives [is better than], dhyanat = meditation [on atman]. Here the steps in descending order are:

1. Pondering over His auspicious qualities.
2. Atman sakshatkaram.
3. Dhyanam on atman.
4. Karma yoga.
   

Here each lower step is recommended as better to reach the next higher step. This is like teaching a child. Tyaga = by doing Karma yoga, that is detached from the results of doing one's Karma, shanti = peace, anantaram = is attained. By doing Karma yoga, abandoning the desire for results and not doing for lower results, we avoid rajo/tamo qualities. By doing any action for a result, we develop rajo/tamo qualities. Once rajo/tamo qualities are not there, raga [passion] and dwesha [hatred] qualities are avoided. This makes mind peaceful. Peaceful mind is capable of dhyanam or meditation. A disturbed mind, due to attachment for results, can never do meditation. Meditation will result in atman sakshatkaram opening the way to appreciate the auspicious qualities of the Lord, resulting in determined Bhakti. We will now take leave of this Kshetram after thanking H.H. Periya Jeer of Thirumala, for permiting to use the temple as venue for Gita lectures.