The contents of this mail below has been completely taken from the ebook Swamy Desikan’s GeethaarTa Sangraham which has been Annotated as a Commentary in English By Oppiliappan kOil SrI Varadachari Sathakopan (www.sadagopan.org). This ebook is available at http://www.sundarasimham.
Translation of Alavandar's Gitarthasangraham, by Diwan Bahadur VK Ramanujachari, published by Andavan Ashram has also been provided.
VEDANTA DESIKAR'S GITARTHASANGRAHAM (IN TAMIL)
THE ESSENCE OF THE FIRST CHAPTER: PAASURAM 3
Udalam azhinthidum uLL uyir onRu azhiyAthu yenaippOl
vidhumathu paRRu vidAthathu adaittha kirisaikaL
kaduka unakku uyir kAttu(m) ninaivu athanAl uLathAm
vidu mayal yenRu Visayanait-tERRinAn VitthakanE ----(3)
உடலம் அழிந்திடும் உள்ள உயிர் ஒன்று அழியாது எனைப்போல்
விடுமது பற்று விடாதது அடித்த கிரிசைகள்
கடுக உனக்கு உயிர் காட்டு நினைவு அதனால் உளதாம்
விடு மயல் என்று விசயனைத் தேற்றினன் வித்தகனே (௩)
Oh Arjuna! I am eternal and the Lord of all (SarvEswaran). There is no question about this matter. Similarly, there is no question about the eternal status of the JeevAthmAs. They have no death. AathmA inside the body does not age. AathmA does not cease to exist as it moves from one body to the other. It is eternal (nithyan), ever present. No one should think it is anithyam and sorrow over that thought. Aathma cannot be cut up by weapons. It cannot be burnt by fire nor dried by the wind. Jeevan is capable of penetrating through every thing in a subtle manner. This aathmA cannot be killed. AathmA is indestructible. It is the height of ignorance for one to think that he is the killer of the AathmA and that AathmA is capable of being killed. The term Death in the worldly parlance is nothing but the departure of the AathmA from one body to enter in to another body.
Oh Arjuna! It is appropriate to think that the aathmA, which resided in the physical body of your enemies will go to Svarga lOkam, gain a body better than that it had on this earth and enjoy all the bhOgams there. You should be happy reflecting over that thought. Does anyone really regret over casting aside the old and torn clothes for the good fortune of wearing clean and brand new attire?
Oh ArjunA! You might grieve over the death of the body instead of the AathmA. Even that thought is not proper. This body is constituted by the five elements (Pancha BhUthams). It is the abode of the eternal jeevan to experience the fruits of its karmAs. When the karmaas are exhausted, the physical body has no reason to continue its existence. It falls down. It is absolutely natural for the physical body to undergo changes. Oh Arjuna! Even if you do not the body during your war with the enemies, their Sareerams will die sooner or later. Therefore, there is no reason for sorrowing over the death of the physical body, the temporary home of the jeevan in SamsAric state.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
Lord PaarthasArathy is saluted as Vitthakan here. He is addressed so as the mysterious One here because, He performed UpadEsam for Arjunan here on the battlefield, while serving as his charioteer and staff. “vidumathu paRRu vidAthathu adaiththa kirisaikaLE”: With the benefit of Saasthra Jn~Anam, the chEthanan should comprehend clearly the true nature (Svaroopam of the AathmA and perform one's karmAs with no attachment to their fruits and treat their performance as Bhagavath Kaimkaryam in the mode of NishkAmyam. One should only detach from the fruits of the karmAs and should never abandon the prescribed karmas. To engage in just wars is the duty of a Kshathrian. There is no other lofty karma for a Kshathrian. Therefore, Oh Arjuna, You should engage in performing this just war, cast aside the fruits of victory arising from such a war. When you do so, you will be performing karma yOgam and will gain MOksham at the end.
“kaduha unakku uyir kAttum nianivu athanAl uLathAm”: After gaining control of your mind through the practice of this Karma Yogam, you will progress to the stage of Jn~Ana yOgam, which is an anubhavam of unrelenting reflection on the svaroopam of the AathmA. The subsequent stage is Aathma SaakshAthkAram or direct experience of the AathmA. Therefore consider that this just war (Karma yOgam) is an aid to the lofty goal of aathma SaakshAthkAram (Kaivalyam) and as a result remove your confusion that the perishable body made up of the five elements is the same as the eternal, imperishable AathmA.
SWAMY ALAVATHAR'S GITARTHASANGRAHAM (IN SANSKRIT)
1st four slokams provide the essence of the entire Bhagavdgita.
Swamy AlavanthAr's 6th slOkam of Sri GeethaarTa Sangraham - Essence of second chapter of Gita
NithyAthma-sanga karmEhAgOcharaa Saankhya-yOgadhee: I
DhvitheeyE sTitha-dhee-lakshA prOkthA tann-mOhasAnthayE II sloka
6
6
ध्विथीये स्तिथधी लक्ष प्रोक्त्ता तन मोह शान्तये ।। श्लोक ६
MEANING from Oppiliappan kOil SrI Varadachari Sathakopan
In the second chapter, Our Lord aimed to remove the dehAthma Brahmam (the confusion that the soul is the body)of Arjuna, who was affected by all kinds of doubts from that Brahmam. To that dejected Arjuna eager to learn about the true tatthvams, our Lord performed upadEsam on the knowledge about the eternal JeevAthma and performance of karmaas with Aathma Jn~Anam (Karma Yogam )that would result in Jn~Ana Yogam (Sthitha Praj~nathvam). Our Lord assured Arjuna that firm blossoming of Aathma Buddhi will result from that practice of Saankya yOgam.
ACHARYA RAAMANUJA'S COMMENTARY:
Arjuna fell at the feet of the Lord and appealed: “Oh My Lord! My mind is befuddled with compassion for my relatives and teachers. I am bewildered about my duties. Instruct me, Your sishyan, who has sought Your protection as Prapannan and teach me what is certainly auspicious for me to do (“YacchrEya: syAnniscchitham BrUhi tanmE sishyas-tEaham-saadhi mAmm ThvAm prapannam”).
For the benefit of Arjuna, who was totally confused about what is dharmam and what is adharmam due to love and compassion in an inappropriate situation, GeethAchAryan began the introduction to Saasthram to dispell his ignorance. Starting from the Geetha slOkam, II.12 (“There never was a time, when I did not exist”) to the charama slOkam, XVIII.66 (“I will release you from all your sins, grieve not”), Lord PaarthasArathy instructed Arjuna about Karma, Jn~Ana and Bhakthi yOgams as the means for attaining the highest spiritual fulfillment. Lord PaarthasArathy instructed that AathmA (Self) is “eternal, stable, immovable and primeval, unchanging, unshakable and ancient”
SPECIAL SLOKAMS OF THIS CHAPTER
SRIMATH BHAGAVATH GEETHA SLOKAM 47
कर्मणि एवाधिकरस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा फलहेतुः भूः मा ते संगः अस्तु अकर्मणि ।। श्लोक ४७
SRIMATH BHAGAVATH GEETHA SLOKAM II. 50
बुद्धि युक्तः जहाति इह उभे सुकृत दुष्कृते ।
तस्मात योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलं ।। श्लोक ५०
SRIMATH BHAGAVATH GEETHA SLOKAM SLOKAM II.56
दुखेषु अनुद विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः ।
वीतराग भय क्रोधः अथितधिः मुनिः उच्यते ।। श्लोक ५६
SRIMATH BHAGAVATH GEETHA SLOKAM II. 63
क्रोधात् भवति संमोहः संमोहात् स्मृति विभ्रमः ।
स्मृति भ्रंषात बुद्धि नाशः बुद्धिनाशत प्रणश्यति ।। श्लोक ६३
SRIMATH BHAGAVATH GEETHA SLOKAM II. 69
य निशा सर्व भूतानां तस्यां जगर्तिं संयमी ।
तस्यां जागर्ति भूतानि स निशा पश्यतः मुनेः ।। श्लोक ६९
Meaning from Alavandar's Gitarthasangraham, translated by Diwan Bahadur VK Ramanujachari, published by Andavan Ashram
In order to remove his confusion, knowledge of Samkhya - that atma is eternal and knowldge of yoga - that kram should be done without attachment were taught. These led to the condition known as Sthitadhi ie., the condition in which knowledge of the atma remains and never disappears ever afterward.
For Essence of the first chapter go to http://haricharanam.blogspot.
A BEST SEVA . THANKS.
ReplyDeleteADIYEN, THIRUMALAI