Translation of Alavandar's Gitarthasangraham, by Diwan Bahadur VK Ramanujachari, published by Andavan Ashram has also been provided below.
THE ESSENCE OF THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER—14TH PAASURAM
The THIRTEENTH Chapter of SrImath Bhagavath GeethA has 34 SlOkams. This chapter is about differentiation of the knower (KshEthraj~nan) from the known (kshEthra).
INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER:
AchArya RaamAnujA's commentary as translated by Swamy AdhidEvAnandha is as follows:
In the first group of six chapters, the comprehension of the real nature of the individual self as forming the ancillary to the worship of BhagavAn VaasudEvA, the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme object of attainment, has been taught. It is also taught therein that it can be accomplished by two worthy paths, namely Jn~Ana and Karma yOgA.
Next, in the middle group of six chapters, intense and single pointed devotion to Bhakthi yOgA, preceded by the true knowledge of the Lord (Iswaran), the supreme goal, and His glory, has been propounded. It was also taught in secondary sense that Bhakthi yOgA constitutes the means for those who wish for great sovereignty (aisvarya) and also for those who aspire after the state of isolation/visualization of the Self (KaivalyA). In the next /third (final) group of six chapters, the topics propounded in the first two groups of six each are examined. These are:
1. The attributes of the material body and of the Self,
2. The universe as the combination of these,
3. The Ruler, His true nature, the real nature of Karma,
4. Jn~Ana and Bhakthi and the ways of practicing these.
Now in the 13th Chapter, the following topics are discussed:
1. The nature of the body and the Self;
2. Examination of the real nature of the body;
3. The means for the attainment of the disembodied self;
4. The examination of the real nature of the Self in the disembodied state
5. The cause of association of such a Self with matter and
6. The mode of discriminating between the body (SarIram) and the Self(JeevAthmA)
SWAMY ALAVANTHAR'S SUMMARY OF THE 13TH CHAPTER
देह स्वरुप अत्माप्ति हेतुः आत्म विशोधनम् I
बन्ध हेतुः विवेकश्र्च त्रयोदश उदीर्यते II — GeethArTa Sangraham of Swamy AlavathAr slOkam 17
(MEANING):
In the 13th chapter, the nature of the body, means for the realization of the Self, investigation of the nature of the Self, the cause of bondage, and the discrimination between the Self and the body are dealt with. There are five key words chosen by Swamy AlavanthAr to summarize the themes covered by GeethAchAryan in the above slOkam:
1) DEha Svaroopam (2) AathmApthi hEthu: (3) Aathma visOdhanam (4) Bhandha hEthu: and (5) VivEkam
Let us look at each of them with the help of Vaikunta Vaasi, GeethA Pravachana JyOthi ThirukkaLLam Swamy.
DEha Sambhandham: The body that the chEthnams have is an amalgam (admixture) of many vasthus like Pancha bhUthams, ahankAram, mahath and prakruthi as the dravyams; the eleven indhriyams; the vasthus like roopam, rasam, gandham, sparsam and sabdham; the changes experienced by the Jeevan as a result of its sambhandham of the Self with desire, hatred, sukham and dukkham. The feelings (naubhavam) of Sukham, Dukkham, vairAgyam, hate are changes (vikArams) experienced by the Self (JeevAthmA) based on the previous paapams and PuNyams. ParamAthmA has given the sarIram to experience the fruits of the above two kinds of KarmAs. These concepts are covered by Swamy AlabvanthAr through the use of the word: dEha Svaroopam”.
AathmApthi hEthu: The guNams essential for the comprehension of AathmA are lack of pride and ostentation, AchArya Bhakthi and cultivation of other aathma guNams. This concept is referred to by the choice of the word: “AathmApthi hEthu:”.
Aathma VisOdhanam: This refers to the fact hat AathmA is different from the body. AathmA is eternal. AathmA is the bonded servant (sEshan) of the Lord. AathmA can experience everything without the mediation of the sensory and karma indhriyams. This is Aathma visOdhanam covered in this chapter.
Bhandha hEthu: The attachment of material and nonlasting pleasures arise from the bondage arising from the operation of the three guNams (Satthvam, Rajas and Tamas) causing sukham and dukkham in the samsAric world. The operation of the three guNams is the causative factor for Bhandham (bondage as Bhaddha Jeevans).
VivEkam: The sentients and the insentients are products of the achEthana prakruthi. Jeevan's incorporation (samsargam) in to various sarIrams (manifestations of prakruthi) causes their being. The jeevan (Self) inside all sarIrams is of the same kind. The differences are in the sarIram taken. Even though the different sarIrams perish, the Self does not ever perish. The Self is eternal. One who understands these tatthvams is known as a VivEki.
The emphasis in the thirteenth chapter is therefore on Tatthva Thrayam. This chapter dwells on the SarIram (Kshethram) arising from prakruthi sambhandham and the Self (Jeevan) the resident Lord of the SarIram. Jeevan is therefore the knower of the kshEthram and is aptly named as KshEthraj~nan, the knower of the KshEthram. The SarIram and the Jeevan are distinctly different. One is not lasting whereas the other (Jeevan/KshEthraj~Nan) is eternal. People who do not understand this important distinction are afflicted with dEhAthma Bramam (the thought that dEham is the Aathma) suffer in samsAram as bonded jeevans. ParamAthmA is inside all AathmAs as the indweller and therefore both the aathmAs and the sarIrams are His bodies. ParamAthmA sitting inside the JeevAthmAs is not affected by the karmAs enjoyed by the Jeevans in their embodied state. Instead of enjoying itself (aathmAvalOkanam) as pointed out by Swamy NammAzhwAr (atthai thinRu angE kidakkum), the jeevan stays inside the achEthana prakruthi and is engaged in the enjoyment of the kaaryams of the three guNams (Sukhams and dukkhams) and struggles in the fierce samsAric ocean as the bonded jeevan.One who sees the samathvam in all the jeevans inside the different sarIrams is not lost in SamsAram. He is a vivEki. He knows that the differences as Man, woman, dEvan, short one, tall one, dog, bird etc., are only differences in their bodies alone. KarmAs performed by the infinity of Jeevans occupying that many bodies are a result of prakruthi sambhandham. As the three guNams change, the guNams of aathmA change. As the satthva guNam is ascendant, amAnithvam increases. dEhAthma bhramam is chased away. AmAnithvam helps in realizing aathmAvalOkanam. JeevAthmA's suddha svaroopam is visualized as totally blissful.
SWAMY DESIKAN'S SUMMARY OF THE 13TH CHAPTER - 14TH PAASURAM
Unin padiyum uyirin pirivum uyir peRuvAr
JN~Anam peRuvahayum Jn~AnameenRa uyirppayanum
UninRathaRku adiyum yuir vERidum uLL virahum
tEninRa paathan teLivitthanan silaip-pArtthanukkE
உணின் பதியும் உயிரின் பிரிவும் உயிர் பெறுவார்
ஞானம் பெறுவஹையும் ஞானம் ஈன்ற உயிர்ப் பயனும்
உனின்றதற்கு அடியும் யுஇர் வேறிடும் உள்ள விரஹும்
தேநின்ற பாதன் டெலிவிதனான் சிலைப் பார்தனுக்கெ
(MEANING):
The Lord with lotus feet abundant with divine honey taught Arjuna about:
- · The svaroopam of SarIram,
- · The differences between the SarIram and the AathmA (Self),
- · The guNams such as amAnithvam required to comprehend the Self,
- · The aathmA's svaroopam comprehended through those guNams,
- · The reasons for the bonds of samsAram,
- · The means to be adopted by the mind to see the self-shining clearly from the body,
- · its house.
BhagavAn VaasudEva (ParamAthmA) constitutes the Self of all entities (KshEthra and KshEthraj~Nan). Bhramma Soothrams (Saariraka Soothrams) authoritatively establish the nature of KshEthra and KshEthrj~nan and their relationship to the Supreme Being.
Some key slOkams of the thirteenth chapter are:
Samam sarveshu bhuteshu tishthantam parameshwaram I
Vinashyatsu avinashyantam yah pashyati sah pashyati II sloka 27
समम् सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तां परमेश्वरम् I
विनष्यस्तु अविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति सः पश्यति II श्लोक 27
MEANING: “Who sees the supreme ruler dwelling alike in all bodies and never perishing when they (bodies) perish, he sees indeed”.
Prakrutyaiva cha karmani kriyamanani sarvashah I
Yah pashyati tatha atmanam akartaram sah pashyati II sloka 29
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्मणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः I
यः पश्यति तथा आत्मानां अकर्तारं सः पश्यति II श्लोक 29
MEANING: “He who sees that acts are done universally by Prakruthi alone and likewise that the Self (Jeevan) is not the doer, he sees indeed”.
Yada bhoot pruthak bhavam eka stham anupashyati I
Tata eva cha vistaram brahma sampadyate tada II sloka 30
यदा भूत पृथक् भावम् एक स्थम् अनुपश्यति I
तत एव च विस्तारम् ब्रह्म संपद्यते तदा II श्लोक 30
MEANING: “When he percieves the independent modes of existence of all beings centered in one and as also their expansion from it alone, then he attains Brahman.”
Anadi tvat nirguna tvat paramatma ayam avyayah I
Sharira stah api kaunteya na karoti na lipyate II sloka 31
अनादि त्वात् निर्गुण त्वात् परमात्मा अयम् अव्ययः I
शरीर स्तः अपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते II श्लोक 31
MEANING: “This Supreme Self, though dwelling in the body, is immutable. Oh ArjunA! Being without beginning, it neither acts nor is tainted, as it is without guNAs.”
Kshetra kshetragyoh evam antaram gyana chakshusha I
Bhuta prakriti moksham cha ye viduh yanti te param II sloka 34
क्षेत्र क्षेत्रज्ञः एवं अन्तारं ज्ञान चक्षुषा I
भूत प्रकृति मोक्षं च ये विदुः यान्ति ते परम् II श्लोक 34
MEANING: “Those who thus discern with the eye of knowledge the difference between the body or the field (KshEthra) and the knower of the body or field knower (KshEthraj~nA) and the means of deliverance from the manifested prakruti--- they attain the Supreme”.
Meaning from Alavandar's Gitarthasangraham, translated by Diwan Bahadur VK Ramanujachari, published by Andavan Ashram
देह स्वरुप अत्माप्ति हेतुः आत्म विशोधनम् I
बन्ध हेतुः विवेकश्र्च त्रयोदश उदीर्यते II GeethArTa Sangraham of Swamy AlavathAr: SlOkam 17
In the thirteenth chapter, the following matters are dealt with; The nature of the body; the means by which the atma may be attained; the nature of the atma as he is and unconnected with the body; what leads to bondage; and the mode of separating it from the body.
Explanation : In the 2nd chapter, the atama was distinguished from the bodyin one respect - viz ., that he is eternal, while the body perishes. This distinction is explained more fully in this chapter. First, as to the nature of the body. This stated in verses 5 &6. The body is a mixture of five great elements - ether (akasa), air (vayu), fire (tejas), water (ap), and earth (prithvi) - and mahat and ahankara. These are the products of matter (prakriti).It is the seat of five senses of percception, the five organs of action and the mind. It is the dwelling place of the intelligent atma, seated in which he enjoys the five classes of sense objects, feels desire, and hate, and experiences pleasure and pain.
2. The nature of the atma is described in verses 12 to 17. The atma has had no beginning and therefore has no end. In the state of bondage he exists in two conditions - in the evolved condition he bears the name deva, man and the like and has a form; he is said to be sat. In the causal condition he is unfit to have a name and form; and he is said to be asat. His appearing in these conditions is due to karma. In his own nature he is without them, and cannot be said to be either sat or asat (verse 12). His swaroopa like the body does not consist of parts; yet in his freed condition he is capable of doing the work of the eye, ear and other senses of perception, and the work of the hands, feet and other organs of action (verse 13). His swaroopa is not the seat of the senses, and in the freed condition he can perceive without their aid. Hence he is not reduced to the condition of a stone on the ground that he has no senses then. In his swaroopa he does not experience the effects of the three gunas - sattva, rajas and tamas; yet he retains the capacity to do so and this is eternal. In his nature he is not attached to the deva or human bodies; yet he realises the capacity to bear any body; and this is proved by his taking any number of bodies at his pleasure (verse 14). he throws up bodies made of the five elements and remains without a body; he is also within the bodies; when he takes them up at his pleasure. In his nature he is immovable, he moves when he takes up bodies (verse 15). Though atmas are into diverse bodies, they are not divided into classes as devas, humans, brutes vegetables etc. They are all alike, their only nature being that they are knowers. Foolish regard them as being of the same form as their bodies, and they say, "This is a deva; that is a man". His swaroopa is other than matter with the three gunas. It is self proved. A lamp and the sun and other luminous substances are all spoken of as jyotis (what shows a thing); They do so only by removing the darkness that prevents contact of the senses with objects; it is he with his attribute of jnana that makes them fit to be spoken about (verse 17). He is Brahma - that is his attribute jnana is not limited by the bodies. It being so at present is due to his karma. But when he is freed, it expands fully and contacts everything (verses 12 & 13). He dwells in the heart of all (verse 17). Being subtle, he is not known by persons in samsara as being different from the body. Those that possess the qualities stated in the verses 7 to 11 know this; but not others; he is far from them (verse 15)
3. Thus the natures of the atma and the body are entirely different. They differ also thus ; - The atma knows the body as kshetra and is therefore said to kshetrajna.; and the body is the known (verse 1). The atma supports the body and the body is the supported. What knows and supports is other than what is known and supported; similarly the atma takes food; he is different from what is eaten; and it is this that becomes the body. The atma is the cause of the food changing into semens and foetus; and he is therefore different from what comes out of the change. The mere mixture of the elements can not support, take food, or be the cause of its change; for this is not seen in a dead body (verse 16). The work of the body differs from that of the atma. Actions that lead to enjoyment pertain to matter in the form of the body, when an atma is present within; he merely will; and the enjoyment which they bring, pertains to him (verse 20). Thus the atma, dwelling in a body, wills and moves the body; and the body acts.The atma gives his assent to the action. As he thus supports and controls the body and uses it for his own purpose, he is the great ruler of the body, and the senses and then mind. He is also said to be parama atma (verse 22).
4. matter, being unintelligent, exists for others, and serves in the form of bodies, the senses and objects of enjoyment.The atma is intelligent; does he exist for himself ? Verse 12 replies, No. He exists for the highest atma as stated in verses 4 to 6 in Chapter 7.
5. The question arises how the atma and the body so different came to be connected? The verse 19 states that the connection had no beginning and verse 21 explains why it is so. The atma being in a body made of matter, becomes attached to the pleasures peculiar to that body. He then does good or bad deeds as the means thereto and in order to enjoy their fruits, he is connected with a good or bad body. Thus, attachment to pleasure, the doing of the karma and connection with a body follow one another in that order. Now starting from a particular body, we see that it was brought about by a previous karma; this karma was done to procure the fruit peculiar to the body, in which the atma then dwelt. That body was brought about by a previous karma; and so on ad infinitum. We therefore say that karma is anadi. - ie. beginningless and the connection of the atma to the body is also without a beginning.
6. How is the atma to be perceived as different from the body? The reply is given in verse 24. The means is dhyana or yoga s explained in chapter 6. Those unfit to do this make the mind capable of doing yoga by doing gnana or karma yoga as the case maybe.
7. The only point that remains to be noticed, what are the means by which the atma may be known as he is. These are stated in verses 7 to 11. These fall into three groups. The first group is gnanam - knowledge of the atma as he is. First, the thought that the body is 'I' should cease; this includes the absence of the thought 'This is mine' in the things that the yogi considers as his. Next the knowledge of the atma as he is should never be absent. For this purpose the mind should be withdrawn from everything other than the atma; the purpose of thinking should be to strengthen the knowledge of the tattvas. For the mind to dwell on the atma continuously, five points are needed - (i) the yogi should dwell in a retired place (ii) he should find no pleasure in company (iii) he should attend on a guru who can give him instruction on the atma (iv) he should cultivate purity of thought word and deed- so that he may be able to know the atma and (v) his belief in the teaching of the vedas must be firm. The second group is virakti or desirelessness. The yogi should constantly think of the faults of sense enjoyment, develop a disgust for it. The faults are that it is petty; that it is short lived; and that it is procured with effort; that it is mixed with pain; that it leads to pain and that it is an obstacle in the enjoyment of much superior pleasure. Next there must be no attachment to one's possessions. In the case of a house holder, who has to discharge the duties of his asrama (stage of life), wife, son and a dwelling place are necessary. He should regard them merely as his instruments, and should not be attached to them to a greater extent. Next, when a thing comes, that is welcome or unwelcome from one's connecting himself with it, there should be neither joy nor grief. Lastly, a disgust must be created for the body by thinking constantly of the faults that are inseparable from it viz birth, old age, death, illness and grief. The last group is bhakti or love. The yogi should love the highest atma alone; no other devata should share his love for he is the lord of all. if he loves him alone, his love will be steady. He should regard all beings as aspects in which the highest atma apprears. He will then desist from injury of any one in thought, speech or action. If any one injures him, he will think that he is used by the highest atma as an instrument for punishing him for some past misdeed of his, and will put up with it. He will not deceive others by thinking of one thing and saying another thing to them. Above all there are two faults that should be avoided. One is a high opinion of oneself arising from high birth, great learning or wealth; and this will lead to disrespectful treatment of great men. The other is a desire that others should think well of him, and the doing of one's duties from this desire. They should be done, because they are enjoined, and because they form the service of the highest atma.
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For an introduction given earlier to the Gitarthasangrahas by Swamy Alavandar & Swamy Desikan
For Essence of the 1st chapter go to
For Essence of the 2nd chapter go to
For Essence of the 3rd chapter go to
For Essence of the 4th chapter go to
For Essence of the 5th chapter go to
For Essence of the 6th chapter go to
For Essence of the 7th chapter go to
For Essence of the 8th chapter go to
For Essence of the 9th chapter go to
For Essence of the 10th chapter go to
For Essence of the 11th chapter go to
For Essence of the 12th chapter go to
http://haricharanam.blogspot.in/2013/12/essence-of-12th-chapter-bhakthi-yoga.html
