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BHAGAVAD GITA - CHAPTER 8
THE YOGA OF THE IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN
Arjuna asks Krishna to elucidate technical and philosophical terms. He asks seven questions: "What is Brahman, Adhyatma, Karma, Adhibhuta, Adhidaiva, Adhiyajna and how, at the time of death, art Thou to be known by the self-controlled one?"
That which is Supreme and indestructible is called Brahman, the Absolute. Brahman is imperishable, unchanging, all-pervading, self-existent, self-luminous and the supreme cause of all effects.
One's own essential nature, or individual consciousness, is called adhyatma. It is that part of supreme consciousness together with the limiting adjuncts, time, space, name and form. The creative force, the cause of the existence, manifestation and sustenance of all beings, is called karma. It is the force by which the one God has become the many. All perishable things have a beginning and an end.The intellect, mind, senses and body, are called 'adhibhuta'.
The Universal Soul, or Divine Intelligence, is the vital energy or life-force of the universe. He is called 'adhidaiva'.
The witnessing consciousness, which dwells in the body, is 'adhiyajna'.
The last thought will determine one's next birth. At the time of death the mind, prana and the accumulated desires, called the astral body, will leave the physical body. One cannot know when this will happen. Hence, one should always remember God.
Krishna emphasizes the need to practice meditation throughout one's life, fixing the mind on God. Generally, everyone forgets the source of one's existence and suffers disharmony of personality. Just as in the disturbed waters of a lake one cannot see the pebbles at the bottom nor the reflection of the sun, so also the Self that is underlying one's personality is not felt or realized due to this disharmony. To attain the needed harmony in one's personality and God-consciousness, one should practice pranayama with the mind concentrated in the space between the eyebrows and with chanting of OM. One should sit in a comfortable pose keeping the spine and neck erect. This creates a harmony in the physical system with the regular flow of prana in all parts of the body. When one concentrates in the ajna chakra, the senses and mind become calm. The repetition of OM creates a harmony and the entire personality of the practitioner will feel the single consciousness, which will gradually lead to the experience of supreme consciousness. At the time of death, such a yogi will surely reach the supreme goal, from which he never returns to the mortal world.
If one is established in a regular practice, it is possible to have divine consciousness at the time of death. The mortal world is the place of pain and is non-eternal, whereas those who attain God-consciousness will reach the highest perfection (liberation).
The Lord, who creates the universe with the preponderance of rajas, is called Brahma (to be distinguished from 'Brahman' or the Absolute). He who sustains the universe with the preponderance of sattva is called Vishnu, and He who dissolves the universe by preponderance of tamas is called Rudra. 4,320,000,000 human years makes a day of Brahma. Brahma's life is one hundred years of such days. By performance of good deeds one may reach the abode of Brahma, but it is also governed by time, space and causation. After enjoying the fruits of their deeds, souls will again take birth in this world. Those who remember and meditate on the Supreme Being, as the Eternal witness, at the time of death, will never take birth again. Without God-realization no one can escape birth and death. Now, Krishna mentions the two routes by which the souls travel. Yogis who depart during the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern course of the sun (Uttarayana), will reach Brahma-loka and then merge in the Supreme Being. They never return.
Those who have attachment to objects of the world, who perform sacrifices with expectation of fruits, who depart during the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern course of the sun (Dakshinayana), will reach Chandra-loka, (the heaven of the forefathers). After enjoyment of their meritorious deeds, they will take birth again.
"A yogi knowing these two paths, will never perform sacrifices, study of scriptures or charity with expectation of fruits. He understands that everything except God is pain-giving and transient. Hence he is always immersed in God-consciousness, and finally attains to the supreme primeval abode".
In chapter 8 krishna describes the glory of human existence. After passing through many sub-human species, by the grace of God, one will take human birth. Falling to avail oneself of the opportunity of attaining God, one fully spends the life with the animalistic characters such as lust, greed and jealousy; one will again take birth, perhaps in sub human species. That is why one should practice yoga and meditation. At the time of death divine thoughts will come instead of worldly attachments.
IMPORTANT VERSES OF CHAPTER 8
5. And whosoever, leaving the body, goes forth remembering Me alone, at the time of death, he attains My being: there is no doubt about this.
6. Whosoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), because of his constant thought of that being.
12. Having closed all the gates, confined the mind in the heart and fixed the life-breath in the head, engaged in the practice of concentration.
15. Having attained Me these great souls do not again take birth (here), which is the place of pain and is non-eternal; they have reached the highest perfection (liberation).
26. The bright and the dark paths of the world are verily thought to be eternal; by the one (the bright path) a man goes not to return, and by the other (the dark path) he returns.
12. Having closed all the gates, confined the mind in the heart and fixed the life-breath in the head, engaged in the practice of concentration.
According to the Suryasiddhanta the following periods are allotted to the different Yugas, each with its Sandhya and Sandhyamsa:
Kali Yuga: 432,000 years
Dwapara Yuga: 864,000 years
Treta Yuga: 1,296,000 years
Kreta Yuga: 1,728,000 years
Mahayuga = 4,320,000 years
Seventy-one Mahayugas (plus Sandhya) = Manvantara (308,448,000 years)
Fourteen Manvantaras (plus Sandhya) = Kalpa (4.20 million years)
Two Kalpas make a day and night of Brahma equal to 8,640 million earth years
Three hundred and sixty such days = one year of Brahma (3,110,400 million earth years)
100 years of Brahma = lifetime (311,040 billion earth years)
Questions:
1. What is the meaning of 'adhyatma'?
2. Explain the importance of a person's last thought before dying.
3. How many human years in a 'day of Brahma'?