Class Summary for Oct 24, 2023 - Chapter-2 Slokas 19 - 22

 Summarized by: Bala Dhandapani

The class started off with prayer, pranayama and meditation. 

Previous class discussion was summarized.  Thoughts that occur during meditation was shared and discussed by the class.

Verses /Slokas 19-22 were chanted

Below is a summary of the slokas

Verse 19

Krishna further expounds on Atma/Eternal Self in this verse.  One who thinks that the Self is a slayer and also one who thinks that the Self can be slain both are ignorant of the real nature of the Self.  Atma cannot slay or slained and is immutable.

 

Verse 20

Krishna continues in verse 20 to talk about the immutable nature of Atma/Self.  Atma is never born and will never die.  Since it always exist there is no concept of death for the true self/Atma.  The body may change at different stages and go through – birth, growth, decay, disease and death, this is common in a mortal’s life but not the Self/Atma.  The Self is unborn, eternal, everlasting and ancient

The body can be slain, but not the Self.  Gurudev in his commentary explains further that a pot can be broken but not the clay, a wave can be destroyed (collapsed) but not the ocean. 

 

Verse 21

One who truly understand that self is indestructible/eternal/unborn/imperishable, the individual also knows that he/she is not cause to slay someone. 

Clay is more real than the pot, similarly body and mind come and go, Atma is more real and does not change.

Verse 22

Just as a person casts ways away old clothes and takes new clothes, Atma (a loose translation -Soul) moves from one body (may be due to old age) to a new one.  The body may die not the Atma.

 

Theme

The theme of verses 19-22 summarized below:

-Atma/Self is Omni and ever present, it cannot be killed (slained) nor it can kill (slain).  It is Akartha – non-doer of any action and Aboktha -not subject to any action.  Reiterating that Atma/true self is not born and does not die  (ever present).

Humans have the ability to acquire knowledge of Atma and know the difference, while inert objects and plants, animals cannot see the difference. 

Atma is Nirivikaaraha – free from change. Atma is always there in a Jivatma, when the dust is removed from a mirror one can see clearly, similarly when Jivatma attains and realizes the true knowledge it becomes one with Paramatma. 

Krishna tells all this to Arjuna to cope up with the imminent death of Bheeshma and Drone and his family members due to the war and Arjuna has to fight and perform his duty.  When a person dies in the battlefield by doing their duty will get an elevated -better body – equipment in their next birth. 

Death is a transcendental event where the Atma moves from one body to another, and the type of equipment-body the Atma moves to depends on the karma.

Subjective Analysis

The knowledge/awareness of Atma will enable us to effectively practice Viveka (discrimination between real and unreal) and Vairagya (dispassion). 

Atma is attribute less and featureless

Additional points discussed :

When we perform actions in life we may perform wrong actions (and create vasanas).  Based on Manu Smirithi, the punishment that we receive exhaust the vasanas.

Metaphor for Atma – In a movie theater, the screen is fixed whereas the objects/pictures come and go, similarly Atma is an underlying substratum.  Another example is water and waves.  Waves appear and disappear where as water stays the same.

Story

Barbarika (grandson of Bheema born, son of Gadothgajan) (disciple of Krishna) wanted to witness the Kurukshethra war and also fight with the weaker army  (to help them, ie he may fight with both the Pandava and Kaurava armies interchanging).  To keep things fair and balanced, Krishna asks Barbarika to give his head as gurudakshina and keeps in top of a mountain as an observer.  At the end of the war, Krishna asks Barbarika as to who was better in the war (Pandavas or Kauravas), he says that he saw only Sudarshana Charkra and Krishna everywhere.

When you sit in the meditation seat, one would see like what Barbarika saw.

When you separate / go beyond from the body, all that you will see is only oneness- absolute reality.

Bodies are made up of Stula sharirum, Sukshma sharirum, karana sharirum and Atma.   Upon death, Sukshma Sharirum, Karana Sharirum and Atma moves from one body to another. 

The class also viewed 2 videos of Gurudev (verses 19-22)