Class summary for May 12, 2026 - BG Chapter 8 Slokas 11 - 13 continued

Summarized by Sucheta Dighe


Recap of the last session

Verse 9 – Anusmaredya -
Continuous contemplation on Him.
Such an entity is attained by the practice of yoga.

Ex. If you are talking about an apple, explaining what are the physical features etc., in the end you say it is that which you can pluck from a tree in Simla.

Giving pointers to the Brahman by saying that one needs to focus only on that at the time of death.

Explanatory of verses 11, 12, 13 repeated

The goal is twofold. One is to help you attain that which is unfathomable. On the other hand, it is telling you what to do to attain moksha.

Discussion on Brahmacharya - brahmarcharya is control over the senses and desires.

“The reason that the American Navy does so well in wartime is that war is chaos and the Americans practice chaos on a daily basis.” — Karl Dönitz

Ch. 8 – Verses 11, 12, 13

Theme:

• Pre-requirements for meditation
     o Freedom from emotions or desire-based activities
     o Brahmacharyam (saying NO to anything that comes in the way of attaining Brahman)
(Ex. Choosing the higher cause and take care of your duties first)

• Control over the gates; not shutting down the gates (control desires)

• Recite OM constantly, so you can do so during the last breath - Abhyasa yoga

Shankaracharya’s commentary on this verse uses the Upanishads & the vedas.
Akshara Brahma is nirguna brahman.
Brahman is difficult to visualize. We have Ganesha made with haldi, clay, etc. We invoke Him to enter the idol, then let Him go back to being formless by immersing the idol.
Focus can be abstract like OM or a flower, etc. Brahman is everywhere so it is difficult to focus on it.

13th Verse - Om is Brahman.
At the time of death, withdraw all the sense organs as explained in Ashtanga yoga. Get the prana to the heart & then through the sushumna nadi, leave the body.
To do this at the time of death is extremely difficult. Only those who practice continuously can attain this.
In Ashtanga yoga, this step is known as Pratyahara: withdraw the senses & bring the prana to the heart.

Video 200 – Ch. 8 Verse 11 & 12

That state is explained very briefly — that which is the theme of all the Vedas. The true seekers enter that state of consciousness.
To reach this state, people continuously think of Brahman. Gurudev says, I can give you the roadmap to that state, which is indescribable. According to this roadmap, if you proceed, you can see it.
Example - If I see the moon rise, and I call out to you to come & see the moon — if you don't come and say “explain it to me,” it is not possible to explain the beauty of the moon. You need to experience it yourself.
Ex. You can read all the scriptures any number of times; intellectually you are a scholar, but Brahman is beyond the intellect. To achieve sthithpragnya, you need directions given by a great guru.

Video 201 – Verse 12

Here is the roadmap to this supreme self in your own depths. It is to be experienced inside rather than outside.
All the doorways of the sense organs & your thoughts are under control by devotion when the mind goes towards Him.
When the mind is held steadily in the intellect, when the intellect is contemplating on HIM, mind is steady. And all your prana shakti or extroverted expressions of life in you are also controlled.
Through the instruments of action, I express myself. They too are controlled.
Yoga dharana — fixing your entire attention on the higher.

Video 202 – Verse 13

Having thus sat down & gathered your mind and steadily contemplating on HIM:
Om stands for that great reality. It is the sound & symbol of that reality.
Let the mind continuously chant OM or any God’s name. It brings out the picture; your mind turns towards it.
“My son” — son is a common name, but when the word “son” is uttered, you think of your own son.
While your mind is chanting, intellect must start thinking of that reality.
Mind continuously chants in devotion the Lord’s name & the intellect starts thinking of the nature of the reality.
Mind chants & reminds the intellect to focus.
Controlling the desires, senses, mind & intellect → this is the roadmap, the way to reach Him at the time of death.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summary of Karma, ViKarma and AKarma

Image
Summarized by Prathima Srinath based on her understanding Karma, Vi-karma and Akarma Verse 17 states - karma, vikarma and akarma are all actions, and that the way of action is mysterious and there is more to understand about them. Below is my interpretation of verse 17 and Verse 18 based on the commentaries, of Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Sarvapriyananda, Sridhar Swami, and Sri Ramanuja Gita Bhasyam. Literally Karma, Vi-Karma and Akarma means: Karma: performing actions as prescribed by Vedic scriptures -Nitya and Naimittika Vi-karma: performing improper action, forbidden action Akarma: inaction, non-performance of action It is important to understand the real nature of action to know what they mean in the spiritual sense. What is the real nature of Action – Karma and Vi-karma? Sense organs, constantly in contact with external stimuli, keep sending impression to mind. The mind gathers new impressions and gets colored by the Vasana hoarded within and are translated into action through our...
Read more

Class Summary for Jun 17, 2025 - Chapter-6 Slokas 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Summarized by:   A K Srinivasan Class started with   opening prayers,   followed by a recap of last week’s class. The theme of preparing for meditation continues in these slokas.   Slokas 14-15 exhort the practitioner to have a disciplined mind, by controlling the sense organs. The concept of celibacy, loosely translated in English,   actually refers   to   controlling all   the sense organs, a state of brahmacharya, to still the agitated mind. Our senses are compared to a pot with 5 holes, the equivalent of our 5 senses, that constantly leak attention.  The ideal state to be in, in preparation for meditation, is to have a calm, fearless and serene mind, that is focused and in control.  One of the methods suggested to quieten an agitated mind is to do ‘ japa ’ by taking the name of your favorite deity, so that distractions are vanquished. This will also help in the intellect getting ‘fixed on Me’, the Brahman.   We can progressively...
Read more

Class Summary for Sep 12, 2023 - Chapter-1 Slokas 24 - 31

  Summarized by: Neelima Turga The class started with Opening prayers, followed by pranayam and a short meditation. The approach of the Bhagavad Gita is to first define the problem and then give the solution. The first chapter defines the problem, In the second chapter, Bhagawan gives the solution. The solution is further explained in detail in chapters 3 to 17 and finally chapter 18 is again a summary of all the teachings from the Lord himself. As we continue our journey with the Gita, we will be able to understand and appreciate this better.  We chanted shlokas 24-26 and saw the translation. Sanjaya continues to say that after Arjuna is addressed as Gudakesa, Lord Krishna takes the chariot to the middle of the battleground and places it right in between both the armies. There Arjuna could see all his fathers, grandfathers, uncles, teachers and all other relatives. Here, Arjuna is addressed as Gudakesha, which also means the one who conquered sleep. Sanjaya also talks about A...
Read more