Class summary for May 12, 2026 - BG Chapter 8 Slokas 14 - 16

Summarized by Anu Bhaskara

We started our class with Prayers and Meditation.

A Quick recap of the previous class was done. Below is few points.

Reciting OM constantly is called Abhyasa Yoga. Shankaracharya gave the mention

about this. Focus can be abstract and brahman can be everywhere.

Saying No in the path of attaining brahman is something which we must practice.

It is always about choosing the two right choices. The more sadhana the easier it

helps us in making choices.

While making choices, it must be a pleasure and not pain or stress.

It will take time and effort that the choices we make it will help us grow spiritually and

take us closer to Brahman.

An example was shared by one of our group members on how things fall in place

when your desire is right and how intense you have. How the universe and cosmos

help to make it happen. If you really want something, then it will definitely happen.

We moved on with Chapter 8. Verses 11, 12, 13.

We went over the subjective Analysis- Practicing the skills and arms at the time of

battle is not very helpful. Constant practice is required and not go into Battlefield and

practice there.

We chanted chapter 8- Verses 14,15, 16 and went over Transliteration as well.

When the Intellect is clouded by Desire, then the below will happen.

Pravriti moves to Nivriti.

Karya towards Akarya.

Bhaya towards Abhaya.

Bandham towards Moksham.

To always remember the brahman below are the examples or pointers given to us,

I. Constant remembrance of Brahman always.

Love your children but don’t be attached.

1. (Love V/s Attachment)

Metaphor for attachment- Dhritarashtra, a blind king, attached to his son

Duryodhana.

When we are letting go of our children, this is the most difficult thing to do.

Learn to never advise unless asked like Bhagawan Sri Krishna, he sets the best

example in Bhagavad Gita.

If you love something, let it go. If it is meant to come back, it will.

2. Intellect Guides the mind

Until the intellect is empowered, it will not guide the mind.

How intellect deludes mind is what is given in Gita chapter 1 and Arjuna’s

grief is overpowered and he refuses to fight the battle against his cousins and

guru.

3. Sensory control or sense control – don’t let senses control you.

4. Constancy of Pursuit – there is no clear measurement. We don’t know

when detachment is the best example of a ripe fruit sort of situation.

II. Clarity of thought – Intellect and Choice. Temporarily give up the desires

and attachments.

III. Intelligence v/s Power of Intellect – Story was told here to elaborate over

this.

King Janka dreams of becoming a beggar. Terrified by the dream he goes

and asks Ashta varka. Asta Varkra then asks who the beggar is, who the

king is.

Differentiate between intelligence vs power of intellect. This is a very

telling story to understand this difference.

IV. Completeness Vs Full- Mahatmas have the state of completeness. They

are complete / full – completeness vs full. Don’t get attached to things

which we might get attached to.

V. Path of return (materialistic desires) Vs Path of no return(detachment)

based on the benefits of good actions you would go to the realm and once

done we can come back. Relam – stagged Mukti or krama Mukti- is a no

return path.

Kaivalya Mukti- you will be able to perform the non-desired based actions,

and we can perform actions not getting attached to it and this one.

A question was raised by one of our members, Rebirth, into the human

form - does this happen based on what we do? Or the actions that we do?

Below explanation was provided.

When we have accumulated some amount of punya at the point of death

the Sukshma shariram travels to next realm or Loka and then enjoys till it

is completed and then we might end up taking another birth, as anything ,

it can be human or any being based on the karmas of our past life.

We do get a different body in different ways in Loka and then once done

they can come back and be born on earth and take birth to exhaust any

bad karmas we have, Our net accumulation when positive and negative is

equal, then we are born as human.

We must try and hope that the positiveness increase since we are born as

humans then based on positiveness is accumulated we might get better

bodies and go to different realms to enhance us and once done we might

go higher or lower based on how we exhaust or use it.

There was a mention on the book “Many lives Many Masters”. Where it is

quoted that the maximum interactions we might have had with people or

things in past births are with whom we interact or live with the most in our

present.

When one says that they can look at the horoscope chart – this actually

represents the karmas with which we are born and hence the events going

to happen or will happen are predicted. It is the choice of the soul to be

born in such a way or life, hence the series of events takes place and that

is why the predictions are based on people’s past karmas and Vasanas

and it is nothing to do with the Grahas or planets.

An analogy was given – An Elephant chases a person, and he falls in a

well. When he falls down the well and holds a rope and tries to climb up.

Below in the well there is a snake. If he falls, it is ready to bite the person.

There were honey drops falling from the treetop. Since this honey is

sweet, rats are now trying to eat the honey and start biting the rope. How

can we prevent or what can be prevented in this situation. Stop the honey

and then we are at the mercy of the rats.

In this scenario,

Elephant represents the age which is chasing us.

Snakes represent the death.

Rats represent the days and night.

Honey represents temporary desires.

Videos of Gurudev are to be watched in our next class on May 26 th .