Class summary for Sep 29, 2026 - BG Chapter 8 Slokas 23 - 26 Continued

Summarized by Neelima Turga: 

The class started with opening prayers, pranayam, and meditation, followed by a brief recap of the previous class.

There were several points discussed as part of the recap -

Are the two paths (path of return and no return) for all including the nastiks?

Yes it is for all. 

Kaivalya mukti is attained by the jivanmukta purashas like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, our Gurudev and others. They are exhausting the prarabdha karma in the current life, not accumulating any agami karma and the sanchita karma is wiped out, Once they have overcome the "I"ness, there is nothing that is theirs, including sanchita karma, and hence it does not exist anymore. 

There are the other set of people who are unselfish in nature, perform all good karmas, yet they are not over the "I"ness. They still think "I" want to do good to the society or the country. Such people are also on the path of no return, but they first go to the Brahmaloka and attain the knowledge and then go on achieve mukti - which is called the Krama mukti.

Majority of us are on the path of return - we enjoy the karma phalas, good or bad and then come back. Major part of the minority will get the Krama mukti, while a very few would get the Kaivalya mukti. 

Some of the saints decided to take samadhi at their own will once they feel their work is completed - like Sant Gyaneshwar and Raghavendra Swami.

Brahmasutras/Upanishads give in detail as to what should a Karma Yogi do in order to reach Brahmaloka -Before they die, with their yogic practice they are able to channelize all the pranas so they leave from the top - sushumna nadi and such yogis reach the brahma loka. Ones who are not able to achieve this, the pranas leave through any other nadi, are able to reach one of the lokas based on their karmas.They come back to the earth once they enjoy their karma phalas.

However, no amount of practice of ashtanga yoga can help a person with this process, unless he is a true karma yogi and has a mindset of detachment and has overcome the "I" ness.

Most of the yogis have renounced the world and were sanyasis. Are there any who were married and are realized persons ?

Yes there were and there still are realized people who are grihastas. Very famous example is Janaka Maharaja. In fact Lord Krishna is giving the Bhagavad Gita to a grihasta, Arjuna. It is meant to be followed by any grihasta in the process of self realization. Bhagavan says in the Gita that with proper mental attitude and practice one can become a jeevan mukta purusha even in the grihasta ashrama. Grihasta ashrama is given high importance because this is the ashrama supporting all the other ashramas, performing all family duties and also making progress on the spiritual path. 

There are also examples of  couples who followed their own spiritual path and attained self realization, like the Rishis and their wives. The point emphasised here is that internal renunciation is more important than being a sanyasi externally, wearing saffron robes. So it does not really matter if one is in the grihastha ashrama or the sanyas ashrama.

Some technical terms/names of some Gods with respect to the Krishna gati(dark path) and Shukla gati(light path) were discussed.

Krishna gati guiding devatas - Dhumo, Ratras, Krishna paksha, Dakshinayana devatas

Shukla gati guiding devatas - Agni, Jyoti, Aha-ha, Shukla, Uttarayana devatas

They are symbolic representations of energy guides that help and guide on these two paths.

Gurudev's videos -

 - As per the Upanishads, the Sun represents the Spirit and the moon represents matter. When there is the sun, there is light and dynamism. While moon represents darkness. After death one takes either the sun path or the moon path. If a person is attached to material things, he goes on the moon path (path of return). Spiritual people, who have given up attachment to material things go the sun path and attain mukti (path of no return)

- The time of death(Uttarayan or dakshinayan) directs one onto the dark or the light path. This is said, just to explain the two different paths. What path one follows depends on a number of other factors, including their karmas, vasanas and attitude.

- Smoky(dhumah), night(ratri), the dark fortnight(krishna paksha) and the dakshinayana(the 6 months of darkness when the sun goes south) - the dark path of return - when one is very attached to the material things, they travel this path and return back. 

Agni (Fire), Jyoti(light), Aha-ha(daytime), Shukla (white) and Uttarayana(six months of light when sun travel north) - the bright path of no return - when one is with such mental attitude.

These two paths are always there, available for all. What path is taken, depends on one's motivation. If you desire sense objects, you go back to the material world. 

If they have no desire for material objects, have subtle vasanas, but have not experienced the highest yet, get liberation in stages or Krama mukti. They first go to Brahma loka, exhaust even those subtle vasanas and then get mukti.

Why do we come back if all karmas are exhausted ?

Going on the path of return only exhausts a portion of the karma. There is agami karma that needs to be exhausted as well, for which we come back, 

For example,  persons sentenced to a crime and are in the prison, can do anything  like getting comfortable, pleasing people or just do what others are doing. Even if they are taken out somewhere, they return to the prison to complete the sentence. There could be some who think that if they are anyway there, they might as well do something good. Those very few people, due to exceptionally good behaviour can be freed from the prison earlier.  Similarly, we are bound in this world of material desires and keep coming back to it. The only way to breakout of this is to follow the path of no return, exhausting all vasanas and overcoming the "I"ness.

There are 14 lokas including earth. Seven lokas above earth - different heavens and six lokas below. Not to be confused with heaven and hell described in Christianity.

Going to heaven is like using your debit card. Can enjoy as long as the balance lasts.Any loans taken, one goes to hell until repaid. Once the balance is settled one needs to come back. It depends on what one accumulates.

 It is important to accept whatever package is given without accumulating new positive or negative karmas, treating it as an offering to the Brahman. This is easier said than done, but when one attaches to the higher goals, and surrender to the Lord, things automatically fall into place.

For example, as long as Draupadi was holding on to her saree, and looking at people present there, The Lord did not appear. Only when she let go, and surrendered completely to Bhagawan, he came to her rescue.

To become one with him, we need to operate at that level and drop any "I"ness.

Subjective analysis - Practice Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Gyana Yoga - comprising of Shravanam, mananam and nidityasanam.It is important to keep following these and keep up the sadhana.

Class ended with closing prayers.