This week’s lecture is very practical and important, as we all occasionally have to deal with anger and desire and it disturbs our peace and meditation. Here Swamiji explains what do to and how to overcome desire and anger.
This is an excerpt from the third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism by Swami Lakshmanjoo. The video below has been recorded during the Weekly Sangha #26 where we have been studying the Bhagavad Gita in depth. You can watch and listen to the discussion by John, Denise and Shanna Hughes and George Barselaar by visiting the replay page.
DVD 3.2 (47:01)
Now 43rd [śloka]:
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।
यथोल्वेनावृतो गर्भस्तथानेनायमावृतः ॥४३॥
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir-yathādarśo malena ca /
yatholvenāvṛto garbhas-tathānenāyam-āvṛtaḥ //43//
[Lord Kṛṣṇa]: Just as the flames of fire are covered by smoke . . . just as the shining flames of fire are covered with smoke, they are covered with smoke, and yatha adarśaḥ malena ca, just as a mirror is covered with dust over it, and you cannot see your shape at all in that mirror, (I mean your reflection), yatholvenāvṛto garbha, just as this garbha, i.e., in the womb that child is āvṛta, is covered with that covering of the womb, tatha anena ayam-āvṛtaḥ, in the same way, anena, this krodha (wrath) also covers this God consciousness. It is gone. It does not show its effect.
It is there but it does not show its effect.
DVD 3.2 (48:45)
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।
कामरूपेणा कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥४४॥
āvṛtaṁ jñānametena jñānino nityavairiṇā /
kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca //44//
This is nitya vairiṇā, the eternal enemy of a jñāni.
Jñāni means [one] who is filled with Bhairava knowledge.
This kāma (desire) or krodha (wrath) is the eternal enemy of jñāni, and who has jñānam etena āvṛtaṁ; his jñāna (knowledge) is covered by [this enemy]. Duṣpūreṇānalena ca, and this is duṣpūreṇa analena ca, just as in fire, whatever you throw, whatever you offer, it burns, it burns, it burns . . . everything burns, i.e., there is no end of these [flames].
Najatu-kāma kāmanāṁ upabhogena śameti.
For instance, if you want to go to the cinema, if you want to go for some pleasure, if you want to see the TV, . . . if you want to see TV, you will see TV always, you won’t remain without seeing TV; i.e., you will never be filled, your hunger will [still] get its rise.
In the same way, just as fire, whatever you throw in it, the fire gives more flames, more flames, it [increases] more in power. And the more you keep it without giving it [fuel], then it subsides. Then it is calmed and it becomes one with the ashes, and [finally] there is no fire. The fire subsides altogether.
DVD 3.2 (51:28)
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।
एतौर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥४५॥
indriyāṇi mano buddhir-asyādhiṣṭhānam-ucyate /
etair-vimohayatyeṣa jñānam-āvṛtya dehinam //45//
This is the 45th śloka.
Its seat, I will tell you what is its seat – the enemy, kāma and krodha – where this enemy is seated in one’s body.
Organs, mind and intellect.
These three – organs, mind, and intellect – are its seat to sit on in one’s body. Etair vimohayatyeṣa, by these three this kāma (desire) and krodha (wrath), vimohayatyeṣa, destroys the God consciousness of ātma (the soul) and keeps him away from the knowledge of God consciousness.
Ādau indriyeṣu satsu tiṣṭhati [comm.], first, it steps into organs.
For instance, yathā cakṣuṣā śatrur dṛṣṭa, just as when you see your enemy with your eyes, you lose your temper at once. When you see any enemy, you can’t remain [calm] and you lose your temper at once.
Do you understand?
DENISE: Yes, you start to breathe heavily. Your heart beats harder.
SWAMIJI: You breathe heavily and [think], “I want to quit that place; quit that place at once. Because I would kill that enemy, but if I have not the power to kill him, still I want to quit from that place. I don’t want to stand there at all.” So, it appears in the organs first.
Yathā cakṣuṣā śatrurdṛṣṭa indriyapradeśe eva krodham-ātmano janayati [comm.]. First, [this anger] gives shape in indriyas (organs).
Tato manasi, then it treads in the mind, “What to do, what remedy I should do to get rid of this enemy?”
Tato buddhau, then it passes in his intellect, [which discerns] what is to be decided for him.
[For instance] if he has no power to kill [his enemy] (because he is also powerful) and he won’t let himself be killed.
Etad-dvāreṇa mohaṁ janayan jñānaṁ nāśayati, so [his] God consciousness is subsided, it is shattered to pieces. There is no hope for maintaining God consciousness at all for him. God consciousness is shattered to pieces by this enemy.
DVD 3.2 (55:38)
Asya nivāraṇe upāyamāha, now I will tell you how to get rid of this enemy.
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।
पाप्मानं प्रजहीह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥४६॥
tasmāt-tvam-indriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha /
pāpmānaṁ prajahīhyenaṁ jñāna-vijñānanāśanam //46//
Tasmāt ādau indriyāṇi niyamya [comm.]. Whenever you see your enemy with your eyes, just quit and sit in your bedroom. Lock [the door from] inside and get [your anger] subsided. Don’t say a word to him. This is the best way of getting rid of this enemy.
If you stay there, something bad will happen. You will lose consciousness and “haaaaa!” your lips will tremble, and you will dash down your father, you will dash down your mother, you will dash down your kith and kin, and you will slap them and you will be furious just [like a] wild beast [moving] all-around in your house.
So it is better for you to quit and lock yourself inside.
And it is jñāna and vijñāna, [wrath] destroys jñāna and vijñāna. Jñāna means God consciousness; vijñāna means the trick of achieving God consciousness. The trick of achieving God consciousness and God consciousness, both are destroyed by this enemy. Ataḥ pāpmānaṁ krodhaṁ tyaja. So you must abandon [kāma and krodha] for good.
This is the essence of this [verse].
Atra yuktiṁ śloka dvayenāha. Now, [Lord Kṛṣṇa] places two ślokas on how to get rid of this enemy.
DVD 3.2 (58:24)
इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः ।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥४७॥
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥४८॥
indriyāṇi parāṇyāhur-indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ /
manasastu parā buddhiryo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ //47//
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā samstabhyātmānamātmanā /
jahi śatruṁ mahābāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam //48//
Just think to yourself, indriyāṇi parāṇyāhur, “there are organs, which see this enemy, but these organs are not mine.” Indriyāṇi parāṇyāhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ. And mana (mind) has nothing to do with indriyās; the mind has nothing to do . . . mind is separate from organs. And the intellect is absolutely separate from the mind. Yo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ, and my nature, my ātma, is absolutely separate from all of these three.
So, my soul (ātma) is above these three! Why should I come into their grip, i.e., of indriyas (organs), mana (mind), and intellect (buddhi)?
Jahi śatruṁ, [you should] kill this enemy, O Arjuna, which is kāma rūpaṁ durāsadam, which is not conquered by anybody in this world.
Evam-indriya-utpannena krodhena kathaṁ manaso buddher-ātmano vā kṣobhaḥ iti paryālocayedi . . . [comm.]. You should think over it: how ātma [the soul] can be moved by the activity of these three organs?
Which organs?
DENISE: Mind, intellect, and organs.
SWAMIJI: Yes.
[Abhinavagupta]: Rahasyavidāṁ tv-ayamāśayaḥ. Some elevated souls commentate upon these ślokas in this way, where I have no objection, where I have sympathy.
‘buddheryaḥ paratra vartate paro’haṁkāraḥ’
That is: above buddhi, there is universal-I; above buddhi, there is universal-I. Before that universal-I, “I am kāma, I am krodha, I am everything, I am everything – what to me?
I am everything!
What can only krodha (wrath) do or kāma (desire) do to me?
I will be unmoved!”
So it is universality – this is Abhinavagupta’s favorite procedure.
Do you understand?
Para ahaṁkāra, supreme universal aham (universal-I). Universal-I consciousness is beyond that. In universal-I consciousness, this is also digested in one corner.
DENISE: Kāma and krodha.
SWAMIJI: Kāma (desire) and krodha (wrath) is nothing. Kāma and krodha is just one ray of that [universal-I].
For instance, there is a big ocean, there are tides, there are bubbles, like this; this [kāma and krodha] is one bubble.
How will a bubble agitate this ocean?
It can’t be agitated. It is a bubble; what can a bubble do?
So you should be above that. You should remain above that in universal God consciousness.
That way also there is no fear of kāma and krodha.
अत्त संग्रहश्लोकः
atra saṇgraha ślokaḥ
This is the conclusion of this chapter.
DVD 3.2 (1:03:28)
धनानि दारान्देहं च योऽन्यत्वेनाधिगच्छति ।
किं नाम तस्य कुर्वन्ति क्रोधाद्याश्चित्तविभ्रमाः ॥३॥
dhanāni dārāndehaṁ ca yo’nyatvenādhi-gacchati /
kiṁ nāma tasya kurvanti krodhādyāś-cittavi-bhramāḥ //3//
My property, my wife, my body, my kith and kin – I am not my body, I am not my bank balance, I am not my child, I am not my brothers, I am not my father, I am not my husband, I am not my wife – I am separate and above these! Kiṁ nāma tasya kurvanti krodhādyā citta vibhramāḥ, how can krodha or kāma rise there in universality, in universal God consciousness? This is the conclusion.
Here ends the 3rd chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā.
DVD 3.2 (1:04:44)
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