Nobody has commentated upon this verse of the Bhagavad Gītā [in this manner] other than Abhinavagupta.
DVD 3.1 (32:53)
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः ।
परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥११॥
devānbhāvayatānena te devā bhavayantu vaḥ /
parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ paramavāpsyatha //11//
[Abhinavagupta]: Deva (deva does not mean gods; you have not to satisfy gods). Deva means krīḍanaśīlā indriya vrittayaḥ [comm.], your own organs, your own organs are gods. Karaṇ-eśvaryo devatā, these organs, your bodily organs are all devas. Rahasya śāstra prasiddhāḥ, they are nominated in Rahasya Śāstra (Shaivite books): tā anena karmaṇā tarpayata, your organs you should feed by these karmas (actions), by giving them good food, good taste, good enjoyment, ghee, paratha, pulau (fried rice), everything, whatever fine [substance] you can get for them, for your own organs. Feed them with many delicious things. Give them delicious food.
This is . . . I wanted to, I craved to tell you.65
Tṛptāśca styastā, when your organs are tṛptā (tṛptā means satisfied with these enjoyments), vo–yuṣmān ātmana eva svarūpamātrocitān bhāvayantu, they will give you apavarga, they will make you reside in the real state of Parabhairava [Supreme Shiva]. After this enjoyment, when you feed your organs with delicious foods in the Parabhairava state, when feeding is over, then you will rest. Just at the time of rest, you will have trance in Parabhairava state, at once! [Your organs] will give you this fruit because svātma-sthitiyogyatvāt, you become fit to reside in Parabhairava [state] at that time.
evam-anavarataṁ vyutthānasamādhi[samaya]paramparāyām [comm.]
So in vyutthāna66 you have to feed them. When you are out of Parabhairava state, you have to feed them. Whom? Your organs. And just after feeding [them], you will remain in the Parabhairava state–that is the fruit.
But [Abhinavagupta] says, “it is worthwhile only for those who are likely to go into the state of Parabhairava; these delicious things are meant for those persons. These delicious things are not meant for worldly people who will waste it.”
na kevalamitthamapavarge yāvatsiddhilābhe’pyayaṁ mārga
[comm. intro to 12th śloka]
This was done [i.e., explained] for those who reside in Bhairava state. They have got all the right to take delicious things.
Those who are not fit for focusing their thoughts on Parabhairava state, for them also it is essential. If they take . . . in fact, there is no need to feed them at all. Now, if you do feed them, still they should make the good purpose of that. If they are fed in ordinary way [i.e., with ordinary food such as] channa dhal or masoor dhal or whatever it is (i.e., not delicious food), [or] if they take some sweet food, for those also it is essential to take good purpose of this [act of eating]. If they take food, they should thank God and be grateful to Him [because] they have been blessed by this food also, which they didn’t deserve. But for that also, they should be grateful to God.
Otherwise they are thieves [if] they get food from Parabhairava and don’t utilize it in a good way. They should also take good chance [i.e., opportunity] of reciting the mantra of Parabhairava from a distance. They should also do some sādhana after taking their food.67
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65 Swamiji is talking to John and Denise Hughes, saying that he was craving to tell them his new revelation on this Bhagavad Gītā. [Editor’s note]
66 Vyutthāna means the field of worldly activity. [Editor’s note]
67 Swamiji advised that after taking food, it is a good practice to sit quietly and reflect on the cycle of nature in relation to what you have eaten. For instance, the seasons, the rain, the sunshine, the moon, the seeds, the soil, the time it took to grow, the cultivating, cooking and preparation, etc. In all, everything up to the food arriving on your plate. [Editor’s note]
by Swami Lakshmanjoo)
