Darshan with Bapuji: Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
July 24, 1977 am
[Bapuji chants.]
BAPUJI:
Beloved children: Today, I will give you some idea about Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.
I am telling you objectively, that among the scriptures of this whole world, this Bhagavad Gita is a very special scripture.
That book could be called the scripture of moksha, for a total liberation.
According to my understanding, the scriptures that are directly related to moksha are only written in India, and not other places.
What is that scripture that is related to moksha?
Means, total liberation.
On this earth, some of the greatest lights of this world, means, those who have been totally liberated, the path through which they have grown to this stage, that path is called liberation.
We can also say that the book of moksha, like the Bhagavad Gita, it is more for the great masters.
There is another aspect of it, an earlier stage of it, which is called samaj dharma the religion that is more suitable for the masses, in a larger scale, which is more suitable for the entire nation, or the world.
The path of the great masters is very difficult, and an ordinary person, who is not destined to be the great master, cannot stay on this path too long, because the difficulties are that many.
If you have one hundred wagons, train wagons, and if you have a child’s toy engine, do you think it can pull all these wagons?
So the path of moksha, or total liberation, is such a path that it is mainly for the great masters.
Such a man is called the light of the universe.
He is so charismatic that he attracts the people of the entire world to him, and can lead them on the higher paths.
One cannot become this great master in one lifetime.
For that, one has to do sadhana for many, many lifetimes.
And after that, he can become the light of this world.
Because Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is moksha scripture, that doesn’t mean that it is useful only for those going on the higher path.
Just as, from the river, one can get a cupful of water, or a big potful of water, or a big barrelful of water, whatever is your necessity or capacity, you get it from it.
So also, from such books, you receive what you are ready for.
So, from Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, even average person can get lot from it.
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is the answer to every problem the world has ever seen.
Bapuji says, “According to me, as I see it, this scripture of Bhagwan Lakulish is one secret, the most secret; it reveals the secret of yoga, most important secret of yoga.
So also, Bhagavad Gita reveals the secret of yoga in the word picture.
This is the statue, but that is the word picture.
Only yogis can understand that.
And no one else can enter into those secret chambers.”
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita has eighteen chapters.
In those eighteen chapters, behind every word, there is a truth that is hiding behind it.
The first chapter of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is Arjuna’s Vishadha Yoga [sp].
Means Arjuna’s suffering, his pain, and his disappointment.
The name of this chapter sounds little bit unusual.
To have the disappointment in your mind, is that some kind of a yoga?
Because that is the name of the first chapter.
The yoga of disappointment.
Yes.
That is one form of yoga.
That is why it is included in the first chapter.
The beginning of knowledge begins with the suffering or pain.
As long as we are attracted by the sensual attractions of this world, even if the knowledge itself comes in front of us, we will turn aside.
But when you yourself, on your own accord, move yourself away from the temptations of the world, then you will be able to receive the knowledge.
As long as our mind is the victim of the temptations of this world, we do not really experience the in-depth failure, or suffering, or pain.
If you dip the colander into the river, and you lift it up, it will come up empty.
The mind of a worldly man cannot hold the knowledge, because it is like a colander.
When the in-depth pain or disappointment happens in his mind, and he sees no way out, then that colander becomes a whole container.
The holes are filled.
In order to establish our contact with God, we have to cut off other contacts that create disturbance.
The disappointment comes many times during the day, and suffering.
But don’t believe that is the yoga that has begun.
That is not the same as what is talked in Bhagavad Gita.
But that disappointment that cannot be changed, and gradually it becomes non-attachment: that is the real disappointment.
To arrive to such a hopeless state, you have to wait for many, many incarnations.
That is why we don’t come to a first step, or a first chapter of Bhagavad Gita.
That is why we don’t become Arjuna, until we fill that.
One who comes to such a hopeless state, that instead of committing suicide physically, he dies while he is alive: only he is ready to enter into this state.
Our state of disappointments are such, that it is born so often, and it dies so often.
Few minutes we are crying, and within a few minutes we are laughing.
As long as that laughing comes, know that the door, of hopeless state of Arjuna, is still closed for us.
Then, shouldn’t there be the laughing, or joy, in life?
Yes.
There is laughing, and it is full laughing, but the difference is, that you laugh on your own foolishness.
And after that starts, the Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the yoga of Arjuna’s total disappointment.
The meaning of Arjuna is simple, or honest, if you want to say.
One who leaves the crookedness, and becomes very simple, and honest, he becomes ready for this yoga.
Only when we become honest and simple, we would become the true customers of that yoga, and one day, that is going to become our yoga.
Whoever has come to this stage of disappointment, they have really gotten interested in the feet of the Lord.
Means, attracted to the feet of the Lord.
We can also say that in the fire of disappointment, or hopeless state, all this entire world burns, for you.
So when an archer, he is shooting at his target, he first becomes very one pointed and concentrated, and then he releases his arrow.
The Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the yoga of Arjuna’s total disappointment, is to see clearly where you want to go.
Because at that time, the mind becomes empty from all other thoughts, and that is what allows us to dwell deeply, and one pointedly, on the thoughts, desirable thoughts.
When we are full of happiness, or excited with happiness, we cannot think properly.
And when we are full of suffering, we cannot think properly.
If this Arjuna Vishada Yoga happens properly, then it immediately brings you to the state of objective awareness.
The beginning of this Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is also very unique.
So, he has hundred sons, and his brother has five sons, and there is a war between the two.
On one side there are five.
On the other side, there are a hundred.
And the older in the family is the one who first questions; that begins Bhagavad Gita.
And he is blind.
It is all symbolic.
That’s what Bapuji is trying to explain.
The one to whom this question is asked, his name is Sanjaya.
And Sanjaya is the charioteer of the questioner, Dhritarashtra.
The meaning of the Dhritarashtri is the one who has snatched away somebody else’s kingdom.
The Sanjaya is the one who has the divine eye.
Means, the third eye, that all perceiving eye, and who has the mastery over his senses, over his mind, and over his intellect.
Now look at the setting.
One is blind.
The other has a divine eye.
Really, only the one who sees can guide the one who is blind.
Only the one with knowledge can guide the one who is without knowledge.
He is asking that, “My children, and the children of my brother Pandu, when they got together on the battlefield, what did they do?”
This Sanjaya, to whom this question is asked, he has just returned from the battlefield.
There, the war has been already going on, for past ten days.
And one who was the grandfather of their family, on their side, on the hundred brothers’ side, he is already on the deathbed, during the war.
His name is Vishmatitama [sp].
He was grandfather of all these children.
The complication of that war was really unique.
So when Dhritarashtra, the blind, the father of hundred, when he asks the question, “What happened on the war?
On the battlefield?”
then Sanjaya is giving the answer to that question.
“On the sixth day of the war, all the warriors woke up, they prayed to God, they bowed to the elders, and they started preparing for the war.”
He is explaining this, to the blind.
“Then your older son, he started walking around, to see both sides of the army.
And first of all, he approached to the first army officer, Dronacharya.
He was the highest one.
He was the Guru, of both the armies.
Means, he had taught both of the armies how to fight.
Interesting.
This is all allegorical.
[inaudible] approached Dronacharya, the Guru of both armies, and he said, “Guruji, that our army must win.”
In those days, there were such able warriors, they were called “Nahowyado” [sp] and he could fight ten thousand, by himself.
Because they fought with the mantra.
The warrior who was known as Atilati, he could fight with hundred thousand, all at once, and could destroy them all.
At that time, physical science was at its peak.
In those days, they had such war equipments, and equipments of which we cannot even imagine today.
From that instrument, they could create a fire, and could pull the fire back.
This is very important.
To pull the fire back is the key.
That was very difficult.
Now we can throw the bomb, but we cannot stop it.
His older son, among the hundred brothers, his oldest son’s name was Biyoga [sp].
His name was explaining his great ability in fight.
He was one of the best of the warriors.
He bowed down at the feet of his Guru, and said, “Gurudev, we must win.”
Most unusual situation was that the most favorite disciple of Dronacharya was Arjuna, who was in the opposite army.
Gurudev said, “When I fight, I do not see that this is my brother, or this is my son.
So when I fight, I am fighting for the truth, and even if I have to fight with the opposite party, whoever is there, I will fight.”
Biyoga was greatly pleased.
But when he saw the great warriors of the opposite side, he was greatly impressed, too.
He was mainly concerned and afraid of one individual in the opposite party.
His name was Lord Krishna.
He was the charioteer of Arjuna.
He was not going to fight, himself.
He was simply going to drive the chariot for Arjuna.
He was mainly afraid of him.
He thought this was the most crooked man.And Krishna had such history.
He killed man demons so easily, so.
He was very intelligent.
Krishna was, naturally.
Another fear he had, of Arjuna.
Other than that, there were many other very able warriors, too.
There were totally eighteen blocks of armies, eighteen troops of armies.
Eleven that belonged to Duryodhana, and seven that belonged to Pandavas.
So eleven to Kauravas, and seven that belonged to Pandavas.
Totally eighteen troops, and there are eighteen chapters of Bhagavad Gita.
There is very interesting relation of analogy.
So Duryodhana was pretty sure that, “My army is bigger, and I have many able warriors, so I am bound to succeed.”
All the great warriors that Kauravas, means a hundred brothers, had on their side, the great warriors, they all wished well of Pandavas, the opposite side.
For success of any work that you start, it depends upon the blessing of those who are your well-wishers.
So before they start war, it is customary, and because this is a family, so, if one warrior in this side had an elder on the other side, he will go to bow down at his feet, and if he had an elder on the other side, he will go to pay his respect.
And both, each one who was receiving these bowings, he was giving the blessings, that, “May your side win.”
That’s the strangest thing.
The meaning of it, “That I may be defeated, and you win. I die, and you win.”
That is the kind of blessing they were giving.
Just as Duryodhana, the leader of the hundred brothers, oldest brothers, looked at both the armies, from the side, Arjuna came out, and looked at both the armies.
He started in the chariot, and he asked Lord Krishna to drive his chariot in between the two armies.
Then he cast his eyes on the warriors on the opposite side.
His eyes fell upon the leader of the army of the opposite side, Dronacharya, who was his Guru, also.
He was in command of the entire army.
Arjuna was his beloved disciple.
He was closest disciple.
When he saw his Guru, with old strong body, properly decorated with the arms, and long flowing hair, long free beard, the glittering bright eyes, he said, “I have played in the lap of my Guru.
How would I fight him with arrows?”
One day, Guru had asked for a gift from him.
“My son, you will have to give me a gift which is a gift to your Guru.”
At that time, Arjuna had said, “Whatever you ask as a gift, I will give you.”
He said, “Remember, that even when you have to fight with me, don’t be coward.
Give me that as a gift.
This is what I ask of you.”
Arjuna had his wife’s brother, whose name was Drustamenya.
He was a very powerful warrior.
He was born from the fire, ceremonial fire.
And he was created by mantra, just to kill Dronacharya, the one who was in command of the entire army of Kauravas.
When this Drustamenya came from the ceremonial fire, they thought about giving him the training of war, and of fighting.
Drupad was his father, who was at one time friend of Dronacharya, the head of the army, and at another time, he became the enemy of Dronacharya.
So he was at one time friend of Dronacharya, the head of the army, and at another time, he became the enemy.
When Dronacharya found out that Drupad, his one time friend, had obtained a son specially from the ceremonial fire in order to kill Dronacharya, then he himself went to the home of his enemy.
And Dronacharya said to his enemy, “That I will teach him how to fight.”
Do you see?
There is no war, actually.
Do you see what is happening?
There is something unusual here.
Think about it.
One who is destined to kill him, to whom he is teaching his art of fight.
“Really my enemy is going to teach the art of fighting, to my own son?”
So he asked his enemy, Drupad, “What is your intention of teaching this to my son?”
Because he was the greatest of teachers.
He was the teacher of all these Pandavas and Kauravas.
He was most incomparable, powerful warrior and teacher of war in India.
Then he answered, “That I will teach him the art of war, with my purest heart.
And I will die, by his hands.
Because he is my disciple.
I would consider very honorable to die, by the hand of my own disciple.
Only my disciple can kill me, no one else.”
The Gurus of the ancient time they had this kind of thinking.
They wish that, “My disciple may become more than me.”
Doesn’t an average father in the world desire that his son may become richer than him?
So this is about the spiritual path.
When Arjuna saw Dronacharya his Guru, he also saw his grandfather.
Seeing his grandfather in the opposite army, his heart was shattered.
His grandfather nourished him, loved him, played with him; he sat in his lap, pulled his beard, climbed his shoulders, and the grandfather who had given him love from his heart, now he has to shoot the arrows in the same heart?
So now his desire to fight was going down.
And this is where the yoga of disappointment begins for Arjuna.
He saw that in the opposite army, they are all my brothers and relatives.
“If I kill them all, then all their wives will be full of grief, and crying.
Their little children will be also crying.
And there won’t be male in the entire family.
Couldn’t we stop all this killing?
Why should the war be fought?”
So he told to Lord Krishna, “Here is my bow and arrows, and I am leaving this war.
I don’t want to fight.”
He was the mainliner, commander, of the entire army.
The war was fixed.
And it was time to begin the war.
At that time, Arjuna was filled with grief.
Do you think this is the appropriate scene, or situation, to give the knowledge about bhakti?
Or knowledge, or yoga: at such times?
So he looked at Lord Krishna, and he said, “You were my friend, now you are my Guru, and I know that there is no one who is more knowledgeable than you, and more powerful than you, and please shed the light on my path, or guide me.
I am your disciple, and I have come at your lotus feet.”
After listening to all the things that Arjuna had to say, that chapter is finished.
In the first chapter, most of the thoughts that are expressed are the thoughts that were rising in the mind of Arjuna.
Now the second chapter is called jnana yoga.
Yoga of knowledge.
The flow of knowledge can only be retained, or be received, when you are not grieved by the failures, or excited by successes.
When your mind is in a very objective state, you are ready to receive the knowledge.
So second chapter is about jnana yoga, yoga of knowledge.
Then, third chapter is about karma yoga.
In order to experience the knowledge taught in the knowledge chapter, there is no way you can get away without the action.
So, in third chapter, it explains what kind of action will relieve you from the war of this world.
And will make you free from the turmoil.
I just gave an introduction from the chapters.
This is little difficult for you to conceive, but only when you dwell on it, and properly understand, you would be more interested in it.
So Bhagavad Gita is really told, all these chapters are told on the war, on this condition, when they are about to fight.
Can you imagine?
It can’t be a war.
It must be something else.