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WiltH4 COM~NTARY

11.1'

SWAMI CJUNMAYA

.,
I!

T Y A'G I
(Organ of the Chinmaya Mission)
FORTNIGHTLY

Vol. V MARCH 15, 1960 No. 14

MEDITATION

li ~~[~
~~
. ~qJf~;lj qRf{oT
~ ('.
+r~w+~5f
c::
~!',;1{JfijCfl{~I

'Clfl~rSSJf~ gpg~<uli ~~1~ .

(j ij~HtqT;~fcr~l~ ~~+r1~ II

I sing the glory of the Lord who removes the world-

ignorance; who is called B'rahman, the effulgent being, the
One without a s'econd, the all-pe-vading, indwelling spirit at-
ained by the devotees, who is unborn, subtle, beyond
all reasoning: whom the knowers of Brahman realise in
t.hemselves through meditation
-Harimide-stotra
 'TY A:S'I
4)3, ANNASWAMI 'MUE!lALIAl~ROAD,
BANGAl:ORE-J.

Hony, Editots
K. S. RAMASWAMYSASTRIAR
A. G. !RAMACHANDRARAO

1ireasurer
N. V. RAMAKRISHNAREDDl

Price Single Copy 2Snp.

Annual Subscription:
f~hu'l.~ R,E€; '. Foreign 12 sh. or ,?50 ~

CONTENTS PAIGE

Meditation 1
Editprial 3
Shankara's Vivekachood'mani 5
~Swarni,chiljrnaymianda
Draw The Gurtain 7
-Meher Baba
The Glory of LPlIrllshothama 14
-Miss M. L. L('ela
1'p.e AJehila Bharatiya Chinmayi Devi Smnmcllln 28
-.A. V. Kuttif\l'islma Menon

Edited by G. Natarajan, pu~lished by K. R. PUl'UshottamDas, at

. 4B, Annaswami Mudaliar Road, Bal1gnlol'c.l unu pl'inted by
N."\). Shankar, B.A.(Hons.) at Yuganthnru Press, I Main Road'
. Cbam~rajpet,
" "...'" Bangalore-18.
 ga:~t~a/
In essence,Life is l!ght-the light that is not
opposite to darknes'J.

In &eality, Life is joy-the joy that is not the

counter-part of sor.row.. . .

In truth, Life is simplicity-the simplicity

that owes
. not its existence to complexity.

In fact, Life is existence-the existence that

is independent of non-existence.
'"

Oh! Life is Beauty-the Beauty that in-

cludes allugIlness.

Life is Purity-the Purity that embraces all

impurities.

Life is Eternity-the eternity that involves

no time.
3
Life is Here-its nearness does never involve
space.
Life is Now-the' Now' that is neither the
continuity of the past nor the connecting
link of the ~uture.

Life is a Whole-but it is hOt made of frag-

°,:' '"'
ments.' .

Oh! Life is this; Life is that. Life is

everything!

NoW, we mave a dQubt. The doubt is. this.

WHA T IS LIFE?

'1t is never too late to come to the centrc of

our being. We may be tircd, wc may be worn
and weary, but we can still turn to that centre.
Time is always ripe for that. When we make
our contact there, we find protection.
-..)'IVI/nll Parall/lll/al/da.

4
SHANKARA'S

VIVEKAC~HOOOAMANI
.By
H. H. SWAMI CBINMAY~'NANDA

INTRODUCTION

Study of any science cannot be undertaken without

a preliminary understanding oft.be exact difinitions of the
terms' used therein. The.fundamenta'l ;belj.efs, the accepted
theoHes of ,the past, the observed modes' of behaviour
recorded inl'he.present are ~J!the necessary data with which,
a modem scient,i[,t freely,lauDohes fOlith his new adventures
into the realm, of scieqce. SimQar1y, in philpsophy also
a fUndamental knowledge of terms u~ed and. the correct
cannotations ~inwhich the various scientific worqs have bel:Jn
employe,~, is anupavoidable pre-reguisit,e for a student
before he starts on to the study of Philosophy.
Vedanta is indeed a science-the" Science of Life ',,;
Shankara, ~he great interpreter of Vedanta, not on\1lygaveiius
the great commentaries of the 1Upanishads"sral1ma Sutras
and The Gita in establishing his philosophical 1.11eorythat
the Ultimate Truth is' oae-wilhollt-a-'second ", but also he
wrote many primary text:books \vhkh co\JiI'tlintroauce the
seekers into the joys of Vedanta. Qne of ,nhegreatest text-
books that has ~een written by h,iw as an introduction to
Vedanta is the Vivekachudamani.

,5
 As the title indicates (Viveka=discrimination; Chuda=
crown; Mani=jeweI), the very theme of the book is one
which helps us develop in ourselves the discriminative
understanding of the real from the unreal, the true from the
false. Vivfkachudamani means" The Crest-Jewel of Djscri-
mination" . .

A careful study of these stanzas with a free enquiring

mInd shall give any student a correct understanding of the
entire theory of Vedanta and he, even without a very
serious study of the Scriptures can, start his daily practices
with much benefit to himself.
Hundreds are the seekers, who without understanding
all these fundamentals, haphazardly struggle in a path,
that is believed to- be spiritual, albeit in truth it is not so.
Naturally they come but to suffer the agonies of a gruesome
disappaintment even after years of painstaking practices.
An exhaustive study of this text-book acquaints the student
with all probable pitfalls on the way to progress.
It is our intention to 'bripg forth in every stania npt
only its obvious meaning but also its suggestive imports
which give a wealth of information and' helpful suggestions'
for the seeker to ensure a steady progress. Along with the
Sanskrit stanza, we shall be giving an English transliteration
and a free translation, followed by our commentary wherein
we shall not promise that we will be confining ourselves to
the literal meaning of the words of the stanzas. These
stanzas have a great suggestive wealth which, when made
available, can be made use of even in 0111'ordinary market
place activities with no smull profit.
We have every hope that this serilll will serve all serious
seekers- be they seekers of wealth or wisdom.

6
 f,

DRAW TH"E CU~RTArN,~

THE' CURTAIN! 'OF~I'LL'USION!
MBRER BABA

0
To arl1iv.~at true self-knowledge ITSto :arrive at, .God-
realizatioIj" God-realization is a unique sta,te;ofconscious-
ness. It isdiffe.nellitfrom all the other, states OfiCOl1&cious.fless
To Realize the because all the other 's,tatesof consc/ious-
Self is (0 'Realize ness are. experienced
. . through t>hemedium
God " '
0 f th e 1Utv,l'ua
d d 1 mmd wh ereas testate
h
of God-consciousness "is i'n no v.'a~ depen&nt upon the
individual mind or any othen' medium, A medium is neces,
sary for knowing something other than one's own self: for
knowing one's own-self no medium is necessary. In fact, the
association of consciousness with the mind is definitely a
hindrance ratcher than a ,help for the attainment of realiza-
tion. The individual mindris the seat of the ego or the
consciousness of being .insolated. It creates the l"imi'ted
individuality which at once feeds and is fed; by the iJl1usion
of duality, time and. change. So, in order to know t-he self
as it is,"consciousnesss has to be completely. freed ,frOlinthe
limitation of t,he individual' mind. In other words, mind
has to disappear but consciousness has to be'feta1ned.

1?hroughout' the pa.st life-history o('the souw,its con-

sciousness has grown with the individuail mind and all the
, workings of cons9io,usnesshavc! proceede,d agaiftst its back-
7
ground. Consciousness has therefore come to be firnily
Consciousnessis embedded in the individual mind: and it ,is
IntertwiIh'd with ine'xtficable from thi~ sett ing' w~t1i w."hith
.
"
th ~. d ' . '. "
., , ,

e In it has been woven. The resulti's that if

the minp; is in abeya,nce, consciol.lsness also disappear;;. The
intertwining of the individual mind and consciousness is
amply iItustratedby the tendency to become unconscious
when there is any effort to stop mental activity through
meditation.
i)

'ifhe everyday phenomenon ~f going to sleep is not in its

nature essent,iaNy different fromithe tull experienced~duririg
mecHtation;, but it ~'s sligh,tly different in its origin. Since
"the iFldividua'! mind is con,tinuously cen-
s,;'t1anation of frontedlDy the world of dua'lity. it .' is
involved ,in ceaselessconflict; and when
it is wearied by its unrelieved struggle it wants to love its
identity,as a separate. entiJ..yand go back to the"'lnfinite. It
then recedes froll).the world of its own creation arid experi.
ences a lull; and th.is lull is a\lsojnvariabl~ accompanied ;by
the cessation of consciousness.

iPhe quiescence..(>f menta:! activity in sleep enta!ils the

com,plete submerging of consciousness; bu,t this cessation of
"nenta'l life and conscious fnuctioning is only temporary
" . W k because
Resummg a e- h . the impressions
. which are
"
stored in
J)ulness t e minti goad It to renewed ,actIVIty. Aft er
! some time, the phychic stimuli of impres-
sions are responsible for stirring -the mind and reviving the
conscious functioning which is carried through its medium..
So,the peniod;iof S'leepis followed by the period of wakeful-
ness and the ,period of wakefulness is followed by the period
of sleep accor,ding to the law of aFternating act;hdty and fest;
-8
but as long as the latent impressions "in the mind are not
compmletely undone, there is no final annihilation of the
individual mind or the ..emancipation of consciousness. In
sleep the mind temporarily forgets its identity; but it does
not finally lose its individual existence. And when the
person is back to wakefulness from sleep he finds himself
subject to his old limitations. There is the resurrection of
consciousness; but it is still mindridden.

The limited mind is the soil in which the ego is securely

rooted; and this ego perpetuates ignorance through the many
illusions in which it is caught. The ego prevents the mani-
festation of the infinite knowledge which
The
the Ego Obstacleof is already latent in the soul' ' and it is the
- most formidable obstacle in the attainment
of God. A Persian poem truly says, " It is extremely difficult
to pierce through the veil of ignorance; for there is a rock
on fire". Just as the flame of fire cannot rise very high if a
rock is placed upon it, a desire to know one's own 'true
nature cannot lead to the Trut-h as long as"there is the burden
of the ego on consciousness. Success in finding oneself is
rendered impossible by the continuation of the ego which"
persists throughout the journey of the soul. In old age, the
aching tooth continues to give untold trouble for months
together because it does not get easily uprooted though it
might have been moving within its socket for a considerable
period of time: in the same way, the ego which might
become feeble through love or penance is yet difficult to
eradicate and persists till the very end. Though it becomes
more and more loose as the soul advances on the Path, it
remains till the lost stage of the seventh plane.

Ego is the centre of all human activity: andlthe attempts

of the ego to secure its own extinction might be compared
9
with the attempt of a man to stand on his own shoulders.
The Difficultyof Just as the eye cannot see itself, the ego is
Overcoming the unable to end its ~wn existence. All that
Ego it does in order to bring about self-
annihilation only goes to add to its Own existence: it flouri-
shes on the very effort:; directed against itself. Thus it is
unable to vanish altogether through its own nature. The
vanishing of the ego is conditioned by the melting away of
the limited mindwnich is its seat.

The problem of God-realization is the problem of emanci-

pating consciotlsness from the /iminations of the mind. When
the individual mind is dissolved, the whole universe which
P araIIeI b et ween is relative to the mind vanishes into
.

Sleep and God- nothingness and consciousness is no .longer

Realization . ' '
tIe d to anyt h mg. C onSClOUSneSS]Snow
unlimited and unclouded by anything and serves the purpose
of illumining the state of the Infinite Reality. While
immersed in the bliss of rea'liza>tion the soul .is completely
obliviom, of sights of sounds or any other objects in the uni-
vrse : and in this respect it is like sound sleep, But there are
many important points of difference which distinguish God-
realization from sound sleep. During sleep, the illusion of
the universe vanishes since all consciousness is in abeyance:
but there is no conscious experience of God since this requi-
res the complete dissolution of the ego and thc turning offull
consciousness towards the Ultimate Reality. OccasionaJly
when the continuity of deep sleep is interrupted by brief
intervals, the soul may have the experience of retaining
consciousness without being conscious of anything in parti-
cular. There is consciousness; but this consciousness is
not of the universe. It is consciollsness of nothing. Such
experiences anticipate God-realization in which consciousness
10
is compietely freed from the iliusion of the unh erse and
manifests the infinite knowledge which was so for hidden by
the ego. .,
In sleep, the individual mind continues to exist though
it has forgotten everything including itself; and the latent
impressions in the mind create a veil between the submerged
D .""
luerence b e'.t consiousness and the infinite. Reality.
ween Sleep and Thus, during .sleep, consciousness is sub.
God-Realization merged in the cell of the individual mind;
but it has not yet been able to emerge out of that cell. So,
though the soul has forgotten its separateness from God
and has actually attained unity with hiljl1, it is unconscious
of this unity. In God-realization, however, the mind does not
merely forget itself but has (with all its impressions) actual~v
lost its identiiy: and the consciousness which was hirherto
associated with the individual mind is now freed from aJl its
trammels and brought into direct contact and unity with the
Ultimate Reality. Since there is now no veil between con-
sciousness and the Ultimate Reality, it. is fused with the
Absolute and eternally abides in it as an imeparable aspect
promoting an unending. state of Infinite Knowledge and
unlimited Bliss.
The manifestation of infinite knowledge and unlimited
bliss in consciousness is, however, strictly confined to the
soul who has attained God-realization. The Infinite Reality
God-Realizat.ion kin the1 dGod-realized
. soul. has. the explicit
is personal' nowe ge 0 f 11sown. IIIfinIty; b ut sue h
explicit knrwledge does not belong to the
same reality in the unrealized soul, who is still subject to
the illusion of the universe. If God-realization had not thus
been a personal a.ttainment of the soul, the entire universe
would come to an end as soon as any' one soul gets God~
renlization. However, this does not happen, because
11
 God-realization is a personal state of consciousnessbelonging
to the soul who has transcended the domain of the mind. Other
souls continue to remain in bondage and. though they too
are one day bound to have God-realization they can only
have it by freeing their consciousness from the burden of the
ego and the limitations of the individual mind. Thus the
attainment of God-realization has a direct significance only
for the soul ~ho has emerged out of the time-process.
After the attainment of God-realization, the sou/ discovers
that it has always been the Infinite Reality which it now knows
itself to be and that its looking upon itself as finite during the
WhatwasLatent period of evolution and spiritual advance-
in the Infinite be- ment was in fact an illusion. The soul
comes Manifest . . I
also finds out that the mfillite knowledge I

and bliss which it now en'oys have also been latent in the
Infinite Reality from the very beginning of, time and that it
merely becomes manifest at the moment of realization. Thus I
the God-realized person does not actually become something
different from what he was before realization. He remains
wnat he was: and the only difference which realization
makes in him is that previously he did not consciously know his
own true nature and now he knaws it. He knows that he has
never been anything other than what he now knows himself
to be and that what he has been through was but a process
of finding himself.

The whole process of attaining God realization is just

a game in which the beginning and tlte end are identical. The
attainment of realization is nevertheless a distinct gain for
the soul. There are two types of advan-
It's all a game tages. One type of advantage consists in
getting Ivhat he did /lot previously possess.
The other type of advantage consists in realizing fully wl1a(
14
Wereally are. The value of God-realization is of the second
type only. However, this creates an infinite difference in the
the soul which has God-realization and the soul which does
not have God-realization. Though the soul which has God-
realization does not have any thing new which it did not in a
sense already possess, its explicit knowledge of all that he
really is, has been and will ever be, makes God-realization
all-important. The soul which is not God-realized experi-
ences itself as being finite and is constantly troubled by the
qpposites of the fleeting joys and sorrows; but the soul who
has realization is lifted out of them and experiences the
Infinite Knowledge and the Unlimited bliss of being God.
conscious.

In God-realization, the soul drops its separate conscious-

ness and transcends duality in the abiding knowledge of its
identity with the Irlfinite Reality.. the shackles of limited
indi1>idualityare broken; world of shaduws is at an . end: the
curtain of illusion is for el'er drawn: the fel.erishness and the
agonising distress of the pursuits of limited consciousness are
replaced by the tranquillity and bliss of Truth-consciousness:
and the restlessness and fury of tempora[existence are swallow-
ed up in the peace and stillness of Eternity.

THY WILL BE DONE

Thy will be done"O Lord and Master,
~Thy Will be done, 0 my Purpose and Meaning.
0 Essence of my being, 0 goal of my desire,
0 my speech and my hints and gestures,
0 All of my AU, 0 my hearing and my sight,
0 my whole and my element and my particle,
Thy Wi1l be done.
-Mansure Hal/oj,
13
 THE GLOR,YOF

Purus,horhama*
(the Burden sf the Geeta XV ,Chapter)
MISSM. L. LEELA

\fhe Fifteeath Ohapter of !the Gita is the crest jewel of

all the Eighteen Chapters. Its very name' Pur,ushothama
Yoga' means the Yoga for attaining the Supreme Being.
The rest of the Chilpters entitled, Sankhya, Karma, Gnana,
Bhakthi or Sannyasa only indicate the paths or sadhana to
be undertaken; the c:rualities, actions and reactions in the
sadhak taking to those paths respectively. But the goal or
'the Supreme Being is directly deseribed only in this Chapter
~done. In twen,ty beautiftJ'l and precise s,tanzas Krishna
Paramathma HimseLf, describes Himself. as the Para 'Brah-
man in subtle finite words thatalmostHouch the Infinite!
'It is a direct 6escription slJilightfrom the Lord's own
,mouth true to the Gi.ta Dhyaaa Sloka saying-(NaraYMlaena
Swayam)-and no other proofs are requireGb.
The words !in this Chilpter are just like rockets shoot-
ing through Space Ito the spaceless beyond where Space
haags! Just let us try once by cha.nting the first line of this
* In aft ex,tempore speech Miss Leela discussed this topic during
the AII'India€hipmaya Devi Conference (Kollengode); here is her
own write-up oftlhe talk. fIn the competition she got the first
prize-Ed.
l4'
Chapter cLasing aur eyes and check up whethcr it is really
true? 'Urdhva Maala Madha Shakam Aswatham Prahur
Avyayam '. Even while uttering don't we almast reach the
portals of the' Urdhva' within anQ have our being roated
there? Such words Lord Ktishna had specially chasen in
this Chapter that almast carry us and leave us at the seat
of Purushathama for a moment. Now let us compare and
watch the cantrast in the first lines af ather Chapters
like :-

~ ij~r ~rp.HfctJ!~~~OfT~~a:rur~
I.
(Tam Tatha Krupaya Vishtam Asrupurna~Kulqeksha-
nam). .
A.:::" (' '"'\ A C' C'
I
;j~Ff~1 -q~EOlfOftolfijf ~1~~"1rG:"1
(Jya-yasi Chet Karmanastae mata Buddhir Janar-
dana)
(;; C'. ~ C' "A
er"1fl~ij: q;+rtfi~ q;T~ EOlfEOUlij Gf: I
(Anasrita Karmaphalam Karyam Karma Karati Yah)

~cf ~ij~f~ ~r~~Cft q~qrfJ~ I

(Evam Satata Yukthayae. Bhakthas Tvam Paryu-
pasatae.)
and So'on. Definitely we are nat lifted So' much as in the
case af chanting' Urdhvamoola Madha Shakam'. We
don't feel the pull of that thrill at all! Verily the XV
Chapter is the Supreme most or the Param Chapter in the
entire Gita.
At the conclusion of every Chapter we chant" Iti
Srimad Bhaghavat Gitasu Upanishadsu Brahmavidyayam,
Yagasastrae" and So'on. The abave lines prove very true
in the case af XV Chapter and let us see haw?
15
 --

Portions of other Chapters of Gita appear in this Chapter :-

(1) firi1~mlrT~ijffW~I{T firijm tir~~~r~:

Nirmana Moha Jita Sangha is similar to Nirmamo Nirahankara
Doshah
of XV Chapter of II Chapter.

(2) ll[~qr if firqct.=a ij~r+:f q~ir i1;r l[ ijp:lf if tirq§~ ij~T+:f q~J{ +:fIT
Yadgatwa na nivartante is similar" to Yam Prapya na nivartantae
Taddhama paramam mama tad dhama paramam mama
of XV Chapter. of VIII Chapter.

(3) B~:r.rr~ ~~ ~fir~r ~~~: ff~aFrt ~S~"1 RHJRr

Sarvasya Chaaham Hridhi is allied to Iswara Sarvabhoothanam
Sannivishtah Hridhaesaerjllna Thishtati

of XV Chapter. of XVIII Chapter.

-- ----
 7I'f
U
. ' '}
f.I ~
(4) ~;:oc~r ij~:~ @~ff~:""B~fqfa-:
~Tij'rlSlJTij~S;:
.~ ~
ijSJlf:;~~~~~T:
.
qG:~c;q-tta-~ I
is allied to
Dwandwairvimukthaas sukha- Seethoshna Sukha-dhukaeshu
dhukhasamajnair - Gacchanthya- Samas Sangha Vivarjithah :
moodaah Padamavyayam tat

of XV Chapter. of XII Chapter.

(5) srrurrqrn ~~r~: ~~~ r

srTIJTTqr~

Pranapana Samayuktha is similar to Pranapana samaekritwa

of XV Chapter. of V Chapter.
Above quotations prove the ending" Iti Srimad Bhagavat Gitasu" true.

17
----
 ---
"UP ANISHADSU "
1. The metaphor of the Peepul Tree representing the tree of Creation appears:
In Kathopanishad as: In XV Chapter as:
.. Urdhva Moola Awaksaka- ' Urdhva Moolamadhashakam
Aaso-Aswathah Sanathanah : " Aswatham Prahuravyayam '
AS
~~ i31qTCf~r~T ~ct~(i'j~er: ~Rcri{~?t !1r~~cw:l~
\31r~r~~q~~: ~if~if:

2. " Natatra Suryobhadhi na "Na tadbhaasayathe Sooryo na

Chandra Tarakam " of shashaanko na paavakah "
AS
, if Q~ ~~~TRf if ~~ QH~~ ' if Q~r~q~ ~ if ~~t~r ., qTq~:
Mundaka and Kathopanishads: In the XV Chapter.
3. "Pranavamheeswaram, Vidyat " Sarvasya Chaaham Hrldi
Sarvasya Hridi Samsthitam" sannivishtah "

~'T~Fmr~~~~ ~~ ~~~
!1OTcT AS ~~~ :crrt ~~ ~f;ffcrnr +T'Q:
of Mandokya Karika ~~ta~r.,+Tqr~~ :cr
of XV Chapter.
The above deserve the ending" Upanishadsu ".
- - -- - --
. m
 "Brahma Vidyayam".

"Vedaischa Sarvai Ahamaeva Vedyo, Vedanta Krit

Veda Videva Chaham "

Krishna says this in the same Chapter-Four Vedas seek

Me alone, I am the author of the Vedanta as well as the
Knower of the Vedas.

"Yoga Sastrae"

Let ~us split this compound wOld as Yoga and

Sastra.

Yoga :-The four main Yogas-Karma Yoga, Bhakthi

Yoga, Raja Yoga and Gnana or Sanyasa Yoga are again
hinted in the verses of XV Chapter :-

Karma Yoga:-

~T~ ~§: ~q~~ ~ ~~~ ~;OT;rq =tf I

~P::Hn~ +r~~::rF;ffcPf~T~q~qa II
Srothram Chakshur Sparsanamcha, Rasanam
Ghranameva Cha

Adhishtaya Manaschayam Vishayanupa Sevate.

The Jivatma while dwelling in the five senses and mind

enjoys the objects of senses.
19
 Bhakti Yoga:-

~ij: q~ ~~qRi1rmaolf~
(Tatappadam Tat Parimarghi Tavyam)

ij;rq :qr~ ~~rf !1q~

(Tameva Chadhyam Purusham Prapadhye).
One should diligently seek that Supreme State saying to
himself I seek refuge in that Primal Person.

Rl1TOf+lTQr
~ijij*cU'fr e{~lJr~i1R~r
~fwFl~q)T~r: I
~~ .~t'
~Iq~r ~~g;:\Cfij~FT:;~;:~~?;T:

qG:i1olIliffi'( II
Nirmana Moha 1ita Sangha Dosha Adhyatma
Nitya Villivrita Kamah :
Dvandvair Vimuktha Sukha Dukha Samllyair
Gachantya Mudaah: Padamavyayam Tat.
Freed from Pride and Delusion, victorious over the evil of
attachment, dwelling constantly in the Self, freed from pairs I
of opposites, the undeluded reach the goal. I

Raja Yoga ill the lines:

!1TUfP:nOfiji1r~:m :

(Pranapana Samayuktah)

Uniting the Prana and Apana breaths.

20
 Gnana or Sanyasa Yoga in the Hnes:

\:jPQ~~it~ ~fct~?;~f{~~~~~oT :g~~ W=tCfrII

(Aswatha MenamrSuviroodha Moolam, Asangha
Sasthrena Dhridena Chitwa)

Cutting down this Peepul Tree of Creation whose roots are

so deep, with the strong axe of dispassion or non-attach-
ment.
" Sastra"
At the end of the Chapter, Krishna declares:
,
~fCr ~igd+t ~r~firG'ffi f{Gfr~q
(Hi Guhyatamam Sastram idamuktam Mayanagha)

In this way the most secret of Sastras had been declared.

From the above review we can conclude that in this

Chapter the epilogue vil.. 'Hi Srimad Bhaghavad Gitasu,
Upanishadsu, Brahmavidyayam, Yogasastrae' is literally
true.

Moreover the XV Chapter of Gita is also a multivite

for spiritual health as well as for physical health. In its
fusion with all the four paths in the various stan7as, it is a
multivite for Spiritual health. It is a multivite fqr physical
helllth because of the following reasons:
Sri Krishna says in the Stanzas :-

1:J1~~~r~{1 ~~~rqTfi1r~t~~i{rf~ij:1
!1ronqT~(1f{~:1:Rff+~~
~ffl~ II
21
 (Aham Vaisvanaro Bhuthva Praninam behamasritha:
Pranapana Samayuktha: Pachamyannam Chathur-
vidam)
Lord says here" I am the activator of the gastric juice in
your stomach and because ormy presence there, your four
kinds of food (food to be mastigated, swallowed, sucked and
licked) get dige')ted ".
In the lines:-

(1~~ :qT~~~ ijRfcrm

(Sarvasya Chaham Hrid,hi Sannivshtaha)
"I am the indweller in the hearts of all living things".
That means He is seated in our- heart making the involuntary
muscles of the heart to contract and relax and thereby blood
is pumped to the various parts and circulation of food and
energy takes place. We observe now that because of His
presence physiological processes bf life takes place. Hunger
cannot be produced without His presence. So i~ a hungry
man like a beggar we find Krishna's manifestation more
vividly and therefore they' are called" Daridhra Nara-
yanas" Giving food to a beggar is equal to feeding Lord
Krishna Himself! If our hearts stop for a second we drop
down dead. So we can call ourself as a living creature and
exist only if Purushothama Krishna Presides inside.
He did not stop with this. H<1goes further and ex-
J plains" I exist even in the food you eat" in the lines :-

~(;UTlf+r~1:f~: (1ClT:~rm ~~crr ~(1g+T~:

(Pushnami Chaushadihi Sarvah Somo Bootwa
Rasathmakah)
22
"I am thc Soma juice in the rays of the moon, that "is
responsi ble for packing the nourishing contents in the seeds".
We have observed farmer:> exposing,the seeds to the Moon
before sowing. The contents of the seed are thereby made
richer and healthier. Even after sowing no human effort
can make the seeds germinate. It itself (se1f effort) pulls
out its radicle and plumule and grows to become a seedling.
At the same time multiplying the single seed sown to yield
numerous seeds is 11otalso the work of the farmer. So, for
these hidden acts also Lord Krishna is responsible. With-
out the life in the embu;,o pulsating as Krishna, 'Grow
More Food Campaigns' will not be of any avail. No
wonder this Chapter is chanted before taking food-first as
an invocation to Lord Krishna to keep us away from ill
health and indigestion and next for his presence in the food
we take. Naturally the XV Chapter of Gitais a multivite
for Spiritual health as well as fo.r physical health.
AU living beings in the world are characterised by three
vital activities. They are Anabolism (Constructive process),
Metabolism (Sustaining Process) and Katabolism (Distruc-
tive process). Krishna explains that all these three activities
are His!
A. He explains Supreme Creation (Anabolism) in the
lines :-

~~CJt~r~(Tcr~r~ ~'TCT+I~:~Frrq.,: I
ff.,: tf~ri{'Tf;~lITfur q~fu~rf;r q;j~fu II

(Mamaivamso Jeevalokae Jeeva BQoota

Sanatanah
Manah Shashtanieendriyaoi Prakritistani
Karshati.

23
"The soul re~iding in the body is an Eternal portion of
Myself. It rests in matter; along with it the mind and the
.Senses". Here how He ,is the Jeevathma within the indi-
vidual and'how an Eternal Portion (Sanathana) of Himself
enters every being as its soul is described. ,'In short
Krishna explains the process of creation of how He became
marrY.
.J' B. Metabolism is explained in the lines :-

, mifIM~lf:q ~ar~ ~r~lfp:?;[~m~ij"r

(GhamavisyaDha Bhoothani Dharayamyahamojasa)
The entire XV Chapter teaches us how to exist in this wprld
always attuned to the inner Hidden Hand at work. More-
over every transaction of lifejs done by Lord Krishna. He
is al1. pervading not only without but within too! In
digestion and circulation He is there. There are metabolic
vital activities without which we cannot exist. So Krishna
in the above lInes (Ghamavisya ) says that He is the
Father of Energy by saying" Permeating the earth 1'support
all beings by My Energy".
,
And lastly the Katabolic Activity in the lines :-

~~1~ lfa~crrmfulf¥fr~~ifa1~~:1
~~1~~arfir ijlfrfa- ~r~~;:~rfircrr~?;[T<=I:
II
(Sareeram yathavapnodhi yachap yudh gramathees-
waraha
Gruheet vaitani Samyati vayur grandhani
vasaya;ta)
"As the wind carries away the odour from the seat of
flowers, even so the soul when leaving t'he body carries
24
 with it the mind and senses, and t.h~n migrates Into another
,body it acquires ".

Krishna says durin~ fhe death of the body the soul

snatches off the vasanas with the mind-intellect equipment
and quits. Tn the above few stanzas we witness how
Krishna proves that" lam the creator Brahma (Anabolism)
sustained. Vishnu (metabolism) and annhi]ator Siva (Kata-
bolism) !
Towards the conrluping portion of the XV Chapter He
enumerates Himself as the Perishable being (including non-
living things) anp Imperishable Being (Living things).

gTm.rr~~~ ~~ ~{~r~,{ ~cr.:q I

&R: . ~qTWr
. ~~Tfir~~~S&"R: ~:;lf~
> II
([)vamimoll Purus'hou lokae kshars Aksharam evacha
Ksharas Sarvani bhQotaniKoodastoksharam
uchyate) .
There.>are two kinds of Purushas in the wor,ld, the Perish-
able and the Imperishable beings. Perishable being (Kshara-
purusha is the body' of the >'individualalong with the mind
and InteJlect. These sheaths are in a process oi, constant
change. We see in the growth of the individual first the
body of the child pelishes to become the YOJuthand the
youth's body perishes or changes to become that of an old
man. So here the K~hara purusha is the child,' youth and
the old man as body, mind and intellect.
, .'

In the same individual we see that there is something

which remains uncllanging.'That is tihe seul or JeevatJi'ina
which can be rightly called the Akshara. Purusha j)f Im-
perishable bein'g. ~ln an individual during his stage asia
25
child, youth or old man life JS. Because of the presence of
the soul it is able to grow from a child. to adult. In the
words [--the child, I-the youth, I-the old man, I is the
common substratum in the different stages. This is the
Imperishable Akshara Purusha which like the Anvil
(Koodastha) gives shape to everythjng that is struck on
it without itself undergoing any change.
The above idea was hinted by Lord Krishna even in
the Ist stanza itself. He says" Aswatham prahur avyayam ",
which literally means the tree of creation which is rooted in
the supreme is that which cannot remain the same tomorrow
(Aswatha). At the same time it is also called as Imperi-
shable (Avyaya). It is Avyaya in the sense it'is rooted in
the Imperishable Being. Ftom an Imperishable thing only an
Imperishable thing can come. Namely the world. Yet it
is Aswatha because the things and beings hi it undergo a
constant process of cl1ange, So here itself the Kshara and
Akshara pnrusha are one. and the s~me as Krishna has
indicated, like the two sides of the same coin.
In the same breath Lord Krishna declares that He is
not only the Perishable (K<;hara) being and Imperishable
(Akshara) being, but beyond these two is the Ulhama
Pnrusha or Supreme Being in the Stanza:

~'G"j:f:~~1if\ijq;ll: q~j:fI~~(~G:I~<:1:
I
~~~~C:llll~$ff~: II
~ ~1;fiStllj:fTfcr~ll
, Uthama Purushastvanya Paramatmetyudaahritah
Yolokath Thrayamavisya Bibarthavyaya Iswaraha.'
(The Supreme Being is distinct from both, who interpenetrat-
ing the three worlds, sustains all and is designated as the
. Universal Soul and the Imperishable Lord.)
26
 In short Lord Krishna gives out the cream of the
Purushbthama Yoga here by saying I am the Supreme
Paramatman beyond all Perishable and Imperishable--The
Purushothama-Let us see How? I am here reminded of
this. We are all very familiar with the deities in a temple.
In the Garbha-Graha we find two deities or murthies. One,
the Moola Vigra.ha or Main Idol which is fixed and im-
movable. This can be caUed the Akshara Purusha. Then
there is also the Utsava Moorthi-the idol that is taken out
for processions. This is the Kshara Purusha. But is that
all our God? If that be so why should we standing in
front of them close our e}es and revel with something
superior within? Because, beyond the inoving and im-
movable deities is the Formless Form-the Brahman within
that thrills us to close our physical eyes and see Him within
who is beyond thc two vigrahas.
That is 'Purushotama', Lord Krishna declares, as the
Secret of secrets to Arjuna in the Purushothama Yoga. Let
us all remain there at the Feet of Purushothama Krishna
and revel there every second of our lives.

~ I1r~CfI1B"~~:JiT<'ilfu
~~tiT~ij~ I
~ B~fcI~~fu tit B~~I~'i +rH~ II
Yomaamevamasam Moodaha Janati Purushotha-
mam
Sa Sarvavid Bhajati Mam Sarva Bhavena Bharata.

OM TAT SAT

27
 THE AKHIIA BHARATIYA
CHINMA
YI 'DEVISAMMELAN
A. V. KUTTIKRISHNA
MENON*

A three-day-conference under the above name and

commencing from the 23rd January last, was held at the
Kollengode Palace under the illuminating guidance and in
the inspiring presence of H. H. Sri Swami Chinmayanandaji
Maharaj of Uttarkasi. It is not my purpose to give an
exhaustive account of all that happened on those three even-
ful days. Suffice it to say that excellent arrangements had
been made for the conduct of the conference which was held
in a specially built and artistically decorated hall and for
the free boarding and lodging of the numerous guests from
various p&.rts of India in the Palace and Guest House, that
the hospitality of the royal family of Kollengode was beyond
all praise and that the conference was a brilliant success.
My idea in this short article is to go into the aims of
the conference and to find out how far such conferences are
likely to be useful for the progressive development of our I
country.

* A retired English Professor of the Zamoorins College, Kozhi-

kode, Mr. Menon is living in Kuttipuram, as a great devotee of Geeta
and an ideal man for others to follow. A perfect Vanaprasthi, as
Mr. Me-on is, he is a white clothed Sannyasi. The flag of the" A.ll.
C.D." Sammelan was unfurled by Mr. Menon.

28
 1,

Before I do so, it is necessary to consider the condition

of students in our educational institutions. For a nation to
progress on proper lines, good character is a desideratum
and is perhaps more necessary than a sound body and a
sound inteIlect. As a matter of fact, the main object of all
true edl',cation is character building. Unfortunately this is
I
I quite forgotten and the sort of education now in vogue is
intended only to enable our students to pass their exami-
nations and get some jobs. The result is that schools and
'colleges are going from bad to worse and indiscipline of the
worst type is spreading among the young folk who have no
respect for their parents or teachers. In other words our
educational institutions are tending to become bare gardens.
Nothing is being done to improve the character of the
students and make them worthy citizens of our country.
This, to my mind, is a very unfortunate gap in our edu-
'cational system. '

It is at this juncture that our revered Swamiji has

planned conferences of the kind we had at Kollengode.
Going through the aims of the recent conference as set forth
in the book-let issued by the President of the Committee,
]: am happy to find an attempt being made to fill the gap
referred t6 in .the last paragraph and to give the proper lead
to children during their impressionable period so that they
may grow up to be persons of high character. The founda-
tion for the character building of children has to be laid at
home early enough and hence it fonows that ladies have to
be equipped properly for the satisfactory discharge of their
duties in this matter. Hence the sort of work they did at
the recent conference, concentrating their attention on the
study and practice of the principles laid down in the Geeta
under the immediate supervision of the learned Swamiji
who is now an authority on the Geeta and the Upanishads, .
29
 .
is certainly a step in the rightdirection. That suchcon-
ferences have a very useful purpose to serve in the onward
march of our country is thus abundantly clear and the
revered Acharya and his disciples deserve not only the good
wishes but also the grateful thanks and loving cq-operation
of all Indians.

It will not be out of place, in fact it is necessary, to

consider wha,t canbe done in respect of character building,
now that it has become an outstanding educational problem.
I propose to deal with it from the Geeta point of view.
PUrity of mind is obviously a sine qua non for a good
character. The mind is the sixth sensory organ (Manah
Shashtanindriyani: the senses of which the mind is the
sixth) that conttols the other sensory organs (Indriyanaam
Manaschayam: of the senses I am the mind)*. It is a
veritable Pandora Bbx of various emotions. To control it,
is really very~di-fficult. Sri Krishna admits it saying Asam-
sayam Mahabhaho Mana Durnigraham chalam (understand-
.ably the mind is hard to curb and restless), but adds that it
can be controlled by practice and dispassion, Abhyasa and
Vairagya. In Chapter 3, verse 36, Arjuna puts the question
"What makes a man commit sin; 0 Varshneya, quite reluc-
tantly and compeHed as it were by force? ". Sri Krishna
says in replyt. "It is desire, it is anger produced by Rajo
guna. Know that it is our enemy here on earth, all devour-
ing and all-polluting". In Sri Krishna's opinion, therefore,
desire and anger are at the bottom of all troubles. But he
himself says that anger arises from desire-Kamal Krodho-
bhijajale. It is clear that when the relaisation of desire is
obstructed there arises anger. In the ultimate analysis,
---
'" Geeta Chapt~r 10, SI. 22.
tIbid Chapter 3, SI. 36.

30
therefore, dcsire is the root cause of all evil and leads to
utter destruction.

"From desire, anger comes forth. From anger,

delusion; from delusion, confused memory; from confused
memory, the destruction of reason; from the destruction of
reason. he perishes". It follows that if the mind is to
become pure, desire must be destroyed. In his commentary
on the last verse of the III Chapter of the Geeta, Sri
Shankara says the self has to be realised before Kama can
.be eradicated. The realisation of the Self must therefore
.be our goal and the Abhyasa, practice, referred to in the
fifth Chapter, verse 35, is the practice leading to this reali-
sation. Hence it is clear. that the education which will root
out Kama from the mind and make it pure is that which
enables one to realise the Self. That is why in Chapter X,
yerse 32"SriKrishna gives prominence to the Science Con-
cerning the Self Adhyatma Vidya. (Adhyatma Vidya Vidya-
naam of sciences the Science concerning the Self). This
means that we have to spiritualise education, so to say, and
make it a means of enabling one to reach the goal of Self-
realisatiol1.

The realif>ation of the Self has to be achieved according

to the Geeta by means of Selfless action Karma Yoga, whole-
hearted devotion Bhakti Yoga, deep meditation Dhyana Yoga
or total renunciation Gnana Yoga. 'One has, therefore, to
become a Yogi and that is exactly Sri Krishna's advice to
Arjuna when he says" Become a Yogi" Yogi Bhava.

In this connection it is worth while bearing in mind

that long ago Swami Vivekananda defined education as
-. the manifestation of the perfection that is in man". He
has said that knowledge comes from outside and that what
31
 a mail learns ISreally what he dIscovers by taking the covet
off his own soul which ;is a mine of infinite knowledge.
What else can this mean except that true education must
lead one to realise one's Self?

One more word. No time should be lost to educate

our children in a way calculated to make their minds pure
and deve1op in them a spotless character. Conferences like
the one held at Kollengode will surely help the ladies to
qualify themselves for the task of educating their children
at home on proper lines long before they are sent to school.
These conferences must be held at various centres through-
out India so that a large number of ladies may be benefitted
by them. There is no doubt that, under the able lead of
our revered Swamiji whose name has become a household
,word, there will be in every village a branch of the
5' Chinmaya Mission" to organise such conferences at
frequent intervals, "to spread a knowledge of the Geeta in
particular and of the Upanishads in general among the rural
folk and to prepare the way for a total over-hauling of the
present educational system. May the millenium dawn on
us ere long.

..

The Bhagavad-Gita is a song, an imaginary narra-

tive and answers in which discussion proceeds from
topic to topic till it reaches its culmination when
when Arjuna is convinced that his salvation lay in
doing his duties unattachedly and disinterestedly
without caring for their outward results.
H. V. Divatia.
~')
:'1-
 1
'I

STATE RE-ORGANISATION (Mental) !

1 Our state of in~ opem or closes certain avenues for us.

II)!.ofj.eslate f mIlld, we ge~;answers to our problems; we
ate contente and happy. In certain other states of mind
our thought is distracted and we aGcomplish nothing. If we
know how 0 operate and organise and $overn the forces of
our jife, 1 e derive great rdJenefiJl\rorn,f;hem;.We all8o ga1Q
balance, goise, and efficiency.
-Swami Paramananda

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 wR~ga !'Io. ...~..I;,('}i j;.

" -i
Our- life can be like a lafup-post; travellern pass andfiha~
their path revealed. Let us,become like sU,::h a lamp~post

\ tbe paths of all @od'schildren.

~
that~ we "may ,throw a>glow not ,owlY0J:)rour 0 ')/0 path but 011
We cannot' help giving;

,:e are constan6J.y giv~,ng someth.ing. Who~ver ~oUChes our

hfe, whomever 'we .touch, we gIVe somethmg to"'that person
uncollsciously. The iinfluence we ,exert de,perrdsy upon our

, in~er nfe and our power of vision.. n out iJteal'-~tis . uppe.~-

most in our life, we shall always exert a JIoble influence. If
our own 'J;1ighe1i£:onsci0t1iSness-is dprmaotlt, we SiflaJUbe Un-
able to appeal to the highest in others. " I

--Swami Paramananda

" '\
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