Week 15,
Shloka (36-42) chapter 4 and shlokas (1-7) chapter 5
In the
remaining shlokas of chapter four (shlokas 36-42) Krishna insists on the
importance of the desire of a being to attain the 'pure knowledge'—that is the
knowledge of the spirit. He also tells that if a being does not have this
desire to attain gnyana (pure knowledge), he is already walking on the earth
like a dead being. In other words, such a life is a waste when it is spent in
indulgences and ignorance since it is not aligned with the natural principle of
evolution (that which leads to the supreme union).
This knowledge—the
knowledge of the spirit is the provider of peace. When this knowledge is
settled in a being, he attains the expanse of his spirit and experiences peace
wherever he drops his sight. Such a being attains the principle of singularity
and so, doesn’t differentiate between himself and others.
To attain
such a state first, one should be desirous of gaining this knowledge. For the
one who is desirous of pure knowledge will eventually overcome his sins and
ignorance (with the enlightened knowledge)—such is the power of pure knowledge. A being without pure knowledge
is a being full of doubts and this doubtfulness is a path to destruction-- tells
Krishna (shloka 40). Doubtfulness is the biggest sin that is capable of
destroying the intellect of a being. And this doubtfulness can only be
destroyed by attaining the knowledge of the spirit.
Arjuna
still confused and asks Shri Krishna to remove his doubts since the talks of
Krishna is getting more difficult to understand as one side Krishna tells him
to give up karmas (in the sense of detachment) and on another side tells him to
perform the duty of a warrior. Arjuna insists on knowing that path which is
easier to follow and is superior.
Tells
Krishna— giving up karmas and performing karma yoga are both but the same
things. As the one who has overcome the principle of duality and thus sees
oneness in everything/every being. He is the one who has overcome the illusion
of ‘I am the doer’ and thus has attained supreme happiness/joy and because of
such a state he doesn’t need to renounce the world and is unaffected by the good
and bad effects of karmas. Such a being is a true ‘sanyasi’ (a renouncer of the
world for spirituality) from inside and so it doesn’t matter to him where he
lives (like a worldly being from outside).
In a way,
both gnyana-yoga and karma-yoga are but one and the same thing. For those who
do not practice karma-yoga, their desire for gnyana-yoga is also futile. The ones who know that these two paths are the same are the ones who are
unaffected by illusions and are beyond the karmas (Shloka7).
P.S. Talking about 'Gnyana', some might think acquiring knowledge means reading various kinds of books-- holy books or spiritual books, etc. however Krishna till the end of chapter four has already told that- which is called knowledge in a spiritual (true) sense. i.e. the knowledge and understanding of illusory nature of that we called as reality and understanding the formless - that which is real and truth.
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