GITA 4.1

GITA 4.1

maargazhi(th) thingaL madhi niRaindha nannaaLaal 
neeraada(p) pOdhuveer pOdhuminO nErizhaiyeer 
seer malgum aayppaadi(ch) chelva(ch) chiRumeergaaL 
koorvEl kodundhozhilan nandhagOpan kumaran 
Eraarndha kaNNi yasOdhai iLam singam 
kaar mEni cengaN kadhir madhiyam pOl mugaththaan 
naaraayaNanE namakkE paRai tharuvaan 
paarOr pugazha(p) padindhElOr empaavaay  

This is the first pasuram in Tiruppavai, and Sri Andal wakes up Her friends for bathing. She used to bathe in this Tirumukkulam. There were Three ponds here, but now we see only one and the other Two are hidden inside. Because it is the incarnation of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, it is called TirumukkuLam. We can appreciate the beauty of the central mantapam and the towering temple in the background. Sri Andal was fully devoted to Sri Krishna. Sri Ramanuja's sishya Sri Anantalwan, once bathed in this pond and was searching in the water for something. When asked what he was searching for, he replied that since Sri Andal used to bathe in this, there could be a piece of turmeric She would have used! She lived about 4000 years before Anantalwan! That showed his bhakti or devotion to Her. 

From here we will see the first Three slokas of Chapter 4. Those were told by Sri Krishna. The 4th sloka is Arjuna's query. The next 5 slokas (5 to 9) are Sri Krishna's reply. All these slokas constitute the prasanga or talk, suddenly about a topic. These are the secrets of Sri Krishna's avatar and so called avatara rahasya gyana. Thia is very important. These slokas provide answers to our doubts about the Lord's avatar or incarnation. First Sri Krishna speaks . First sloka:

sri-bhagavan uvaca
imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha

manur iksvakave 'bravit

The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.

"The Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikshavaku."

Sloka 2:

evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata

yogo nastah parantapa

This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.

"This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost."

Parantapa = mighty handed (Arjuna)! capable of burning the enemies!, imam = this, yogam = Karma Yoga, vivasvate = to Vivasvan, aham proktavan = I (Sri Krishna) preached. That is, the same Sri Krishna now talking to Arjuna preached Vivasvan! Avyayam = never disappear. Sri Krishna says that He preached that never vanishing Karma yoga to Vivasvan. Vivasvan = that Vivasvan (Sun god), manvave praha = (in turn) preached his son, Manu (Vaivasvata Manu). That means Sri Krishna should have taught in the beginning of the present Manvantara or before 28 Chatur yugas! Manvantara is the reigning period of a Manu. Vaivasvata Manu in turn, taught this to Ikshvaku. From him it is being taught heriditarily, from one guru to his disciple! Vedas say that whatever Manu has told, is all like medicine for us. He is much earlier to Sri Rama. One Chatur yuga is 4,320,000 years. So, this Karma yoga never ceases to be present. By this Sri Krishna indicates that moksham, and therefore Vaikuntam, also are ever present and non-destroyable. So, a path to achieve that, Karma yoga, also can never cease to exist. Evam parampara praptam = like this being carried over heriditarily, rajarsyoh viduh = Raja rishis learnt and practiced ( heriditarily). Janaka, Ambarisha, etc., were all Raja rishis. That is, though they were kings ruling, they were all like rishis with very high noble qualities. Yogo = this Karma yoga, kaleneha mahata = with the passing of very great period of time, nastah = started fading, with lesser and lesser number of Karma yogis. We see this type of fading of interest and sincerity, even now, in many fields. 

Sloka 3:

sa evayam maya te 'dya
yogah proktah puratanah
bhakto 'si me sakha ceti

rahasyam hy etad uttamam

That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.

"That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science."

Sa eva = the same, puratanah = very old, yogah = Karma yoga, te = to you (Arjuna), proktah = preached, maya = by Me (Sri Krishna). That means, Sri Krishna was not telling Arjuna something new or never practiced. This dispels any assumption by Arjuna that Sri Krishna invented a new strategy to deploy Arjuna into fighting! Karma yoga, thus, was not without any proof or foundation. Seeing Arjuna raising his eye brows at this startling revelation, Sri Krishna says further. Me bhakto'si = (Arjuna) being devoted to Me (Sri Krishna), sakha ceti = also (Sri Krishna's intimate) friend, rahasyam uttamam = very noble secret (of Karma yoga and others). Sri Krishna says that He was telling a noble secret, which was very old and practiced by many, and preached by Him to Vivasvan, who preached to Manu, who, in turn, preached to Ikshvaku, and then carried in guru- sishya hereditary, but the yoga  fading with passage of time, now to Arjuna, because Arjuna was devoted to Sri Krishna and who was dear to Him as a friend (and as a cousin). In religion nothing is new and everything would have been recorded or preached long ago. Such proof is demanded in anything. By this statement of Sri Krishna, Arjuna requires clarification. We will see that next. 

                                                                              (continued)