GITA 4.23

GITA 4.23

Sri Krishna used to graze the cows in Brindavan and every day He had to face one or the other threats from Kamsa. In Gokulam in the first five years Sri Krishna was harassed by Kamsa and to avoid others being discomforted, they moved 30 miles away to Nandagrama [known as Nandgaon].Gokulam was just across the river and much nearer to Mathura. He spent the next five years here. Today's [15th October 2007] lecture is from Nandagrama. There are many places to be visited here. The spot where we are today is called Nand baitak, where Nandagopa used to conduct discussions with his ministers.

 Very near this place is Uddhav kyari (Forest). This is about 15 acres and here Sri Krishna's great devotee Uddhav came. Ten years after His birth, when He was in Mathura after killing Kamsa and installing His grandfather as King, Sri Krishna thought of the Gopikas and wanted Uddhava to go to console them of His separation from them. Uddhava was a great Gyani and learned person and so he thought of advising the Gopikas of meditating on Sri Krishna. But after reaching this Uddhav kyari and after bath and other activities, he observed the Gopikas and came to the conclusion that they did not need any tuition on Gyana yoga. Rather he thought he had to learn from them what devotion or bhakti was. In all these places devotion and peace are aplenty. We can see birds singing, peacocks dancing and deer grazing and running. Entire place is green with many ponds scattered all over. After Sri Krishna's departure, all the Gopis and Gopikas used to assemble at this Nand baitak and recollect Sri Krishna's plays and spend time happily.

 From here we will see the next sloka. Slokas 21, 22 and 23 are of explanatory nature. How by doing our daily karma we can destroy our papa/ punya and avoid rebirth and attain happiness. Now the 21st sloka:

nirasir yata-cittatma
tyakta-sarva-parigrahah
sariram kevalam karma
kurvan napnoti kilbisam

Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions.

"Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions, and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions."

Kilbisam = papa and the consequent samsaram or earthly life, napnoti = he will not get, who? SriKrishna tells that he will not attain the life in this world due to sins. Who is that person? He identifies three symptoms or features. Nirasi = desireless, that is detached and not interested in the results or rewards. We go for work to earn. If without work we are paid, we will feel highly uncomfortable and there will be a constant fear that we are unwanted in that workplace. Sri Krishna tells here that we should not aspire for cheap and worldly rewards, but keep our goal as a supreme one. Atma = mind, cit = wandering on all sorts of thoughts, yata = well controlled. Our mind has three stages says Swami Ramanuja in his Sri Bhashyam. First is chinta or the thinking stage. Next is abimanam or ahankaram, wandering on all sides and thinking as 'mine'. Third stage is resolving to do a thing, and then it is called buddhi. So a mind when thinking on all is called chintha, if it tries to claim all as its, then it is abimanam or ahankaram and finally, when the mind resolves to do a thing it is called buddhi. This mind has to be controlled. Parigraha = abimanam, or possessive ('mine') thinking. Tyakta= abandoned. Sareeram = to keep this body alive, kevalam = only to that extent, karma = those basic actions or karma. That person does not get this birth cycle suffering, and Sri Krishna identifies that person with three marks or symptoms. He has no desire for inferior pleasures like heaven or other worldly happiness. He does not allow his mind to wander and think of all sorts of things nor he tries to think all are his. He maintains his body just to keep the life in it running so that he could do all the karma prescribed by shastras and for the good of the society or country. Such a person is not affected by papa and so does not suffer rebirths.

                                                                                                  (continued)