GITA 4.29

GITA 4.29

sri-suka uvaca
hemante prathame masi
nanda-vraja-kamarikah
cerur havishyam bhunjanah
katyayany-arcana-vratam

katyayani maha-maye
maha-yoginy adhisvari
nanda-gopa-sutam devi
patim me kuru te namah

These are slokas in Srimad Bhagavatham. The young girls of Nandgaon, worshiped an idol of Sri Kathyayani Devi, to get married to Sri Krishna. This pooja was done in the first month of Hemantha Ruthu, that is Tamil month of Margazhi [Dec-Jan]. For the entire 30 days in that month, these girls used to observe strict diet of only rice cooked in milk. This happened in Dwapara yug in Nandgaon in North. Tamil literature shows that in the ancient culture, bathing in ponds was a habit in Kaveripoom Pattinam (present day Poompuhar). Similarly, this practice existed in Nandgaon to bathe in Yamuna river and worship Sri Katyayani Devi. Today's [ 23rd October, 2007] lecture is from the temple of Sri Kthyayani Devi. Sri Andal imagining Herself to be one of those gopikas of Nandgaon, practiced this vratham [ritual] in Kali yug in the down South of Srivilliputhur. In Her very first verse of Thiruppavai, She calls all Her friends to bathe in the river Yamuna. In Thiruppavai, every verse will end with the words yelor empavaai. Pavaai is same as Tamil word pavai, which means padumai or vigraham or idol. So, Sri Andal worshiped Sri Kathyayani Devi idol and performed the rites, which gopikas did long, long ago.

 We will now go to the 27th sloka. As told earlier, 26th and 27th slokas describe the activities of three types of Karma yogi. In the 26th sloka, we saw a person offering the sensual experiences such as listening, into the organs and destroys the desire for such experiences, like offering havis materials into sacrificial fire. In the same sloka we saw another type of person, who despite the objects for sensual experience available, has already offered the sensual organs into the fire of sensual organs control and so is immune to any desire for those objects. Now the 27th sloka:

sarvanindriya-karmani
prana-karmani capare
atma-samyama-yogagnau
juhvati jnana-dipite

Those who are interested in self-realization, in terms of mind and sense control, offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the vital force [breath], as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.

"Others, who are interested in achieving self-realization through control of the mind and senses, offer the functions of all the senses, and of the life breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind."

Atma samyama = control of mind is the action of one more type of, yoga = Karma yogi. Earlier, we saw a type where the objects of desire are avoided and thus control is effected. Another type was the control of organs themselves so that the desire for those organs are avoided. Here, the mind which is superior to the sense organs , is controlled. This action of mind control, is that of yet another type of Karma yogi. Certain people do not want to be in usual places, so as to avoid all sorts of distractions. In this place, we saw a person, carrying a belt on the waist as tree climbers would wear, to control is waist, and he has vowed to carry this for 18 years. He never removes it and with that only all his daily activities are done. So each person chooses a method to voluntarily undergo some physical hardship and control. Here, the person described controls the mind. Controlling the organs is hard. Controlling the external objects of desire is harder. Here, the control of mind is described which is much harder. Here, mind control is personified as the sacrificial fire. How to ignite this fire? Gyana is the entity to ignite. Sarvani = all, indriyani = sense organs, karmani = activities, prana = our body has five types of air circulation - prana, apana, vyana,udana and samana - and are to function properly for the upkeep of our body system. One could live without the organs, but if prana air is removed, one dies. So these air circulations are essential. Prana air is inhaled and exhaled out of nostrils. Prana karmani capare = the functions of prana and other air circulations. Agnau = in the fire [of mind control], juhvati = offers [the organs' functions and prana and other air circulation functions] as ahuti. Thus, by igniting with Gyana, the mind control fire is made, and in this the Karma yogi offers as havis all the activities of the organs and the functioning of prana and other air circulation in the body. Gyana deepa means the knowledge that Atman and body are different, that Atman is superior to body, that Atman is an embodiment of Gyana, that Atman is indestructible, that Atman should be freed from the miseries of samsara, that Atman sakshatkaram should be realized and that many noble things have to be done to the society and country. This thinking makes one to control mind. The small fire spark of Atman gyana will manifest as the big flame of mind control in the sacrificial fire. We can avoid undesirable objects of desire to some extent, but not always and at all times. Organ control would be better. But mind control would be far better. We have experienced that sometimes, even when we are looking at an object, our mind might not be involved. Then that object never affects us. Therefore, this type of control some Karma yogi practice. This is the 5th type Sri Krishna describes. 

                                                                                               (continued)