GITA 4.34

GITA 4.34

Today's [30th October,2007] lecture is from a place called Aniyora jathisooda, near Govardan hills. In Ayarpadi or Nandgaon, there used to be a yearly festival, when carts' load of food, used to be brought here and offered to Indra, who was believed to be responsible for the timely rains. This is also called Annakoota utsavam [annam = cooked rice, kootam = hill shaped heap]. Once, they prepared food like this and were making arrangements. Sri Krishna pretending to be not aware, asked what they were doing. When they told that they are to be offered to Indra, Sri Krishna said that the Govardana hill was responsible for rains and for all their needs, like wood and vegetation for cows to graze. So, He said that they should offer the food to Govardan as a gratitude. All saw justification in Sri Krishna's arguments and so, they brought the food here, and offered to Govardana hill. Sri Krishna asked all to close the eyes while offering. When they did, Sri Krishna, Who dwells in the hill also, devoured all the food offered in seconds. The people found all food eaten away and Sri Krishna told that it was the proof that the hill accepted their offerings. Indra, egoistic, got angry and thought he would teach Sri Krishna a lesson, forgetting that he owed his position to Sri Krishna. Govardana means cows or cattle development. Indra ordered rains to lash and cause trouble to the people of Nandgaon, for seven days. But the seven year old Sri Krishna protected and saved all of them from the rains, by lifting and holding the Govardana hill as an umbrella. In the present pilgrimage (arranged by the Lecturer) also different types of food and other eatables were offered to the Giridhari here.

Food offered to the Lord

 People go round this hill frequently and so they are all hale and healthy. There are persons who go round the hill [21 kilometres] by lying down on the ground. Then they stand up with their feet at the place where the head was when they lied down. Again they lie down and like this they complete one round in 3 or 4 days. This is called dhandaka pranamam. All the 1600 pilgrims in our tour also went round the hill, though only seven kilometres could be walked from Kusum Sarovar. A small idol of the hill is kept here for worshiping and bathing with water, milk and curd.

Parikrama

Kusum Sarovar

Tirumanjanam

 This type of offering also is a type of yagna. Now the 32ndsloka:

evam bahu-vidha yajna
vitata brahmano mukhe
karma-jan viddhi tan sarvan
evam jnatva vimoksyase

All these different types of sacrifice are approved by the Vedas, and all of them are born of different types of work. Knowing them as such, you will become liberated.

"All these different types of sacrifice born of work. Knowing them as such, you will become liberated."

Vimoksyate = he gets released or attains Moksham. Evam = like this, bahu vidha = many types of, yajna = yagna [ all the 13 types listed by Sri Krishna], vitata = were described, brahmano mukhe = as methods to attain atman sakshatkaram, tan sarvan = all those Karma yoga, karma = from karma, jan = are born, viddhi = understand. Sri Krishna tells that the various types of Karma yoga all originate from karma. That is the daily and occasional duties - nitya naimittika karma- are necessary for the Karma yoga, one wants to pursue to have atman sakshatkaram. Evam jnatva = understanding this way, one gets Moksham or gets released. As an analogy, we can see how great rivers originate. Gangotri or Yamunotri are the places where the rivers Ganges and Yamuna originate. Here the rivers look like a very small streams. Then a number of tributaries join and the river flows gigantically in places like Kashi or Mathura. Finally all the rivers mingle in the ocean and disappear. We should think atman sakshatkaram like the rivers mingling in the ocean. The gigantic flow in the middle could be compared to the Karma yoga practiced. But the small stream at the origin could be compared to the nitya naimittika karma. Without this small stream, the big river can not be formed. One may do noble donations and grant help to many. But if he is ill treating his family members or if the wealth distributed is from ill gotten wealth, then the dhana [donations] will never get him the desired result. Sri Krishna therefore, advises that honest way of earning and faithful act of the daily routines one is expected to do, are essentials for any Karma yoga listed by Him.

                                                                                                (continued)