GITA 6.2

GITA 6.2

Enamaay nNilam keeNta ennappanE! kaNNaa!* enRum ennai aaLutai*

vaana nNaayaganE!* maNi maaNikkach chutarE*

thEnamaam pozhil thaNsireevaramangalaththavar* kai thozavuRai*

vaana maamalaiyE!* adiyENn thozha vandharuLE*.

This pasuram of Tiruvaimozhi (5.7.6) praises the Kshetram Vanamamalai, from which we are going to enjoy studying Chapter 6 of Gita, with the blessings of Sri Sireevaramangala Nacchiyar. Vanamamalai is one of the 18 Divya Desams in Pandiya Naadu. This place is called Totadri or Vanamamalai or Sireevaramangala Nagar or more commonly, Nanguneri. This is one of the Swayam vyakta Kshetram. That is the Lord here spontaneously appeared. There are Eight Swayamvyakta Kshetrams. Srirangam, Sri Mushnam, Vanamamalai and Tirumala (Tiruvenkatam) are the Four in South India. Badarikashramam, Salagramam, Pushkaram and Naimisharnyam are the remaining four in North India. The other Three types of Kshetrams are Daivam (created by gods), Arusham (created by Rishis or sages) and Manusham (built by humans). Vanamamalai is closely connected with Tirukkurungudi, which we visted last. Importantly, both these Kshetrams are praised by Nammalwar in Tiruvaimozhi in the 5th Century. In Tirukkurungudi, the Lord exhibited the quality of Lavanya (beauty in-toto), to the Alwar. This is called Ruchi Janaka Vibhava Lavanyam. To bring us out of worldly desires, the Lord creates an interest in Him by His beauty. This interest is needed to have Bhakti in Him. In Vanamamalai, the Lord exhibits the quality of Audharyam. It means Philanthropy. In Tirukkurungudi, because of His beauty, we develop love and so our mind will not get drifted. So, the Lord is prepared to give us everything and so shows His Divine Feet as the Asylum for us, in this Kshetram. 

We are in front of the temple, in the beautiful sannidhi street. There is a mantapam in the front of the temple and near it, is the Vanamamalai Mutt, from where Srimad Paramahamsyetyadi Vanamamalai Kaliyan Ramanuja Jeer administers, this temple. 

We will now see the First sloka of Chapter 6. This Chapter is called Yoga Abhyasa Yogam. We have seen Arjuna Vishada Yogam (Chapter 1, telling Arjuna's worries), Sankhya Yogam (Chapter 2, telling Atman is eternal), Karma Yogam (Chapter 3, telling Karma Yoga will directly fetch Atman sakshatkaram), Gyana Yogam (Chapter 4, telling Gyana yoga is embedded in Karma yoga) and Karma Sanyasa Yogam (Chapter 5, telling we should dispel the feeling of I-am-doing while practicing Karma yoga). In this Chapter 6, Yoga Abhyasa Yogam, it is told how to practice Yoga, essential for Atman sakshatkaram as the objective. Earlier we saw the details of this Chapter in summary. They are vidhi or how to perform, yogi chaturtha - four types of yogis, yoga sadhanam - requirements to perform yoga, yoga siddhi - performance of yoga will never go waste even if interrupted and swayoga paramyam - Supremacy of Bhakti Yoga or meditating on Sri Krishna, which will be detailed from Chapter 7. Till Chapter 6, the yoga described will fetch Atman sakshatkaram only. Bhakti Yoga is superior to ordinary yoga. Now, the 1st sloka:

sri-bhagavan uvaca

anasritah karma-phalam

karyam karma karoti yah

sa sannyasi ca yogi ca

na niragnir na cakriyah  

   The Blessed Lord said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work.

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no duty."

From this sloka, in next 9 slokas Sri Krishna is going to repeat Karma yoga. If Atman sakshatkaram is needed yoga is necessary. For this Karma yoga is necessary. Continuous practice of this will fetch Atman sakshatkaram. To emphasize this, He is going to tell in the Nine slokas the importance of Karma yoga with Gyana yoga embedded. Mere Gyana yoga needs only gyana. Karma yogi has to have gyana also. Karmaphalam = low ended results of our karma. Atman sakshatkaram is superior result. Sri Krishna never advocated to do karma without result. We have to aspire for superior Atman sakshatkaram and not for inferior results and the Lord will bless us with appropriate results. We pound paddy for obtaining rice. Sweating happens, but that is not the intention. Similarly, when we do Karma yoga for Atman sakshatkaram, other needs will fall in line automatically. But we should never do our karma for those inferior objectives. Anasritah = without any desire for inferior  results, karyam karma karoti yah = we should do our karma yoga. That is karma yoga should be done for karma yoga itself as the objective. Sa = such a karma yogi, sanyasi ca yogi ca = becomes sanyasi and yogi. Here, sanyasi denotes Gyana yogi and yogi denotes Karma yogi. Since he is doing karma yoga, he becomes Karma yogi. There is no doubt in that. But suddenly, Sri Krishna tells that he also becomes Gyana yogi. Because, Gyana yogi is one who attains Atman sakshatkaram, and this is attained by this person practicing karma yoga; and so, he is a Gyana yogi also. Also, this person has discarded all inferior objectives and does the karma with the knowledge or gyana I-am-not-doing.Therefore also, he can be called Gyana yogi. Niragnir = without performing karmas that need the sacred fire prescribed by shastras, na = not there. With double negative used, here it means the person does the Karmas as prescribed by shastras, with sacred fire. Unlike a Gyana yogi or sanyasi, this person does the karmas prescribed by shastras. Na ca akriyah = he is not one who is not performing or, in other words, he is performing. That is, he is not a mere Gyana yogi, who never performs any action. A Karma yogi, on the other hand, performs actions and does as per shastras, with mind set on Atman and Paramatman. Thus Karma yoga is emphasized by Sri Krishna. 

                                                                                            (continued)