GIITA 6.46

GITA 6.46

KAPSTHALAM TEMPLE

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge

By this sloka by Sri Krishna the Gitacharya, we understand the benefits we get by the Avatar of the Lord. To protect the noble ones to destroy the wicked and to establish Dharma, the Lord appears in every Avatara in every Yug. Such Avatars are countless, but we are now seeing Sri Krishna Avatar. Because in this Avatar the Lord has presented a direction for us to redeem ourselves. When we listen to His Avatar our limbs tremble and tears roll down. By learning His birth, Hs pranks and His Gita, we realize that we have no more rebirths. Such a great Person He was, and is not there now puts us in sorrow. How then we are to see Him? He was in Dwapara Yug and we are now in the next Yug Kali. We had no opportunity to have been when He was in this World. Are we to be in this disadvantage for ever? Realising this Sri Krishna Himself is present in Archavatara (idols) in some temples. We are now in such a temple.

Sri Krishna was born n Mathura. He spent first Five years in Gokulam and next Five years in Nandgaon, etc; North India had the privilege of His presence. But we in South are fortunate to have Temples, where He is ever present. There are Five Krishna Kshetrams known as Pancha Krishna Kshetrams. In Tirukkannapuram He is appearing as Sri Sowri Rajan. Next, in Tirukkannamangai, He is Sri Bhattaravi Perumal. In Tirukkanngudi, He is Sri Damodara Narayana Perumal. In Tirukkovalur, He is Sr  Trivikrama. n the Ffth shetram s the one where we are today (27th February200) avttalam or apsthalam. t s usual to call ths place as annan avttalam. Rver Cauvery flows nearby. The Lord s gracng n a reclned pose. We enter and see the Dwajasthambam.

Dwajasthambam

 From this Kshetram we will see the final slokas of Chapter 6 and initial slokas of Chapter 7. Tirumazhisai Alwar has praised this Kshetram. 

We will see sloka 45 in Chapter 6. Sri Krishna is replying from sloka 40. He has been assuring that anyone who has started yoga, is never let down. Such persons restart yoga, from where they left in their previous births, in their new births. Now, sloka 45:

prayatnad yatamanas tu
yogi samshuddha-kilbisah
aneka-janma-samsiddhas
tato yati param gatim

But when the yogī engages himself with sincere endeavor in making further progress, being washed of all contaminations, then ultimately, after many, many births of practice, he attains the supreme goal.

"And when the yogi engages himself with sincere endeavor in making further progress, being washed of allcontaminations, then ultimately, achieving perfection after many, many births of practice, he attains the supreme goal."

He attains param gathim, which means he attains Atman prapti or Atman anubhavam [experience]. Till this 45th sloka, Sri Krishna has been talking of the same objective- Atman anubhavam. In the Second Chapter, He told that Atman was different from body, mind and sense organs, and was superior to all these. Atman takes various bodies in various births, and we should realize Atman is different from the bodies, it resided. We develop eagerness to see Atman, and have its experience, and that has been the ultimate objective or destination so far. To reach that destination we tried to understand the ways. We first understood that Atman was different from body and was superior to body. With that knowledge we practiced Karma yoga. This has to be done with detachment, or not aspiring for any cheap and inferior desires. This is vairagyam. Atman sakshatkaram alone should be the objective. Karma yoga was described as one of those 14 actions, like, pilgrimage, pranayamam, meditation [thapas], performing yagna, performing pooja to an idol, etc. Every person has certain prescribed duties and performing them is Karma yoga. We can not include in these our professional works. All actions as stated by Sri Krishna, or which are in agreement with shastras, come under Karma yoga. Only performing Karma yoga will not get Atman sakshatkaram. Its last phase of yoga is necessary. This was explained in the Sixth Chapter. The place for yoga, how we are to sit and do yoga, what we should think and concentrate, were all explained. Practicing this continuously, yoga matures and Atman sakshatkaram is reached. Now, in the last few slokas, we observed that while doing yoga, if a person slips from continuation, he need not be disheartened. He will get another birth in a noble family which would be conducive to practice yoga. There he will do yoga, control the organs and mind and with the power of the yoga all his sins would be annihilated, and he would reach paramgathim or the supreme stage. That is Atman prapti. We should know that whatever Sri Krishna told in all the slokas till now, is not the best, which is yet to be revealed. He is going to tell about bhakti and raise the destination to a higher level. We will pray in this Kshetram of Kapisthalam and proceed further.
                                                                                             (contnued)