2018-September-15
Topics for today:
- Opening prayers and Gita Dhyanam
- Chapter 2 verses 69-70
Highlights of today’s class:
Verse 2.69
ya nisha sarvabhutanam tasyam jagarti samyami | yasyam jagrati bhutani sa nisa pasyato muneh ||
- After describing in several preceding verses, the qualities of a sthitaprajna, Krishna in this verse presents a simile to draw a comparison between the vision of a sthitaprajna and that of a samsari.
- Krishna says that there is a night-and-day difference between the two visions. The vision of sthitaprajna is a vision of oneness. The vision of a samsari is that of diversity or duality.
- In the vision of oneness a sthitaprajna sees the essential identity of oneself with the limitless whole. The notion of doership is negated and reduced to an “as though doership”.
- In the vision of duality or diversity, a samsari sees oneself as a doer and essentially distinct from all other doers. Therefore these two visions are fundamentally different.
Verse 2.70
apuryamanamacalapratistham samudramapah pravisanti yadvat | tadvatkama yam pravisanti sarve sa santimapnoti na kamakami ||
- In this verse Lord Krishna gives another simile for a wise person, sthitaprajna. Just as an ocean is brim by itself and does not get affected by the incoming or outgoing of water, so also, a wise person is full all by himself or herself and does not get affected by the desirable or undesirable objects entering his/her mind.
- A wise person is tranquil and not subject to emotional ups and downs.
om tat sat