Canons of a Perfect Life - 7. Swami Krishnananda.

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Saturday, December 31, 2022. 07:00.

Being comprehensive selections from the Bhagavadgita-7.

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The Blessed Lord said:

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61.The Characteristics of Lethargy and Torpidity Are Ignorance, Confusion, Inaction and Blundering :

*Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion – these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna. (XIV.13)

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62.Purity Leads to Higher Divine Worlds, Impurity to Rebirth As a Human Being, and Lassitude to Embodiment in Sub-human Species :

*If the embodied one meets with death when Sattva is predominant, then he attains to the spotless worlds of the knowers of the highest.

*Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action; and dying in Tamas, he is born in the wombs of the senseless and idiotic. (XIV.14-15)

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63.The Universe Is Like a Widespread Tree with Its Ramifications Below and Its Roots in God, Who Is Its Goal :

*They (the wise) speak of the Indestructible Peepul Tree having its roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the sacred hymns; he who knows it is a knower of the Vedas. (XV.1)

*Then, (after having cut asunder this metaphorical tree of Samsara), That goal should be sought for, whither having gone none returns again: 'I seek refuge in That Primeval Purusha Whence streamed forth the ancient activity or energy.' (XV.4)

*Two Beings (Purushas) there are in this world, the perishable and the imperishable. All created beings are the perishable, and the unchanging being is called the imperishable.

*But distinct and above both is the Supreme Person, called the Highest Self, the indestructible Lord Who, pervading the three worlds, sustains them. (XV.16-17)

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64.Qualities of a Divinely Oriented Hero in the Adventure of Life :

*Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga, almsgiving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity and straightforwardness,

*Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion towards beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness,

*Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride-these belong to the one born for a divine state, O Arjuna. (XVI.1-3)

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65.Characteristics of Demoniacal Elements :

*They (the demoniacal) say, "this universe is without truth, without (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause; what else?"

*Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds come forth as the enemies of the world for its destruction. (XVI.8-9)

*(They say) "That enemy has been slain by me; and others also I shall slay. I am the lord. I enjoy. I am perfect, powerful and happy." (XVI.14)

*Given over to egoism, power, haughtiness, lust and anger, these malicious people hate Me in their own bodies and those of others. (XVI.18)

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66.The Three Gates to Hell :

*Triple is this gate to hell, destructive of the self – lust, anger and greed; therefore one should abandon these three propensities. (XVI.21)

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67.Pure, Impure and Harmful Food :

*The foods which increase life, purity, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness, which are savoury and oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic (pure) people.

*The foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning, are liked by the Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief and disease.

*That which is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, refuse and impure, is the food liked by the Tamasic. (XVII.8-10)

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68.The Three Types of Self-discipline :

*Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers and the wise, purity, straightforwardness, celibacy and non-injury are called the austerity of the body.

*Speech which causes no excitement, truthfulness, pleasant and beneficial, the practice of study of the Vedas, are called the austerity of speech.

*Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, silence, self-control, purity of nature are called mental austerity. (XVII.14-16)

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69.Duty to God, World and Human Beings :

*Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise. (XVIII.5)

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70.Renunciation Not to Be Motivated by Fear of Hardship Involved in the Performance of Duty :

*He who abandons action on account of the fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not obtain the merit of renunciation by doing such Rajasic renunciation. (XV1II.8)

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To be continued

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