Bhagwad Gita
Transcribed from Parisamvad at The Yoga Institute.
Chapter 2, Shlokas 54
2.54 - Arjuna said: O Krishna, what are the symptoms of one whose consciousness is thus merged in transcendence? How does he speak, and what is his language? How does he sit, and how does he walk?
2.55 - The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Partha, when a man gives up all varieties of desire for sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind, thus purified, finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.
Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra:
"The discussion is about Sthitaprajna – one whose
wisdom and understanding has stabilized. It is not for a little while that one thinks
of God and the next moment of the devil and continues like that. Here is
one who is continuously, completely dedicated to God. The wisdom, the Prajna is
established. In our case, it doesn’t happen because the mind is very unsteady.
It keeps jumping from one thing to another – listening to some person, reading something, seeing someone. Momentarily you feel it’s very good but it passes off.
Here, people can maintain that stable state all the time.
In the case of Paramhamsa Madhavdasji, he was highly evolved. Just a day before he passed away, he informed the people that it would happen. Total control. It is a different kind of mind - the mind that has seen everything, known everything, understood. There is no further interest, no curiosity. Conversations of such people are not petty conversations, they are of the divine - God. They can get totally lost into it. Madhavdasji was such a person and Shri Yogendraji saw him and would report about it. Madhavadasji would be sitting in a discussion and suddenly he would be off, quiet and all the disciples would tell each other to walk out and they would all go away. He would continuously sit for hours in a different world.
So the Sthithprajna, whose Prajna / wisdom is established, does not function like the ordinary individual - running around, showing all kinds of emotions. He can remain stable and in these kinds of deep thoughts for long, long periods. For us it is just like a fairy tale. Our mind is all the time running here and there and we can’t remain established. When great people have met other people who are also great – that momentary meeting influences – they see the other person, the poise and that influences them.
Shri Yogendraji was an atheist, a non believer. Physically he was a strong person, a wrestler. His friend in the college pushed him to come with him to the place where Madhavdasji was giving a talk. Very very reluctantly he joined him. When he saw this man, he was stunned - he changed. Madhavdasji, who was lecturing, immediately got up, took him by his hand into a room, made him sit down and put his hand on the boy’s head. The young boy, hardly eighteen years old, a villager, lost his earlier nature. He remained seated for hours till the teacher finished the lecture and came down. He patted him on his shoulders, the boy opened his eyes and the teacher asked, ‘What have you decided?’ The boy who used to hate Sadhus, did not believe in materialism – his answer and gesture – he prostrated – he had never done such a thing in his life before or after. He prostrated and said, ‘I follow you.’ It was an unusual statement and he followed Madhavdasji. He left St. Xavier’s College. His father was shocked. The community people said he has gone off his mind. This is the change that occurred, in one who has understood and is committed. There is no looking back.
These are statements based on actual life. Such individuals are lost in their own world and are not generally interested in the ordinary people and their statements. Occasionally when they are pursued, they speak. They speak something very worthwhile and don’t elaborate. Madhavdasji was brought to Santacruz, Juhu to meet the father of our oldest pathologist, who was given to opium. Madhavdasji came reluctantly. He looked at this man, the man also looked at him and the only thing he said, ‘Stop taking opium.’ That was all. The man stopped taking opium. The work need not be sitting and thinking – company of right persons, one can quickly judge and understand and that little moment is the only work that needs to be done. You are in the company of the right person, grasp the deeper meaning and leave it there. We had a person like that, not talking too much. Actually the person was a tailor. All that I remember is that a new building was built. He personally took care of that building, sweeping it, cleaning it. He set up a hostel for outsiders to stay. He attended to the people who came, helped in the seven day residential camps. Nobody knew him, he made no big announcements. He did it all quietly.
In the case of Paramhamsa Madhavdasji, he was highly evolved. Just a day before he passed away, he informed the people that it would happen. Total control. It is a different kind of mind - the mind that has seen everything, known everything, understood. There is no further interest, no curiosity. Conversations of such people are not petty conversations, they are of the divine - God. They can get totally lost into it. Madhavdasji was such a person and Shri Yogendraji saw him and would report about it. Madhavadasji would be sitting in a discussion and suddenly he would be off, quiet and all the disciples would tell each other to walk out and they would all go away. He would continuously sit for hours in a different world.
So the Sthithprajna, whose Prajna / wisdom is established, does not function like the ordinary individual - running around, showing all kinds of emotions. He can remain stable and in these kinds of deep thoughts for long, long periods. For us it is just like a fairy tale. Our mind is all the time running here and there and we can’t remain established. When great people have met other people who are also great – that momentary meeting influences – they see the other person, the poise and that influences them.
Shri Yogendraji was an atheist, a non believer. Physically he was a strong person, a wrestler. His friend in the college pushed him to come with him to the place where Madhavdasji was giving a talk. Very very reluctantly he joined him. When he saw this man, he was stunned - he changed. Madhavdasji, who was lecturing, immediately got up, took him by his hand into a room, made him sit down and put his hand on the boy’s head. The young boy, hardly eighteen years old, a villager, lost his earlier nature. He remained seated for hours till the teacher finished the lecture and came down. He patted him on his shoulders, the boy opened his eyes and the teacher asked, ‘What have you decided?’ The boy who used to hate Sadhus, did not believe in materialism – his answer and gesture – he prostrated – he had never done such a thing in his life before or after. He prostrated and said, ‘I follow you.’ It was an unusual statement and he followed Madhavdasji. He left St. Xavier’s College. His father was shocked. The community people said he has gone off his mind. This is the change that occurred, in one who has understood and is committed. There is no looking back.
These are statements based on actual life. Such individuals are lost in their own world and are not generally interested in the ordinary people and their statements. Occasionally when they are pursued, they speak. They speak something very worthwhile and don’t elaborate. Madhavdasji was brought to Santacruz, Juhu to meet the father of our oldest pathologist, who was given to opium. Madhavdasji came reluctantly. He looked at this man, the man also looked at him and the only thing he said, ‘Stop taking opium.’ That was all. The man stopped taking opium. The work need not be sitting and thinking – company of right persons, one can quickly judge and understand and that little moment is the only work that needs to be done. You are in the company of the right person, grasp the deeper meaning and leave it there. We had a person like that, not talking too much. Actually the person was a tailor. All that I remember is that a new building was built. He personally took care of that building, sweeping it, cleaning it. He set up a hostel for outsiders to stay. He attended to the people who came, helped in the seven day residential camps. Nobody knew him, he made no big announcements. He did it all quietly.
Sthithprajna is a person who has no
desires. Desires mean imbalance. Such a person is happy within himself. For
his happiness he doesn’t need external agencies. Somebody behaves nicely so you
are happy; the work is good so you are happy. He doesn’t require any external
agencies to make him happy. The character of your true self, Atma is happy,
peaceful. The faces of all our saints
are always blissful, happy. They were never angry, disturbed, anxious. When you
see a wise person, the lesser individuals see how he sits, talks and externally
try and imitate him. This is wrong – Kaua
chale hans ki chaal. That mind has to be developed. We have to be true to
ourself.
About Parisamvad
On every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, The Yoga Institute, Santacruz holds Parisamvad sessions - Free interactive sessions that are open to all. These session begin at 7:20 am and end around 7:45 am.
The Tuesday Parisamvad is dedicated to explanation of the the Bhagwad Gita by our esteemed Gurus, Dr. Jayadeva and Smt. Hansaji.
All are welcome to attend.
Click Here to learn more about The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai.
(Shloka and its English translation taken from http://www.ishwar.com/hinduism/holy_bhagavad_gita).
Click Here to learn more about The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai.
(Shloka and its English translation taken from http://www.ishwar.com/hinduism/holy_bhagavad_gita).
