Thoughts on The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11: Verse 37

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Bearded Mystic Podcast and I'm your host Rahul N.

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Singh.

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Today we will be continuing on with my thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita and today we will be looking at chapter 11, verses 37 to verses 46.

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So there's a lot to capture in these verses as they're quite long, there's a lot to describe so what i will say is if you need to take a pause throughout the episode i would say that's fine i would try to go through it as quick as possible so let's get started here.

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Verse 37.

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Why should they not bow to you?

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You are: the greatest of all atmas, even greater than the Creator Brahma.

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You are the unborn creator of all.

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You are the greatest deva, full of infinite potential.

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You are the ultimate resting place of the universe.

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You are the brilliant and imperishable source of everything.

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You are beyond the immortal and the temporary.

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So let's break this verse up.

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Why should they not bow to you?

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You are the greatest of all atmas and you are even greater than the creator Brahma.

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So the way to understand this, because remember, Arjuna has seen the Virat Roop.

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He has seen the extensive form, the universal form of Sri Krishna.

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Now, this universal form is Saguna Brahman, or the Shared Being that we sometimes refer it to here in the podcast.

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Now people can bow down to these attributes, to these specific attributes that they may enjoy.

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It's interesting because he starts off with the question, why should they not bow to You?

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He's implying that some people do not understand the value of that universal form, that form which contains multiple universes and that's what Arjuna saw, right?

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So, it's a rhetorical question that he asks that why would people not bow down to Saguna Brahman and he also provides answers to why they should bow to Saguna Brahman, why it's important to bow down to Saguna Brahman, why it's important to...

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understand that these attributes is what makes the existence keep flowing.

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This is why, even though this may be all unreal, but at a level of living in the world, it is magnificent.

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You know, sometimes, if you truly contemplate on how lucky you are to be alive, you will not feel like this is just an illusion.

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You understand it's an illusion, you understand that it's not really real, but...

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There's an appreciation for the practical life that it gives, that's all.

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And a lot of people especially Advaitins and even Dvaitins, dualists and non dualists sometimes just miss this very important point.

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Now Saguna is the greatest of all Atmas, meaning minds, so it's the greatest of all minds.

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If you put all the minds together, they still could not create this universe.

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They could not create this whole magnificent world that we see, this earth that we see, that we live in.

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So there is no greater mind than the Shared Being.

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Saguna is also beyond even the creative principle or mind of Brahma.

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He even says you are even greater than the creator Brahma.

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Now this also implies that even though in popular folklore, according to the Puranas, the creator is Brahma and he created this world and everything.

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So Arjuna is saying that you are even greater than that creative principle.

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Why?

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Because it's beyond all atmas.

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Remember, it's beyond all minds.

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And for a creation, you need a mind.

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So that's why it is also said, remember that Brahma is also within the Shared Being.

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It operates within the Shared Being.

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And Brahma can also be seen as the parent of all living beings in existence and the Shared Being is even greater than that.

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One can interpret it in this way or even see Brahma as the grandparent.

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It's really up to us how we want to view this or the first parent or the first origin of the universe.

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Then he says, you are the unborn creator of all, you are the greatest deva, full of infinite potential, you are the ultimate resting place of the universe.

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First of all, the Shared Being is unborn, we know this, there is no beginning and no end to it, and therefore it will never die.

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And whatever it creates, it is beyond it.

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This is what we can understand here.

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Within the Shared Being is everything that is created and Brahma is also from the Shared Being.

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So therefore, it is the true unborn creator.

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It is the true one that manifests.

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All this world, all this universe is simply a reflection of that One Ultimate principle, which is Brahman.

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Then the Shared Being is the greatest element of existence because it has infinite potential.

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The greatest deva, deva meaning elements and full of infinite potential meaning even if you had the greatest element it's still beyond that too.

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So it is the greatest we know and it can do anything.

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That's what this is implying.

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There's nothing in this existence that this cannot do.

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There is no end to what can be created through this Shared Being, this is also implied.

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And in the end, when dissolution of existence occurs, all rest within the Shared Being.

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The Shared Being becomes dormant and we all rest within that.

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So while existence is, every single thing still finds its place in the Shared Being.

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You can be resting in this Shared Being right now.

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There's no reason why you cannot.

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Then he says, you are the brilliant and imperishable source of everything, you are beyond the immortal and the temporary.

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So this is absolutely brilliant, because existence is because of it, that's why it's brilliant, the Saguna Brahman.

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And without it, there would not be...

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This world so where does everything gets its source from?

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This Brahman and guess what this Brahman is ultimately imperishable, it can never go away.

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It can never disappear.

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It can never dissolve.

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It can never change.

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It is always ever present and that's because it is never born and it never dies.

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It never decays.

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Then no matter what exists because of it being the source, it remains unchanged.

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Even if existence itself can be full of change, it is that one changeless principle that ultimately remains.

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Being Sat it is changeless and permanent.

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Being asat it is changing and temporary.

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Hence, he says in the next line there that beyond the immortal, and the temporary.

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So it's everlasting because it's sat and it's temporary because it's asat.

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It is the changing and the temporary.

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So it's both, it's beyond both of them.

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It's beyond both of these aspects because immortality would imply there's something temporary and temporary implies there may be something like immortality.

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So this is where this idea has come from and yet beyond the real and the unreal is this attributeless Brahman, this Nirguna Brahman.

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Then he continues and says, in verse 38.

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You are the unborn and original deva, You are the most ancient and original person, You are the supreme and ultimate resting place in this universe, You are the knower and that which is to be known, You are the highest dwelling place, there is no end to your unlimited forms.

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Let's look at the first part of that verse.

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You are the unborn and original deva.

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You are the most ancient and original person.

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What this means is that it is the eternal deva, it's the eternal element, eternal deity.

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It is the most continuous element.

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There is no other element like it.

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All elements that arise from it are mere copies of this one ultimate element.

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Hence it's the original deva and being the most ancient and original, person it's the one that has lasted, it's the one that has been there beyond time itself and being original, it is the source of all beings living or non being.

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Again he's just emphasizing not only is it the deva, it's also the person.

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So living beings as well as living things like this world and the universe, it is the ultimate in all of those things.

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This One is simply beyond time.

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Then he says: You are the supreme and ultimate resting place in this universe.

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You are the knower and that which is to be known.

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So the Shared Being is the ultimate resort of the universe.

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Everybody goes back into it.

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It's the most supreme and ultimate resting place because the entire universe emanates from It, abides in It and merges back into It.

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In fact, merging would be the wrong word, but the reflection dissolves away.

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And this Saguna Brahman is the ultimate knower of all that exists.

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It is the eternal witness to all that exists.

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And it knows everything in terms of time, the past, present and future.

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It also knows all the knowledge of the world, therefore it remains as the eternal witness to everything.

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Without exercising its power, it is the most powerful.

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And that is what Saguna Brahman is.

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That's why it is the knower and that which is to be known.

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It is the knower which is aware of everything and it is everything which ultimately one is aware of.

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That is the knower and that which is to be known.

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Then he says...

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You are the highest dwelling place and there is no end to your unlimited forms.

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So there is no abode higher than the dwelling place of the Shared Being, nothing beats it.

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One ultimately loves to rest in that ultimate state of Brahman and in that dwelling place there is peace, hence the highest.

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It is absolutely peaceful.

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It is absolutely the highest.

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There is no end to the forms within the Shared Being.

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Think about it.

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This is something Arjuna experienced when he experienced the Virata Roop and also what we experience when we look up into the sky, when we contemplate upon the universe.

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We also understand there's unlimited forms.

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How many stars are there?

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How many particles of star dust is there?

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You know, literally, it is endless.

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And this is what Arjuna is saying.

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Because in all directions, there is this one Shared Being, this Saguna Brahman.

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Then we go on to verse 39 and he says: You are the deva of the wind, you are the deva of justice and samsara, you are the deva of fire, you are the deva of water.

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You are the deva of the moon who controls the water.

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You are those who oversee the development of all beings.

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You are the original great-grandfather of all beings.

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I offer my obeisances and bow before You, and a thousand times more, and a thousand times again.

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Very beautiful verse, a lot to capture in there, but we can go through some of it relatively quickly.

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You are the deva of the wind, you are the deva of justice and samsara.

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So the deva of the wind is that which gives us the life breath, prana, and therefore it provides us energy to sustain ourselves and to sustain living life.

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Then also it's the deva of death, because...

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that controls justice through what goes on in the world and it's through this element that one also goes through the whole aspect of karma and then this whole world is controlled through birth and rebirth of name and form unless one becomes jivan mukt.

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So that's when Yama Devta is so important.

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It controls both justice through karma and samsara through birth and rebirth unless one transcends with jivan mukti.

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Then he says you are the deva of fire, you are the deva of water.

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Again, the deva of fire, it gives us heat, warmth, light, fire for cooking, and in the stomach it is the acid that burns food.

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Without fire, life would not be the same.

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You know, for example, we use fire to heat up our homes, we use fire to cook food, and not only that, but it provides light, and metaphorically, because it's fire, it can burn away all of our impurities.

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And again, you got the deva of water, which is absolutely necessary element of life, without this deva, without this element, life would not be able to function.

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When they go looking at other planets, what are they looking for?

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Water particles.

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If there's water particles, it means that there's possibility.

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More possibility for life.

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So without water, simply, there is no life.

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For example, bacteria cannot grow without water.

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For bacteria to evolve, it requires water.

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And even if you look at it on the spiritual level, water is known to be cleansing, we take a shower or we take a bath, we wash our hands, we wash dishes, all these things, we wash our clothes, what does that do?

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It gets rid of all the soil, gets rid of all the dirt and you know, the way to look at this is that water is the one thing that cleans the impurities of our actions, the residue from our actions, from our karma.

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Then he says, you are the deva of the moon who controls the waters, you are those who oversee the development of all beings, so the development of all beings, the one that overlooks that is the Prajapatis, we'll go into that in a minute.

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He says, the deva of the moon nourishes plants, herbs and vegetation with how it controls the water, for example, we know tidal waves are affected by the moon.

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We know there's a link between the two because of the gravitational pull.

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Because of the moon's gravitational pull on the earth combined with other forces, causes the earth's water to be redistributed.

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So it's really smart system, so the deva of the moon is necessary.

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And then again, Brahma is the grandfather of all beings because he is the father of Daksha Prajapati who created the universe.

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So I guess you could say he is the ultimate father.

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And therefore Prajapati oversees all the development in this existence.

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It makes sure that life is evolving.

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It makes sure there is knowledge, that dharma is still upheld.

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All of those things Prajapati oversees..

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Then he says, Prapitamah, so the original great grandfather of all beings, I offer my obeisances and bow before you a thousand times more and a thousand times again.

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The Shared Being is the creator of Brahma.

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So it is the great grandfather of all beings, hence it oversees the whole development of every single being there is, from all things of existence, it is the ultimate creator and also oversees it all.

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Therefore, as the Shared Being of all that exists, Arjuna says he bows a thousand times more and a thousand times again.

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Simply, to conclude here, one cannot bow and respect this Shared Being, this Saguna Brahman, enough basically.

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Because without this Saguna Brahman, we would not be enjoying the life that we have today.

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The reason why we are enjoying life...

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is because of Saguna Brahman, is because that this reflection allows us to feel separation.

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It allows us to experience separation.

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It allows us to experience individuality and therefore it's also that which allows us to feel unity, to feel oneness as well So it depends on how we utilize this Nirguna Brahman is how we get there and it's absolutely true that this opportunity to live life, to be in awareness, to experience being in awareness of Formless Awareness, there is not enough time to bow and give respect to this Nirguna Brahman, not enough time.

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This is also the state of someone who is fully immersed and full of awe and wonder, but also someone who is also terrified and full of fear, that one thinks that one should bow a thousand times.

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Is he doing it out of fear?

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Or wonder and awe?

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We need to go more towards wonder and awe, personally, and that's because, simply, when this feeling of gratitude overwhelms you, one cannot give enough praise, simple as that.

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That's as simple as it gets.

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Then verse 40.

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Again, I bow to You from the front and from behind and then again from all sides, Your strength has no limits, You are all pervading and everything is You.

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This is ultimately spirituality or Advaita Vedanta in a nutshell.

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If we had to truly understand what Advaita Vedanta is, this verse 40 of chapter 11 is enough to tell you what it is.

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He says, from all sides, Arjuna says he's going to bow.

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I bow to you and there is not a single direction which one can miss.

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Everywhere you bow, you'd be bowing to this one.

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Yeah, there's no, there's no place You cannot bow where this One is not present.

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Simple as that.

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Everywhere is this one present.

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And in his mind he may still remember the terrible aspect of the Shared Being, hence he keeps bowing because Arjuna states that your strength has no limits.

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This is what he means, you know, he's like, you're the strongest here, I am so weak, I can't even take in your true roop, your true form.

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But this is a sign of, one could be humility, but also still some sort of separation.

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What's wonderful...

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is that he says I bow to you from the front and from behind and then again from all sides.

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Just this if you think about with your own guru, with your own teacher, if you truly did this then there would be no reason why you would be feeling that you are away from your Ishta Devta or from your guru it's impossible.

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This is something that is to be understood.

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One thing to also add that if you think about Arjuna and the fact that he asked Sri Krishna to put away his Virata Roop and he wanted to see that beautiful form of Sri Krishna again.

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See the terrible aspect that he witnessed shows that every mighty warrior was being chewed up by the sharp teeth and then entering the fiery mouths.

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And it could also be out of that fear that he's bowing continuously too because now he knows what this really is.

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He knows that the person that's driving his chariot, the charioteer, is running the whole show and everyone thinks that they have a chance of winning this war.

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This charioteer has already decided what's happening and has even shown Arjuna what has happened.

00:21:55.653 --> 00:21:59.792
Therefore, by him just bowing continuously in all directions...

00:22:01.442 --> 00:22:10.722
This also shows how the Shared Being is all pervading and there is not a single iota of empty space or an atom where it does not pervade.

00:22:11.863 --> 00:22:12.583
It's simply that.

00:22:12.593 --> 00:22:13.913
It says all pervading.

00:22:14.083 --> 00:22:18.182
So is there a single place where this one is not present?

00:22:18.952 --> 00:22:19.432
No.

00:22:20.113 --> 00:22:28.163
It's present all the time, everywhere, in every place you go, there is this divine energy.

00:22:29.262 --> 00:22:30.772
This divine element of...

00:22:30.854 --> 00:22:55.030
Saguna Brahman and he says everything is You! Everything is You! The good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the terrifying, the peaceful, all of it is You, the Shared Being, the Saguna Brahman, the Ishta Devta, or if we want, Nirguna Brahman, if we are able to take it to that level of Formless Awareness.

00:22:56.851 --> 00:22:58.191
Then verse 41.

00:22:58.750 --> 00:23:08.226
Oh Bhagavan, out of ignorance of Your all powerful nature, I have in the past spoken to You as if You were my dear cousin and friend.

00:23:08.465 --> 00:23:13.516
Sometimes I did this out of excessive familiarity or the affection of friendship.

00:23:13.836 --> 00:23:22.246
This is a great admission from Arjuna and an admission which I think is beautiful.

00:23:23.476 --> 00:23:57.020
Because in a way, what happens eventually with our spiritual teachers, they become our friends, they become very friendly with us, we see them as our own, as our closest, I certainly did that with my guru too, I see them as my closest, as my best friend, Now, the issue that happens is that once that happens, it's very easy to fall under the trap of seeing the Guru as a normal human being.

00:23:58.550 --> 00:24:09.157
We treat them like a normal human being, we say comments, we say jokes, which we probably wouldn't if we had that spiritual shraddha, that spiritual reverence.

00:24:10.607 --> 00:24:15.157
And we fail to see that we're speaking to the bestowers of spiritual wisdom.

00:24:15.417 --> 00:24:17.268
So what do we use our gurus for?

00:24:17.728 --> 00:24:18.897
Or Sri Krishna for?

00:24:18.917 --> 00:24:20.238
Why do we pray to God?

00:24:20.928 --> 00:24:22.607
Oh please bless me with this.

00:24:23.617 --> 00:24:25.417
I'm missing this in my material life.

00:24:25.417 --> 00:24:26.508
Bless me with this.

00:24:27.928 --> 00:24:30.238
Their job is not for our material gain.

00:24:31.167 --> 00:24:33.008
It's only for our spiritual gain.

00:24:34.718 --> 00:24:38.738
So Arjuna realises his mistake straight away.

00:24:39.347 --> 00:24:45.478
After seeing this vast infinite form, he doesn't hesitate to say that he was over familiarising.

00:24:47.688 --> 00:24:51.458
Yeah he saw this vast infinite form of the Shared Being and it humbled him.

00:24:54.847 --> 00:25:10.057
So, it's both out of fear and deep respect that he recognises how he must have casually said or joked about things in front of Sri Krishna, and he's probably said some hurtful things to Sri Krishna which he would never say now he knows who he is.

00:25:10.917 --> 00:25:16.337
But this is out of fear again, not out of love.

00:25:16.968 --> 00:25:23.468
Out of love, you can still flow and you understand that this is the game of existence.

00:25:24.758 --> 00:25:31.252
The ultimate Actor, you could say, is always the Ishta Devta or Sri Krishna.

00:25:31.913 --> 00:25:34.502
In the Bhagavad Gita, it would be Sri Krishna.

00:25:34.782 --> 00:25:36.673
In the Ashtavakra Gita, it's Ashtavakra.

00:25:37.853 --> 00:25:40.133
In the Upanishads, it's the Rishis.

00:25:41.028 --> 00:25:47.618
I really appreciate that he recognizes that there's over familiarity and hence he didn't see the vastness of this form.

00:25:48.199 --> 00:25:50.618
He could have seen it if he really wanted to.

00:25:51.733 --> 00:25:57.044
But, sometimes we just see the human body and we think that is everything.

00:25:57.723 --> 00:26:06.273
Now, I say this with a bit of a warning, although I'm saying that the Guru is beyond the form, you are also beyond form.

00:26:07.483 --> 00:26:11.263
Don't limit just the Guru to being formless.

00:26:12.354 --> 00:26:16.614
You are also formless, you are also God, you are also the Divine.

00:26:17.564 --> 00:26:21.324
The difference is the Guru knows, we may still not know.

00:26:21.713 --> 00:26:25.384
So it's our job to make sure that we get to that realisation.

00:26:25.909 --> 00:26:27.058
That's what we need to do.

00:26:27.709 --> 00:26:36.909
And therefore, Arjuna also says, you know, even in the affection of friendship, he may have said things which shouldn't have been said to such a being.

00:26:37.159 --> 00:26:40.199
But like, for Sri Krishna, it's not a big deal.

00:26:41.179 --> 00:26:43.019
Why would he take this world to be a big deal?

00:26:45.108 --> 00:26:52.199
An important realisation is that our Guru or Sri Krishna has to be beyond our worldly relationships, this is the ultimate thing.

00:26:52.949 --> 00:26:56.818
Otherwise we will never fully comprehend who they are and what they are.

00:26:57.568 --> 00:26:59.858
And remember what they are is also what you are.

00:27:00.009 --> 00:27:03.528
Do not forget this important point at the end.

00:27:04.338 --> 00:27:12.048
Because a lot of times we'll worship the Guru as everything, and we forget that the Guru is merely telling us what we really are.

00:27:12.838 --> 00:27:18.328
And whatever you referring your Guru as, is also what you should be referring to yourself as.

00:27:18.618 --> 00:27:27.259
I'm not saying that you should see yourself as a guru and start, you know, dressing in white or in orange and start putting a tilak on.

00:27:27.308 --> 00:27:28.878
I'm not saying any of that stuff.

00:27:29.749 --> 00:27:32.528
I'm just saying, just understand your true value.

00:27:33.148 --> 00:27:36.999
Understand that you are the Atma, that you are this Brahman.

00:27:37.259 --> 00:27:37.828
That's all.

00:27:38.459 --> 00:27:39.885
Then verse 42.

00:27:40.699 --> 00:27:56.189
If to be humorous at play or while seated, while resting or eating together, alone or in the presence of others, I have been disrespectful to You, O Aprameya,'the immeasurable and boundless being', please forgive me.

00:27:57.189 --> 00:28:05.269
Now he knows that Sri Krishna's true nature as a Shared Being and therefore he asks for forgiveness.

00:28:05.729 --> 00:28:06.659
Now he knows it.

00:28:07.346 --> 00:28:12.266
He says, O Aprameya, the immeasurable and boundless Being.

00:28:13.645 --> 00:28:17.256
It's immeasurable because all is contained within this Shared Being.

00:28:17.266 --> 00:28:22.736
You cannot reach the beginning or the end, the start or finish of this vast infinite being.

00:28:23.306 --> 00:28:28.655
And it is boundless because it is spread in all directions and nobody knows where it begins or ends.

00:28:29.365 --> 00:28:38.823
Yeah, nobody can put a boundary line, it cannot be compartmentalized, it cannot be categorized, it cannot be in parts.

00:28:39.972 --> 00:28:48.577
So this is why Arjuna then apologizes and says, you know, I ask for forgiveness, I seek your forgiveness.

00:28:49.488 --> 00:28:53.178
Because he did not treat Sri Krishna, in his opinion, in the right manner.

00:28:53.807 --> 00:28:57.788
He felt he had short changed his relationship.

00:28:59.788 --> 00:29:04.428
And because he feels he may have been disrespectful in the past, he's very sorry about it.

00:29:04.538 --> 00:29:21.288
This should be a sign for us that sometimes we do things out of ignorance, out of some juvenile thinking and immature thinking and we think we're doing the right thing because we know what's best.

00:29:21.708 --> 00:29:37.597
We have seen we've lived a long life and you know we say all these wonderful things but to truly look back and see where you've gone wrong and actually accept that you've done wrong and do something about it that's maturity and that's what Arjuna has done.

00:29:39.278 --> 00:29:52.272
Arjuna really is contemplating on every single action he did, regardless of place and time, and is apologizing if he did anything that didn't match up to the glory of this Shared Being, of Sri Krishna.

00:29:52.833 --> 00:29:56.393
Amazing! Again, a sign of how to be a true devotee.

00:29:57.573 --> 00:30:05.063
One point that I do want to note is that Arjuna didn't go far enough to see that this very Shared Being is himself too.

00:30:06.048 --> 00:30:12.998
He maintained a certain duality and Sri Krishna will most likely grasp this, he will most likely understand this.

00:30:13.897 --> 00:30:23.958
But this is also an important point, he never saw himself as the Shared Being, he never saw himself in the Virat Roop, he only thought that was separate to him.

00:30:24.250 --> 00:30:25.549
Then verse 43.

00:30:25.789 --> 00:30:29.789
You are the father of all the moving and non moving beings in all the lokas.

00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:33.730
You are worthy of more honour than the most glorious Guru.

00:30:34.049 --> 00:30:38.009
There is nothing like you or greater than you in all of existence.

00:30:38.859 --> 00:30:45.619
How can anyone be equal to you in all the three lokas, O Being of incomparable greatness?

00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:47.506
We're going to break this verse up.

00:30:47.632 --> 00:30:52.182
Some amazing lines are said here and we'll go through it very quickly.

00:30:52.701 --> 00:30:57.362
You are the father of all the moving and non moving beings in all the lokas.

00:30:57.632 --> 00:31:08.092
So the Shared Being is the greatest of the devas, of human beings, of animals and all other animate and inanimate beings and objects in infinite universes.

00:31:08.392 --> 00:31:14.771
This includes the stars, the sun, moons, and all sorts of celestial bodies, It encompasses it all.

00:31:15.271 --> 00:31:17.402
So it is the father of everyone.

00:31:18.067 --> 00:31:24.096
And this is because all beings emanate from this Shared Being and are sustained by it as well.

00:31:24.527 --> 00:31:27.336
It's created, sustained and we evolve.

00:31:27.737 --> 00:31:29.807
All because of this Shared Being.

00:31:30.886 --> 00:31:34.916
Then it says, you are worthy of more honour than the most glorious guru.

00:31:35.477 --> 00:31:44.676
This Infinite Being is also the greatest teacher, because it is adored even by the gods and even by the gurus themselves.

00:31:45.136 --> 00:31:47.406
This is why it's the most glorious Guru.

00:31:48.116 --> 00:31:50.406
This Shared Being is the source of all knowledge.

00:31:50.406 --> 00:31:54.156
From this Shared Being does Brahm Gyana take its true form.

00:31:54.285 --> 00:32:04.424
Everybody has to take this Gyana, this wisdom, in order to then live a life, that will lead them to, evolve into a jivan-mukta..

00:32:04.884 --> 00:32:12.750
This is the ultimate aim and that's why this Shared Being is worthy of more honour than the most glorious Guru.

00:32:13.049 --> 00:32:18.509
The most glorious Guru, guess what, the Guru will always point you towards this one supreme truth.

00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:24.390
And whether you see this Truth as the Shared Being or you see it as Nirguna Brahman.

00:32:26.190 --> 00:32:35.240
The Guru who is the most glorious will point to this and the most glorious devotee will go exactly to where the Guru is pointing to.

00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:44.309
They won't look at the Guru and start saying you are God, no, this will be a big mistake, a grave mistake.

00:32:44.940 --> 00:32:49.589
What they will say is my guru is the most glorious why?

00:32:49.769 --> 00:32:58.019
Because it has shown me this Formless, this Awareness, has told me that this Consciousness, this Pure Consciousness is right here.

00:32:58.279 --> 00:32:59.990
I don't have to go anywhere.

00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:03.869
It's in between my eyelids and eyeball.

00:33:04.230 --> 00:33:05.519
It's that close to me.

00:33:06.150 --> 00:33:07.059
I am That.

00:33:07.869 --> 00:33:13.234
This is the ultimate teaching, that's why the Guru is most glorious.

00:33:13.644 --> 00:33:15.285
Only that teacher who shows you that.

00:33:15.464 --> 00:33:18.674
If a Guru just tells you to do mantra jaap, not a good guru.

00:33:20.615 --> 00:33:23.674
Maybe okay, but not the greatest.

00:33:25.434 --> 00:33:31.654
If they tell you just simply do meditation, again, maybe decent, but not the most glorious.

00:33:32.545 --> 00:33:36.295
Only that Guru that tells you the truth of who you are is the most glorious.

00:33:37.835 --> 00:33:39.075
And that one...

00:33:39.750 --> 00:33:46.720
Remember the hint is they will always take you to the Divine, they will always take you to Formless Awareness, towards Nirguna Brahman.

00:33:48.190 --> 00:33:53.084
There is nothing like you or greater than you in all of existence.

00:33:53.124 --> 00:33:59.503
There is nothing even close to the similarity of the Shared Being, nothing similar to it, nothing even closely minute to it.

00:34:00.223 --> 00:34:02.834
And no being in existence is greater than this one.

00:34:03.253 --> 00:34:03.854
We know this.

00:34:04.064 --> 00:34:09.534
And here, I want you to understand, we're going to see that there's a blurred line between Saguna and Nirguna.

00:34:10.534 --> 00:34:11.653
This is purposeful.

00:34:12.454 --> 00:34:13.943
There's a reason why I've done this.

00:34:14.373 --> 00:34:18.963
Because ultimately, for most of you that still entertain duality, you will go towards Saguna.

00:34:19.384 --> 00:34:36.911
But those of you that are now, probably been attending my meditation sessions, you've been asking me questions in them, you may be at a place now where you can embrace the Nirguna aspect and that's why I've mentioned both in in these episodes.

00:34:38.492 --> 00:34:42.001
So no being is in existence is greater than Brahman.

00:34:42.414 --> 00:34:55.780
For those of you more attuned to me and who understand what I refer to when I say Brahman, both Nirguna, first and foremost, then you can apply Saguna to that too when I only say Brahman.

00:34:57.070 --> 00:35:04.449
Then he says, how can anyone be equal to you in all the three lokas, O Being of incomparable greatness?

00:35:04.929 --> 00:35:11.019
Nobody can compare their greatness to this Shared Being towards Saguna Brahman, towards Nirguna Brahman.

00:35:11.019 --> 00:35:13.750
There is no way one can have the courage to even compare.

00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:18.329
It's just not in our jurisdiction or power to even do so.

00:35:18.746 --> 00:35:27.737
And in all the three lokas, there is no one equal to this Shared Being, as all lokas belong and are contained in the Shared Being.

00:35:28.327 --> 00:35:34.626
In all the realms that there are, it's all contained in the Shared Being, it's all contained in Brahman.

00:35:35.016 --> 00:35:45.306
So there's no reason for us to be comparing, there's no being in those three lokas that are even minutely close.

00:35:45.505 --> 00:35:48.686
So neither deva, nor asura, nor earthly being.

00:35:49.240 --> 00:35:50.411
Then verse 44.

00:35:51.331 --> 00:36:00.351
Therefore, bowing before you flat on the ground, I ask You to please forgive my disrespect towards You, O great controller of all.

00:36:00.731 --> 00:36:11.161
Just as a father cares for his child, as one friend trusts another, and as a lover adores their beloved, please be kind and merciful to me.

00:36:13.646 --> 00:36:17.885
You see Arjuna's feelings and you know, it's quite obvious here.

00:36:19.405 --> 00:36:24.175
So let's break this verse down He says therefore bowing before you flat on the ground.

00:36:24.175 --> 00:36:29.646
I ask you to please forgive my disrespect towards You, Oh great controller of all.

00:36:29.916 --> 00:36:33.273
First of all, this Brahman is the greatest controller of all.

00:36:34.432 --> 00:36:42.943
It is the one that controls it all, this Brahman, this Shared Being, nothing functions without it, nothing is able to operate without it.

00:36:42.989 --> 00:36:47.739
Arjuna, out of remorse, out of fear and respect, he asks for forgiveness again.

00:36:48.099 --> 00:36:51.769
He says, therefore bowing before you flat on the ground, showing his humility.

00:36:52.974 --> 00:36:55.885
I ask you to please forgive my disrespect towards You.

00:36:56.474 --> 00:37:05.965
So he bows flat on the ground, a full body namaskar, and he's really seeking forgiveness, he's really asking for that forgiveness.

00:37:06.081 --> 00:37:14.460
And he's not saying, if I have been disrespectful to you, he's saying, I have been disrespectful towards you, and that's why I'm asking for forgiveness.

00:37:14.710 --> 00:37:21.371
And this is another great sign of why Arjuna is someone to emulate, at least in the beginning of our spiritual journey.

00:37:22.420 --> 00:37:32.650
Then he says, just as a father cares for his child, as one friend trusts another, or as a lover adores their beloved, please be kind and merciful to me.

00:37:33.018 --> 00:37:37.938
He wants Sri Krishna to be kind and merciful enough to forgive him.

00:37:38.202 --> 00:37:39.443
He wants to be forgiven.

00:37:40.262 --> 00:37:43.483
He compares it to how a parent cares for their child.

00:37:43.492 --> 00:37:48.663
Even if a parent scolds their child, they do it thinking of the child's benefit.

00:37:48.873 --> 00:37:59.175
I think about when my parents used to tell me off, whether I wasn't studying properly, whether I was not being good at home, whether I was moaning a lot as a teenager.

00:38:00.945 --> 00:38:02.356
You know, when they used to tell me off.

00:38:02.411 --> 00:38:06.820
Most of the time I felt like, yeah, now I look back and say it's justified.

00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:09.530
At the time I thought this was complete injustice.

00:38:09.981 --> 00:38:43.449
But growing up now, I think, yeah, they did think for my benefit, even though they even said, and they, you know, my parents would even say, it's for your benefit that we say this, but in that age you kind of feel, well, I know it all and there is this certain know it all kind of feeling that you get at that age and only when you get older or you read more or you study yourself more that you understand that actually my parents were right and I didn't really know much.

00:38:43.489 --> 00:38:45.048
I could have made better decisions.

00:38:45.048 --> 00:38:47.329
I could have done much better at school.

00:38:47.338 --> 00:38:49.159
I could have actually picked something I enjoyed.

00:38:49.327 --> 00:38:53.398
And that's how Arjuna is asking Sri Krishna to forgive him.

00:38:53.614 --> 00:38:55.235
Like a parent cares for their child.

00:38:55.715 --> 00:38:58.655
Or when a friend trusts their friend can do no wrong.

00:38:59.054 --> 00:39:02.625
No matter what, we tell our deepest, darkest secrets to our friends.

00:39:03.244 --> 00:39:05.405
We know that they will defend us to the core.

00:39:05.864 --> 00:39:07.335
And it's true.

00:39:08.644 --> 00:39:10.505
Your best friend can become your worst enemy.

00:39:11.570 --> 00:39:13.329
The moment that trust is broken.

00:39:13.699 --> 00:39:17.000
So again, he says as one friend trusts another.

00:39:17.860 --> 00:39:19.969
So he's saying I don't want to break that trust.

00:39:19.980 --> 00:39:26.449
Just trust me and then he says or as a lover always adoring their beloved.

00:39:26.643 --> 00:39:35.152
This is beautiful You know, we feel that affection, if you have a partner or if you have a spouse.

00:39:36.532 --> 00:40:07.882
No matter what we forgive our loved ones, we may conduct the biggest errors, we always forgive our loved ones for the betterment of the relationship because we value the relationship, we love the relationship, we don't want it to break and no matter how tough things get, we will look to fix things and this is exactly what Arjuna is saying is that just like in a relationship, adore me as a lover would and forgive me.

00:40:08.293 --> 00:40:21.952
Even when we're in love with someone, you know, some people say, oh, you didn't see the red flags before, but we bypass the small issues with our beloved because love is more important.

00:40:22.213 --> 00:40:23.402
The love has more value.

00:40:24.407 --> 00:40:30.628
The person has less value, the love is more valuable and that's what Arjuna is really hinting upon.

00:40:30.688 --> 00:40:36.657
If you look at between the parent and the child, the friend and another friend, and a lover and their beloved.

00:40:36.838 --> 00:40:38.398
What's the one thing that links them all?

00:40:38.617 --> 00:40:39.088
Love.

00:40:40.148 --> 00:40:47.367
So he's saying with your love, be kind to me be merciful to me.

00:40:48.097 --> 00:40:54.128
And it's true, only someone who is kind and merciful can forgive, not everyone can forgive.

00:40:54.657 --> 00:41:06.447
How many people in this world talk big about forgiveness, but when it actually comes to the time, then we do not forgive.

00:41:08.728 --> 00:41:17.668
And not only that, yes, even if we may forgive, that doesn't mean, you know, some people say to me.

00:41:19.447 --> 00:41:24.757
If somebody does wrong to me, do I have to maintain the relationship or the friendship or whatever?

00:41:26.108 --> 00:41:30.547
And I always say this, you can forgive and you must forgive, very important.

00:41:31.237 --> 00:41:37.777
We must forgive, but you don't have to continue that relationship or that friendship.

00:41:38.257 --> 00:41:43.748
You can maintain your safe distance, your social distancing from that person.

00:41:45.677 --> 00:41:46.978
That is absolutely fine.

00:41:46.987 --> 00:41:50.788

Thoughts on The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11: Verse 37 - Verse 46)

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