Thoughts on The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 3: Verse 10 - Verse 13)

Hello, and welcome to another episode of The Bearded Mystic Podcast and I'm your host Rahul N Singh. Thank you for taking out the time today to the watch or listen to this podcast episode. Today, we're going to be continuing on with my thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita. If you'd like to support The Bearded Mystic Podcast you can do so by joining The Bearded Mystic Podcast Patreon page, now this gives you exclusive benefits according to whatever tier you choose. For more details, you can find them in the show notes and video description below. Let's do a recap from the last episode where we looked at Chapter Three Verses six to nine. Shri Krishna explains the necessity of controlling our senses and how one does not need to have any attachment and must learn to observe and discern with the knowledge of Brahman and that person is a Karma Yogi. Be honest in the life that you live and act accordingly. Do your duties, do your responsibilities, be in the flow of your life, go according to your nature, look after your family, earn a living and make sure it's done with honesty and integrity. That is the basic requirement for a Karma Yogi. Just remember nobody can live a life without action. Shri Krishna would like us to offer every action that we do to the Divine, to the Supreme, one to Pure Consciousness, to Brahman or to God, whatever word we like to use. Let's start with verse 10. Shri Krishna says 'At the beginning of the universe, Prajapati [the first created being who is also known as Brahma or Saraswati], created everything and then educated humans about the methods of Yagna the process of give and take between humans and Devas to affect balance in the context of the laws of nature. At that time Prajapati said, 'May this cooperative process of divine yagna be an ishta kamadhuk [desire-fulfilling cow of plenty] giving you all that you need for material life. Some really intense definitions there. So a lot to capture in that verse, but we will dissect it slowly. Let's look at the first line. At the beginning of the universe Prajapati, [the first created being who is also known as Brahma or Saraswati] projected everything and then educated humans about the methods of Yagna. So here, the methods of Yagna are basically the processes of give and take between the humans and devas to effect balance in the context of the laws of nature. Let's look into this. This needs to be understood that there is no such thing as creation in Vedanta. Here everything is projected. Yeah, interesting word. The universe or universes is simply a projection from that creative principle. So the creative principle being Brahma and Saraswati. Brahma as we know, the Lord or Deva of creation and Saraswati is the principle of education of knowledge. So with knowledge can there be creation and with creation, there is knowledge. By projecting the universe, education must be provided, and this education is what is given by Saraswati. This education was simply that one should be in the cycle of give and take, not simply just taking. So devas here needs to be understood as attributes of nature. In order for us to be sustained on this planet, we need to ensure that we give back to this planet. If we utilize the resources that we also give back to ensure that there is a continuous flow of resources, the Vedanta texts have guided us on how to maintain this balance. So let's understand this very deeply and minutely. What is being said here is that we cannot allow nature to be imbalanced. So we have to please the devas. How do we please the devas? It's by making sure that we respect the earth, the water, the resources that we have. If we don't respect it and we just keep taking, taking and taking to the point where things get exhausted., We cannot live on a sustainable planet. A great movie that highlights this very bit is Interstellar. In the very beginning, we see how the soil is depleted and the crops are dying and the biodiversity of the planet is basically lost. Why? Because of our greed. So here don't think of devas as some other beings up there in the heavens. No. See everything on this earth, although it's a projection, but see every resource on this planet as a deva, as divine. Would you just take from the Divine? Would you also give something to the divine? Yeah. This is how to understand this. The line continues, at that time Prajapati said may this cooperative process of divine Yagna, be a ishta kamadhuk [a desire-fulfilling cow of plenty], giving you all that you need for material life. That was the blessing from the beginning. Now we have to ask ourselves as global citizens. Do we deserve this now? Are we getting everything we need for material life? Everybody on this planet? Are they? This is a question. Not just the people of India or the people that study Advaita Vedanta or non-duality. Everybody. Regardless of their religion, regardless of the creed, regardless of whether they're an atheist. Whatever. This is the question. So to have a fulfilled material life, we need to give to the world as much as we take from it. This is the basic understanding. Okay. So whatever we use of the earth, whether it's water, whether it's food crops, the soil, the air, the bees, anything, birds, whatever maintains this cycle in the Earth, this biodiversity, are we ensuring that it's protected? When we do deforestation for food, are we thinking about the diversity of life that was in that rain forest, in that patch of the forest? Even now, when I think about it, the houses that we build and we get rid of that patch of land, which probably had a rich, diverse ecosystem. Have we done anything to ensure that life has somewhere else to go? These are the things that we have to think about. It's hard because of the world we live in. I know it's challenging, but we have to think about those things. What I'm trying to say is we have to think about the solutions. So the question really is, are we doing this today? Are we giving back to the earth? Are we doing that? Again here, when the ishta kamadhuk the desire-fulfilling cow of plenty is a metaphor. It's talking about may we be always fulfilled with our basic needs. This is what is being talked about. Now, there isn't a magical cow out there that is giving everything, but the metaphor of a cow is that, as we know as human beings, we take milk from the cow and the cow simply gives despite the conditions we put on the cow. So it's using that metaphor that the cow continuously gives. So are we doing the same? So are we giving back to the cow, are we respecting the cow? So the same thing here are we respecting the earth? Are we respecting nature? So this is a metaphor, but how we can sustain and enhance our life on this Earth. If we cooperate with nature, then nature will be kind to us. That's understood. So we have seen what happens when we don't cooperate with nature. Famines appear, droughts occur, natural disasters become more regular. For example, we get the wildfires, we get earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis. And the soil is depleted from its nutrients and therefore more disease is spread. So right now, humans have learned nothing, if you think about it. Look at how we fight for our so-called freedoms. When it comes to this pandemic, we talked about in the last episode and same thing now. What is the cost of all this? Those that are vulnerable will die, because we think we need to be free. Those are healthy. So how can we expect to be rich in life, prosperous, when our actions, our outlook is so limited and so selfish. We think we are thinking about others, but we really aren't. Somewhere deep within, it's all selfish. We think we have woken up from the matrix, but we've entered into another form of the matrix. Another program of the matrix. If you understand the metaphor from the film, that's what happened. You just gone and downloaded another software. Thinking you're free, you just enter another form of the matrix. To be truly free from the so-called matrix is to be in it and see your interconnectedness. That's how you become the One. It's really simple. So the context of this whole verse is from the beginning of time, humans have been guided on how to live with nature, to respect nature, and we must continuously give back to nature. That has been the mentality. Hence nature has been worshiped. A very beautiful thing. I want to mention here that people do surya namaskar. They do salutations to the sun. And you know, a lot of people say, why do you praise the sun? That was created by God. But let me tell you without the sun, where's your worship of God? You wouldn't be alive today. When people worship the Ganga, the river, water in general, without water there is no life. It's not about worshiping the object. It's about giving your gratitude back. That's all. A lot of people do not understand these practices. On both sides, those that do the rituals and those that are against rituals. They're just as worse as each other. The ones that are against the rituals, don't understand. And they think they're worshiping the wrong things and the people that are doing the rituals, aren't looking beyond the worshiping. They don't understand the purpose in which they're worshiping. But again, the one that has their mind steady in wisdom, that has discernment, that has viveka can see that both sides are wrong. There's a middle path and this is what we go towards. We are to respect the laws of nature, and then we will get aplenty back. Then the desire fulfilling cow will continuously give. Verse 11, Prajapati continued, remember Shri Krishna is telling us about a conversation yeah.

if you show your appreciation to and work in harmony with the devas, who are the maintainers of the laws of nature through this interactive process of Yagna [sacred offering], then those devas will endow you with health, wellbeing, and everything beneficial. May humans and devas cherish and foster one another. This is very important. Remember, when we talking about devas, we're talking about the resources of nature, that are needed for us to sustain life on this planet. This is what we talking about. Don't think of devas as something up there. There's 33 million devas. No. Just be very basic in your understanding, just keep it simple. The elements on this earth or this universe that sustain your life on this planet, that allow you to live comfortably, that sustain the body. Those are the devas. So water, sun, the earth. All those things. Let's look at the first line, Prajapati continued: if you show your appreciation to and work in harmony with the Devas who are the maintainers of the laws of nature through this interactive process of Yagna [sacred offering]. As I emphasized in the last verse and the last episode, everything must be done as if it is a sacred offering, as if you're offering it to the divine, to Pure Consciousness. So the question is, how can you give back to nature today? What can we do? What can we do to ensure that we're enhancing nature? We can offer seeds to birds in our garden or feed the ducks in the pond or in the lake. We can plant flowers so that bees can spread pollen and provide honey. Little things like that, we can ensure that we drive safely on the roads so that we can avoid roadkill. So the Devas are every living being in nature, from plants to animals, to humans, to the earth and to the universe itself. So do not go against nature, otherwise we simply know what the result's going to be. Right now, we're depleting our resources for crude oil, so we can drive around in our cars. That's going to have a response from the earth and it is responding. It's not reacting. It's responding. It gave us enough time to correct our ways. We need to find ways how we can ensure there is harmony. Yeah. We've got to work with nature, not work around nature, work with nature. The next line. 'Then those devas will endow you with health, wellbeing and everything beneficial.' This will happen if we care for nature, if you care for others, then we will have wellbeing, then we will be looked after. Wellbeing is not simply you take a few supplements, you go to the gym, you eat healthily, that's not wellbeing, or you meditate and you've downloaded the calm app and therefore you've maintained a stable peace of mind. No, it's much more than that. Wellbeing is the well-being of everybody, not just yourself. Then we'll be looked after. How can we expect to be looked after if we have no respect for this earth, if we have no respect for other people. I remember one thing that my guru once said that if you really and use the concept of creator and creation. He said that 'if you respect the creator, then you should respect the creation and if you, again, respect creation, then respect the creator'. So again, it's talking about these devas and talking about us human beings. If we want to have good health, if we want to have good wellbeing and everything that is beneficial to our human advancement and evolution then we need to ensure that we are looking after these devas, we're looking after these natural resources. And here, Prajapati says that may humans and devas cherish and foster one another. So this is a prayer, we must all have, that these devas, nature itself will cherish each other. We will look after each other. We will be in harmony with each other, and this can only happen if there's an understanding between both. If one misunderstands and therefore causes destruction and chaos, don't expect the other to not do anything. The problem tends to be with humans. So if, as humans, if we are to live harmoniously and live for our evolution to get better, then we must respect nature. We cherish each other, we respect each other. We honor each other, see everything as divine. When you eat your food, think about how that grain of rice is on your plate. Then you have that deep level of respect. Instead, we just eat because of taste. How about we calm down and think about where this food has come from. Right now, you know, I really like what Christians do when they offer grace. I think that's a beautiful thing to do, but I would go a step further. Think about all those people that have helped you get your food today. From the people in the supermarkets, to the people on the farm, to the very resources of nature, the sun, water, all those things that helped you get your food today. Those are the things we can do. The context of the whole verse really is this: look after nature, give to nature as you take from nature, and there can be universal harmony. This is only if we show our appreciation and show our gratitude towards nature. It's not enough to just thank god. We must thank everything that sustains us, even if in the end, it is just a projection, and an appearance or Maya. If we care for each other, for every living, being on the planet, then this earth can be a paradise and a heaven for everyone. This earth can be a heaven. We cannot leave any one person out of this process. Everyone has to be included. Everyone must be included. Verse 12. Shri Krishna continues. 'The devas are nourished when humans perform Yagna of all kinds, just as human desires for material pleasures are fulfilled by those ishtas or devas. But those humans who receive the benefits of material nature without performing Yagna are certainly behaving as thieves.' Shri Krishna is extremely harsh in this, like that is harsh. Let's dissect this verse. The first line, the devas nourished when humans perform Yagna of all kinds.' So when we offer our food to others first then nature is nourished. In some cultures we offer the food from our plate to another person, we give them a bite. Or some people leave a bit of food on the side of their plate and say that that is offered to the Divine. That's one way. Either you can see the divine in another person, or if there's nobody around you, you can leave a little bit on the side and say that is offering to nature. When we cook to benefit not just ourselves, but for others, then nature is nourished. Like for example, a mother always thinks about feeding all the family members. She doesn't think about her own self. Or the father, whoever cooks in the household, they don't think about just themselves. They cook for everybody. They think about everyone. When I say cook, even when you work or when you have money, whatever you do, don't just think about it benefiting yourself, think about how it can benefit others. So when we look after those that have nothing, who have no shelter then the devas are nourished. Nature is being taken care of. Just remember that if we are okay with poverty, that others can be in poverty, for whatever reason they're in poverty for, then we are allowing poverty to be normal and that poverty should exist. Therefore, how can we be nourished? How are the devas nourished when there is poverty on this planet? If a single person cannot eat food or has to sacrifice their food for one day, how are the devas going to be nourished? This is a question we need to contemplate and think about. So, for example, how can crime exists if everybody is taking care of equally with justice, fairly. So whatever we can offer, nature is nourished. If we give good thoughts, that is a sacred offering. If we love others unconditionally, that is a sacred offering. If we defend those that are subjected to discrimination, that is a sacred offering. Everything you do can be a sacred offering to the divine, to Brahman, to Pure Consciousness, to our shared being. I really like what Rupert Spira says about how our shared being, it's a beautiful, beautiful concept. Our shared being. So that's how we can have this yagna, this sacred offering to everyone. Just remember that nature is not simply, the natural elements, it's also other human beings are nature. They're part of nature too. If you cannot see the divine in other people then really do you perceive the divine in everything? Do you see everything as a content of that divinity or content of Consciousness. The next line in that verse. Just as human desires for material pleasures are fulfilled by those devas or ishtas. An Isha or Ishwara is a being acting as a controller over some department of nature. They're also known as devis and devtas, these are the controllers of particular material domains. So, you know, when people ask oh why do you have so many gods and goddesses in Hinduism? Well, actually, they're just controllers of particular material domains. That's all. They're particular attributes of Consciousness. They're not consciousness Itself. There's only one Consciousness, that Shared Being, but the attributes of that Shared Being are the devis and devtas. Yeah, they are controllers of a particular material domain. Sometimes we look for ways to answer this question that what are devis and devtas, this is a great way of explaining it. So if you think of nature of all living beings, then material pleasures will be fulfilled. Whatever you consume, I'm not saying consuming is wrong, by the way. What I'm saying is consume, but think about giving back too. That's all. Remember that any desire that you have for material pleasures, those Devas and Ishas are operating so you can get those things. If you think of nature of all living beings, then material pleasures will be fulfilled because you give your wealth, your knowledge, your health to benefit others then the Devas will ensure that you receive everything back. Whatever you need back, the devas are in control. Remember, let's focus on this a little bit. Someone here may say. Well, what about the results of our actions? You say we shouldn't be attached to them. Krishna is saying the same thing. He's not said anything different. He is saying that the results, the fruits of whatever actions you do, the devas will operate this. Nature will provide you this. You do not need to think about it. You just commit to the sacred offering. So those devas will ensure that you receive everything back. So let nature take care of your body and your mind. Look after the earth, then the earth will nourish your body. So for example, I want to emphasize here in that said, let nature take care of your body. Let doctors look after your body when it's ill. When there is a pandemic, then the public health officials, the epidemiologists, the virologists are there to help us. They are nature. That's the way to see this. Look after the earth, then the earth will nourish your body. When your body is nourished, your mind is calm and at peace. Then you will seek enlightenment. It's not that you are seek enlightenment. The seeking will begin, but what will happen eventually is you will discover that actually there is only enlightenment. There was no ignorance in the very beginning. Now I'm entering a bit of a Kashmiri Shaivism with this, but there is no ignorance. Ignorance is just an appearance, but I want to go back to ensuring that we respect the functions of society, the functions of nature, the functions of experts and also then of nature. See everything as one unified field. Then the next line in that verse. 'But those humans who receive the benefits of material nature without performing Yagna are certainly behaving as thieves.' This is the line where Shri Krishna is getting the arrow and hitting it directly at your heart. Because if this line does not make you think of changing your actions, I do not know what will. I don't know what actions will make you feel that you need to improve what you're doing. I read this and I have felt like I'm not doing enough. Let's dissect this line more. If one just takes and takes without considering others or considering nature, then we are thieves. We are criminals. If we just take from the world, we just take from society and we don't pay our fair share back in forms of taxes. Then frankly, we're not offering enough back. And we are stealing from others. If we keep getting richer and other people keep getting poorer and the divide keeps getting wider and wider, something is wrong. If people are still being harmed for the color of their skin or for their gender or for their sexuality, there is something wrong. We are behaving as thieves. And guess what happens when we behave as thieves? What's the nature of a thief? The nature of a thief is to accumulate more and sell. Steal more, sell. And it's all selfish and same thing here. If we're utilizing the Earth's resources, if the sun is providing us with warmth and with the necessary tools for existence, we need to ensure that we respecting all those things back. Are we offering our gratitude? So therefore, if we just keep receiving benefits of material nature, and we not performing Yagna, the sacred offering, not being grateful then we are operating as thieves. We are behaving as thieves. Yeah. Okay. You may turn around and say, well, I'm not stealing from someone's home. I'm not actually going in getting their jewelry or their items, or I'm not doing that. I'm not going into anyone's home and stealing. If you're not paying your fair share of taxes, you are stealing. If I have to pay my fair share, then you have to. If you're a billionaire, who cares if you know how to evade tax laws, at the end of the day, you're being unethical. Therefore what you're doing is creating more harm in society. Yeah. You may do these charity works and you may have these big foundations. The fact is if you still have billions of dollars in your bank account, and someone in your very city is homeless. There is a problem. If you're living in a 50 bedroom mansion and there's 50 people homeless, there's a problem. I'm not blaming billionaires. I'm blaming the system that we have today. It's not according to the Vedic times. It's not according to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. It's not just about understanding you are Brahman. There's a life that you live as Brahman as Pure Consciousness. This is what we have to understand. This is what karma yoga is about. So like I mentioned before, if you can be a billionaire and you can eradicate poverty, if you got together with other billionaires to eradicate poverty on this planet, and yet you choose not to, then you are truly a burden on society and you're stealing from others. You're being selfish and therefore, why will nature help us? Why will nature provide for us? Think about it. If nature can perceive, if we can see within nature, there is poverty, then only poverty will grow and that's what's happening. Poverty is growing and the rich are getting richer. So we see that happening and we have to close that gap. It's not that billionaires should not be billionaires and that people should aim for those things, aim for those things, but understand that everybody should be able to earn a living wage. Everyone should live in a home with good conditions. This is how we look after the people of our planet. And if you look after the people of our planet, the planet is sustained because those people will give back to this planet and if this planet is sustained, then this universe is sustained. Yeah, but it all begins with our own actions, with our own outlook. So when we offer everything as a sacred offering, then we are living a divine life. Shri Krishna is telling us to live a life of divinity, based on divinity. Established in divinity. The context of this whole verse is that Shri Krishna is warning us to not be like the person that's mentioned in this verse. Shri Krishna is telling us to not be a thief. This is what he's telling us to do. We must offer everything back to the universe, to the earth, to living beings with an open heart, then the universe can give back. This is true law of attraction, not some oh I think of a car and therefore I am going to manifest it. That's nonsense. This is true law of attraction. When you think of everybody because you see that everybody has a Shared Being, your Shared Being is the same. Then the universe can give back, because again, you're respecting the devas. But if we just take and not give back, then what can the universe offer back to us? Eventually it will exhaust itself and what greatness therefore lies within your accumulation? Because without the earth, what is your billions of dollars going to do? Or billions of pounds? And here Shri Krishna simply because those people thieves. So if you're happy being called a thief that's okay. I certainly am not. Verse 13. Those who eat food that was first offered to the Ishas as a Yagna, do not receive the negative reactions from the harm and suffering caused by obtaining the food, but the selfish who prepare food only for their own pleasure, also unknowingly eat the negative reactions caused by obtaining the food. This is a metaphor or an example. That's used to highlight a bigger message. The first line is those who eat food that was first offered to the Ishas as a Yagna do not receive the negative reactions from the harm and suffering caused by obtaining the food. Let's understand again, what an Isha or Ishwara is. It's a being acting as a controller over some department of nature, those Ishas, also devis and devtas, they're the controllers of particular material domains. So make sure we understand what they are. We offer things back to Ishwara, Saguna Brahman - Pure Consciousness with attributes. Your Ishas or your devas are the people in your family, in your community, across this globe? Let this be understood. Even if you give the food or anything, if you give it mentally, then that is a sacred offering also. Your intention is what matters here. Your intention is what's going to cause the action. So whenever an action is available to be done and to be acted upon, you will do it. If you give mentally then this food or this money or any act, that is not for my own benefit, but for everything, for everyone, for every body, for every living thing, then you will not face the negative reactions. Just think about it. The ones who do not have anything, what are they afraid to lose? But those that have everything, they're afraid to lose everything. Think about it. So for example, if we use the food example here, that Shri Krishna uses. When we're cooking food, we may accidentally have killed an insect. In fact, we probably killed bacteria that was in the food. But all this is still a reaction from your own action, right? From what we've done. So Shri Krishna says but if your intention is to offer it to others, for the good of others, then you will not face the negative reactions. It will not cause you suffering or harm. One's actions must be pure from selfishness. So it's all about your intentions here. And this is what Shri Krishna is talking about. So offer everything to the divine. Now it may be that you live alone, right? And you may not live with others, but still you can offer your gratitude. What Shri Krishna is saying that some things may accidentally occur within your actions that you do, but he's saying here that you will not face the negative reactions and in a way, he's right. Does Pure Consciousness ever faced the reactions? No. It doesn't, Pure Consciousness is only aware of those reactions, but it isn't affected by those reactions. The next line Shri Krishna says, 'but the selfish, who prepare food only for their own pleasure, also unknowingly eat the negative reactions caused by obtaining the food.' When we consume things without being thankful, we also knowingly obtain those karmas. The results of those karmas. So if we're greedy and we just prepare food, or we attain well, just for our own pleasure, forgetting that there is a world out there, that may not have everything, if we forget to have gratitude for the things that we have, then we will face negative reactions. Those very things will become attachments, those very things will consume us. Our mind will constantly be thinking about the things we've accumulated. How many times I've heard from people that oh, I couldn't sleep at night because I kept thinking about the money in my savings account or the money that I invested. Oh the market crashed and all my money is lost. They lose their peace of mind. So these are the negative reactions that are being talked about because they're done for their own selfish need. Not for the benefit of others or benefit for everyone as a Shared Being. When I say benefit for others, I'm not excluding you from this, your own self. You are also part of the others when I talk about it. So it's got to benefit our Shared Being. Maybe that's the word I'm going to keep using. So remember when we are in that selfish state, then our mind will always be anxious. Our mind will always be restless. Therefore, how can we calm our minds and concentrate on Brahman, on the Pure Consciousness, on Pure Awareness? We may have everything materially, but freedom or liberation will not be there. We will be bounded by the effects of all that we have accumulated. If we are doing things that are perpetuating the poverty in other beings, then that reaction from them, we will have to face. Therefore give to others with an open heart. Don't be miserly. The more you give to others, the more others would give to another. It is all cyclical. There's a beautiful video I saw once on social media about the act of kindness. That when one person does one act of kindness, then that one person who received the act of kindness would also do another act of kindness for another. So what it was talking about was the infectious nature of being kind and what it can do. And when you saw the video, you saw how everyone was prosperous. Everyone benefited. This is what we're talking about here. The context of the whole verse is don't be selfish, be selfless in all that you do and attain. Give everything and do everything as a sacred offering to others, as a sacred offering to the Devas, to Ishwara, you will get positive results. It's that simple. But if we have an iota or a speck of selfishness, then nothing can stop the negative reactions from any of the actions that we do, even if those negative reactions are from any accidental action that is occurred or an accidental result. We still have to face that. And that is the end of the episode. Thank you very much for listening. As you know, a new episode is uploaded every Sunday. If you would like to follow me on social media, to keep getting updates or you want to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, those details are in the show notes and video description below. If you want to join my discord community channel, I'm also available there. The details are in the show notes and video description below. If you would like to support The Bearded Mystic Podcast, there are a number of ways you can do so. You can utilize Patreon so you can get extra benefits, like I mentioned before but if you want to just offer a one-time donation to support the podcast, the link tree account will have those details. If you can please rate and review the podcast on the app that you're listening to this on. If you are watching this on YouTube, please like comment and subscribe. That'd be greatly appreciated. Thank you for listening and we'll end with the Shanti mantra, may our minds be at peace. May our surroundings be at peace. May this universe be at peace. Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Aum Peace Peace Peace Namaste.