Sankhya Yoga: Shlokas 19 to 24
If you have not already done so, I would request you to review the Chapter 1, Arjuna Vishada Yoga before studying chapter 2 as that would help set the right context.
You can find the explanation of shlokas 14 to 18 here. Please go through that to get better understanding of the context.
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The soul is immortal
In verse 2.19 and 2.20, Shri Kṛṣṇa says that those who think that the soul is the killer or that the soul is getting killed, lack knowledge, because the soul does not kill and the soul cannot be killed. The soul is never born nor does it ever die. Only what is born can die and the soul is not born, it is eternal as it is a tiny spark of the eternal God. Thus, it is only the body that dies, never the soul.
The same thing is mentioned in the Katha Upanishad, chapter 2.
न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित्।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥
na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścinnāyaṃ kutaścinna babhūva kaścit ।
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato’yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ॥
The atman is never born, nor does it ever die; it did not come from anywhere. It is birthless, eternal, immutable and primeval. The atman is not slain when the body is slain.
Adi Shankaracharya, a renowned Indian philosopher and commentator on the Vedas, provided a commentary on the Katha Upanishad, in which he elaborated on the verse mentioned above. According to Shankaracharya, the verse sheds light on the nature of the atman, which is our true self, and transcends the cycle of birth and death. He explains that the atman is not subject to the physical changes that affect the body, such as growth, aging, and death, but rather is eternal and unchanging.
Furthermore, Shankaracharya refutes the notion that the atman is created or born, which some individuals believe. He asserts that the atman is an intrinsic part of the absolute God, who is Sat, and the source of all life and the foundation of existence itself.
Overall, Shankaracharya’s commentary highlights the fundamental teachings of the Upanishads, which assert that the true Self is not constrained by the body or the mind, but rather is infinite, eternal, and unchanging.
As we discussed in the previous verses, we are not this physical body, we are something higher, we are the soul, which is the absolute truth. Our ultimate goal of life is to realize this truth. Whether we believe it or not doesn’t change the truth. Just like gravity is not going to change, whether we believe it or not.
Shri Kṛṣṇa is explaining this truth to all of humanity through his message to Arjuna, that this soul is eternal and it can never be destroyed. It is beyond life and death.
Self realization
If you ask what is unique about humans and what makes us superior to animals? It is the ability to realize this ultimate truth. Today machines are getting smarter than humans. However neither machines nor any of the animals have this unique ability to realize the ultimate truth, the soul and eternal self. This is the ultimate goal of human life and we should seek God’s blessings and grace to help us achieve this goal.
Using our mind and our senses, we can at the most theorize this truth but we cannot realize this truth. Then how can we realize this truth? That is the teaching of the whole of Gita.
Vedanta tells us that there are five causes of suffering:
- Avidya (ignorance). Not knowing who we are
- Raga (attachment): Clinging to things that are impermanent and having expectations
- Dvesha (aversions): Dvesha is avoiding and running away from things that cause us unhappiness.
- Asmita (egoism). Identifying with the ego and creating separate realities
- Abhinivesha (fear and anxiety). Especially fear of death
Avidya: Avidya or ignorance is considered to be one of the main causes of suffering. The ultimate goal of human life is to attain self realization leading to liberation from suffering, and avidya prevents this from happening. Avidya prevents us from becoming aware of the true nature of things, and we mistake temporary and impermanent things as true realities. This ignorance makes us get attached to things that bring us temporary pleasure or satisfaction, and we experience pain and dissatisfaction when we are separated from them. This attachment and aversion, in turn, give rise to other mental afflictions such as anger, jealousy, and greed, which further contribute to our suffering.
Raga and Dvesha: “Raga” refers to attachment, craving, or desire. It is often seen as one of the main causes of suffering. Raga is one of the three poisons or “kleshas” (along with avidya and dvesha or aversion) that keep individuals trapped in the cycle of birth and death. Raga can manifest in many forms, including attachment to material possessions, relationships, status, etc. It is seen as a form of bondage that keeps individuals from experiencing true freedom and happiness. In order to overcome raga, many spiritual practices focus on cultivating detachment, and contentment. This may involve practices such as mindfulness, meditation, self-reflection, and service to others. By letting go of attachment and desires, individuals can experience greater peace, joy, and fulfillment.
Asmita & Abhinivesha: Asmita is a term commonly used in yoga to refer to egoism or a sense of separated individuality. Asmita is seen as one of the five kleshas or obstacles to spiritual development, along with avidya (ignorance), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death). Asmita is believed to arise from the identification of the self with external factors, such as possessions, status, or achievements. When we define ourselves by external factors, we create a false sense of self that is vulnerable to fluctuations and changes in our circumstances. Asmita also gives rise to pride and that becomes the biggest obstacle for growth on the spiritual path.
Vedanta also gives us the solutions to overcome them. It tells us that by correcting the first cause which is ignorance, and realizing who we really are, we become free from the effects of all the other causes.
Yoga (the union of body, mind, and spirit) is rediscovering who we are and returning to a life of joy, bliss, and freedom. Vedanta, recognizing that we each have different personalities and preferences, offers us four Paths of Yoga to help us reach this goal. Each person, depending on their abilities and preferences, can choose any single path or a combination of paths to attain the ultimate Goal.
The four paths are:
Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of “devotion”
Karma Yoga, the yoga of “action”
Jnana Yoga, the yoga of “knowledge” and “wisdom”
Raja Yoga, the yoga of “body and mind”. It is called the “royal path” because just like controlling a kingdom, the Raja Yogi learns to control their mind and body.
Although all of these lead to the same ultimate goal, Shri Kṛṣṇa will go on to proclaim in chapter 6 that the easiest among these is Bhakti Yoga. The body is temporary. The soul keeps discarding old bodies and getting into new bodies based on its accumulated karma and desires.
Please keep in mind that our desires also determine where and how we will be born in the next life. So we should be very careful about what we desire. It is best to always desire only for the ultimate realization and mukti. Otherwise we will keep getting stuck in the cycle of life and death just like the water which is stuck in the cycles of the fountain, going up and down eternally.
A similar concept can be seen in Greek philosophy as well. The famous maxim “Man, know thyself” was inscribed at the entrance of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, an ancient Greek religious site that was renowned for its oracle. The phrase “Man, know thyself” is often interpreted as a call to self-awareness and introspection. It is a reminder that the most important knowledge that one can acquire is knowledge of oneself. By understanding one’s own strengths and weaknesses, desires and motivations, one can better navigate the challenges of life and make wise decisions.
The concept of reincarnation based on karmic accounts is very important in vedanta. There is no other explanation for why some people are born into poverty while others are born into rich families, or why some are born sick while others are born strong, etc. Srila Prabupada quotes from the upanishads that our soul and the super soul (Kṛṣṇa ) are like two birds sitting in a tree. Our soul bird (like Arjuna), is busy enjoying the fruits of the tree and getting into a lot of emotional turmoil along the way whereas the super soul bird (Kṛṣṇa ) is merely observing the soul bird all the time and available to share wisdom, mercy and grace. The soul bird has to just remember to look at the super soul bird and seek guidance.
The soul is indestructible
The individual soul is eternal, everlasting. The eternal nature of the soul is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa when He says that “weapons cannot cut the soul, fire cannot burn it and water cannot wet it, nor can the wind dry it”.
Weapons cannot cut the soul: We all know that we cannot cut water, fire, air, or space with a weapon, however sharp it might be. The principle is that no instrument can hit or destroy an element subtler than itself. In the context of Indian philosophy, substances are believed to be made up of five basic elements or “Pancha Mahabhutas”: earth, water, fire, air, and ether (or space). Each of these elements is believed to have a corresponding “Tanmatra“, which is a subtle aspect or essence of the element.
For example, the Tanmatra of the earth element is said to be smell, the Tanmatra of the water element is taste, the Tanmatra of the fire element is sight, the Tanmatra of the air element is touch, and the Tanmatra of the ether or space element is sound.
The principle of Tanmatra avirodha asserts that an instrument or force which is associated with a coarser element, such as touch, cannot have any effect on a substance that is associated with a more subtle element, such as smell. In other words, we cannot destroy smell using touch. This principle implies that subtler elements are more powerful than coarser ones, and that a subtler force is necessary to affect or destroy a subtler substance.
This principle is heavily used in Ayurveda, where different substances and subtle forces are studied and utilized to heal the body and mind.
In Vedanta, this principle is also used to explain the nature of the Self, Atman, which is the cause of even the subtlest element of space and thus subtler than space itself. Therefore, it is impossible to cut or destroy the Self with any weapon, as any weapon has to be less subtle than space. This idea emphasizes the invincibility of the Self and highlights its profound and fundamental nature.
Fire cannot burn it: Using the same principle, we can say that fire cannot burn or destroy the soul because the soul is much more subtle than fire.
Water cannot make it wet: Water cannot enter the soul because the soul is smaller than a water molecule and so, cannot be impacted by water.
Wind cannot dry it: We can dry only that which is wet. As the soul cannot be made wet, it cannot be dried either.
The goal of the soul
The Advaita philosophy says that the individual souls merge with the super soul and become the super soul, just like drops of water becoming the ocean. However, some scholars are of the opinion that the individual souls return to the abode of the super soul but never become one with the super soul. This debate has been going on for ages between scholars and in my humble opinion, it doesn’t really matter who wins the argument. What is important is to realize that there is a super soul and that we need to practice bhakti yoga to help our soul get reunited with the super soul.
The philosopher and poet Khalil Gibran wrote a beautiful poem about this topic, called Fear.
It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.
That’s the advaita philosophy. Our soul is like the river and the super soul is like the ocean. Our soul has to eventually enter and get merged into the super soul.
The great Greek philosopher Socrates was condemned to die by drinking poison. While he was holding the cup, everybody was crying. The only person who was calm was Socrates himself. Because he understood that he was not the body. When another person asked him “Socrates how shall we bury you?”, Socrates replied “well you will have to first catch the real me”.
During his commentary on these verses, Swami Mukundananda quotes from the The Nyāya Darśhan (one of the six schools of philosophy) which gives the following argument to prove the existence of rebirth:
jātasya harṣhabhayaśhoka sampratipatteḥ (3.1.18)
It states that if you observe a little baby, you will find it sometimes becomes happy, sometimes sad, and sometimes fearful, without any apparent reason. According to the Nyāya Darśhan, the little baby is remembering its past life, and hence experiencing these emotions. However, as it grows up, the impressions of the present life are imprinted so strongly upon its mind, that they erase most past memories. Besides, the processes of death and birth are also so painful to the soul that they erase a substantial portion of the past life’s memories.
In my humble opinion, there is another lesson for us in these verses. The soul cannot stay in one body for too long. It has to get out and seek a new body.
This applies to many things with our body as well. The air that goes in cannot stay in for too long, it has to be breathed out so that you can get fresh air in. The water we drink, the food we eat, nothing can stay in for too long, they all have to be thrown out and we have to make room for fresh water, fresh food etc.
The same holds true for our emotions. Especially the negative emotions. We should not keep them in for too long. We have to throw them out and make room for fresh, positive emotions. Otherwise you are bound to get unhealthy and sick.
You can read the next set of Shlokas, 2.25 to 2.30 over here.
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi