Sankhya Yoga: Shlokas 38 to 44
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 31 to 37 here. Please go through that to get better understanding of the context.
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सुखदु:खे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ |
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि || 38||
sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau
tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi
सुखदुःखे sukha duḥkhe in pleasure and pain समे same same कृत्वा kṛtvā having made लाभालाभौ lābhālābhau gain and loss जयाजयौ jayājayau victory and defeat ततः tataḥ then युद्धाय yuddhāya for battle युज्यस्व yujyasva engage thou न na not एवम् evaṁ thus पापम् pāpaṁ sin अवाप्स्यसि avāpsyasi shall incur
Engage yourself in this dharmic battle, treating pain and pleasure, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike. This way you will not incur sin.
एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु |
बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि || 39||
eṣhā te ’bhihitā sānkhye buddhir yoge tvimāṁ śhṛiṇu
buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi
eṣhā—this; te—to you; abhihitā—explained; sānkhye—by analytical knowledge; buddhiḥ yoge—by the yog of intellect; tu—indeed; imām—this; śhṛiṇu—listen; buddhyā—by understanding; yuktaḥ—united; yayā—by which; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; karma-bandham—bondage of karma; prahāsyasi—you shall be released from
Here, I have explained to you Sānkhya Yoga, or knowledge of the self (soul). Now listen, O Partha, as I reveal Buddhi Yoga, or the Yoga of Intellect. When you work with such understanding, you will be freed from the bondage of karma.
नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते |
स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् || 40||
nehābhikrama-nāśho ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate
svalpam apyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt
na—not; iha—in this; abhikrama—efforts; nāśhaḥ—loss; asti—there is; pratyavāyaḥ—adverse result; na—not; vidyate—is; su-alpam—a little; api—even; asya—of this; dharmasya—occupation; trāyate—saves; mahataḥ—from great; bhayāt—fear
When working with this state of consciousness, one will not experience any loss or adverse consequences. In fact, even a small effort on this path of dharma can protect one from great danger and fear.
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन |
बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम् || 41||
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śhākhā hyanantāśh cha buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām
vyavasāya-ātmikā—resolute; buddhiḥ—intellect; ekā—single; iha—on this path; kuru-nandana—descendent of the Kurus; bahu-śhākhāḥ—many-branched; hi—indeed; anantāḥ—endless; cha—also; buddhayaḥ—intellect; avyavasāyinām—of the irresolute
Oh, descendant of the Kurus, those who follow this path possess a firm and determined intellect, with a singular and focused aim. However, those with an indecisive intellect have a multitude of conflicting thoughts and ideas.
यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चित: |
वेदवादरता: पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिन: || 42||
yāmimāṁ puṣhpitāṁ vāchaṁ pravadanty-avipaśhchitaḥ
veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ
yām imām—all these; puṣhpitām—flowery; vācham—words; pravadanti—speak; avipaśhchitaḥ—those with limited understanding; veda-vāda-ratāḥ—attached to the flowery words of the Vedas; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; na anyat—no other; asti—is; iti—thus; vādinaḥ—advocate
Individuals with limited understanding are often drawn to the elaborate and ornate language found in the Vedas. These texts promote grandiose rituals as a means of attaining a place in the heavens, leading some to assume that there are no deeper or more profound principles outlined within them.
कामात्मान: स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् |
क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति || 43||
kāmātmānaḥ swarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām
kriyā-viśheṣha-bahulāṁ bhogaiśhwarya-gatiṁ prati
kāma-ātmānaḥ—desirous of sensual pleasure; swarga-parāḥ—aiming to achieve the heavenly planets; janma-karma-phala—high birth and fruitive results; pradāṁ—awarding; kriyā-viśheṣha—pompous ritualistic ceremonies; bahulām—various; bhoga—gratification; aiśhwarya—luxury; gatim—progress; prati—toward
Such individuals tend to praise only those parts of the Vedas that gratify their senses. They engage in elaborate and showy rituals in hopes of achieving elevated social status, material wealth, sensual pleasure, and ultimately, a place in the celestial realms.
भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् |
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धि: समाधौ न विधीयते || 44||
bhogaiśwvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛita-chetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate
bhoga—gratification; aiśhwarya—luxury; prasaktānām—whose minds are deeply attached; tayā—by that; apahṛita-chetasām—bewildered in intellect; vyavasāya-ātmikā—resolute; buddhiḥ—intellect; samādhau—fulfillment; na—never; vidhīyate—occurs
As their minds are deeply attached to material pleasures and their intellects are confused by such pursuits, they lack the unwavering determination required to succeed on the path towards God.
Importance of calm mindedness
Shree Kṛṣṇa now moves deeper into the science of karma. Arjuna had expressed his fear that by killing his enemies he would incur sin. So here Shri Kṛṣṇa is telling Arjuna that he should engage in the battle just for the sake of duty. He is telling Arjuna to keep his mind calm and even in happiness and misery (sukha-dukhe), in profit and loss (labha-alabhau) as well as in victory or defeat (jaya-ajayau).
The three pairs of opposites mentioned here represent distinct experiences at the three levels of our mortal existence. Pleasure and pain signify the ’emotional’ awareness of experiences at the sensory level that are favorable and unfavorable, whereas profit and loss relate to the ‘intellectual’ experiences at the level of the mind that are favorable and unfavorable. Victory and defeat signify the ‘physical’ experiences at the level of body, of either winning or losing. Krishna advises that we must strive to maintain equilibrium in the face of these different dualities at their respective levels of existence.
Back in verse 2.15, Shri Kṛṣṇa had said that a person who is not affected by happiness and distress, and remains steady in both, becomes eligible for liberation.
Here Kṛṣṇa is saying that when one performs action with this calmness and even mindedness, their actions will not incur negative karma or sin. Shri Kṛṣṇa says that keeping the mind calm in the face of both pleasure and pain is in itself a big part of Karma yoga. Because negative karma occurs only when our mind is being controlled by our negative emotions.
Shri Kṛṣṇa will touch upon this topic many times in the Bhagavad Gita, because the whole of Bhagavad Gita is centered around training the mind, controlling the mind and channelizing it towards spiritual progress. And we cannot train a mind which is not calm. It is just like trying to train a horse. We cannot train an agitated horse. We have to first calm down the horse before we can even communicate with it. Just like that, our mind can be trained only when it is calm and that is the primary reason why Shri Krishna emphasizes the need to maintain calmness of mind regardless of external situations.
Animals cannot purposefully calm their minds. They are very reactive to situations around them. Humans have the free will and the ability to choose their reaction to any situation. Animals do not have this gift. That is why only a human can achieve self realization and liberation. So, we should face this battle of life with such a calm mind and then we can achieve great results.
Calmness of mind combined with selfless actions aligned with our duties shields us from generation of negative karma and takes us towards liberation. Even positive karmas generated in this manner will only help in our spiritual growth and liberation. Otherwise, the positive karmas will only help us enjoy the material benefits which are again very temporary.
Patanjali has quoted in his yoga sutras: हेयं दुःखमनागतम् ॥ २.१६ ॥ (Heyam Dukham Anagatam). Which means “The pain that is yet to come can be avoided”. Such a profound statement! By choosing the right reaction to our situations, we can prevent similar or worse situations from occurring again in our lives. And to realize and implement this, we need to have a calm mind.
Shri Krishna’s Buddhi Yoga or Yoga of Intellect
In verse 2.39, Shri Kṛṣṇa says that I have explained to you Sānkhya Yoga, or analytic knowledge regarding the nature of the soul. Now listen, O Partha, as I reveal Buddhi Yoga, or the Yoga of Intellect. Kṛṣṇa says Bhuddhi yoge tvimam srinu (Listen to this Buddhi yoga).
When you work with such understanding, you will be freed from the bondage of karma. Shri Krishna explains that understanding and applying the principles of Buddhi Yoga will help us perform karma yoga without becoming a victim of the effects of our karmas. This means that even while working and interacting with others, one can be free from the bondage that work can otherwise produce if done ignorantly.
Shri Krishna already explained using the Sānkhya philosophy that there are two fundamental aspects of reality: puruṣa (the individual soul) and prakṛti (nature). Using that as a foundation, Shri Krishna has provided Arjuna with a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the individual soul and its relationship with Prakriti.
Now, Kṛṣṇa is emphasizing the importance of performing actions without attachment to their results. He explains that this detachment can be achieved by sharpening and focusing our intellect to distinguish between the eternal and the temporary, between ‘sat’ and ‘asat’, and between the self and the body. By cultivating such discernment, one can detach from the temporary fruits of actions by focusing on the eternal and absolute nature of the self.
One interesting thing to understand is that although our ultimate goal is to have self realization and liberation, if we get attached to this result, then again we get into karmic bondage. In other words, we should not have attachment to detachment :-). This is the final frontier of Maya who is going to chase us until we actually get liberation. So the only way to attain liberation is to totally surrender to Kṛṣṇa while doing our duties in a calm and detached manner.
Some interesting facts we should know about Maya: it is made up of two words, Ma (not) and ya (what is). Thus maya means ‘that which is not what it appears to be’. Most of us have turned away from God and it is Maya’s job to make us all turn towards God. Maya is darkness and God is light. The further we turn away from God, the further we will be tormented by Maya. Even the greatest of saints have fallen victim to Maya. She is extremely powerful and persistent. The only way to overcome Maya is by total surrender to Kṛṣṇa engaging in spiritual activities and doing our duties in a detached manner.
Spiritual progress is carried forward to next life
Now, in verse 2.40, Shri Kṛṣṇa assures us that spiritual progress will never be lost. Na iha abhikrama naso sti. Any progress made in the spiritual path will remain permanently with us. The context in which this phrase is spoken is significant, as Arjuna is hesitant to engage in the upcoming battle as he is worried that he may incur negative karma and fall down to lowly plantes.
Lord Krishna reassures Arjuna that by staying on the side of dharma and fulfilling his duty without attachment to the results, he will grow spiritually and there will be no loss or diminution.
In the material world, let us say we studied until graduation and then we die. In the next birth, we are not going to directly start from post graduation. 🙂 . Instead, we will have to start again from preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade. However, any spiritual progress made in this birth is carried forward into our next birth. So spiritual knowledge and progress is the only primary goal we should have in this lifetime.
Spiritual progress and our karmas are the only things that we carry with us across multiple births.
Shri Kṛṣṇa provides another wonderful assurance, svalpam apyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt, which means even a little of this dharma, this philosophy, will save us from great fear. The phrase emphasizes that any effort aligned with dharma is worthwhile and that even small steps can have significant impact. He encourages Arjuna and all of us to pursue the path of righteousness and to do whatever we can, even if we feel overwhelmed or unsure about our success.
Furthermore, the verse implies that the practice of dharma is a form of protection from fear and suffering. By acting in accordance with moral and ethical principles, one can avoid negative consequences and cultivate inner peace and stability. This is particularly important in times of great fear and uncertainty, as righteous behavior can provide a sense of security and protection.
As per the vedas, There are 8.4 million (840 lac) species of life in existence. In humans alone, there are 4 lac species or levels of consciousness.
If we do not strive for God-realization in this life, we will continue to cycle through the 8.4 million species of life for countless births. Over and over again! So this is our opportunity. Let us make the most of it and surrender to Kṛṣṇa and strive to make progress in our spiritual path.
In the 7th chapter, Shri Kṛṣṇa says that ‘if you surrender to Me, the supreme Lord, then by my grace I will take you across the ocean of material existence and I will command Maya to release you from her clutches’. That is the only way. We cannot escape from the influence of Maya until we totally surrender to God. We cannot escape from Maya using our own intellect or strength. It is possible only by the grace of God.
Even in the Bible Jesus says: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4.7)
Beware of the ‘self-cancelation of thoughts’
In verse 2.41, Lord Krishna speaks about the importance of being determined and unwavering in the path of spiritual progress and God realization. The term used in this verse is “vyavasāya-ātmikā“, which can be translated to mean “resolute in the path of self-realization“.
Lord Krishna then mentions “avyavasāyinām“, which refers to those who lack resolute determination and are therefore unable to fully commit themselves to the path of spiritual progress and God realization.
Shri Krishna highlights the importance of being steadfast and committed in the pursuit of spiritual growth and self-realization. He emphasizes the need for a focused and unwavering determination to achieve one’s spiritual goals.
The need for conviction and consistency in our spiritual progress is reiterated throughout Vedanta. If an individual can consistently direct their actions towards the accomplishment of this goal, success will certainly come.
However, the human ego often complicates matters by entertaining multiple desires that are often conflicting with each other. This results in a situation where the mind becomes scattered and exhausted, unable to gather the necessary mental strength to achieve success. This phenomenon is known as “self-cancellation of thoughts,” where conflicting desires cancel each other out and leave the individual mentally drained and incapable of pursuing any of them.
When this happens, it becomes impossible for an individual to achieve success as they lack the mental stamina and focus required to pursue any particular goal.
Let’s consider the example of a student named Ekansh who is preparing for an important exam. Ekansh has a desire to achieve high grades in the exam, but he also has other desires, such as spending time with friends, playing video games, watching TV, and so on.
When Ekansh sits down to study, his mind becomes preoccupied with these other desires, and he finds it difficult to focus on his studies. Ekansh may start studying for a few minutes, but then he begins to think about his friends or the latest video game he wanted to play, etc. As a result, he keeps switching his attention between these various desires and abandons his study session, without achieving any success. He finds that when he tries to play with his friends, he is unable to succeed because he is worried about his studies and when he tries to study, he is not able to succeed because he is thinking about playing.
The next day, Ekansh decides to study again, but the same thing happens, and his mind becomes preoccupied with other desires. Over time, Ekansh becomes increasingly frustrated, as he is unable to achieve his desired outcome due to his mind’s inability to focus on the task at hand.
This is an example of self-cancellation of thoughts, where conflicting desires cancel each other out and prevent an individual from achieving their desired outcome. The student’s desire to achieve high grades is canceled out by their other desires, such as spending time with friends, playing video games, and so on. As a result, they are unable to achieve their desired outcome, which is to score high grades in the exam.
Therefore, the key to success lies in the ability to resist the distractions caused by the senses and maintain a single-pointed focus on one’s chosen path.
Here’s another very important concept. Our intellect is the decision maker. Our mind is the follower. For example, once our intellect decides that money is what is important in life, the mind will keep craving for it all the time. Those who are resolute on the spiritual path need to have an intellect which is focused and not distracted and going in multiple directions and going behind material things.
Because our intellect possesses the ability to control the mind, we must cultivate the intellect with proper knowledge and use it to guide the mind in the proper direction. This is what Buddhi Yoga is all about. Please note that in the Bhagavad Gita, Buddhi yoga is another term used to refer to Jnana yoga.
This is a very important concept. Our intellect makes the decision and then our mind spends all its life following that decision. So we need to be careful what decisions our intellect is making.
The fundamental goal of Buddhi yoga is to become liberated from the illusionary world of maya and achieve self realization. It involves questioning and removing our self-limiting thoughts and perceptions.
More about Jnana yoga
Lord Shri Kṛṣṇa says that the path of Jnana yoga is very difficult. Bhakti yoga is the easiest. However, to progress in Bhakti yoga, one must first totally surrender to Kṛṣṇa . Jnana yoga helps us get the intelligence required to realize this. So let us spend some time understanding the scope of Jnana yoga.
The Four Pillars of Knowledge as explained by Swami Sivananda are the prescribed steps toward achieving liberation through Jnana Yoga. These practices build upon each other and thus should be practiced in sequential order.
- Viveka (discernment, discrimination) is a deliberate, continuous intellectual effort to distinguish between the real and the unreal, the permanent and the temporary, and the Self and not-Self.
- Vairagya (dispassion, detachment) is cultivating non-attachment or indifference toward the temporal objects of worldly possessions and the ego-mind.
- Shatsampat (six virtues) are six mental practices to stabilize the mind and emotions, and to further develop the ability to see beyond the illusions of maya.
- Shama (tranquility, calmness) is the ability to keep the mind peaceful, through moderating its reaction to external stimuli.
- Dama (restraint, control) is the strengthening of the mind to be able to resist the control of the senses.
- Uparati (withdrawal, renunciation) is the abandonment of all activities that are not one’s Dharma (Duty). A simple lifestyle is followed that contains no worldly distractions from the spiritual path.
- Titiksha (endurance, forbearance) is the tolerance of external non-conducive situations that are commonly considered to produce suffering.
- Shraddha (faith, trust) is a sense of certainty and belief in one’s guru (teacher), the scriptures and the yogic path.
- Samadhana (focus, concentration) is the complete one-pointedness of the mind.
- Mumukshutva (longing, yearning) is an intense and passionate desire for achieving liberation from suffering. In order to achieve liberation, one must be completely committed to the path, with such longing that all other desires fade away.
Shri Kṛṣṇa says that people with scattered minds keep running behind worldly pleasures and keep falling. They have no chance of attaining liberation. Kṛṣṇa is advising us to sharpen our intellect using Buddhi Yoga and to control the mind using such a focused intellect to succeed on the spiritual path. So, let us sharpen our intellects using Buddhi Yoga, use this intellect to focus our minds on the spiritual path and finally, surrender to Kṛṣṇa to succeed and attain liberation.
You can review the next set of shlokas, 2.45 to 2.50 over here:
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi