[Advaita-l] Bhagavad Geeta

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Fri, 7 Apr 2006, Siddhartha Annapureddy wrote:

> Namaste all,
>    I have a few questions on the interpretation of Bhagavad Geeta. The
> verses in question are
> 4.7 and 4.8.
>
> yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya glaanirbhavati Bharata.
> Abhyuddhannamadharmasya tadayayatmaanam srujamyaham. (4.7)
>

Whenever Dharma is on the decline O Bharata! [Arjuna]
And Adharma begins to increase, I project myself [into this world]

> paritranaaya saadhunaam vinaashaya cha dushkrutam.
> dharmasamsthaapanaarthaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge. (4.8)

To protect the good and destroy evildoers,
To establish Dharma, I am born in every age.

>
> I was discussing these verses with a friend, and I did not know how to
> explain these verses in
> the framework of Advaita. I do not see why Brahman should be particularly
> concerned with the welfare of the human world (though I can understand why a
> realized man would be concerned. For example, Sri Krishna Himself).

Krshna Bhagavan _is_ Brahman.  Brahman is not outside the universe but 
pervades it from the insentient rocks and oceans to the most divine and 
realized beings.

It is Brahman who underlies the creation of the visible universe, it is 
Brahman who cause its end and in between it is Brahman who maintains its 
state.  This happens over and over again.

But it is the nature of Brahmans power of maya to conceal and disguise the 
natural shape and the rhythm of the universe.  Brahmans avataras keep that 
maya in check.  It is like in the human body; organs like e.g. the thyroid 
perform vital tasks to keep you alive but if they are overactive, it can 
be a danger to your life.  So you have regulatory hormones to keep 
everything at the appropriate level.  In the same way Dharma goes up and 
down at times but Avataras keep them overall at the appropriate levels.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>