[Advaita-l] Physical Fitness

[V Subrahmanian]

The Bhagavadgita says:

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः।
*शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः*।।3.8।।

//यतः कर्म ज्यायः अधिकतरं फलतः, हि यस्मात् अकर्मणः अकरणात् अनारम्भात्। कथम्?
*शरीरयात्रा शरीरस्थितिः अपि च ते तव न प्रसिध्येत् प्रसिद्धिं न गच्छेत्
अकर्मणः अकरणात्*। अतः दृष्टः कर्माकर्मणोर्विशेषो लोके।//

// hi, for, from the point of view of result; karma, action; is jyayah,
superior; akarmanah, to inaction, to non-performance (of duties). Why? Ca,
and; akarmanah, through inaction; api, even; te sarira-yatra, the
maintenance of your body; na prasiddhyet, will not be possible. Therefore,
the distinction between action and in action is abvious in this world.//

The Bhagavadgita verse covers the aspect of physical fitness too for a
spiritual aspirant:

युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु।

युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा।।6.17।।


-- युक्ताहारविहारस्य आह्रियते इति आहारः अन्नम्, *विहरणं विहारः पादक्रमः*, तौ
युक्तौ नियतपरिमाणौ यस्य सः युक्ताहारविहारः तस्य, तथा युक्तचेष्टस्य युक्ता
नियता चेष्टा यस्य कर्मसु तस्य, तथा युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य युक्तौ स्वप्नश्च
अवबोधश्च तौ नियतकालौ यस्य तस्य, युक्त्ताहारविहारस्य युक्त्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु
युक्त्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगिनो योगो भवति दुःखहा दुःखानि सर्वाणि हन्तीति
दुःखहा, सर्वसंसारदुःखक्षयकृत योगः भवतीत्यर्थः।।अथ अधुना कदा युक्तो भवति
इत्युच्यते -- ।।6.17।।


//6.17 Yogah bhavati, Yoga becomes; duhkha-ha, a destroyer of sorrow-that
which destroys (hanti) all sorrows (duhkhani)-, i.e., Yoga destroys all
worldly sorrows; yukta-ahara-viharasya, of one whose* eating and movements
are regulated*- ahara (lit. food) means all that is gathered in, According
to the Commentator, ahara, which also means food, includes mental 'food as
well. (See Chandogya Up. 7.26.2.-आहारशुद्धौ सत्त्वशुद्धिः..ध्रुवा स्म्तिः).
and *vihara means moving about, walking*; one for whom these two are
regulated (yukta) is yukta-ahara-vihara-; and also yukta-cestasya, of one
whose effort (cesta) is moderate (yukta); karmasu, in works; similarly,
yukta-svapna-avabodhasya, of one whose sleep (svapna) and wakefulness
(avabodha) are temperate (yukta), have regulated periods. To him whose
eating and movements are regulated, whose effort in work is moderate, whose
sleep and wakefulness are temperate, ome concentrated? That is being
presentlYoga becomes a destroyer of sorrows.When does a man becy stated: //

Here we see what is spoken as psycho-somatic is referred to.  The gross body
and the subtle body are to be taken care of by regulation in food and
activity.  Sleep and wakefulness are also being taught to be regulated.
These are something that modern science, especially medical science, too
talks for a person's well being.

ॐ *आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः
श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि ।*
सर्वं ब्रह्मौपनिषदं माऽहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्यां मा
मा ब्रह्म निराकारोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणं मेऽस्तु ।
तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु ॥

(ShAnti pATha for Kenopanishad)

In the Taittiriya Upanishad 1.4.1 we have:

शरीरं मे विचर्षणम्, जिह्वा मे मधुमत्तमा ...(May my body be fit...)

Here again in 2.8.1  we have:  आशिष्ठो *दृढिष्ठो बलिष्ठः ...*.
//Suppose there is a young man—a noble young man in the prime of life, good,
learned, *firm in body and strong *and possesses the whole world, full of
wealth, is his: that is one measure of human bliss. //

Regards,
subrahmanian.v