[Advaita-l] Please tell the meaning of this verse from bagavath geetha verse 2.45

[H S Chandramouli]

Sri Jaldhar Ji observed


<< [1] the produced universe is created from sattva, rajas, and tamas.  It
and its objects are created, exist for a length of time, either short or
long but in any case finite, and then they become subject to destruction.
The karmakanda of the Vedas (and therefore all the other shastras derived
from them) are concerned with those things therefore those people who treat
such things as real must abide by the dictates of the shastras concerning
those things.

However the jnanakanda of the Vedas (and therefore the shastras derived
from it including this very gita.) speak of something else, Brahman which
is beyond the three Gunas, not created and not subject to destruction.
Bhagavan advises Arjuna to move away from the samsara composed of three
gunas and towards the Brahman of no gunas. >> .


Sri Venkatraghavan Ji observed


<< Adi Shankara's BhAshyam has a slightly different explanation than yours
for
the term निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन.

Shankara BhagavatpAda defines निस्त्रैगुण्यो भव as निष्कामो भव, or be
beyond desires for samsAra viShayA.

Krishna immediately before uses त्रैगुण्यविषयाः,  for which bahuvrIhi
Shankara gives the vigraha vAkya as त्रैगुण्य=संसारो विषयाः; प्रकाशयितव्याः
येषां ते = वेदाः.

So Shankara is saying that when we consider त्रैगुण्याः as संसारो विषयाः in
the word त्रैगुण्याविषयाः, we should use the same meaning in the
immediately occurring निस्त्रैगुण्यो भव, which should mean, be without
desires for विषयाः, not transcend the guNAs. >> .


A slight change in emphasis in Sri Jaldhar Ji's interpretation would lead
to a convergence of the two apparently differing views. त्रैगुण्यविषया
वेदाः is to be understood as << Vedas ( कर्म काण्ड) prescribe only karmas
which lead to samsaric results comprising the three Gunas >> . Nodoubt Sri
Krishna is advising Arjuna to move away from such samsaric results. However
this can be achieved only through Jnana which cannot be prescribed ( not
susceptible to a vidhi ) . Hence He is advising Arjuna to follow the Karma
marga in a manner which leads ultimately to Jnana , by following the Karma
Yoga path . Thus  निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन is to be interpreted as << निष्कामो
भव >> ( be free from Desires) meaning thereby << follow the path of
overcoming Desires >> or << follow Karma Yoga >>. This is what Sri
Venkatraghavan Ji has also said , as I understand .


How exactly one should follow this path ?? Sri Krishna answers this in the
third and fourth sections of this Sloka << निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्वस्धो
निर्योगक्शेम आत्मवान् >> . निर्द्वन्द्वो means forbearence ,
नित्यसत्वस्धो meaning
engaged mainly in satvic activities like tapas/dhyana/silence etc ,
निर्योगक्शेम
meaning growing out of the fondness for both Yoga ( urge to get new things
) and Kshema ( urge to retain what is owned ) . आत्मवान् of course refers
to one who should practice Karma Yoga in the above manner.


I have tried to be as brief as possible. I think this also answers some of
the points made by Sri Krishna moorthy Ji.


Regards

On Sun, Oct 11, 2015 at 12:42 PM, Jaldhar H. Vyas via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> On Sun, 11 Oct 2015, Harsha Bhat via Advaita-l wrote:
>
> traiguNyaviSayA vEdA nistraiguNyO bhavArjuna /
>> nirdvandvO nityasatvasthO niryOgakshEma AtmavAn //
>>
>> Please tell the meaning of the above verse....
>>
>>
> "The Vedas which tell of that which is composed of the three Gunas, Be
> beyond those three gunas Arjuna[2].  Beyond the pairs [2], always abiding
> in sattva[3], free from material pursuit[4], and possesed of Atma.[5]"
>
> [1] the produced universe is created from sattva, rajas, and tamas.  It
> and its objects are created, exist for a length of time, either short or
> long but in any case finite, and then they become subject to destruction.
> The karmakanda of the Vedas (and therefore all the other shastras derived
> from them) are concerned with those things therefore those people who treat
> such things as real must abide by the dictates of the shastras concerning
> those things.
>
> However the jnanakanda of the Vedas (and therefore the shastras derived
> from it including this very gita.) speak of something else, Brahman which
> is beyond the three Gunas, not created and not subject to destruction.
> Bhagavan advises Arjuna to move away from the samsara composed of three
> gunas and towards the Brahman of no gunas.
>
> [2] The pairs of opposites such as light and dark, heat and cold, pleasure
> and pain  etc. or in a nutshell, duality.  Duality is the characteristic of
> samsara and non-duality is the characteristic of Brahman.
>
> [3] But renouncing the three gunas is easier said than done.  Arjuna for
> instance, is a soldier on a battlefield not a philosopher.  So the next
> best thing is to atleast abide in sattva the guna of purity and goodness.
>
> [4] yogakshema which I have translated as material pursuit has two
> aspects, the urge to keep what one "owns" and the urge to acquire new
> things.
>
> [5] The -vAn suffix to a sanskrit noun makes it an adjective signifying
> possession of that noun as a characteristic.  For example a synonym for
> Himalaya is Himavan "possesed of snow" because those mountains are very
> snowy.  Vidvan means scholar because the defining characteristic of a
> scholar is possessing vidya or knowledge.  An atmavan is a person whose
> characteristic is atma.  But doesn't everyone have an atma? Yes but most do
> not think of it except as a specific and ephemeral name and form.  Only for
> a few are the notions that "I am the atma" and "this atma is brahman" their
> paramount characteristics so only they can be described as atmavan.
>
>
> --
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
>
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