Some Terms From The Bhagwadgita.

           I have found a number of terms in the Bhagavad Gita.These terms are worth knowing. They have been used by Shri Bhagwan in his discourse with Arjuna towards clearing his mind that was full of doubts.

We know that the mind of Arjuna stood deluded when he found that it was none but all his relatives-close or distant whom he was supposed to fight with.

           In course of removing the delusion born out of ignorance Lord explained those terms to Arjuna by way of going to define them. 

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          The following represents the collection of such terms as one may find useful,interesting and in quite some cases self-instructing too.

Here we find-

1."योग"

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Yoga

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Lord has defined "योग" as "समत्वं योग उच्यते".

This समत्वं is being balanced in case of "सिद्धि" that is the fruition of one's efforts as well as "असिद्धि" that is meeting with failure in the said effort. Lord says -Arjuna! Situate your actions in the state of Yoga by way of giving up attachment and becoming indifferent to success and failure. 

See the following verse

योगस्थ:कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।

सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा "समत्वं योग उच्यते"।।(II-48)

Lord further says about "योग" as "योग: कर्मसु कौशलम्" that is performing one's duty skillfully with required vigour.

See the following verse 

बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते।

तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व "योग:कर्मसु कौशलम्"।।

2.योगी और संन्यासी

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   (Yogi or Sanyasi)

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The Gita defines them contrary to their popular meanings.

अनाश्रित: कर्मफलं कार्यं कर्म करोति य:।

स "संन्यासी" च "योगी" च न निरग्निर्न चाक्रिय:।।(VI-1)

Lord says-

O Arjuna! a "योगी" or "संन्यासी" is not one who is "नि:अग्नि" that is one who gives up the household fire or (अक्रिय) sits inactive.

              Rather know a person as "योगी" or संन्यासी who performs all his actions without depending upon the fruit of such actions (अनाश्रित: कर्मफलं).

3. "स्थितप्रज्ञ" and "स्थितधी:"

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(Sthitpragya & Sthitdhi)

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Arjun asks-

"स्थितप्रज्ञस्य" का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव।

"स्थितधी:" किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम्।।(II-54)

O Keshav! What are the characteristics of a person of stable mind (स्थितप्रज्ञ)? How does a man of stable mind and intellect(स्थिती:) speak,sit or walk?

Lord answers-

प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान्।

आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्ट: स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते।।(II-55)

O Arjuna! when(यदा) one thoroughly dismisses(प्रजहाति) all cravings of the mind(मनोजगत सर्वान्काम) and is satisfied in the self through the self; In that state of being one is called "स्थितप्रज्ञ"

Lord goes on to elaborate further to define "स्थितधी:" in the next verse as follows-

दु:खेष्वनुद्विग्नमना: सुखेषु विगतस्पृह:।

वीतरागभयक्रोध: स्थितधीर्मुनिरूच्यते।।(II-56)

 Sages call one "स्थितधी:" whose mind remains unperturbed amid sorrows(दुःखेषु अनुद्विग्न मन:), whose thirst for pleasure has disappeared (सुखेषु विगतस्पृह) and who has become free from cravings- attachment, fear and anger(वीतरागभयक्रोध:) 

4."मिथ्याचार"

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(Hypocrisy)

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Lord defines the term in the following verse-

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन्।

इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढ़ात्मा "मिथ्याचार:" स उच्यते।।(III-6)

He who outwardly restraining the organs of sense and actions(कर्मेंन्द्रियाणि संयम्य),sits mentally dwelling on objects of senses(य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन्), that man of deluded intellect(इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढ़ात्मा) is called given to hypocrisy (मिथ्याचार).

5."पंडित"

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(Pandit)

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 A "Pandit" in a different one according to the Gita.

A pandit need not be a knowledgeable one.

Lord defines "पंडित" in the following shloka-

यस्य सर्वे समारम्भा: कामसंकल्पवर्जिता:।

ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहु: पंडितं बुधा:।।(IV-19)

A Pandit is one whose all(सर्वे) desire and cravings (काम) resolutions(संकल्प),and deeds(कर्म) stand burnt up in the fire of knowledge (ज्ञानाग्नि).

6.कर्म

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(Karma)

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The term is highly esoteric and mysterious. It defies proper understanding even by the most realised souls.

Lord himself says-गहना कर्मणो गति:(IV-17)

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7."मनुष्यों में बुद्धिमान"

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(Wise amongst men)

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Lord while explaining the nature of what is Karma goes on to define बुद्धिमान also.

 Here it is.

कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य:।

स "बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु" से युक्त:कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्।।(IV-18)

He who sees "no action(अकर्म)" "in action(कर्मणि)" and "full action" in what appears to be "inaction" is wise(बुद्धिमान)amongst men(मनुष्येषु)

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8."योगारूढ़"(Yogarudh)

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(योगारूढ़ -One having climbed the heights of yoga)

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Lord says -A Person is said to have climbed the heights of yoga(योगारूढ़) when he has attachment( अनुषज्जते) not in the object of sense(न-इंद्रियार्थेषु) or in object of actions(न कर्मषु) and he has become(सर्वसंकल्पसंन्यासी).  That is having renounced all resolutions in terms of doing or undoing a thing in this world.

See the verse-

यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते।

सर्वसंकल्पसंन्यासी योगारूस्तदोच्यते।।

9.ब्रह्म, अध्यात्म,कर्म,अधिभूत,अधिदैव,अधियज्ञ

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Brahma, Adhyatm, Adhidaiva and Adhiyajana

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Arjuna had asked Lord what the above terms stand to mean.

किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्म किं कर्म पुरूषोत्तम।

अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते।।

अधियज्ञ: कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन।

प्रयाण काले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभि।।(VIII-1&2)

Lord defined these as follows-

अक्षरं ब्रह्म -the supreme Indestructible is Brahma)

स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते- One's own soul (individual soul) is called Adhyatm (अध्यात्म).

विसर्ग: is discharge of spirit

That which brings forth the existence of beings is called कर्म-Karma (Action)

All perishable objects are "अधिभूत"

The shining Purush is "अधिदैव"(Adhidaiva)

And Lord says for himself that -I Myself dwelling as the inner witness am "अधियज्ञ"(Adhiyajana) 

10. "क्षेत्र"(Kshetra)& "क्षेत्रज्ञ" (Kshetragya)

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The field (body) and that who knows it's field (Soul)

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Lord says that O Arjuna! This Body is known as क्षेत्र(Kshetra)

And "क्षेत्रज्ञ"(Kshetragya) in a Body is One who really appreciates the said body as "क्षेत्र".

In short, क्षेत्र is body and क्षेत्रज्ञ is soul that lives in that body.

 Also Lord says-Know Me as "क्षेत्रज्ञ"of all the bodies (क्षेत्र) taken together.

The domain of क्षेत्र includes five elements, the ego, the intellect, the Unmanifest Primordial Matter, the ten organs of perception and action the mind and the five objects of sense (sound touch colour taste and smell.

The above has been described as such in the following verse

इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते।

एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहु: क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विद:।।

 क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत।

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम।।                                                    

                                             (XIII1&2)

महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च।

इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचरा:।।

इच्छा द्वेष सुखं दु:खं संघातश्चेतना धृति:।

एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाह्रतम्।।

11."गुणातीत"(Gunatit)

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(Risen above three fold characteristics of nature)

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Lord defines "गुणातीत"(Gunatit) as one who is indifferent to honour and ignominy,is alike to the cause of a friend as well as to that of an enemy, and has renounced the sense of doership in all undertakings. A "गुणातीत" is said to have risen above the three Gunas of 'सत्व'(Sattwa)'रज'(Rajas) and 'तम'(Tam).

See the verse that defines it-

मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयो।

सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीत: स उच्यते।।

                                                   (XIV-25)

12."क्षर"&"अक्षर"

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(Perishable & Imperishable)

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क्षर(Kshra) is perishable and अक्षर (Akshra) is imperishable.

The perishable and the imperishable- these are the two kinds of Purushas in this world.

Of these the bodies of all beings are spoken as perishable; while the कूटस्थ(hidden)-that which remains cased in such a body in the hidden form called जीवात्मा(Jivatma) is imperishable.

Lord has defined the above terms in the following verse 

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च।

क्षर: सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते।।(XV-16)

13."पुरूषोत्तम"(Purushottam)

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(Only Lord is worth known as the Supreme Person)

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This word the Lord has used only for Himself.

He says about Himself- Since I am wholly beyond the perishable"क्षर"(Kshra)and at the same time,am even superior to the "अक्षर"(Akshra) imperishable soul; hence know Me as "पुरूषोत्तम"(Purushottam) of the World as well as the Vedas.

The above is cased in the following verse-

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तम:।

अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथित: पुरुषोत्तम:।।

                                          (XV-18)

Note- The reason for selecting those terms being that Shree Bhagwan chose to explain them by way of defining them. To what extent my translations in English serve to convey their meanings without any change in their true sense is left to  readers for it being judged.

R.R.Prabhakar.

24.06.2022.