UC-NRLF
BL 0'
^'^i
r
-:}
tl30
^
$B
M71
EfiS
^
DLSCOUKSES
ON THE BHAGAVAT To
heft) iif>i,lr„ls in ><fn>^,,lH',
'/,•
GITA.
pf,ih.SOph//..
nv
T
Al:
v-nnv
R
''TK) I
il
)\\',
F(>n
B.
A,
n.
F.T,
THR B0^ BAY !;I.IOAT[ON[
TO
L,
)IvARAi\I
ITTXa
TATYA,
BOMBAY: rjiixTKD AT Tin: Jofnt-Stock Printing Piikss.
188S. [All rights Resein^ed,] .
ij:^—:^-
J
FROM-THE-LIBiRARY-OF' A.
W.Ryder
3/»
DISCOURSES
ON THE BHAGAVAT To
hell) Situ lents in atudy'iHg
iti<
GITA,
philosoph//.
BY Mr. T.
SUBBA ROW,
B. A., B. L., F.T.S.
PRINTED FOR THE BOMBAY
THEOSOPHICAL PUBLICATION FUND. BY
TOOK ARAM TATYA.
BOMBAY: Printed at the Joint-Stock Printing Prkss.
1888. [All rights Reserved. '\
Vve^Ww ,,.
VK^
^^
U\^^o-^
^'\
VjO.S^x^^GJ^ ^'"'
INTRODUCTION.
studying the Bhagavad Gita
Ill
isolated It
rest of the
from the
must not be treated
it
Mahabharata
was inserted by Vyasa in the right place with
the real
first
position of Arjuna and Krishna in order
appreciate the teaching of the tions
special refer-
One must
ence to some of the incidents in that book^ re'klise
as if
as it at present exists.
Among
latter.
Arjuna has one very strange name
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;he
is
to
other appellacalled at differ-
,cnt times by ten or eleven names, most of which are explained
by himself Âť.
e.,
man
omitted from the
us
enables
understand
to
and Krishna, but the
name may
Nevertheless herein
of the Bhagavad Gita in the text and
not only
its
list,
But why a
should be called by this as a proper
at first sight appear strange.
which
is
This Word simply means "man."
Nara.
particular
One name
in Virataparva.
lies
the
a cluÂŤ
position
connection with Arjuna
running through the whole
entire current
of the Mahabharata, implying Vyasa's real views of the origin, trials
and destiny of man.
or rather the real
monad
Vyasa looked upon Arjuna in
man
;
man,
and upon Krishna as the
To some
Logos, or the spirit that comes to save man. pears
as
it
ap-
strange that this highly philosophical teaching should
have been inserted in a place apparently utterly unfitted for
The discourse
is
it.
alleged to have taken place between Arjuna
and Krishna just before the
battle
began
to
rage.
But when
once you begin to appreciate the Mahabharata, you will see this
was the
fittest
Historically families.
human
place for the
the great battle
Philosophically
spirit
it
is
Bhagavad
Gita.
was a struggle between two the great battle, in which the
has to fight against the lower passions in the
M31927
INTRODUCTION.
II
Many
physical body.
of our readers have probably heard about
the so-called Dweller on the Threshold, so vividly described in
According to
Lytton's novel "Zanoni."
Dweller on the Threshold seems to be some elemental,
tion, the
of mysterious
other monster
or
this author's descrip-
neophyte just as he
is
appearing before the
form,
about to enter the mysterious land, and
attempting to shake his resolution "with menaces of unknown dangers
he
if
There
is
is
not fully prepared.
no such monster in
The
reality.
be taken in a figurative sense.
description miist
But nevertheless there
is
a
Dweller on the Threshold, whose influence on the mental plane is
far
more trying than any physical
Dweller on the Threshold
is
dency of the neophyte, who
terror can be.
is called
affections for kindred, parents
upon
to give
When
things, the neophyte feels a
before he realises his higher possibilities.
up
all his
live
associations, his life itself
He seems
air.
and work
cases
But
have
for.
He
sees
soul,
he begins to
fall
called
upon
kind of blank,
After having given
his
to
have no object to
own
future progress.
begins to droop, and in most
it
back and gives up further progress. really struggles, he will battle
against that despair, and be able to
may
old
and a sort of pressure comes
;
man who
in the case of a
and
no signs of
under which
all his
seems to vanish into thin
lost all hope,
him seems darkness
All before
upon the
to
up
which have perhaps
been his associates for many incarnations.
up these
real^
and children, as well as his aspi-
rations for objects of wordly ambition,
to give
The
formed of the despair and despon-
proceed on the Path.
I
here refer you to a few passages in Mill's autobiography.
Of course
the author
was one stage in
his
knew nothing
mental
life,
at a particular point of his career
what I have been describing.
of occultism
which seems and to have
to
;
but there
have come on
closely resembled
Mill was a great analytical philo-
INTRODUCTIOX.
He made
sopher.
an exhaustive analysis of
es,â&#x20AC;&#x201D;mind, emotions, and
"I now saw
Ill
will.
what I had always before
or thought I saw,
received with incredulity,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that
the habit of analysis has a
tendency to wear away the feelings, as indeed other mental habit
is
mental process-
all
^
*
cultivated.
^
it
has
when no
Thus neither
selfish
nor unselfish pleasures were pleasures to me."
At
At
last
this point a
some
full of
into nothing.
kind of melancholy came over him, which had
something: of terror in for
man
he came to have analysed the whole
it.
copy of Wordsworth's poems
years, until he read a
sympathy
mind he continued
In this state of
and human
for natural objects
"
life.
From
them," he says, " I seemed to learn what would be the perennial
sources of happiness,
when
should have been removed." chela
the greater evils of
is
to
renounce
called to live for a bright future
This transition stage was more or
Arjuna before the discourse
life
This feebly indicates what the
must experience when he has determined
old associates, and plane.
all
less
the position of
He was
in question.
all
on a higher
about to
engage in a war of extermination against foes led by some of his nearest relations,
and he not unnaturally shrank from the
We
thought of killing kindred and friends. called
upon
to kill out all our passions
and
are each of us
desires, not that
they
are all necessarily evil in themselves, but that their influence
must be annihilated before we can higher planes.
The
that of a chela,
who
As
the
Threshold. initiation
position of is
called
establish ourselves
Arjuna
upon
is
on the
intended to typify
to face the Dweller on the
guru prepares
his chela
by philosophical teaching, so
for the trials of
at this critical point
Krishna proceeds to instruct Arjuna.
The Bhagavad Gita may be looked upon dressed by a
guru
to a chela
who has
as a discourse ad-
fully determined
upon the
INTRODUCTION.
IV rennnciation of
all
worldly desires and aspirations, but yet feeh
a certain despondency, caused by the apparent blankness of his
The book contains eighteen chapters,
existence.
Each chapter
connected. of
human
intimately
describes a particular phase or aspect
The student should bear
life.
all
this in
mind
in reading
He
the book, and endeavour to work out the correspondences. will
what appear
find
to be
These
unnecessary repetitions.
were a necessity of the method adopted by Vyasa, his intention being to represent nature in different ways, as seen from the standpoints of the various philosophical schools which flourish-*
ed in India,
As
regards the moral teaching of the Bhagavad Gita,
occult study, that,
would come
do not appreciate the benefits of
by those who
often asserted
everybody pursued
if
to a standstill
;
this
course, the world
and, therefore, that this teaching
This
can only be useful to the few, and not to ordinary people. is
not
so.
It
is
of course true that the majority of
in the position to give
up
But Krishna
of families.
their duties as citizens
men
are not
and members
distinctly states that these duties, if
not reconcilable with ascetic
a forest, can certainly be
life in
reconciled with that kind of mental abnegation which
more powerful
it is
in the production
of effects
is
far
on the higher planes
than any physical separation from the world.
For though the
may
ascetic's
body may be
world.
Krishna therefore teaches that the real importance
lies
Every man who
has
in the jungle, his thoughts
not in physical but in mental isolation. duties to discharge
the teacher,
it is
must devote
his
mind
to them.
be in the
But, says
one thing to perform an action as a matter of
duty, and another thing to perform the same from inclination, interest, or desire.
man
to
make
It is thus plain that it is in
definite progress in the
faculties, whilst there is
the power of a
development of his higher
nothing noticea ble in hi? mode of
life
â&#x20AC;˘
INTRODUCTION. to distinguish
men
him from
V
No
his fellows.
religion teaches that
Few
inculcate
The great
objection
should be the slaves of interest and desire
the necessity of seclusion and asceticism.
that has been brought against Hinduism and
by recommending such a mode
of
avocations.
religions teach that
but the mental attitude of
ance.
This
men engaged
This objection however rests
For these
sion. act,
is
it is
in ordinary
upon a misapprehennot the nature of the
performer, that
its
that
is
to students of occultism
life
they tend to render void the lives of
Buddhism
is
of import-
the moral teaching that runs through the whole of
the Bhagavad Gita.
The reader should note carefully the various
He human
arguments by which Krishna establishes his proposition. ^ will
find
an account of the origin and destiny of the
monad, and of the manner
in
which
it attarins
the aid and enlightenment derived from
its
through
salvation
Logos.
Some have
taken Krishna's exhortation to Arjuna to worship him alone as supporting the
personal god.
doctrine of a
But
this is
erroneous conclusion.
For, though speaking of himself
Parabrahm, Krishna
still
as
is
Atma, but no doubt
essential difference
the
is
the Logos.
describes
Atma and Parabrahm.
itself
as
Parabrahm.
So
as
himself
one with Parabrahm, as there
between
Logos can speak of
He
an
is
no
Certainly all
sons
of
God, including Christ, have spoken of themselves as one with the Father.
His saying that he
in the Cosmos, expresses strictly
exists in almost every
entity
an attribute of Parabrahm. But
a Logos, being manifestation of Parabrahm, can use these words
and assume these
Arjuna to worship
attributes.
his
own
Thus Krishna only
highest
spirit,
can hope to attain salvation, Krishna
Logos in the course of
is
upon
teaching Arjuna what the
initiation will teach
pointing out that through himself alone tained.
calls
through which alone he
is
the
human monad,
salvation
This implies no idea of a personal god.
to be
ob-
INTRODUCTION.
VI
Again
Some
philosophy. It
view of Krishna respecting the Sankhya
notice the
strange ideas are afloat about this system.
we
supposed that the Sutras
is
But
aphorisms of Kapila. teachers,
including
possess represent the original
has been denied by
this
Sankarachdrya,
who
many
they do not
say that
represent his real views, but those of some other Kapila,
book.
writer of the
The
Sankhya philosophy
real
great
is
or the
identical
with the Pythagorean system of numerals, and the philosophy
embodied in the Chaldean system of numbers. pher's object was to represent
by
all
The philoso-
the mysterious powers of nature
a few simple formulae, which he expressed in numerals.
original book
not to be found,
though
of the
mation of the various tatwams.
name con-
this
same which enter
that the philosophy,
if
merging of the human monad in the Logos.
who have
religious observances,
by Krishna
is
field
limited
the same in
to include almost
The student must
and next try to
for-
first
pointing out
properly understood, leads to the same
Karma, which embraces a wider orthodox pundits,
into the
Krishna reconciles the Sankhya
philosophy, Raj Yog, and even Hatta Yog, by
differentiate
its
all
The doctrine of
than that allowed
by
it
signification solely
philosophies, and
is
to
made
every good and bad act or even
first
go through the Bhagavad Gita
the teachings
ferent parts under different categories.
He
these different aspects branch out from one
how
it
beyond an account of the evolution of the elements
and a few combinations
thought.
The
possible that
it is
The system now put forward under
still exists.
tains little
is
in the eighteen dif-
how
should observe
common
centre,
the teachings in these chapters are intended to do
and
away
with the objections of different philosophers to the occult theory
and the path of salvation here pointed out.
book
will
show the
If this
is
done, the
real attitude of occultists in considering
nature of the Logos and the
human monad.
the
In this way almost
INTRODUCTION. that
all
held sacred
is
in different
Tir
systems
By
combined.
is
such teaching Krishna succeeds in dispelling Arjima's despon-
dency and in giving him a higher idea of the nature of the acting through
force
manifesting
fight
to
showing that the
he
this, that
"1"
calls
for
is
man
by is
the time
analysing the in
error,
and the other.
who
When
it
great part of the difficulty has ceased
his
to
of
idea
is
and
self,
thinks that he
is
found that what
is
it
by
a sort of fiction, created
being
He overcomes Arjuna's
itself as a distinct individual.
disinclination
doing
though
him,
ignorance, *
own
He
exist.
further
proceeds to demonstrate the existence of a higher individuality, â&#x20AC;˘
of which Arjuna had
Then he points
no previous knowledge.
out that this individuality
is
He
connected with the Logos.
furthermore expounds the nature of the Logos and shows that
Parabrahm.
it is
twelve chapters. further teaching
explains to
is
is
the substance of the
in order to
make him
all
eleven or
first
firm of purpose
him how, through the inherent
and Purusha, It
This
In those that follow Krishna gives Arjuna ;
and
qualities of Prakriti
the entities have been brought into existence.
to be observed that the
number eighteen
recurring in the Mahabharata, seeing that
it
is
constantly
contains eighteen
Parvas, the contending armies were divided into eighteen armycorps, the battle raged eighteen days, and the book
a name which means eighteen. connected with Arjuna.
form of form.
number
itself as
is
called
by
mysteriously
him
a Logos in
as
man,
more ways
Krishna may be the Logos, but only one particular
it. The number eighteen is to represent this particular Krishna is the Logos that overshadows the human
Ego and
his gift of his sister in
marriage to Arjuna
union between" the light of the Logos and the It is
is
I have been describing
but even Parabrahm manifests than one.
This
typifies the
human monad.
worthy of note that Arjuna did not want Krishna
to fight
Till
INTRODUCTION.
for him, but only to act as
his charioteer
and
to
be his friend
From this it will be perceived that the human monad must fight its own battle, assisted, when once the human being begins to tread the true path, bj his own Logos.
and counsellor.
NOTES ON THE BHACAVAD GITAI.
o(2SSK>-ÂŤ2)o<
Before proceeding with the subject, I think miike a few preliminary Society
is
wedded
to
established
remarks.
any particular creed or
We
Religious philosophy.
Every great system
ers.
upon any
to
yon know that our
of
basis.
of philosophy
is
brought before us for
At the present time we are not
particular
philosophy which could be Society.
a very safe position to take at the
commencement.
does not follow that
We shall,
only.
principles
which
we
no doubt, be able
of all philosophy
This
no doubt
is
But from
are to be enquirers and enquirers to find out the fundam(3ntal
and base upon them a system
likely to satisfy our wants
is
are not
any particuhu* system of
preached as the philosophy of our
all this it
Wo
consider ourselves as mere enquir-
the purpose of investigation. at all agreed
All
upon a cosmopolitan
necessary to
it
You
and aspirations.
kindly bear this iu mind, and not take
my
will
views as the views
of the Society, or as the views of any other authority higher
than myself.
I shall simply put
They are the
are worth.
them forward
results of
my own
what they
for
investigations into
various systems of philosophy and no higher authority for them.
It is
only with this view that I
ward the few remarks
You last
will
notions
stand
here,
that I gave
to put^ for-
an introductory lecture the
and pointed out to you the fundamental
which ought
to be
Bhagavad
Gita.
the 1
alleged
I have to make.
remember
we met
time
mean
is
borne in mind in trying I
i;o
need not recapitulate
all
underthat I
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
2 then said
;
it
simply necessary to remind yon that
be
will
Krishna was intended
to
•
represent the Logos, which I shall
who was hnman monad.
hereafter explain at length ; and that Arjnna,
Nara, was intended
The Bhagavad
Gita, as
religions teachers
at present stands,
it
and teachings,
character
cal in its
to give a
to represent the
who
like the discourses of all
to
mankind
for their spiritual
sayings of Christ, the discourses
the
Just as
essentially practi-
have appeared on the scene of the world
few practical directions
guidance.
is
called
of
Buddha, and the preachings of various other philosophers which have come down to
didactic in character
us, are essentially
practical in their tone,
so
is
Bhagavad
the
teachings will not be understood
—
these
indeed, in course of time
they are even likely to be misunderstood
—unless
The Bhagavad Gita
constantly kept in view.
But
Gita.
and
their
from certain
starts
premises, which are not explained at length,
basis is
—they
are simply
alluded to here and there, and quoted for the purpose of enforc-
ing the doctrine, or as authorities, and Krishna details of the
into
the
Still
there
is
philosophy which
is
does not go
their foundation.
a philosophical basis beneath his teachings, and
unless that basis
is
carefully surveyed,
we cannot understand
the practical applications of the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, or even test
them
in the only
way
in
Before proceeding further, I find preface
my
which they can be
it
tested.
absolutely necessary to
discourse with an introductory lecture, giving the
outlines of this
system of philosophy which
basis of the practical
teaching of Krishna.
I
have said
it
the
This philosophy I
cannot gather or deduce from the Bhagavad Gita
can show that the premises with which
is
itself;
but
I
starts are therein in-
dicated with sufficient clearness.
This
is
cannot at
a very vast subject, a considerable part of which 1 all
touch
;
but
I shall
lay
down a few fundamental
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
more or
principles which are
being
—you
character
in their
—so
many
may
less to
3
be considered as axiomatic
them postulates
call
for the time
necessary for the purpose of
as are absolutely
understanding the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita.
to lay
down
manner
the same
in
attempts to prove
in
I shall
am
not attempt to prove every philosophical principle I
which a modern
about
scientist
the laws he has gathered from an exami-
all
nation of nature.
In the case of a good many of these principles, inductive reasoning and experiment are out of the question to impossible
^the
ways
less,
to test
them
carefully
—
;
it
will
course of
be next
life
or in
available to the generality of mankind. But, neverthe-
these principles do rest
upon very high authority.
When
explained, they will be found to be the basis of every
system of philosophy which ed,
in the ordinary
and furthermore, will
human
intellect has ever construct-
be found
also
,
—
I
venture to promise
to be perfectly consistent with all that has been found out
man
in the field of science
hypothesis
—
commencement pothesis facts
may
;
at
of our
rate they give us a
any
a hypothesis which labours,
—
we may
which seems
working
adopt at the This hy-
for the time being.
you are quite certain that any new
be altered if
necessitate its alteration, but at
hypothesis
safely
by
any
rate
to explain all the facts
cessary for us to understand
before
it is
a working
which
it is
ne-
proceed upon a study of
we
the gigantic and complicated machinery of nature.
Now
to proceed
with
this
hypothesis.
point out to you that any system
spiritual guidance will have to be judged,
the nature and condition of
locked up in him
;
the forces to which
which he has
First of
of practical
man and
first,
all,
I have to
instruction
for
with reference to
the capabilities that are
secondly, with reference to the cosmos and
man
is
to progress.
subject and the circumstances under
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
4
Unless these hvo points are sufficiently investigated,
capable of reaching
and unless there
;
to reach, or an ideal towards Avliich
be almost impossible is
conduce
likely to
to say
be
will
it
hardly possible for us to ascertain the highest goal that
man
is
a definite aim or a goal
is
man
has to progress,
will
it
whether any particular instruction
mankind
to the welfare of
Now
or not.
I
say these instructions can only be understood by examining the
nature of the cosmos, the nature of man, and the goal towards
which
all
evolutionary progress
Before I proceed farther, to
let
is
me
tending. tell
you
that I
do not mean
adopt the sevenfold classification of the principles in
up
that has generally.
to this time
been adopted in Theosophical writings
Just as I would classify the principles in man, I would
classify the principles in the solar is
a certain
as
it is
amount of
called
similarity
by some writers
often
Now
and the law of correspondence
to infer
as regards the
;
but
of nature,
principles
me
and their re-
classification
which I
to be a very unscientific
and
doubt the number seven seems to play an^
important part in the cosmos, though a spiritual force
is
in the case of the micro-
numbers of
do not mean to adopt, seems to
No
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
what takes place in that of the macro-
lation between themselves, this sevenfold
misleading one.
reason,
many of the phenomena
by knowing what happens
cosm we are enabled cosm.
system and in the cosmos. There
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whatever may be the
the law which obtains in a good
andAcry
man
it
it is
neither
a
power nor
by no means necessarily follows that
in
What an amount
of
every case we must adopt that number.
confusion has this sevenfold classification given rise
to
I
These
seven principles, as generally enumerated, do not correspond to
any natural man.
lines of cleavage, so to speak, in the constitution
Taking the seven principles
in
are generally given, the physical body called life-priuciple
;
the order in is
of
which they
separated from the so-
the latter from what
is
called I'nr^a
sarira
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. (very often confounded with sukshma sarira.) sical
body
is
divided into three principles.
make any mimber
of divisions
yon
if
;
» Tlins the
Now
please,
we may
here
yon may
as
enumerate nerve-force, blood, and' bones, as so many and make the number
parts,
But
thirty-five.
still
distinct
body does not constitute a
the physical
life principle,
from the physical body, and
nor the
life
separated from
fourth principle
is
prin-
so with the li?2ga sarira.
Again, in the so-called " astral body," the fourth principle, the fifth
well
of divisions as large as sixteen or
separate entity apart from the ciple apart
phy-
when
soon disintegrates, and the so-called
almost
lifeless
unless combined with the
fiftl',
This system of division does not give us any distinct principles
which have something
more, this sevenfold classification absence in
many
portion of
it is
it is
to
better
principles,
many
And what
like independent existence.
of our
is
almost conspicuous by
Hindu books. At any
is its
rate a considerable
almost unintelligible to Hindu minds
;
and
so
adopt the time-honored classification of four
for the
simple
reason that
entities as are capable of
it
divides
man
into
so
having separate existences, and
that these four principles are associated with four vpadhis^ which
are further associated in their turn
And
consciousness.
with four distinct states of
so for all practical purposes
—
for the
of explaining the doctrines o| religious philosophy it
far
more convenient
to
purpose
— Ihave found
adhere to the fourfold clasification
than to adopt the septenary one and multiply principles in a
manner more upon the tion,
likely to introduce confusion
subject.
and when
I shall
I adopt
it
than to throw light
therefore adopt the four-fold classificain the case of
—
man,
I shall also
adopt
it
* Four Upadhis including the Ego the reflected image of the Logos in Karana Sarira as the vehicle of the T^ight of the Logos. This is. sometimes called Samanva Sarira in Hindu hooks. But strictly speaking there are only
—
three Upadliis.
NOTES ON TH E BHAGAVAD GITA.
O
in the case of the solar system, ples that
and ajso in the case of the princi-
By
be found in the cosmos.
are to
cosmos
mean
I
not the solar system only, but the whole of the cosmos.
In enumerating these principles
proceed in the order
I shall
of evolution, which seems to be the most convenient one.
what position each of these principles occu-
I shall point out pies in the
Cause
of nature, and in passing from the First
evolution
human
to the organized
give you the
])asis
being of the present day, I shall
of the fourfold classification that I have
pro-
mised to adopt.
The
or rather the
first principle,
down
to lay
the existence
is
Of course there
is
of what
is
called
which I have
Parahrahmam^
hardly a system of philosophy which has ever
denied the existence atheists
postulate,
first
of the First
have never denied
Even
Cause.
the
so-called
Various creeds have adopted vari-
it.
ous theories as to the nature of this First Cause. disputes and diiferences have
arisen, not
All sectarian
from a difference of
opinion as to the existence of the First Cause, but from the difference of the attributes that man's intellect has constantly tried to impose
Cause is
?
upon
No
possible to
Is
it.
doubt
it
it is
know
about
all
know anything of the First know something abont it> It
possible to
possible to its
manifestations, though
human knowledge
next to impossible for
inmost essence and say what
it
really
is
in itself.
philosophers are agreed that this First Cause eternal. sivity.
Further,
When
it is
But even the iutelligible to
matter.
it
becomes
it is
It is not is
is
All religious
omnipresent and
It is
inactive,
and when
active.
real reason for this activity
our minds.
of consciousness
is
subject to periods of activity and pas-
cosmic pralaya comes,
evolution commences,
it
to penetrate into its
and passivity
is
un-
not matter or anything like
even consciousness, because
all
that
we know
with reference to a definite organism.
What
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. consciousness is
is
intelligence
which has a even
books.
which
distinct
the notion of self or ego in
lias
individualized
The word atma
attiia.
non-ego, nor
with the idea of
not so associated
is
is it
consciousness
ed by our old philosophers,
gnayam.
Again
existence.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or
;
so
it is
in this
does not come under any one of them.
it is
not
gnanam and
cosmos must come un-
Parahrahmam
Nevertheless,
it
seems
which gnatha, gnanam, and gnayam are
to be the one source of
it is
not
But
self.
not ego,
der one or the other of these three headings. Bat
the manifestations or
it is
or
to use a phraseology adopt-
not gnatha, not
it is
Of course every entity
aspects which
it,
used in various senses in our
is
It is constantly associated
Parabrahma'in
upadhi
entirely separated from
inconceivable to us, not only to us but to any
a thing utterly
other
when
or will be
7
modes of
There are a few other
existence.
me
necessary for
to bring to
your notice, be-
cause those aspects are noticed in the Bhagavad Gita. In the case of every objective consciousness,
what we
call
matter or non-ego
But whether we
tributes.
inference, or whether
we
we always
suppose that there
upon which
all
known
after
all,
we know
is
these
it
it
that
a mere bundle of at-
arrive at our conclusion
derive
the thing
bears these attributes, as
is,
by
logical
from innate consciousness,
an entity,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the
real essence of
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;which
attributes are placed,-
were, the essence itself being un-
to us.
All Vedantic writers of old have formulated the principle that
Parabrahmam
When our did not
is
the one essence of everything in the cosmos.
old writers said ^'Sarvam khalvidamhrahma,^'' they
mean
that all those attributes which
the idea of non-ego should be considered as
they mean that
we
associate with
Brahmam, nor did
Brahmam should be looked upon as same way that earth and water are
karanam
in the
karanam
of this pillar.
the
upadana
the
upadana
They simply meant that the
real thing
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
8
in the bundle of attributes that our consciousness takes note
of,
the essence which seems to be the bottom and the foundation
of
all
phenomena
is
Parahrahnam, which, though not
object of knowledge, rise to every
itself
an
and giving
yet capable of supporting
is
khid of object and every kind of existence which
becomes an object of knowledge.
Now
Parabrahnam which
this
cosmos
is
exists
before
in the
all thino-s
the one essence from which starts into existence
a
centre of energy, which I shall for the present call the Logos.
This Logos
may
be called in the language of old writers either
Brahmam.
Esicara or Pratyagatma or Sahda
Verhum
or the
Christos
who
is
Word by
bosom
eternally in the
Avalokiteswara by the Buddhists in
one sense
is
;
at
it
is
tho
divine
It
called
of his father.
any
is
Avalok'Ueswara
rate,
the Logos in general, though no
doubt in tho
Chinese doctrine there are also other ideas with which
associ-
it is
In almost every doctrine they have formulated the
ated.
ence of a centre of spiritual energy which
and which
mam
called the
It is
the Christians, and
is
exists in a latent condition in the
at the time of pralaija,
and
unborn and
exist-
eternal,
bosom of Parahrah-
starts as a centre of conscious
energy at the time of cosmic activity.
It is
the
gnatha or
first
the ego in the cosmos, and every other ego and every other self, as I shall hereafter point out,
In
tion.
but
it
its
is
inmost nature
but
is
it is
its reflection
not unlnowahle as
or
manifesta-
Parahrahmamj
an object of the highest knowledge that
capable of acquiring.
It is the
with reference to which
all
man
is
one great mystery in the cosmos,
the initiations and
of philosophy have been devised.
What
it
all
really is in
nature will not be a subject for consideration in there are some stand-points from which
the systems
we have
my
its
inmost
lecture,
to look at
it
but to
understand the teachings in the Bhagavad Gita.
The few
propositions that I
am
going
to lay
down with
refer-
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. ence to this principle are these. constitution,
its
substance, as at the
and
ized existence.
from
different
it is
It exists in
Parahrahmam, is
It is not material or physical in
not objective
were, or in essence, from
it
same time
sense of ego
is
it
\)
it
;
not different in
it is
Parahrahmam, and yet
in havino- an individuals
a latent condition in
bosom of
the
at the time of pralaya just, for instance,
latent at the time of sushupti or sleep.
as the
It is often
described in our books as satcliidanandam, and by this epithet
you must understand that
it is
and that
sat,
and
chit
it is
anandam. and an individuality of
It has consciousness jj,s
well say that
it is
^n the cosmos.
bosom
Logos
is
of
But not
to cause
Parahrahmam,
It
must not be supposed which
almost
Perhaps even in
Logos there may be differences
;
Their number
form, but in various forms.
this centre of energ}^ called the
that
is
Parahralunam
to say,
At any
rate,
whatever
may exist, it is unnecessary
to
may
The Logos
to
as
here considered the
is
any particular Logos,
Logos
be the
go minutely
into that subject for the purpose of understanding the Gita.
is
a Logos not only in one particular, definite,
variations of form that
and not
that this
manifested by
is
There are innumerable others.
itself as
may
any misunderstanding I must
Parahrahmam.
can manifest
I
energy are almost innumerable in
but a single centre of energy
infinite.
own.
the only personal God, perhaps, that exists
also state that such centres of
the
its
Bhagavad
in the
abstract
in giving all those instructions
Arjuna which are of a general application.
of the Logos will be better understood
if
The other aspect
I point out to
you the
nature of the other principles that start into existence subse-
quent to the existence of
Of first
course, this
is
the
this
first
Logos or Verhum. .
manifestation of Parahrahmam, the
ego that appears in the cosmos, the beginning of
tion and^ the
end of
all
evolution.
It is the
all
crea-
one source of
all
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GIT A.
10
energy in the cosmos, and the basis of
and what
is
more,
all
branches of knowledge
as it were, the tree
it is,
of
because the
life,
chaitanyam which animates the whole cosmos springs from
Vhen
once this ego starts into existence as a conscious being
having objective consciousness of
what the
its
it
manifested
starts into
standpoint,
Parahrahmam
will be with
From
existence.
its
my
Mulaprakriti
is
material to us.
more Parahrahmam than the bundle the pillar itself
;
Parahrahmam
lute reality, and Mulaprakriti
Parahrahmam by
itself
is
Purusha and Prakriti Of
It is
no
is
of attributes of this pillar
is
an unconditioned and abso-
cannot be seen as
expanse of cosmic matter.
course^
This Mulaprahiti
is a sort of veil
the Logos with a veil thrown over
Please
words, for here
by the various writers on Vedantic philosophy.
this
re-
objective
as Mulaprakriti.
it
to understand
the root of the whole difficulty about
felt
have to see
shall
unconditioned existence from
appears to
bear this in mind and try is
own, we
result of this objective consciousness
ference to the one absolute and
which
it.
it,
it
thrown over
it.
It is seen
by
is.
and that
veil is the
mighty
the basis of material manifesta-
tions in the cosmos.
Again, Parahrahmam, after having appeared on the one hand as the ego,
and on the other as Mulaprakriti,
energy through the Logos.
I shall explain to
as the
acts
you what
I
one
mean
by this acting through the Logos by a simile. Of course you must not stretch it very far it is intended shnply to help you to form some kind of conception of the Logos. For instance, ;
the sun diate
may
from
be compared with the Logos
it,
but
its
;
light
and heat ra-
heat and energy exist in some
unknown
condition in space, and are diffused throughout space as visible light
and heat through
its
instrumentality.
taken of the sun by the ancient philosophers. ner
Parahrahmam
radiates
Such
is
the
view
In the same man-
from the Logos^ and manifests
itself
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
manifestation oi Pardbrahinam
we
that
LogoSy
is
a Trinity
are capable of understanding.
Esawara
kriti^
Now we
and energy of the Logos,
the light
as
which
power and
is its
see the
first
the highest Trinity
,
It consists of
Mulapra-
and the conscious energy of the
the Logos^
or
11
light
;
and here we have the
three principles upon which the whole cosmos seems to be based.
we have matter
First,
the foundation of
secondly,
;
have the ego or the one root of of self
mind
is
there
that
hrahmam from
self,
the
is,
as
it
of which every other
radiated from
two
tinction between the
when you
;
which
the
is
meaning of
in
mind
is
also called
rise in various
is
called
;
Gita
from the Logos ;
it
is
Christians.
is
is
or less the
Daiviprahriti in
generally believed
,
is
reason
by a
in its first origin
why
it
matter.
it
is
This
the Bhagavad
is
called
when
a manifestation of that Avyahtam, certain school of philosophers.
on the other hand Parahralimam manifested
Ghost
in
literal
idea that
a mistake to suppose that Krishna,
considered as a Logos is
called
Avyahtam
Gnostic Sophia and the Holy Ghost of the
the It
is
systems
Mulaprakrlti
even the
undifferentiated as contrasted with differentiated light
of dis-
Kutastha in the Bhagavad
undifferentiated
it is
word conveys more
this
Para-
draws a clear line
that this
Parabrahmam
It
simply because
Gita,
drawn between
and the importance of the distinction
bear
of
veil
kind
You must bear in
take note of the various misconceptions
Now
Sankhya philosophy.
we
Krishna, in the Bhaga-
it.
which a confusion of the two has given
of philosophy.
rate,
point of view of the Logos) and
I shall hereafter point out,
will be seen
;
were, the veil thrown over
objective
is
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;at any
and thirdly,
a clear line of distinction
is
energy which
vad Gita, as
to
force
but a manifestation or a reflection.
fdidaprakriti, (which
this
we have
the forces in the cosmos
all
;
He
and the Holy
emanates through the Christos. the
as
mother of the Christos
is
The this.
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
12
When
Christos manifests
from the womb, So
it
only
is
as
it
himself in
man
as his Saviour
were, of this divine light that he
when
the Logos
becomes the child of
is
man
manifested in
this light of the
Logos
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
it is
horn.
is
that he
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;but
7naya
this
in the course of cosmic manifestation this DaiviprahHti, instead
of being the mother of the Logos ^ should, strictly speaking, be
To make
called the daughter of the Logos.
point out that this light
Gayatri
is
not Prahiti.
is
this
may You know
clearer, I
symbolized as Gayatri. It is
considered as the light of the
Logos, and in order to convey to our minds a definite image, is
represented as the light of the sun.
it
springs
is
But
not the physical sun that
sun of the light of wisdom. This light chaitanyam of the whole cosmos.
is
as consciousness,
and
as force,
is
see,
but the central
further called the
It is the life of the
It will be observed that Avhat
nature.
we
it
the sun from which
maha-
whole of
manifests itself as lioht,
just one and the
same energy.
we know of, all the various with which we are acquainted, and life
All the various kinds of forces that
modes of consciousness
manifested in every kind of organism, are but the manifestations of one and the
same power, that power being the one that
springs from the Logos originally. in
all
these
cosmos
As
is
It will
have to be surveyed
aspects, because the part that it really plays in the
one of considerable importance.
we have gone we have arrived at firstly, Parabrahmam secondly, Eswara thirdly, the light manifested through far as
;
;
Eswara, which
is
called Daiviprahrati in the
Bhagavad
and lastly that Mulaprahriti which seems to be, as a veil thrown over Parabrahmam.
commenced by verse in
Now
and with
its
said,
The uni-
wonderful laws, does not
spring into existence by mere chance, nor does existence merely on account of the
have
creation or evolution is
the intellectual energy of the Logos.
its infinite details
I
Gita,
it
spring into
potentialities locked
up
in
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. MulapraJcriti.
13
comes into existence mainly through the in-
It
strumentality of the one source of energy and power existing in
we have named
the cosmos, which
the Logos^ and which
the
is
one existing representative of the power and wisdom of Para-
hrahmam.
Matter acquires
all its
attributes and all
its
powers
which, in course of time, give such wonderful results in the course of evolution, by the action of this light that emanates
From our
from the Logos upon Mulaprakriti. will be very
difficult to
standpoint,
it
may
conceive wdiat kind of matter that
be which has none of those tendencies which are commonly as-
and which only acquires
sociated with all kinds of matter, '
the various properties manifested by this light is
it
on receiving, as
it
all
wer e
This light of the Logos
and energy from the Logos.
the link, so to speak, between objective matter and the sub-
jective thought of
books fohat.
Eswara.
It is the
It is called in several
Buddhist
one instrument with which the Logos
works.
What
springs
up
conception of what catches the
which
is
in the
it is
Logos
image and impresses
mos.
There
is
it
an image, a
into existence all the
Of course the four
eternal,
energy
upon the cosmic matter
Thus spring
already manifested.
manifested solar systems.
have enumerated are
at first is simply
to be in the cosmos. This light or
and are common
principles
to the
we
whole cos-
not a place in the whole cosmos where these
four energies are absent
;
and these are the elements of the four-
fold classification that I have adopted in dealing with the princi-
ples of the
mighty cosmos
itself.
Conceive this manifested solar system in in its totality to
mos.
Look on
all its
principles
constitute the sthula sarira of the whole costhis light
which emanates from the Logos as
corresponding to the sukshma sarira of the cosmos. .
further that this
and
Logos which
is
the one
Conceive
germ from which
the
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
14
whole cosmos springs, verse,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; stands in the
mos, existing as
And
lastly,
These,
contains the image of the uni-
karana sarira of the
does before the cosmos
Parabrahmam
conceive that
Logos
to the
it
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;which
position of the
as our
atma does
to our
bears the same relation
harana sarira.
must be remembered, are the four general
it
cos-
comes into existence.
principles
of the infinite cosmos, not of the solar system.
These principles
must not be confounded with those enumerated
in dealing;
the meaning of
Franava
and the Upa-
in Vedantic Philosophy
In one sense Pranava represents the macrocosm and
nishads.
in another sense the microcosm. 7iava is also intended to
not in that light that books, and
it
mean
it is
From one
With
itself,
called
me
Verhum
or
Logos I
thoroughly mystical. But,
may however
Vach
is
of four kinds.
hyama^ vaikhari. itself
;
if
mystical,
it
Our
reason
its
why
pa5?/a^^i,
this
old writers said that
This statement you will find in the Rig
Every kind
further in
has a tremendous signi-
These are called para, pasyanti, mad-
Vaikhari Vach
and in several of the Upanishads.
we utter.
al-
why Eswara
why in fact it iscalled Sahda BraJiam going to give you will appear
when properly understood.
ficance
it is,
to explain this aspect
reference to this subject I
The explanation
but
generally explained in our Vedantic
lude to one other point, which explains the reason is
Pra-
point of view
the infinite cosmos
will not be necessary for
of Pranava,
mam.
with
of Vaikhari Vacli exists in
and ultimately in
Pranava
is
called
Vach
ii?>
its
is
Veda what
madhyama,
para form.
is this,
The
that these four
principles of the great cosmos correspond to these four forms of
Now
Vaxih.
sukshma form image
is
the whole manifested solar system exists in in this light or energy of the
caught up and transferred to
Logos, because
its its
cosmic matter, and again
the whole cosmos must necessarily exist in the one source of
energy from which this light emanates.
The whole cosmos
in
NOTES ON THE BIIAGAVAD GITA. its
objective
form
vaihhari VacJi^ the light of the Logos
is
7nad]iyama form, and the Logos
Farahrahnain the para
to the
Verhum manifested
the
It is
the
and
by the light
try to understand certain state-
ments made by various philosophers is
is
the pasyanti form,
itself
aspect of that Vach,
we must
cf this explanation that
fested cosmos
15
effect that the
mani-
as cosmos.
These four principles bear the same relationship to one another as do these four conditions or manifestations of Vach. I shall
now proceed
to
an examination of the principles that
constitute the solar system
Here I
itself.
find
it
useful to refer
to the explanations generally given with reference to
ya and the meaning present
man and
of
its
order.
First,
is
Prana-
intended to re-
also the manifested cosmos, the four principles
in the one corresponding to
principles in the
Pranava
matras.
manifested cosmos
Vishwanara.
Now
The four
in the other.
the four
may
be enumerated in this
Vishivanara
this
is
not to be
looked upon as merely the manifested objective world, but as the one physical basis from which the whole objective world started
Beyond
into existence.
Hiranyagarhha. astral world, but
this,
This again
and next is
to this, is
what
is
called
not to be confounded with the
must be looked upon
as the basis of the astral
world, bearing the same relationship to the astral world as Vish*
icanara bears to the
what
is
now and
objective
world.
then called Eswara
to mislead, I shall not call
it
;
Next
to this there is
but as this word
is
likely
Eswara, but by another name, also
sanctioned by usage
Sutratma.
generally stated there
is
And beyond As
Parabrahmam.
these three
it is
regards this fourth
principle differences of opinion have sprung up, and from these differences ple,
any amount of difficulty has
we ought
to have, as
we have
for the
ple or entity out of which the other
existence and
which
exist in
it
arisen.
For
this princi-
cosmos, some princi-
three principles start
and by
reason of
it.
into
If such
NOTES ON
16 be the
case,
TEIE
no donbt we ought
BHAGAVAD
GITA.
Avyaktam
to accept the
Saiikhyas as this fourth principle.
This AvT/aJdam
is
of the
brahmam and
view adopted by the majority of the
not necessary for
way
Para-
considered from the objective standpoint of the Logos,
this is the
Sankhyas.
Into the details of the evolution of the solar system
the
Mu-
the
laprakriti which I have already explained as the veil of
me
to enter.
You may
which the various elements
in
start into existence
these three principles into which Mulaprahriti
by examining the
itself, it
is
gather some idea as to
from
differentiated,
is
by Professor Crookes a short
lecture delivered
time ago upon the so-called elements of modern chemistry. This lecture will at least give
you some idea
so-called elements spring
in
which
the,
from Vishivanara the most objective of
these three principles, which seem to
^rotyle mentioned in that lecture. this lecture
way
of the
stand in the: place of the
Except in a few particulars,
seems to give ihe outlines of the theory of physical
evolution on the plane of Vishicanara a ad
the nearest approach
made by modern
as far as I
is,
know,
investigators to
the real
beyond our
common
occult theory on the subject.
These principles, in themselves, are so
far
experience as to become objects of merely theoretical conception
and inference rather than objects of practical knowledge. course
if it is
so difficult
for us to
form any
rate the evolution ciples
is
a
understand these different
for us to
principles as they exist in nature,
it
definite idea as
Of
will
be
still
more
to their basis.
But
difficult
at
any
and the work of differentiation of these prin-
matter
which appertains more properly to the
science of physics, than to the science of spiritual ethics, and the
fundamental principles that I have present purpose.
laid
You must conceive,
down
without
will suffice for our
my
going through
the whole process of evolution, that out of these three principles,
having as their one foundation Mulaprakriti the whole man-
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GiTA.
17
fested solar system with all the various objects in
Bear in mind also that the one energy which works
into being.
out the whole process of evolution
which
is
has started
it
that
is
Logos
of the
light
diffused through all these principles and all their It
festations.
mani-
the one light that starts with a certain definite
is
impulse communicated by the intellectual energy of the Logos
and works out the whole programme from the commencement to the
end
of evolution.
we begin our examination from the
If
will be seen that this one life
lowest organisms,
it
undifferentiated.
Now when we take,
kingdom, or blirictly
all
those
speaking
ferentiated.
for instance, the
it
were,
mineral
cosmos which we cannot
objects in the
we
organisms,
call living
as
is,
find this light undif-
In the course of time when we reach plant
life it
becomes differentiated to a considerable extent, and organisms are formed which tend more and more towards
differentiation
And when we
differentiation
is
reach animal
more complete, and
consciousness.
It
life,
we find
this light
must not be supposed
sort of independent entity created
or a manifestation of the light
we
that the
moreover manifests
by
itself,
itself as
that consciousness
this light
which
;
it
is life.
is
By
a
is
a
mode
the time
reach man, this light becomes differentiated and forms that
centre or ego that gives rise to
gress that
we
see in
the
all
tha mental and physical pro-
process
of cosmic evolution.
differentiation results in the first instance
of particular organisms.
organism and those which
that stage, can hardly be called
perhaps have a certain
Karma
effect
we
its
generates in itself at
it ;
still its life
and actions
in determining the future
manifestations of that life-energy which
time
in a given
evokes in other organisms or in
surroundings, and the actions which
may
from the environment
The various actions evoked it
This
is
acting in
it.
By
the
reach man, this one light becomes differentiated into
certain monads, and hence individuality
is fixed.
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
18
As
individuality
is
rendered more and more definite, and be-
comes more and more
differentiated
from other
by man's own surroundings, and the
impulses he generates and the effect of his principles of
which he
and moral
own Karma^
composed become more
is
are four principles in man.
individualities
intellectual
the
There
defined.
First, there is the physical body,
about which we need not go into
details, as
they appertain more
to the field of enquiry of the physiologist than to that of the
No
religious investigator.
doubt certain branches of physiology
do become matters of considerable importance certain subjects connected with
in dealing
Yoga Philosophy
;
but
with
we need
not discuss those questions at present.
Next
there
is
the sukshma sarira.
This bears to the physical
body the same relationship which the objective
plane of the
solar
system.
kamarupa in our theosophical
world bears to the
astral
It
is
sometimes called This unfortunate
dissertations.
expression has given rise also to a misconception that the principle called kaina represents this astral
formed into
it.
But
it
is
of quite a different nature.
not
so.
It
body is
itself,
and
is
trans-
composed of elements
Its senses are
not so differentiated
and localized as in the physical body, and, being composed of finer materials, its
powers of action and thought are consider-
ably greater than those found in the physical organism. sarira can only be conceived as
a
centre of pragna
of force or energy into which the third principle
(
Karana
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a
centre
or sutratma)
of the cosmos was differentiated by reason of the same impulse
which has brought about the differentiation of principles. this trinity
And now and makes
the question it
is,
what
all
is it
these cosmic
that completes
a quaternary ?* Of course this light of
of the Logos formed by the action of this light or considered as the 4th principle in man and it has been BO considered by certain philosophers. But in reality the real entity is the light itself and not the reflected image. *
The reflected image
Karana Sarira may be
NOTES ON THE BHAGrVAD GITA.
As
the Logos.
I have already said,
is
it
19
a sort of light that
penneates every kind of organism, and so in this trinity
it is
manifested in every one of the upadhis as the real jiva or the
Now
ego of man.
you
in order to enable
ception of the matter, I shall express
language.
Suppose, for instance,
to
my
have a clear conideas in figurative
we compare
Suppose I take a clear mirror in
to the sun.
a reflection of the sun, make the rays
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; say upon a
the mirror
reflect
the Logos itself
my
hand, catch
from the surface of
polished metallic plate
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;and make
rays which are reflected in their turn from the plate wall.
Now we
/other,
and one being more resplendent than the
compare the
fall
image
is for
clear mirror to
harana
when
himham
is
astral
body gives
formed in the karana sarira gives
form of individuality that man
it
from a
rise
grows clear
The himham
self.
to the idea of self in
rise to
possesses.
;
the
himham you may compare
feebler
the most prominent
You
will further see
to
the physical body.
less clear,
The
man's knowledge,
and feebler as the reflection
upadhi to one
it
himham
himhams are not of the same lustre.
that these various
and
In each
formed, and that hinibam or reflected
considered apart from the phj^sical body
lustre of this
I can
other.
sarira, the metallic plate to
the time being considered as the
formed on the
upon a
have three images, one being clearer than the
the astral body, and the wall to the physical body. case a definite
the
and so on
is
till
transferred
you get
to
Our knowledge depends mainly on the
condition of the upadhi^ and you will also observe that just as
the image of the sun on a clear surface of water may be disturbed
and rendered
invisible
by the motion of the water
itself,
so
by a man's passions and emotions he may render the image of his true self disturbed
and distorted in
make
indistinct
the
perceive
imago
its light.
so
its
appearance, and even
as to be altogether unable to
NOTES ON THE BIIAGAVAD GITA.
20
You
will further see that this idea of self is
a delusive one.
Almost every great writer on Ved antic philosophy,
Buddha aud Sankaracharya, have
You must
delusive idea.
as also both
distinctly alleged that it
not suppose that these great
is
men
a
said
that the idea of self was delusive for the same reason which led
John Stuart
Mill to suppose that the idea of self
from a concatenation or manufactured idea, as
series of
mental
have been trying
I
Logos
itself,
and what If
its reflection.
you
It is not
states.
It
is
said to be delusive,
to explain, because the
real self is
generally considered as the ego
is
a
were, not a secondary idea which has
it
arisen from any series of mental states. as
manufactured
is
say, however, that a reflected
is
the
but
image can-
not act as an individual being, I have simply to remind you that
my
simile cannot
what
be carried very
We
far.
image can form a separate centre.
distinct
difficulty
it
will land us if
you deny
to be a separate entity in itself.
my
real entity in the physical
body
transfer the
same
to the astral
ego
in
transferring
you may depend upon ego can be transferred
it
this
it
and hold the
am
How
itself
is
body? Then, again,
entity
in
my
self
objec-
it
possible to
it
has also to
shall find a
to the
Logos
that unless a man's
to the
In certain peculiar cases
I
see in
will
something existing as a
is
be transferred to the karana sarira. "We difficulty
this,
If so, while
tive state of consciousness,
find that each
You
still
greater
itself,
and
individuality or
Logos immortality
is
only a name.
will be very difficult to account for
a large number of phenomena on the basis that
this self is
some
kind of centre of energy or some existing monad transferred
from upadJd
to npadhi.
In the opinion of the Yedantists, and, as point out, in the opinion of Krishna also,
He
has
astral
first
man
I
shall hereafter
is
the physical body or sthida sarira
body or sukshma
sarira, thirdly the
a quaternary. ^
secondly the
seat of his higher
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. the karana sarira, and fourthly and lastly
individuality,
There
atma.
21
is
no doubt a difference of opinion
his
as to the exact
nature of the fourth principle as I have already said, which has
given
various misconceptions.
to
rise
cording to some
who
rate those
followers of the
This
nary.
Avyaktam
Avyaktam
man
is really
to
reason of
it.
That
these
its
upadhi.
In
this
view Para-
the fourth principle, the highest principle in
is to say, this
the root of
is
any
at
man has
complete the quater-
and the other three principles simply
;
which
sankhyas,
Mulaprakriti or rather Parabrahmam
is
manifested in Mulaprakriti as
brahnam
for instance, ac-
Sankhya philosophy,
are called nireswara
three principles, with their
Now,
all self,
Avyaktam
which becomes
exist in is
it
and by
the one principle
diflPerentiated in the
course of evolution, or rather which appears to be differentiated in the various organisms,
and which
Now
is
let
subsists in every kind of
man
upadhi
has to reach.
us see what will happen according to this hypothesis
The Logos
is
and that
the reason
is
which
the real spiritual entity which a
entirely shut out
why
;
it is
not taken notice of at
these people have been called
all;
nires-
wara sankhyas
(not because they have denied the existence of
Parabrahmam
for this they did not
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;but)
not taken notice of the Logos, and important entities in nature,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
its
because they have light
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the two
most
in classifying the principles
of
man.
II.
In
my
last lecture I tried to trace the course of the first
nings of cosmic evolution, certain
amount
operate
in
principles
ted solar
begin-
and in doing so I indicated with a
of definiteness the four
the infinite cosmos.
I
main
principles
that
also enumerated the four
that seemed to form the basis of the whole manifes-
system, and defined the nature of the four principles
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
Âť^
into which I have divided the constitution of
you
will bear in
cause
it is
on a
man.
hope that
I
mind the explanatians that 1 have given, be-
clear
nnderstanding of these principles that the
whole Vedantic doctrine
is
explicable
;
and, moreover, on ac-
count of misconceptions introduced as regards the nature of these principles, the religious philosophies of various nations-
have become terribly confused, and inferences have been drawn
from wrong assumptions, which would not necessarily follow from a correct understanding of these In order to
make my
more remarks about some
member
principles.
make
position clear^ I have yet to
You
of these principles.
a few
will
that I have divided the solar system itself -into four
re-
main ^
and called them by the names assigned
principles
on what may be called Tharaka Yoga.
treatises
Pranava
also the
is
to
them
Tharam^ or
And
symbol of the manifested man.
Matras without the Ardhamatra symbolize the
three
principles, or the three manifestations of the original
the
threes
Mulapra-
Sanhhya Yoga, properly so called
the solar system.
kriti in
in
mainly deals with these three principles and the evolution from
them of indicate,
all
material organisms.
organisms on the plane higher than the lies it
on
may
this plane also is in
my
system
is,
The whole
strictly speaking,
sical science has,
up
It
is
to this
of
what
of this manifested
within the
field
As yet we have only been surveying the
of the outward cosmos.
slightest
Much
astral.
from the known forms of matter
differ in its constitution
research.
to
opinion physical, though perhaps
on the ordinary objective plane. solar
word material
I use the
not only the physical and astral organisms, but also
that,
of physical superficies
and that alone, which phy-
time, reached.
I
have not the
doubt that in course of time physical science will be
able to penetrate deep into the underlying basis, that corresponds to the
Sutratma of our Vedantic writers.
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD QITA. It is the province of
Sankhya philosophy
three component parts of Mulapralcriti manifestations.
It
must
all
23
to trace
from the
the various physical
not, however, be supposed that I in
any way authorize the way
which Sankhya philosophy,
in
as at
present understood, traces out the origin of these manifestations.
On
the contrary, there
into physical science
every reason to believe that enquirers
is
West,
in the
Crookes and
like Professor
results than are contained in the
others, will arrive
at truer
existing systems of
Sankhya philosophy known
to the
Occult science has, of course, a definite theory of
propound for the origin of these organisms, but that ,that has always been kept in the background,
that theory
are not necessary
present to note what the
what
it is
We
that
is
and the
to
a matter details of
It will
be sufficient for the
of Sankhya philosophy
field
public-
own
purpose of explaining
for the
the doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita,
its
comes within the horizon of physical
is,
and
science.
can form no idea as to the kind of beings that exist on
the astral plane, and
still less
are
we
able to do so in the case of
those beings that live on the plane anterior to the astral.
To
the modern mind, everything else, beyond and beside this ordi-
nary plane of existence,
is
But
a perfect blank.
occult science
does definitely formulate the existence of these finer planes of being, and the
phenomena
that
now
so-called spiritualistic seances will
beings living on the astral plane.
manifest themselves in the
some idea of the
give us
It is well
known
that in most
of our Puranas Devas are mentioned as existing in Swarga, All the Devaganains mentioned in the Puranas are not in
Swarga.
Vasus^ Rudras,
no doubt Devas
Adityas and some other
strictly so-called.
classes
are
But Yakshasj Gandharvas,
Kinnaras and several Other Ganams must he included amongst ^he beings that exist in the plane of the astral
Tbase beings that inhabit the
astral
light.
plane are called by the
NOTES ON THE BHAGAvAD GITA.
54 general
name
besides
properly so-called, there are
elementals,
beings, and
it
applicable.
Do
is
to
not
still
these latter that the
name Deva
make
of thinking
the mistake
is
three crores of Devas,
This
Deva
the same word
is
strictly
thirty-
therefore worship thirty-three crores
an unfortunate blunder generally committed
is
by Europeans.
we
higher
that the
word Deva means a god, and that because we have
of gods.
But
of elementals in our theosophical writings.
is
a kind of spiritual
being, and because
used in ordinary parlance to mean god,
it
by
no means follows that we have and worship thirty-three crores of gods.
These beings, as
may
be naturally inferred, have
certain affinity with one of the three
ar
component upadlds into
which we have divided man.
One organism has always
a certain affinity
with another
organism composed of the same materials and existing on the
same
man
As may
plane.
naturally be expected, the astral body of
has affinity with the elementals, and the so-called karana
sarira of
man
with the
Devas.
The ancient writers on Hindu
philosophy have divided the cosmos into three lokas. is
The
first
Bhuloka^ the second Bhuvarloka, and the third Suvarloka.
Bhuloka
is
acquainted.
physical plane with which
Bhuvarloka
is,
strictly
we
are generally
speaking, the astral plane
sometimes called Antariksham in the Upanishads.
It is
this
the
term
is
But
not to be understood as simply meaning the whole
extent of the atmosphere with which
word Antariksham
is
we
are acquainted.
The
used, not in its general sense, but in a
technical one belonging to the philosophical terminology adopted
by the authors what
is
of the works in which
generally
known
as
it
At any
Swargam,
Devachan of the theosophical writings.
Devachan by
the Buddhists, and
occurs.
In
this
Swargam by
locate the higher orders of the so-called
Suvarloka
is
rate it is the place, called
the Hindus,
Devaganams,
we
NOTES ON THK BHAGAVAD GITA. There
is
one more statement I have to make with reference
Upadhis in the human being.
to the three called the
cause
25
karana sarira
is
Of
these
the most important.
man
in that that the higher individuality of
it is
what
is
be-
It is so,
exists.
Birth after birth a new physical body comes into existence, and perishes
when
earthly
life is
The
over.
when once
astral body,
karana sarira may perhaps
separated from the
live
on
some
for
time, owing to the impulse of action and existence, already
communicated
to
during
it
but,
life,
as these influences are
cut off from the source whence they originally sprung, the force
communicated, as .
it
by
were, stands
itself,
and sooner or
the astral organism becomes completely dissolved into
But karana sarira
ponent parts.
is
a
of existence
called
is
com-
body or organism, which
capable of existing independently of the astral body.
is
its
later
Sutratma, because, like so
Its
many
plane
beads
strung on a thread, successive personalities are strung on this
karana
sarira, as the individual passes through incarnation after
By
incarnation.
with
its definite
personality I
mean
that persistent idea of
self,
associations, so far as those associatious apper-
tain to the experiences of one earthly incarnation.
Of course
human
to the astral
the associations or ideas of mental states which a
all
being
may
experience are not necessarily communicated
man, much
less to the
Of
karana sarira.
all
the
experiences of the physical man, the astral man, or the karana sarira beyond
it,
can only assimilate those w^hose constitution
and nature are similar with justice that as most of or
all
to its
own.
It
is
moreover but consistent
our mental states should not be preserved
them are concerned merely with the daily avocations,
even the physical wants of the
object to be gained
by
human
their continued
that goes deep into the intellectual nature of
emotions of the 4
human
soul and
is
no
But
all
being, there
preservation.
man,
all
the higher
the intellectual tastes generated
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
26 in
man
with
all
almost indelibly
his higher aspirations,
on
karana
the
do become impressed
sarira.
The
astral
is
His animal
nature of man.
simply the seat of the lower
body
passions and emotions, and those ordinary thoughts which are
may no
generally connected w^ith the physical wants of man,
doubt communicate themselves to the astral man, but higher than this they do not go. This karana sarira
what passes
is
as the
real
which
ego,
subsists through incarnation after incarnation, adding in each
incarnation something to
its
fund of experiences, and evolving a
higher individuality as the resultant of the whole process of
called the ego of
reason that the karana sarira
this
It is for
assimilation.
man, and
in certain systems of philosophy
is
it is
called the j^Vra.
It
must be
clearly
borne in mind that this karana sarira
is
primarily the result of the action of the light of the Logos, which is its life
and energy, and which
is
further
sciousness on that plane of Malaprakriti which
Sutratma, and which
Out
source
its
we have
called
physical or material basis.
is its
of these two elements,
of the combination
of con-
and from the
action of the energy of the light emanating from the Logos
that particular kind of matter that constitutes
a kind of individuality
is
its
upon
physical frame,
evolved.
I have already said that individual existence, or differentiated
conscious
which that
it
existence,
it
evolved out of the one current of
sets the evolutionary is
this
to individual
more
is
machine in motion.
very current
organisms as
it
life
proceeds on
begins to manifest what
we come to man, we
of
I pointed out
gradually gives its
life,
rise
Further-
mission.
we call conscious
life,
and,
when
find that his conscious individuality is clearly
and, completely defined by the operation of this force.
In pro-
ducing this result several subsidiary forces,which are generated by
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
27
the peculiar conditions of time, space and environment, co-
operate with this one is
life.
What is
generally called karana sarira
but the natural product of the action of those very forces that
have operated to bring about of consciousness
is
When once
this result.
reached in the path of progress that includes
the voluntary actions of man,
it
will be seen that those voluntary
karana sarira
actjons not only preserve the individuality of the
render
but
more and more
it
progress
further
is
as birth
definite,
attained and thus keep
Karma
of the
as it were.
It lives
Karma
infleunce of
on the other hand
is,
with
and
it,
It is
the child
disappear
will
The
can be annihilated.
astral
if
body
to a great extent, the result of the physical
existence of man, as far as that
physical wants,
in one sense the
the result of karmic impulses.
is
after birth
up the continued So
existence of the jiva as an individual monad.
karana sarira
that plane
associations
existence
concerned with his
is
We
and cravings.
may
therefore
suppose that the persistence of astral body after death, will
under ordinary circumstances, be more or
less
proportionate to
the strength of these emotions and animal passions.
Now to
let
us enquire what, constituted as
which he
evolution
is
is
are the rules
generally subject, and the goal tow^ards which
progressing.
mined, that we
man is,
It
all
only after this has been deter-
is
shall be in a position to see
whether any special
rules can be prescribed for his guidance that are likely to render his evolutionary progress
What happens First, the
in the case of ordinary
karana sarira and the
from the physical body
body
more rapid than
loses its life
;
when
and energy.
astral
it
would otherwise be.
men
after death is this.
body separate themselves
that takes place, the physical
Yesterday
I tried
to explain the
connection between the three bodies and the energy of
within them, by comparing the action of this
life
life
acting
to the action
of a sunbeam falling successively on three material objects.
It
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
28 will be seen
to the
from
comparison, that the light reflected on
this
body, or rather into the astral body,
astral
From
the karana sarira.
that radiates from
the
is
the light
again reflected on to the sthula sarira, constitues
it is
body
astral
its life
and energy, and developes that sense of ego that we experience
Now
the physical body.
in
sarira
is
The kara^ia sarira can
tion.
;
if
the karana
it is
but,
exist independently of the astral
connected with the astral body and
when
the karana
these two are removed, the physical body
The only way
will perish.
reflec-
Similarly the physical body can go on living
sarira.
so long as sarira
plain that,
is
body cannot survive the separation of the
body, but the astral
karana
it
removed, the astral body ceases to receive any
for the life current to pass to the
physical body
is
through the medium of the astral body.
physical body
is
dissolved
when
because the impulse that animated
karana which
sarii^a is
it
body
it
Swargam
takes with
;
but in separating
it all
in Devaclian
quainted, but a
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a
life
itself
is
from the
life
it,
his successive incarnations.
and perhaps
it
docs enjoy a
we
unlike any with which
quite as natural to the entity that
as our conscious existence seems
certain
to be to us
amount of energy locked up
in them,
manifestation on the physical plane.
leads
it
on from incarnation
The natural region of astral plane. ed.
It
To the
De-
astral
now
It is
new
are ac-
enjoys
These
impulses give rise to a further incarnation, because there
its
the
those impulses, that were accumulated
Thpse impulses subsist in
it
As
on the plane of Devachan, the only place to
by the karma of the man during
life
removed.
is
it
can go on separation from the physical body
vachauy or
The
separated from the astral body
is
a
which must find thus
karma
that
to incarnation.
the astral body
astral plane it goes,
is
the Bliuvarloka or
and there
it is
detain-
very rarely descends into the physical plane, for the
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
29
simple reason that the physical plane has no natural attraction for
Moreover
it.
it
necessarily follows that, just as the karana,
^anra cannot remain on
â&#x20AC;˘cannot remain there either.
when
pulse
once is
its
the
This astral body loses
karana sarira
source of
life
is
and energy
separated from is
But
it to subsist.
life
When
it.
it, it
that can enable
than physical matter, energy once communicated to
(}ies
im-
astral matter being of a far finer constitution
for a longer time than
When
its life
thus removed from
deprived of the only spring of
naturally
body
the physical plane, the astral
when communicated
it
subsists
to physical
matter.
once separated from the astral body, the physical body
very rapidly, but in the case of the astral body some time
is
required before complete dissolution can take place, because the
impulses already communicated to gether, and ate to the
its
it still
keep the particles to-
period of post-mortem existence
strength
of those
impulses.
Till
is
this
proportion-
strength
The time of
exhausted the astral body holds together.
its
is
inde-
pendent existence on the astral plane will thus depend on the strength of
This
desires.
who
its
craving for is
life
and the intensity of
its
unsatisfied
the reason why, in the case of suicides and those
die premature deaths, having at the time of death a strong
passion or a strong desire that they were unable to satisfy dur-
ing
life,
but on the fulfilment of which their whole energy was
concentrated, the astral body subsists for certain length of time,
and may even make desperate
efforts for the
purpose of descend-
ing into the physical plane to bring about the accomplishment of
its object.
Most of the
spirtualistic
phenomena are
to be
accounted for upon this principle, and also upon the principle that
many
of the
phenomena exhibited
at seances are really pro-
duced by elementals (which naturally subsist plane)
masquerading
pisachas.
jas it
on the astral
were in the garb of elementaries or
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
30
enter further
ÂŁ need not, however, subject, as tlie
has but a very remote bearing upon the teachings of
Bhagavad Gita with which
say, that
the
-at
it
what has been stated
death of a man,
for instance, a
man
has
am
I
concerned.
man and make
it
subsist tal
to
that ordinarily takes place
is all
Suppose,
the general law.
to
devoted
the evocation of
all his life to
a
medium
of him,
do that completely, they take possession of absorb
it
In such a case either the elementals take possession
elementals.
In the
at the time of death.
associated
Suffice
but ^there are certain kinds of karma
which may present exceptions
of the
into this brancli of the
as
may
worship
they do not
lead to
mediumship
ship in the majority of cases
body and
his astral
being,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to irresponsible
and make him morally worse than he was
will
But thoucrh elemen-
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and may confuse a man's
mediumintellect,
before, these elementals
will not be able to destroy the
karana sarira.
means a
we should
desirable thing, that
body,
latter case the astral
with an independent elemental
it is
a considerable length of time.
for
or, if
Still it is
by no
place ourselves under
the control of elementals.
There follow,
is
and which may lead
may happen sarira.
in
man may results. What
another kind of worship, however, which a to far
to the astral body,
The karana
In
sojne vicious and
also
sarira bears the
Siuargam that the
astral plane.
more serious
may
this
astral
happen
same
body does
to the
relation to the
if
a
these powers were to fix his attention
man who
his attention
strength, the
when
entities,
wishes to evoke
upon them, he might
course of time attract these powers to himself, and possible that
Devas
to the elementals on the
Devaloka there are beings, or
some good, and,
karana
it
is
in
quite
the force generated by the concentration of
upon these beings
attains
a certain
karana sarira may be absorbed
DevaSj just as the astral body
may
amount of
into one of these
be absorbed into an elemental.
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. This to
is
man
a far
more serious
81
than any that can htippen
result
in the case of elemental worship, for the simple reason
that he has no more prospect of reaching the Logos.
The whole beings, and
When
it
of his individuality
absorbed into one of these
will subsist as long as that being exists,
cosmic pralaya comes
indeed have
it
will be dissolved, as all these
for millions of years, but
life
and noloBiger.
He
For him there is no immortality.
heinors will be dissolved.
may
is
You
of years to immortality?
Mr. Sinnett's book, that there evil.
The statement, as
"\Yhat
Mr. Sinnett meant
it
what are millions
will recollect that is
is
it
said
in
such a thing as immortality in
stands, is
no doubt an exaggeration.
to say was, that,
when
those
who
follow
the left-hand path evoke certain powers which are wicked in their nature, they
may
transfer their
own
to those
individualities
powers, and subsist in them until the time of cosmic pralaya
These would then become formidable powers in the cosmos, and, would interfere
to a considerable extent in the affairs of
and even prove
more troublesome,
fiir
mankind,
humanity
so far as
is
concerned, than the genuine powers themselves on account of the association of a It
was
human
individuality with one of these powers.
for this reason that all great reliorions
great truth, that
man
have inculcated the
should not, for the sake of gain or
for the acquisition of
any
object,
however tempting
profit, or
for the time
being, worship any such powers, but should wholly devote his attention and wors;hip to the one true Logos accepted
by every
true and great religion in the world, as that alone can lead a safely along the true moral path,
and higher,
until
he
and enable him
lives in it as
man
to rise higher
an immortal being, as the
manifested Eswara of the cosmos, and as the source,
if
necessary,
of spiritual enlightenment to generations to come. It is
towards this em\^
cases, that all evolution
which may be hastened
is tendiiio-.
The
in certain
one great power,
that
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD
32 is
(?ITA.
guiding the whole course of evolution, leading
as it were
nature on towards
its
The Logos
were the pattern, and emanating from
as
is
it
this light of life.
imprinted upon evolution,
it
It it,
goal, so to speak, is the light of the Logos, it is
goes forth into the world with this pattern
and, after going through the whole
tries to return to the
Evolutionary progress
is effected
Logos whence
it
had
cycle of its rise.
by the continual perfecting of
the Upadhij or organism through which this light works. itself it
has no need of improvement.
What
is
perfected
neither the Logos, nor the light of the Logos, but the
or physical frame through which this light
already
said
that
it is
In is,
Upadhi I
have
upon the purity and nature of
this
is
acting.
Upadhi, that the manifested clearness and refulgence of the
Logos mainly depends.
As time goes
on, man's intelligence on
the spiritual, astral and physical planes will
more is
perfect, as the
reached
when he
become more and
Upadhis are perfected, until a certain point
will be enabled to
make
the final attempt to
perceive and recognise his Logos, unless he chooses to wilfully
shut his eyes, and prefers perdition to immortality.
It
is
to-
this end that nature is workinor. o have pointed out the fact that there are certain cases which I
wards
may
cause a disturbance in the general progress, and
mentioned the causes that initiations that
of giving
men
man
may
facilitate that progress.
I
have
All the
ever invented were invented for the purpose
a clear idea of the Logos, to point out the goal, and
to lay
down
to the
end towards which nature
rules
by which it
is
possible to facilitate the approach is
constantly working.
These are the premises from which Krishna
starts.
by express statements, or by necessary implications,
Whethe all
these
propositions are present in this book, and, taking his stand on these fundamental propositions, his practical theory of
life.
Krishna proceeds to construct
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GlTA. In stating particular
theory I have not
this
made any
Bhagavad
the
in
joassages
SB reference to
By
Gita.
constantly
turning to the detached passages in which [these propositions are expressed or implied, I should have only created confusion, it
seemed better
therefore
own
to
begin by stating the theory in
language, in order to give you a connected idea of
whole.
do not think
I
it
will be allowed
it
my as a
by every follower of
every religion in India, that these are the propositions from
which Krishna
number
a considerable
The theory has been misunderstood by
started.
of philosphers, and, in course of time^
the speculations of the Sankhyas have introduced a source of .
error,
which has exercised a most important
development of Hindu philosophy. slightest
doubt in
my own
There
my command
authorities
:
I have
had I done so
is
not however the
mind, that what I have said includes
the basis of the real Vedantic philosophy.
time at
it
thought
it
Having but
I shall
leave
it
to carefully ascertain
to
you
how
little
unnecessary to cite
would have taken me not three
days, but three years, to explain the philosophy of the Gita.
on the
influence
to
Bhagavad
examine these propositions and
far they
Hinduism, but Buddhism, the
seem
to underlie, not
ancient
merely
philosophies of
the
Egyptians and the Chaldeans, the speculations of the Rosi-
and almost every other system having the remotest
crucians,
connection with occultism from times long antecedent to the so-called historic periods.
1 will
now
Krishna
is
turn to the book
itself
generally supposed to be an Avatar.
This theory
of Avatars plays a very important part in Hindu philosophy
and,
unless
it
is
properly understood,
it is
likely that
;
great
misconceptions will arise from the acceptance of the current
views regarding this Avatar.
Krishna
is
It is
generally supposed that
the Avatar of the one great personal
God who
exists
NOTES ON THB BHAGAVAD GITA.
34
Of course those who how this one great
in the cosmos.
hold this view
attempt to explain
personal
God
make no succeeded
up an intimate connection with the physical body of
in setting
Krishna, constituted as the physical body of every
man
is,
or
even with a personality, or human individuality, that seems to
be precisely similar to that of any other human being.
how
we
are
And
to explain the theory of Avatars, as generally stated
with reference to the view of this particular Avatar to which I
have referred in itself
is
?
This view
is
without any support.
not the one personal
Parahrahmam behind
it is
God
manifest
itself in a peculiar
as the supposed
Parahrahnam can never
any of these Avatars.
itself as
The great,
indeed one and niramsa undifferent-
iated and eternally existing, but that
manifest
of the cosmos.
The Logos
way
It does,
of coui-se,
as the whole cosmos, or rather
basin, or the one essence,
on which the whole
cosmos seems to be superimposed, the one foundation for every
But
existence.
it
can manifest
as the Logos,
when
If Avatars are possible at
all,
it
still
to
what I have
cording to the general
man who becomes a Mukta Logos. It may be conceived, either
an Avatar
is
there
is
itself
But
in
last
some
Ac-
as the soul being raised to
with the soul.
its
high plane to
In the generality of
association of the soul with the Logos
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the
?
a union with the
the Logos, or as the Logos descending from associate
Parahrahmam,
theory I have laid down, in the case of
every
death
and not by any
called
there remains the question, what
manifests itself
they can only be
reference to the Logos, or Eswara,
so with
means with reference
But
manner approaching
a
itself in
the conception of a personal God, only
is
cases,
this
only completed after
death which that individual has to go through. special cases the
Logos does descend to the plane
of the soul and associate itself with the soul during the life-timo of the individual
;
but these cases are very rare.
In the case
NOTES ON THE BHAaAVAP QITA. of such beings, while they
35
exist as ordinary
still
men on
the
physical plane, instead of having for their soul merely the reflection of the Logos, they have the Logos
Buddhists say, that in the case of Buddha
have appeared.
when he
there was this permanent union, call
attained what they
Para-nirvana nearly twenty years before the death of his Christians say, that the Logos was
physical body.
as
Such beings
itself.
it
was born as Christ
were, and
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
as
Jesus
made
flesh,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;though
the
Christians do not go into a clear analysis of the propositions
There
they lay down. ians,
who
however, certain sections of Christ-
are,
more philosophical view of the question,
take a
and say that the divine Logos associated
named Jesus only
show
after
his
that
power
Whether
some time during
at
with the
and that
it
man was
union he began to perform his miracles and
and saviour of mankind.
as a great reformer
this
itself
his career,
union took place as a special case in the case of
Jesus, or whether
the case of every
it
as
would take place in
or Maharishi
when he becomes a
was such a union
Mahatma
Jivanmukta, we cannot say, unless we know a great deal more about him than what the Bible can teach us.
In the case of
Krishna the same question
is
is
a representative of the Logos
by the majority
of Hindus.
inferred that there
is
am
;
he
From
is
a God, and
considered as the Logos
this it
must not however be
but one Logos in the cosmos, or even that
but one form of Logos sent I
Mahavishun
arises.
possible in the cosmos.
is
only concerned with
this
For the
pi-e-
form of the Logos, and
it
seems to bo the foundation of the teachings we are considering. There are two views which you can take with reference to such
human
Parasurama. -4 m^a?* of
very
Avatars, as for instance,
Some
Vishnu.
little
Rama, Krishna, and
Vaishnavites deny that Buddha was an
But
understood
that was an exceptional
case
and
is
by eithor Vaishnavites or Buddhists
36
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
Parasiirama's
Avatar
writers.
I believe
Madwas thought
no
real
certainly
be disputed by some
looking at the terrible things he did,
that,
the
that, in the case of
Parasurama, there was
Avatar, but a mere over-shadowing
Mahavishnu. undisputed
Take
will
man
])y
But, setting aside disputed cases,we have two.
human Avatars instance
for
the
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Kama and Krishna. case of Krishna.
We may
views are possible. dividual,
of the
In
this
two
case
suppose that Krishna, as an in-
was a man who had been evoluting
for millions
of
years, and had attained great spiritual perfection, and that in
the course of his spiritual progress the Logos descended to
and associated
itself
with his soul.
Logos that manifested
ÂŤwn
a Jivanmukta,
it is
it
does
so,
spiritual perfection, but for
for the benefit of
though the
some
humanity.
soul,
not the
who
In the case of a his soul, as
it
were
not chiefly by reason of that
purpose of
ulterior
In this case
that descends to the plane of the soul in and
it is
In the case of a Logos
transformed into the Logos,
is
descending into a man,
man's
In that case
Krishna, but Krishna
himself to the position of the Logos.
raised
Mahatma who becomes that
itself as
him
it is
and manifests
its
the Logos
energy
its
and not the soul that ascends
to the
plane of the Logos. Theoretically
two views. to
call
it is
possible
But there
that
number
muJdas Avatars
Ko
for us to entertain
one
difiiculity.
If
man an Avatar who becomes
shall be obliged to call
the whole
is
;
either of these
we
are at liberty
a Jivajimukta,
Sukn, Vasishta, Thurvasa and perhaps
of the Maharishis
who have become
doubt some great Rishis are enumerated in the
is
Jican-
but they are not generally called Avatars.
Avatars, given for instance in Bhagavad, but explanation
we
list
somehow no
of
clear
given for the fact that the ten Avatars ordinarily
enumerated are looked upon as the Avatars of Mahavishnu, and
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVA1> GITA.
37
the others as his manifestations, or beings in
whom
and knowledge were placed
or for
for the time being
;
light
his
some
rea-
son or other, these others are not supposed to be Avatars in the
word.
strict sense of the
we
not because
J
we have
and,
through
it
associating
are called
become associated with to the
plane of the
I
ami
view will be
believe this latter
Our
respect
is
ed, but the
not the
Logos
when we
ing into a
man in and through whom
Krishna
for
need not in any way be lessened on that account.
hanced,
in
on the plane of humanity for some great thing that
found to be correct on examination.
Krishna
of a soul
with the soul, worked
itself
done in the world.
to be
Rama
them an instance so
then
not jhatars,
are
Logos descended
the Logos, but because the
had
in
become a Jivaninukta and
that had
soul,
these
if
have to suppose that Krishna and
shall
Avatars
But,
The
real
the Logos appear-
Perhaps our respect will only be en-
itself.
see that this
human being
is
the case of the Logos descend-
for the
good of humanity.
It
is
not
encumbered with any particular individuality in such a case and has perhaps greater power to exert of doing good to humanity
doing good
to
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;not
itself for the
purpose,
merely for the purpose of
one man, but for the purpose of saving millions.
There are two dark passages in Mahabharata, which found
ver}^
hard nuts for
To begin with Eama.
to crack. individual
monad
plus
manner the Logos made
Suppose
Rama was
the Logos but in some flesh.
will
not the
nnaccountable
Then, when the physical body
disappeared there should be nothing remaining but the Logos there should be no individual ego to follow
seems to be the inevitable theory.
But there
is
be
orthodox theory
the advocates of the
result, if
a statement
we
its
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
own course. That
are to accept the orthodox
made by Narada
in the
Loka-
pala Sablia V;irnana, in Mahabharata, in which he says, speaking
of the court of
Yama, who
is
one of the JJevas, that Dasaratha
NOTES ON THE BHAaAVAD GITA.
38
Hama. was one of the individuals present
Rama human being
was meiely a
individual
every
Maya^ but
a
is
why
not the slightest reason for
which
stated in
this
Maya
Ramayana,
when Rama
died, yet
Now,
there.
the
if
—not in the sense in which in a special sense — there
Maya
is
he should subsist after the purpose
garb was wanted was accomplished. that the
we
Logos went to
find in
its
It is
place of abode
Mahabharata Dasaratha
Rama
mentioned together with a number of other kings, as an individual present in YamaloJca, which, at the highest, takes us only up This assertion becomes perfectly
to JDevachan.
the theory I have laid down,
was an
if
that
is
consistent with
properly understood.
man.
individual, constituted like every other
Rama
Probably
he had had several incarnations before, and was destined, even after his one great incarnation, to have several subsequent births.
When
he appeared as
Rama
Avatar,
transformed into the Logos, or rather
mukta, that did allegorical as
Rama
himself as Jivan-
the great deeds narrated in the
all
it is,
was not Rama's soul
it
—but
it
Ramayana
was the Logos, or Mahavishnu, that
descended to the plane of the soul and associated
itself for
the
time being with a particular soul for the purpose of acting through it.
Again, in the case of Krishna there
be encountered.
Parva
in the
Turn
for
is
a similar difficulty to
instance to the end of the Mousala
Mahabharata, where you will find a curious passage.
Speaking of Krishna's death, the author says that the soul went to heaven
—which corresponds
with due honors by
all
to I) evachanwYi^Ye
the Devas.
departed from that place to his
Then
it is said,
own
place,
it
was received
that
Narayana
Narayana being
the symbol of the Logos. Immediately after there follows a stanza describing the existence of Krishna in Sivar-gam, and further
on we
find that
when Dharmaraja's
he found Krishna there. reconciled
I
Unless
How
we suppose
soul
are these
went into Swargam
two statements
that Narayan,
to
be
whose energy and
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA,
wisdom
manifested throTigh the
>vere
power manifesting
spiritual
there
individual,
this
is
itself
we
inferring that the Avatars
Why
Mahavishnu?
Logos
care of humanity,
Avatars
through
Now^
difficulty.
not be far
wrong
in
were the mani-
of,
Who
Mahavishnu.
then
should this Logos in particular, in the
is it
upon
universe, take
and manifest
and further,
;
shall
are speaking
great Hindu writers of old called this
for the time being
and the same power, the Logos, which the
of one
are several other
Krishna, was a separate
no solution of the
from these two statements we
festations
man
39
itself in
if
is
there
tho
itself
tho form of various
possible for every other adept, after
he becomes associated with the Logos, to descend as an Avatar in the
A
same manner
for the
good of humanity
clear discussion of these questions will
ations that go far
lead into consider-
into the mysteries of occult science,
of theories that can only be
Possibly
of initiation.
some
communicated
light will
premature
Dhyan Chohan evolution
that
first
appeared on
this planet
commenced during this Kalpa, who
progress in motion, and whose duty
mankind
of
interests
it
until
the
it
time
would be
me to discuss the question at this stage. for me to say, that this Mahavishnu seems to
for
sufficient
at the
be thrown upon the
subject in the forthcoming " Secret Doctrine " but
be
and
which clearly I should have to take into account a
to explain
number
down
?
is
It will
be tho
when human
set the evolutionary
to
watch over the
seven Manwahtara through
which we are passing, are over. It
may
be that
muJcta, or a great
may
this
be, it is a Logos,
at present.
Logos
Mahatma
itself
was associated with a jivan-
of a former Kalpa.
and as Huch only
it is
However
that
of importance to
us
Perhaps in former Kalpas, of which there have been
millions, that
Logos might have associated
Mahatma, and
all their individualities
itself
with a series of
might have been subsisting
40 in
NOTES ON THE BTIAOAVAD GITA. nevertheless
it;
Eswara, and consider
it is
has a distinct individuah'ty of his own,
it
from present purpose.
it
liave thouo-ht
necessary to
it
it is
only as a Logos in the abstract that we have to
<rive,
This explanation, however, I for the
to understand certain statements
purpose of enabling 3-0U
made by Krishna, which
will-
not become intelligible unless read in connection with what I have said.
III.
In this lecture I shall consider the premises I have laid do-WB
with special reference to the various passages in which they
seem
to be indicated in this book.
remembered that
It will be
which
is
Any
Farabrahmam.
I called
principle
I started with the very first caiise,
definition of this
positive
of course impossible, and a negative definition
that can be attempted from the very nature of the case.
is all
It is
generally believed, at any rate by a certain class of j)hilosopherSy that Krishna himself
God who
is
is
Parahrahmam
Parahrahmam
in speaking of
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
that he
is
the personal
but the words used by Krishna
Parahrahmam,, and the way
which he
in
deals-
with the subject, clearly show that he draws a distinction
between himself and Parahrahmam,
No Logos
doubt he is.
a manifestation of Parahrahmam, as every
is
And Pratyagatma is Parahrahmam
which that proposition
ment
is
at the
bottom of
htnam,'^ they do not
mean
Parahrahmam, but
which
is
the
Parahrahmam,
all
When
often misunderstood.
is
is laid
Logoi^
down by
Adwaiti philosophy, Adwaitis say
''^
true
Pratyagatma,
but
is
very
Aham eva Parahror-
ahafikaram (egotism)
to say that this
that the only
or
in the sense in
the Adwaitis. This state-
is
self in
a
the
cosinos
manifestation of
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. It will
be noticed that when Krishna
41
speaking of himself
is
he never uses the word Parabrahmam^ but places himself in the position oi pratyagatmcb and
it
this standpoint that
Whenever he speaks
him speaking.
constantly find
from
is
we
of Pra--
tyagatma^ he speaks of himself, and whenever he speaks of ^araIraJimamj he speaks of
being something different from
as
it
himself.
I will
made
to
now go through all the passages in which reference is Parabrahmam in this book. The first passage to which
I shall call your attention " The at ma
is
eternal spirit
is
the
Adhyatma,
called
is
chapter
viii,
Supreme Brahma.
verse 3: Its condition as
Pratyag-
Action which leads to incarnated existence
ia
denoted by Karma."
Here the only words used
ram and Brahma.
to denote
These are the words he generally uses.
will notice that he does not in
any place
heswara; he does not even allude to
term Paramatma he applies
it
to himself,
I believe that the reason for this
is
Eswara
Atma. Even the
self,
word Atma,
Atma.
to be called
strictly
that idea of self being
This idea of self
comes into existence with the Logos, and not before
Parabrahmam ought not
or
You Ma-
and not to Parabrahmam
no way connected with Parabrahmam.
first
of
call it
often as
that the
speaking, means the same thing as in
Parah^aJimani are Aksha-
Paramatma
or
hence
;
any kind
In one place only Krishna, speaking of Parabrah-
7)iam, says that
it is
his
Atma.
Except in that case he nowhere
Paramatma in speaking of Parabrahspeaking Parabrahmam is the very foundation
uses the worok Atina or
mam.
Strictly
of the highest to
self.
Parabrahmam
thus applied the term
it is
ParamatVfia
as distinguished
however a term
something
is
used,
distinct
also applied
from Pratyagatma.
used in a strictly technical sense.
Pratyagatma
as expressing
is
you
will find
from
it.
When
Whenever
Paramatma
used
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
42 it self,
must not be supposed
that
Parabrahmam. in
is latent
Perhaps
may
it
Parabrahmam,
be said that the idea of self
as everything
on that account you connect the idea of
you
the ego, or any idea of
either
can be associated with, or be considered as inlierent in
will
1)0
is
latent in
But
to
avoid confusion
;
and,
â&#x20AC;˘
if
Parabrahmam
self with
Paramatina
quite justified in applying the term
ParahraJimam.
it
it is
much
to
better to
use our words in a clear sense, and to give to each a distinct
to chapter viii, verse 11
:
"I will briefly explain to thee that
the Vedas
Turn now
which there can be no dispute.
connotation about
describe as indestructible
and which
are free from desire, enter,
(padam), which those
i^Iace
who know
aksharam), which the ascetics, who, ( is
the desired destination of those
who
observe Brahniacharyam.*'
Here we
find another
Parabrahmam, He
of
When
Nirvana,
he
word used by Krishna when speaking calls it his
calls
padam â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the
Parabrahmatii
his
ahode of
bliss,
or
padatn or abode,
he does not mean vaikuntha loha or any other kind of loka
he speaks of
brahmam
it
as his abode, because
that the Logos resides.
He
;
in the
bosom of Para-
refers to
Parabrahmam
it is
as the abode of bliss, wherein resides eternally the Logos, manifested
21
or Junmanifested.
to
chapter
viii,
verse
;-
" That which
is
stated to be immanifested and immutable
the highest condition to be return for those
Here to
Again turn
the
who
reach
When
Parabrahmam.
mam,
which
sides in the
the Logos
it
it is
my
same kind of language
or reaches the Logos, is
it
is
reaches
of
spoken of as
any soul
may
is
no
used, and the reference is
is
absorbed into the Logos^
be said to have reached Parabrah-
the centre of the Logos
bosom
is
That place from which there supreme abode."
reached.
;
and as the Logos re-
Parabrahmam, when
Parabrahmam
also.
the soul
reaches
43
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
Here yon
will notice that ho again
speaks of
to chapter ix, verses 4, 5
and 6
Parahrahmam
as his abode.
Turn now "The whole form
of this Universe
{Avyahtaiiioorti).
am
but I
existence,
I
My Atma
within me.
:
Look
by them."
my
in
thus the support of
not supported
manifested as Esirara (Lorjoa)
me
pervaded by
is
am
:
at
unmanifested
all
the manifested
my
condition
(howeverj
is
the foundation and the origin of mani-
fested beings, though it does not exist in combination with them.
that
all
In
my
is
always in space."
last lecture I tried to explain the
mysterious connect-
Parabrahna'm,
ion between Parahrahmaiii and Mulaprakrlti, is
Conceive'
the manifested beings are within me, just as the atmosphere spread-
ing everj^-where
^
when
these phenomenal manifestations are not
What
never differentiated.
which
is
is
differentiated
is
Mulaprakrlti^
sometimes called Avt/aktain, and in other places
Kutastham, which means simply the undifferentiated Element.
Parahrahmam seems
Nevertheless for
all
physical
phenomena, or for
all
is
phenomena
After
generally referred to Mulaprahriti. object
one foundation
to be the
all,
that
are
any material
nothing more than a bundle of attributes to
us.
Either
on account of an innate propensity within us or as a matter of inference,
we always suppose
that there
is
a non-ego,
has this l>undle of attributes superimposed upon is
the basis of
there could be
all
these attributes.
no physical body.
from Parahrahmam
spring
which
is
It
is
not
is
purely phenomenal.
its veil,
itself,
Mulaprakntl
Parahrahmam
itself,
It is
Were But
is
tiie
it
seems
of the
veil
Mulaprakrlti
of its
Parahrahmam. appearance.
It
no doubt far more persistent than Being the
only absolute and
to be the basis of all
attributes do not
from
but merely
and which
not for this essence^
these
but
any other kind of objective existence. manifestation
it
it,
which
first
mode
or
unconditioned reality
subsequent manifestations.
Speak-
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD
44 ingof
this aspect o^
cosmos
Pardbrahmam,
pervaded bv
is
Thus he speaks
Parabralnnam manifesting
is
it,
which
Krisliim says that
his
is
(ilTA,
tlie
whole
Avyakta form.
of Parabi^ahnamashis Avt/aktamoorii, ])ocanso
unknowable, and only becomes knowable Avheu the Logos or
itself as
Here he
Eswara.
is
trying
Parahrahmam is the Avyaktamoorti of the Logos Atma of the Logos, which is everywhere present,
to indicate that
as
is
it
since
the
the
it is
of the imiverse, and
which
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; when manifested in the shape
entiated,
working
Atma
in the cosmos,
and which, though the
though in
differ-
of the various
itself it is
basis of all
ap})ears
Logos
undifferentiated
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
phenomenal manifestations,
does not partake of the viharanis of those phenomenal mani-' festations.
now
Refer
to chapter xii, verses 13, 14, 15, 10,
Here again, in speaking of Parahrahmam and 17, Krishna
is
down
laying
meaning of these
the
them from
verses,
for
in verses 15,
IG,
a proposition which I have
I need not
already explained at length.
and IT.*
now go minutely
you can very
easily
into
ascertain
the commentaries.
Turn to chapter xiv, verse 27 :- " I am the image or the seat of the immortal and indestructible Brahmama of eternal law and of undisturbed happiness."
Here Krishna image
of
hrahnain its
is
referring
image
;
he does not
is
in
chapter xv, verse 6
" That fire
call
to himself as
says he
himself
a manifestation
or
the Pratishfa of Para"
is
Parahrahmam^ but only
or manifestation.
The only other psssago ject
He
Parahrahmavi,
is
my
illumines.
supreme abode
Ed
refers to the
same sub-
:
(dhama)^\\]\\ch.
Those who enter
* This and some their length.
which Krishna
it
neither sun,
nor moon,
nor
do not return."
of the other quotations have been
omitted Qn account of
NOTES ON THIS BHAGAVAD GITA* There again he sjxaks o^ alode.
as his
that refer to indicate
to
of
its
I
padam and that
believe
Parahrahmam
refers to
arc
tliese
connection with the Logos.
ont the passages
in
I shall
which reference whole of
Strictly speaking the
book of the philosophy
show the nature
to
now proceed
There
which does not directcly or indirectly
point
to
to the Lo(jos itself.
hook may be
this
Lor/os.
of the
statements
the
all
made
is
F arahrahmam
and they are snfHcient
in this hook,
position pretty clearly, and
its
45
is
refer
to
the
called
hardly a page
There are
it.
however a few important and significant passages, to which desirable that â&#x20AC;˘
what and
I
its
I
should refer you, so
that
"
Even I,who am unborn,
"
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
many
births.
imperishable, the Lord of
all
nature, take birth through the instrumentality of
Bharata, whenever there
is
a decline of
dharma
his body, reaches
my
>nai/a.
and
or righteousness
my
divine
but also to
Krishna's
noticed that he speaks here as
own
if his
action,
my
me and full
to
condition."
the Logos
incarnations.
It
Logos had already
ted itself with several personalities, or
human
with those incarnations.
in
the
will
be
associa-
indvidualities,
and he says that he remendjers
place in coijnectiou
and
birth
and anger, devoted
This passage refers, of course, not only to
;
beings, controlling
me, and does not come to birth again.
are free from passion, fear
former yugas
of
dharma.
of me, purified by spiritual wisdom, have attained
abstract,
all
I create myself.
Arjuna, he who understands truly
Many, who
know
I
yuga^ to protect the good, to destroy evil-doers
birth in every
to re-establish
abandoning "
:
iv,
harasser of foes.
spread of adhanua or unrighteousness,
and
to 11
Arjuna, I and thou have passed through
" I take
sup-
soul, is
of this book. Let us turn to chapter
them, but thou dost not know, "
human
connection with humanity and the
and examine the meaning of verses 5
my own
it is
whether
see
have said about the nature and functions of the Logos;
ported by the teachings
"
you may
Of
all
that
course,
in
took since
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
4G
karmahandham
there could be no
Logos
h\s
not lose
when
y
its
the bonds
as
asociated itself with
it
he was
far as
human
a
concerned,
soul,
would
own independence of action, as a soul confined by And because his intellect and wisdom
of matter.
were in no way clouded by he says he can recollect
human sonb
with a
this association
previous
all his
while
incarnations,
Arjuna, not yet having fully received the light of the Logos
is
not in a position to understand all that took place in connection with his former
necessary, he
is
says that
it is
his object to
look
humanity, and that whenever a special in-
after the welfare of
carnation
He
])irths.
particular individual
himself with the
unites
and that he appears
;
in various
soul of a
forms for,
the purpose of establishing dharma^ and of rectifying matters on
the plane of
human
life,
the words he uses there his
own
H adharma is
reason to suppose that the
has been
incarnations
books are willing
to admit.
incarnations;
janmas
the
\i i\\Q
recognised
human
for
He
a])parenlty
Avatars were not,
Vamana was
human
incarnations of Vishnu, there would per-
Koorma,
strictly speaking,
not born
refers to
or incarnations referred to are simply
Mafsf/a,
the
number of
very great, more so than our
haps be only two incarnations before Krishna, asurama,
From
gets the ascendancv.
oi'
human
Kama
and Par-
Varaha and Narasinha
human
incarnations.
Even
father or mother.
The mysteries of these incarnations
lie
deep in the inner
sanctuaries of the ancient arcane science, and can only be under-
stood by unveiling certain hidden truths. tions can
The human incarna-
however be understood by the reniarks
may
I
have already
be that this L^ogos, which has taken u})on
made.
It
the
of humanity, has incarnated not merely in connection with
Ciire
two individuals whose history and the Mahabharata, but various individuals
who have
we also
see narrated in the
itself
Ramayana
perhaps in connection with
api)eared in different parts of the
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. %vorld
and
47
great reformers and saviours of
at different times as
mankind. Again, these janmams might not only include incarnations which this
perhaps include the course
united his
all
the
incarnations
of his spiritual
soul
the
all
special
Logos has undergone, but might
progress
who
of that individual,
joined
finally
also
in
himself, or
with the Logos, which has been figuring as the
guardian angel, so to speak, of the best and the highest interests of humanity on this planet.
In
this connection there is a great truth that I
ought to bring
to your notice. Whenever any particular individual reaches the
.highest
virtues that alone entitle finally, unites his soul
him
an
to
in himself all the
developes
state of spiritual culture,
union with the Logos, and
with the Logos, there
is
as
it
were, a sort
of reaction emanating from that Logos for the good of humanity. If I
am
may compare
permitted to use a simile, I
happen in the case of the sun when a comet
â&#x201A;Źomet
falls
upon the
heat and light.
sun, there
necessarily
is
So, in the case of a
human
veloped an unselfish love for humanity
in
his highest qualities with the Logos, and, final
union comes, generates in
good of humanity. sends
may
down
its
to
it
If a
it.
an accession of
being
who
has de-
He
himself.
when
what may
upon
the time
unites
of the
an impulse to incarnate for the
it
Even when
fiills
it
does
riot
actually incarnate, it
influence for the good of mankind. This influence
be conceived as invisible spiritual grace that descends from
heaven, and
it is
showered down upon humanity, as
whenever any great Mahatma unites
Every Mahatma who
joins his
soul
his
were,
it
soul with the Logos,
with the Logos
is
thus a
source of immense power for the good of humanity in after generations.
It is said that the
apart from the world, are
concerned when they are
Mahatmas, living
utterly still
useless so far as
living,
and are
still
as they
are
humanity
more
so
is
when
NOTES ON THE BIIAGAVAD GITA.
48
they have reached Nirvana,
This
an ahsurd proposition that
is
who
has been put forward by certain writers
The truth
hend the true nature of Nirvana.
every purified soul joined with the Logos
is
not compre-
did
as I have said,
is,
capable of stimulat-
ing the energy of the Logos in a particular direction.
mean
Mahatma
to say that in tlie scase of ever}^
sarily
any tendency
dharma
to
mankind
to incarnate
—
for the
in special cases this
I do not
there
is
may happen
—
in all cases there is an influence of the highest spiritual
coming down from the Logos
to
that this Logos, that seems to have
among
various nations for
that into which the soul of a great
was
finally
cated to
it
absorbed
;
human
Krishna.
incarna-
has been acting, as
Mahatma of
were, to
it
have indicated there
nection with Krishna and
all
is
It
might be
good of humanity, was
that the impulse which
In this connection I must frankly I
efficacy
already on this
incarnated
the
tell
former kalpd
a
was thus communi-
make
re-incarnate during the present kalpa for the
mystery
but
Krishna, or rather the Logos with reference
which we have been speaking of
planet
.
good of humanity, whether
for the
as an invisible essence, or in the shape of another tion, as in the case of
neces-
purpose of teaching
it
incarnate and
good of mankind.
you, that beyond the
yet another mystery in con-
the incarnations mentioned in this
book, and that mystery goes to the very root of
all
occult science.
Rather than attempt to give an imperfect explanation, I think
much
better to lose sight of this part of the subject,
ceed to explain the teachings of this book, as
if
it
and pro-
Krishna
is
not
speaking from the stand-point of any particular Logos, but from that of the Logos in the abstract.
of this book
is
concerned,
it
would
as that of Krishna, but there
when explained
will be
^•ith reference to this
are
So
far as the general
suit
any other Logos
tenour as
well
few scattered passages, that
found to possess a special significance
mystery which they do not possess now.
KOTliS
An
ON Tim BlUaAVAD
attempt will be made in the
49
GITA.
Secret Doctrine"
^^
the nature of this mystery as far as possible, but
imagined that the
whole mystery
to
indieato
must not be
completely drawn, and that the
veil will be
will be reveale
it
Only hints
1.
be given by the
will
help of which you will have to examine and understand the sub-
This matter
ject.
thought
it
is
however foreign
my
to
subject
The whole philosophy
be misled.
book
is
you should
the philosophy
In general Christ or Buddha might have used the
gf the Logos.
same words
of this
yet I have
;
better to bring the fact to your notice lest
as those of
Krishna
and what
;
I
have said about this
mystery only refers to some particular passages that seem to touch upon the nature of Krishna's himself seems to think there .the
is
divine
He
individuality.
may
a mystery, as you
see
from
9th verse.
In the tenth verse " Logos.
Mathhkavam" means
Krishna says there have been
the condition of the
Mahatmas who
several
have become Eswaras, or have united their souls completely with the Logos.
Turn now
14 and 15
to chapter v, verses
"The Lord of the world does not bring about or dition
by which people
attribute
karma
people feel the effects of their karma.
He
works.
knowledge
:
create
to themselves It
is
;
karma
or the con-
nor does he
make
the law of natural causation that
does not take upon himself the sin or the merit of any one. Real
is
smothered by delusion^ and
hetlcfe
created beings are misled."
Here he says that Eswara does not create karma, nor does he create in individuals
any desire
impulse to do karma,
to
do karma.
emanates from
ViJcarams, and not from the Logos, or the
from the Logot.
You must
*^
Idyll of the
Mulaprakriti and that
light
White Lotus."
In
its
nature,
itself it is
as
its
emanates
look upon this light or Fohat, as
kind of energy eternally beneficent in the
All karma, or
stated
a in
not capable of
generating any tendencies that lead to bandharn; but ahankaram, 7
50
ON THB BHA^AVAD
NTOTJSS
and the desire to do karma, and
GITA.
karma with
all
con-
its varioTis
sBquences come into existence by reason of the iipadhis which are but the manifestations of that one Mulaprakriti. Strictly
and logically speaking, yoti will have to attribute
these results to both of these forces.
and
is
Mulaprakriti will not act,
incapable of producing any result, unless energised by the
light of the Logos. Nevertheless,
most of the
results that pertain
karma and the continued existence of man as the responsible
to
producer of karma are traceable to Mulaprakriti, and not to the light that viiilizes
Mulaprakriti,
We may
it.
therefore
is
the source of salvation.
human
the foundation of the better side of those tendencies of action,
this
by which we may attain to union
light is the one instrument
with the Logos, which
suppose that this
handhakaranam, and
the real or principal
is
This light
is
and of
all
nature,
which generally lead to liberation from
the bonds of avidya.
Turn "
My
to chapter vii, verses
Prahriti {Midaprahriti)
wind, ether,
fire,
is
4 and 5
:
divided into eight parts
mind, intuition and egotism.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; earthy
This Prakriti
is
water, called
Aparaprakriti."
"Understand from is
this.
my
Paraparakrit (Dahiprakriti^) as something distinct
This Daiviprakriti
is
the one
life
by
-w^hich
the whole Universe
supported."
Krishna in verse 5 distinguishes between
and Faraknti.
Mahachaitanyam
This Baivipraknti
is,
this Daiviprakriti
strictly
speaking, th6
of the whole cosmos, the one energy, or th6
only force from which spring
you must look upon
it
all
force manifestations.
He
says
as something different from the Prakriti
of the Sankhyas.
Turn now " ft
to chapter vii, verse 7
Dhanamjaya, there
row
of
gems on the
is
:
nothing superior to me, and
string running through theni."'
all this
hangs on
me
as
NOTES qN THE please notice
two kinds of Prakriti, Of
51 referring to
i?
course that Prakrlti, which
tiated into the eight elements is
4 and 5 Krishna
verses
tiiat in
BIIAGAVAi:) GITA.
is
differen-
enumerated in Sankhya philosophy
the avyahtam of the Sankhyas
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
the
it is
Mulaprakriti^ which
must not be confounded with the Daiviprakriti, which
the light of the Logosy
J)aiviprakriti,
have other meanings Esivara
as vidya.
These words
In the Swetaswatara Upanishad
also.
described as the deity
is
the
Conceive Mulapraknti as av'idya, an4
of the Logos,
light
is
who
controls
both vidya
ftnd avldya.
Here Krishna seems
to refer to all the qualities, or all the ex^
manifested in every region of phenomenal
'cellent qualities,
existence, as springing from himself.
No
doubt the other qualities also or rather their ideal forms
originally spring from him, but they
ought to be traced mainly
to Mulaprakriti, and not to himself.
1 will
now
refer
the same chapter **
The
ignorant,
:
you
to verse
24 and the following verses of
~
who do
not
know my supreme and
nature, regard
me
as a manifestation of
" Veiled by
my
yoga maya
does not comprehend me,
" I know,
Arjuna,
I
am
not visible to
who am unborn and
all beings, past,
indestructible and beat
avyahtam, all.
The deluded world
imperishable.
present,
and
future,
but none know*
me."
In these verses Krishna
is
controvertinof a doctrine that
unfortunately created a good deal of confusion. told
you
that the
Parahrahmam
Sankhyas have taken
veiled
their
has
I have already
avyaktam, or rather
by Mulaprakriti, as Atma or the
real
self.,
Their opinion was that this avyaktam took on a kind of pheno-
menal
when
on account of association with upadhi, and phenomenal differentiation took place, the avyaktam
differentiation this
became the
Atma
of the individual.
They have thus altogether
52
KOTKS ON THE BliAGAVAD GITA.
lost sight of the Logos.
consequences followed from
Startling
They thought that there being but one avjfaktam^
this doctrine.
one soul, or one spirit, that
existed, in every upadhi, appearing dif-
though not differentiated in
ferentiated,
reality, if
could control the action of upadhi, and destroy the ereated, the result self
and a
final
layam
that has brought the
in
this
had
avyaktam, Parahrahmam,
It is
Adwaiti philosophy of this country,
Buddhism
deplorable
present
it
would be the complete extinction of man's
this doctrine that has spoilt the
its
somehow we
maya
of Ceylon,
condition,
and
Burmah and China
led
to
many Vedantid
so
writers to say that Nirvana was in reality a condition of perfect
layam
or annihilation.
who
If those
say that Nirvana
is
annihilation are right,
so far as the individuality of the soul letely annihilated,
is
concerned,
and what exists ultimately
the individual however purified or exalted,
which has
hrahmarriy
hrahmam idea of
itself is
self,
a
all
is
it is
then,
comp-
not the soul, or
but the one Fara-
along been existing,
and that Para^
unknowable essence which has no
sort of
nor even an individual existence,
but which
is
the
one power, the one mysterious basis of the whole cosmos.
In
made
the ardhamatra
Avyaktam and nothing more.
In some Upa-
interpreting the Pranava, the Sankhyas really
mean
this
ardhamatra
nishads this differentiated
which of
is
Atma
is
the soul
in
number of persons
It
also the
was is
of
Parabrahmam.
When
man.
This
in India,
layam
this
difierentation,
is
destroyed, there
is
also the
who
is
a layam
view of a consider-
called themselves Adwaitis.
view put forward as the correct Vedantic view.
certainly the view of the ancient
the view of
appearing
described as that which,
mainly due to the upadhi^
able is
is
all
those Buddhists
of the soul in
Sankhyan philosophers, and
who consider Nirvana
Pa/rahrahmam,
It
to be the
KOTliiS
ON
BHAGAVAD
TJITi
53
GTTA.
After ronching karana earira there are two paths, both
which lead
Parabrahmam, Karana sarira, you must know,
to
an upadhi
18
of
that
material,
it is
;
Mulaprakritiy but there
say,
is to
acting in
also
is
derived from
it is
as its
it,
and
light
energy the light from the Logos, or Daiviprahriti or Fohat. Now, as I have said, there are
When
two paths.
you reach Karana
Earira you can either confine your^attention to the upadhi and^ tracing
its
genealogy up to Mulaprakriti^ViTTiy eat
you may
at the next step, or
and is
your attention
fix
working within
upon the energy, or light, or
solely
You may
it.
ling along the ray
till
Of these two paths a and
all
source, which
its
considerable
Sankhyas and
all
But
mately.
and
its light
nion,
is
in the
y
that
hoping thus
of
is
the Logo»
Parbrahmam,
to reach
number
Buddhists
acquainted with the occult doctrine leads to Mulaprakriti,
life,
then try to trace its origin, travel-
you reach
and from the standpoint of the Logos try
ists,
Parabrahmam
upadhi ^altogether
lose sight of the
modern Vedant^
—except those who
—have chosen
to reach
the one
are
that
Parabrahmam
ulti-
view taken by these philosophers the Logos
were completely
lost sight of.
appearance of
the differentiated
Atmaf this
in
their
opi-
avyahtam and
nothinor o more.
Now
what
is
the result ?
when the upadhi exists
afterwards,
there is
The
ceases to exist,
and that thing
Parabrahmam. The
annihilated.
Further, in such a case
of the question.
How
is it
its
it
avyahtam, and beyond
man
is
it
completely
would be simply absurd
would then be impossible and out
possible for
help mankind in any possible
to
is
individuality of
to speak of Avatars, for they
this stage ?
differentiated appearance ceases
and the thing that existed before
Mahatmas, or adepts, to
way when once they have reached
The Cingalese Buddhists have pushed this doctrine
logical
conclusion.
tinguished, and every
According to them Buddha
man who
follows hie doctrine
will
is
ex-
even-
NOTES 0\ THE BIUGAVAp QITA.
51 tnally lose
individuality of his
tlie
Atma
they say
therefore
}
Buddha
that the Tibetans are entirely mistaken in thinking that
has been overshadowing, or can overshadow any mortals
Buddha has
called
lost
Now
individuality.
its
since
;
man who waa
the time he reached Paranirvana the soul of the
Krishna protests against the doctrine which leads
I
say that
to
such con-
sequences.
He who
says (verse 24) that such a view
hold
it
Moreover he
sight
He
yoga maya. this
light
says
alone
tells
it is
This yoga
why he
us the reason
so because he
maya
is his
thus lost
is
always veiled by his
is
It
light.
is
supposed
from which
the centre
is visible,
remaining always
it
that'
radiates
invisible.
As may naturally be expected lip,
wrong, and that those
do not understand his real position as the Logos or
Verhum, of.
is
or in conjunction,
always seen mixed
this light is
with the Emanations of MulaprahitL
Hence Sankhyas have considered
it
to be
an aspect
Avyaktam was
Emanation from Mulaprahnti,
of,
or an
in their opinion
the source, not only of matter, but of force also.
But according avyaktam, but
to
Krishna
himself. But, as this source
and cannot be
is
easily detected,
is
not to be traced to
except their avykatam
was supposed by these
But
its basis.
the Logos in the sense that the
supposed to be the
veil of
which source
in
and behind
this
light
is
philo-^
this light,
the veil of
Shekinah of the Kabbalists
Adonai.
is
arupa and mysterious
altogether it
was nothing more
fiophers that there
that
light
this
to a different source altogether,
Verily
it is
the
is
Holy Ghost
seems to form the flesh and blood of the divine Christ,
If the
Logos were
perception of a cbtlie
I
to manifest itself, even to the highest spiritual
human
in Ihi^ light
being,
it
vhicb forms
would only be able its
body,
to
do so
Se6 vhat Sankaa:a^^
NOTE.*^
ox Tim Blt^e^yAO
15
filTA.
dmrra says in his Soundaryaluliari. Addressing says :— *'You are the body of Sainbhu/' This light a cloak, or a mask, with which the Lo^/os
the
as
i8,
weroj
it
make
enabled to
is
ho
light
its
appearance.
The
real centre of the light is not visible even to the highest
perception of man.
spiritual
expressed in that priceless
when
says
it
yon reach it
it
for ever
(rule
12)
t
It is this
beyond you
It is
vou have
lost yourself.
recedes.
You
will
briefly
is
book "Light on the Path/'
little
—"
which
truth
It
is
when
because
;
because
unattainable
but you will
enter the light,
neVer touch the fiame." •
Yon
t\-ill
bear in mind the distinction
that Krishna
draws
between the unfortunate doctrine of the Sankhyas and others,
and
true
thfe
because
it
theory
\vhich he
leads to important
endeavouring to inculcate,
is
Even now
consequences.
I
may
j?ay that ninety per cent, of the Vedantic writers hold the view
which Krishna
Turn now
is
trying to combat*
to chapter viii,
and examine th6 meaning of verses
5 to 16.
In these passages Krishna lays down two propositions which are of
immense importance
soul can
reach
to
and become
humanity. finally
First,
with himself.
assimilated
Nextj he says, that \vhen once he
is
Punarjanmatn^ or
man who
rebirth, for the
he says that the
reached there has
is
no more
succeeded
iii
reaching him.
Against the
latter
times been raised.
and the yet
if
spiritual
will
It is said
some objections have some-
that
if
the soul reaches the Logoi
individuality of the Logos
the Logos has also to overshadow
time^ or have earth,
proposition
preserved,
Fuaarjanmam
is
man who untrue.
reaches
But
this
and
time to
any connection with a human being living
then the statement that A
have no
is
mortals from
oii
the Logos objection
N0TEJ8
ยง(>
arises
ON THE BHAaAVAD
GITA*
ft'om a misunderstanding as to the nature of this
As
with the Logos.
we know, judging from our ordinary
far as
experience, this individuality, this sense of Ego, at present
time.
a kind of fleeting
is
Day
day the
after
being stored
and
up,
which we havg
changing from time to
entity
manner united
seems to every
it
man
experiences of
different
in a mysterious
Of course
single individuality.
nnhti
man
are
into a
that he
has a definite individuality during the course of a particular
but the individuality of his Karaiia
incarnation^
made up
imagined that Various
individualities like these.
of several all
the experiences
incarnations
that
It
Sarira
is
must not bo
connected with the
are
and go to constitute
their
.
respective,
personalities are to be found in a kind of mechanical juxtaposi-
tion in the
karana sarira.
machinery by which
duality of the
above
self.
human monad, its
which
is
;
But now the
when it
it
is
see
is
portion of the soul's
monad formed from whose the experiences
own
its
in
the
and only
own
the soul of a
what changes take place himself.
in-
Karana Sarira makes
not repugnant to
The moment
the individual at once feels that he
In
that
experiences of a man,
unites itself with
that which
indivi-
The Logos has an
it is.
such portions thereof as belong to
human being
fact his
this higher
an individuality over and
just as the
a choice between the various
takes from
is
these bundles of
high and spiritual enough to live
individuality of the Logos
the Logos,
is
all
the soul rises to the Logos, all
takes from the soul
that this latter
individuality
When
own.
Nature has a sort of
so.
Great as
there
and far greater than
this
dividnality of
assimilates
not
able to reduce
it is
experiences into a single
It is
is
its
nature,
man, only
nature.
in the consciousness of this
union takes place,
himself the Logos, the
light has been going through all
which he has now added individuality
is lost,
to his
individuality
and he becomes Endowed
NOTES ON THE SHAGAVAl) CUTA.
57
Fromlthe stand-
with the original individuality of the Logos. point]of the Logos
the
feeler, as it were, of its
out a kind of
own
light into varioua
This light vibrates along a series of incarnations
organisms.
and whenever
it
produces spiritual tendencies, resulting in ex-
perience that
is
capable of being added to the individuality of
the Logos
^
human
and the
man becomes
haps
from
spiritual
beginning
the
of
accumulated, per-
That
time.
is
Of course
new individual makes him, then the individual who
has become assimilated with the Logos
light
may no doubt
But the Logos does not
never contaminated by the
is
Krishna points out that he
is
simply
amount of
Up I
to that time
*^
I
of PrakritL
a
and the Mahatma
is
excej)t
with
Logos,
the
have no personal concern, because
simply watch as a disinterested witness.
my
Because
light
appears in different organisms, I do not therefore suffer pains and sorrows that a
nature
is
in
in various
sun
is
impure
defiled or
places.
My
to bear.
One might
manner
Therefore
it
tlio
spiritual
my
light
just as well say that the
rendered impure, because
In like
the Logos suffers.
8
man may have
no way contaminated by the appearance of organisms."
its
when
all,
to assimilate his soul
he says,
|
Upadrislitha, a witness,
spirituality is generated
sufficiently purified
be said to
suffer because
Vikarams
not personally interested in the result at certain
if
born, whenever a
his appearance having its light in
have punarjanmam.
will
individual
therefore never return to be born again on earth.
the Logos feels that It
composed
self being
the Logos has
wdiich
is
has
individualities that he
and united in himself, that
experiences
of the
the individuality of the Logos
being united to the Log'oe thinks that this
one of the innumerable assimilated
Thus the
the Logos assimilates that experience.
individuality of the
.
The Logos throws,
case stands thus*
its
light shines
it
cannot be true
is
not the real
in
to say that
soil'
that foela
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
58
when
pleasure or pain, and
a
man
assimilates his soul with the
Logos^ he no longer suffers either the pains or pleasures of
human
life.
Again when
I speak of the light of the
Logos permeating
cosmos and vibrating in various incarnations, sarily follow that a
He
ed again. his
being
who
this
does not neces-
it
has gone to the Logos
is
incarnat-
has then a well defined spiritual individuality of
own, and though the Logos
Eswara, and
is
light
its
is
the
Chaitani/am of the universe, and though ihe Logos from time
own
to time assimilates with its
souls of various
duals,
still
Mahatmag, and
spiritual nature the purified
overshadows certain indivi-
also
the Logos itself never suffers and has nothing like
Punarjanmam,
in the proper sense of the
word
;
and a man
who
is
real
LJswara in the cosmos, never to be reborn, and never again
absorbed into
it
becomes an immortal,
to be subject to the pains
and pleasure of human
It is only in this sense that
in
you have
If unfortunately immortality
lity.
which
it is
explained by the
the Cingalese Buddhists,
spiritual being, a
it
is
to
life.
understand immorta-
understood in the sense
modern Vedantic
writers and by
does not appear to be a very desir-
able object for man's aspirations.
If
it
be true, as these teach,
that the individuality of man, instead of being ennobled and
preserved and developed into a spiritual power, annihilated, then the
is
word immortality becomes
destroyed and a meaningless
term. I think I have the complete authority of Krishna for saying
that this theory
may
is correct,
not agree with
me on
and
this I believe to be,
this point, a correct
though
all
statement of the
doctrine of Saukaracharya and Buddha.
Turn now
to chapter ix, verse 11
"The deluded, not knowing {Eswara) of all
beings,
my
:
supreme nature, despise me, the Lord
when dwelling
in a
human
body."
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. Here Krishna verse 13 " The
calls
Mahatmas devoted
Here he
refers to
he draws a
Daiviprakriti
must be
that
Eswara.
himself the real
to Dalviprahriti,
is
me
and knowinf^j me
Daiviprahnti, between which and Mulapraclear
By some however
distinction.
centre and
It is
on the other hand a beneficent
man may
reach
its
source.
See verse 18 of the same chapter
am
this
looked upon as a thing to be shnnned, a force
controlled.
its
as the imperish-
with their minds concentrated on me."
energy, by taking advantage of which a
"I
Again in
:
able cause of all beings, worship
Icriti
59
:â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
the refuge, the protector, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the
shelter, the friend, the source, the destruction, the place, the receptable, the
imperishable seed."
All these epithets applied by Krishna to himself, show that
he
is
speaking of himself in the same manner as Christ spoke of
himself, or as every great teacher,
who was supposed
to have
represented the Logoji for the time being on this planet, spoke of himself.
Another very significant passage chapter
" I take interest in the welftire of those men, of
me
verso
is
22 of the same
:
who worship me, and
think
alone, with their attention always fixed on me."
1 have told
you that
in the generality of cases Krishna, or
the Logos, would simply be a disinterested witness, watching the career of the
But, in cases where
its interests.
the
way
is
human monad, and
not concerning
in this
manner
:
his guide,
the
way
with
made,
in
It
the Logos begins to take a greater
interest in the welfare of the individual,
is
is
preparsc] for a final connection with the Logos.
commences and
itself
real spiritual progress
and becomes
his light
and watches over him, and protects him.
This
which the approach of the Logos to the humai*
soul commences.
This interest increases more and more,
till,
KOTES ON THE BHAQAVAD GITA.
CO
when
man
tne
reaches the highest spiritual development,
tlie
Logos enters into him, and then, instead of finding within nimself merely the reflection of the Logos, he finds the Logos
Then the
itself.
final
more incarnation
the Logos becomes
must here
1
imion takes place, after which there
for the
call
man.
It is only
more than a
disinterested spectator.
yonr attention to verse 29 and the following
verses at the end of this chapter "I
am
worship "
the same to
Me
Even
if
all
beings
have neither friend not foe
he whose conduct
is
is
I
am
those
*,
who
in them.
Me
wicked worships
alone, he
is
to
be
working in the right direction.
son of Kunti, he soon becomes a virtuous x>^rson, and obtains eternal
peace
;
rest assured that
" Those
who
my
How much
worshipper does not perish^
are born in sin and are devoted to
Vaishyas, or Sudras, reach "
I
,
:
with devotion are in Me, and
regarded as a good man, for ho
"
no
is
in such a case that
my
Me, whether women, or
supreme abode.
more h3ly Brahmans and devoted Rajarshis, having come
into this transient
and miserable world, worship me
" Fix thy mind on me, worship me,
bow down
to
!
me
:
those
who depend
on me, and are devoted to me, reach me."
Here Krishna shows, by the two propositions that he down, that he point.
Ho
He
is
s[)eaking
says,"
No
from a thoroughly cosmopolitan stand-
one
is
my
friend
has alrea'ly pointed out the best
ship.
He
Pralilada
:
way
no one
We know
is
my enemy."
of gaining his friend-
does not assume that any particular
or his friend.
laying
is
man
is
his
became the greatest
of
hhagavathas.
Krishna
thoroughly impartial in dealing with mankind and in his tual u>inistration.
He
says
what kind of as^^ainam a man may have, what kind
not
make any
distinction
is
spiri-
does not matter in the least to him
it
formula of faith he professes
enemy
even in the case of rakshasas,
that,
;
and he further
of ritual
says, that
or
he does
between Sudraa and BrahinanSy
NOTES ON THE BIIAGAVAD GITA.
men and women, between
!)etween
His help
is
extended to
and that way may be
there
all
utilized
is
61
higher and lower cksses.
but one way of reachino; hijn;
by anybody.
In this respect he
draws a distinction between the doctrines of the karmayogis
Some
and his own teaching.
people say that cartain privileged
Moreover he must be taken to
the case.
the doctrine of certain
divided into three
ever they
may do
Mad h was, who
divisions.
go down
to
class of people called
the plane of earth
all
who
a
is
what-
another
:
who can never
leave
the InthamuktaSy
who,
Mitijasaimarikas^
whatever mischievous things they do, must be admitted
Vaikuntham.
This
doctrine
is
not
certain
are destined,
to bottomless perdition
class,
is
can be
souls
They say that there
and a third
;
says this
by implication
reject
say that
Nityanarakikas^
class of people called
He
to attain Kirvana*
classes only are entitled
not sanctioned
into'
by Krishna.
His doctrine further contains a protest against the manner in which certain writers have misrepresented the importance of
Buddha Avatar. No doubt some that
Buddha was an Avatar of Vishnu
Avatar undertaken to teach people all
for mischievous
he thought the best
I
am ashamed
;
writers admit
but they say
was an
it
He came
purposes.
to bring
here
order to bring
in
These people had to be punished
way
make them mad by preaching
view,
Brahman
sorts of absurd doctrines,
about their damnation.
to
of our
;
and
about their punishment was false
to say, is solemnly
doctrines to them.
This
put forward in some of
How different this is from what Krishna teaches. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ''In my sight all men are the same and if I draw
our books.
He any
says
:
;
distinction at
it
all,
is
only
when
a
man
reaches a very
high state of spiritual perfection and looks upon guide and protector. disinterested
Then, and then
witness, and try to interest
In every other
Ciise
I
am
me
as his
only, I cease to be a
myself in his
affairs.
simply a disinterested witness."
He
NOTES 0^
â&#x201A;Ź2
BHAGAVAD
TIIK
tnkes no account of tho fact that
one a Buddhist or a Parsee
that all
mankind stand on the same
one from another
"He
is
who
Now
sensible
is
is
Brahman and
and
that ^vhat distinguishes life.
to
know me,
the unborn Lord
freed from all sins."
turn to the 3rd verso of the next chapter (chapter
Here he calls himself tho unborn is
a
is
but he says that in his eyes
enough amongst men beginning,
man
tliis
level,
spiritual light
is
who has no
of the world
;
GITA.
the Esicara of the cosmos.
Logos perishes or
Of course
probable,
we in
conceive that there
is
such a thing as
may
whole cosmos, but there
infinite one.
At any
occultists there is a belief that there will be such a
though
is
it
may
vity, the
came tion
;
imagine.
otherwise at the
Logos
will
cosmic j^ra-
But even though
have
to be
;
it
there
when it
recommencement of cosmic
acti-
born again, as the present Logos
into existence at the time
commenced.
aja (unborn)
somo
among
rate,
be a cosmic pralaija the Logos will not perish even
takes place
is
not take place for a number of years that
impossible for us even to
may
when
be a time
arguing by analogy from a definite and limited
system to an indefinite and
laya.,
he
:
can very well conceive a solar -pralaya as
can also
activity ceases throughout the difficulty
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
must not be supposed that the
whether there
to question
We
cosmic pralatja.
:
:
destroyed even at the time oi cosmic pralay a.
is
open
it is
It
X)
he had no beirinninii
when
the
present cosmic evolu-
In such a case, Krishna cannot
he can only say
call
this of himself, if tho
himself
Logos does
not perish at tho time of cosine pralaya, but sleeps in the bosom oi Parahrahmain, and starts into wakefulness
when
the next day
of cosmic activity conmiences. I
have already said in speaking of
possible that first
it
this Logos, that it
was tho Logos that appeared
Dhyan Chohan,
or planetary Spirit,
man was recommenced
was quite
in the shape of tho
when
the evolution
after the last period of inactivity
on
of
this
.
NOTES ON TUB BHAGAVAD GITA. planet, as stated in
and
having
after
63
Mr. Sinnett's book, " Esoteric Buddhism,"
set the evohitionary. current in motion,
to the spiritual plane congenial to its
own
watching since over the interests of humanity, and appearing in connection with a
human
retired
nature, and has
been
now and then
individuality for the good
Or you may look upon the Logos represented by to the same class as the Logos which
of mankind.
Krishna as one belonging
In speaking
so appeared. X, verse 6) "
The seven great
ture,
of himself Krishna says,
(chapter
:
were born from
Rishis, the four preceding
my
mintl
my
Manus, partakinj? of
na-
from them sprang (was born) the human
;
race and the world/'
He
Speaks of the sapta
putras or
and of the Manus as his manasa
rishis
mind-born sons, which they would be
called Prajapati,
who appeared on
this
he was the so-
if
commenced
planet and
the work of evolution.
In
Puranas the Maharishis are said to be the mind-born
all
sons of Prajapati or Brahma,
on
this planet,
the
first
manifested beingj
and who was called Sivayamhhuva,
neither father nor mother
by forming,
who was
;
as he
had
he commenced the creation of
man
or bringing into existence
by
his
power, these Maharishis and these Manus.
own
complished Prajapati disappeared from the scene
work
of evolution.
He
has
himself altogether from the
menced
to evolute
on
;
as stated in
after
commencing
not, however, yet
disconnected
Manu-Smriti, Sicayamhhuva thus disappeared the
intellectual
After this was ac-
group of humanity that has com-
this planet,
but
is
still
the
overshadowing
Logos or the manifested Eswara, who does interest himself in the affairs of this planet and
is
in a position to incarnate
as
an
Avatar for the good of its population. There
your
is
a peculiarity in this passage to which I must
attention.
He
speaks here of four Manus.
Why
call
does he
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
64 speak of four
We
?
now
are
If he
of Vaivaswata.
is
Manwantara
in the seventh
some commentaries
to speak of six, but he only mentions four. In
an attempt has been made
The word
avaha"and
^'
is
to interpret this in a peculiar
Chatwaraha"
made
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that
speaking of the past Manns, he ought
is
word
separated from the
"
Man-
Sanandana, Sanatkumara
to refer to Sanaka,
and Sanatsujata, who were
manner*
also included
among
the mind-born
sons of Prajapati.
But
most absurd conclusion^
this interpretation will lead to a
and make
the sentence contradict
The persons alluded
itself.
in the text have a qualifying clause in the sentence.
known
that
Sanaka and the other three refused
the other sons had consented to do so
whom humanity
those persons from it
would be absurd
It is
to
well
to create, though'
therefore, in speaking of
;
has sprung into existence,
to include these four also in the
list.
The
passage must be interpreted without splitting the compound into
The number
two nouns. would be lect that
of
Manus
will be then four,
harmony with the
in
You
occult theory.
Each
root race
cular
Manu.
Now
is
it
will recol-
Mr. Sinnet has stated that we are now in the
race.
fifth
root
considered as the santhathi of a parti-
the fourth root race has passed, or in other
words there have been four past Manus.
There
Manusmriti that the
first
number
of
created seven
Manus according
not alleged that there was, or would bo
to this Smriti.
It
another batch of
Manus
is
It is stated in
Manu (Swayabhuva)
This seems to be the total
another point
is
to be considerd in connection with this subject.
Manus.
and the
would contradict the Puranic account, thoucrh
etateraent
created, or to be created at
some other
time.
But the Puranic account makes This
is
a
amount of
subject,
which,
I
attention at your
the
number
requires
believe,
hands
of
;
it
is
Manus a
fourteen.
considerable
no doubt a very
NOTES ON THK BHAGAVAD GIT A. interesting one, and I request such of
time at your disposal,
and
out of anything, but
if
you
we may be
quite possible
and
arisen,
find out
how
able to find out
there
if
is
any mistake is
how
Any
further
indicated in the
is
:
my
dwelling in them, out of
is
it is
unnecessary.
compassion for them, destroy the dark-
Wisdom."
ness born from ignorance by the shining light of spiritual
Here he
confusion
the whole mistake
or not.
Another interesting function of the Logos
same chapter, verse 11 I,
this
number fourteen
to get the
go into the matter deeply,
will
discussion of the subject at present
*'
have the required
as
Of course an ingenious pandit can get anything
out of Manu.
has
to try
The commentators try
has arisen.
you
65
said to be not only an instrument of salvation, but
As
wisdom.
also the source of
I
have already
said, the light
that
emanates from him has three phases, or three aspects.
First
it is
is
the
one aspect of
it
Mahachaitam/am of the cosmos
or the
life,
secondly,
;
it is
force,
the Fohat of the Bhuddhist philosophy the sense that
it
our conception of the
and
:
Gayatn.
meaning
its
may
;
that
this aspect it is
wisdom, in
lastly, it is
Hindu
the ChichaJcti of the
is
All these three aspects are, as you
Vasishta
;
and in
easily see,
philosophers.
combined in
be ChichaJdi by
It is stated to
justifies the statement.
It is further
represented as light, and in the sanhalpam that precedes the
japam
it is
evoked as the
read carefully the
*'
life
of the whole cosmos.
Idyll of the
White Lotus," you
If
you
will
will
perhaps
gain some further ideas about the functions of this light, and the help I have
it is
capable of giving to humanity.
now
to call your attention to all those verses in chapter
x
that refer to his so-called vihhuti, or excellence.
He
says
''
Aham
Atma'^
(I
am
self,)
because every self
is
but
a manifestation of himself, or a reflection of the Logos, as I
have already indicated.
It is in that sense
manifested everywhere in every upadhi. 1)
he
is
When
the
Aham
he says
this
(I)
ho
NOTES ON THE BIIAGAVAD GITA.
66 is
speaking from the standpoint of the Logos in the
and not from that of any particular Logos.
is
The description of
conveys to onr minds an important lesson.
this viblmti
that
ahstracfc,
good and great, sublime and noble in
All
phenomenal
this
universe, or even in the other lokas, proceeds from the Logos,
and
is
in
some way or other the manifestation of
power and
vihhuti
and
;
that tends to spiritual
all
and to objective physical
life
degradation
emanates from prahriti.
there are two contending forces in the cosmos.
we have
prah-iti whose genealogy
wisdom and
its
In fact
The one
is
this
The other
already traced.
is
the Dalviprakritl, the light that comes down, reflection after reflection, to the plane of the
religions in
which the
pulses of this cosmos
which
to this light,
is
fight
is
lowest organisms.
In
spoken
the
of,
reference
real
constantly attempting to
other force, which has
its
all
is
This
existence.
is
always
and that
life,
place in PraJcritij and
material
seems to be the foundation of all
those
men from
rai.ÂŤe
the lowest level to the highest plane of spiritual
leading the spirit into
all
between the good and the bad im-
constantly
conception
those wars in heaven, and of
the fighting between good and bad principles in the cosmos,
which we meet with in so many religious systems of philosophy. Krishna points out that everything that
good or noble should be considered
wisdom and
light.
This
is
certainly
as
is
considered great or
having in
realize
his
true, because the
the one source of energy, wisdom and spiritual
When you
it
what an important place
energy,
Logos
is
enlightenment.
this
energy that
emanates from the Logos plays in the evolution of the whole cosmos, and examine
its
enlightenment which
it is
powers with reference to the spiritual capable of generating, you will see
that this description of his vihhuti
is
by no means an exaggerated
account of Krishna's importance in the cosmos.
Turn next
to chapter xi.
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
The
inferences I
mean
to
draw from
First, that the Logos reflects the
67
this chapter are
whole cosmos in
itself, or,
other words, that the whole cosmos exists in the Logos in
As
I have
and the Logos
is,
world
said, the
already
is
the
in
germ.
its
word made manifest,
in the mystical phraseology of our ancient
the pasyanti form of this word.
writers,
these.
which the whole plan of the
This
is
germ
the
in
The
solar system eternally exists.
image existing in the Logos becomes expanded and amplified
when communicated to its light, and when the light acts upon MulapraJcriti.
manifested
is
No
matter
in
impulse, no energy
no form in the cosmos can ever come into existence without having
its
stitutes the
original conception in the field of Chitj which con-
demiurgic mind of the Logos,
The Logos
y
light
its
and Midaprakrltl constitute the real
Tatwatrayam of the Visishtadwaitis, Mulaprakriti being Achitj this light from the Logos their Chitj their
their
and the Logos being
Eswara,
There
is
way
yet another
which you ought
of looking at these entities with
to familiarize, yourselves.
by which I mean
all
called the physical
The whole cosmos,
body of the one Parabrahmam
of this light or force
may
the innumerable solar systems,
may
be called
its
;
the
sukshma sarira
abstract Logos will then be the karana sarira^ while the will be
But
Parahrahmam
which
whole ;
the
Atma
itself.
this classification
classification
be
must not be confused with that other
relates
to the
subdivisions of one only of
these entities, the manifested solar system, the most
objective
of these
sarira of
entities,
Parahrahmam.
which I have This entity
is
called
the
stliula
in itself divisible into four planes
of existence, that correspond to the four matras in Prana^ generally described.
Again
this
light
which
is
the
as
sukshma
68
ON THE BHAGAVAD
NOTI':S
sarira
Parahrahmam must
of
The
astral light.
Vaiswanara
;
GITA.
not be confounded
astral light is simply
but so far as this light
the is
with the
sukshma form of
concerned,
manifested planes in the solar system are objective to it
cannot be the astral light.
What
the Logos
Again,
how
I
and so
necessary to draw this
it
two have been confounded
distinction, because the
writings.
I find
in certain
why
have said will explain to some extent
is
considered as having viswarupam.
if
the
Logos
is
the
all
it,
nothing more than a Aclildrupam,
is it
that Aijuna, with his spiritual intelligence, sees an
objective
image or form before him, which, however splendid
and magnificent, world
What
?
is
is,
strictly
speaking, an external image of the
by him
seen
is
not the Logos
Viswarupa form of the Logos as Baivipraknii,
become
visible
There
It is
inference to be
the terrible things about to it.
light
even to the highest spiritual intelligence of man.
drawn from
this chapter.
Truly the form shown to Arjuna was fearful to look
depicted in
but the
its
only as thus manifested that the Logos can
yet another
is
itself
manifested in
happen
in the
The Logos being the universe
and
at,
war appeared
all
him
to
coming
in idea,
events (or those about to manifest themselves on the objective
plane) are generally manifested long,
it
may
be, before they
actually happen, in the plane of the Logos from which
pulses still
spring originally.
living at the time
Bhishma, Drona and
Krishna showed
their deaths and the destruction
seemed to be foreshadowed in Its terrible
this
its
light
it
In
im-
were
But yet
form.
this
almost their whole
army
appearance of the Logos,
form was but an indication of the
that were going to happen.
clothed in
of
all
Kama
itself the
terrible things
Logos has no form
assumes a form which
is,
as
it
;
were, a
symbol of the impulses operating, or about to operate, in the cosmos at the time of the manifestation.
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
69
lY.
The subject
of these lectures
is
a very vast and comph'cated one.
I have endeavoured to compress the substance
of
my
lecture
within the required limits, expecting to go through the whole dis-
my
course in three days, but
calculations have failed, and I have
even the introduction.
hardly finished
necessarily remain imperfect, and
all
These lectures must
I could do in
them was
to
lay before you a few suggestions upon which you should meditate. A good deal will depend on your own exertions. The subject is
very
difficult
it
;
ramifies into various departments of science,
and the truth I have been putting forward grasped, and
I
every one of
authorities in
easily
might not even have succeeded in conveying
exact meaning to your minds. reasons for
will not be
support of
my my
my
Moreover, as I have not given propositions,
and have not cited
statements, some
of
them might
appear strange. I
am afraid
have to study
that before all
you can grasp
existing
the
Gita, as well as the original
and see besides
Western
this to
my
real ideas,
you
commentaries on the Bhagavad
itself,
according to your
own
light,
what conclusions the speculations of the
and philosophers are gradually leading.
scientists
will
You
will then have to judge for yourselves whether the hypothesis
which
I
have attempted to place before you
is
a reasonable
one
or not.
In
my
last lecture I
stopped at the eleventh chapter of the book.
In that lecture I pointed out the various passages relating the Logos, which assertions I its
made
relation to
I
in
thought would support and justify the
my
mankind.
passages to which
ceeding chapters.
it is
to
preliminary lecture about I shall
now
its
nature and
proceed to point out the
desirable to call your attention in the suc-
NOTES ON THE BIIAGAVAD GITA.
70
In Chapter XII, to which connection,
which
I
have to refer again in another
have to ask your attention to the passages with
commences.
it
I shall
There Krishna points out the distinction
between meditating and concentrating one's attention upon the
Avyaktam
of the Sankhyas and fixing the mind and relying
upon
the Logos. I
have already shown in what important respects the Sankhya
philosophy differed from the Vedantic system of Krishna. Krishna has stated in various places, that their Avyaktam was different
from
Parabrahmam
his
—that
he was by no means to be con-
sidered a
manifestation
Arjuna in
this chapter that those
of that
Avyaktam
who
philosophy and endeavour to reach that
methods, are placed in a far more
whose object
is
to search for
This must naturally be is
so,
with
Avyaktam was
all its
now he
Avyaktam by
difficult
find out the Logos.
and
for this reason. This
rise
Avyaktam
the basis of the differentiated Prakrati
which I have divided the
principles into
Upadhi
from the
last
in gradual succession,
Upadhi
to their
nately no connection that to bridge the interval. is
own
The Sankhyas thought
solar system.
In case you follow the Sankhyan doctrine, you have to
their
gunas, this differentiated Prakrati being represented
by the three
Upadhi
tells
Sankhya
than those
position
and
nothing more than Mulaprakritl.
that their
—and
try to follow the
the true one, your
aim
but not consciousness to fested in every
Upadhi
is
Avyaktam^ there
likely to enable
If the
is
from
is
to
unfortu-
your consciousness
Sankhyan system of philosophy
will be to trace its
to rise
and when you try
Upadhi
to its source,
The consciousness mani-
source.
traceable to the Logos and not to the
Avyaktam of the Sankhyas. It is very much easier for a man to follow his own consciousness farther and farther into the depths of his
own inmost nature, and
—the Logos-—jthan
to try to follow
ultimately reach
Upadhi to
its
its
source
source in this
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. Mulaprahriti,
Avyaldam.
this
succeed in
reaching
thoughts in
it
7
Moreover, supposing you do
Avyaldam^ you can never
this
your individuality in
or preserve
it
capable of retaining any of these permanently. to reach
it
means
to
take objective
;
It
cognisance of
that you cannot do from the standpoint of karana
have to rise to a
Mulaprahiti
as
still
an
You
level
you cannot reach
may
quarter altogether different from
You
sarira.
Avyaldam
until
it
its
the
for
it,
source from
in
a
Av-
or the
Avyaktam
this
an
as
you reach the
the Mulapraknti
and that as
of the Saukhyas,
be that
but even
it,
cannot transfer your individuali ty to
simple reason that this individuality derives
yaktam
for, it is in-
you can look upon
before
Thus, considering
object.
object of perception,
Logos.
higher
your
fix
itself
has no individuality, and does not generate by itself anything like
an individuality,
impossible that anybody's
it is
sense
ego can be transferred to and preserved permanently in
What,
then, do the efforts
Sankhya doctrine end
in
?
of all those
the plane of karana sarira/^ they will
impossible otherwise indicated above.
Logos
is
to
to reach this
So when
who
Krishna says, that
come
to
Avyaktam
Arjuna asks whether
after arriving
at
him," finding
it
for
lowing
latter
or the
must be
who try
by the Sankhyas have tremendous
contend with.
this latter course,
reasons
the
Avyaktam
looked upon as the ultimate destination, because those
difficulties to
it.
try to follow the
be the goal, Krishna says that the
to follow the line indicated
of
it is
If anything
is
gained at
that end which
is also
all
by
fol-
to be gained
by following his path, by making him the object of meditation, and looking upon him as the ultimate goal.
Read Chapter XII,
verses 3, 4, and 5 in this connection
" Those who are kind and charitable towards
all creatures,
:
and who, with
a properly balanced mind and with senses under control, meditate on the imperishable and undefinable Avyaktam, which
is all-pervading,
unthinkable,
NOTES ON THE BHAOAVAD GIT A.
72
undifferentiated and imcliangable, reach
who
fix their
minds on
Avyahtam
This description refers to the
"
son of Kunti, this body
knows
Know
"
also that I
am
Kshetra and Kshetragna " Hear me.
;
what
call
the Kshetragna in
you
briefly
in various ways.
;
is,
himself
Ego
in all its
this
and what powers he
also
is
is
Kshetragna^ he
them
are
Kshetram
Kshetram
is
springs
says that he
But he
is
own
not subject to
true
self in
is
the cosmos.
the real
He
takes
out in several places that though he
Karma, simply because
not his
its
possesses.
and Kshetragna
but a reflection of the Logos, while he himself
individual
its
Kshetragna in the sense in which every manifested
care, however, to point
is
vehicle,
or Mulaprahiti.
form of the Ego, the only true
create
what
spokeu of by the Brahraa-
forms and manifestations.
Avyahtam
is,
source and the reason of
definite."
means nothing more than Upadhi or
Ego
Ego).
the knowledge of
Here he speaks of Kshetram and Kshetragna.
the
:
That
vehicle).
real self or
Different accounts of
Vedas ; and they are
and
Kshetras
all
its
them
logical
iUpadhi or
what that Kshetram
and further who
to be found in different
from
is
be real knowledge.
that Kshetrayna
which are
of those
of the Sankhyas.
Kshetragna (the
qualities it generates,
Rishis have described
sutras,
called Kshetra
I consider to
I shall state to
attributes are,
existence
is
{Kshetra) the wise
this
tlie difficulty
we find the following in the first four verses
In Chapter XIII
wliich
But
The path towards Avyahtam
souls under very great difficulties."
by embodied
travelled
me alone.
.4 i-ya/ttowi is great.
Karmabandham
he does not
the self manifested in the
but merely a reflection,
self,
;
is
Upadhi
which has an
phenomenal existence for the time being, but
is
ultimately dissolved in himself.
In verse 4
(see
details of the three
above) he refers to Brahmasutras for the
Upadhis in man, their relation to each other
and the various powers manifested by this^Ego. that
bookâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Brahmasutras
tailed
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that
examination of this subject.
Turn now
to verse
22
:
we have
Hence
it is
in
to look for a de-
73
NOTES ON THE BHAQAVAD GITA. **The
supreme Purusha in
this
body
is
the Witness, the Director,
called
the Supporter, the Enjoyer, the Great Lord and the Supreme Spirit {Para'niatma)."
It
must not be imao-nied that
used refers to plies to
Parahrahmam. Karma^ and
of the same chapter
"He
I have ah-eady said that
Though he
Krishna himself.
responsible for
word Parmaatma here
the
this
is
Kshetragna, he
it
is
apnot
he explains in verses 30 and 32
:
perceives the real truth
who
sees that
Karma is
the result of Prakrit
and that the Atma performs no Karma. "This imperishable and supreme Atma, does no the effects of
Karma
Karma and does
even while existing in the body, as
it is
not feeli
without begin-
ning and without Ounam."
XIV
Throughout Chapter
Karma,
responsibility for
three
Gunams which
or any of the effects produced by the
:â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
the (discriminating) observer recognizes no other agent {of Karma)
than the qualities (of Prahriti), and knows that which qualities,
and
(I
ness.
to the closing verse in that
the image of Parahrahm, which
am) the abode
of the Eternal
beyond these
chapter, a passage
is
indestructible,
Dhinna fLiw) and
:
unchangeable
;
of absolute happi-
"
Here he says he eternal
abode of
bliss,
and
the image of
is
and has no
resides the eternal
hrahmam and ;
Dhanna
Dliarma
it is
is
the
of the cosmos,
it
It is Sat,
and he
is
because
also the is
it is
often
Para-
contains within itself the eternal
of the cosmos, the whole law of cosmic evolution it is
is
abode wherein
reason that the Logos
for this
Chity because
Aiiandani, because 10
Parahrahmam which
Vikaram, and he
described as SacJichidanandam.
is
is
being."
already referred to in another connection
am
" I
my
he attains to
And now turn we have
Look
aie the children of Malapraknti.
at verse 19 ior instance
"When
Krishna disthictly repudiates any
the abode of
bliss,
;
it
and tho highest
NOTES ON THS BIIVGAVAD GITA.
74
happiness possible for
man
is
XV,
verse
when
attained
the
human
soul
reaches the Logos,
Now
turn to Chapter
fortunately given rise to "It
is
the
many
a passage which has Tin-
7,
sectarian disputes
amsa which emanates from me and which
:
is
manifested from
the beginning of time that becomes the Jiva in the world of living beings,
and
attracts
mind and the other
five senses
which have their basis in Pra-
hriti"
The proposition herein made
is
a matter of necessary inference
almost inevitable from the premises I have laid constitutes the Jiva
down
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
which
the light of the Logos,
is
:
if
is
what
Chait-
anyam, and which, becoming
differentiated, forms the individual
Ego
Karanopadhi,
in combination with the
I need not
now
advert to
passage has given
more than one
all
the controversies to which this
The verse
rise.
and the
interpretation,
perhaps susceptible of
is
different interpretations
were necessitated by the different premises with which the interpreters started.
Read now verse 8 "When the lord, he
carries
:
Jiva (human Ego), quits one body and enters another
with him the mind and the senses as the wind carries the
fra-
grance of flowers from their source."
Here Krishna sides in the
Karana
sarira, that
is
incarnations of it
refers to that
takes with
man
it all
It is the
sarira.
the one ;
human
individuality which re-
human monad
ly speaking, in every
when
it
mind
body
leaves the
Manas and
the
stage of conscious
seven elements which are always present, the
Karana
for
Devachan,
the germs, of conscious existence, the essence
of the five Tanmatras, the
(also recognised as a sense
and the Ego.
or
connecting link between the various
Ahankaram. existence,
viz.,
Strict-
there are
the five senses,
by some of our philosophers),
These are the seven elements that constantly
NOTES ON THE BHAGi^VAD GITA. manifest themselves whenever or conscious
makes
existence
karana
sukshma
Not only
sarira.
They
appearance.
the sthula sarira, further also in the are latent in
manifests
consciousness its
75 itself,
exist in
sarira, and they
are they latent in karana
sarira^ but even the impulses generated in connection with the
seven elements of conscious existence reside in latent energy
which
tries to
spend
as
itself,
it
it,
and form that
were,
by bringing
about the future incarnations, the environments being those de-
termined by the past
Karma of the man and the
impulses already
generated thereby.
In calling attention to verses 12
"Know
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;^14
:
that the splendour which belongs to the sun and illumines the
whole word
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which
is
in the
"Entering into the earth,
moon and
in
fire
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
I sustain all things
is
from me.
by my energy
;
and
I
am the
cause of the moisture that nourishes the herbs.
"Becoming
fire
(of digestion) I enter into the bodies of all that breathe,
and being united with Pranam and Apanairiy
I cause
food of the four kinds
to digest."
I have only to point out that that
it is his
we now
that all the properties that all
what Krishna
energy that gives to matter
those tendencies
of chemical
associate
action
chemical elements, did not belong to
When you is
with matter, and
that
them
we
see
it.
of life
originally.
It is
simply the stuff or substance it
which emanates from the Logos,
sequently Krishna says that fire,
the
in
endowed with these properties by the action on
the current
as in
or
is,
and
properties,
examine Mulaprakriti none of these tendencies are
found to be present in
which
it
means
really
all its
all
of
Con-
the qualities exhibited in matter,
the sun, light, or any other object that you
may
into consideration, originally emanate from him, because
it
take
was
his life, his energy, that gives to matter all the qualities that enable it
afterwards to form the various
the manifested cosmos.
organisms that we
now
see in
In connection with this point you will
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
76
what
inter esting to refer to
find
it
the
ten
is
one of
stated, I believe, in
(Kenopanishad) with reference to the
Upanishads
mysterious appearance of Farasakti (Daivip^akriti) in Sicarga.
it
When
Parasakti
was.
He
in
first
sent
peculiar
that
functions he
first
appeared, Indra wanted to
Agni
to
it
know what
was that appeared
Then Parasakti asked Agni what
form.
fulfilled or
enquire what
what was
Agni
his latent capacities.
And
replied that he could reduce almost everything to ashes.
in order to show that this attribute did not originally belong to
Agni but was simply bit of
little
lent to him, Parasakti placed before
grass and asked
in a
failed
him
sent
;
but he also
All this was done to
similar manner.
He
to reduce that to ashes.
Vayu was next
tried his best, but failed.
him a
show that
Pararsakti, or the light of the Logos, endows even the Pancha-
tanmatras with qualities Mulaprakriti.
Krishna
the real energy of the
is
fire
belong to
not originally
that did
right in saying that he constitutes
and of
all
those things he has enu-
merated.
Now
turn to verse 16 of the same chapter, which has also
given rise to a considerable number of interpretations " These two Purnsha?
The perishable
world.
— the perishable and. the
imperishable
:
—
— exist in the
the living beings, and the imperishable
is
all
is
clear
is
called the Kittastha."
The meaning here
enough
you
if
the light of the explanations already given. all
Krishna
existing entities into two classes, those
— by
hsharam
which he
means the
undifferentiated Prakriti.
He
it
word
is
calls
also uses the
other passage, in connection with the
first
it
in
divides
not permanent
manifested cosmos, and
AksJiaium, or imperishable, which he
and
will only read
Kuthastham, the
same word, in an-
Avyaktam
of the Sankhyas;
but natural to conclude that he here uses the same
in the
same
sense.
In the succeeding verse he says that these two classes are
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. Although AJcsharam
inferior to himself.
time of cosmic Fralai/a, as are
own nature is superior to why he is called Uttama
that is
verse 17
:
come out of
that of this
Aksharam, and
Puruslia.
For we read in
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
" But there
another, the supreme Uttama Purusha, called
is
supreme Atma) who
(the
not destroyed at the
the things thai
all
yet his
it,
is
77
is
the imperishable Lord, and
Paramatma)
who pervades and
sustains the three worlds." I
this connection, to verse
have only to refer you, in
Chapter
66 of
XVIII :â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
" Renouncing
all religious
will deliver thee
To crown
from
here
all,
observances,
all sins
is
means and the most
come
me
to
as the only refuge.
I
grieve not."
;
a distinct declaration that he effectual
means of obtaining
the one
is
salvation.
These are all the passages to which I wish to call your attention,
The passages read go
in reterence to the Logos.
far, I believe
to support every one of the propositions I have laid down in
connection with
it,
as
and
relation to the cosmos
Now, to
it
regards to
its
the Logos.
There
is
inherent nature and
its
man.
as regards Mulaprakrlti, I
in several places
own
have already called attention
when speaking
of
Parahrahmam and
one passage, however, which I did not
of
cite.
I believe I
have clearly indicated the distinction between this
Avyaktam
or
Mulaprakriti and the Logos, as well as that
between Mulaprakriti and Daiviprakriti. have also said that Mulaprakriti should not be confounded
I
with Parabrahmam.
Parabrahmam. you "
to
But
tioned,
If
it is
anything at
In order to support
my
turn to Chapter VIII, verse 20 there
which
is is
all, it is
but a veil of
statements I
another AvyaJctam superior to the
Avyaktam above men-
without a beginning and which survives when
tarns perish."
The preceding
now ask
:
verses should also be read
:
all
the bhu-
78
ON THE BHAGAVAD
J^OTKS
"
At
the approach of
day
all
GITA.
manifestations issue from
Avyahtam
:
at the
approach of night they are absorbed into Avyahtam. " All these collective beings, produced again and
ai^fain,
are dissolved at
Partha (Arjuna), and are evolved involuntarily at
the approach of night,
the approach of day."
Here Krishna says that
at the time
Avyahtam
;
Avyahtam,
when But
the time of lest this
which which
is is
higher than different
from the
existing anterior to It is not
this,
it.
an evolved
It
Pralaya comes, they go back
into
which
entity,
should be mistaken for
to point out that there is
also called
is
Avyahtam is
the cosmos wakes this
Avyahtam
Parabrahmam, he takes care
when
bhutams spring from
into a condition of activity, all the
and
it
will
it is
Avyahtam^ but
of the Sankhyas and even
Parabrahmam
time of cosmic Pralaya, because
an entity
in fact.
not perish even at the
the one basis, not only of
the whole cosmos, but even of this Mulaprakntiy which seems to
be the foundation of the cosmos.
As
regards Daiviprakritiy 1 have already called your attention
to those passages in Chapter
Thus the four main I described
VII which
refer to
it.
principles I have enumerated,
as constituting the four
principles of the infinite
cosmos, are described and explained, precisely in the
have myself adopted, in the teachings of
Krishna does not go into the
and which
manner I
this book.
details of the four principles
that exist in the manifested solar system, because, so far as the
ultimate object of his teaching
is
concerned,
it is
not absolutely
necessary for him to go into the details of that question, and as
regards the relation of the microcosmic Upadhis to the soul and their connection with each other, instead of giving all the details
of the philosophy connected with them, he refers to the sutras, in
The
which the question
so-called
is
Brahma-
fully discussed.
Prasthanathrayain, upon the authority of which
our ancient philosophers
relied,
composed of the Bhagavad Gita,
NOTES ON THE BlIAGAYAD GITA.
and Brahmasntras, must be thoroughly
the ten Upanishads
examined
to find a complete explanation of the
The main
main sources of Hindu philosophy
—
and permanent and which are common object of the
Upanishads
is
one of the
explain the higher
to
is
which are omnipresent
principles that operate in the cosmos,
The main
whole theory.
Bhagavad Gita—which
object of the
this manifested
79
to all the solar systems.
is to
indicate the nature of
cosmos, and the principles and energies therein
present.
Lastly, in the Brahmasntras an attempt clear
that
is
made
to give a
and consistent theory about the composition of the entity
we
call
a
human
being, the connection of the soul with the
three Upadhis, their nature and their connection with the soul
on the one hand, and between themselves on the other.
These
books are not, however, devoted to these subjects only, but each
book deals prominently with one of these
when you
take
all
subjects,
and
it is
only
the three into consideration, that you will
have a consistent theory of the whole Vedantic philosophy.
And now,
granting the truth of the premises
down, what are the conclusions that
For
this
purpose the whole
Bhagavad Gita may be chapters, the first i»
first six
merely introductory, the remaining chapters deal with the theories that have been suggested
pointing out to
man
the
way
laid
will necessary follow ?
of the
Of the
divided into three parts.
we have
five
by various philosophers as
to salvation
;
the succeedmg six
chapters explain the theory which Krishna advocates as pointing
out the give
way which he recommends
such
explanations
chapters, Krishna attempts it is
Prakriti which
is
as
are
as the best one to follow,
necessary.
In the
last
anj six
by various arguments to point out that
mainly responsible for Karma, for even
the various intellectual and moral qualities that are exhibited by
human
beings, for the varieties of the emotional nature, and for
NOTKS ON
80
TIJE
BHAGAVAD
the various practices that are followed.
now
go into the whole of
to
ing this book the
this
GITA.
It is impossible for
argument
in
detail.
chapters should be read
last six
Iii
me
study-
because
first,
one of the main principles that will have to be taken into account in dealing with
recommended,
is
all
the various measures that have been
therein enumerated and established
conclusions will have to be altered
if
chapters are intended to
found to be
tenable.
Of
course,
inculcate
is
and our
the doctrine those six or
false
un-
those six chapters, the illustrations are
in
taken, not from matters with which familiar, but
;
from matters which,
we
at the present
day are
the time Krishna gave this
at
discourse, were perfectly, intelligible to his hearers, and to the
public of that day, and with which they were thoroughly familiar.
So
it is
possible that in the illustrations he gives
we may
not be able to find those arguments and those considerations,
which, perhaps, a modern writer, trying to support the same
would present
conclusions,
standing
conclusion
to the
the nature of the
this,
true for
is
all
time to
show,
It
now
is
come.
human knowledge with which we
familiar.
the same and the Illustrations
the present day are
at
works of Professor Bain and Herbert Spencer
human
physical organism has
a great deal to do with the mental structure of all
itself in
modern psychology physiology and
this direction.
what
is
is
is
man
;
and, in
trying to find a foundation for
perhaps even going to extremes in
The great French philosopher Avho originated
called Positivism,
would
not, in
his
classification
of
He wanted
to
sciences, assign a separate place to psychology.
give psychology a subordinate place, and include {subject,
will
does not require any very lengthy argument to
that the
have been so widely read^ that the
fact,
Notwith-
of the reader.
necessary, from other departments
certainly be forthcoming, if
of
mind
argument
under physiology.
it,
as a branch
NOTKS ON THE BHAGAVAD GIT A.
81
This classification shows the extremes to which this tendency
may
If all that
lead.
the material of which
is
found
in the
more than physiology, and the mind
But
there
there
is
is this
which
body
is
nothing more than
composed, true psychology
it is
is
nothing
but an affection of matter.
is
something more than the mere physical organism invisible essence that
the
constitutes
;
we call the supreme CAaiianyam
individuality
of
man, and which
is
further that energy which manifests itself as the consciousness
behind the individuality. It
not material, and
is
able to get a glimpse of
methods of
all
it
its
real nature
the great occultists
But
into this mystery.
at
whatever the real nature of
human
not likely, that science will be
is
any
till it
begins to adopt the
who have attempted
rate this
much must
to probe
be conceded;
this essence or life-force
may
be, the
constitution or the physical body has a good deal to do
with the mental development and character of a human being.
Of course the were, colourless
force that operates in all these Upadhis
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
it
can by
itself
produce no
acting in conjunction with Prakriti,
substratum of
cosmos
is,
all
the kingdoms, and
it is
result.
is,
as it
But when
the force that
is
the
almost every thing in the
in a certain sense, traceable to this force.
When,
however, you begin to deal with particular forms of conscioug existence, particular characteristics
have to trace them,
strictly speaking,
material forms in which the force
So Krishna says
itself.
hence to Prahriti.
and developments, you
all
Karma
is
Karma itself
to the
will
Upadhis, or the
acting, and not to the force is
traceable to Upadhi^
and
depends upon conscious exist-
Conscious existence entirely depends upon the consti-
ence.
tution of the
man's mind, and
this
depends upon the nerve
system of the body and the various elements existing therein, the nature of the astral elements and the energies stored up in the
Karanopadhi 11
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
82
In the case of even the astral body the same law holds good-
To begin
with, there
is
the aura, which
sense of the word, and which composes
there
the energy, which
is
even an astral
Going on
man
is
material in the strict
UpadM,
this
the basis of that feeling of self that
Karana
Saiira, there again yon find
colourless force acting within
this invisible,
Behind
experiences.
higher, to
still
is
its
Upadhi, which
its
contains within itself the characteristics of the individual Ego.
Go where you
will,
you
emanate from Prakriti
:
will find that
Upadhi
is
Karma
and the gunams
the cause of individual exist-
ence.
Existence
itself, I
mean
to this light. All conscious existence
more, when spiritual intelligence
from
is
is
traceable to
developed,
it
it,
and further-
directly springs
it.
Now to
however traceable
living existence, is
us assume that this
let
admit
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and
which you
we
are prepared
the last six
I shall take
them
as they
Let us
chapters.
by different
in order the various theories suggested
philosophers.
The
the conclusion
need not enter into the details of the argument
will find at length in
now examine first six
I
is
with in
are dealt
the
chapters of this book.
first
chapter
is
merely introductory.
of Sankhya Yoga, the third of
Yoga, the
fifth
of
Karma Yoga,
The second
treats
the fourth of
Karmasanyasa Yoga, and the
Jnan
sixth deals with
Atmasamyama Yoga. These are the in this
list
tlu^ories
suggested by other
philosophers,
and
Krishna does not include that path of salvation point-
ed out by himself, which six chapters.
is
set
forth
in the second
I believe that almost all the various
group of
suggestions
made by different philosophers can be brought under one or the other of these headings.
To complete the
list
there
is
the
method
suggested by Krishna himself as being of universal applicability
NOTES ON THE BHAQAVAD GITA.
and standing
unknown and
in the background,
which
occult method, to facilitate
all
the
As
have been brought into existence.
it
that
method
is
not
in the background
and
it
applicable to
points out the defects of each of the
other systems, and takes, as theories,
is
systems of initiation
puts his doctrine in such a manner as to render
He
unseen,
this occult
of universal applicability, Krishna leaves
the whole of mankind.
8S
it
the best part
were,
of the
five
and adds the one element, without which every one of
He
these theories will become false.
which he recommends
thus constructs the theory
for the acceptance of
mankind.
Take, for instance, the Sankhya philosophy.
I have
already
explained the peculiar doctrine of the Sankhya philosophers that their
Avyaktami
itself
all
Upadhis. That
is
entirely passive.
is
was the one self-manifested everywhere in
more It
or less
their
not the
is
This Purush
Puruhsa.
Esicara^ not
the active
creative God, but simply a sort of passive substratum of the
cosmos, and
all
which produces
sum and
that
all
Maya
done in the cosmos
They
accept the view that
Now
it is
through the action of this
makes
its
Karma individual existence Karma that man suffers
count of
earthly existence. Birth, to
Karma
or Prakriti, to this substratum that forms the basis of all
that individual existence
ills
done by Prakriti,
the results that spring therefrom are traceable to this
manifestation.
this
is
the organisms or Upadhis that constitute the
cosmos.
total of the all
is
life
which human nature
kind owing to this Karma, ambition of your
life is
is
appearance.
maintained, and
all
account of it is
on ac-
the pains and sorrows of
and death, and is
On
Karma
all
the innumerable
subject, are endured by man-
Granting their premises,
to put an
end to
all
if
the
earthly sorrows,
then your object should be to put an end to the operation of this
Karma,
But the question
is,
how can you do
this ?
While Parabrak-
NOTES ON THE BHAGATAD GITA.
84
mam
remains passive, Prakrit i goes on creating the cosmos
without
its
interference. It
gunams
or its
water of
all its
is
not possible to get rid of Prakriti
altogether.
You may
properties.
Thus,
as well try to rid fire
Karma
or,
being the inevitable
result of Prakriti, and Prakriti continuing to exist as long as
you
are a
human
being,
But, they say,
by reducing yourself
Parahrahmam
is,
Karma^ not with because
desire, affect
will
till
which
state of existence in
will
it,
:
give
up Sangam,
alone seems to connect the soul
this connection,
which alone renders the
Karma. They
?
say,
when you renounce
become weaker and weaker
at last
Do
but from a sense of duty
The Sankhyas say
Karma, which
happen then
Karma
you,
Karma
a desire to do
soul responsible for the
What
Karma,
to get rid of the effects of
remaining simply a disinterested witness.
and renounce
it,
useless to try to get rid of
to the passive
must be done.
it
that desire to do
with
it is
you must try
you
in
arrive at a condition in
its
this
ability to
which you are
Karma at all, and that condition is the condition You will then become what you were originally.
not affected by of Mukti.
You
yourself are but a delusive manifestation of Avyaktam,
and when once
this delusive
appearance ceases to
exist,
you be-
come Parahrahmam. This
is
the theory suggested by the Sankhyas.
as this Avyaktam.,
and cannot be
man,
to hold
which
affected
it
Furthermore,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;which â&#x20AC;&#x201D;forms the
exists everywhere,
by anything
responsible for
else
any Karma,
is
shown
chapter before us, to be but a figment of Arjuna's All that is done
cannot
kill
what
done by the various
is
stratum
is
self.
by the
of Prakriti.
eternal,
affected
in the
fancy.
real self
forms of Prakriti.
immutable and can never be
is
real soul of
is
Self
in reality
The one subby any action
For some inexplicable reason or other the one
self
seems to have desceLded from the condition of passive existence,
NOTES ON THE BHl-GAYAD GITA.
and
to
have assumed a delusive active individual existence in
your own
Try
self.
to get rid of this delusive appearance, then
you
the result will be that
Krishna examines
He
mises. leads
says
attain Nirvana.
that
to
life.
He admits two
theory.
this
Karma
this
all
conditioned existence,
sorrows of
But he denies
is
due
subject to
that the
Upadhi, an d
to
and
pains
the
all
of the pre-
supreme end of man's
reach this Avyaktam, and he further states that
life is to
far
S5
more
reach this AvyaJctamfi than to reach himself
difficult to
and that even
if
those
attainment of this
it is
who
direct all their
Avyaktam meet with any
can only be by joining him, for otherwise reach Avyaktam.
it
;
towards the
efforts
success at
all, it
impossible to
is
While accepting two of the conclusions of
the Sankhyas, he points out that the real goal
is
not the one
they postulated.
Now
let
us turn to the
kind of philosophy which
second system. is
This
is
mainly that
inculcated by the followers of Purva
Mimansa. Every form of ritualism has
its
basis in the philosophy
oi Karmakanda. The arguments here used by Krishna
of his
own conclusions
in support
will not be quite intelligible to our
minds
for the simple reason that times have changed during the last five
thousand years. At the time Vedantic ritual was
strictly followed,
of Purva Mimansa were
followers
common
this discourse
topic of discussion.
provide a solution for the other
all
was delivered, the
and the conclusions of the
very well
known and were
a
This philosophy was intended to
the difficulties that were
common
systems of philosophy at that time evolved.
to
But
some of the arguments put forward by the Karma Yogis may be extended beyond the very limited form in which they are to
be found stated in the books, and can be made applicable even to the
life
of
modern
Karma Yogis
say
times. :
True, this
Karma may
be due to Upadhi
86
ON
NOTfiS
but
it is
THIC
not due to Upadhi alone
who want
philosophers altogether.
as he
He
is
is
But
human
a
at least
to reject all
that
due
it is
;
Karma
por-
to the efPects
Those
pretend to renounce
No man, as long up Karma altogether.
an impossible task.
is
being, can ever give
bound
GITA.
Upadhi and Chaitanyatn.
duced by the two elements
it
BHAGAVAD
do that which the bare existence of his
to
physical body requires, unless indeed he means to die of star-
an untimely end
vation, or otherwise put
Karma
Supposing you do give up
how can you keep
action,
useless to abstain
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that
act
own minds
you ought
necessarily conclude that
That being
to think about these things.
?
in
it
It is
and yet be constantly thinking of
to the resolution that
Karma, you must
abstain from
is,
control over your
from an
you come
If
it.
to his life.
to give
up
you ought not even
so, let
us see in what
As almost
a condition you will then place yourselves.
our
all
mental states have some connection with the phenomenal world,
and are somehow or other connected with phases,
it is
to give
up
understand
difficult to
all
Karma,
how
bad, for
Karma, you have Karma, in its widest
all
If all the
actions.
the world to exist
put to that
all
all
its
various
possible for a
it is
Moreover,
to give
sense,
up good
is
man
Is
it
good impulses,
the good people,
if
you have
Karma
to
as well as
not confined solely to bad
Karma, how
people in the world give up ?
in
unless he can annihilate his mind, or get
into an eternal state of Sushupti.
give up
Karma
is
not likely that an end will then be
to all patriotic
and philanthropic deeds
who have been and
are exerting them-
selves in doing unselfish deeds for the
good of
their fellowmen,
will be prevented
you
upon everybody
to give
from working
up Karma, you
?
If
will simply
call
create a
number
of lazy
drones and prevent good people from benefiting their fellow beings.
And, furthermore,
it
universal applicability.
may
be argued that this
How
is
not a rule of
few are there in thÂŤ world who
NOTES ON THE BHAGAYAD GITA.
Karma and
can give up their whole
And
position of eternal inactivity.
simply become lazy,
What
anything.
there
there
?"
is
reduce themselves to a
you ask these people
they may, instead of giving up
follow this course,
Karma
if
87
really given
up
of the expression " to give
up
idle persons,
meaning
the
who have not
to
Karma,
Krishna says that in abstaining from doing a thing
may may
be the
effects of active
Karma, and
be no real Karmic results.
If
you
murder, and you are held responsible for
it
;
in active kill a
Karma
man,
it is
but suppose you
refuse to feed your old parents and they die in consequence of
your neglect, do you mean for
Karma
that
manner you
to say that
You may
?
please,
talk
you cannot get
you are not responsible
in the rid of
most metaphysical
Karma
altogether.
These are the arguments put forward by an advocate of this second view.
The unfortunate mistake this
;
that these
in their system there
They accept
Logos.
is little
Karma Yogis make
is
or nothing said about the
the thirty-three crores of gods mention-
all
ed in the Yedas and say that the Yedas represent the Logos or
They say " the Yedas have prescribed a certain course
Verhum.
to be followed,
course
is
or
You ought
is
and
is
it
not for you to say whether such a
not capable of producing the result to be attained.
to take
what
is
stated in the
and by performing the various will be able to reach
Sivargam.
Yedas
as absolute truth,
rituals therein prescribed,
Devas
your
will assist
you
efforts,
and in the end you will attain supremo happiness.
That being
we
up
the course prescribed,
Karma, and thereby throw
are not called all
upon
to give
all
existing institutions into a state
of inextricable confusion."
To
these
Karma-vadis Krishna says
clusions I accept, the other I deny.
number
of evil consequences
I
:
"
One
of your con-
admit that an incalculable
will follow a^
the result of telling
^
irOTSS
Devas
Who
BHAGAVAD
TIIK
Karma^ but
people to give up of the
OK
I cannot
GITA.
admit that your worship
at all a desirable thing."
is
and what are these Devas
plane of Kojvana Sarira.
"
?
They are beings on the
They can never give you immorta-
Even
because they are not immortal themselves.
lity,
if
through
worshipping them you are enabled to reach Siuargam, you
will
have to return thence into objective existence in a new incar-
The happiness that Swargam can give you
nation.
eternal and
what
permanent, but subject to
more,
is
if
it is
Taking
all
their
bhavam
J
sole object of
your atten-
these circumstances into consideration, and admitting that in their view will follow
recommending every human being
as the result of
Karma
And
that you will obtain, and not mine."
many mischievous consequences
the
not
is
disturbance.
you worship the Devas, concentrating your
mind on them and making them the tion,
this
Krishna adds to this system
all
that
is
to
to give
up
be found in
the teaching that makes the Logos the means of salvation, and
recommends man
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
if
he would seek to obtain immortality, a
method by following which he that
may end
sure to reach
is
it,
and not one
having to go through another incarnation,
in his
or being absorbed into another spiritual being whose existence is
not immortal.
Furthermore,
all
these thirty-three crores of
gods spring into existence with the beginning of every tar a and disappear at Pralaya.
of the Devas themselves that your existence will
is
when
Thus,
ManwaU'
the very existence
not permanent, you cannot expect
become permanent by merging
it
into
their plane of being.
I
now
This
at once rejects as being a
even impossible course to follow.
by of
its
pursuit
human
Karmasanyasa-Yogam.
turn to the third theory
Krishna
may
AM
most mischievous and the
advantages offered
be obtained by doing Karma, not as a matter
affection, passion or desire,
but as a matter of duty.
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GIT A.
The fourtli system
that of
is
Gnana Yogam, When people began
to perceive that Ritualism was nothing
and that
it
more than a physical act,
was altogether unmeaning, unless accompanied by pro-
per knowledge, the} said folio vers of
it
was not the Karma suggested by the
Purva Mimasa,
but the knowledge
any
other
man's salvation
for
or the intellectual elements underlying, the
of,
would be
or the followers of
would be of auy use
particular ritual, that
ritual that
69
fpr
more important than any physical
act
could be.
As Krishna
says, their
motto
is,
Karma
that all
simply as a step to gain knowledge or Gnanam.
Karma
phers, while admitting that
intended
is
These philoso-
should not be rejected, have
prescribed other methods of their own, by means of which they
thought salvation would be gained.
They
said,''
to understand
Karma to what this Karma Consider
merely symbolical.
whole
ritual that
There deals
is
be a kind of discipline, and try really means.
a deep
in
fact
meanmg underlying
the
It
is
with real entities, with the secrets
nature, and all the faculties imbedded in man's
meaning must not be taken
to
Pragna, and
of its
apply to physical acts alone, for
they are nothing more than what their outward appearances signify."
In addition to mere
Karma
yogam, they adopted
several other kinds of yogam., such as JapaTYi. Strictly speaking, this
Karma-^ogam
have added to
it
is
not
sophers.
Now
less
definite
They
as
considered as refined substitutes
its
aim before them
is
is
that their
proper source. in their
they must not simply follow either other method which
for
regards the theory of these philo-
All that Krishna has to propose
should be directed towards
some
at all, properly so called.
Antar-yogam^ Pranagnihotram, and other things
which may be more or external ritual.
yogam
search
Japam
or
Gnanam
They must have after truth,
and
Thapasy or any
supposed to open the interior
senses of
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
90
man, without having
also a complete
view of the whole path to Because, if
be traversed and the ultimate goal to be reached. the attainment of knowledge
you
still
knowledge that
all scientists,
and
nature, are also
But
not by
is
may
require,
it
may be and
all
those
Strictly speaking,
can give you.
it
who
are enquiring into the secrets of
following the recommendations of
is
that kind of investigation
cient for the purpose of enabling a It
you
that
stop short at a very great distance from the Logos
the spiritual
yogam.
is all
itself sufficient to
man
produce
this
Gnana-
and knowledge
im
to attain
this
man
mortality
?
This course
effect.
indeed ultimately bring to the notice of
suffi-
all
those great
truths belonging to the principles operating in the cosmos,
which aloue, when properly appreciated and followed, able to secure to
man
the highest happiness he can
immortality or Moksham.
is,
of the spirit of enquiry tries to direct it
desire
be
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that
While admitting the advantages
recommended by
fifth
system.
school
this
towards the accomplishment
Let us now examine the
will
Krishna
of this object.
The
votaries of this
sect, after
having examined what was said by the Saukhyas as
well as
the teachings of the other systems
came
all
to the conclusion that it
Karwta
in truth
and not merely in name,
or other restrain the action of the mind.
concentrate the it is
mind upon
we have
would only be possible
up
if
you could somehow
As
long as you cannot
yourself, or turn self towards self,
not possible for you to restrain your nature, and so long as
you cannot do
that, it is
almost impossible to subdue Prakriti or
rise superior to the effects of
Karma, men to
These philosophers wanted certain
recommendations they
laid
act in
down
as
and positive means of obtaining mastery over without which mastery they considered the
described, to give
programme of
either the
Sankhya
it
accordance with a
more
one's
effectual
own mind,
impossible to carry out
or the Gaaiui-yoga schools.
NOTES O^ THE BHAGAVAD GTTA. It
was
91
for this purpose that all the various systems of
Hata-yoga
man
attempted
with their different processes, by means of which to control the action of his
ence.
It
own mind, were brought
into
exist-
was these people who recommended what might be
Whatever maybe the
called Ahhiasa-yoga. out, whether
definite path pointed
Hata-yoga, or that department of Raja-yoga that the object
does not necessarily refer to secret initiations,
same, and the
purpose
final
is
the
is
the attainment of perfect control
over oneself. This recommendendation to practise and obtain self-mastery,
Krishna
But he would add
accepts.
of obtaining the desired end,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;means He
enable you to reach that end.
yogam
it
more
sufficient in themselves to
points out that this Ahhiasa-
not only useful for training in one birth, but
likely
permanent impulses on a man's soul which come
to his
As
rescue in future incarnations.
regards the real difficulties
that are encountered in following this system, I at present
,
because
erally encountered
have made some
all
of
you
efiorts
means
five
Many
difficulties are in the
of obtaining salvation that follow as
existence of the Logos, and
in
inferences from
theories
As
the
from which these
various schools, of philosophy have started, and that he
that
man and to all He is certainly
the cosmos.
more comprehensive than any of the
is
all
those necessary
real relationship to
its
the principles that operate
all
know
way.
own method, combines
systems, and adds thereto
gen-
own members
of our
in this direction, and they will
Krishna, in recommending his
good in the
need not speak
are aware of the difHculties
by Ilata-yogis.
from personal experience what
is
means
effectual
is
is
to leave
to
it is this
theory
trying to inculcate in the succeeding six chapters.
passages in these six
I have already referred to various
chapters to
show
in
what
light
you ought
need not say anything more now, and
if
to regard the Logos, I
you
will
bear in
mind
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA.
92
the remarks I have already made, the meaning will not be very difficult to reach.
In this connection there
asked to give some
Reference
is
one point on which I have been
is
explanation.
made in
this book to
nam or day and night, or
Uttarayanam and DakshinayOn
and darkness. These are symbolical
light
What he
of the two paths Pravrittimarga and Nivnttimarga, calls
Uttarayanam
path of
light, the
ayanam
is
is
Nivrittimarga^ represented as day or the
path he recommends, and the other Dakshin-
Pravrittimarga, or the
way which
leads to embodied
existence in this world.
But
there
one expression in the book that
is
Krishna says that those who
follow this second
significant,
is
path attain to
Chandramasamjyoti and return thence, while those who follow the first
method reach Brahma.
This
reality a sywibol of devachanic
not by
its
own
Similarly the
from
tlie
Chamiramasainjyoti
The moon
existence
in
but by the light derived from the sun.
light,
Karana Sarira
Logos, which
is
shines by the light emanating
the only real source of light, and not
its own inhorent light. Swargam is this Karana
Sarira, and this
from Devachan.
tries to indicate
That which goes to Devachan or
by
Krishna
Logos by comparing
is
shines,
to
it
it
is
that returns
the nature of the
the sun or something that the sun
symbolizes.
may here draw your attention may happen to raan after death already enumerated. Those who I
that
^'Esoteric
Buddhism"
will,
to
one other contingency
in addition to those I have
have read
Mr. Sinnett's
perhaps, recollect that he talks of
the terrible fate that might befal the soul in what he calls the
eighth sphere.
This has given rise to a considerable
of misunderstanding.
Karana Sarira may,
The in very
real
state
of things
is
extreme circumstances,
amount that
die, as
the
the
NOTES ON THE BHAQAVAD GIT A. Suppose
physical body or the astral body ales. of time,
Karana Sarira
the
is
93
reduced,
that, in course
by the
persistence of
bad Karma, into a condition of physical existence^ which renders it
imposible for
it
that that on which
man
—
Logos
to reflect the light of the it
feeds, as
it
were,
;
or suppose
—the good Karma of the
and that no tendencies of action are
loses all its energy,
then the result
may
Karana
be that the
communicated
to
Sarira
becomes merely a useless aggregation of particles,
dies, or
it,
body
instead of being a living organism, ju^t as the physical
when
decompose-; and becomes a dead body leaves
life
principle
it.
The Karana Sarira may become fit
the
Logos aa to render any future in-
to reflect the light of the
dividual existence impossible lation,
which
human
being.
is
so contaminated and so un-
;
and then the result
is
annihi-
simply the most terrible fate that can befal a
Without proceeding
I beg that you will
must stop
further, I
kindly bear this in mind.
all
here.
We
have
merely commenced the study of Bhagavad Gita in these lectures.
Try
to
our
own
examine, by the light of the
statements found in
books, and in modern books on Psychology and Science,
whether the theory I have placed before you not
—decide
for yourselves
—whether
ported by the Bhagavad Gita
itself.
that
Do
is
is
at all tenable or
the theory sup-
not rely on a host of
commentaries which will only confuse you, but try to interpret the text for yourselves as far as your intelligence will allow,
and
if
you think
this is really a correct theory, try to follow it
up and think out the whole philosophy found that a good deal more
is to
for
yourselves.
I
have
be gained by concentration of
thought and meditation, than by reading any number of books or hearing
any number of
less, unless
you think out
Society cannot provide
lectures.
Lectures are utterly use-
for yourself
you with
what they
treat of.
philosophical food
The
already
94 digested, as
aimed
ON THE BHAGAVAD
NOTT^S
at
though you were
in
the
GITA.
ideal
state of passivity
by the advocates of the Sankhyau philosophy
every one of you
is
;
but
expected to read and study the subject for
Read and gain knowledge, and then use what you
himself.
have gained for the benefit of your own countrymen.
The philosophy contained
in
our old books
has been turned into superstition.
What we
knowledge.
We
call religion is
that once existed as a living faith.
have
valuable, but
is
almost
lost
all
It
our
but the shell of a religion
The sublime philosophy of
Sankarachaiya has assumed quite a hideous form at the present day.
The philosophy of a good many Adwaitis does not lead
to practical
They have examined
conduct.
their
all
books,
and they think with the Southern Buddhists of Ceylon, that JVirvana
is
the
Nirvana promised by
and instead of following out
their
Sankhya philosophers,
the
own philosophy
mate conclusion, they have introduced by
puja and other observances what seems
to its legiti-
Panchayata)ia-
their
to be a foolish
and un-
necessary compromise between the different views of the varioua sects that
have existed in India.
has degenerated, and
is
now
little
Visishthadwaita philosophy
more than temple worship,
and has not produced any good impression on men*s minds,
Madhwa
philosophy has degenerated in the same manner, and
has perhaps become more fanatical.
For instance, Sankara-
charya is represented in their Manimanjari as a Rakshasa of former times.
In Northern India people generally
and many have adopted Sakti worship.
Kali
Calcutta more perhaps than any other deity. these customs
by the
light of Krishna's
If
nation, but demoralize
it
to
worshipped in
you examine it
must ap-
we have
collection of superstitious beliefs
which do not by any means tend
Hindu
is
teachings,
pear to you that, instead of having Hinduism, lated a whole
recite Saptasati
assimi-
and practices
promote the welfare of tho
and sap
its
spiritual
strength.
NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA. and have led to the present
state of things,
95
which,
I believe, is
not entirely due to political degeneration.
Our
Society stands
upon an altogether unsectarian
basis
;
we
sympathize with every religion, but not with every abuse that exists
under the guise of religion
;
and while sympathizing
with every religion and making the best efforts
purpose of recovering the religious beliefs,
it
foundations that underlie
and endeavour
own countrymen on to lead
faith which, no doubt, did exist lives
for the all
ought to be the duty of every one of us
to try to enlighten our
religion,
common
we can
them back
the philosophy of
to a purer faith
in former times,
but which
but in name or in the pages of forgotten books.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
now
THIS BOOK
IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW
AN INITIAL FINE OF
25
CENTS
WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $1.00 ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE.
H k^k \;M
20
APft
9<'>
MA R
1
9
19 59
c'.-a
2S0^
MAY 86
194e
60ct'5tFH
f?EC'D
Wl
La [533
onHfr
,
/^.
/r r
FEB 2 8 1959^
I.^4.
LD
21-100m-12,'43 (8796s)
YB 2245JU
ty"
M31927 6Lil3o
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY
FOR T
Im
r
Kumbay
.hooks pu:.li,sh0(! by the TiIK >SOPIIfCAL P,rn'.TCATIOV FCJ^D hn, from M.;. T.,okarHm T.^va, 17 T.n.mud .r worn ih^ 3Li.iao-er, r/.Ho.o^A.^ *,dy^, Madr,v,
^-^v,M
I,
Roci
SALE, W^^^
h.
;
'
ENGLISH SERIES.
lu^.
mg
A
2.
u
select' articles" for the Instruction of aspirants to the knowledge of Theosonhv Price, including postage ... ...
G
i
^ nee,
including po-.tage
The Vuiv^osK of Tiie^sophy, by Mys.'a. P."sinaeti. including postjt^Patan'jat.i's YottA ]*un;,oiovH
mcnfary, and
the"
*
tr
-l;*:;.
'
'Sii:'
sulv'^ct.
Eng!L>:.
Price, ind.idin
Trani^Iati n
revised learn mI
tv.ul
of
enla«-ged,
luLroductioi'-
d .s
,
•t>,tuir,»
t'> "..
Kn. Jish.
'
;.
;'n
I
Ap'nn
>d a If^arned ^'x
coniaiu-
nthoi-s 'boa:-'.. ' "^
on the
...
Gr/AT GtT
Mr. Chai!e; hy Professor
eilition,
/ '
Pric'e* '
Phuja Raja's Com-
v/itb
r,
Introduction hy (olon.i O: ;, ing the extracts from vari.
two Dvdvedi ith
'\Li,-'
and vlr. Xobinc landraBanarji. Pric S^y:ui7A IvAHiKA, :>eing the treatise on t
\'
iLi.idi .e
-i..
Sankhy
postage, philoso-
prr. ^i"vh Goudapada's Oo-liiu ^l^v, and \rJ' i English ti-;uis.atiou l)y Professor H- H. Wilson and n'.)tes by Od'^ln-ooke. 1. Price inclu'lin" pDsL-'^e ^oga p:;;i<.^oj,hy by Di. P ..iilovplained wii'h the" help of Mo.tfM-n brien:;e. Price inchbling postage ( o.upendiun.. of the Raja Yoga philos-.>phy comprising the principal treatises by Shrimat S:,nkaracharva and other autnors translated into E-iglish. Price including post:;go...
8.
*
1
10
1
l:>
SA^TSKRIT SERIES. Rig Veda Samiiita »
The"tKrishna
.p.
•
,
for a
»»
»
"
»
copy without binding,Sanscritr..xt iu Brown Holland ^^
'"^^^-^
Yajur Veda S:.mhiUi
w..o.iout binding,
— Madhvandmi' Shaklu
including postal charge
*...
3
.>i
Tn the Press.
IVAi
'
ivDA SAMIIITA, with Bhashya, by Sa j -
Sul-sc) pf ion
m
advance After the Publication "
p.
postage
Guide jo TnEosoFHr, containing
Mr. Taylor's English translation of 'the PRAfiODiiA'cHAVUROLAYA Nataka,— drama on the conflict between the l.ighcr and th3 lower jnan, ultimately ending in the trinmi)h of the former, and Sh^-imat Shankaracharya's At.aabodha
3.
4.
ii.
Discourses on the Bhagwa.tgita,^a treatise intended to help the study of tne Philosophy of Bha^wat-ita. Price inckid
1.
-^
^
.
These Books are highly recommended to beuinners
45
in
^\r.
-,,
i>i
i