Bhagavad Gita Discourse 4-6
Discourse 4-6
Krishna tells Arjun that he had shared the knowledge of this eternal Yoga with Vivasvan, the sun, who had then shared it with his son, Manu, the father of Man. Manu taught yoga to his son King Ikshvaku, and from then on it was passed from father to son. However, the knowledge was lost as time went on, and now Krishna shares this knowledge with Arjun because he is Krishna's friend and bears him love. Arjun is confused, because Krishna was born after the creation of the sun, and asks Krishna to elaborate.
Krishna tells Arjun that he has been born several times, just as Arjun has been, but Krishna retains the knowledge of his past lives. He arises on earth during times of trouble, to protect the rule of righteousness, and to oust the evil men. Those who recognize Krishna as God and understand his sacrifice are freed from the cycle of life and death. These men understand the value of work, for like Krishna they are free in the bonds of their work. In their work, they are freed from the bonds of their desires. Krishna then tells Arjun that it is important to understand work and wrong work for the path of work can be mysterious.
He tells Arjun that the man who works free from anxious desire and fanciful thoughts can attain wisdom. Such a man's work becomes a holy sacrifice. Krishna preaches that sacrifice can be numerous things, and mentions Pranayama, as the sacrifice of the breath. However, the greatest sacrifice of all is the sacrifice of wisdom. This is why Arjun needs to honor those who have seen the Truth of the world. Even the evilest of sinners may find salvation in the end through wisdom. The attainment of wisdom will lead Arjun away from all confusions and towards salvation. Those with doubts and without wisdom are unable to attain liberation in this world or the world that is to come. Krishna commands Arjun to slay with the sword of wisdom, the doubts that arise from ignorance.
Arjun asks which path is greater between renunciation and the yoga of work. Krishna says that the achievement of one path essentially leads to the end of both paths, but the path of work is better than that of renunciation. He explains that a man attains wisdom when he learns not to crave or hate. The man who follows the path of work soon learns that no kind of work stains the soul just as the lotus remains unstained by water in which it grows. The path of wok teaches man that there is liberation in work for the work is only ever done by the servants of the soul. He neither does selfish work nor expects others to do so.
Wisdom purifies the unwisdom in man that leads him astray. In wisdom, man finds God and can attain Nirvana. These men of harmony and wisdom look on all living beings with the same understanding, whether it is a dog or a man who eats the dog. The man who bears the storms of desire and wrath is called a yogi. He finds joy within his spirit.
A yogi does his work without the expectation of any earthly rewards, and a sage who follows the path of renunciation is also a yogi. Yoga cannot be achieved without the surrender of earthly desires. Krishna asks Arjun to raise his soul with the power of the spirit and reminds him that his soul can serve as a friend or an enemy. The soul serves as a friend when the spirit has conquered it, and a peaceful soul rests always with God. To a yogi in harmony, gold and earth are one. He recommends that a yogi find a quiet place for the practice of yoga, where he can sit still and rest his gaze inwards between the eyebrows. The yogi who masters his mind, and prays to god in harmony with his soul finds Nirvana.
Yoga is harmony in sleeping, eating, resting, and waking. A yogi whose mind is in harmony achieves Yukta and becomes one in god. He has seen the true joy of eternity beyond what the senses can perceive, and so remains unmoved by even the greatest of pain. The yogi in harmony sees himself in all beings and them in his own heart. Once he has seen the Brahman, he remains with Krishna and Krishna remains with him. The greatest yogi ever has one vision and sees his pain and pleasure in that of others. Arjun protests that the yoga of constant oneness is challenging for the mind is ever restless and never still. Krishna replies that the mind is indeed restless but it can be quieted with constant practice. Arjun wonders what happens to those that fail to achieve the end of yoga but yet have faith in God, do they just wander the planes of existence until they fade away into nothingness.
Krishna reminds Arjun that there is no death of the spirit in this world or the next and that those on the right path of yoga are given another opportunity to further their knowledge and achieve nirvana. They may be born to homes with great knowledge of yoga, these people retain their knowledge of their yoga and continue to strive towards harmony in their new life. He commands Arjun to be a yogi and tells him that the greatest yogis are those that have irresolute faith.
Analysis
In the fourth discourse, Krishna reveals again his great powers by suggesting that he passed the knowledge of yoga to the sun, and thus has existed in the times before creation. Krishna also reveals the reason for his rise on earth and says that he seeks to preserve the rule of Dharma. In Hindu mythology, Krishna is considered to be the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu on Earth. Lord Vishnu is considered a member of the sacred triumvirate that stands above all gods in Hindu Mythology. The other two Gods in the triumvirate are Lord Brahma, the creator, and Lord Shiva, the destroyer. Lord Vishnu is also called the preserver, due to his repeated incarnations on earth for the protection of Dharma.
Krishna explains that the loss of the knowledge of Yoga has led to a world with unstable Dharma, and this fact is reflected in the struggle of the Kauravs and Pandavs. Krishna explains that the enlightened devotees can realize that the spirit is separate from the body and its senses. Actions done by the body don't affect the soul, just as others' actions don't affect the soul of another. This may suggest that evil men remain unstained by the actions of their bodies, however, the Bhagavad may be trying to assert that action and blame are characteristics of the lower earthly self but the higher self remains unaffected by the actions of the body. The Bhagavad also has several verses that discuss the social stratification of society into Varnas. In Hinduism, Varna represents the quadruple stratification of society and details the dharma of the members of each Varna. The Varna system is sourced from the Rig Veda and is detailed in the Manusmriti, the Hindu book of law. The four Varnas include the Brahmins, who serve as spiritual teachers and priests, Kshatriyas who act as warriors and leaders, Vaishya who practice agriculture and commerce, and finally Shudras who act as the labor. Krishna explains that the nature of work doesn't matter, for all who practice their dharma without desire for reward eventually achieve liberation from the cycle of life and death.
