Bhagvad Gita chapter 2 , v 11 - 12

Compiled by
Dr. Medicherla Shyam Sunder Kumar
Mrs. Jamuna Janaswamy
Sloka chanting by Mrs. Indira Kalluri
GITA Chapter 2, Verses 11-12
Samkhya Yoga - the analytical study of the nature of spirit and matter

Any mistakes in compiling this work are the result of me not yet a master meditator,
or scholar in Yoga philosophy, and not from mistakes in the actual knowledge.
This presentation is for spreading the knowledge and not for personal gain .
If any material which need to be deleted please e mail me at samc108@gmail.com.
The references for most of the slides are in the notes section or at the
right lower coner of the slide.

Chapter 2
Basically everything that is described in BG - but briefly.
Outline of sections:
A - More doubts, but Arjuna starts to surrender. (1-10)
B - Jnana (11-30)
C - Karma-Yoga (31-37)
D - Buddhi yoga (niskama karma yoga) (38-53)
E - Samadhi (54-72) Sthita-prajna, Illumined Soul

Pain and suffering.arising from a poisionous bite
VISHADA YOGA
VISH
or
VISHAM + AADA
Both Impurity
&
Poision
Bite
Symbolically to the impurities of the
Mind and Body
Leads to suffering and death
In a symbolic sense it means suffering that arises when we are bitten by desires and filled
with the poision of ignorance, delusion, duality and attachment to worldly objects.
Vishada yogam is the state of sorrow arising from our desires and attachment to sense
objects.
Opposite of YOGI who is in perfect state of equanimity ,balance,sameness and BLISS.
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/gita/wisdom/gita-day11.asp
filled with the poision of ignorance,
delusion,
duality and
attachment to worldly objects.
bitten by desires

GITA Ch 2, v 7-10
CHAPTER 2,
VERSE- 7
CHAPTER 2,
VERSE- 8
CHAPTER 2,
VERSE- 9
CHAPTER 2,
VERSE- 10
My heart is
overcome by the
weakness of pity,
and my mind is
confused about
Dharma. I
request You to
tell me,
decisively, what
is better for me. I
am Your disciple.
Teach me who
has taken refuge
in You. (2.07)
I do not perceive
that gaining an
unrivaled and
prosperous
kingdom on this
earth, or even
lordship over the
gods will remove
the sorrow that is
drying up my
senses. (2.08)
Sanjaya said: O
King, after
speaking like this
to Lord Krishna,
the mighty
Arjuna said to
Krishna: I shall
not fight, and
became silent.
(2.09)
O King, Lord
Krishna, as if
smiling, spoke
these words to
the despondent
Arjuna in the
midst of the two
armies. (2.10)

BG 2.10:
O Dhritarashtra,
thereafter, in the
midst of both the
armies, Shree
Krishna
smilingly spoke
the following
words to the
grief-stricken
Arjun.
BG 2.11: The
Supreme Lord
said: While you
speak words of
wisdom, you are
mourning for
that which is not
worthy of grief.
The wise lament
neither for the
living nor for the
dead.
BG 2.12: Never
was there a time
when I did not
exist, nor you,
nor all these
kings; nor in the
future shall any
of us cease to be.
http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/

THE TEACHINGS OF THE GITA BEGIN WITH
THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DISTINCTION
BETWEEN THE SELF AND THE BODY:2. 11-12
WE SHOULD NOT GRIEVE FOR WHAT IS IMPERISHABLE.
GITA CH 2 , v 11- 15
You are beyond time (2.12 - 2.15)
IMMUTABLE CHARACTER OF THE SOUL:2. 13-14
WE SHOULD NOT GRIEVE FOR WHAT IS IMPERISHABLE.
WHAT GOOD COMES TO HIM WHO ENDURES THESE DESIRABLE AND
UNDESIRABLE SITUATIONS? 2. 15

Verse 11-13
Apara Vidya and Para Vidya
Para Vidya
True spiritual teachings and wisdom is
about getting to know yourself. True
spiritual wisdom, explained in verses
12 and 13, is about knowing that you
are not your body and that this body
will age, but the pure consciousness
in you will never die. You have always
been and you will always be. Direct
realization and integration of this
wisdom it will empower you. This is
Para Vidya
Apara Vidya is all about learning
skills and how to earn your living.
This kind of learning and
knowledge is important.
we acquire some rules to live to
live by so that our society is not
disturbed.
http://www.that-first.com/show/article/bhagavad-gita-chapter-2-verses-11-18/

SANKHYA YOGA
UNITIVE REASONING
Compiled by
Dr. Medicherla Shyam Sunder Kumar

http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org
Gita Chapter 2 , v erse 11

s
s
s

The wise do not grieve for the living or for the dead. 2.11].
The turning point
GITA CH 2 , v 11
All slokas upto this point (from 1.1 to 2.11) are prelude to the actual Bhagavad Gita.
Next set of slokas starting with this one is Lord's response clearing Arjuna's doubts.

sri-bhagavan uvaca -- the Supreme said;
Bhagavān also represents the concept of abstract God to Hindus .
The term Bhagavān does not appear in Vedas, nor in early or middle Upanishads.
It is found in later era literature, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Puranas.
Bhagavan is related to the root Bhaj ( , "to revere, adore"), and implies
someone "glorious, illustrious, revered, venerable, divine, holy (an epithet applied to
gods, holy or respectable personages)

THE TEACHINGS OF THE GITA BEGIN
WITH
THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF SOUL
AND THE PHYSICAL BODY
GITA CH 2 , v 11- 15

THE APPROPRIATE PLACE
Krishna did not drive the chariot to a quiet place to start the teaching.
For gaining self-knowledge, time and place are irrelevant.
Who the teacher and the student are, matter more than the place and the time.
s

The Lord speaks.
Sanjaya now records the teaching
of Lord Krishna, who first of all
asserts that there is no one for
whom there need be sorrow.

The teaching of the Gita
starts from this Sloka.
So in the Gita-Sastra, this
verse is regarded as the
seed or source
( "Bija Mantra”)
Just as the whole tree is
involved in the seed, the
whole of the 'Gita Sastra' is
implied in this Sloka.

The message of the Gita starts with the word
'Asochyan’ ( not worthy of grief) 2.11
and ends with the words
'ma suchah' (do not grieve). 18.66
So it appears that the main purpose of the Gita teaching is
"the removal of sorrow."
So between the chapters 2 & 18, the topic is
removal of the “ reason-for-grief”.
The cause of,
grief,
ignorance and
error is removed totally.
So the corollary is,
the entire Gita is one which removes sorrow.
Note that here and in almost the
entire adhyAya , Krishna uses only
words used by a layman.
No philosophical terms.
18.66
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
2. 11
sri-bhagavan uvaca
asocyan anvasocas tvam
prajna-vadams ca bhasase
gatasun agatasums ca
nanusocanti panditah
Gita Makarandam - Vidyananda Prakasha Giri

There are four propositions in this verse
1.Arjuna is grieving
2. He is grieving for those not to be grieved for.
3. He speaks the words of the wise though he is not so,
4. The wise do not grieve for the living or for the dead.-
Note that here and in almost the entire adhyAya , Krishna uses only
words used by a layman. No philosophical terms.

We have to understand what level Arjuna is talking
and
how Lord Krishna answers for his
arguments.
Why Krishna started talking at high spiritual level ?

The three levels represent internal mental states or attitudes
3RD MOKSHA
(SALVATION) LEVEL
2ND YOGA
(INTERMEDIATE LEVEL)
1ST DHARMIC LEVEL
(FINITE LEVEL}
GITA offers a model for a three-story house as a metaphor
in which the whole world can reside. Each story contains unlimited
opportunities and paths. Moreover, the residents of each floor have their own
language, terms, and assumptions.
In a sense, the Bhagavad-gita speaks in three languages and constantly moves
between the three levels. Once we recognise which level a particular text or
section is on, that text or section becomes intelligible and we can see how it is
consistent with the rest of the treatise..

The first level
DHARMIC LEVEL (FINITE LEVEL}
In terms of being, one see
the living entity as the body,
whether as a human being
or as some other species.
For dharma, the general rule
in terms of value is to
prosper. At this level, one
desires worldly happiness
and prosperity, seeing these
as good.
values being.

The second level YOGA (INTERMEDIATE LEVEL)
In terms of being, one no longer
perceives of oneself or others as
the body but as eternal spirit
souls bound by the laws of
samsara.
values being.
In yoga, one values the superiority of
being equal-minded towards both
happiness and distress and seeking
absorption in Brahman
On this level, one also yokes oneself to a
higher reality, that of moksha.
One rejects
worldly
prosperity,
valuing instead
detachment
from the world
On this level,
indifference to
both worldly
happiness and
worldly
distress.
(PAIN &
PLEASURE)

When Arjuna argues against fighting the war,
he does so from the first level.
In terms of being, Arjuna
thinks of himself and the
others there as human
beings.
Regarding values, it is clear
that underlying Arjuna’s
speech is the desire to
achieve worldly prosperity.
One of his main points is
that the war would cause
the decline of dharma and
the rise of adharma, and
thus suffering would come
upon the world. As he
believes that prosperity is
good, he objects to the war.
We can examine his arguments according to the two parameters
previously mentioned : values and being.
Arjuna argues that killing his relatives is
bad, an obvious first-story statement
that assumes that people are subjected
to death and that death is to be avoided
as far as possible for the sake of a
prosperous life.
Gita Chapter 2 , Verse 11

When Arjuna argues against
fighting the war,
(Dharmic level)
Human level -
"I" & "MINE"
"Ahamkara & "Mamakara"
In terms o Krishna doesn’t answer
Arjuna’s arguments, but shifts the
conversation to a different level
altogether and speaks out of
different assumptions. Basically He
says that death doesn’t exist at all
(a second-story assumption) and
therefore He doesn’t see much
logic in Arjuna’s arguments.
Arjuna argues that killing his relatives
is bad, an obvious first-story statement
prosperous life.
Arjuna thinks of himself and the others
there as human beings.
KRISHNA –Answering at
second story Yogic level
for welfare of the society
http://btg.krishna.com/looking-structure-bhagavad-gita
The reason for Arjuna's arguments and lord Krishna's answers

When Arjuna argues against
fighting the war,
(Dharmic level)
Human level In terms o Krishna doesn’t answer
Arjuna’s arguments, but shifts the
conversation to a different level
altogether and speaks out of
different assumptions. Basically He
says that death doesn’t exist at all
(a second-story assumption) and
therefore He doesn’t see much
logic in Arjuna’s arguments.
Arjuna thinks of himself and the
others there as human beings.
Arjuna argues that killing his relatives
is bad, an obvious first-story statement
prosperous life.
KRISHNA –Answering at
Second story Yogic level

What Arjuna did then is done by all of us most of the time. We take our stand
and then rationalize it by quoting from one shashtra or the other.
It is interesting to note that docotors often see patients that do this as well.
According to the shashtras killing of Guru is wrong and it has nothing to
do with time.
This argument is quite strong.
There are many patients who go to the internet and acquire a great deal of
information about their illness. The next step is to do doctor shopping and
find the one who agrees with him.
There are enough information in our shashtras that you can find support for
any stand you take. And in Krishna’s view, Arjuna is doing just that.
GITA CH 2 , v 11
Arjuna is gripped with grief.
Krishna had tried to tell Arjuna that his timing was wrong but this did not
convince Arjuna at all.

Thus, Krishna started giving him, in the very first instance the most
effective drug, jñâna. This is detailed from the eleventh sloka of the
second chapter. This is a key sloka for all students of the Gîtâ.
Krishna condemns outright two objections that were haunting Arjuna for long,
1-saying that the destruction of the body does not mean the destruction of
the âtmâ and (2nd Yogic level )
2- that he is grieving (1st Human level) for those he need not grieve for.
(2nd Yogic level )
Prajñâ-vâdâms' ca bhâshase: "You talk like a wise man. You say this is
dharma and the other is adharma, as if you know how to distinguish
between them," said Krishna. - Gîtâ Vahini, p. 22
In one sentence (asocyan anvasocas tvam) Krishna discounts all the
arguments (1st Human level ) that Arjuna has presented so far not forgetting
that Krishna does not console Arjuna about the grief he is
going through. This is a very brave step (2nd Yogic level )

The cream of knowledge described here.
BODY SOUL
Body is impermanent
body has a manufacturing and expiry
date
Soul is eternal
We shoul not grieve for the SOUL which is
imperishable.
From the point of SOUL, it is unwise to
grieve for the dead.
BIRTH
&
DEATH

There is difference between being blunt and straightforward and being rude
and sarcastic. To my opinion Krishna is not rude to Arjuna and neither is he
sarcastic. He is not chastising Arjuna
Being blunt and firm is sometimes necessary in our day-to-day life.
It often is harder to do this than just to say things that satisfy the ego of the
other person.
Krishna has been a long time friend of Arjuna and he loves the guy and
therefore he can be so firm with him in this moment in time.
He tells Arjuna that he is on the wrong track and is talking like an expert
(prajna-vadams ca bhasase) in that field.
This is so significant. Arjuna is quoting shashtras to Krishna who is the very
source of all the shashtras. Krishna had to smile on this contradictory
statement and stand of Arjuna.

VISHADA
GRIEF
or
SORROW
What exactly is
the cause of all grief?
(1st Human level)

Pain and suffering.arising from a poisionous bite
VISHADA YOGA
VISH
or
VISHAM + AADA
Both Impurity
&
Poision
Bite
Symbolically to the impurities of the
Mind and Body
Leads to suffering and death
In a symbolic sense it means suffering that arises when we are bitten by desires and filled
with the poision of ignorance, delusion, duality and attachment to worldly objects.
Vishada yogam is the state of sorrow arising from our desires and attachment to sense
objects.
Opposite of YOGI who is in perfect state of equanimity ,balance,sameness and BLISS.
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/gita/wisdom/gita-day11.asp
filled with the poision of
ignorance,
delusion,
duality and
attachment to worldly objects.
bitten by desires

This shloka explains self-centred sorrow & is a result of ignorance.
(1st Human level of thinking)
Our wrong thinking stems from our wrong notions about our self.
Krishna first re-educates the intellect in the right values of life.
Sorrow refers here to any complaint.
Any uneasiness about oneself, centred on the self is sorrow.
Physical pain is not sorrow, but complaining about the same is sorrow.
The problem lies in thinking that we are not happy or well when everyone else is !
Physical level Emotional level

VERSE 11 Fear of Death
s
The glory of death
The reality of death
The secrets of death
The mystery of death

Arjuna has enumerated in detail all those for whom
he is concerned in i. 34.
Even if the two Gurus are exempt from the pity normal to the situation,
the case of all others who include good, bad and indifferent persons on
both the sides (as explicitly mentioned in i. 27)
There is an over-all answer to the question:
"Who are the persons meant here as not deserving
or incapable of being sympathetically thought of?"
which is contained in this very chapter (verses 12 to 38 inclusive).

This verse conveys in a nutshell, the entire Gita Shastra.
Aathma ajnaanam samsara karaNam
Athma jnanam mOkshakaraNam
Self-ignorance is the cause of all human problems.
Self knowledge in the only solution for liberation from the problems.
Arjuna wants to get rid of his sorrow for good and
that is why and how Gita is born !
Sorrow or grief or shoka is discussed in this shloka

What exactly is the cause of all grief ?
There is no two at all; how can there be good and bad then? To see two
where there is only one, that is mâyâ, or ignorance (illusion). The
ignorance that plunged Arjuna into grief was of this nature -seeing many,
when there is only one. - Gîtâ Vahini, pp. 20-1
" MINE "" I "
EGO
It is the attachment to the body
that produces grief as well as
its immediate precursors:
affection and hate.
Attachment is primarily responsible for mourning.
Everything in this universe is susceptible to destruction.
When you develop attachment to somebody or something and when it
ceases to exist at a future date, its absence leads you to sorrow.

39
Guru Krishna Warns Ritualists Of Consequences
Of Attachment To Sense Objects
When the Mind becomes entangled with sense objects it becomes
disconnected from Wisdom. Stupid acts follow. We can see around us
people who have ruined themselves due to their entanglement with
various sense objects such as wealth, money, women, etc

What can cause sorrow?
such as, our kinsmen and not our kinsmen,
of our caste and not of our caste,
of our stage of life and not of our stage of life,
our followers and not our followers.
A man is grieved when he classifies objects , place and persons,
into two divisions
One's own not one's own
We have a sense of mine, attachment, love
and desire for those, who we regard as ours.
faults such as grief, worry, fear,
perturbation, commotion and strain etc., arise.
The root of all faults
Dhrtarastra asked, "Whatdid my
sons and the sons of Pandu
do?"
Arjuna also developed the same attachment, but
he had no partiality, he was impartial and so he
uses the terms 'Seeing all these relations' (1/28)
and 'How can we, by killing our own kinsmen, be
happy' (1/37). It means that, Arjuna had
attachment for the Kuru family, and because of
possibility of destruction of the family, he was
grieved.

So one is grieved (worried) and sad after thinking of
those, who are living as well as those who are dead.
Both types of worries relate to their bodies. So they are of the same character.
One is grieved (worried) about the
dead because deprived of the ritual
offerings of rice-balls and water, the
manes, have a downfall (1/42),
who are living those who are dead.
He is worried about the living ones,
because they are arrayed on the
battlefield, staking their lives and
property .
Instead of grieving, for those who are dead, we
should offer ritual water and rice-balls etc.,
because it is our duty.
we should make arrangement to care for
those who are living. understand our
duty, while worry (grief), destroys the
power of thinking.

REMOVE THE DELUSION
or
IGNORANCE
KRISHNA'S ANSWER

Lord Krishna dismisses them all in one suggestive phrase
('Prajnavadah) | and proceeds to state the ultimate position.
Material compassion,
lamentation and tears are all
signs of ignorance of the real self
Arjuna did not attain that state.
So he measures every thing with
the yardstick of his own deluded
intellect. His arguments not to
fight the battle are of this nature.
Real self
self-realization
Men who have crossed the border land
of the intellect, and entered the realm of
Atma - the super- conscious state. He
alone knows and speaks the truth-
signs of ignorance

Krishna begins His teachings on ‘atman’, the soul.
He says that the birth and death are recurring and existence in any form is
not permanent.
You may have one form in this birth and may have a different form in a
subsequent birth.
Therefore the physical forms they (Arjuna’s cousins and his masters) have
today are sure of not being there at some later day. This means that the
death of physical bodies is imminent.
Krishna says that attachment should not be developed on objects that are
not permanent in nature. But every object is subject to disintegration at
some point. The only exception is the Brahman. But He is not an object, but
the subject of self-realization.

There are two things in the world
should not be grieved for and the unreal, is
bound to perish, as it is perishing every
moment, so it should not be grieved at.
not to be grieved at as
the real is imperishable
REAL ( SAT) UNREAL ( ASAT )
BODYSOUL ( ATMA )
It means that these are grieved at, only because of ignorance or lack of
discrimination. Whatever circumstances, in the form of birth-death, profit-loss etc.,
a man finds himself in, are result of his fate viz., his previous actions
It is sheer ignorance to feel happy or sad, in those, favourable or unfavourable
circumstances, because these are transient.

Krishna begins His teachings on ‘atman’, the soul. He says that the birth and
death are recurring and existence in any form is not permanent. You may
have one form in this birth and may have a different form in a subsequent
birth.
Therefore the physical forms they (Arjuna’s cousins and his masters) have
today are sure of not being there at some later day. This means that the
death of physical bodies is imminent.
Krishna says that attachment should not be developed on objects that are
not permanent in nature. But every object is subject to disintegration at
some point. The only exception is the Brahman. But He is not an object, but
the subject of self-realization.

The body (Sarira) The self (Sariri). possessor of the body
Insentient sentient
perishable imperishable
Changeable (MUTABLE) Absolute ( immutable.)
is kaleidoscopic remains the same for
timeimmemorial-
tbhiitagrarnah sa evayam' (Gita 8/19),
'Sarge'pinopajayante pralaye na
vyathanti ca' (Glta 14/2).
The body ever perishes, therefore it
is not to be grieved
while the self never perishes,
therefore it is also not to be grieved.
belongs to the class of the
world,
self belongs to the class of God
The self is not attached and limited
to anybody, therefore
it is said to be pervading
everywhere-'sarvagatal;t' (Gita -2124),
Both have no relationship at
all with each other. Both are
quite different in nature.
The gospel of the Glta begins with the
discrimination between the body and
the self.
So long as 'a man holds 'I am body',
he may listen to gospels, may preach
gospels to others, may practice spiritual
discipline but salvation is not possible.
GITA Ch 2 , v 11

Those who should not be grieved for :
Every object in the world has five aspects:
(1) existence,
(2) light,
3) joy,
4) name,
5) form.
Of these the first three - existence, light, and joy
(sat, chit, ananda) are real and eternal. real
nature of man and not name and form. not directly
seen, though they are experienced every moment of life.
Thus, if we analyse and go a little deeper in o the real
nature of man, we find that it is indestructible and eternal.
The later two, name and form (nama and rupa) are unreal and
transitory. But such is the power of ignorance
('avidya') that man sees,knows and clings to the
later two only - namely name and form. Only the
later two go on continuously changing from time to
time.
Therefore, since the real man is eternal, one need not weep and wail for the modifications of name
and form widen he observes in life and death. When the real man is deathless, for whom should we
grieve, and for what? That is the Lord's position.

What is Body? What is soul? How can we say it is distinct?
For eg: in our daily reference, we say this is my feet, my tongue,
my car, my house etc.. It implies the feet, tongue, car, house etc are
separate from "I".
The "I" is what we refer to as SOUL,
which lives forever and is distinct from the Body.
The soul has a atomic form as per puranas.
WHO AM I ?
GITA CH 2 , v 11

In Sanskrit language one word can give several meanings and several words can
mean same thing; but they have to be judiciously used.
s
s
SHARIRAM DEHAM
We see a person after,
say, 10 years and that person has
become thinner and weak. So we
enquire why his body has become
weak and thin. Here, as per the
dhathu or root, to indicate
diminishing nature we
have to use the word sareeram.
On the other hand, suppose we see
a person looking fatter or bigger
than what we saw him some years
back, we express that the body has
grown.
Here, it is apt to use the word
Deham which indicates growth.
But in both cases the soul or atman
remains in tact.
But in both cases the soul or atman
remains in tact.
Sareeram and Deham refer to body
but have different connotations

We must pay particular attention to this sloka
The application of this knowledge will help you many ways then you realise!
As adults we are also forever grieving over objects, words and things which
we should not be grieving over. The only difference between the child and adults is
that we hold onto those emotions which have caused us some grief.
We never let it go.
Learning to Let it Go is one of the lesson that is being taught here. What good is
holding on and grieving over things not worth grieving over?
Many of daily problems arise which is the cause of our grief and misery.
If Arjuna can come out of his stressful situation a better, stronger and wiser man
then why cant we?

d) What is body made of?? - PanchaBhootam - Prithvi(Earth), Ap(Water),
Tejas(Fire), Vayu(WInd), Akasam(Ether).
s
e) Who experiences joy and sorrow? - Body and Soul?
- Soul is full of knowledge , but the karmas cover it's knowledge.
It's just like clouds of karma covering the Sun's shine.
That's why everybody has different levels of knowledge.
GITA CH 2 , v 11
When this five materials are joined together, they will never
survive for long.
Eg: Take Salt, Flour, Water. When they are separate, they can
survive for long, but when joined together , their shelf life
becomes shortened.
What is Soul made off? - It is JnaanaSwaropam, full of
knowledge. It is eternal and never changing.
Soul resides within our hearts in the shape of lotus(?).

Therefore it is the greatest blunder to assume the body as
one's own and not to assume God as one's own.
In order to rectify this blunder, the Lord in the Gitii first of all describes the
discrimination between the body and the self and awakens the striver to the fact,
"You (self) are not the entity which dies viz., you are not the body. You are the
knower while the body is 'the known' (the Gila 13/1).
You are eternal and pervade everywhere 'nityah sarvagatah' (Gita 2/24),
'yena sarvamidam tatam' (Gila 2/17) while the body is unipresent. You are a
resident of the divine world while the body is a resident of the matter (mortal)
world.
You are a fragment of God-c-mamaivamso jivaloke' (Gita 1517)
while the body is a fragment of 'Prakrti' (Nature)-'manal;1 sasthanindriyani
prakrtisthani' (Gita 1517).
You ever live in immortality while the body ever lives in mortality. By the decay and
death of the body you don't decay and die in the least. Therefore, you
shouldn't be obsessed by grief, worry and fear etc.

Answer:
Knowledge means to know matter and spirit and the controller of both.
1)What is knowledge?
Who is actually a learned man?
Answer: A learned man is one who knows that the body is not as
impor tant as the soul because the body is destined to be vanquished
today or tomorrow whereas the soul is eternal. A learned man does not
lament for something unworthy of lamentation - the body, regardless the
condition it may be in.

Because there are no “living” or “dead” in the sense that those with bodies
are alive and those divested of a body are dead. Nor is there such a duality
of life/death. These are only the illusions produced by the distorting veils of
ignorance.
“The wise do not mourn for the dead or for the living,” (2:11) says
Krishna to Arjuna. Why?
“Lead me from death to immortality” is not a petition to gain a state where
we will nevermore experience bodily death, but a plea to be led from the
outward-turned consciousness that produces death to the in-turned
consciousness that produces life.
It is spirit itself that is immortality–nothing else.
“Change and decay all around I see. O Thou Who changest not: abide with
me.” What we are praying for is consciousness itself.

Krishna starts addressing Arjuna: “You are mourning for those who are not
worthy of it. At the same time you talk like a learned man. But wise men do
not mourn either for the living or for the dead persons.
It is not that I have not existed before, nor you, nor all these kings. It is not
that all of us will cease to exist in future” (verses 11 and 12).
In both these verses Krishna uses two negatives to
emphasize the importance of His statement.
In the beginning itself Krishna writes off Kurus.
He says that they are not even worthy of consideration.
This is because that kurus are known for their evil thoughts and acts.
Actions arise only out of thoughts and naturally evil thoughts lead only to evil actions.
Evil actions are those that hurt somebody either physically or mentally. Such thoughts
and actions are never approved by sastras.
That is why in the beginning itself Krishna does not consider kurus worthy of any
discussion. So, the Lord has set aside the evils first. Krishna has decided that evil
should not rear its head, when talking about self realization of the highest order.

Panda means self-knowledge and the one who has self-knowledge is Pandita.
The really wise have realized the Eternal Reality between all phenomenal changes
and do not grieve at the decay and the death of the finite and the mortal.
Who is a pandita (WISE)?
s

The learned, panditas,
did not grieve for the departed, gatasu,
or for those who had not departed, agatasu,
for the dead or for the living, Krshna said.
s
Krshna explains that their refusal to grieve for the dead or to pity
the dying is because they are aware that it is the body that ceases
to function and that the soul in it does not cease to be.
Krshna was subtly referring to the sage of Saligrama who had
taught the Pandavas secrets of politics. (system of government).
This sage was also a physician and veterinarian.

Krishna then says that Arjuna talks like a wise man. In fact, Arjuna is a wise
man, first by birth and secondly he has the privilege of being Krishna’s
disciple. The Guru Disciple relationship is very important in seasoning a
person in his spiritual pursuit.
There are two types of Gurus.
The first type of Guru initiates
one into mantra and allied
rituals.
Plenty of such Gurus are there
today. They are like masters in
a high school. They have a
role to mould their disciples
by laying a strong foundation.
The next type is like a professor who
guides us, while pursuing our
doctorate. The professor cannot teach
you from the basics and will only share
his experience with you. This type of
Guru is called Sat-Guru which means a
Guru who has realised the Brahman.
Self-realization can be taught only by
these types of Gurus. They will impart
knowledge only on the Brahman and
the ways and means to realize Him.
They are extremely rare to find. Such
people are known as wise men and
they are referred to by Krishna here.

Attachment is primarily responsible for mourning.
What is there today will not be there at a later date.
Nothing in this universe is perennial.
Everything is susceptible to destruction.
When you develop attachment to somebody or something and when it ceases
to exist at a future date, its absence leads you to sorrow.
Happiness and sorrow are the reflections of an unseasoned mind.
The conflict in the mind arises only when a second object is thought of.
Wise men do not think about anything that is susceptible to destruction.
That is why they do not have conflict of thoughts.
Therefore they do not distinguish between happiness and sorrow.

pandita
The power to discriminate
the real from the unreal
is called `panda'
and the person who possesses this
power is `pandita'.
What truth and untruth does
Krishna point out here ?
The word panditih refers expressly, not to a man of action
like Arjuna, but to men of wisdom, those who understand.

Arjuna, in ignorance, was associating himself with all his relatives on both sides.
He was at least better than Dhrutharashtra who was concerned about only his sons
(mAmakA) .
Krishna here tells Arjuna that they are not to be grieved about- (anvashocha:)-
How ?
The answer comes from the next sloka onwards.
Krishna's next answer to Arjuna is a dig. He says he speaks learned words.
pragnyA VAdAn- There is a `as if' hidden in Krishna's statement.
Speaking 'as if' learned .
This is a sweeping term that makes nonsense of all of
Arjuna's outpourings.
On one hand Arjuna talks high sounding words and on the other , he is gripped by
grief and nervousness.
Krishna says that Arjuna's lamentations in the previous verses display somebody
who speaks like a learned person but is truly lamenting like a fool

Arjuna, in ignorance, was associating himself with all his relatives on both sides.
He was at least better than Dhrutharashtra who was concerned about only his sons
(mAmakA) .
Krishna here tells Arjuna that they are not to be grieved about- (anvashocha:)-
How ?
The answer comes from the next sloka onwards.
Krishna's next says he speaks learned words. pragnyA VAdAn- There is a `as if'
hidden in Krishna's statement.
Speaking 'as if' learned .
This is a sweeping term that makes nonsense of all of
Arjuna's outpourings.
On one hand Arjuna talks high sounding words and on the other , he is gripped by
grief and nervousness.

PANDITAH---THE WISE –THE MAN OF WISDOM
s
s

Krshna was subtly referring to the sage of Saligrama who had
taught the Pandavas secrets of polity. This sage was also a
physician and veterinarian.
There are two types of Gurus.
The first type of Guru initiates
one into mantra and allied
rituals. Plenty of such Gurus
are there today. They are like
masters in a high school. They
have a role to mould their
disciples by laying a strong
foundation.
The next type is like a professor who
guides us,
Guru who has realised the Brahman.
Self-realization can be taught only by
these types of Gurus.
They will impart knowledge only on
the Brahman and the ways and
means to realize Him.
They are extremely rare to find. Such
people are known as wise men and
they are referred to by Krishna here.

The wise grieves neither for the
living nor for the dead

Mind & intellect are parts of nature
They are subject to errors
Mistakes in their concepts &
conclusions
Krishna dismisses them all in one
suggestive phrase
prajna-vadan -- learned talks
He analyzes with his own
deluded intellect
Arjuna’s situation
Today, tomorrow, or after some years, death is certain.
In Gétä (2.27), it is said: jätasya hi dhruvo måtyuù. “For one
who has taken birth, death is a certainty.”

In some of the earlier verses, Arjuna seems to recognize this difference.
For instance, when he says that killing all the kaurvas would leave nobody to offer
oblations to the forefathers seems to point that he knows the concept of soul.
But at the same time in the next few verses he laments that killing Drona, Bhismha
etc is a sin, forgetting that in the War, it's his Dharma to fight irrespective of the
opponents and that ultimately he is killing their bodies but not their souls
It is very important to note that, this shouldn't be miscontrued as an excuse to kill
anybody.
Arjuna's situation was that he was in the War fighting a battle to save his land from
the wicked and that was his Kshatriya Dharma which Krishna was teaching.

What is the purpose of GITA ?
“The removal of sorrow”
Q---What is the seed ( “Bija” )sloka of GITA ?

Next set of slokas starting with this one is
Lord's response clearing Arjuna's doubts.
s
s

SANKHYA YOGA
UNITIVE REASONING

http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org

THE TEACHINGS OF THE GITA BEGIN
WITH
THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF SPIRIT
AND THE PHYSICAL BODY
GITA Ch 2 , v 11- 15
Krishna's lay man level philosophy continues.
This time the level goes a little up.
Here, ‘we’ refers to the soul.
Krishna goes on to explain
how the soul is eternal and immortal.
In the previous sloka, Krishna has condensed the Gītā-Śāstram.
Now hereafterwards, he is going to elaborate.

12. Never was there a time when I was not, nor you, nor the lords of men, nor
will there ever be a time hereafter when we all shall cease to be.
13. Just as the soul in this body passes through childhood, youth and old
age, so does it pass into another body; the steadfast one is not deluded.
One of the most fundamental and profound ideas of the Vedanta is
contained in these two verses.
These two verses sum up briefly the eternal nature of the soul and the idea
that the soul reincarnates as naturally as the body passes through the
different phases of childhood, youth and old age.
These two verses sum up briefly the eternal nature of the
soul and the idea that the soul reincarnates as naturally as
the body passes through the different phases of childhood,
youth and old age.

- Now what is Krishna's ultimate aim? That he should persuade Arjuna to fight this Mahabharatha war.
Because that is his immediate problem. Even though he has to solve his life's problem of saṃsāraḥ;
there is a immediate problem also whether to fight this battle or not
Krishna has to solve both the problems of Arjuna and to solve this problem, Krishna is
taking three lines of discussion; a three-pronged attack to make Arjuna fight this war.
Arjuna is facing an incidental problem.
What is that?
Whether to fight or not?
It is incidental problem because this problem is not there at all the time.
Previously he has fought many battles, he never had this conflict.
And not only that, this problem is not universal also;
we do not have the problem of fighting a battle. -
Topical or incidental problem
Arjuna faces two problems
That of attachment and
sorrow. And this
attachment and sorrow;
they are not incidental
but they are eternal
problems; not only they
are eternal, they are
universal problem also.
This incidental problem triggered
a deeper problem and what is
that deeper problem.
www.shiningworld.com/site/files/pdfs/.../Bhagavad_Gita_Paramarthanda_Transcript.pdf

Krishna deals with Atma Vidya ( Self-knowledge) from three angles-
Philosophical, ethical & worldly.whatever be the angle from which you see,
you have to fight this war.
The primary approach in the Gītā
philosophical approach v, 12-25
Ethical
SWADHARMA
Worldly or
materialistic approach
Arjuna's problem was self-ignorance.
“This is ever taking place in the Infinite
Consciousness and the many varied
manifestations are but Its own
expressions.
Waves arise, they play and die away. But
the ocean remains the same"
Also given
importance
Arjuna , you
have to fight
He knows what is
Dharma and What
is Adharma, he has
studied
dharmaśāstram;
he has moved with
Lord Krishna;
therefore Arjuna's
primary problem is
not ignorance of
ethics
Given least
importance
At least for
maintaining your
name and fame,
you have to fight.
Because you
have to maintain
your reputation.
For that you
have to fight
Let us see ths comparison. If a pot
breaks, the space inside it continues to
be there. Thus after we die, Atma
remains an eternal entity.
SWADHARMA
www.shiningworld.com/site/files/pdfs/.../Bhagavad_Gita_Paramarthanda_Transcript.pdf

Verse 11-13
Apara Vidya and Para Vidya
True spiritual teachings and
wisdom is about getting to
know yourself. True spiritual
wisdom, explained in verses
12 and 13, is about knowing
that you are not your body and
that this body will age, but the
pure consciousness in you will
never die. You have always
been and you will always be.
Direct realization and
integration of this wisdom it
will empower you. This is
Para Vidya
Apara Vidya is all about learning
skills and how to earn your living.
This kind of learning and
knowledge is important. This was
possible because knowledge was
handed down for thousands of
years. There is great value in this
knowledge, no doubt about that,
but that is not all
When we do not understand this,
we acquire some rules to live by so
that our society is not disturbed.

The Lord lays down the law of the immortality of Atma.
The Recycling of souls.
Through this verse ,
the lord teaches
the MAHAVAKYA
“TAT TVAM ASI” (THOU ART THAT )
“Tat” represents the truth or the ultimate reality. Brahman
“Tvam” represents all the forms in the universe. The individual soul.
“Asi” represents the synthesis that binds these together.
This phrase from the Chandogya Upanishad has been central to the system of
Advaita Vedanta. It is the “mahavakya” from which the doctrine of non-duality
was propounded. The statement, “Tat Tvam Asi”, means, “Thou art That” and it
signifies the unity of the individual soul with the highest real, Brahman.
“Thou, the living person, art, the image of That, the ultimate reality.”

“I” , “YOU” and all beings in the world
are all forms of ONE SUPREME SELF .
So the individual being & the supreme being
are not two separate entities,
But one & one only.
This is the most secret of the spiritual secrets,
THE ESSENCE OF BRAHMA JNANA

Three important facts come out in the Lord's declaration that all
beings are eternal .
1) Atma is eternal,
2) Each individual being is Atma, and not the body with name and form,
3) The one Atma pervades all beings in the world.
Why Krishna teaching this to Arjuna ?
Arjuna renounced all the powers & pleasures of the three worlds,
Lord Krishna Considered him fit to receive the knowledge.
The central tenet of Vedanta philosophy is that everything is the Absolute in
essence, and so we are all one. This is also true on the atomic and
subatomic levels. We are temporary expressions of an eternal condition called
the universe. The word universe literally means everything turned into one.
Truly knowing who we are means realizing we are part of a vast unity
that permeates all things. Everyone exists equally into the infinite past
as well as the infinite future. This is the Absolute’s assertion here.
So the individual being and the Supreme Being are not two separate
entities, but one and only one This is the most secret of all
spiritual secrets. This is the essence of Brahma Jnana.

On the gate of the temple of Apollo at Delphi are inscribed
the words, Gnothi Seuton, or “Know Thyself [v8].” Even Socrates,
the wise old man of Athens, was fond of encouraging people to inquire into the
nature of the self. When he accidentally bumped into someone. That man blurted
in annoyance, “Can’t you see where you walk? Who are you?”
Socrates answered with amusement, “My dear fellow, I have been pondering over
that question for the last forty years. If you ever come to know who I am, please
let me know.”

Shree Krishna begins by explaining that the entity that we call the “self” is really the soul, not the
material body, and is eternal, just as God himself is eternal.
In the Vedic tradition, whenever divine
knowledge is imparted, it usually begins
with knowledge of the self. Shree Krishna
follows the same approach in the Bhagavad
Gita. Shree Krishna begins by explaining
that the entity that we call the “self” is
really the soul, not the material body, and is
eternal, just as God himself is eternal.

By the term 'Jatu', the Lord means to say that in all times-past, present
and future and in all climates, circumstances, states, incidents and
things etc., this real never ceases to be ever.
na tv evähaà jätu näsaà
na tvaà neme janädhipäù
na caiva na bhaviñyämaù
sarve vayam ataù param

na tv evähaà jätu näsaà
na tvaà neme janädhipäù
na caiva na bhaviñyämaù
sarve vayam ataù param
Here, by using the word 'Aham' Lord Krsna identifies Himself
with other people, in order to explain that the real never ceases
to be, while in the 4.5 Lord Krsna says, "You and I have taken many
births. I know them all, while you don't know", which shows that He
as the Lord, is different from other.
In the 4.5 the Lord expresses His excellence, eminence and glory as
compared to ordinary mortals, while in this verse He expresses His
unity, with the soul of common men.

We should realize that the soul is different from the bodies,
because we have our existence, at present as we had in the
past and we will have, in future, while the bodies are perishable.
A man realises his existence, before sleep
and after sleep, but he has his existence
during sleep also ever while his body is
undergoing changes every moment, and it
will perish one day.
Similarly, the bodies of all of us- I, you and these
kings did not exist in the past, nor will exist in future
and presently also perishing, every moment, but our
self existed in the past, will
exist in future, and exist now.
Lord declares, "I as Krsna, you as Arjuna and all these people as kings neither existed
in the past nor will exist in future. But all of us as ever existent entity existed in the
past and will also exist in future. It means that. I, you and these kings-these three are
different as far as the bodies are concerned but they are the same as far as the self is
concerned

One of the most fundamental and profound ideas of the Vedanta is
contained in these two verses.
These two verses sum up briefly the eternal nature of the soul and
the idea that the soul reincarnates as naturally as the body passes through
the different phases of childhood, youth and old age.
Birth and death are the REVOLVING doors
through which the soul has to pass
repeatedly till it achieves required degree of
purification for a perfect union with the
Universal Soul. They are the means by which
the soul cleanses and refines itself until it
becomes completely divine in nature to fulfill
and complete the cycle of divine creation.
One of the most singular contributions of Hinduism to the world's body of thought
is the concept of reincarnation of soul and the cycle of births and deaths
The creative process inherent in Nature cannot enact its evolutionary scheme
unless life on earth is limited in scope and repetitive in nature.

Krishna condemns outright two objections that were haunting Arjuna
for long, saying that
1---the destruction of the body does not mean the destruction of the âtmâ and
2---that he is grieving for those he need not grieve for.
Prajñâ-vâdâms' ca bhâshase: "You talk like a wise man. You say this is dharma and the
other is adharma, as if you know how to distinguish between them," said Krishna. - Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 22
"In tha
Thus, Krishna started giving him,
in the very first instance the most effective drug, jñâna.
This is detailed from the eleventh sloka of the second chapter.
This is a key sloka for all students of the Gîtâ.

This teaching inspires tremendous strength and courage..
When a man comes to know that he and others essentially do
not perish, there is no cause for grief at all. Death is then
regarded as only a change of name and form.
When the seed breaks up and grows into a plant, there is no
need for grief at all. The name and form of he seed have
disappeared, but it is there in the form of a plant.
Q------What is the effect of this teaching ?

Krishna kindles Arjuna's knowledge here with a statement that
Himself, Arjuna and all those present shall not cease to exist
in the past, or future- (the present being explicit.)
Note that this sloka is full of negations.
Krishna uses ` n= ` - meaning `no' five times in this sloka.
All the negations are indeed necessary to teach a person who acted
negatively and who said `I will not fight'.
Krishna actually means `we existed at all times'.
na tv eva 'ham jatu na 'sam
na tvam ne 'me janadhipah
na chai 'va na bhavishyamah
Further, never was I non-existent, nor you nor these chiefs
of men; neither shall we, all of us, ever cease becoming
hereafter.
The bodies of all of us- I, you and these kings-s-did not exist in the past, nor
will exist in future and presently also perishing, every moment, but our self
existed in the past, will exist in future, and exist now.

The first principle is
“I”, the experiencer of life,
am a conscious being who is different
from whatever I experience.
This is the fundamental Law of Vedanta.
The subject is always different from
the object.
For example, our eye is capable of
seeing all objects in the world, but the
eye cannot see itself ! So subject is
never subject to objectification.
Subject is ever the subject; so also the
object. Subject can never become
object.
So, whatever I experience, I am not.
The second principle is
I am different from the body I experience.
I, who am the experiencer of the world is
different from everything that I experience.
There is plurality only from the stand point of
physical bodies, not from the stand point of
Atma. There is only one Atma, not subject to
time and without form and attributes.
When we are told Atma is eternal, we think of
Atma having a long, long life. But
Gita – 2.12 says
Generally, whenever we use the word “ I”, we refer to the reflecting medium (Atma)
and the matter-part Anatma.
There are two fundamental principles to be understood.

Krishna now sets about explaining in detail the reason for the statement he has
just made Shloka 11
The first reason why Arjuna should not grieve over these people is because there
was never a time when they were dead! So how can you grieve over those who are
never going to die or have ever died!
Krishna is talking about the aatma (soul) and not the body.
Aatma is the entity that exists in all living beings.
The relation of the body with the aatma (often called the JivAatma) will be
explained in later shlokas.

http://kiranparmar2.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/05/bhagavad-gita-chapter-2-sloka-12.htm

ANALOGY OF THE CHARIOT AND CHARIOTEER
Thus, the atma uses the indriyas and anthkaran as a means to enjoy
worldly pleasures. Understand in this way’
(Katha Upanishad 3/3-4).
This body is the chariot
ATMA is its owner,
the charioteer.
The buddhi is its driver.
The mind is its reins
The indriyas are the
horses pulling the chariot
The objects of taste, touch, etc.
are its path
So, the owner is separate from the chariot, driver, horses, reins, path and everything else. He is called the
master of the chariot. Similarly, this atma is totally different from body, indriyas, antahkaran and other
things, and is the master, or head, of them all.
This analogy clearly describes the form of the atma.

The same is again implied in xi. 33 where Krishna states
that the men have already been killed by him and his (Arjuna's) killing is
only incidental to the situation. This type of over-all absolutist argument
need be resorted to only last of all.
S
All distinctions such as a man etc are all based on the body. It
is sheer body consciousness born out of ignorance that breeds
these distinctions. That pure consciousness which pulsates in
the heart of all beings as “I”, is untouched by the body.
Pure “I” consciousness transcends all time and space.
Although the rhythm which pulsates in the heart as “I” seems to
be different in each individual, it is in reality non-dual. Due to
ignorance, we consider matter as consciousness and
consciousness as matter. This mutual superimposition causes
the dire malady of body consciousness from where springs
forth the idea “ I am a man or a woman, an Indian ... “.

S
S
S
the individual Atma or jivatman or human soul
The individual soul is the reflection of the Paramatma
It is this individual soul that separates from the body after its death
and is believed to go to heaven or hell with the senses, prana, mind,
impressions, desires and tendencies and is endowed with a subtle
astral body on its journey.
the Paramatma or Brahman
or the Supreme soul. (Like the sun)

S
the inert mind of every individual is comparable to the mirror
a mirror is placed outside the room directed towards the sun, sunlight
falls on the mirror, forming a reflection. With the reflected light, the
mirror has become luminous and can act as an illuminator of the
objects in the dark room
the world being compared to the dark room
Objects in a dark room cannot be known in the
absence of light .one may give emphasis to the sun
by saying that the sun illumines the room through
the mirror
ATMA is comparable to the sun
The whole world is seen and experienced because of the two
factors, the mirror-like mind and the sun-like atma.

Now, the question can arise as to why the same uniform light is
not reflected from every human being. Well, the reflected light
will be clear, only if the reflecting medium is equally clear. The
mirror (here, our mind) is so clouded with impurities that the
reflected light varies with every individual depending on his or
her anatma.
You employ your body, mind and intellect to contact the
world. Atma merely animates them. It has little to do with their activities.
It serves like electricity in electrical gadgets.
Electricity activates the bulb to glow and the fan to run; but it has
nothing to do with these expressions. Similarly, Atma remains a
mere animating principle witnessing our physical, mental
and intellectual activities.
S

"In tha
The jéva’s contact with the gross body is called birth,
and
separation from it is called death.
When the jévätmä is situated
in the gross body, people have loving dealings with each
other. But, such ignorant persons, who consider the gross body
to be the ätmä, do not realise that the real self is not material,
and thus, when a jéva disappears from a body, they become
absorbed in grief.

OM SHANTI
OM SHANTI
OM SHANTI
Om- let all the deficiencies of this book go away
Tat- let this give Bhagavan great happiness
Sat- let this give true lasting benefits

Bhagvad Gita chapter 2 , v 11 - 12

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