Bhagavagd Gita - Session 15- Track 1502

Usually the answer to this question is supposed to have been contained only in two verses in this chapter: verse n°7 and n°8. And the other passages, which follow these two verses, are ignored, or not emphasised sufficiently. But actually the answer to this question is from verse n°7 to verse n°15. There are 9 verses, which answers this question as to what is the Divine birth, what is the Divine action. Before proceeding further, I would like to read these 9 verses, just the text, so we are on firmer grounds, and we shall see the inter-connection between these 9 verses. He says:

“O, Bharata! Whenever there is decline of Dharma and rise of Adharma, I manifest Myself as an embodied being. To protect the virtuous, to destroy the wicked and to establish Dharma, I come into being in every age.” (IV, 7&8)

“O, Arjuna! He who know thus in its true nature that My birth and My actions are divine, is not born again when he leaves his body, but comes unto Me.” (IV, 9)

“Free from attachment, fear and anger and absorbed in Me, seeking refuge in Me, many of My faithfuls purified by austerity of wisdom, have attained to My state of Being.” (IV, 10)

“O, Son of Pritha! In whatever ways faithfuls approach Me, I accept them in the same way; all human beings follow My path alone in every way.” (IV, 11)

“Those who desire fruition of their actions on earth, offer worship to the gods because in this world fruition of action is gained easily.” (IV, 12)

“The four fold order of human beings has been created by Me on the basis of qualities and actions. Though, I am the creator of all creation, know Me to be actionless and imperishable.” (IV, 13)

“Actions do not bind Me, nor do I have yearning for the fruit of actions. He who knows Me thus is not bound by actions.” (IV, 14)

“Knowing thus the seekers of liberation performed deeds in ancient times. In the same way, you also perform actions as done in the past by your forefathers.” (IV, 15)

There is an interconnection among all these verses. At the first sight, they might seem to be jerks; and one verse does not seem to be connected with the other. But actually, if you study them properly, with the right clue, we shall find that all of them are interconnected. Let us see the interconnection of these verses.

First of all, in verses 7&8, we are told that whenever there is decline of Dharma, and rise of Adharma, the divine Lord assumes a human body; and what does He do? He protects the virtuous, destroys the wicked, and establishes Dharma. These are very important statements: this is the nature of divine Karma. The first tells you the conditions in which the divine birth takes place: divyam janma. When there is decline of Dharma and rise of Adharma, these are the two conditions in which the Divine takes birth. And then, having done it, what is the work for the Divine work? To protect the virtuous; to destroy the wicked; and to establish Dharma.

But, that is not enough. Very often it is supposed to be a complete statement by itself, and the other verses are not taken into account. Sri Krishna explains further that he who understands my birth and the divine action…in other words, He comes to the earth, not only to protect the virtuous, not only to destroy the wicked, not only to establish Dharma, but in order that ‘people come to know’, tattvataḥ, this is also the purpose. He does not come on the earth merely to make a fire work of miracles on the earth, but He comes here to give an example, so that people may come to know: in order that ‘people become liberated’, and they may attain to the Divine. This also is a part of the purpose of the divine birth in the world.

And then, in the next, it is expounded further, that also is a purpose: to show to the people to become god-ward, manmayā, so that people may become free from attachment, fear and anger; they become mām upāśritāḥ, they become surrendered to Me; manmayā, they become My minded, and by jñāna-tapasā, they may attain My knowledge. And the most important word in these verses: mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ, so that they may become themselves divine, mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ; they become mad-bhāvam, bhāva means: nature. They become of the same nature as the Divine. The purpose of the Divine birth on the earth is ‘to make people of the same nature as the Divine’.