Bhagavagd Gita - Session 19- Track 1909

Even in the 11th chapter, where viśvarūpa darśanais given, this viśvarūpa darśanais nothing but a ‘vast’ vision of oneness, one supreme reality manifesting, we shall see at that time when come to the 11th chapter: a vast vision of oneness. There is hardly any book in which equality and oneness are given such a tremendous prominence as in the Bhagavad Gita.

So, the 3rd portion of this chapter is devoted to perception of oneness. And Sri Krishna speaks of brahmanirvāṇa(V, 24, 25&26): you become liberated in the Brahman. Brahman is the consciousness of oneness, and you really become liberated only when you attain to the Brahman consciousness. What is this Brahman? How do you remain in Brahman consciousness? Does Brahman consciousness mean that you become afterwards inactive? To correct it, Sri Krishna says that even when you remain in brahmanirvāṇa, you become engaged in lokahita ratāḥ, you become completely engaged in the tasks, in the actions, which are meant for the lokahita, for the welfare of the people. So, brahmanirvāṇadoes not mean arriving merely at inactivity, it actually becomes a foundation of the fulfilment of action, which happens by remaining engaged in the welfare of the people. So, brahmanirvāṇais also a part of these 5th & 6th chapters.

Then, comes the question of the role that individual has to play in lifting oneself from where we are now to this brahmanirvāṇaand lokahita ratāḥ. How do you lift yourself? Can one lift oneself at all? What is the process of lifting oneself? In fact this is the question, which is largely discussed in the 6th chapter. And in this process of lifting, one of the most difficult problems is the control of the mind.

Now, in the question of control of mind, we have in the 3rd chapter itself, Arjuna asking this question that even when we want to be lifted, we still are dragged into instability. What is it that makes our control so difficult? That question still remains alive in the mind of Sri Krishna, and therefore He says that if your mind refuses to be developed, refuses to be controlled, then, there is a very special process: the process of Raja Yoga, the process of Dhyana Yoga. Therefore, Dhyana Yoga is described in the 6th chapter; in fact the title of the 6th chapter is ‘Dhyana Yoga’. But this Dhyana Yoga comes in this context; unless we know the context, why the Dhyana Yoga comes in the 6th chapter, what is his position, we may not be able to put the right value of it. It arises in the context of the question as to how one can lift oneself from where you are to the highest level of the divine worker: this is the first thing, this is the context.

The second point is that you can do that only when you can control yourself, lift yourself. And what is the secret of lifting yourself? To know that you have two selves in you, that is the secret: to realise that you have two selves in you. There is a lower self and there is a higher self in you: ātmanā ātmānaṁ uddhared, this is the key word of the 6th chapter of Bhagavad Gita: ātmanā ātmānaṁ uddhared (VI, 5). You have a lower self, which has to be lifted by the higher self. You should not allow the lower self to sway you na avasādeyet (VI, 5), it should not make you down, you should always be lifted by the higher self.