Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of Self-help by BS Murthy (best summer reads of all time TXT) 📕

branch to branch  
To end up on the root utmost  
On which Abode Supreme lies.     

5  
Freed of pride, desire ’n delusion 
Climbs as he, in self he dwells, 
Feels he same of pleasure ’n pain 
Detached he reaches thus Supreme.    

6  
Sun too doth pale nears it when 
Seat of moksha, Abode of Mine. 

7  
Spirit as lies in beings all
Gets it rubbed with one’s nature.

8  
Wind as carries scent of flowers
While leaving them as is where,
In like fashion Spirit from frames
Moves its awareness to rebirths.

10  
Know not fools in lifetime theirs 
Nature of Spirit thus lies in them  
But ever on move from frame to frame. 

11  
This by striving wise realize  
Fail though naive in spite of it.

16  
Perish all beings though in time
Perishes not the Spirit in them.

17 
Self Mine Highest that sustains  
Is but different from that One.

18  
Since I transcend that perishes   
Apart ’n above the eternal One
Vedas vouch Me Soul Supreme. 

19  
Who aver Me as Soul Supreme 
In My worship bring they faith.

20 
Grasps who nuances of this science
Turns he wise ’n accomplished thus.

Ends thus:
Art of Liberation,
The Fifteenth Chapter  
Of Bhagavad-Gita,
Treatise of self-help.

Chapter 16

Frailty of Thought

 

 

This chapter of 24 slokas, known as daivãsura sampad vibhãga yoga, The Characteristics of Virtuous and the Vile, deals with all aspects of virtue and evil including how they affect human life.

S19 which implies that the Supreme Spirit condemns to hell those who hate Him is an obvious interpolation that contravenes Lord's affirmative statement in s29 ch.9, ‘None I favour; slight I none / But devout Mine all gain Me true’ and other such averred in many a context in this text.

Be that as it may, when He is the indweller in all beings as postulated by the Lord himself, won’t the interpolative proposition of s19 amount to self-condemnation!

1  
Thus spoke the Lord:
Pure in heart ’n courage to boot
Even mind with helping hand 
Works who hard ’n tries to grasp
Austere, upright, and well-read –

2   
Even tempered, loves he peace
Liberal minded with kind heart
Calm ’n truthful, well mannered
Fickle he not or calumnious
Modest natured covets he not –

3  
Free of bias he’s fair-minded 
Strong in will, he stalls envy
Humble, and he forgives too
He’s virtuous thus earmarked.

4  
Make all vile, rude guys all
Vainglorious ’n haughty too, 
Besides being indignant  
No less are they indulgent.

5  
Gives as virtue man freedom 
Keeps him vileness ever constrained. 

6  
World is as of good ’n bad 
Serves thee to know latter too.

7  
Conduct of theirs lacks virtue
Bear they demeanour that’s impure.

8  
Branding beings sexual products 
Reckon not such in God ’n truth.

9 
These small minds, of ruined souls  
Wreck they world with acts of wrath.

10 
Pride ’n lust, long wish list 
Vile in conceit live impure.

11  
Seeing life as one to gloat
Vile by impulse go to lengths.

12  
Seek vile creatures ever shortcuts

On way to wants, they ill-get wealth.  

13 
Think all vile, in like terms -
This is mine so let me keep 
Why not have I more of it.

14 
Foe this mine I’ve truly floored
Won’t I tackle the rest of them
Sure I’m Lord of mine own world.

15  
Note all vile, gloat as such -
Besides wealthy, I’m well-born  
Won’t I give and enjoy too.

16 
To their hurt in illusion vile 
End up slaves of joys of flesh. 

17
In vainglory live all vile  
And for show-off spend they well. 

18
Blinded by pride, lustful lot
Me they ill-treat lay in them.

20  
Live all deluded far from Me   
Depraved ladder they go down.

21  
Detours, lust, wrath ’n greed  
Self-destruct to go hell-ward.

22  
Steer if clear, perils these men 
See they then the path perfect.

23  
In their impulse vile impinge
Upon the scriptures that hold good
And thus keep ever from Supreme.

24 
Ordain scriptures rights ’n wrongs 
It’s now left to choose thy course.

Ends thus:
Frailty of Thought,

The Sixteenth Chapter   
Of Bhagavad-Gita,
Treatise of self-help.

 

 

Chapter 17

Science of Devotion

 

This chapter of 28 slokas, known as sraddhã traya vibhãga yoga, Threefold Devotion, deals with the spiritual and temporal aptitudes of man. S11-s13 that deal with the virtuous, the passionate and the deluded in ritualistic sense and s 23 -28 concerning Om, Tat, Sat and Asat of the Vedic hymns are clear interpolations for reasons the reader is familiar with. 

However, s7 - s10 that deal with the food habits of the virtuous, the passionate and the deluded would pose a problem in determining whether or not they are interpolations. Can eating habits be linked to the innate nature of man in an infallible manner? Perhaps, some future research and analysis might resolve the universality or otherwise of this averment, and till then, it is appropriate to reserve the judgment on these.

1 
Thus spoke Arjuna:
None the regard for scriptures 
Who tend to manage life their well
What Thou say of such of beings
Virtuous, passionate or merely deluded.

2  
Thus spoke the Lord:
It’s one’s nature that tends him
To be virtuous, passionate, or deluded.

3  
Beings all have faith in some 
It's one's nature that shapes it.

4  
Virtuous seek gods in worship  
Opt passionate to humour ghosts      
Turn all deluded towards the Hades.

5  
Hoping for there all to gain
Indulge vain in austerities
Though not endorsed by scriptures. 

6  
It’s in delusion they all fast
Emaciating frames of theirs, 
Thus in foolishness they all  
Famish Mine own Self in them. 

7 
As with habits so with palates 
Come to tend all in three ways.

8 
Opt virtuous all recipes fine
Sustain health ’n enhance strength.

9  
Hot ’n spicy, and pungent, 
Prefer food passionate that ill-suits.

10  
Food of deluded is all stale 
Long in storage, and impure.  

15  
Rings with truth ’n laced with warmth
It's speech austere that’s well-meaning. 

16 
Simple ’n stoic
Kind and candid
It’s mind austere  
With self-control.

17  
Wanting none
Never in turn,
Done in concern
Deed it’s austere. 

18  
It’s in pretension passionate live
Eye they have on name ’n fame.

19  
With troubled mind all deluded live
Hurt themselves ’n others as well.

20  
Virtuous deed is that extends
Helping hand to one in need
Guided by the zeal to serve.    

21  
Deed passionate is quid pro quo
Ever done with some end in mind.  

22 
Aiding dubious with disdain 
It’s deed deluded that lacks goal.

Ends thus:
Science of Devotion,
The Seventeenth Chapter   
Of Bhagavad-Gita,
Treatise of self-help.

Chapter 18

Thy Looking-glass

 

 

 

This chapter of 78 slokas, known as moksha sanyãsa yoga, Realization through Abnegation, describes such aspects of human behaviour based on the three natures - virtue, passion, and delusion - and the path of selfless action. And in the end, the relevance of, and the reverence to, the Gita is described. One can note that s12 breaks the continuity between s11 and s13 with hyperbolic averments, and s56 combines what is stated in the preceding and the succeeding slokas, and thus both are seemingly interpolations.

S41- s48 that describe the allotted duties of man on the basis of his caste are clearly interpolations. In essence, the discourse till s 40 is about the human nature and how it affects man. As can be seen, the duties on caste lines detailed in the said interpolations have no continuity of argument. As in earlier chapters, the text acquires continuity if only these verses are bypassed.

S61 avers that the Supreme dwells in humans and deludes them all by his maya. This is contrary to what is stated in s14, ch.5, ‘It’s his nature, but not Spirit / Makes man act by wants induced’.

Thus, s61 clearly is an interpolation as it contravenes the neutrality of the Supreme Spirit in the affairs of man affirmed throughout by Lord Krishna. 

1
Thus spoke Arjuna:
Pray Thee tell, for my grasp
All about sanyãs, path forsake
And self-denial that’s tyãga.

2
Thus spoke the Lord:
Lack inclination, it’s sanyãs 
Sans wants work what makes tyãga.

3  
Fault some sages effort per se
Others give nod to deeds noble.

4  
Make thee privy of three ways  
By which, men all give up well.

5  
Effort, gift ’n austerity
Take men all on road forsake.  

6  
Forsake I this vouchsafe when
Acts man with no axe to grind.

7  
Avoid obligation, it’s no abnegation  
Boils it down to, give up of delusion.

8  
Forgo made easy passionate opt 
Desist from duties that strain them.

9  
Indulge virtuous in their work
With no thought of its outcome.

10  
With no illusion but diligence 
Carries renunciant his duties
Agreeable or otherwise too.

11  
Needs one work to sustain life
Relinquients avoid, overloads all. 

13  
Factors five all deeds engulf
Know them well to free thyself.

14  
Prone are acts to these aspects -
Body to sustain, ego that goads 
Senses thy lure, life to guard
Faith in deities that tends thee.

15  
Be well or so be ill
In word, thought ’n deed as well
Sourced are acts in these aspects. 

16  
Ignoramus in vain ascribe
Acts of theirs to Spirit in them.

17 
It’s for thee to realize now
That by killing these Kauravs
Slay thee none of them thyself.

18  
Aspects knowable, known ’n knower 
Lead to duty, deed ’n doer, in that order.

19  
Knowable as well deeds ’n doers 
Bracket those freed in three groups.

20  
Lay indivisible in frames divisible
Realize virtuous Spirit not perishable. 

21
Spirit in them ’n others that lies
Apart ’n unique feel passionate.  

22  
Failing to see beyond the self
Deluded think like frog in well.  

23  
Illusions of life virtuous
See in light of limitations 
Thus thou carry businesslike  
Duties that their life ordains.

24  
In want passionate come to live
Bogged down by, what they eye. 

25 
Deluded work in reckless ways  
Harm their cause ’n others’ as well.

26 
Taking well and ever at ease
Senses honed ’n ego evened           
Detached virtuous ever engage. 

27                   
Mind as covetous ’n thought impure 
Crave passionate all things mundane 
Which them excite as well pull down.

28  
Verily deluded, vulgar ’n vacillate 
Arrogant, dishonest, ignorant ’n malicious 
Indolent being remain they gloomy.

29  
By natures of these beings 
Features intellect theirs vary. 

30  
Deal virtuous in measures equal 
Weigh they fine all deeds their fair.

31  
Perspective lack passionate right 
In weird ways they tend their lives.

32 
Given their state of perversion 
Go all deluded in wrong path.

33  
Virtuous ever in self-control  
Steady they wavering mind of theirs.

34  
Things that seem to bring joys 
Passionate all with zeal pursue.

35 
Proud ’n arrogant, doubting ’n grieving
Bog down deluded in despair. 

36  
Make a note of these three ways
Pains which banish ’n fetch bliss.

37  
What fail sprint ’n serve long run 
Virtuous know keep woes at bay.

38  
It’s the way with thy passion
To jump at all that what might tempt  
Which would turn sour in due course.

39  
Ever in day-dreams      
End up deluded in dreamlands.

40  
Beyond the pale of these natures
None ever exists in three worlds.

49
With no want
Allegiant to none, 
Freed from action
Thou forsake. 

50  
Leads how forsake to Brahman   
Know that Wisdom Supreme now.

51 
With pure mind ’n will that’s strong 
Wants thou void and firm thy self – 

52  
Frugal of food, thoughts reined in 
Dwell in self thou sans passion –

53  
Lack thou pride, wish ’n wrath  
Give up ego, crave not power  
Be content and live in peace
It’s then thou come near Brahman.

54  
Treat all beings ever equal 
And in devotion live tranquil.
It’s thou attain State Brahman. 

55  
It’s then one would know Me true
That tends him to be one with Me.

57 
Let thy faith in Me be strong
Take Me thou for thy shelter
And ever thee act as My agent.

58
It’s all smooth sail if heeded
At thy peril thou this ignore.

59  
It’s thine ego sues for peace 
But prevails what is thy nature.

60  
Sidetrack might thine illusions  
But nature thine would shape thy deeds. 

62  
Fix thy mind on Me Supreme 
Find thou peace in My refuge. 

63  
That thee heard of this wisdom  
For task on hand now apply mind.

64    
O, dear friend, let Me tell
Word My final that benefits.

65  
If one remains to Me firm
It’s My promise I take him.

66  
Set all aside ’n have faith
Thus sans sin, reach Me thou.

67 
None of this for those