Mahabharata: Vol. 5 (78 page)

⁵¹⁷
Below may mean hell, among the demons. It may also mean a lowly rebirth.

⁵¹⁸
The realization that the atman is not an agent sinks in. Action is performed by the gunas or qualities of prakriti.

⁵¹⁹
The subject is suppressed in the shloka and is a reference to someone who has transcended the three qualities. If sattva predominates, there is engagement in knowledge. If rajas predominates, there is engagement in inclination (for action). And if tamas predominates, there is engagement in delusion. However, even if there is such engagement, the transcender doesn’t hate the happiness or unhappiness that results. And even if there is withdrawal from such engagement, the transcender doesn’t desire the engagement or its fruit. He is completely detached.

⁵²⁰
That is, established in the atman.

⁵²¹
As has been said before, beginnings of action are for specific gains, in this world or the next. Hence, someone who has renounced these is someone who has renounced all fruits.

⁵²²
There are two alternative interpretations, both of which are possible and make sense. First, the brahman is indestructible and immortal. Second, ‘I’ am indestructible and immortal.

⁵²³
That is, I am the embodiment of eternal dharma and absolute bliss.

⁵²⁴
The ashvattha tree is the holy fig tree. It has a root above, because the origin or root of the world is the brahman. This comparison of the ashvattha tree with the world also occurs in the Upanishads. The subject of the sentence is left implicit. That is, we don’t know who is doing the saying. But obviously, ‘they’ stands for those who know the truth.

⁵²⁵
Metres mean the Vedas.

⁵²⁶
The interpretation is that these objects are those that gratify the five senses (sight, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching).

⁵²⁷
This should also be translated as roots, but is liable to cause confusion. The main root, the brahman, has already been described as extending upwards. But this is a banyan tree, with additional rootlings descending to the ground. Since action and its fruits are secondary, rather than primary, there is a comparison with rootlings.

⁵²⁸
This world.

⁵²⁹
This tree’s form.

⁵³⁰
No rebirth.

⁵³¹
The brahman.

⁵³²
The five senses (sight, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching) plus the mind add up to six.

⁵³³
Meaning flowers.

⁵³⁴
The lord of the body or the jivatman.

⁵³⁵
The word ‘these’ is a continued reference to the six senses, or the five senses and the mind.

⁵³⁶
The jivatman.

⁵³⁷
The establishment and enjoyment in the present body and the progress to another body is also by the jivatman. And it is also the jivatman that has the qualities (gunas) as attributes.

⁵³⁸
Care or exertion in meditation.

⁵³⁹
The moon is believed to be watery and the source of all sap and juice, required to nourish plants and trees.

⁵⁴⁰
Prana is the breath of exhalation and apana is the breath of downward inhalation.

⁵⁴¹
The four types of food are those that are chewed (
charvya
), sucked (
choshya
or
chushya
), licked (
lehya
) and drunk (
peya
).

⁵⁴²
That is, I am established in the intellect that gets to know the Vedas.

⁵⁴³
The destructible purusha.

⁵⁴⁴
The fixed is the jivatman or the indestructible purusha.

⁵⁴⁵
The word used for the supreme being is
purushottama
.

⁵⁴⁶
The word used is loka, which can mean the world. But it can also mean among people. And in some interpretations, the word is taken to mean the Puranas, because these are popular among all people.

⁵⁴⁷
Accomplishment of all that is prescribed. The implicit suggestion is that Arjuna should also become knowledgeable and accomplished.

⁵⁴⁸
This chapter explains the difference between divine and demonic tendencies.

⁵⁴⁹
Alternatively, resorting to the sattva quality.

⁵⁵⁰
Two possible interpretations are possible here. First, jnana yoga, or the path of knowledge. Second, jnana and yoga, that is the path of knowledge and the path of action or karma yoga, the word yoga being interpreted as karma yoga.

⁵⁵¹
Of the senses.

⁵⁵²
Of the sacred texts like the Vedas. Or what has been called japa yajna earlier, that is, meditation.

⁵⁵³
Or uprightness.

⁵⁵⁴
Sense of shame because of evil action committed.

⁵⁵⁵
The sense is that one’s action in earlier lives determine birth so as to possess these divine attributes, characteristic of sattva qualities. Twenty-six attributes are listed in these three shlokas.

⁵⁵⁶
Inclination towards righteous action and disinclination or restraint from evil action.

⁵⁵⁷
This falsehood has also been interpreted as falsehood of sacred texts like the Vedas and the Puranas.

⁵⁵⁸
Without the basis of dharma and adharma. Dharma holds things up and is therefore the basis.

⁵⁵⁹
There is a slight problem of interpretation here. Instead of translating as without continuity, one can also say that the world is created through mutual union between men and women. In that case, the subsequent clause about satisfying desire will mean lust. The world is created because of lust and there is no other purpose. In the broader interpretation, desire is more than narrow lust. And creation has a continuity from the paramatman to the sky, from the sky to the wind, from the wind to fire, from fire to water, from water to the earth and so on. By emphasizing mutual union as the source of creation, this continuity is being negated.

⁵⁶⁰
Search of the untrue is interpreted as worship of various gods with different mantras. And some of these rites can be impure.

⁵⁶¹
Time of destruction means the time of death and there is the conviction that no other objective except the satisfaction of desire exists. The thoughts are about desirable objects and the senses and these are immeasurable or uncountable.

⁵⁶²
These yajnas or donations are driven by the wrong motive of self-gratification and therefore, don’t lead to liberation.

⁵⁶³
Demonic birth means birth into a subhuman species.

⁵⁶⁴
Because there is a hierarchy in subhuman species also. For example, insects will be lower than animals.

⁵⁶⁵
The sacred texts.

⁵⁶⁶
What ‘this’ means is not clear. It can certainly mean this world. It has also been interpreted as this arena of action. Finally, it has also been interpreted as this country of action, that is, India.

⁵⁶⁷
Implicitly, this discarding of the shastras is being done inadvertently, perhaps through ignorance or sloth. The reference is not to those who discard the shastras deliberately and consciously, as a mark of disrespect.

⁵⁶⁸
Or, those who sacrifice.

⁵⁶⁹
Any human being, the word used in the Sanskrit is purusha. A convoluted interpretation is possible, with the word purusha being taken to mean the supreme being. So the supreme being is full of faith and is manifested to humans depending on the kind of faith that human being possesses.

⁵⁷⁰
That is, worship yakshas and rakshas. The yakshas are semi-divine species, the rakshas can loosely be translated as demons. Accounts of creation vary. In some accounts, some created beings tried to eat Brahma and these became the yakshas. Others tried to prevent these devourers and these came to be known as the rakshas. According to other accounts, Brahma created water and then created beings. Some of these wanted to worship and these came to be known as yakshas. Others wanted to protect the water and came to be known as rakshas. But the general purport of the shloka is clear enough. Those of the rajas-type worship species that are less than divine.

⁵⁷¹
Or spirits, the Sanskrit is
preta
s.

⁵⁷²
The class of devils or demons,
bhutaganah
.

⁵⁷³
Alternatively, possessed of desire, attachment and strength.

⁵⁷⁴
Inside the body as the atman.

⁵⁷⁵
The word used is sattva, which can also be translated as strength or steadfastness, instead of vitality. Alternatively, one can also translate this as food that increases the sattva quality.

⁵⁷⁶
Implying food that is cold.

⁵⁷⁷
Alternatively, this can be translated as food that is burnt.

⁵⁷⁸
Alternatively, food cooked the day before.

⁵⁷⁹
Or simply, leftover food.

⁵⁸⁰
The insolence results from a desire to establish one’s wealth, greatness or righteousness.

⁵⁸¹
The word used is
dvija
and translating it as brahmana is indeed indicated. However, dvija means twice-born and thus applies to any of the first three castes.

⁵⁸²
Ahimsa
is invariably translated as non-violence. But it really means lack of injury towards others.

⁵⁸³
In places like the
Manu Samhita
, a reference is made to three kinds of speech—that which is true (satya), that which is pleasant (
priya
) and that which leads to welfare (
hita
). The moral dilemma is obvious. Does one speak the truth even if it does not lead to overall welfare? Both in the
Manu Samhita
and in the Mahabharata, the suggestion is that the truth shouldn’t be spoken if the truth doesn’t lead to overall welfare. However, the truth should be spoken even if it is unpleasant to hear.

⁵⁸⁴
The literal translation is only self-study. However, this is usually translated as study of the shastras or even more specifically, study of the Vedas.

⁵⁸⁵
This is interpreted as purity in behaviour towards others. A translation as purity of heart is also possible.

⁵⁸⁶
This means this world. So the fruits are temporary and uncertain in this world.

⁵⁸⁷
That is, without any ulterior motive.

⁵⁸⁸
Or will not benefit the donor in the future. There is no quid pro quo.

⁵⁸⁹
The sacred texts indicate appropriate place, time and subject for donations.

⁵⁹⁰
That is, without fruits.

⁵⁹¹
Krishna, thus named because he killed the demon Keshi.

⁵⁹²
Sannyasa (renunciation) and tyaga (relinquishing) may seem to have identical meanings. However, sannyasa is also the fourth stage (ashrama) of life, when one renounces action. But, earlier, the Gita hasn’t used the word sannyasa in this sense of asceticism and the word has been used more in the sense of tyaga.

⁵⁹³
That is, fruits resulting from the action. By relinquishing attachment is meant giving up a sense of ownership or ego in performing the action.

⁵⁹⁴
By indicated action is meant one’s own dharma or svadharma, which varies from person to person.

⁵⁹⁵
A tamas-type, that is, dark or evil kind of relinquishing.

⁵⁹⁶
Sannyasis don’t face such fruits of action. By a sannyasi is meant a person who relinquishes attachment and fruits, not one who relinquishes action.

⁵⁹⁷
The word sankhya is used in the Sanskrit. This may either mean sankhya philosophy specifically, or it may mean sacred texts like the Vedas in general.

⁵⁹⁸
This is a difficult shloka to understand. The abode of any action is the human body. The agent is the ego or the ownership of the action. The different types of instrument are the senses and various types of endeavour are pranayama. All four are required for any action to take place. That leaves the divine element and this has been interpreted in various ways. First, this can mean divinities who rule over different parts of the body and different types of senses. Second, it can be the influence of the paramatman, working through the body. Third, it can be the residual element as a determinant of action, after all the other four have been accounted for. Fifth, it can be the effect of action performed in earlier births.

⁵⁹⁹
That is, action is due to these five determining causes.

⁶⁰⁰
Doesn’t see the truth.

⁶⁰¹
Such a person is not tied down by the fruits of the action. The mention of killing dramatizes the point. And after all, Arjuna is being addressed against the background of Arjuna refusing to kill his friends and relatives.

⁶⁰²
Because action requires a resolution that the action should take place and this involves knowledge, that which can be known and the knower. Without these three, the resolution will not materialize.

⁶⁰³
Meaning, sankhya philosophy. The three impetuses of knowledge, that which can be known and the knower have been cited. The action, the instrument and the agent have been cited as the base for action. Of these six, knowledge, action and the agent have been now singled out for detailed attention and the reason is clear. The knower is identified with the agent, that which can be known is identified with knowledge and the instrument isn’t independent either. That leaves the other three.