Wk10 Wednesday, May 30 Today Final Paper BG 18 Wrap up: BG, course 1
Final Paper 30% of the course grade one - two related terms evolution / prominence / progression across the texts studied draw on papers assigned for reading Final page - important takeaways 5 pgs, + Bibliography, Chicago style Principle of Identification, Rule of Substitution Self, ātman, beyond self, puruṣa v. prakṛti Single reality underlying manifoldness Brahman, its nature, relation to creation Karma / saṃskāras / bījas & rebirth, freedom from rebirth, nature of liberation, kaivalya Yoga, meditation, samādhi Asceticism, tapas Terms Practice, abhyāsa Monism v. Theism Duality v. Monism Vedic rituals Oṃ Senses Breath / Fire / Food Worlds / Creation Death Paradoxes Existent : Non-existent :: chicken : egg 2
BG Brief Outline Nature of ātman Arjuna s despondency Kṛṣṇa s response Karma-yoga Jñāna-yoga Brahman, meditation Ātman, meditation Nature of supreme deity Theistic Sāṅkhya Meditation The Sublime Mystery God s powers Theophany Bhakti-yoga BG Outline, cont d Relation between ātman & supreme deity The field & knower The three guṇa-s Puruṣa(-s?) The divine & demoniac within Three-fold faith 18. Recap, conclusion 3
Ch. 18: Summation mokṣa-sannyāsa-yoga 18.1: Q. The distinction between sannyāsa, renunciation & tyāga, abandonment? 2: A. Sannyāsa = giving up desire-prompted action, tyāga = abandoning fruits of action. 3-6: Tyāga of all action or only that not sacrificepenance-charity? These actions to be performed, abandoning attachment and fruits. 7-9: Graded by guṇa 10-12: Comparison of those who do & don t abandon. Ch. 18: Success in Action 18.14: 1) Material basis, 2) agent, 3) instrument(s), 4) motion/movement, 5) fate (daivam). 15: All 5 present for right/wrong physical, verbal, mental actions. 16-17: Understanding oneself agent, not bound 18: 3-fold stimulus of action: knowledge, object of knowledge, knower; 3-fold constituents of action: instrument, act, agent. 19-22: Three kinds of knowledge, by guṇa. 23-5: Three kinds of action. 26-8: Three kinds of agent. 29-35: Three kinds of intellect (buddhi) & resolve (dhṛti). 4
Ch. 18: Castes & karma 18.36-9: Three kinds of happiness. 40: All beings, even gods subject to prakṛti s guṇa-s. 41-4: Actions of the four castes according to their nature & guṇa-s. Cf. 4.13 45-6: Success obtained through delight in one s own action, by worshipping the source of all activity, which pervades all this. 47: Better one s own dharma, imperfectly done than the perfectly done dharma of another. Cf. 3.35, 4.21 48: One s own karma should not be abandoned, even if flawed. All actions are flawed! 49: Perfect actionlessness = unattached buddhi, mastered ātman, free from longings, through sannyāsa. Ch. 18: Highest state of knowledge 18.50-3: One is fit to become Brahman when: buddhi purified, ātman restrained by resolve, sense objects abandoned, likes/dislikes set aside, cultivating solitude, eating lightly, speech-body-mind restrained, practicing dhyāna-yoga & vairāgya (dispassion) constantly, free from ego, force, pride, desire, anger, acquisition, un-possessive, tranquil 54-6: No grief/desire, impartial towards all, supreme devotion my knowledge enters me eternal immutable status, through my grace. 5
Ch. 18: Highest state, cont d 57-58: Renounce by cetas all actions to me, keep me always in your citta, you will transcend all difficulty. 59-60: You will act forced by prakṛti, bound by your action intrinsic to your being. 61-2: Īśvara is in the heart of all beings, causing them to revolve through māyā, as though on a machine. Take refuge in him alone, you will attain highest, eternal peace through his grace. Ch. 18: Closing 18.63: Consider it completely, then do as you wish. 65: I promise: Set your mind on me, be my devotee, sacrifice to me, do namas to me, and to me alone you will come. Cf. 9.34 66: carama ( final ) śloka: Abandoning all [other] dharma-s, take refuge in me alone, I will liberate you from all pāpa-s, do not grieve. 67: Qualifications for passing on this knowledge. 68-9: Praise for devotion 70-71: Study of this = jñāna-yajña to Kṛṣṇa, fruits thereof. 73: Arjuna: I will do your bidding, my delusion is destroyed, doubts gone. 74-8: Sañjaya s closing praise. 6
Duty? Karma? Free Will? Killing? God? Meditation? Anything Unfinished? 7