129 – Summary of Thirteen Chapters | Swami Tattwamayananda

Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta

Title: Summary of Thirteen Chapters
Summary of earlier chapters of Gita; introduction to 14th chapter
55th through 72nd verses of the 2nd chapter of Gita discuss the characteristics of an enlightened person. The 26th chapter of Dhammapada also discusses similar characteristics.
Such a person is not worried when there is a problem, and he is not over-joyed when something
pleasant happens. He has no special admiration for others, nor does he hate anyone. This spiritual
stability is an essential characteristic. He is contented, happy within, and has a deep sense of inner
fulfillment. He identifies himself with the divinity within and feels oneness with other beings.
The 4th chapter of Gita has a description of karma yoga. It describes how we can begin our spiritual journey any moment by bringing an element of spirituality into our everyday life.
In the next few chapters, there are discussions of the highest philosophical concepts of Advaita.
In the 12th chapter, Lord Krishna describes the characteristics of a devotee of God.
In the 8th through 11th verses of the 12th chapter, Lord Krishna describes the spiritual journey of a seeker in descending order of evolution.
8th verse: “You fix your mind and intellect on Me. Thereupon, you will always live in Me.”
When we identify with a higher ideal, both mentally and intellectually, we live in that ideal and that ideal lives in us. This is the highest state of devotional evolution.
For seekers who have not reached this highest state, Lord Krishna provides alternative options in the 9th - 11th verses.
9th verse: “If you cannot fix your mind and intellect on Me, then you can reach the higher goal through Abhyasa-Yoga (uniting with God through repeated practice, such as Navadha Bhakti).”
10th verse: “If you are incapable of doing Abhyasa-Yoga, then do all your work as My work.”
To do Abhyasa-Yoga, we need a friendly mind. A beginner’s mind may not cooperate when he starts
spiritual practices. This is due to karmic blocks or accumulated samskaras which make him act in a
certain manner. Such a mind should be given healthy food first and turned into a friend. This can be
done by bringing spirituality to all secular work. How? By thinking that everything is God’s work. Then his mind will evolve to a stage where he can practice Abhyasa-Yoga.
11th verse: “If you are unable to do your work as My work, then offer the fruits of your actions to Me.”
For example, when one returns home after a day’s work, he can mentally say: “Whatever I have done today and its results, I leave it to God.” Slowly his old mind will disappear, and a new mind will take its place, enabling him to do his work as God’s work.
In the 13th and 14th verse, Lord Krishna describes eleven characteristics of an ideal devotee. When speaking about the characteristics of a devotee, Lord Krishna does not mention rituals or going to a temple. He essentially says that all genuine devotees are good human beings.
He says that the devotee who is dear to Him has the following characteristics. (1) He does not have
animosity or ill-feeling towards anyone (2) He is a friend of everyone (3) He is sympathetic towards
everyone (4) He is free from ideas of possession (5) He looks upon happiness and unhappiness with equanimity of mind (6) He is forgiving (7) He is contented (8) He is always connected with the divine (9) He is self-controlled (10) He is strong-willed in pursuing his ideal (11) His mind and intellect are fixed on God.
The 13th chapter says that everything in this world is nothing but a combination of this divine spark and external elements.
The 63rd and 67th verses of the 18th chapter of Gita describe the attitude of the teacher of Gita, Lord Krishna.
In the 63rd verse, he says: “I have taught you this great spiritual truth. You analyze what I have taught you, use your own reasoning, and do what you want.” This verse emphasizes the importance of spiritual freedom and encourages one to think for oneself. It also indicates that we can only learn from a book or teacher what we deserve to learn, what our mind is ready to learn.
In the 67th verse, Lord Krishna says: “Don’t ever discuss this subject with a person who does not have the mental purity, who has not practiced austerity, who is impolite, who is arrogant, who is jealous of his own teacher, and who is not ready to do good to anyone.” This verse emphasizes that to learn spiritual subjects, we must have a sense of sanctity and sacredness.
The 14th chapter is important because it describes the secret of plurality in this world. There are many common factors such as the divine spark that is present in everyone. The plurality comes from the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna – which constitute the entire material world. Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion.