Ch. 6 The Practice of Dhyāna (Part 1)

This article is part 54 of 123 in the series Jīvana-dharma-yoga

Note

jñānārhaté saṃnyāsādé
saṃnyasipudu karmaphalavano karmavano
|
enaṃ karmadoḷillaṃ
tānénuvudu seré karmadóḷagadu kaluṣaṃ
||

Saṃnyāsa makes one fit for knowledge
What should we give up, karma or its fruit?
Karma itself is pure, faultless.
It only becomes impure by the feeling of ‘I’.

svāntada śodhanéyappudu
santatakarmātta lokasaṃparkagaḷim
|
antantaśśodhitadai-
kāntada dṛṣṭiyiné pūrṇatattvaṃ doréguṃ
||

The mind is refined
By constant contact with the world through various duties
By contemplating within,
By meditating in solitude one obtains complete knowledge.

Summary

Not having any desire for one’s own profit is Saṃnyāsa. Working in a righteous way for riches, wishing for pleasure and coveting success are all suitable for householders. Even if one’s duties are performed with intended personal benefit, they can eventually bring about selflessness. Whether this is a worldly karma or a religious one, whether it is selfish or not — it turns the mind towards the divine if it does not violate dharma. Various experiences gained during the course of life because of constant contact with the world shake and jolt the jīva, make it wander about, and exhaust it. Finally they bring about the realisation about the limited value of the world, the plight of pleasures, and the bounds of human effort.

The Gītācārya does not prescribe severe austerities that affect bodily functions. He says that all activities should be within permissible limits. Sādhanā should not affect efficiency in action and peace of mind.

Dhyāna-yoga is fixing the mind upon the principle of the ātmā. It is impossible to understand the Bhagavad-Gītā without dhyāna. Knowledge gained from mere study of books is incomplete. Complete knowledge is gained from one’s own experience and the practice of ātmaupamya.

Different births of a jīva are just like chapters in a single novel. One who wants to study the progression of a jīva should see the various accounts of different births as the uninterrupted flow of a river. Different streams join this river — clear and pure streams as well as waters turbid with sewage. The river becomes cleaner and clearer as it progresses. Thus, the flow of small streams also becomes meaningful. Similarly, even a little effort in the right direction will not go waste.

Chapter 6. Dhyāna-yoga or Dhyānabhyāsa-yoga

In the previous chapter was enunciated karma-jñāna-sāmarasya — that karma and jñāna are harmonious n with each other. In this chapter will be described dhyāna, an activity that, with satkarma, helps in attaining jñāna.

There are ten important points discussed in this chapter:

  1. Relationship between saṃnyāsa and yoga
  2. Importance of human self-effort
  3. How jñāna (knowledge) and vijñāna (experiential wisdom) are essential to each other
  4. The method of dhyāna
  5. The proper limit for food and enjoyment
  6. Tranquility
  7. The practice of Ātmaupamya or considering the universe as an extension of one’s own self
  8. Accomplishment by practice
  9. Even a little practice does not go waste
  10. The excellence of performing dhyāna

The Relationship between Saṃnyāsa and Yoga

We might remember that earlier we examined the question of the nature of a saṃnyāsīn. The answer to that is now given with certainty.

anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṃ kāryaṃ karma karoti yaḥ
sa saṃnyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnir-na cākriyaḥ
(BG 6.1)

Who is a saṃnyāsī ? Not one who has given up yajña and other fire sacrifices[1] and other dhārmic activities like dāna, but one who performs his duties without any desire for selfish benefit. He alone is a yogi.

Among the mahāvākyas (great declarations) in the Gītā, this is one of the most important. Yoga here could mean either karmayoga or jñānayoga. Ultimately, saṃnyāsa and yoga are complementary to each other and are not mutually detrimental. Saṃnyāsa, sāṃkhya and jñāna are all treated as synonyms in the Gītā. Similarly, the words dharma, niyata karma and kartavya are all synonymous. The performance of karma yields cittaśuddhi (purification of the mind) that is a prerequisite to attain jñāna. It is impossible to obtain jñāna without purifying the mind. The mind must be equanimous and composed to receive jñāna. Saṃnyāsa becomes a tool to calm and compose the mind. Thus, both karma and saṃnyāsa become one in jñānayoga. They are complementary to each other. Śrīkṛṣṇa makes this clear when he says,

ārurukṣor-muner-yogaṃ karma kāraṇam-ucyate
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇam-ucyate
(BG 6.3)

The readiness for the practice of yoga is obtained by karma, before the actual practice of yoga is begun. Yoga then becomes complete by the practice of śama (tranquillity).

The necessary first step is to perform one’s ordained duties and then give up the fruit of labour. This is the practice of egolessness. Love and hatred are thence transcended, thus achieving tranquillity of mind. This leads to the complete experience of the Self.

yaṃ saṃnyāsam-iti prāhur-yogaṃ taṃ viddhi pāṇḍava
na hyasaṃnyāsta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana
(BG 6.2)

The first step to prepare for yoga is to give up purpose (saṅkalpa). In other words, desire and want. Thoughts about the outcome — that something should result out of an action, or that something should take place in a specific way only and not in any other way — are all saṅkalpa. Saṃnyāsa is the absence of desire for personal fulfilment.

Giving up Desire for Selfish Ends

There is a question here. Should we not have many saṅkalpas such as the upliftment of the nation and so forth? Saṅkalpa is planning. Can there be development in the world without planning? Such questions may arise. Saṅkalpa is the mark of human will; should human effort or will be given up? Has not Bhagavān himself said “pauruṣaṃ nṛṣu” — “I am agency or will in humans”? It has been amply said in the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata that pauruṣa is required. Without saṅkalpa, pauruṣa is impossible.

The answer to this question is thus: Firstly, the intent here is not to give up desire for the progress of the world but to give up selfish desires. The desire for profit, enjoyment, and fame should be given up. However, there is no harm in desires that please Bhagavān. Secondly, selfish desires are prohibited for saṃnyāsīs and people desirous of the knowledge of the ātmā, not for everyone. Saṃnyāsa is for those who deem worldly pleasures as worthless. Giving up all desires is not expected of people whose minds are firmly and truly attached to the world. The saṅkalpa of such people is “caturvidha-phala-puruṣārtha-siddhyarthaṃ” — to gain the four-fold achievements in life. Even a selfish desire can be acceptable as dharma. Are not karmas like agniṣṭoma and aśvamedha similar to this? Working for pleasure, riches, and success in a righteous manner is not proper for saṃnyāsa but is acceptable for the gṛhastha. This saṅkalpa of a householder belongs to the millions of objects to be achieved by human beings, the foremost of which is dharma.

A student in a gurukula is prohibited from using perfume, flowers, and tāmbūla[2]. However, these enjoyments are not forbidden for householders, and even encouraged. If we say that a man suffering from fever should not be served fatty foods, it doesn’t mean that his guests should also be deprived of ghee. Let there be selfishness; but it should be subservient to dharma. However, when the highest spiritual knowledge is aspired for, this selfishness should go away.

To be continued...

The present series is a modern English translation of DVG’s Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award-winning work, Bhagavad-gītā-tātparya or Jīvana-dharma-yoga. The translators wish to express their thanks to Śatāvadhāni R Ganesh for his valuable feedback and to Hari Ravikumar for his astute edits.

Footnotes

[1] Saṃnyāsīs are required to give up all association with fire. The reason is that fire is required for the everyday life of a householder — both worldly and ritualistic.

[2] Betel leaf, arecanut and edible lime are good for digestion but also increase desire for enjoyment.

Author(s)

About:

Devanahalli Venkataramanayya Gundappa (1887-1975) was a great visionary and polymath. He was a journalist, poet, art connoisseur, philosopher, political analyst, institution builder, social commentator, social worker, and activist.

Translator(s)

About:

Engineer. Lapsed blogger. Abiding interest in Sanskrit, religion, and philosophy. A wannabe jack-of-all.

About:

Mother of two. Engineer. Worshiper of Indian music, poetry, and art.

Prekshaa Publications

Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer’s Epics is a unique work on the comparative study of the Greek Epics Iliad and Odyssey with the Indian Epics – Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Homer, who laid the foundations for the classical tradition of the West, occupies a stature similar to that occupied by the seer-poets Vālmīki and Vyāsa, who are synonymous with the Indian culture. The author...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the sixth volume of reminiscences character sketches of prominent public figures, liberals, and social workers. These remarkable personages hailing from different corners of South India are from a period that spans from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Written in Kannada in the 1970s, these memoirs go...

An Introduction to Hinduism based on Primary Sources

Authors: Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh, Hari Ravikumar

What is the philosophical basis for Sanātana-dharma, the ancient Indian way of life? What makes it the most inclusive and natural of all religio-philosophical systems in the world?

The Essential Sanātana-dharma serves as a handbook for anyone who wishes to grasp the...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fifth volume, episodes from the lives of traditional savants responsible for upholding the Vedic culture. These memorable characters lived a life of opulence amidst poverty— theirs  was the wealth of the soul, far beyond money and gold. These vidvāns hailed from different corners of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom and lived in...

Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam represents the quintessence of Sage Bharata’s art and Bhārata, the country that gave birth to the peerless seer of the Nāṭya-veda. Padma’s erudition in various streams of Indic knowledge, mastery over many classical arts, deep understanding of the nuances of Indian culture, creative genius, and sublime vision bolstered by the vedāntic and nationalistic...

Bhārata has been a land of plenty in many ways. We have had a timeless tradition of the twofold principle of Brāhma (spirit of wisdom) and Kṣāttra (spirit of valour) nourishing and protecting this sacred land. The Hindu civilisation, rooted in Sanātana-dharma, has constantly been enriched by brāhma and safeguarded by kṣāttra.
The renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R...

ಛಂದೋವಿವೇಕವು ವರ್ಣವೃತ್ತ, ಮಾತ್ರಾಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕರ್ಷಣಜಾತಿ ಎಂದು ವಿಭಕ್ತವಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಛಂದಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ವಿವೇಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಬಂಧಗಳ ಸಂಕಲನ. ಲೇಖಕರ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲಿಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಛಂದಸ್ಸಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತೌಲನಿಕ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಃಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಅಧ್ಯಯನಗಳ ತೆಕ್ಕೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಬರೆಹಗಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕಾರನಿಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತನಾದ ಕವಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸ್ಫುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊಳಹುಗಳು ಕೃತಿಯ ಮೌಲಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿವೆ. ಈ...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fourth volume, some character sketches of the Dewans of Mysore preceded by an account of the political framework of the State before Independence and followed by a review of the political conditions of the State after 1940. These remarkable leaders of Mysore lived in a period that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the...

Bharatiya Kavya-mimamseya Hinnele is a monograph on Indian Aesthetics by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma. The book discusses the history and significance of concepts pivotal to Indian literary theory. It is equally useful to the learned and the laity.

Sahitya-samhite is a collection of literary essays in Kannada. The book discusses aestheticians such as Ananda-vardhana and Rajashekhara; Sanskrit scholars such as Mena Ramakrishna Bhat, Sridhar Bhaskar Varnekar and K S Arjunwadkar; and Kannada litterateurs such as DVG, S L Bhyrappa and S R Ramaswamy. It has a foreword by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh.

The Mahābhārata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bhārata-varṣa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharṣi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahābhārata is to...

Shiva Rama Krishna

சிவன். ராமன். கிருஷ்ணன்.
இந்திய பாரம்பரியத்தின் முப்பெரும் கதாநாயகர்கள்.
உயர் இந்தியாவில் தலைமுறைகள் பல கடந்தும் கடவுளர்களாக போற்றப்பட்டு வழிகாட்டிகளாக விளங்குபவர்கள்.
மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
தனிநபர்களாகவும், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களாகவும், சமுதாய பிரஜைகளாகவும் நாம் அனைவரும் பரிமளிக்கிறோம்.
சிவன் தனிமனித அடையாளமாக அமைகிறான்....

ऋतुभिः सह कवयः सदैव सम्बद्धाः। विशिष्य संस्कृतकवयः। यथा हि ऋतवः प्रतिसंवत्सरं प्रतिनवतामावहन्ति मानवेषु तथैव ऋतुवर्णनान्यपि काव्यरसिकेषु कामपि विच्छित्तिमातन्वते। ऋतुकल्याणं हि सत्यमिदमेव हृदि कृत्वा प्रवृत्तम्। नगरजीवनस्य यान्त्रिकतां मान्त्रिकतां च ध्वनदिदं चम्पूकाव्यं गद्यपद्यमिश्रितमिति सुव्यक्तमेव। ऐदम्पूर्वतया प्रायः पुरीपरिसरप्रसृतानाम् ऋतूनां विलासोऽत्र प्रपञ्चितः। बेङ्गलूरुनामके...

The Art and Science of Avadhānam in Sanskrit is a definitive work on Sāhityāvadhānam, a form of Indian classical art based on multitasking, lateral thinking, and extempore versification. Dotted throughout with tasteful examples, it expounds in great detail on the theory and practice of this unique performing art. It is as much a handbook of performance as it is an anthology of well-turned...

This anthology is a revised edition of the author's 1978 classic. This series of essays, containing his original research in various fields, throws light on the socio-cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu spanning several centuries. These compelling episodes will appeal to scholars and laymen alike.
“When superstitious mediaevalists mislead the country about its judicial past, we have to...

The cultural history of a nation, unlike the customary mainstream history, has a larger time-frame and encompasses the timeless ethos of a society undergirding the course of events and vicissitudes. A major key to the understanding of a society’s unique character is an appreciation of the far-reaching contributions by outstanding personalities of certain periods – especially in the realms of...

Prekṣaṇīyam is an anthology of essays on Indian classical dance and theatre authored by multifaceted scholar and creative genius, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh. As a master of śāstra, a performing artiste (of the ancient art of Avadhānam), and a cultured rasika, he brings a unique, holistic perspective to every discussion. These essays deal with the philosophy, history, aesthetics, and practice of...

Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the third volume, some character sketches of great literary savants responsible for Kannada renaissance during the first half of the twentieth century. These remarkable...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...