If the above has drawn a flat picture of the Man-of-Perfection, herein we have added strokes that shade the outlines and give them a rounded beauty to depict them vividly for our keener observation and closer vision.

THE SAME IN HONOUR AND DIS-HONOUR — The sense of equanimity in honour and dis-honour is described here as one of the definite signs of perfection attained. Rooted in his own lived experiences of divinity, a man of Vision is not afraid of life and its rewards, because, such a Perfect One looks at things and happenings from his own special angle. The egoistic evaluation of life tends to respect honour and shun dishonour.

Even in ordinary life, we have found martyrs courting what others consider as dishonour. They energetically love and serve their generation in spite of the insults and disgrace piled upon them by ignorant people. For Archimedes, running along the streets naked from his bath-tub crying “Eureka,” “Eureka,” might have been a dishonour on any other day except on that day of his discovery! Honour and dishonour are the evaluations of the intellect that change from time to time, from place to place. To one who has transcended the ordinary planes of egoism and vanity, both are the same; a crown of thorns is as welcome as a crown of roses!!

THE SAME TO FRIEND AND FOE — To one who treads the Path of Wisdom and has risen above the gunas, there is no foe in the world; nor is he attached to anyone in earthy friendships. My right hand is never a foe to me; nor is it merely a friend; it is myself. Another, other than myself, alone can claim enmity or friendship with me. When I have realised the ONENESS of my spiritual nature, Infinite and All-pervading, as the Spirit, I have no relationship with the world outside; I live my vivid personal experience: “THEY ARE I.”

ABANDONING ALL UNDERTAKINGS — The man of tranquillity, living in God-consciousness, has no more ego in him, nor is he pestered by the endless ego-centric desires which are the sorrows of life. Desire-motivated activities, undertaken with an anxiety to earn and to acquire, to possess and to hoard, to aggrandise and to claim ownership are indicated by the term “undertaking.” All these are possible only when the ego is there. When the limited ego-sense has volatilised in the realisation of the Infinite, all ego-motivated activities also end. Thereafter, he, the God-inspired, works in the world as a God-man.

HE IS SAID TO HAVE GONE BEYOND THE GUNAS — The above three stanzas together paint the complete picture of one who has transcended the gunas. These three stanzas answer Arjuna’s second question.

Shankara recognises in these three stanzas “A RULE OF CONDUCT LAID DOWN FOR THE SAMNYASIN WHO SEEKS MOKSHA.” These qualities are to be cultivated by every SEEKER who is trying to live the Hindu-culture. Once the seeker has gained inner freedom, these become the characteristic features of his nature. They form the essential marks that indicate one who has risen above the gunas.

THE LORD PROCEEDS NEXT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION “HOW DOES ONE TRANSCEND THE GUNAS?”

Further, tulyah, he who is the same, unperturbed; mana-apamanayoh, under honour and dishonour; tulyah, who is eally disposed; mitra-ari-paksayoh, both towards the side of the friend and of the foe-although from their own standpoint some may be unattached, still, in others’ view they may appear to be siding either with friends or foes; hence it is said, ‘eally disposed both towards the side of the friend and of the foe’; sarva-arambha-parityagi, who has renounced all enterprise (-those which are undertaken are arambhah, actions intended for seen or unseen results-), i.e. who is apt to give up all undertakings, who has given up all actions other than those needed merely for the maintenance of the body; sah, he; ucyate, is said to have; gunatitah, gone beyond the alities. The disciplines leading to the state of transcendence of the alities, which have been stated (in the verses) beginning from ‘he who, sitting like one indifferent,’ and ending with ‘he is said to have gone beyond the alities,’ have to be practised by a monk, a seeker of Liberation, so long as they are to be achieved through effort. But when they become firmly ingrained, they become the indications, perceivable to himself, of a monk who has transcended the alities. Now the Lord gives the reply to the question, ‘And how does he transcend the alties?’