In the following few stanzas, Lord Krishna is explaining the mental attitude of a Saint-at-Work. One doubt is generally raised by every intelligent student at all times. The spiritual experience, no doubt, can be had when the seeker in meditation transcends even his intellect. But then, this transcendental experience is bound to remain only for a limited time. The “Realised-Saint” is found working in the world, sometimes, in an elaborate fashion, like a Buddha or a Christ; in some cases he works in a limited fashion, like a Ramana Maharshi, and at certain moments he may not undertake any activity at all, but merely continue living among the world-of-objects. Now the doubt is: “what would be the mental attitude of such a Perfect-Master when he comes in contact with the world and functions in it?”

A Yogi is one who is always trying, through all the means that are in him, to raise himself from his state of physical, mental and intellectual imperfections to a more perfect state of existence. In this sense of the term it would be unjust to read into the stanza merely the obvious meaning.

The word “Deva” comes from a root, meaning ‘illumination.’ Subjectively viewed, the greatest “Devas” are the five sense organs: eyes illumining forms and colours, ears illumining sounds, the nose illumining smells, and the tongue and the skin illumining tastes and touches. Seekers, and Perfected-Masters (Yogis) too, when they move in the world, no doubt perceive sense-objects through sense stimuli. But in their understanding and experience, perception is but “a world of sense-objects continuously offering themselves into the fires of his perception in order to invoke the Devas (Sense-perceptions).” Such seekers and masters walk out into life, and when they come across the sense world, they only recognise and experience that the world-of-objects is paying a devoted tribute to the powers of sense-perceptions!

When this mental attitude is entertained constantly by a seeker he comes to feel completely detached from the sense experiences and, irrespective of the quality of experience, he is able to maintain a constant sense of inward equanimity.

As contrasted with this method (Deva-Yajna) there are others who perform Brahma-Yajna, says Krishna, wherein they come to “OFFER THE SELF AS A SACRIFICE BY THE SELF IN THE FIRE OF THE SELF.” This statement becomes perfectly clear when subjectively analysed and understood. As long as we exist in the body manifestation, we have to come across the world of sense-objects. The outer-world can yield to us its joy or sorrow not by itself but only as a result of our healthy or unhealthy attitude towards it. The objects in themselves are impotent to give us either joy or sorrow.

The Perfect Masters understand that the sense-organs are only INSTRUMENTS-of-perception and that they can work only when in contact with the Supreme, the Atman. In this true understanding all Masters live, allowing the sense-organs to sacrifice themselves in the Knowledge-of-Brahman. Seekers also are, by this statement, advised as to how they too can gain a certain amount of freedom from their senses by dedicating their sense-life in the service of the world. When an individual’s sense-organs of perception and action are to function and act — not for his own ego-centric, selfish satisfactions but for the sake of serving the society or the world — then, even if such an individual lives in the world-of-objects he will not be enslaved by his attachments to his possessions.

AFTER THUS ENUMERATING THE “DEVA-YAJNA” AND THE “BRAHMA-YAJNA,” LORD KRISHNA EXPOUNDS TWO MORE METHODS IN THE FOLLOWING:

Apare, other; yoginah, yogis, ritualists; pari-upasate, undertake; yajnam, sacrifice; daivam, to gods; eva, alone. A sacrifice by which the gods are adored is daiva-yajna; they perform only that. This is the meaning. Brahma-agnau, in the fire of Brahman: By the word brahman is meant That which is referred to in such sentences as, ‘Brahman is Truth, knowledge and infinite’ (Tai. 2.1), ‘Knowledge, Bliss, Brahman’ (Br. 3.9.28), ‘the Brahman that is immediate and direct-the self that is within all’ (Br.3.4.1), which is devoid of all worldly characteristiscs like hunger etc. and which is beyond all particular qualifications-as stated in, ‘Not this, not this’ (Br.4.4.22). That which is Brahman is the fire. [Brahman is called fire because, as reflected in wisdom, It burns away everything, i.e. ignorance, or because everything merges into It during dissolution (pralaya).] And it is spoken of as Brahmagni with a view to referring to It as that into which the offering is made. In that fire of Brahman, apare, others, other knowers of Brahman; upa-juhvati, offer; yajnam, the Self, which is referred to by the word yajna (sacrifice), it, having, been presented as a synonym of the Self;-that Self, which is a sacrifice, which is reality is verily the supreme Brahman, which is associated with such limiting adjuncts as the intellect etc., which is associated with all the qualities of the limiting adjuncts superimposed on it, and which is the oblation, (they offer) yajnena, by the Self itself as described above. The offering (of the Self) in that (Brahman) is nothing but the realization of that Self which is assoicated with the limiting adjuncts to be the supreme Brahman which is free from adjuncts. The monks, steadfast in the realization of the identity of Brahman and the Self, make that offering. This is the meaning. Beginning with, ‘The ladle is Brahman’ etc., this sacrifice characterized as full realization is being included among such sacrifices as daiva-yajna etc. with a view to eulogizing it in the verses beginning with, ‘O destroyer of enemies, jnana-yajna is greater than the sacrifices involving (sacrificial) materials’.