The Self is ONE in all beings; the same Conscious Principle illumines the emotions and thoughts in all bosoms of all living creatures. “I AM IN ALL BEINGS.” The same Sun illumines all objects of the world and its rays get reflected on all surfaces — whether the dull, rough surface of a rock, or the bright polished facet of a jewel.
TO ME THERE IS NONE HATEFUL NOR DEAR — If the same Self revels in Krishna and Buddha, Shankara and Christ, in a lunatic and in a murderer, in the good and in the bad, why is it that some are able to recognise the divine status of the Self and others live like worms? In the emotional literature, expounding the Bhakti-cult, there is always the sentimental explanation that it is because, under the Lord’s direct grace, some come to manifest a greater amount of divinity. This theory may be satisfactory to the few, who do not bring their reasoning capacity into the field of religious discussion. But to the intelligent ones, this explanation should appear absurd, inasmuch as the Supreme would have to be considered as exhibiting partiality to some in the world. To negate this imperfect explanation, and to express the purely scientific theory, krishna declares here that the Self is the same everywhere, always, and that to the Self there is no distinction between the good and the bad; the Self entertains neither a particular love nor any special hatred for any of the living beings.
This should not be understood as meaning that the Self is an impotent factor, inert, and emotionless, with no capacity in Itself to bless or to help. Employing the analogy of the sunlight which we have already examined, the idea implied here can be better understood. Even though the same sunlight reflects upon the different types of objects in the world, it is true that the quality and the nature of the reflecting surface will determine the clarity and the intensity of the light reflected. On a dull piece of rough stone there will be the least amount of light reflected, while in a bright clean and polished mirror there will be, perhaps, the maximum reflection.
Because of this difference, sunlight cannot be accused of having special love for the mirror, or a disgust for the rough stone. Applying the analogy to the subjective life, it becomes clear that if the spiritual strength and beauty get reflected more from the golden-hearts of the rare few and not at all from the iron-hearts of the many, it is not because the Self entertains in Itself any preference for, or any prejudice against, anyone, but it is only a natural phenomenon, happening in perfect obedience to the law of the universe.
Though in the first line there is a total negation of any relationship whatsoever between the Self and the not-Self, in the following line, there is a striking idea expressed, which as it were smothers the readers with its vivid contradiction. “BUT THOSE WHO WORSHIP ME WITH DEVOTION ARE IN ME, AND I TOO AM IN THEM.” Even though the Self has neither any favour for, nor any prejudice against the not-Self, to the extent the not-Self “WORSHIP ME WITH DEVOTION” they are “IN ME AND I TOO AM IN THEM.” We can say that the ghost is in the post and the post is in the ghost, meaning thereby the non-dual nature of the essence and the super-impositions upon It. Those who worship the Self with devotion come to rediscover that the worshippers themselves are none other than the Self that is worshipped by them. Even while recognising the GHOST the deluded one is looking at the POST only; for the POST is the permanent “reality” upon which the projection of the “non-real” GHOST has been made by the deluded observer.
THOSE WHO WORSHIP ME WITH DEVOTION — This phrase can be initially understood as a mere ritualistic injunction, and it calls for a closer and deeper study to realise its spiritual implications. Worship is a technique by which, in essence, the entire “thought-forces” in the worshipper are mobilised and turned to flow towards a diviner point-of-contemplation, ever seeking a total identity with the Truth so meditated upon. When this is done in a spirit of devotion or love, the worshipper comes to realise his total oneness with his object-of-worship.
With this implied meaning well in mind, when we re-read the stanza, what Krishna means in this philosophical statement becomes amply clear. Even though Truth has neither a preference for, nor a prejudice against anyone, some noble souls come to experience, and later on exhibit in themselves the effulgence of divinity, because, as the Lord says, they, through their devoted worship, have sought and discovered their oneness with the Divine Principle, the Self. Theirs becomes the elegance of the Divine.
A mind, which is pre-occupied with its own ego-centric attachments with the not-Self, cannot come to live the Bliss-of-Perfection, while, the same mind, when it has detached itself from its extrovert preoccupations, becomes a ready instrument to seek and to discover its true identity with the Self. The condition of the mind declares whether the individual is confused or clear, bound or redeemed. A mind that is turned outward, rushing out and panting to gain its satisfactions in the world-of-objects, gets bound to the finite, and comes to groan with pain and disappointment; while the same mind when turned inward, away from the objects, seeking the Self, comes to rediscover its own identity with the Spiritual Centre.
In winter, inside a room one suffers from cold, while outside there is plenty of sunshine. He who walks out of the room into the sunshine comes to be blessed by the warmth of the Sun while they who bury themselves in their rooms suffer the discomforts of the cold. The Sun has neither a preference for those who are basking under its rays, nor has it any prejudice against those who do not come out under its shine and warmth. In the language of this stanza, we may call those who have walked out to the sunny courtyard as “blessed” by the Sun, while those who stay indoors as “not blessed” by that luminous energiser in the sky?
Never does the Geeta, at any point, encourage man’s surrender to circumstances, or to his own debilities and incompetencies. As a Scripture of activity and optimistic endeavour, the Geeta unmistakably emphasizes the ultimate supremacy of man over his weaknesses and even over his circumstances.
IS THIS PATH OF SELF-DISCOVERY AVAILABLE ONLY FOR THE GOOD?… LISTEN:
