101 – God, the Indweller | Swami Tattwamayananda - a podcast by Vedanta Society, San Francisco

10th chapter: 13th verse to 20th verse

The central thesis of the 10th chapter is in the 20th verse. It says: “O Arjuna, I am present in the heart of all beings as the indweller– residing there I regulate and function everything. I am the beginning; I am the middle; and I am the end of all beings.”

Based on this verse, Swami Vivekananda defined religion. “Religion is the manifestation of divinity already in man.” Body mind complex is distinct from the divine – it is an instrument for the manifestation of the divine.

In modern times, it is more appropriate to replace religion with spirituality in Swamiji’s quote. Religion is a man-made structure comprising of a book, a place of worship, a set of rituals and an intermediary between God and man. Swamiji was defining spirituality, which is the essence of all religions, and which is the manifestation of divinity within us.

How do we recognize spirituality in a person? When a person lives a spiritual life, it will reflect in his character. The more we live a spiritual life, the more the divinity within expresses itself.

In the 20th verse, Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna as Gudakesha – one who is alert, has sense control and is fit for spiritual enquiry. Vedanta prescribes four-fold spiritual disciplines called sadhana chatusthaya to become fit for spiritual enquiry. The four disciplines are: (1) a proper understanding of what is real and what isn't real (2) a sincere renunciation of worldly desires (3) self-restraint and control of the senses and mind (4) a strong urge for spiritual liberation. Nitya anitya vastu viveka Ihāmutra phala bhoga virāga Śamādi ṣatka sampatti Mumukṣutvam.

And after one becomes desirous of spiritual pursuit, there are three additional disciplines he should pursue. He should listen to spiritual instructions, focus on their meaning and finally he should meditate and realize their meaning. It is called Sravana, Manana, Nididhyāsana.

It is important to properly understand the 20th verse to make sense of verse 21 onwards in the 10th chapter, where Lord Krishna describes his manifestations – “I am Vishnu among Adityas, I am sama veda among vedas, and so on.” What he means is - the divine reality is present in all beings; wherever we find a unique manifestation that is sublime and beautiful, it is an expression of the divine reality.

To understand verse 21 onwards, it is also important to know the three levels of Hindu Vedantic canonical hierarchy. The highest are the vedas, next are smritis and then the puranas. Among vedas, the Upanishads talk about the natural spiritual aspiration of humanity. Vedantic tradition accepts all religions because it does not take a single book as the wisdom coming from God.

From the 13th to 18th verse, Arjuna demonstrates his understanding that Lord Krishna is not a normal charioteer. He is Brahman, the cause of everything, the essence of purity and present everywhere as Atman. He states that only Lord Krishna understands how his spiritual characteristics manifest in this universe. He then asks Lord Krishna to explain all his manifestations to him.

In the 19th verse, Lord Krishna expresses his willingness to tell Arjuna about his vibhutis. We cannot know God except through his vibhutis. Spirituality is not an intellectual concept – it is a matter of realization.

In the beginning, the mind may not cooperate with our sadhana, as the past samskaras assert themselves. To progress, we have to accumulate healthy samskaras. We should begin our spiritual journey by focusing on a higher ideal and practice spiritual sadhanas. What we meditate upon, that we become. When we always think of a higher ideal, we begin to imbibe the qualities of that higher ideal. Then our mind co-operates.

As we progress in spiritual life, we develop a unique spiritual common sense. The inner light within us becomes more effulgent.

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