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| '''श्रीभगवानुवाच''' | | '''श्रीभगवानुवाच''' |
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| + | ==== Brahman and Karma ==== |
| अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते । भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥८- ३॥ | | अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते । भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥८- ३॥ |
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| Bhagavan said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called '''Brahman''', and his eternal nature is called '''adhyatma''', the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called '''karma''', or fruitive activities. | | Bhagavan said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called '''Brahman''', and his eternal nature is called '''adhyatma''', the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called '''karma''', or fruitive activities. |
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| + | When a living entity is in material consciousness, he has to take on various bodies in the material world. That is called karma, or varied creation by the force of material consciousness. |
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| + | The living entity or Jivatma takes different positions and according to his identification with material or spiritual nature, he receives a material or spiritual body. In material nature, he may take a body from any of the 84,00,000 species of life and is manifested sometimes as a man, demigod, animal, beast, bird, etc. according to his karma. To attain material heavenly planets and enjoy their facilities, he sometimes performs yajnas, but when his merit is exhausted he returns to earth again in the form of a man. This process is called karma. |
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| + | As described in the Chandogya Upanishad, in the process of sacrifice, the living entity makes specific sacrifices to attain specific heavenly planets and consequently reaches them. When the merit of sacrifice is exhausted, the living entity descends to earth in the form of rain, then takes on the form of grains, and the grains are eaten by man and transformed into semen, which impregnates a woman, and thus the living entity once again attains the human form to perform sacrifice and so repeat the same cycle.<ref name=":1" /> |
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| + | ==== Adhibhuta Adhidaiva and Adhiyajna ==== |
| अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् । अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥८- ४॥ | | अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् । अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥८- ४॥ |
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| + | O best of the embodies beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing is called adhibhuta (the material manifestation). The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the Sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajna (the Lord of sacrifice). |
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| + | The physical nature is constantly changing. Material bodies generally pass through six stages: they are born, they grow, they remain for some duration, they produce some by-products, they dwindle, and then they vanish. This physical nature is called adhibhuta. It is created at a certain point and will be annihilated at a certain point. |
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| + | And present in the body along with the individual soul is the Supersoul. The Supersoul seated beside the individual soul is the witness of the individual soul's activities and is the source of the soul's various types of consciousness. The supersoul gives the individual soul an opportunity to act freely and witness his activities. |
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| + | The gigantic universal form of the Lord called adhidaiva is contemplated by the neophyte who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as Supersoul. The neophyte is advised to contemplate the universal form, or virat-purusha, whose legs are consiered the lower planets, whose eyes are considered the Sun and moon, and whose head is considered the upper planetary system.<ref name=":1" /> |
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| + | ==== The final state ==== |
| अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् । यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥८- ५॥ | | अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् । यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥८- ५॥ |
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| + | And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering me alone, at once attains my nature. Of this there is no doubt.<ref name=":1" /> |
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| यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् । तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥८- ६॥ | | यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् । तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥८- ६॥ |
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| + | Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail. |
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| तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च । मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् ॥८- ७॥ | | तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च । मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् ॥८- ७॥ |