Shanti and Brahmanirvana

नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना।

न चाभावयुतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम्॥गीत २-६६॥

How can one be happy without peace of mind?

A person with a disturbed mind will have disturbed emotions and loss of peace, without peace of mind, how can a person be happy? Even modern psychology has identified this fact and started changing its view point. Books like Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich, Art of loving and The Sane Society by Erich Fromm are examples of this reorientation. Acceptance of World Yoga day proposal by 177 countries within such a short span of time is a proof that society wants peace of mind to be happy and yoga is a tool which can give that.

विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः।

निर्ममो निरहंकारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति॥गीत २-७१॥

A person performing all the worldly activities without desires & attachment in a dutiful way, to his/her true potential, with a pleasant and equanimous mind would attain peace of mind.

यषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति।

स्थित्वास्यामन्तकाले ऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति॥गीत २-७२॥

Peace of mind leads to Brahma Jnana, climax of Buddhi Yoga; having attained such a state, a person will never be distracted by worldly activities, would retain it till the death bed, truly a state of self-realization Brahma Nirvana. 

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References:

1. Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, ISBN No. 9789382563792

2. De-schooling society, Ivan Illich, ISBN No. 8898473133,9788898473137

3. Art of loving, Erich Fromm, ISBN No. 1480402001, 9781480402003

4. The Sane Society, Erich Fromm,  ISBN No. 1480402052, 9781480402058

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Buddhi yoga and Stitha prajna

स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव।

स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम् ॥गीत २-५४॥

Having heard about Buddhi yoga, Arjuna wants to know what are the characteristics of a person who has mastered it. How would such a person speak, walk, sit and behave?

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः।

वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते॥गीत २-५६॥

A person, who has mastered Buddhi yoga and reached the state of Stitha prajna would neither be excited by joy nor depressed by sorrow, will never be swayed by passion, fear or anger. Sri Ramachandra, an embodiment of Stitha prajna lived such a life as told by Krishna. Let us try to understand this by comparing two contrasting mind sets, one of Ravana and another of Rama.

द्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते।

सङ्गात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते॥गीत २-६२॥

क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिवेभ्रमः।

स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्दिनाशो बुद्दिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥गीत २-६३॥

Ravana’s mind was always thinking of enjoyment, actions driven by attachment and desires; one such thought was to have the most beautiful Sita in his Anthapura. Brooding on this thought resulted in a deep rooted desire; he got angry and threatened everybody including his brother Vibhishana, wife Mandodari, and friend Maricha who warned him against his pursuit. His mind was deluded, delusion masked all past memories, lost his discrimination, ultimately leading to self-destruction. It was similar wavering disturbed mind of Duryodhana which lead to his down fall / pit fall.

In contrast, Rama was always pleasant (Smitha vadana) and equanimous, neither swayed by the joy of kingship nor by the sorrow of going to forest, a perfect son, a model husband and even an ideal enemy who gave enough opportunities for Ravan to correct himself. Even Hanuman was like that, dutiful, steadfast on his goal, never got distracted by inducements on his way (Minaka parvata while going to Lanka). Krishna says these are the characteristics of a Sthita Prajna, a state of balanced buddhi, in other words buddhi yoga.

Boiling and burning mind          -------------------> Bubbling and blooming mind

(Ravana, Duryodhana's mind)                                   (Rama, Hanuman's mind)

 

रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन्।

आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥गीत २-६४॥

प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते।

प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बुद्दिः पर्यवतिष्टते॥गीत २-६५॥

Such a person devoid of raga and dwesha would still pursue all the worldly affairs and lead himself/herself to Prasannata. All his/her miseries will vanish, and such a pleasant minded person will establish in true self. Having reached this state, humans become devine, nara becomes narayana, pashu becomes pashupati.