Bhagavad Gita Quote Subscribe Bhagavad Gita Selection Number 319, for Tuesday,

May 12, 2009

From Chapter XVI: The Yoga of the Division Between the Divine and the Daemonical

XVI.4. DAMBHO DARPO'BHIMAANASHCHA KRODHAH PAARUSHYAMEVA CHA;

AJNAANAM CHAABHIJAATASYA PAARTHA SAMPADAMAASUREEM.

(Krishna speaking to Arjuna)

Hypocrisy, arrogance, self-conceit, harshness and also anger and
ignorance, belong to one who is born in a demoniacal state, O
Arjuna!

XVI.5. DAIVEE SAMPADVIMOKSHAAYA NIBANDHAAYAASUREE MATAA;

MAA SHUCHAH SAMPADAM DAIVEEM ABHIJAATO'SI PAANDAVA.
The divine nature is deemed for liberation and the demoniacal for
bondage. Grieve not, O Arjuna, for thou art born with divine
properties!

COMMENTARY: As Arjuna is dejected, Sri Krishna assures him not to

feel alarmed at this description of the demoniacal qualities as he
is born with Sattwic tendencies leading towards salvation.
Daily Quote Subscribe Words may change; modes of approach may change; but
Truth shines as the Absolute Reality.
Raja Yoga Sutra Subscribe Raja Yoga Selection Number 84, for Tuesday, May 12,
2009

[from Discourse II: "Sadhana Pada- On Spiritual Disciplines"]

II.25. TAD-ABHAVAT SAMYOGABHAVO HANAM TAD DRESH KALVAYAM.
'With the elimination of avidya comes the disappearance of the association
of Purusha and Prakriti, and the Seer is liberated'.

Commentary:
Ignorance is the reason for Purusha or Soul to associate itself with
Prakriti. When ignorance is replaced by illumination there no longer is
need for the individual soul to exist in the material world, and it is
liberated from the trials of earthly life.
Weekly Poem Subscribe 48. THAT WONDERFUL ARCHITECT

Who has built this marvellous body-palace?

The architect of this wonderful body
Has shown the greatest skill
In building this body.
He is the Architect of architects.
The outside arches of buildings
Are nothing when compared to the arches in this body,
A few fragile bones are joined together;
An arch is formed in the foot.
It can support a weight of two or three maunds.
A tiny nerve moves the muscles f the face
Which express various emotions of the mind.
What a grand marvel!!
Look at these delicate organs: eye, ear, etc,
A small aperature in the eye
Admits huge mountains to the vision.
This greatest Architect is the Lord
Who dwells in the chambers of your heart.
Glory to this great Architect of architects!
Prostrations to this wonderful Architect!
Principles of Karma Yoga

This page is part of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center Web site. Karma Yoga is one of the
four paths of Yoga. In this page are the key components that determine that any action will
qualify as being Karma Yoga

"Karma Yoga is the selfless devotion of all inner as well as the outer activities as a Sacrifice to
the Lord of all works, offered to the eternal as Master of all the soul’s energies and austerities."
Bhagavad Gita

Right Attitude
It’s not what you do that counts, it’s the attitude while doing it that determines if a job is a karma
yoga job, i.e. a liberating job, or a binding job. Work is worship. Swami Sivananda advises us to
"give your hands to work, and keep your mind fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord."

Right Motive
Same as attitude. It is not what you do that counts but your real motive behind it. Your motive
must be pure. Swami Sivananda says: "Man generally plans to get the fruits of his works before
he starts any kind of work. The mind is so framed that it cannot think of any kind of work without
remuneration or reward. A selfish man cannot do any service. He will weigh the work and the
money in a balance. Selfless Service is unknown to him."

Do Your Duty
Often "duty" is referred to as "righteousness". You will incur demerit if you shun your duty.
Your duty is towards God, or Self, or the Inner Teacher who teaches you through all the specific
circumstances of your life as they appear.

Do Your Best
Whatever you have to do, do your best. If you know of a better way to serve, you must use it. Do
not hold back because of fear of effort or because of fear of criticism. Do not work in a sloppy
manner just because no one is watching or because you feel the work is not for you. Give your
best. Try to do such actions that can bring maximum good and minimum evil. Do Karma Yoga
increasingly.

Give up Results
God is the doer. You are not the doer. You are only the instrument. You do not know God�s
intentions or God�s plans. God is the actor. The Self never acts, changes. It is only the "Gunas",
the three qualities, which are playing. The way to realize this truth is to constantly work for
work�s sake and let go of the results, good or bad. It is the desire for action that binds the
individual. It is the detachment from action that will dissolve the karmic seeds. Detachment from
results also means detachment from the type of job itself. There is no job that is inferior or
superior to a different job. Don�t be attached to your job. Be ready to give up your job if
necessary.

Serve God or the Self in All

Do to others what you would like to be done to yourself. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Adapt,
adjust, accommodate. Bear insult, bear injury. Unity in Diversity. We are parts of the same body.
Practice humility in action. Beware of power, fame, name, praise, censure.

Follow the Discipline of the Job

Each job is a teacher of some sort. You can learn different skills by doing different jobs. Each
job has different requirements in terms of time, degree of concentration, skills or experience,
emotional input, physical energy, will. Try to do whatever job you are doing, well.