Chapter 15: Bhagavad Gita Course with Swami Vishwananda

On August 13th, 2014 Swamiji covered Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita, titled: Purushottama Yoga

Chapter 15 deals with the yoga of unity to the Supreme Being. Krishna reveals Himself as being omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. 

Krishna also describes a symbolic tree (representing material existence), which has its roots in the heavens and its leaves on earth. Krishna explains that this tree should be cut with the "axe of detachment", after which one can attain liberation.  

General topics covered in the Chapter:

• Creation is like a tree created by the powers of Māyā
• How to cut the tree of attachment and attain salvation
• The embodied soul is the enjoyer

Excerpt commentary from Swamiji:

20

iti guhyatamaṃ śāstram
idam uktaṃ mayā’nagha
etad buddhvā buddhimān
syāt kṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata

Thus by Me the most secret shastra has been told, O sinless one. To know it absolutely is to be perfected in understanding and successful in the supreme sense, O Arjuna.

"Here Bhagavan Krishna is saying, ‘I don’t reveal myself to stupid people or to sinful people. Only the ones who have Divine virtues inside of them can have a glimpse of Me. They can be near to Me, they can enjoy My companionship but not everybody, only a few of them.’ Here Bhagavan says that it is Him, the almighty God Himself, giving the true knowledge to perfect oneself, to recognise Him everywhere and in everything that one does. Even if you are doing your normal duty which has been given to you by Himself. By realising this truth that whatever you do, wherever you are, however you are, it’s all the Lord Himself. You rise above Maya, when the true knowledge awakes, it will give you Self-Realisation, it will make you see Him at all times.

Bhagavan says that whoever has perceived Him everywhere, He is the one who takes full control of the bhakta and through different Leelas, through different pastimes that He enacts for each individual person, each one has his own personal relationship with Him. He manifests in certain aspects for that person and that’s how He makes Love grow. Love for God and Love for all. When you Love God truly, one perceives the Lord everywhere."

Testimony:

"Today Swami opened up the idea of the Soul's relationship to God. He was basically saying that there is the body and the eternal soul, but beyond the soul lies Krishna himself. He explained that the Bhakta through the love he has for God can attain the ultimate which lies even beyond the soul." - Senthilnathan, Sri Lanka

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Sri Swami Vishwananda has decided to give commentary on the Shreemad Bhagavad Gita, the eternal Word of Lord Sri Krishna. It will take place over 18 consecutive days, and each day will cover one chapter. Guruji will give his commentary with a particular Bhakti perspective.

For now, we will provide a small portion of the commentary on this blog for those who could not attend the course. At a later stage, we will offer the full length of the Gita commentary as a book and also as CD and DVD sets.