18.58 An Elaborate explanation

In the meaning notice that it covers

• Mind : that needs to be trained and freed from slavery of senses
• Fixation on God : connection with God 24*7
• Challenges : all mental, emotional, physical & spiritual, include distractions 
• Grace : is usually teh outcome of mind fixed on God
• Ego - implying duality with God, surrender, faith 
• Listen : surrender 
• Destroyed : wasted

Out of ego do not listen : Ego is what separates us from God. Ego is what does not let us surrender. Ego leads us to the external world that is unreal.

Decisions and actions that come from the ego space , do not help in spiritual progress, they pull us down. That is what egocentric action leads to destruction.

Recall : Chapter 1 tells us that emotion wrecks duty and deludes us. Chapter 6 mentions mind can be your friend and your enemy.

After the entire discourse Krishna is kind of reassuring Arjun & us that

• If you perform your duty with mind fixed on me  ( Karam Yog)
• All obstacles removed by my grace ( Bhakti Yog)
• However if not listen out of Ego , destruction ( Dhyan Yog, as it is implying understanding teh knowledge )

The entire Gita is summed up in this verse too!


Below are some excerpts from various sources relating to this verse.

BG 18.58, Translation and Purport: 

If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.

A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not unduly anxious about executing the duties of his existence. The foolish cannot understand this great freedom from all anxiety. For one who acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes the most intimate friend. He always looks after His friend's comfort, and He gives Himself to His friend, who is so devotedly engaged working twenty-four hours a day to please the Lord. Therefore, no one should be carried away by the false ego of the bodily concept of life. One should not falsely think himself independent of the laws of material nature or free to act. He is already under strict material laws. But as soon as he acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is liberated, free from the material perplexities. One should note very carefully that one who is not active in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is losing himself in the material whirlpool, in the ocean of birth and death. No conditioned soul actually knows what is to be done and what is not to be done, but a person who acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is free to act because everything is prompted by Kṛṣṇa from within and confirmed by the spiritual master.

The 18 chapters and us

Thousands of years ago (at the time of the Mahabharata), people had the same problems as what we have today. There is not much difference. 

Thousands of years ago also, there was a new moon and there was a full moon, there was winter and there was spring. So in everyone’s life also, the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita happen.

•The first chapter is where you regret and say, "I am powerless and I give up".

•The second chapter in your life is when someone wakes you up and says, "Hey come on! There’s nothing to regret in life. There is something in you that doesn’t change and you have the power to sail over all this". Then you wake up and you felt good.

•The third chapter tells you to act. Don’t sit and worry, ‘What about me? What about me? 'Go and act, this is Karma Yoga.

•The fourth chapter tells you, now that you are acting you must also listen to knowledge. Don’t become like a machine and only act, listen to knowledge as well. There is something beyond all this.

•The fifth chapter tells you about material and spiritual knowledge. You cannot say, "Everything is being done and there is nothing for me to do", or you cannot think, "I am doing everything. I did this and I did that". This is not going to work for you. Wake up and see, are things happening or are you really doing it?

•Then the sixth chapter is when you learn to meditate.

•The seventh chapter tells you, now that you’re meditating, you should know the author of meditation - the one who is meditating in you. 'Who am I? What is time?' Knowing all about science.

•Like that it goes on! When you meditate miracles happen in your life. Wake up and see the miracles! Many don’t observe miracles, nor believe in it. If you recognize it and believe in it then it happens even more! Give a chance for miracles to happen, don’t be so steeped in the material cause and effect -- 'I did this so this will happen', or 'I did that and only that will happen', no! You did it but something else can also happen out of the blue! Recognizing that ‘something different’ is Vibhuti. Vibhuti means giving a chance for miracles in your life, exploring it.

•Then after that is knowing the universal self and knowing that everything is in me and I am in everything.

•Then comes love and devotion. You know and understand all this, but then what? It is not enough. You should be in deep love! When you know that the divine loves you, you cannot but fall in love with the divine! That’s the 12th chapter.

•Then you understand what are the divine qualities and what are the demonic qualities and you realize that you have all the divine qualities in you.

•Then there are the three qualities or Gunas (Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic) to everything: mind, ego and food. Sattavic ego is, "I am everything and everybody". The Tamasic ego is knowing that you are only this body, and the Rajasic ego is having a limited mindset and falling into craving and aversion.

•The final chapter is knowing that you cannot wash your own sins. Drop them and understand what is being said, "I am here to take care of your sins. Feel that you are mine, be connected to me and I will take care of everything. Just relax!’ This is sanyaasa or liberation.

These are the 18 chapters and these chapters are all a part of everybody’s life. Sometimes we don’t reach up to the 18th chapter. It takes many lifetimes to reach there!

KALIYUG : Explained by Krishna to Pandavas

KALIYUG

What is Kaliyug and what will happen during Kaliyug ? : asked The four Pandavas (except Yudhishthira who was not present) Krishna smiled and said "let me demonstrate you the situation of Kaliyug"

He took a bow and four arrows and shot them in four directions, and ordered the four Pandavas to bring them back. Each of the four Pandavas went in four different directions to search for the arrows.

Arjuna- when he picked the arrow, he heard a very sweet voice.. he turned back and saw a cuckoo was singing bhajans in a very spellbinding voice but was also eating flesh of a live rabbit which was in great pain.
Arjuna was very surprised to see such a gory act by such a divine bird ...he left the place immediately.

Bhima picked the arrow from a place where five wells were situated, the four wells were surrounding a single well.
The four wells were overflowing with very sweet water as if they were not able to hold water and surprisingly the well in the middle of these four overflowing wells was completely empty. Bhima was also puzzled at this sight.

Nakula was returning to the place after picking up the arrow he stopped at a place where a cow was about to give birth. After giving birth the cow started licking the calf but continued to lick it even after the calf was clean, with great difficulty people were able to separate them and by that time the calf was injured badly.Nakula was puzzled by the behaviour of such a calm animal.

Sahdev picked an arrow which fell near a mountain and saw a big boulder falling, the boulder was crushing the rocks and big trees on his way down, but the same boulder was stopped by a small plant.
Sahdev was also amazed at this sight.

All the Pandavas asked the meaning of these incidents from Krishna who smiled and started explaining-

" In Kaliyug the priests will have very sweet voice and will also have great knowledge but they will exploit devotees the same way cuckoo was doing with rabbit.

In Kaliyug poor will live among rich, those rich will have enormous amount of wealth which will actually overflow but they will not offer a single penny to the poor same as the four well didn't had a single drop of water for the empty well.

In Kaliyug parents will love their children so much that their love will actually spoil them and will destroy their lives similar to the love shown by cow to her newborn calf.

In Kaliyug people will fall in terms of character like the boulder from the mountain and they will not be stopped by anyone .At the end only the name of God will be able to hold them from doom like the little plant held the boulder from further fall.

That's the explanation of Kaliyug from Lord Krishna to Pandavas .

Signs of a Karam Yogi

Signs of a Karam Yogi 

Passion when in Action
Dispassion when Resting
Compassion when dealing with People

BHAGWAD GITA IN ONE SENTENCE OF EACH ADHYAY

BHAGWAD GITA IN ONE SENTENCE OF EACH ADHYAY Chapterwise.
Teachings of Gita.....in brief :-

18 Lessons we can Learn from the Bhagawad Geeta: 

Chapter 1 :
Wrong thinking is the only problem in life

Chapter 2 :
Right knowledge is the ultimate solution to all our problems

Chapter 3 :
Selflessness is the only way to progress and prosperity

Chapter 4 :
Every act can be an act of prayer

Chapter 5 :
Renounce the ego of individuality and Rejoice in the Bliss of Infinity

Chapter 6 :
Connect to the Higher ConsciousNess Daily

Chapter 7 :
Live what you learn

Chapter 8 :
Never give up on yourself

Chapter 9 :
Value your blessings

Chapter 10 :
See divinity all around

Chapter 11 :
Have enough surrender to see the Truth as it is

Chapter 12 :
Absorb your mind in the Higher

Chapter 13 :
Detach from Maya and Attach to Divine

Chapter 14 :
Live a lifestyle that matches your vision

Chapter 15 :
Give priority to Divinity

Chapter 16 :
Being good is a reward in itself

Chapter 17 :
Choosing the right over the pleasant is a sign of power

Chapter 18 :
Let Go, Lets move to Union with God