Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2, Verses 69–72 — 12/Dec/2019
Chapter 2 — Verse 69
yaa nishaa sarvabhootaanaam tasyaam jaagarti samyamee
yasyaam jaagrati bhootaani saa nishaa pashyato munehe
Summary
What is night to all beings, therein the self controlled one awake. Where all beings are awake, that is the night of the sage who sees.
To everybody the truth about the Self or the supreme reality is night. This is because night is compared with darkness or ignorance. To everybody who is not a realised soul, they see the Supreme being as darkness as they do not understand it. Anything we do not understand is steeped in darkness for us and causes us confusion. The reality is accessible only to a man of steady knowledge. The self-restrained yogin who has subdued his senses and who has shaken off the sleep of Avidya or nescience is fully awake. But, when all beings are awake, i.e., when all beings, who in reality sleep in the night of ignorance, then the realised soul who can perceive the supreme being is awake.
Chapter 2 — Verse 70
aapooryamaanamachalaprathishtam
samudramaapaha pravishanti yadvat
tadvatkaamaa yam pravishanti sarve
sa shaantimaapnoti na kaamakaami
Summary
That person attains peace, into whom all desires enter as water enters the ocean, which, filled from all sides remains unaltered. But, not the person who desires objects.
Ocean is vast and water keeps entering it from all sides. But, the ocean itself remains unaltered. If you are an observer, you would not see the ocean rising or falling when more water comes into it or if some water is lost due to evaporation. Similarly, a person for whom desires or temptations enter to him but he remains unchanged or unaffected by it only he can attain moksha or peace. Others who have a longing for objects cannot attain moksha.
Chapter 2 — Verse 71
vihaaya kaamaanyaha sarvaanpumaanshcharati nihspuhaha
nirmamo nirahankaaraha sa shaantimadhigacchati
Summary
That man attains peace, who, abandoning all desires, moves about without attachment without selfishness, without vanity.
That man of renunciation, who, entirely abandoning all desires, goes through life content with the bare necessities of life, who has no attachment even for those bare necessities of life, who does not even care for those things which are needed for his existence. Who is not vain of his knowledge, such a man of steady knowledge, that man who knows Brahman, attains peace or nirvaana. The end of all the misery of samsaara or mundane existence. In short, he becomes Brahman itself.
Chapter 2 — Verse 72
eshaa braahmee shtithihi paartha nainaam praapya vimuhyati
sthitvaasyaamantakaalepi brahmaa nirvaanamucchathi
Summary
This is the Brahmic state, O son of Pritha. Attaining this, none is deluded. Remaining in this state even at the last period of life one attains peace or nirvana or the felicity of Brahman.
This state to renounce all and to dwell in the Brahman is the divine state or the state of Brahman. On reaching this state, one is not deluded. Remaining in this state, even in the very last period of life, one attains Moksha. Here, Sri Krishna is revealing a secret to attaining Moksha that, even if one is in the renounced state at the last period of life he can attain moksha. It is still a tough task to renounce everything at the last moment of one’s life as that person will still be thinking about his family, his children and about his legacy. Renouncing everything and everyone even at the last moment of life is a tall order for many but, as per Saankhya Yoga of Bhagavad Gita explained here, that is enough to attain Moksha or Brahma-Nirvana.
