..sloka 14-17..sattvāt saṃjāyate jñānaṃ rajaso lobha eva ca
pramādamohau tamaso bhavatojñānam eva ca
What Lord Krishna is stating about those situated in sattva guna or the mode of goodness increase their wisdom to fruition then atma tattva or realisation of the immortal soul becomes a reality. When raja guna or the mode of passion increases in intensity more and more avid appetites are incited to enjoy the fruits of. Similarly when tama guna or the mode of ignorance increases it manifests as perverted understanding and the proclivity to be influenced by wickedness from which more and more tama is begotten. Thus all developement of intelligence is blocked and neutralised.
..sloka 14-18..Thiru vanji kulam..Sri Kulesekara Azvaar avathara sthalam..Kulesekara Perumaal.. Perumaal Thirumozli..From Trichur, at about 47 KMs is Kodungalur, from where at about 4 KMs is Thiruvanjikalam. Nearby is Thirukulasekarapuram [திரு குலசேகர புரம்], named after Kulasekara Alwar.Sri Srinivasa perumaal Sannithi..The doors of the sannidhi are beautifully carved. We can notice the Lord as in Paramapada [Vaikuntam], as in Thirupparkadal [Milk Ocean], His vibhava [incarnations] and the Lord appears as Sri Rama and as Sri Krishna, resembling the Lord at Mannargudi! We can also notice Alwars and Acharyas. This Alwar derives his glory from the very ancient temple of Lord Sri Mukunda, here. Kulasekara Alwar had composed Mukunda Mala, in praise of Lord Sri Mukunda. Some peaople say that one of his descendents had composed Mukunda Mala.
Sri Vallabheti varadeti dayapareti bhaktapriyeti bavaluntana ko videti |
Natheti nagasayaneti jagannivaseti alapanam pratipadam kuru mam Mukunda ||
Mukunda means He Who grants Moksham. Kulasekara Perumal, prays that he should chant Sri Mukunda’s name daily. narahathil erunthaalum thiru nama vaibavam sollum baagyam erunthaal pothum yenkiraar..ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti
rājasāḥ jaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā adho gacchhanti tāmasāḥ 14.18
Where do persons with satva, rajo and tamo qualities, go, is explained here. Satvastha = those stable in satva quality..Urdhvam gacchanti = [such persons, after life in the present birth] attain higher levels. Urdhvam does not merely mean up, but very high status pertaining to atman. That is he attains atma anubhavam and get atman sakshatkaram.. Rajasah = those with rajo quality, madhye = in the middle, tishtanti = remain. That is these persons will never get the high atma prapti, but swarga prapti and live in heaven. By being in the intermediate stage, they will have to come back to samsaram and suffer in rebirths, hunger, etc. Tamasa = those with tamo quality, vrittista = would develop tamo quality further, adho gacchanti = go to lower levels.
Now Lord Krishna reveals that those who are situated in sattva guna or the mode of goodness ascend upward in spiritual devlopement and eventually achieve moksa or liberation from material existence. Those who are situated in raja guna or the mode of passion have the desire for rewards for thecause of actions engage in activities that give them the results they wish to exploit and enjoy. Maintaining this mentality they engage fully in such fruitive activities life after life and are born again and again to engage in more and more works. Hence since it insures a constant reoccurrence of material births it is full of misery. Those who are situated in tama guna or the mode of ignorance are engaged in degenerative behaivior and descend downwards doing more and more despicable inhuman activities. Such beings development is in retrograde and after becoming the lowest types of humanity such as cannibals and perverts of beastiality they sink into the animal species themselves. After that due to the reactions from their heinious activitie they become worms and maggots and then they even descend into the lowest of plants to become stationary creepers and fungus.So Lord Krishna has revealed how the jiva or embodied being rises in evolution and how it descends. All those who adopt and maintain a strict vegetarian diet as detailed in chapter 6, verse 17 and chapter 17 verse 8 and who perform activities as a matter of duty without impetus for rewards gradually become fully situated in sattva guna and eventually ascend performing all activities for the satifaction for the Supreme Lord.
..sloka 14-19..Masi punarvasu avathaaram..Sri mukunda temple theerthavari antru..Ghushyate yasya rangayatra dine dine
Tam aham shirasa vande rajanam kulasekaram ||
This sloka glorifies Kulasekara Alwar. He was born n Thiruvanjikalam in Masi-Punarvasu. He is regarded as the reincarnation of Kaustubha [கௌஸ்துபம்], the bright centre-piece jewel on the chest of the Lord!..Sri Sera Kulavalli Natchiyaarai Azahiya Manavallanukku Thiru manam.. Thiru rama Navami serthy angu thaan..nānyaṃ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṃ yadā draṣṭānupaśyati
guṇebhyaś ca paraṃ vetti madbhāvaṃ sodhigacchhati ..By nature atman never acts. But under the influence of the Three qualities, atman acts in a body…we should know how to get rid off the influence of the Three qualities.Drashtan = [one with] satva quality, na pasyasi = does not see or look, like this.Gunebhya = from the Three qualities, param = superior, is atman, vetti = so, understands…Mad bhavam = My [Sri Krishna’s] nature, sa = he, adhigacchati = attains. That is, such a person, attains the nature of the Lord.. Ramanuja’s Commentary for sloka 14-19..
Thus by eating foods situated in sattva guna or the mode of goodness such as milk, cream, butter, fruits, rice, grains and vegetables and performing activities exclusively for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Krishna or any of His 55 authorised avatars or incarnations and do this never considering renumeration or rewards has been duly delineated by Lord Krishna Himself. Then all traces and residue of raja guna or mode of passion and tama guna or mode of ignorance will be completely dissolved and eradicated. When the aspirant becomes knowledgeable in the mechanisms of the three gunas or modes of material nature and realises that they actually are performing all actions themselves according to their respective qualities,then they see that they are not the doer but only the observer. When such a one further perceives the localised atma or immortal soul within the etheric heart as being eternally a part of paramatma or the Supreme Soul within the etheric heart of all sentient beings everywhere in creation; then one attains a state of consciousness like unto the Supreme Lord. The understanding is that the atma or immortal soul is eternal and transcendental to all aspects of material nature and thus free from any influence or karma or reactions to actions that may come to the jiva or embodied being due to its association with the three gunas within material existence. The atma itself is of the nature of infinite expanding consciousness. All atmas are feminine and when the atma is thus realised then a jiva qualifies to have eternal association in the spiritaual worlds with Lord Krishna. This is what He means by the words mad bhavan meaning attains a consciousness like Mine. So in conclusion after cognising and realising the absolute nature of the actionless atma which is completely beyond the purview of the material the assocaiation of the Supreme Lord is attained..
..sloka 14-20..kula sekaran padi..poo/mara thoon/paravai/kulam/paarai/stone-படியாய் கிடந்துன் பவள வாய் காண்பேனே!–ethenumaay erukka aasai kondaar....dasarathar/devaki aaha pulambinaar..kausalyayy thaalaattu paadinaar..
guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī dehasamudbhavān
janmamṛtyujarāduḥkhair vimuktomṛtam aśnute ..Dehi = atman [who is resident in a body], dehasamudbhavan = emerging from that body or originating from that body, trin etan gunan = these three qualities [satva, rajas and tamas], atitya = crossesJanma = birth, mrityu = death, jara = oldage, dukha = sufferings, vimukta = released from, amrtam = nature of God, asnute = attains…Over a period with sustained satva qualities, one crosses the Three qualities. We should take only satva food and do a number of good deeds. These would develop satva quality and after some time we cross Three qualities.
The three gunas or modes of material nature all arise from prakriti or the material substratum pervading physical existence from which the physical body manifests. When the jiva or embodied being transcends them all and realises the atma or immortal soul which is of the nature of infinity. Such a being attains moksa and is liberated from samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death and all misrey and sorrows associated with material existence. At the time one achieves atma-tattva or soul realisation, one assumes a spiritual body that is immortal. This is what Lord Krishna is declaring.
..sloka 14-21..Thiru moozi kulam near baratha puza nathi..named after barathan..In Tamil, language is mozhi [மொழி]. Since they exchanged language, that place was called Mozhi + Kalam [மொழி lamguage+ களம்place]. Thus this place is known as Thiru +mozhi + kalam, which later got transformed to Thirumoozhikkalam! It appears these words were spoken by Bharata and Lakshmana, here, after Sri Rama became the King and they toured these places! Thus this river is named after Bharata and the Lord is named after Lakshmana! The Lord is called Sri Sookti Nathan. Sookti in Sanskrit means language or mozhi in Tamil. Sri Thayar is Sri Maduraveni Nacchiyar [ஸ்ரீ மதுரவேணி நாச்சியார்]. Vimanam is Soundarya Vimanam and Theertham is Sanka Theertham. Nammalwar and Thirumangai Alwar have praised this Kshetram. kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho
kimācāraḥ kathaṃ caitāṃs trīn guṇān ativartate 14.21
Two questions are asked here. Prabho = my [Arjuna’s] Lord!, etan = these, trin = three, gunan = qualities, atita = crossed [person], kair = what, lingai = identifications, bhavati = would be? ..Kim = what are, achara = his activities [external identifications], katham = how, trin gunan = three qualities were, ativartate = crossed [by him]? ..
The word lingais means symptoms. By what symptoms can a liberated being be perceived? What distinguishes them from others? The word acarah means conduct. By what means does such a liberated being conduct themselves? How does one transcend the three gunas or modes of material nature. These questions will be answered by Lord Krishna next.
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