​

 

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2

(Compiled notes)

​

​

Note: This is a series of study notes from the translation of Bhagavad Gita by Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada (ISKCON founder) and titled as "Bhagvad Gita as it is". The copyright and content is that of Prabhupada & publishers. My part is simply distilling the knowledge from my self study and notes to share here in simple abridged form.

​

​

​

 

Sankhya Buddhi Yoga   -   Yoga of Empiric Contemplation

​

​

• भगवान = Bhagavan = The Primeval Lord, the original person      (Govinda adi purusam)

• Absolute Truth: has 3 stages of knowledge as follows:

• Brahman -> Paramatma -> Bhagavan

• stage 1 = Brahman = knowledge of the impersonal aspect of Godhead

• stage 2 = Paramatma = knowledge of the Supreme spirit indwelling in every body as a silent observer

• stage 3 = Bhagavan = The Supreme Person Godhead - controller of everything & everyone.

​

• 2.3  - क्ल‍ैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते । क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥ ३ ॥

  • magnanimity or so-called nonviolence should be given up by persons like Arjuna under the direct guidance of Kṛṣṇa.

​

• 2.5  -  teacher who engages in an abominable action and has lost his sense of discrimination is fit to be abandoned.

•  

• 2.7  - Talks between the master and the disciple are serious.

  • Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master of the science of Gita, and Arjuna is the first disciple.

​

• Material activities are a source of perplexity for everyone.

  • one ought to not feel small if they have difficulties in material world -- as it affects everyone -- even a valiant Kshatriya like Arjuna was perplexed by it

​

• 2.8 - Academic knowledge, scholarship, high position, etc., are all useless in solving the problems of life

• Real help can be given only by a spiritual master like Kṛṣṇa.

• The problems of material existence – birth, old age, disease and death – cannot be counteracted by accumulation of wealth and economic development

​

• 2.11 - asûn  - life (eg: gatā asūn = gone life = dead)

​

• Q - How do we say that the Lord and all people are individual spirits (persons)?

• A - answer is in 2.12.  

  •  न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः । न चैव नभविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥ १२ ॥

  • “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.”

  • this contradicts the principle that after liberation the individual soul, separated by the covering of māyā, or illusion, will merge into the impersonal Brahman and lose its individual existence

​

• 2.16 - There is no difference between the energy and the energetic, the energetic is accepted as the Supreme, and the energy or nature is accepted as the subordinate. 

​

• 2.17 - the soul is spread all over the body, as consciousness — as spirit energy.

  • ie the symptom of the soul’s presence is perceived as individual consciousness.

  • the soul is atomic - indivisible

  • but the influence of this soul (spirit energy) is felt all over the individual body

  • due to the presence of this spirit energy, the material body grows & regenerates

  • when the spirit energy departs, the material body decays & dies

​

• 2.18 - अप्रमेय  =  aprameya  =  immeasurable

​

• 2.19 - नायं हन्ति न हन्यते  = The spirit cannot be killed; only the body only can be killed.

  • Q - So should one kill anothers body?

  • A - answer is in purport of 2.19.

    • only under authority — of the Lord — the killing is approved.

​

• 2.20 - न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचित,...न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे |

  • Q - If the soul is eternal, why does the individual soul forget its eternal nature?

  • A - The memory is a property of the mind — which comes after material creation. The soul experiences & feels in a binary manner — it cant place memory of time..that happens only when mind is present — eg an experience of a certain food today or 100 years later is only remembered as experience by soul but that these two instances of the food are 100 years apart are only placed when mind is present; the mind requires senses which part of body. During the cycle of birth growth death (material association with body & mind) the soul is illusioned & bewildered (wowed, amazed) by the material world and thats why the soul forgets (that it is eternal).

​

• 2.21 - violence has its utility, and how to apply violence rests with the person in knowledge. 

​

• 2.27 - The cycle of birth and death does not support unnecessary murder, slaughter and war. But at the same time, violence and war are inevitable factors in human society for keeping law and order.

• 2.30 - violence is not encouraged, but at the time of war it is not discouraged when there is actual need for it.

• That need must be justified in terms of the sanction of the Lord, and not capriciously.

​

• 2.31 - kṣatriya = one who gives protection from harm.

  • For a ksatriya fighting in battle & for a brahmin sacrifice at altar are religious duties and are permitted by vedas; these acts are considered duties and dont incur karma/sin.

​

• 2.44 - समाधि  =  Samādhi  =  state of fixed mind.

  • Samādhi is never possible for persons interested in material sense enjoyment

​

• 2.45 - नित्य सत्त्व स्थ: = be in sattva state of mind always

  • why?

  • because only in sattva state of mind does Brahma jigyasa ( = spiritual quest) become possible

​

• 2.47 - कर्म  =  Karma = Prescribed duties or activities enjoined in terms of one’s acquired modes of material nature. 

​

• 2.48 - योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि = perform your prescribed duties as yoga — without becoming disturbed about results.

​

• 2.51:

  • अनामय = anamaya   =  without miseries

  • अप्रमेय  = aprameya = immeasurable, unlimited (SB 7.5.47, BG 2.18)

  • मुकुन्द    = Mukunda  = the giver of mukti (freedom)

    • those who surrender to Mukunda — unto them Mukunda gives freedom from anxieties

    • whereas less intelligent persons try to adjust to the situation by fruitive activities

​

• 2.56:

  • स्थितप्रज्ञ  =  sthita pragya = calm minded = spiritual person = 

  • स्थितधी   =  sthita dhii       = firm minded  = expert spiritual person  = muni

  • Success or no success, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always steady in his determination.

​

• 2.58:

  • to be a sthita dhii, one must be able to attach & detach sense organs from sense objects at will.

  • to be a sthita dhii, being sthita pragya is required — this is possible via serious, lifelong, study & practice of active Bhagavad Gita living.

​

• 2.66: - अशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् = where is the happiness for the one who is not at peace?

• 2.68: - या =  that what is ( या devi…)

  • Q - why one ought to introspect?

  • A - The introspective man is always indifferent to materialistic happiness and distress.

  • introspection = observation, thoughtful meditation

​

• 2.72: स्थित्वा अस्याम अन्त कालेऽपि ब्रह्म निर्वाणमृ ऋच्छति = thus situated (sthita pragya, sthita dhii) at end of life, one attains spiritual freedom

​

​

​

​

My Chosen verse from this chapter:

​

This is a tough one. There are so many verses in this chapter that are so powerful and thought provoking. 

That said the one I will chose as iconic from this chapter will be..

​

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि ।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥ 2.22 ॥

​

As one discards old torn garments and takes on new ones, like that the spirit discards an old worn out body and takes on another.

​

This verse is quite famous and well recognized like many other from this chapter but what sets it apart uniquely from others is that it beautifully summarizes the constitutional Truth of the body vs that of spirit in a way that even a child can understand, that someone even without any background of Bhagvad Gita can understand.

​

​