Today, Swami Kaivalyananda discussed further parts of Shankara’s commentary of the 13th chapter, 2nd shloka. This part is a very significant, and long part of Shankara’s commentary. The discussion continues, as the Purva Paksha (opposition) asks if the scriptures are meaningless because of the unreality of bondage and moksha. To this Shankara says that the […]

Swami discussed more from the 13th chapter, 2nd shloka. This part has an extensive commentary by Sri Shankaracharya. The shloka is; ‘know Me to be the knower in all fields, Arjuna! That knowledge which is of the field and the knower of the field I consider true knowledge.’ Here, the purva paksha asks, ‘so is […]

This is a true story with the dimensions of a parable. Most of us here about are familiar with the nuisance of birds at the big eating-place in the Ashram. The most menacing are the crows. Especially for the girl-students whose Mess is an enclosure. Remember the green screens? Yes, they are kept all around […]

Today, Swami Kaivalyanandaji continued with the commentary of the 13th chapter, 3rd verse. ‘Kshetrajnam api mam vidhi, sarvakshetresu bharata’ – ‘Know Me to be the Knower in all fields, Arjuna!’ Here, there is another interesting discussion between Shankara’s ‘Siddhanti’ and the opposing ‘Purva Paksha.’ Previously, we mentioned that Shankara compared the ignorance of the jiva […]

It’s been another summer In the past most of the summers in Amritapuri were a time that nearly nobody from outside visited the ashram. The monsoon period was the time with dark rainy days and lots of wind. Not easy for people to travel and come to the ashram. The past seven weeks in the […]

Today Swami discussed the 3rd shloka from the 13th chapter of the Gita; ‘Kshetrajnam capi mam vidhi, sarvakshetreshu bharata,Kshetrakshetrajnayor jnanam yat tat jnanam matam mama.’ 13.3 This is a very important shloka for Shankara’s commentary. The Lord says, ‘Know Me to be the field-knower in all fields, Arjuna! That knowledge which is of the field […]

Today, Swami Kaivalyanandaji began discussions on the 13th chapter, ‘the Yoga of the field and the knower of the field.’ Here is the 2nd shloka; ‘Idam shariram kaunteya, kshetram ityabhidhiyate,Etad yo vetti tam prahuh kshetrajnam iti tadvidah.’ 13.2 There is also a shloka before this in some books, ‘purusham prakritim caiva…’ However, Swami said that […]

‘Values of a Brahmachari’ The other day, there was a question in the class to Swami Kaivalyananda; ‘what are the values of a brahmachari?’ Swami gave a beautiful answer. He said that we are already studying the values of a brahmachari, because the 12th chapter gives the qualities of a devotee; freedom from anger and […]