Gita series – part 21. Bhagavad Gita Chapter II - Verses– 42 to 44:
Krishna continues. “Oh! Partha! Those who are afflicted with material prosperity arising out of senses, those who think that the Heaven is the ultimate reality, attach importance to flowery aphorisms of Vedas which suggest various sacrificial rites for material prosperity. The ignorant who get deceived by these deceptive words, get carried away by developing attachments to wealth and other material comforts and enjoyment, causing rebirths, never fix their mind on the Paramatma (verses 42 to 44)”. Krishna says that those who are desirous of material prosperity cannot develop unified focus on the Brahman. The contents of Vedas can be interpreted either on the basis of external rituals or on the basis of internal exploration. People get carried away by the external rituals purely out of their ignorance about the concept of the Brahman. There is no second opinion about the teachings of Vedas. The following passage will give an idea about the extent of our ignorance about Vedas. “One has to accept that Veda mantras have an interpretation from the point of view of inner yajna, i.e. contemplating mentally the collaboration with Gods without any external effort or substance.
The goal of inner yajna is perfection of all our faculties, those of which the physical abode, those with our life energy such as passions, emotions, attitudes, ideals, etc. and those connected with the mental domain such as intelligence, analytical ability, intuition, discrimination between truth and falsehood….Yajna is a collaborative effort between the Gods, the cosmic powers and human being. Each God is associated with a particular psychological faculty…” (Quote from the book Taittiriya Samhita by Mr. R.L. Kashyap). Therefore, it is clear that Veda does not mean the mere rituals. Vedas provide gross and subtle meanings and we are by the effect of delusion could understand only the gross meaning. The subtle meanings are for those who explore their internal mental faculties by means of which they could establish commune with God through meditation. The gross meaning is for those who are infected by desire and attachments. They go with the external rituals without realizing the effects of the internal rituals and its associated benefits. Those who opt for the Heaven do not understand that Heaven is only a temporary shelter. After being in the Heaven for a certain period the soul has to be reborn again. The soul has no rebirth, only if it merges with the eternal and omnipresent Brahman. That is why Krishna says that the ignorant consider the Heaven as the eternal one. This is due to their ignorance (lack of knowledge) about the Supreme self or the Brahman or God.
The one who understands the Brahman will never opt for pleasures realized through the senses. Understanding the Brahman is different from realizing it. The ignorance also leads to a stage where they tend to get the interpretations of the Vedas wrong. That is Krishna says the ignorant are deceived by the deceptive words of Vedas. The words of Vedas are formed in such a way that they provide both intricate and deceptive interpretations. Ignorant people go with the deceptive and decorative meanings. Such situations arise only to those who are affected by karmic accounts. If one has serious karmic affliction, due to the influence of karma he gets attached to material comforts induced by sensory organs and in the process forgetting the Paramatma or God. That is why it is always said that one should perform good actions out of which arise good karmas. (to be continued)
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June 26, 2017 12:48 PM
Is this point trying to say that performing ritual though gives material benefits in turn creates Karma or Karmic imprints. Point is we can perform the same rituals internally as well which is better option, but as we proceed even this internal ritual should be discarded except meditation?
June 26, 2017 01:54 PM
It depends upon one's spiritual evolution. First, you can try to do it internally. At some point of time, your mind will tell you to stop this also. At that point of time, you will have to stop internal yajna also.
February 08, 2019 02:23 PM
Namaskaram Gurugaru,please explain how is internal yagna done
February 08, 2019 05:41 PM
There are two inner fires, which are called yajna fire. First one is jaṭharāgni. the digestive fire and the second one is the Kundalini fire. Let us take jaṭharāgni. Not only food that we eat are offered as oblations to jaṭharāgni, but also mind, intellect and ego are also offered as oblations. Unless these are burned by offering as oblations, Brahman cannot be realized as these would continue to be impediments for Realization.
February 12, 2019 02:06 PM
Thankyou Gurugaru.This means the offerings of mind,ego and intellect should be burned by meditation.